Kiyo’s story: 1930s

Because of the Depression, retail stores were not buying much from wholesalers. Jichan still had inventory from his old store and when a commercial property on Grant Avenue opened up in 1931, he leased it and opened the (new) Kisen Company with his younger brother, Yonezo, whom everyone called “Yone-yan.” Bachan and Kiyo ran the store, while Yone-yan did the books, helping out in the store when it got busy. Jichan continued the wholesale business on the side. Yone-yan’s wife Kimie (Yone-yan no obasan) did all the cooking, and her children, Shizu, Kaz, and Aki, spent a lot of time at Pine.

Kisen Company on Grant Avenue: Yonezo, Jichan and Bachan

Kiyo would go to the store around noon, bringing lunch for everyone. Then she would go home to pick up dinner and often worked the night shift. Asians could not easily work for non-Asian businesses, but they worked well enough with each other. Kiyo remembers salesmen — Japanese, Chinese, Indian — stopping by the store to sell their wares. When Bachan had made sushi, they would be invited to share. There were several other Japanese-owned businesses on Grant Avenue despite its being the heart of San Francisco’s Chinatown.

Kiyo remembers that actors would come to the store late at night, after their performances. Lupe Velez, the Mexican actress who became a Hollywood star in the early 1930s, made a visit, as did Richard Egan and Max Baer, the boxer. During the Treasure Island Fair of 1939-40 big-name band members would also drop by. 

The Golden Gate International Exposition celebrated the opening of the Golden Gate and SF-Oakland Bay Bridges. It was “international” because it highlighted San Francisco’s position as the gateway to the Pacific. With its Pacific theme, it brought a focus onto the diverse Pacific-Rim cultures of San Francisco.

With the success of the new Kisen Company and the positive public focus on Asian cultures, the future looked rosy indeed.

Kiyo’s Story, part 5: Captain of the Land Ship

This post was originally published on July 15, 2018.
Kisen Co. image: © R. A. Sasaki. All rights reserved.
Pacifica statue, Golden Gate International Exposition, San Francisco. Public domain