Interviewee: Chris Komai

Relationship to Nikkei gardeners: His father, Khan Komai, was a nursery owner

Date: July 17, 2007

Location: Japanese American National Museum

Brief Summary: In order for his family business to succeed, Chris and his siblings had to help his father with the nursery business.

Transcription
Like most Japanese American families, my father needed his children, my two brothers and my sister, to all help at the nursery. So we were required to work at this retail nursery. It was called Komai Bonsai Nursery, but it was really a retail nursery. And, as children, we all had to work in the nursery watering plants, cutting cans, lifting up steer manure and putting it in people's trunks. All the kinds of, of not very much fun jobs. But, this was required for our family to succeed.

Click here for part 1 of this interview >>
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This interview was conducted as part of the Opening Day activities for the exhibition Landscaping America: Beyond the Japanese Garden.