Interviews

1. Great grandfather working in Hawaii

2. Great grandparents' hotel business in Hawaii

3. Grandfather raised in the hotel business

4. Grandfather picked up by US Army

5. Grandfather's interrogations during World War II

6. Grandparents were incarcerated in Jerome, Arkansas

7. Grandfather's business in Hawaii while in camp

8. Finding his mother's high school valedictorian speech

9. Grandfather helping administration in camp

10. Grandfather Fujioka in Wailua

11. Growing up Japanese in Hawaii

12. Entering banking business

Robert T. Fujioka

(b. 1952) Former banking executive, born in Hawaii

Great grandparents' hotel business in Hawaii

He actually went back to the Big Island and found his future wife, whose last name I believe was Higashi, but I don’t know anything about her family other than that they had a reputation for making very good poi on the Big Island. Anyway, she went back with him to Maui and together they scraped enough money to start their own hotel. So they started the Kagawa hotel in Kahului or Wailuku in Maui. Must have been Kahului. Anyway, it was the only Japanese hotel and so they did pretty well because there were obviously a lot of immigrants coming in from Japan and I guess at that time there was even trade that was developing. Anyway, he did pretty well as a hotel owner and he and his wife had four children.

business economics Hawai'i hotels management United States

Date: Apr 25, 2018

Location: California, US

Interviewer: John Esaki

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

Interviewee Bio

Robert Fujioka was born in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1952. He attended the University of Michigan earning a BA degree and earned an MBA from the University of Hawai'i. He has been in the banking industry since 1974 and currently serves as Vice Chair, Japanese American National Museum Board of Trustees, a Trustee of the Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation, and the First Hawaiian Bank Foundation. (November 2018)

Explore More Videos

Interviewee

Tag

Keywords

Interview language

George Ariyoshi

Decision to run for governor

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

George Ariyoshi

Being fair

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

George Ariyoshi

Role of Hawaii internationally

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

Jean Hayashi Ariyoshi

Working in the pineapple fields

Former First Lady of Hawai'i

Jean Hayashi Ariyoshi

Tree planting

Former First Lady of Hawai'i

Kazuo Funai

Bad business deal (Japanese)

(1900-2005) Issei businessman

Kazuo Funai

Company in Tokyo burned down (Japanese)

(1900-2005) Issei businessman

Barbara Kawakami

Going back to Hawaii

An expert researcher and scholar on Japanese immigrant clothing.

Barbara Kawakami

1920 labor strike

An expert researcher and scholar on Japanese immigrant clothing.

Barbara Kawakami

Bombing of Pearl Harbor

An expert researcher and scholar on Japanese immigrant clothing.

Barbara Kawakami

Helping soldiers

An expert researcher and scholar on Japanese immigrant clothing.

Ann K. Nakamura

Image of Americans

Sansei from Hawaii living in Japan. Teacher and businesswoman.

Richard Kosaki

Growing up in Waikiki

(b. 1924) Political scientist, educator, and administrator from Hawai`i

Richard Kosaki

Working at a first aid station on Oahu after December 7

(b. 1924) Political scientist, educator, and administrator from Hawai`i

Richard Kosaki

Under suspicion after Pearl Harbor

(b. 1924) Political scientist, educator, and administrator from Hawai`i

Discover Nikkei Updates

NIMA VOICES

Episode 19
Guest host Tamlyn Tomita chatted with actor Christopher Sean in the latest episode of Nima Voices about his background, acting, and community involvement.
WATCH NOW!

VIRTUAL PROGRAM

Nikkei Uncovered V: a poetry reading
Tuesday, December 9
Hosted by traci kato-kiriyama. Featuring Aaron Caycedo-Kimura, Erica Isomura, and Syd Westley

SUPPORT THE PROJECT

Discover Nikkei’s 20 for 20 campaign celebrates our first 20 years and jumpstarts our next 20. Learn more and donate!

Interviews

Watch more clips

Robert T. Fujioka

Great grandparents' hotel business in Hawaii

Explore More Videos

Discover Nikkei Updates