Tomio Moriguchi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tomio Moriguchi
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| 森口 富雄 | |
Moriguchi in 2013
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| Born | April 16, 1936 |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Years active | 1961 – present |
| Known for | Uwajimaya |
| Spouse(s) |
Lovett Moriguchi
(died 1991)Jenny Yan Li |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent(s) | Fujimatsu Moriguchi (father) Sadako Tsutakawa (mother) |
Tomio Moriguchi (born in 1936) is an American businessman and a champion for civil rights. He was the leader of the Uwajimaya supermarket chain in Seattle, Washington, for many years. He served as its CEO from 1965 to 2007.
Contents
Tomio's Early Life and Family
Tomio Moriguchi was born in Tacoma, Washington. His parents were Fujimatsu Moriguchi and Sadako Tsutakawa. His uncle was the famous artist George Tsutakawa.
During World War II, the United States government issued a special order called Executive Order 9066. This order forced many Japanese American families, including Tomio's, to move from their homes into special camps. Tomio's family was first sent to a camp in Pinedale, California, and then to another one called Tule Lake.
After the war ended, his family moved to Seattle's Japantown. There, Tomio's father started their family business, Uwajimaya, again on South Main Street.
Leading Uwajimaya
Tomio went to the University of Washington and studied mechanical engineering. After college, he worked as an engineer at Boeing, a big airplane company.
However, when his father passed away, Tomio left Boeing to take over the family business. He became the CEO and president of Uwajimaya in 1965. During his time as leader, he helped Uwajimaya grow a lot. He moved the store several times to bigger locations. In 2000, he moved the main store to a large area called Uwajimaya Village.
Standing Up for Rights
Tomio Moriguchi was also very active in civil rights. In 1972, he became the president of the Seattle chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL). This group works to protect the rights of Japanese Americans. He was also part of another group called the National Council for Japanese American Redress (NCJAR).
In 1992, the JACL honored Tomio Moriguchi, along with famous ice skater Kristi Yamaguchi, as a "Japanese American of the Biennium." This award recognized their important contributions. Two years later, in 1994, the government of Washington State also honored Tomio with a special bill.
Later Years and Legacy
Tomio stepped down as CEO of Uwajimaya in 2007, but he continued to be involved as the chairman. He retired from managing the company in 2017. Today, he still helps with the company's real estate projects.
Tomio has continued to support his community in many ways. In 2015, he visited Ehime University in Japan to talk about programs for students to intern in the United States. The Puget Sound Business Journal named him one of Seattle's most important business leaders over the past 35 years.
In 2017, his family received the Tomodachi Award. This award recognized their efforts to build good relationships between Japan and Seattle. Tomio also helped start Keiro Northwest, a care organization, and became its president in 2018. In 2020, he and his family received the Seattle-King County First Citizen Award.
Tomio is also the president and treasurer of the Hokubei Hochi Foundation. He is also the president of the North American Post Publishing Company, which publishes a newspaper. His daughter, Denise Moriguchi, is now the president and CEO of Uwajimaya, continuing the family's legacy.
See also
