Thomas Taro Higa
Encyclopedia
Thomas Taro Higa was born on September 22, 1916 in Honolulu, Hawaii
to immigrant parents Kana and Kamezo Higa. He was the third child of twelve children. He was raised by his grandparents in Okinawa and spent his early teen years in Osaka
, Japan
and returned to Hawaii
to work as a farmer. Many people of the Okinawa Prefecture
would immigrate to Hawaii in hopes of creating a lifestyle as "immigrant laborers." Their goal was to work hard and return with honor back to Okinawa. Higa's parents did not have time to rear their children so they sent the children that were born in Hawaii back to Okinawa entrusted by close relatives. Higa was sent with his older brother and older sister to their ancestral home in Shimabukuro
, Kitanakagusuku, Nakagami
-gun, Okinawa-Ken and was raised by his grandparents until he was 9 years old.
. Higa then left to work as a "live-in" apprentice at a wholesale cosmetics store called Horikoshi Kotetsu Sha which was owned by an imperial University graduate from Toyama Prefecture
. Higa was only 11 years old and this is where he learned valuable life lessons and basic English. Higa's father had a large farm in Hawaii and needed more help. Higa returned to Hawaii when he was old enough to help. He was also employed at Fuji Denro Kogyo Ltd. under Yasutaro Goto, which manufactured iron hardening kilns for military use.
s with an electric generator. He created this generator by utilizing the water from the stream by his house to power it. He used waste materials and an abandoned car to create a generator for his house. Word spread and Professor Tadaoki Yamamoto, the Department Chairman of the Faculty of Science & Engineering at the Waseda University
, came to meet Higa and asked him to come to Japan and study. Since then, he completed 15 other inventions and applied for several patent
s at the Patent Bureau in Tokyo. He often had to go to the American Embassy to prove his American citizenship.
where his wife was born. Higa was first introduced to Chinen after she wrote a letter of encouragement to him. She frequently wrote him letters and he had hoped to meet her in person. She would write about her family and friends in Okinawa and soon they wrote about their health and more personal stories. They developed a relationship and decided to wed as soon as Higa would return home from the war. This was a large gamble because they had never even seen each other before. Higa was doubting the marriage until he received a letter from his previous teacher who wrote, "An evil may sometimes turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Do not feel downhearted. One's mental power controls his bodily condition. Let your mental strength heal your wounds. I have no doubt that you can do this." This letter was dated on December 18, 1943 and two years later he married Toshiko Chinen.
Thomas Taro Higa died on February 11, 1985 in Honolulu, Hawaii.
1974- Published Imin Wa Ikiru (Immigrants Live On), this book was an account of several Okinawan immigrants to Hawaii and North and South America.
1982-Published Aru Nisei No Wadachi (Memoirs of a Certain Nisei)
July 1983- Recipient of the Okinawa Times Award,
August 1984- Recipient of the certificate of appreciation from Japanese American Citizens League at national convention in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Thomas Higa was also the recipient of the Silver Star
for his great and brave service to the United States Army during World War II. The honor was awarded for his action during heavy fire in Italy on November 5, 1943. Higa was wounded from the back but continued to aid his fellow soldiers by carrying two men to a sheltered area. He then went back into the war zone to offer more aid. The heroic acts of Thomas Higa exemplifies the significance behind the honor of the Silver Star.
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
to immigrant parents Kana and Kamezo Higa. He was the third child of twelve children. He was raised by his grandparents in Okinawa and spent his early teen years in Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and returned to Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
to work as a farmer. Many people of the Okinawa Prefecture
Okinawa Prefecture
is one of Japan's southern prefectures. It consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over long, which extends southwest from Kyūshū to Taiwan. Okinawa's capital, Naha, is located in the southern part of Okinawa Island...
would immigrate to Hawaii in hopes of creating a lifestyle as "immigrant laborers." Their goal was to work hard and return with honor back to Okinawa. Higa's parents did not have time to rear their children so they sent the children that were born in Hawaii back to Okinawa entrusted by close relatives. Higa was sent with his older brother and older sister to their ancestral home in Shimabukuro
Shimabukuro
Shimabukuro is a Japanese surname and may refer to:*Tatsuo Shimabukuro , martial artist*Hiroko Shimabukuro , Japanese singer*Jake Shimabukuro , ukelele virtuoso...
, Kitanakagusuku, Nakagami
Nakagami
Nakagami can refer to:* Kenji Nakagami - a Japanese writer* Nakagami District, Okinawa* Nakagami distribution - a statistical distribution...
-gun, Okinawa-Ken and was raised by his grandparents until he was 9 years old.
Career
After childhood, Thomas Higa went along with his cousin and his cousin's wife and children to Osaka to fulfill his cousin's dream of living in a new land. However, it turned out to be a difficult beginning in life working long hours. His first job was at a store called the Daimaru Shoten in Nomura-cho, which was owned by someone from Wakayama PrefectureWakayama Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the Kii Peninsula in the Kansai region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Wakayama.- History :Present-day Wakayama is mostly the western part of the province of Kii.- 1953 Wakayama Prefecture flood disaster :...
