George Aratani
| George Aratani | |
|---|---|
| Born |
May 22, 1917 Gardena, California |
| Died |
February 19, 2013 (aged 95) Santa monica, California |
| Occupation | Japanese American entrepreneur and philanthropist |
George Tetsuo Aratani(荒谷 哲夫 Aratani Tetsuo?, May 22, 1917 in Gardena, California – February 19, 2013 in Santa Monica, California) was a Japanese American entrepreneur, philanthropist and the founder of Mikasa china and owner of the Kenwood Electronics corporation.
Born in a small farming community outside Gardena, he was the only child of Japanese immigrants Setsuo and Yoshiko Aratani (although his mother had two children from a previous marriage). The family later moved to the San Fernando Valley, and again to Guadalupe, where Aratani attended school while his father established several highly successful farming, manufacturing and international trade companies. While in high school, Aratani was scouted by the Pittsburgh Pirates and briefly considered a career as a professional athlete, but had to change his plans after a football injury soured his prospects.
After graduating from high school, Aratani relocated to Tokyo, following his parents' wishes that he pursue a college education in their home country of Japan. Living with his grandmother in Japan, he spent ten months studying the language before enrolling at Keio University. In December 1935, his mother, who was also staying in Japan at the time, became ill and died. His father remarried Yoshiko's niece, Masuko, and returned to the United States to manage his businesses. Aratani remained in Tokyo and continued his studies at Keio's law school, but he came back to Guadalupe when his father contracted tuberculosis in 1940. Unable to finish his degree at Keio, he enrolled at Stanford University, but after Setsuo's death in April, Aratani, then 22, dropped out to help his stepmother run the Guadalupe Produce Company.
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