Interviews
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.
Date: March 22, 2018
Location: California, US
Interviewer: John Esaki
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum
Explore More Videos
Sings traditional plantation labor song (ho-le ho-le bushi) in Japanese and Hawaiian
(b.1900) Issei plantation worker in Hawai'i.
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.
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.
Sugar-beets farm in Alberta
(b.1924) Japanese Canadian Nisei. Interpreter for British Army in Japan after WWII. Active in Japanese Canadian community
Starting an import business after World War II
(b. 1921) Nisei businessman. Established "Made in Oregon" retail stores
Learning to do farm labor at a sugar beet farm
(1914-2018) Founder of the largest gladiolus bulb farm in the United States.
Father’s success in farm business
(b. 1922) Canadian Nisei who was unable to return to Canada from Japan until 1952
Liaison between the Americans and the Japanese
(b. 1922) Canadian Nisei who was unable to return to Canada from Japan until 1952
Getting involved in the family business at age 19
(b.1944) Founder of Kobayashi Group, LLC
A body, mind and spirit work ethic
(b.1944) Founder of Kobayashi Group, LLC
Learning skills by watching others work (Japanese)
(1911-2010) Founder of JACTO group
Repaying Brazil by educating the technicians (Japanese)
(1911-2010) Founder of JACTO group
Delivering know-how to the next generation (Japanese)
(1911-2010) Founder of JACTO group
Discover Nikkei Updates
See exciting new changes to Discover Nikkei. Find out what’s new and what’s coming soon!
Follow us @discovernikkei for new site content, program announcements, and more!