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

Match-making (Japanese)

(Japanese) When I was 35, I went to meet a possible bride. First there was a girl named, “Sachiko.” Her name uses the character for happiness. I looked at her, and I thought, I’m so old that anyone will do. I thought anyone will do, and then the pastor came around to the Parkside store and started asking all kinds of things. I told him I go to drink and gamble. He ran away. I was rejected outright. So the one I’m married to was the second offer. A year after I was married, I opened my second store. Competition was fierce. Everyday was crazy. There was so much noise. You know, the first one, the one named Sachiko, regretted it. I had expanded to five stores.

arranged marriages marriages matchmaking

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)