Akira Takashio

Shin Issei – owner of izakaya (Japanese-style tavern) and kappo (small Japanese diner) restaurant, Honda-Ya

First impression of America (Japanese) Permanent residency for 10,000 dollars (Japanese) Longing for a life abroad and getting a chef’s license (Japanese) Life upon arrival (Japanese) Support from Nikkei (Japanese) Tough life at boarding house (Japanese) Business for gays (Japanese) Immigration ship Brazil-maru (Japanese)

Transcripts available in the following languages:

In 1969, he arrived in America for the first time. He lived in Los Angeles for a year and a half, traveled to various places around the world for about six months and went back to Japan. As he was deeply inspired by the life in a foreign country, however, he decided to go back and moved to America with a tourist visa. He had a job as a helper for gardeners for about two years at first, and then started working on his own. With an official visa, he got a foot in the restaurant industry. He currently runs a Japanese-style drinking place and diner, Honda-Ya, a restaurant chain in Los Angeles and Orange County, California. (August 2018)

Los Angeles migration Shin-Issei United States gardener permanent residency restaurant business cooking license japanese restaurants community Boarding House gardeners LGBT silver lake Burajiru-maru