Interviews

1. Deciding to come to America

2. Voyage to San Pedro

3. Getting started in America

4. Early impression of America

5. Learning the nursery business

6. Gardening to nursery

7. Expanding business

8. Next phase

9. Life Philosophy

Oda,Harunori

(1927-2016) Shin-Issei businessman

Learning the nursery business

So started working Flamingo over three, four months later, I stopped in one of the nursery in on going home, called Kato Nursery on Crenshaw and 182nd. Then Mr. Kato hired me, glad to hire me, "oh, we need you." He helped me, a lot of things, good things.

So I'm learning for the nursery business details. A lot of details nursery, but Kato Nursery has a back, growing area, too, so I kind of same way growing, too. I learned about business. Then also, later I are gonna start growing pansies. But that's - I learned Mr. Kato Nursery, Mr. Kato, he would grow pansie, too. That long time ago, so he teach me, so that's his... I learned a lot from Mr. Kato.

business economics generations horticulture immigrants immigration Issei Japan management migration nurseries (horticulture) postwar Shin-Issei United States World War II

Date: February 2, 2012

Location: California, US

Interviewer: Chris Komai, John Esaki

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

Interviewee Bio

Harunori Oda was born and raised in Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan, but moved to the U.S. after meeting and marrying a Nisei woman who was visiting Japan in the post WWII period. Though he hated the U.S., his wife, Mitsy, convinced him that he would have greater opportunities for success in the U.S., so he decided to take the chance. Though his English skills were limited, he worked his way up through the nursery business—an enterprise he determined would offer the most opportunity for a person with his abilities. Eventually, he started his own nursery, expanded, and later achieved great success as a developer of real estate in Orange County. He passed away on December 14, 2016, at age 91. (December 2016)