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)

Kazuo Funai

(1900-2005) Issei businessman

First work in America (Japanese)

(Japanese) I first went to San Pedro and worked in a cannery. Then I got on a boat for Washington to do tuna fishing which I did until I was 29 years old. I made 8000 yen (dollars?) and went home to Japan. When I went home…. My family had a grocery store. I said I was going home, and my mother fell and broke her leg and so was in bed. Ever since I was a child, my family had a store that sold everything.

aquatic sports families fishing migration

Date: Oct 14, 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)

Explore More Videos

Interviewee

Tag

Keywords

Interview language

George Ariyoshi

Spending time with children

(b.1926) Democratic politician and three-term Governor of Hawai'i

Jean Hayashi Ariyoshi

Getting married

Former First Lady of Hawai'i

Jean Hayashi Ariyoshi

Possibility of being adopted by aunt

Former First Lady of Hawai'i

James Hirabayashi

Family interrelations between mother and father

(1926 - 2012) Scholar and professor of anthropology. Leader in the establishment of ethnic studies as an academic discipline

James Hirabayashi

Little interaction with parents

(1926 - 2012) Scholar and professor of anthropology. Leader in the establishment of ethnic studies as an academic discipline

James Hirabayashi

Gordon's parents' experience in prison

(1926 - 2012) Scholar and professor of anthropology. Leader in the establishment of ethnic studies as an academic discipline

Steve Kaji

FOB's

Hawaii born Nikkei living in Japan. English Teacher at YMCA.