. Higa then left to work as a "live-in" apprentice at a wholesale cosmetics store called Horikoshi Kotetsu Sha which was owned by an imperial University graduate from Toyama Prefecture
Toyama Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Hokuriku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Toyama.Toyama is the leading industrial prefecture on the Japan Sea coast, and has the industrial advantage of cheap electricity due to abundant water resources....
. Higa was only 11 years old and this is where he learned valuable life lessons and basic English. Higa's father had a large farm in Hawaii and needed more help. Higa returned to Hawaii when he was old enough to help. He was also employed at Fuji Denro Kogyo Ltd. under Yasutaro Goto, which manufactured iron hardening kilns for military use.
Invention
Thomas Higa first became interested in electricity when he first read about it at the Horikoshi Kotetsu Sha. When he came back to Hawaii, he wanted to replace the kerosene lampKerosene lamp
The kerosene lamp is a type of lighting device that uses kerosene as a fuel. This article refers to kerosene lamps that have a wick and a tall glass chimney. Kerosene lanterns that have a wick and a glass globe are related to kerosene lamps and are included here as well...
s with an electric generator. He created this generator by utilizing the water from the stream by his house to power it. He used waste materials and an abandoned car to create a generator for his house. Word spread and Professor Tadaoki Yamamoto, the Department Chairman of the Faculty of Science & Engineering at the Waseda University
Waseda University
, abbreviated as , is one of the most prestigious private universities in Japan and Asia. Its main campuses are located in the northern part of Shinjuku, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as Tokyo Senmon Gakko, the institution was renamed "Waseda University" in 1902. It is known for its liberal climate...
, came to meet Higa and asked him to come to Japan and study. Since then, he completed 15 other inventions and applied for several patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
s at the Patent Bureau in Tokyo. He often had to go to the American Embassy to prove his American citizenship.
World War II
During World War II he served in the 100th Infantry Battalion for the United States Army where he received a purple heart. From June 1944 to January 1945 he was sponsored by the United States Army, Relocation Authorities and Japanese American Citizens League to go on a seven month lecture tour to 75 relocation camps throughout the United States. The purpose of the speaking tour was to raise awareness and gain support for Japanese American Troops. As Higa was able to speak English, Japanese and Okinawan, he was a valuable asset to the United States military. General Kendall Fielder asked Higa to go to Okinawa during World War II to help convince the people of Okinawa to come out of the caves and surrender as he, Higa, was able to make a personal connection with them. In May 1983, Higa was honored by the Okinawan government for his contributions to the Okinawan people during and after the was in the Pacific. Higa was injured during the war and was then given the purple heart for his courageous service in the US Army.Marriage
Thomas Taro Higa married Toshiko Chinen on November 22, 1945 in KauaiKauai
Kauai or Kauai, known as Tauai in the ancient Kaua'i dialect, is geologically the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands. With an area of , it is the fourth largest of the main islands in the Hawaiian archipelago, and the 21st largest island in the United States. Known also as the "Garden Isle",...
where his wife was born. Higa was first introduced to Chinen after she wrote a letter of encouragement to him. She frequently wrote him letters and he had hoped to meet her in person. She would write about her family and friends in Okinawa and soon they wrote about their health and more personal stories. They developed a relationship and decided to wed as soon as Higa would return home from the war. This was a large gamble because they had never even seen each other before. Higa was doubting the marriage until he received a letter from his previous teacher who wrote, "An evil may sometimes turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Do not feel downhearted. One's mental power controls his bodily condition. Let your mental strength heal your wounds. I have no doubt that you can do this." This letter was dated on December 18, 1943 and two years later he married Toshiko Chinen.
Thomas Taro Higa died on February 11, 1985 in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Contributions
1968- Produced a documentary film, "Hawaii ni Ikiru" ("Life in Hawaii", created to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the Okinawan immigration to Hawaii.1974- Published Imin Wa Ikiru (Immigrants Live On), this book was an account of several Okinawan immigrants to Hawaii and North and South America.
1982-Published Aru Nisei No Wadachi (Memoirs of a Certain Nisei)
Awards
May 1983- Higa was honored by the Okinawan government and the Ryukyu University for his many contributions to the Okinawan people during and after the war.July 1983- Recipient of the Okinawa Times Award,
August 1984- Recipient of the certificate of appreciation from Japanese American Citizens League at national convention in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Thomas Higa was also the recipient of the Silver Star
Silver Star
The Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....
for his great and brave service to the United States Army during World War II. The honor was awarded for his action during heavy fire in Italy on November 5, 1943. Higa was wounded from the back but continued to aid his fellow soldiers by carrying two men to a sheltered area. He then went back into the war zone to offer more aid. The heroic acts of Thomas Higa exemplifies the significance behind the honor of the Silver Star.