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Taking over his father's business after father's accident

Unfortunately, in November of 1967, my father was in an automobile accident. One week later he died. That changed my life completely. He was 62.

So I took a leave of absence from FMC corporation, because I had to take care of my father. But I soon realized after 6 months that from 6 months I’m not going to be able to return. The FMC gave me a year of leave of absence, when I knew I’m not going to be able to return to FMC. Running my father’s business became my full-time job. So at that time I was 32 years old.


agriculture business economics families fathers management

Date: March 22, 2018

Location: California, US

Interviewer: John Esaki

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

Interviewee Bio

Tom Yuki was born on June 29, 1935, in Salinas, California. His father belonged to a farming partnership before World War II and was able to continue the business while incarcerated at Poston, Arizona, with the help of his business partner via telephone and telegram. After returning from Poston, the family moved to Los Gatos, California, and continued with their business. Tom went to the University of Santa Clara and joined the military, assigned to France as a Quartermaster officer. He was working as a contract administrator in a corporation when his father died, leaving Tom to take over the business as managing partner of Yuki Farms. Tom has served as board member to many organizations including his current role for the Japanese American National Museum. (December 2018)

Kazuo Funai
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Kazuo Funai

Bad business deal (Japanese)

(1900-2005) Issei businessman

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Kazuo Funai
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Kazuo Funai

Company in Tokyo burned down (Japanese)

(1900-2005) Issei businessman

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Haruo Kasahara
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Haruo Kasahara

Sings traditional plantation labor song (ho-le ho-le bushi) in Japanese and Hawaiian

(b.1900) Issei plantation worker in Hawai'i.

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Wally Kaname Yonamine
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Wally Kaname Yonamine

Training for football by carrying 100-lb bags of grass over mountains

(b.1925) Nisei of Okinawan descent. Had a 38-year career in Japan as a baseball player, coach, scout, and manager.

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Wally Kaname Yonamine
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Wally Kaname Yonamine

Working in cane fields as teenager to supplement family income

(b.1925) Nisei of Okinawan descent. Had a 38-year career in Japan as a baseball player, coach, scout, and manager.

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Mitsuo Ito
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Mitsuo Ito

Sugar-beets farm in Alberta

(b.1924) Japanese Canadian Nisei. Interpreter for British Army in Japan after WWII. Active in Japanese Canadian community

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Sam Naito
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Sam Naito

Starting an import business after World War II

(b. 1921) Nisei businessman. Established "Made in Oregon" retail stores

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Alice Sumida
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Alice Sumida

Learning to do farm labor at a sugar beet farm

(1914-2018) Founder of the largest gladiolus bulb farm in the United States.

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Bill Hashizume
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Bill Hashizume

Father’s success in farm business

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

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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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Bert A. Kobayashi
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Bert A. Kobayashi

Getting involved in the family business at age 19

(b.1944) Founder of Kobayashi Group, LLC

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Bert A. Kobayashi
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Bert A. Kobayashi

A body, mind and spirit work ethic

(b.1944) Founder of Kobayashi Group, LLC

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Shunji Nishimura
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Shunji Nishimura

Learning skills by watching others work (Japanese)

(1911-2010) Founder of JACTO group

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Shunji Nishimura
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Shunji Nishimura

Repaying Brazil by educating the technicians (Japanese)

(1911-2010) Founder of JACTO group

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Shunji Nishimura
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Shunji Nishimura

Delivering know-how to the next generation (Japanese)

(1911-2010) Founder of JACTO group

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