Discover Nikkei

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/654/

Preserving tradition becoming more difficult

You know, I think there always will be...and there always will be a core of people that really like to keep it together. But it’s getting smaller because there’s a lot of intermarriage. And so if our generation or your generation don’t teach them some of the traditions…if my parents die before I learned everything or I die before I teach them, then it will disappear. And it started. But the Japan America Society – all different types of associations here that I think are doing a good job.

We have one ???? with Japan Hawaii Executive Conference. We do that every other year. They come here, we go there. But I notice that people are getting older, but no more younger people coming in, you know. You know what I mean? It seem like you’re spending so much time and money to meet somebody where they cannot help you in the future. But it’s not helping you for business sometime. It’s to learn the tradition. They want to learn what you’re doing here and you want to learn what they’re doing. Not always business. But the kids nowadays, which, I don’t blame them. They want to get contact where they can get projects or jobs. So we gotta get them balanced someplace.


conferences Japan America Society traditions

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, founder of the Kobayashi Group LLC, was born in Honolulu, Hawaii on November 10, 1944. He is a third generation Japanese American whose parents were also born and raised in Hawai‘i. At the age of 19, his father Albert fell ill and Bert was suddenly introduced to the difficult realities of running a business when he took over the construction company founded by his father. Bert eventually guided the business to become the largest local construction company in Hawai‘i, selling the business to a group of employees in 1997. He then founded the Kobayashi Development Group, serving as chairman until his retirement, and continues to be an advisor to the company led by his son, B.J. Kobayashi, who serves as CEO and president. Bert is known throughout the state of Hawai‘i for his generous philanthropic efforts such as starting the University of Hawai‘i Foundation and has been an active member on numerous community and educational boards. (2007年3月1日)

Ariyoshi,Jean Hayashi

Getting married

Former First Lady of Hawai'i

Matsubara,Yumi

Traditional Japanese events for Japanese Americans (Japanese)

Shin-Issei from Gifu. Recently received U.S. citizenship

Fukumoto,Kay

Taiko as a family tradition

(b.1960) Third-generation taiko drummer, leader of Maui Taiko