Ryusuke Kawai
@ryusukekawaiJournalist and non-fiction writer. Born in Kanagawa Prefecture. Graduated from the Faculty of Law at Keio University, he worked as a reporter for the Mainichi Shimbun before going independent. His books include "Yamato Colony: The Men Who Left Japan in Florida" (Shunpousha). He translated the monumental work of Japanese American literature, "No-No Boy" (Shunpousha). The English version of "Yamato Colony," won the 2021 Harry T. and Harriette V. Moore Award for the best book on ethnic groups or social issues from the Florida Historical Society.
(Updated November 2021)
Stories from This Author
No. 17 Japanese Americans in Utah
March 27, 2015 • Ryusuke Kawai
Starting with railroads, mines, and agriculture The state of Utah is located to the east of California, and Nevada to the east of Nevada. It borders Idaho and Wyoming to the north, Colorado to the east, and Arizona to the south. The climate is relatively dry, with four distinct seasons. Utah, whose capital is Salt Lake City, famous for being a land developed by the Mormons, developed in the second half of the 19th century with the construction of railroads …
No. 16 Japanese Americans in Montana
Feb. 27, 2015 • Ryusuke Kawai
Starting with the Great Northern Railway Montana, which is separated from Canada by a straight border to the north, is bordered by three states: North Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and Idaho to the west. "Centennial History" begins with a general introduction that "It is not clear how Japanese people first came to Montana, but it is said that between 1884 and 1890, as many as 30 Japanese prostitutes came to the mining town of Butte. However, …
#15 Japanese Americans in Wyoming
Feb. 13, 2015 • Ryusuke Kawai
When people in Japan hear the state of Wyoming, they probably conjure up images of western movies and cowboys. There used to be a TV drama called "Laramie," which was also broadcast in Japan and gained popularity. Laramie is located in the southeastern corner of Wyoming. The "Centennial History" devotes five pages, including a directory, to this state, located in the northwestern United States, and its Japanese and Japanese-American people. Wyoming borders Colorado and Utah to the south, Montana to …
#14 Japanese Americans in Washington State – Part 2
Jan. 23, 2015 • Ryusuke Kawai
Read Part 1 of the 13th issue: Japanese Americans in Washington State >> Postwar Seattle and Japanese Americans Although it is only three pages long, "Centennial History" is powerful in its description of the activities of Japanese people in Washington State after the war. In particular, it shows how Japanese and Japanese people in Seattle recovered from the ashes, reviving prewar businesses such as the hotel industry and launching new businesses. To summarize: The corner of Main and South 6th …
Vol. 13 Japanese Americans in Washington State – Part 1
Jan. 9, 2015 • Ryusuke Kawai
Washington State is home to the cities of Seattle and Tacoma, which became the gateway for immigrants when sea routes opened from Japan. Naturally, the history of Japanese and Japanese-Americans there is long. "The Centennial History of Japanese Americans in the United States" devotes 42 pages to introducing Japanese Americans in Washington State. It begins with an overview, followed by a section titled "The Path of Japanese Development," which explains the history of Japanese activities that began in Washington State. …
No. 12 Japanese Americans in Idaho
Dec. 26, 2014 • Ryusuke Kawai
Japanese people from railway work Idaho, bordering Montana to the east and Washington and Oregon to the west, is a region that began with mining as part of the westward development, and later saw the railroad industry flourish. The high plains were also a major agricultural region. According to the "Centennial History," the history of Japanese people in Idaho begins in detail with railroad work. The first Japanese people set foot in Idaho in 1891 (Meiji 24), when the first …
Vol. 11 Japanese Americans in Oregon – Part 2
Dec. 12, 2014 • Ryusuke Kawai
Read Part 1 of Vol. 10: Japanese Americans in Oregon >> Oregon is located between California and Washington. Japanese immigrants in Oregon, also written as Chushu in kanji, have also been subject to anti-Japanese movements and attacks from white society. The "Centennial History" summarizes the history of anti-Japanese sentiment by era. The outline is as follows: As an early example, the Asiatic Exclusion Society was founded in 1910 in the Hood River area, where Japanese agriculture was thriving, and anti-Japanese …
Vol. 10 Japanese Americans in Oregon – Part 1
Nov. 28, 2014 • Ryusuke Kawai
Oregon, on the Pacific coast, is located between Washington state, home to Seattle and Tacoma, to the north, and California, home to San Francisco and Los Angeles, to the south. In Chinese characters, California is written as "加周," while Washington state is written as "華周," and Oregon as "中央周," but this is probably little known. Considering that these kanji spellings of American place names are no longer used in Japan and are not understood even among Japanese Americans, they may …
No. 9 Japanese Americans in Central California
Nov. 14, 2014 • Ryusuke Kawai
Read Part 8, "Japanese Americans in Southern California ~ Part 4" >> The Centennial History of Japanese Americans in the United States introduces the footsteps of Japanese Americans in each state, so far I have been looking at the pages on California. I have introduced Northern California once and Southern California four times . To conclude my California article, I would like to read about 60 pages about Japanese Americans in Central California, including Fresno. The Centennial History also provides …
Vol. 8 Japanese Americans in Southern California – Part 4
Oct. 24, 2014 • Ryusuke Kawai
Read Part 7: Japanese Americans in Southern California - Part 3 >> A collection of over 1,000 personal histories The second volume of the Centennial History of Japanese Americans in the United States traces the footsteps of Japanese Americans in each state, with California taking up about half of the time. On the other hand, most of the pages in each state and region are filled with introductions to numerous Japanese individuals and some organizations. The number of people involved …
