Interviews

1. Coming to America (Japanese)

2. First work in America (Japanese)

3. Bad business deal (Japanese)

4. Japan vs. the United States (Japanese)

5. Company in Tokyo burned down (Japanese)

6. Match-making (Japanese)

7. Two race horses (Japanese)

8. Buying violin (Japanese)

Funai,Kazuo

(1900-2005) Issei businessman

Japan vs. the United States (Japanese)

(Japanese) In Japan, someone named Lieutenant General Koike asked me, “What do you think about Japan and the United States?” What do I think? In America, the mountains are filled with resources. In Japan, there isn’t anything. Nothing. It’s empty. You can figure it out by that, right? If empty Japan and the US, where the mountains are full, went to war, you know Japan will lose. He said, “Hmmm.” As I expected, Japan finally started the war.

World War II

Date: October 14 & 17, 2004

Location: California, US

Interviewer: Eriko Yamamoto

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

Interviewee Bio

Kazuo Funai, 104-year-old pioneer Issei from Wakayama Prefecture in Japan, owned and operated a market on Central Avenue in Los Angeles. In 1941, prior to the outbreak of World War II, Mr. Funai had made arrangements to move to Tokyo to set up a business enterprise. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, he was unable to travel to Japan and was financially ruined. In addition, he and his family were incarcerated in an American concentration camp. He survived these obstacles to later start several successful businesses.

Mr. Funai passed away on Thursday, March 3, 2005 at the age of 105. (August 16, 2005)