Interviews

1. Coming to America (Japanese)

2. First work in America (Japanese)

3. Bad business deal (Japanese)

4. Japan vs. the United States (Japanese)

5. Company in Tokyo burned down (Japanese)

6. Match-making (Japanese)

7. Two race horses (Japanese)

8. Buying violin (Japanese)

Funai,Kazuo

(1900-2005) Issei businessman

Bad business deal (Japanese)

(Japanese) On Beverly Boulevard, I started a farmer’s market. I started it with a partner. But he wasn’t a very good person. My mother sent me 4000 yen/dollar (?) to me from Japan, and he used that money to buy stock to build a stock company building. He used somebody else’s money. He was a bad guy.

I*: What happened to your money?

My money? I gave him 4000 yen, and he only returned 2000 yen. Then he went back to Japan. He got cursed, and he died. He died. He was from Kagoshima.

* “I” indicates an interviewer (Eriko Yamamoto).

business economics management

Date: October 14 & 17, 2004

Location: California, US

Interviewer: Eriko Yamamoto

Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum.

Interviewee Bio

Kazuo Funai, 104-year-old pioneer Issei from Wakayama Prefecture in Japan, owned and operated a market on Central Avenue in Los Angeles. In 1941, prior to the outbreak of World War II, Mr. Funai had made arrangements to move to Tokyo to set up a business enterprise. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, he was unable to travel to Japan and was financially ruined. In addition, he and his family were incarcerated in an American concentration camp. He survived these obstacles to later start several successful businesses.

Mr. Funai passed away on Thursday, March 3, 2005 at the age of 105. (August 16, 2005)