THE TRACY SYSTEM OF KENPO
HISTORY SERIES
History of James M. Mitose
by
Al Tracy
last updated 07/27/06
Father:
Otokichi Mitose
You will probably find this is more history then you ever expected to get just about James Mitose's father. The history is not just about the father, but a period of history very few people know about.
Otokichi Mitose was born in 1863 in Japan; Kumamoto, Shimonashiki District, Higashi-Tomochi Village). He was raised during a period of political, economic and social upheaval. This period would see the end of 400 year of Shoganate rule. The Shoganate would be replaced by the "Meiji" or the return of the Royal family (Emperor) to power.
The Mitose family were "lower class Samurai", which meant they had very little land and no real means of making a living. They were forced to live on the allotment given to them by their "Lord". Since there had been no wars in Japan for over 250 years the Samurai as a class were very expendable. It would also be the end of the Samurai as a class. Because of the elimination of the Samurai class Otokichi was forced to leave Japan just to make a living. He came to Hawaii June 1, 1891 as an immigrant laborer - was uneducated and could not read or write either Japanese or English. He signed his name with an X. (We have the X's.) Otokichi left behind his family including several brother and sister.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
After the "Meiji" reform - thousands of former "Samurai" and
peasant were without work. They flocked to the cites hoping to find employment. This
couple with a tremendous explosion in the birth rate caused the Emperor to lift the ban on
leaving Japan for employment. At this period of history Hawaii had a great need for cheap
labor to work the sugar and coffee plantation. The young unemployed men of Japan were
offer an opportunity to go to the land of plenty (Hawaii and to a lesser degree
California) where if they worked hard could save as much as $200 in a year. Both the United
States an Japanese government agreed to Japan supplying contract labor. The labor was
allotted in Lots. The workers became "Indentured servants" - the plantation
owners would pay for a one ticket to Hawaii and in exchange for this the
"contract works" signed an contract for a given number of years to work
exclusively for the party that paid their way over from Japan. That meant even if they
wanted to return to Japan they did not have the money. They were also dependent upon their
employer for housing and food that they had to pay for. Just as in the song "nineteen
ton" about American coal mines: They also "owed their souls to the company
store'! They were forced to work at lowered wages and worst working conditions then the
natives of Hawaii.
Also as contract labor they were not allowed to apply for US citizenship. This would
cause great problems as the issei (1st generation Japans) had no citizenship rights. but
their children (Nisie - 2nd Generation Japanese) born in Hawaii were US citizens. Japanese
immigration rose from 186 persons in 1861 to a little over 2000 between 1981 and 1890. And
over 25,000 between 1891 and 1900. That figure reached over 70,000 by 1910. Thousand of
these original Japanese would return to Japan.
This great influx of Japanese in both Hawaii and California caused a great racial:
"yellow peril" uproar in the United States. The press also referred to it as the
"race-mongrelcy" phobia. One of the first places for this hatred to reach
its peak was in California in 1906-07 right after the great earthquake and fire in S.F.
which destroyed most of China Town. Now the Chinese were force to send their children to
public schools. The school board then ordered the segregation of all Asian students in
schools. (Chinese, Japanese and Filipino - they even included native Americans).
Finally President Roosevelt had to intervene because of the uproar in Japan. What was
worked out was the "gentlemen's" agreement where the president promised that all
Asian children under the age of 16 would be admitted to all public schools - in exchange
the Japanese emperor agreed to prevent the immigration of skilled and unskilled labors by
denying them passports. The Japanese went even father to make sure that Canada and Mexico
could not be used as ports of entry to the United States.
President Roosevelt personally had a great deal of respect and admiration for the
Japanese. Teddy Roosevelt would become on of
the first American to study and play
"judo" it added to his image as the "Rough Rider"'! To head of
legalization in 1907 - elimination immigration by the Japanese to Hawaii an the mainland
U.S. President Roosevelt and the Emperor of Japan had a gentlemen's agreement to voluntary
hold down immigration. This agreement would hold up for over 15 years. By 1907
the number of new Japanese immigrants coming to Hawaii was less then 1,000. However the
actual number of Japanese would decrease as many returned to Japan.
A mutual friend would delicately inquire into the health: no leprosy, tuberculosis, or police records or worst yet from the "eta" class. The "eta" were the "untouchable" class of Japan. The "untouchables" were those who worked around dead carcasses and did the type of low work no one else would do.
NOTE: Ed Parker's family would spend 50 years in court trying to get their rightful inheritance. They never did get anything out of it.
From this point on most of the Issie paid their own passage and arrived with very little money in their pockets. The newcomers rarely depend upon charity. They paid their own debts and rents, and, while most were poor, once established, there were few whole could be classified as destitute. In Japan even after the Meiji reform they keep to the old laws of "Inheritance" where the oldest son inherited everything. Leaving the younger sons with nothing. This would be the most likely group to come to Hawaii.
NOTE: Only a handful would go to California. Starting in the early 1800's California filled the land with cheap "Chinese Labor; Chinese coolies" They helped build the rail roads, worked the mines, did the hard cheap working of the fields.
Otokichi was 48 years old when he married Kiyoka - by correspondence - (mail) the marriage was arranged between the families. Kiyoka came from the same village as Otokichi and knew the Mitose family.
HISTORICAL NOTE: At this point we did not know Kiyoka's last name. When she came to Hawaii - she was listed as Kiyoka Mitose!
After years of research - one of the first bits of documentation we had was James Mitose's application for a social security number when he returned from Japan in January 1937!
Our first real awakening came when we got a copy of James Mitsui's application for a social security number. On the section for "fathers name" the document stated: "Took wife's name"!!
Our first red flag went up!
Why would any man take his wife's name? Even more important, what was that name? The social security application did not state the name Otokichi took.
The father never got to know any of his own children - nor did it seem he had any say in what happed to them. With the exception of one daughter all the children were sent back to Japan to be raised by Kiyoka's parents. They were all educated in Japan.
Otokichi would divorce Kiyoka in (1926). Neither would legally remarry. Otokichi Mitose returned to Japan in 1935, to the village where he had been born. He would die the following year, January 6, 1937, at the age of 74.
Otokichi had struggled all his life financially. Most of his life he was simply an illiterate coffee plantation worker. Otokichi was rewarded for what ever part he played in this drama. When he was allowed to return to Japan in 1935 - he was now the owner of a 12 acre coffee plantation in Hawaii.
Despite his own personal humble stature - the name Mitose had direct ties to Royal on the Japanese/Okinawan side. The side James Mitose uncle "Choki Motobu" would come from!
last up-dated 07/27/2006
©1999 - Al Tracy - all rights reserved -
