Tomio Moriguchi

{{Short description|American businessman and civil rights activist}} {{Infobox person | name = Tomio Moriguchi | image = TomioMoriguchi2013.png | alt = | caption = Moriguchi in 2013 | native_name = 森口富雄 | native_name_lang = ja | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1936|04|16}} | birth_place = Tacoma, Washington, US | death_date = | death_place = | death_cause = | other_names = | occupation = Businessman | years_active = 1961 – present | known_for = Uwajimaya | notable_works = | parents = Fujimatsu Moriguchi (father)<br>Sadako Tsutakawa (mother) | spouses = {{Marriage|Lovett Moriguchi||1991|end=died}}<br>Jenny Yan Li | children = 2<ref>{{Cite book|last=Sullivan|first=Kristine|date=1996|title=Wide Awake in Seattle: Success Stories of Outstanding Leaders who Learned to Share Leadership|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zEEHXdVQrrwC&q=Denise|publisher=Integrity Pub.|page=99|isbn=9781886671010}}</ref> }} {{Nihongo|'''Tomio Moriguchi'''|森口富雄|Moriguchi Tomio|born 1936}} is an American businessman and civil rights activist who was CEO of the Uwajimaya supermarket chain in Seattle, Washington, from 1965 to 2007.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=615806&privcapId=4279328|title=Tomio Moriguchi|website=Bloomberg|access-date=2019-01-23}}</ref>

== Biography == Moriguchi was born in Tacoma, Washington, to Fujimatsu Moriguchi and Sadako Tsutakawa. He is the nephew of George Tsutakawa.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/seattletimes/obituary.aspx?n=sadako-tsutakawa-moriguchi&pid=420125|title=Sadako Tsutakawa Moriguchi|author=|date=2002-07-28|website=Legacy.com|publisher=The Seattle Times|access-date=2019-01-23}}</ref> During World War II, following the signing of Executive Order 9066, his family was interned at Pinedale, California, and then at Tule Lake. After the war, the family moved to Seattle's Japantown where Moriguchi's father re-established Uwajimaya on South Main Street. {{Citation needed|date=January 2019}}

After graduating from the University of Washington with a degree in mechanical engineering, Moriguchi worked at Boeing as an engineer, but left after his father's death to run Uwajimaya. He was CEO and president of Uwajimaya beginning in 1965. During his tenure, he moved Uwajimaya's base of operations several times, expanding the size of his business in various locations until moving to Uwajimaya Village in 2000.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Zweigenhaft|first1=Richard L.|last2=Domhoff|first2=G. William|date=2006|title=Diversity in the Power Elite: How it Happened, why it Matters|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0V0gO8tArK8C&dq=Tomio+Moriguchi&pg=PA183|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|page=183|isbn=9780742536999}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://o.seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008238711_uwajimaya08.html#_ga=2.177821285.1531701029.1548259724-694783315.1548259724|title=Uwajimaya celebrates its 80th anniversary|last=Ramirez|first=Marc|date=2008-10-08|website=The Seattle Times|access-date=2019-01-23}}{{Dead link|date=July 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> He was the president of the Seattle chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League in 1972.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://seattlejacl.org/about/past-presidents/|title=Past Presidents|website=Seattle JACL|access-date=2019-01-23}}</ref> He was also a member of the National Council for Japanese American Redress (NCJAR).<ref>{{Cite book|last=Danico|first=Mary Yu|date=2014-08-19|title=Asian American Society: An Encyclopedia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9J6kBQAAQBAJ&dq=Tomio+Moriguchi&pg=PT1286|publisher=SAGE Publications|isbn=9781483365602}}</ref> Moriguchi, along with Kristi Yamaguchi, was honored by the JACL as a "Japanese American of the Biennium" in 1992.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19920821/1508598/uwajimayas-activist-ceo-honored----moriguchi-and-olympic-skater-share-award|title=Uwajimaya's Activist CEO Honored -- Moriguchi And Olympic Skater Share Award|last=Angelos|first=Constantine|date=1992-08-21|website=The Seattle Times|access-date=2019-01-23}}</ref> In 1994, the Washington State Legislature adopted a bill which honored Moriguchi.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/1993-94/Pdf/Bills/House%20Resolutions/4685-Tomio%20Moriguchi%20honored.pdf|title=HR 4685 - 1993-94|author=|date=1994-02-09|website=Washington State Legislature|access-date=2019-01-28}}</ref>

