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For immediate release
September 7, 2006
Contact:
Rob Shibata
Mt. Eden Floral Co.
531 E. Evelyn Ave.
Mtn View, CA 94041
Ph 650 903-3210
Email rjshibata@mteden.com
YOSHIMI SHIBATA'S MEMOIRS PUBLISHED
"Across Two Worlds" Traces the Remarkable Life
Of a Floriculture Industry Visionary
SALINAS, CA -- Mt. Eden Floral Co. of Mountain View, and
the California Florida Plant Company of Salinas, CA announced
today that Yoshimi Shibata's memoirs are now in print. "Across
Two Worlds, Memoirs of a Nisei Flower Grower" (www.acrosstwoworlds.com)
, published by Mt. Eden Floral Company of Mountain View, CA
and Midori Books of Pasadena, CA, traces a lifetime of challenges
faced by a man who, bolstered by his early training and values,
not only triumphed over tremendous personal adversity, including
forced internment during WWII, but rose to become an international
leader in the California floriculture industry.
Founder and former president of the Wholesale Florist &
Florist Suppliers of America Mr. Shibata helped launch its
first trade show, and innovated many standard practices employed
by the floral industry today. He also won a landmark victory
in propagation rights that went all the way to the Supreme
Court and resulted in a revolutionary new business model for
proprietary plant varieties. He and his immediate family own
and operate the Mt. Eden Floral Company of Mountain View,
CA (www.mteden.com), which
distributes floral products through various channels nationally
and internationally. His other businesses include the Mt.
Eden Nursery in Hayward, CA, the California Florida Plant
Company in Salinas, CA (www.cfpc.com)
and two entities in Los Angeles: GM Floral Co. and GM Floral
Farms.
"My father believed I was growing up to be a wayward
kid because all I did was play; he wanted me to work hard
and be more disciplined and productive. But even more importantly,
he and other fathers were mentally preparing us, their sons,
to combat a hostile world they had experienced as Issei."
With these words, Yoshimi ("Shimi") Shibata opens
the window onto a remarkable life structured around the principles
of bushido, a strict code of ethics for the development of
the mind and body. It meant an existence of frugality, hard
work, severe training and patience. "My father was not
a descendant of Samurai, but he believed in bushido."
At the time, pre-World War II, Mr. Shibata's father had no
idea just how hostile the world for Issei (Japanese American
immigrants) was to become.
Mr. Shibata, who was born in Oakland, CA, was president of
the Mt. Eden Corporation in 1942 when Executive Order 9066
was signed, leading to the forced removal of Japanese Americans
from certain areas on the West Coast. Shimi was forced to
lease his land and business to one of his customers, and he
and his family were eventually interned at the Tule Lake War
Relocation Center, where he rose to become a community leader.
Eventually he was released and won the struggle to get his
business back. He has served on a number of boards of directors,
including the California State Chamber of Commerce and the
Sumitomo Bank of California. In recognition of his service
in promoting good relations between the U.S. and Japan, Mr.
Shibata was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Fourth Class,
from the Japanese Government.
Ultimately, "Across Two Worlds" is the unassuming
story of a natural leader. Any reader fascinated by the characteristics,
values and philosophies that mark a successful businessman,
spouse, son and father, will find "Across Two Worlds"
enlightening and inspiring. To order a copy of "Across
Two Worlds: The Story of a Nisei Flower Grower", go to
www.njahs.org/pub.html.
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