Pioneering Saipan establishment: Saipan kaku

A century before Himawari became a preeminent Japanese inn-restaurant in Garapan, there was Saipan Kaku.

In a daring move just a month into the Japanese occupation of the islands, an enterprising Japanese individual took the plunge into the business realm of Saipan.

Yamaguchi Momojiro, hailing from the prefecture of Yamagata, blazed a trail by relocating to Micronesia in 1914. His initial venture was a dry goods emporium, with ambitions that surpassed mere commerce. Two years later, Momojiro deemed it auspicious for his spouse to join him in this venture.

Their aspirations led them to expand into the realm of hospitality, combining an inn with their existing restaurant. However, the dearth of Japanese patrons compelled them to shutter their inn prematurely.

Undeterred by initial setbacks, Momojiro diversified his endeavors. A foray into general merchandise and a surprising success in papaya canning bolstered his financial standing, and ultimately paving the way for the resurrection of his inn-keeping business.

The burgeoning demand for sugarcane, spearheaded by Matsue Haruji and the NKK, spurred a substantial influx of immigrants to the region. Following the surge in Japanese nationals, including Okinawans and Koreans, to the Marianas, Momojiro established Yokako in 1929, making it as the preeminent inn in the Marianas throughout the 1930s.

Just as the islands were gearing up for major battles with the American forces, Momojiro made the difficult decision to divest his business interests in 1943 and return home to Shinjo, Yamagata.

Momojiro’s departure spared him the tragic fate that befell many of his compatriots. Amidst the bloody invasion of Saipan in 1944, numerous Japanese businessmen perished alongside thousands of military personnel, their legacies consumed by the ravages of war.

All these nuggets of information were imparted by Mark Peattie in his monumental work on the Japanese movements in Micronesia from 1885 through 1945.