After stepping down as CEO of Uwajimaya in 2007, Moriguchi continued as chairman. On June 18, 2015, he visited Ehime University to discuss internship programs for students in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ehime-u.ac.jp/post-23874/|script-title=ja:シアトルの日系企業「UWAJIMAYA」の森口富雄CEOが来学しました【6月8日（月）】|author=|date=2015-06-11|website=Ehime University|language=ja|title=Shiatoru no nikkei kigyō 'UWAJIMAYA' no Moriguchi Tomio CEO ga raigaku shimashita [6-gatsu 8-ka (getsu)]|trans-title=CEO Tomio Moriguchi of Seattle Japanese company "Uwajimaya" came to the University [June 8 (Monday)]|access-date=2019-01-23}}</ref> He was named by Puget Sound Business Journal as one of the 35 most influential business leaders of Seattle for the past 35 years.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ethnicseattle.com/2015/07/01/uwajimayas-tomio-moriguchi-ranked-no-24-for-35-of-seattles-most-influential-business-leaders-in-the-past-35-years/|title=Uwajimaya's Tomio Moriguchi ranked no. 24 for 35 of Seattle's most Influential Business Leaders in the Past 35 Years|author=|date=2015-06-26|website=Ethnic Seattle|publisher=Puget Sound Business Journal|access-date=2019-01-23}}</ref> Moriguchi retired from the management of the company in 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.seattletimes.com/business/retail/uwajimaya-chairman-moriguchi-steps-down-as-daughter-denise-takes-ceo-role/|title=Uwajimaya chairman Moriguchi steps down as daughter Denise takes CEO role|last=Tu|first=Janet I.|date=2017-01-17|website=The Seattle Times|access-date=2019-01-23}}</ref> He continues to be involved in the company's real estate branch.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2018/02/23/behind-the-deal-tomio-moriguchi-held-out-for.html|title=Behind the deal: Tomio Moriguchi held out for decades for the right project|last=Stiles|first=Marc|date=2018-02-23|website=Puget Sound Business Journal|url-access=subscription|access-date=2019-01-23}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2018/03/14/tomio-moriguchi-apartments-japantown-uwajimaya.html|title=Tomio Moriguchi partners with developer on mixed-use apartment tower in Seattle's Japantown|last=Stiles|first=Marc|date=2018-03-14|website=Puget Sound Business Journal|url-access=subscription|access-date=2019-01-23}}</ref> His family received the 2017 Tomodachi Award for their contributions to the relations between Japan and Seattle.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://nwasianweekly.com/2017/04/moriguchi-family-to-receive-2017-tomodachi-award/|title=Moriguchi family to receive 2017 Tomodachi Award|author=|date=2017-04-03|website=Northwest Asian Weekly|access-date=2019-01-23}}</ref>

Although he did not own Nagomi Tea House, Moriguchi founded it on Uwajimaya's former business site.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://nwasianweekly.com/2018/11/sayonara-nagomi-tea-house-arigato-tomio-moriguchi/|title=Sayonara, Nagomi Tea House — Arigato, Tomio Moriguchi|last=Ng|first=Assunta|date=2018-11-15|website=Northwest Asian Weekly|access-date=2019-01-23}}</ref> He accepted his position as president of Keiro Northwest, of which he was a co-founder, in 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://nwasianweekly.com/2018/12/new-president-and-vp-at-keiro-nw-board/|title=New president and VP at Keiro NW board|author=|date=2018-12-31|website=Northwest Asian Weekly|access-date=2019-01-23}}</ref> He and his family were named as recipients of the 2020 Seattle-King County First Citizen Award.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nwasianweekly.com/2020/07/community-treasure-tomio-moriguchi/|title="Community treasure" Tomio Moriguchi |author=|date=2020-07-16|website=Northwest Asian Weekly|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200718162824/https://nwasianweekly.com/2020/07/community-treasure-tomio-moriguchi/|archive-date=2020-07-18|access-date=2020-07-24}}</ref>

Moriguchi is the board president and treasurer of the Hokubei Hochi Foundation<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.hokubeihochi.org/board-and-staff/|title=Board of directors and staff|website=Hokubei Hochi Foundation|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170209235213/http://www.hokubeihochi.org/board-and-staff/|archive-date=2017-02-09|access-date=2019-01-23}}</ref> and president of the North American Post Publishing Company (and former publisher).<ref name=echtle3>{{citation |last=Echtle|first=Edward|title=An Overview History of the North American Post, Part 3|url=https://napost.com/2022/an-overview-history-of-the-north-american-post-part-3/ | newspaper=North American Post |date=December 25, 2022}}</ref> His daughter Denise is president and CEO of Uwajimaya.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/profiles/people/20615906-denise-moriguchi|title=Denise Moriguchi|website=Bloomberg|access-date=2019-01-23}}</ref>

== See also == * Mich Matsudaira

== References == {{Reflist}}

== External links == * {{cite web| title=Densho interviews: Tomio Moriguchi | url=http://ddr.densho.org/narrators/60/|access-date=2021-06-13}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Moriguchi, Tomio}} Category:1936 births Category:Living people Category:20th-century American businesspeople Category:20th-century American engineers Category:21st-century American businesspeople Category:American mechanical engineers Category:Boeing people Category:Businesspeople from Seattle Category:Engineers from Washington (state) Category:American civil rights activists of Japanese descent Category:Japanese-American internees Category:University of Washington College of Engineering alumni Category:American chief executives in retailing Category:Businesspeople from Tacoma, Washington Category:Activists from Tacoma, Washington