Información enviada por ryusukekawai
The Uwajimaya Story
Episode 13: The outbreak of war and the internment camps
Ryusuke Kawai
Uwajimaya, run by Fujimatsu Moriguchi and Sadako, a married couple with three children, was always crowded with Japanese people, as it was a store. The children were loved and looked after by these adults, and they grew up in a life similar to that of a rural Japanese community. The …
The Uwajimaya Story
#12 Business in Tacoma
Ryusuke Kawai
Located about 50 kilometers south of Seattle, the coastal city of Tacoma developed early on as a trading hub and industrial city. In 1907, the population reached 90,000. Moriguchi Fujimatsu opened his shop in 1928, but the number of Japanese people was at its peak in the 1920s, when it …
The Uwajimaya Story
#11 Seattle to Tacoma
Ryusuke Kawai
The main reason why Seattle and Tacoma in Washington state flourished as towns for Japanese immigrants was that, like San Francisco and Los Angeles, they were places where regular shipping routes from Japan were available. The first shipping route from Japan to North America was in 1896 (Meiji 29), when …
The Uwajimaya Story
No. 10: Successful people from the same hometown as Roots
Ryusuke Kawai
For Japanese people, if you want to trace your roots, the best thing to do is generally go to your local government office and look up your family register. If you have a family temple, you can also check the death registers that are kept by the temple, which are …
The Uwajimaya Story
No. 9: From the village of Dandanhata to the village of Dandanha
Ryusuke Kawai
Yawatahama City is located in the western part of Ehime Prefecture, Shikoku, facing the Uwa Sea. If you head south on National Route 378, which runs north to south, it eventually turns west and ends up in the small Shitama Bay. From here, the national route curves along the coastline …
The Uwajimaya Story
Part 8: Following in the footsteps of successful people
Ryusuke Kawai
It is not clear why Fujimatsu Moriguchi, who founded Uwajimaya, went to America in the first place, or what the trigger was. However, it is likely that it was related to the environment in the southwestern part of Ehime Prefecture where he was born, raised, and trained. In the area …
The Uwajimaya Story
7th Japan, Ehime, Nishiuwa District
Ryusuke Kawai
When Japan opened its doors to the world during the Meiji period, a flood of Japanese people began to travel overseas. People went to various countries, including the United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Australia, and Southeast Asia, to study, to make a living, or in the hope of making …
The Uwajimaya Story
Part 6: Roots of Uwajima City and Yawatahama City
Ryusuke Kawai
The name of Seattle's Uwajiamaya comes from "Uwajima" in Uwajima City, located in the southwestern part of Ehime Prefecture. Uwajiamaya's founder, Fujimatsu Moriguchi, was originally from Kawakami Village, Nishiuwa District, Ehime Prefecture (now Kawakami Town, Yawatahama City), about 40 kilometers north by car from Uwajima City. He worked in Uwajima …
The Uwajimaya Story
Part 5: Looking back on 90 years of history
Ryusuke Kawai
Uwajimaya, which has been run by the Moriguchi family, who have their roots in Ehime Prefecture in Shikoku, took a new step last year when Dennis Moriguchi, grandson of the company's founder, Fujimatsu Moriguchi, became CEO. Uwajimaya has previously operated four stores, including the Seattle store, but last spring it …
The Uwajimaya Story
Part 4: Research subjects from Japan
Ryusuke Kawai
Starting out as a small grocery store, Seattle-based supermarket chain Uwajimaya has a 90-year history and is run by the Moriguchi family, who have roots in Ehime Prefecture. As a Japanese-owned, family-run chain, Uwajimaya has been a frequent subject of coverage in local media, and the reasons for its success …