The fonds consists of textual records, photographs, and audiovisual materials, spanning the period 1905-2001, related primarily to Gordon Goichi Nakayama’s career with the Anglican Church of Canada and missionary work, religious and secular research and writing projects (the latter primarily related to Japanese internment and the Japanese Canadian community), as well and his personal and family life and administrative affairs. The fonds is arranged by function and documentary form. The fonds consists of eight series: Personal and administrative records and correspondence; clippings and ephemera; photographs; writings and publications; diaries; notes and notebooks; church and missionary work records; and audio-visual materials

Records related to Nakayama’s roles with the Anglican Church in Vancouver, B.C., and Coaldale, Alta., and his global missionary work include travel documents and itineraries; incoming and outgoing correspondence; church financial records and reports; church publications and parishioner lists; licenses and certificates; conference materials; clippings and ephemera; diaries; notes and notebooks; and other materials.

Records relating to Nakayama’s religious and secular research and writing projects include manuscript and typescript drafts, as well as final published versions, of religious and biographical / autobiographical works, non-fiction works on the Japanese Canadian / Issei community, and poetry, as well as supporting materials, such as publishers’ contracts and correspondence and research materials.

Records related to Nakayama’s personal and family life and administrative affairs includes incoming and outgoing correspondence; address books and directories; maps; photographs; calligraphy and paintings on shikishi; medical records; travel documents and citizenship records; pension records; records and correspondence related to redress; legal documents; certificates, licenses, and membership cards; property and real estate records; banking and financial records; educational records; biographical information; clippings (many related to Joy Kogawa’s writing career), ephemera, and scrapbooks; notes and notebooks; and other materials.

Audio-visual materials consist of two films on three 16 mm film reels on the subject of World War II and Japanese culture.