With roots set deep in the community, we offer premium quality service of an old school barber shop in a welcoming modern setting.
Little Tokyo, Los Angeles
The Oliver Club
1917
Founded in 1917 by local Hewitt Street schoolteacher, Nellie G. Oliver, the Oliver Club was a social and athletics club for young Japanese Americans living in Little Tokyo. Over the next 25 years, Miss Oliver formed eight boys’ clubs and two girls clubs’ under her leadership.
The club was a place to meet and socialize, forging many lifelong friendships in the community.
Park County, Wyoming
Heart Mountain
1942
On February 19, 1942, Executive Order 9066 was signed, leading to the forced relocation of 120,000 Japanese Americans. The Heart Mountain War Relocation Center was one of ten concentration camps established for those evicted from the West Coast Exclusion Zone during World War II.
This relocation forced the unfortunate closure of the Oliver Club. Yet, a strong sense of camaraderie remained, as many young men from the club, now at Heart Mountain, formed recreational sports teams and continued to compete under the name 'Olivers.’ During these challenging times, sports teams became a way to preserve cultural ties and provide normalcy amidst displacement.
Great-uncle of OCBS founder, Ets Yoshiyama and Babe Nomura
Los Angeles, California
The Olivers
1961
In 1961, the Olivers reformed to honor their late teacher, dedicating themselves to providing educational opportunities to youth through athletic scholarships. Chaired by Ets Yoshiyama—great-uncle of Oliver Club Barber Shop’s founder—the club rekindled old bonds and revived the camaraderie that had united teammates decades earlier.
The spirit of The Olivers is deeply rooted in a sense of community and connection. Sports clubs have served as more than just athletic endeavors; they have been essential in building resilience, solidarity, and a sense of belonging. The Olivers carried on this tradition, continuing to build connections and support future generations.
Arts District, Los Angeles
Oliver Club Barber Shop
2022
The Oliver Club Barber Shop continues the spirit of a sports club that thrived in the Little Tokyo area a century ago. It sits down the street from the original club and like its namesake is a place to relax, converse and be yourself.
Offering old fashioned hot lather shaves, beard trimming and bespoke haircuts, the club is reviving barbering traditions and levels of service that go back to the early 20th century.
