Day 164: Mukai Cold Process Fruit Barrelling Plant, Vashon, Washington
📌APIA Every Day (164) - The Mukai Cold Process Fruit Barreling Plant's history begins with Denichiro "B.D." Mukai, who emigrated from Japan to the United States in the late 19th century. After various jobs in San Francisco, Mukai and his wife Sato moved to Seattle following the 1906 earthquake and later relocated to Vashon Island around 1910 to start a strawberry farming business. The Mukai’s became successful tenant farmers, hiring other Japanese laborers and introducing efficient practices like using a barge to transport berries to market.
In 1924, the Mukai’s established their first barreling plant to preserve strawberries, allowing them to bypass Seattle wholesalers and sell directly to larger distribution companies. This innovation significantly impacted the industry by enabling direct sales to makers of preserves and ice cream. Unable to own land due to restrictions on Japanese immigrants, the Mukai family purchased a 40-acre site in 1926 under their son's name, Masa. Masa Mukai later took over the business, contributing to advancements in frozen fruit techniques and managing the operation. The farm continued to prosper during the Depression, employing over 400 workers annually to help pack and ship 200 tons of strawberries.
During World War II, the Mukai family fled to Oregon due to Executive Order 9066 moving outside the exclusion zone, and thus were not imprisoned as were the other Japanese families on Vashon. From Oregon, they managed to maintain their business connections. After the war, they returned to Vashon Island, though the strawberry business had declined. Masa Mukai shifted focus to engineering and construction, eventually selling off the Vashon properties. The Mukai Cold Process Fruit Barreling Plant was designated a King County landmark in 1993 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. Nearly a decade later, restoration efforts began in 2001 led by non-profit organizations, resulting in significant structural improvements and the preservation of the historic site. Due to concern over the future stewardship of the resource, a group of Vashon residents formed Friends of Mukai to work toward the long-term preservation.
LEARN MORE:
National Archives Catalog: Mukai Cold Process Fruit Barreling Plant
Mukai Farm and Garden: 1926 to 1942 | Success
History Link: Mukai, Masahiro (1911-1999)
Walk The Farm: Mukai Farm and Garden
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