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https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/232/

Company in Tokyo burned down (Japanese)

(Japanese) Even if I want to go home, I can’t so it’s useless. There’s no use thinking about it.

I*: During the war, if Pearl Harbor hadn’t been attacked, would you be in Japan now?

Yeah, of course. I was going to go back to Japan. I had started a company in Tokyo.

I: What happened to that company? What happened to that company? That company in Tokyo?

It burned down. Burned down. Even though I had built a company it burned up.

* "I" indicates an interviewer (Eriko Yamamoto).


business economics management migration World War II

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)

Robert (Bob) Kiyoshi Okasaki
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Robert (Bob) Kiyoshi Okasaki

Grandmother's influence on decision to go to Japan

(b.1942) Japanese American ceramist, who has lived in Japan for over 30 years.

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Bill Hashizume
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Bill Hashizume

Liaison between the Americans and the Japanese

(b. 1922) Canadian Nisei who was unable to return to Canada from Japan until 1952

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George Ariyoshi
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George Ariyoshi

Prom during the war

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

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Henry Shimizu
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Henry Shimizu

Grandmother convinced his mother to return to Canada

(b. 1928) Doctor. Former Chair of the Japanese Canadian Redress Foundation.

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Jean Hayashi Ariyoshi
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Jean Hayashi Ariyoshi

Day Pearl Harbor was bombed

Former First Lady of Hawai'i

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Masako Iino
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Masako Iino

Interest in Japanese migration studies (Japanese)

Tsuda College President, researcher of Nikkei history

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James Hirabayashi
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James Hirabayashi

Life in camp as teenager

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

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Venancio Shinki
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Venancio Shinki

We go to America (Spanish)

(b. 1932-2016) Peruvian painter

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Steve Kaji
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Steve Kaji

FOB's

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

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Robert Katayama
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Robert Katayama

Being ordered to keep a diary that was later confiscated, ostensibly by the FBI

Hawaiian Nisei who served in World War II with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team.

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Barbara Kawakami
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Barbara Kawakami

Bombing of Pearl Harbor

An expert researcher and scholar on Japanese immigrant clothing.

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Barbara Kawakami
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Barbara Kawakami

Helping soldiers

An expert researcher and scholar on Japanese immigrant clothing.

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Mas Kodani
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Mas Kodani

Fun at concentration camp

Senshin Buddhist Temple minister and co-founder of Kinnara Taiko.

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Takeo Uesugi
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Takeo Uesugi

Studying in Japan before working in the US

(1940-2016) Issei Landscape Architect

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Yuri Kochiyama
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Yuri Kochiyama

Father as prisoner of war in hospital

(1922–2014) Political and civil rights activist.

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