Discover Nikkei

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/1344/

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)

Margaret Oda
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Oda,Margaret

Taking over husband’s orchid farm and nursery

(1925 - 2018) Nisei educator from Hawai‘i

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John Naka
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Naka,John

Avoiding the Japanese military

(1914-2004) Nisei Bonsai master in the United States

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Kazuomi Takagi
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Takagi,Kazuomi

Tango makes him to stay in Argentina (Spanish)

(1925-2014) La Plata Hochi, Journalist

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Kazuomi Takagi
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Takagi,Kazuomi

Leaving to Argentina (Spanish)

(1925-2014) La Plata Hochi, Journalist

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Ryoko Hokama
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Hokama,Ryoko

From Japan to Argentina (Japanese)

(b. 1917) Okinawan, Issei Argentinean

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Henry Shimizu
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Shimizu,Henry

Government urged Japanese Canadians to go to Japan

(b. 1928) Doctor. Former Chair of the Japanese Canadian Redress Foundation.

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BJ Kobayashi
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Kobayashi,BJ

About Albert Chikanobu Kobayashi, Inc.

Hawaiian businessman, developer.

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BJ Kobayashi
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Kobayashi,BJ

No question about going into the family business

Hawaiian businessman, developer.

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Miyoko Amano
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Amano,Miyoko

Yoshitaro Amano’s Business in Japan (Japanese)

(b. 1929) President of Amano Museum

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Hiroshi Sakane
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Sakane,Hiroshi

How Yoshitaro Amano got to South America (Japanese)

(b. 1948) Executive Director of Amano Museum

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Hiroshi Sakane
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Sakane,Hiroshi

Yoshitaro Amano continues his efforts in business in order to pursue his studies (Japanese)

(b. 1948) Executive Director of Amano Museum

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Hiroshi Sakane
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Sakane,Hiroshi

On returning to post-war Peru (Japanese)

(b. 1948) Executive Director of Amano Museum

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Hachiro Ohtomo
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Ohtomo,Hachiro

Facing discrimination in America (Japanese)

(b. 1936) Shin-issei welding business owner

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Takeo Uesugi
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Uesugi,Takeo

His father urged him to go to the US

(1940-2016) Issei Landscape Architect

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Terumi Hisamatsu Calloway
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Calloway,Terumi Hisamatsu

Regret (Japanese)

(b. 1937) A war bride from Yokohama

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