Discover Nikkei

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/1112/

Three important things learned from father

Sure, there’s so much I learned from my father. But if I had to boil it down to 3 things, I think I would say number one, to be a man of your word is really important to my dad. And he impressed me over the years why it’s so important for not just myself, for my brother and sister to be the man and woman of our words. Even though this day you paper a lot of stuff, nothing is perfectly papered or documented and oftentimes you have to rely on someone’s ethics and that’s something he impressed upon us as being very important and it’s benefited me in my career – my being a man of my word.

Number two is he always was a big proponent of being a risk-taker. It’s one thing to be able to predict a market trend or a real estate trend. It’s an entirely different thing to act upon it. And my dad always impressed upon me to be a rather big risk-taker.

Number three that my dad learned a little bit later in life, but I think it’s a great dad is to really spend time with the family. So that’s something that I’ve made a conscious effort at trying to do over my young career is to spend as much time with my family as I can while still keeping my business at its best. So those are the 3 things that I think…I think about most when I think about my dad and his advice to me.


families

Date: June 1, 2006

Location: Hawai'i, US

Interviewer: Akemi Kikumura Yano

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

Interviewee Bio

Bert A. Kobayashi, Jr., known as “B.J.,” first experienced the construction business as a laborer for Albert C. Kobayashi, Inc., the Hawai‘i company founded by his grandfather and run by his father, Bert, Sr. After graduating from Georgetown University in 1993, he worked in Senator Daniel Inouye’s Washington, D.C., office—where Hawai‘i’s senior Democrat advised him to consider the value of obtaining a law degree. After three years studying real estate and business law at Georgetown, B.J. took over as president of his father’s company, developing the Kapolei Civic Center. With his brother, sister and a business partner, he then formed the Kobayashi Group, developing major condominium and luxury golf resort projects. In addition to his business interests, B.J. is also passionate about promoting sustainability and protecting Hawai ‘i’s natural resources, and is active in community work such as the Gift Foundation of Hawai‘i (which he co-founded) and the Nature Conservancy. (June 2007)

Source: Based on article in Pacific Business News.

Ariyoshi,George

Spending time with children

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

Ariyoshi,Jean Hayashi

Getting married

Former First Lady of Hawai'i

Ariyoshi,Jean Hayashi

Possibility of being adopted by aunt

Former First Lady of Hawai'i

Funai,Kazuo

First work in America (Japanese)

(1900-2005) Issei businessman

Hirabayashi,James

Little interaction with parents

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

Hirabayashi,James

Gordon's parents' experience in prison

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

Kawakami,Barbara

Going back to Hawaii

An expert researcher and scholar on Japanese immigrant clothing.

Kawakami,Barbara

Clothes of plantation workers

An expert researcher and scholar on Japanese immigrant clothing.

Kawakami,Barbara

Surviving after father's death

An expert researcher and scholar on Japanese immigrant clothing.

Kawakami,Barbara

Washing for Filipino bachelors

An expert researcher and scholar on Japanese immigrant clothing.

Kawakami,Barbara

Brother leaves for war, survival

An expert researcher and scholar on Japanese immigrant clothing.

Kawakami,Barbara

Doing chores

An expert researcher and scholar on Japanese immigrant clothing.

Okasaki,Robert (Bob) Kiyoshi

Wife's family in Japan

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

Yamano,Jane Aiko

New Year's food

(b.1964) California-born business woman in Japan. A successor of her late grandmother, who started a beauty business in Japan.

Yokoyama,Wayne Shigeto

Food growing up

(b.1948) Nikkei from Southern California living in Japan.