<Begin Segment 12>

DG: Now, wasn't the Panama Hotel one of the only new built hotels that Japanese owned?

TH: Well, that I don't know, but --

DG: But Japanese did built it.

TH: Yeah. The Japanese -- it was planned by a Japanese architect and the owner was Japanese, but I believe in those days that one Japanese could not own the land, Alien Land Law, and so they formed a corporation with some Caucasian involved. I guess the financing came from the Japanese and they bought in the corporate name. That's the way I understood it.

DG: And that was what year?

TH: I think 1910. And the Puget Sound was built by Japanese, Miyagawa, Mr. Miyagawa.

DG: About that same time?

TH: 1914, I think. I'm not too sure about the dates.

YM: How about the N-P?

TH: N-P was run by Japanese, but built by hakujin, I think.

DG: So there was very few hotels that were owned, though, most of them were leased.

TH: That's because the Alien Land Law.

DG: Now, the Alien Land Law didn't come into effect 'til 1924, but before that they couldn't own either?

TH: No, because they were not citizens.

ET: You could lease though.

TH: Yeah, you can lease.

DG: So after '24 you couldn't even lease so what happened then?

TH: No, you could lease.

ET: You couldn't own the property.

TH: I think the Alien Land Law was in effect even before '24.

DG: Well, that's official, I guess.

TH: I mean, I haven't looked into it so I can't say this or that, but...

DG: Well, that was mostly farm land so maybe the buildings were a little different?

TH: Could have been.

DG: So the only way you could own was a corporation.

TH: Yes, I believe.

DG: 'Cause the Niseis weren't old enough yet, right?

TH: Niseis were not old enough.

DG: Because you were probably one of the older Niseis.

TH: Yes.

DG: And it was in your name in --

TH: 1938.

<End Segment 12> - Copyright © 1998 Densho. All Rights Reserved.