Seito Saibara

Japanese-born agriculturist

• Pronunciation: SAY-toh si-BAH-rah
• Born: 1861
• Birthplace: Kochi, Japan
• Died: April 11, 1939
• Place of death: Webster, Texas

One of the first Japanese citizens to settle permanently in Texas, Saibara was instrumental in establishing rice farming as a major industry along the Gulf Coast. His introduction of Japanese varieties of rice to the area dramatically increased harvests and contributed to the development of a Japanese settlement in Webster, Texas.

Areas of achievement: Agriculture, business, pioneering

Early Life

Seito Saibara was born in Kochi, Japan, on October 11, 1861. Trained as a lawyer, he initially pursued a career in politics and became the first Christian member of the Japanese Diet, or parliament. In 1899, he became president of Doshisha University in Kyoto, Japan, an institution founded by American Congregationalists. Saibara traveled to Hartford, Connecticut, in 1901 to study theology at the Hartford Theological Seminary. His wife, Taiko, and their children remained in Japan.

Life’s Work

After studying in the United States for a time, Saibara wished to remain in the country, and he was soon presented with an opportunity that would allow him to do so. Rice as a crop had been introduced into Texas in the nineteenth century, but it had never been a high-yield crop. However, farmers and commercial interests in Texas, especially the Southern Pacific Railroad, hoped to make rice a major cash crop in the state. On behalf of the Houston Chamber of Commerce and the Southern Pacific Railroad, Japanese consul general Sadatsuchi Uchida asked Saibara if he would be interested in establishing a rice plantation in Texas. Saibara gladly accepted and traveled to Texas in August of 1903. Not long after, his family and thirty other Japanese immigrants settled in Webster, a small town in Harris County, Texas.

Saibara leased a tract of land near Webster and began growing Shinriki rice, a Japanese variety of the plant, the original seed having been provided by the emperor of Japan and brought to Texas by Saibara’s son Kiyoaki. The success of the rice plantation allowed Saibara to purchase the land he had leased and build a house, further establishing his family’s presence in Webster. The Texas Historical Commission would later place a marker detailing Saibara’s contributions to the rice industry at the former site of his home. The Saibaras were reasonably well accepted in town; they were active members of the local Presbyterian church, and Saibara received permission from the Galveston Board of Trustees for his son to enroll in Ball High School.

While a number of Japanese citizens had settled in Texas, Saibara hoped to develop an even larger Japanese rice-farming community. Several more families did immigrate to Webster, but the homesickness experienced by some immigrants and the increasing anti-Japanese sentiment in the United States prevented Saibara from creating the extensive community he had envisioned. The Naturalization Act of 1790 had denied naturalization to immigrants from Asia, so while the Japanese colonists were welcomed by the rice industry for their abilities to improve the quality and production of rice, they remained aliens, unable to participate in the American political process. In addition, the Immigration Act of 1924, also known as the Johnson-Reed Act, prohibited Japanese immigration to the United States entirely, as it excluded all potential immigrants ineligible for naturalization. Saibara was thus unable to expand his rice-farming community, but he nevertheless declined an invitation to return to Japan and serve as minister of education. The Naturalization Act would remain in place throughout Saibara’s life, preventing him from attaining US citizenship; Kiyoaki, his oldest son, would later be one of the first Japanese Texans to become a naturalized citizen.

Eventually, Saibara and his wife left Texas for South America, establishing settlements along the Amazon River. He ultimately spent eight years in Brazil, where a major Japanese immigrant community was forming. During this time, he continued to influence the Texas rice industry through the work of Kiyoaki, who managed the rice plantation in Texas. Saibara returned to Japan for a time and then, due to ill health, rejoined his children in Texas in 1937, remaining there until his death.

Significance

Through his work as a grower, experimenter, and consultant, Saibara established the rice industry in Texas and the Gulf Coast as a major commercial business. He was also instrumental in encouraging Japanese immigration to the United States and in fostering positive relations between the United States and Japan. Saibara has been recognized by a number of organizations for his contributions to Texas agriculture. In 2000, the Houston Chronicle included him in a list of one hundred “tall Texans,” individuals who played an important role both in Texas and elsewhere. On March 28, 2004, a memorial service for the pioneer families of Webster was held to honor the Saibaras and other Japanese families who immigrated to Texas early in the twentieth century.

Bibliography

Brady, Marilyn Dell. The Asian Texans. College Station: Texas A&M UP, 2004. Print. Provides information on the religion, customs, and culture of Saibara and his family and fellow colonists.

“The Saibara Family of Webster, Texas.” Japanese American Citizens League, Houston Chapter. Japanese American Citizens League, Houston Chapter, n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2012. Explores the history of the US branch of the Saibara family, beginning with Seito Saibara.

Tang, Irwin A, ed. Asian Texans: Our Histories and Our Lives. Austin: it Works, 2008. Print. Discusses problems encountered in establishing rice plantations in Texas, including those related to anti-Asian prejudices, and places Saibara within a social and cultural context.