Résumé

Draftsman, Schack, Young and Myers, Architects, Seattle, WA, 1925-1928. (Kichio Arai was not listed in the Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1929, (p. 277).

Draftsman, unknown architect, Seattle, WA, 1936. (See Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1936, p. 178.)

Principal, Kichio Allen Arai, Architect, Seattle, WA, c. 1937-1942. It appears that Arai worked as an architect from his family home, 109 12th Avenue, during this time period. (See Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1937, p. 129 and Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Wwii Draft Registration Cards For Washington, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 6, accessed 06/06/2023.)

Designer, Naramore, Brady, Bain and Johanson (NBBJ), Architects, Seattle, WA, c. 1947.

Designer, Durham, Anderson and Freed, Architects, Seattle, WA, c. 1949.

Associate, Richard O. Parker and A.K. Arai, Associated Architects, c. 1950.

Designer, Olympian Stone Company, Seattle, WA.

Designer, Fentron Industries, Seattle, WA, c. 1960-1966.

High School/College

Graduate, Broadway High School, Seattle, WA, 1919.

B.Arch., University of Washington, Seattle (UW), Department of Architecture, Seattle, WA, 1919-1925. Akai was a member of the Japanese Students Club at the UW in 1921. (See University of Washington Tyee Yearbook, 1921, p. 494.) In 1925, of the 57 students listed in the UW architecture student organization, Atelier, five students had Japanese surnames. They included: George Shigaki, K.A. Arai, T. Matsumoto, S. Washizuka and O. Noji. (See University of Washington Tyee Yearbook, 1925, p. 346.)

M.Arch., Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, c. 1930.

Relocation

Born in Port Blakely, WA, on Bainbridge Island, Kichio Allen Arai lived on this Kitsap County island for at least the first two years of his life. The Arais moved to Seattle by at least 1906. By 07/26/1906, his family lived at 661 Lane Street in what is now the International District. (This home address came from a travel document of Toyo Arai, Kichio's second eldest sister, who traveled back to Japan on 07/26/1906. This form listed the Arais last permanent residence abroad as Hiroshima, Japan. See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives and Records Administration; Washington, D.C.; Index to Aliens, Not Including Filipinos, East Indians, and Chinese, Arriving By Vessel Or At the Land Border At Seattle, Washington; NAI Number: 2945984; Record Group Title: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787-2004; Record Group Number: 85, accessed 06/06/2023.)

In 1910, Kichio resided with his parents and seven brothers and sisters at 717 7th Avenue South in Seattle, He had a large family, with ten people living in this dwelling. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1910; Census Place: Seattle Ward 1, King, Washington; Roll: T624_1658; Page: 14b; Enumeration District: 0060; FHL microfilm: 1375671, accessed 06/06/2023.)

A decade later in 1920, the Arais made their residence at 221 9th Avenue South. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1920; Census Place: Seattle, King, Washington; Roll: T625_1929; Page: 1A; Enumeration District: 278, accessed 06/06/2023.)

Arai lived at 109 12th Avenue in Seattle in 1927. (See Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1927, p. 244.)

The architect earned a master's degree in architecture at Harvard University during the late 1920s, graduating in 1930. He lived in Cambridge, MA, likely during 1928 through 1930. Due to his graduate training on the East Coast, Kichio's name was not listed as living at his parents' 109 12th Avenue residence in the 1930 US Census. (The Arais paid $40 per month in rent in 1930.). (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1930; Census Place: Seattle, King, Washington; Page: 10B; Enumeration District: 0153; FHL microfilm: 2342233, accessed 06/06/2023.) Kichio Arai's name was also not listed in the Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1931, indicating, perhaps, that he worked for a short time on the East Coast.

By 1932, he would return to the family house at 109 12th Avenue. (See Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1932, p. 125.)

In 1937-1938, the Seattle City Directory listed Arai as working as an architect, still dwelling at 109 12th Avenue, Seattle, WA, and continued to reside at this address with his family as noted in the 1940 US Census. They rented this house in 1940, paying $30 per month for the dwelling. In 1940, the Arai household included the architect's mother Yone, along with his siblings Kazuo, Sumi and Hide. In addition, his wife, Nobu, and their children Donald Noboru and David Yoshio, as well as another grandchild, Tomi Koba (born c. 1925 in WA) lived at 109 12th Avenue.(See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1940; Census Place: Seattle, King, Washington; Roll: m-t0627-04379; Page: 12A; Enumeration District: 40-184, accessed 06/05/2023.) As of 02/15/1942, Kichio and his wife still lived at 109 12th Avenue with his family before being transported to a internment facility six months later. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Wwii Draft Registration Cards For Washington, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 6, accessed 06/06/2023.)

Arai was relocated to anJapanese-American internment camp in 1942, and only came back to Seattle, WA, in 02/1947. (See David A. Rash, "Kichio Allen Arai," in Shaping Seattle Architecture, Jeffrey Karl Ochsner, Editor, [Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press, 1994], p. 243.) Kichio was interned at the Minidoka Internment Camp in Jerome, ID, between 08/18/1942 and 10/15/1944. Kichio was released separately from his family. He left in 1944 on a work release to an employer in Madison, WI. Kichio's sons, Donald, Gerald and David arrived at Minidoka with their father on 08/18/1942, while Nobu and Joanne came later on 09/05/1942. Although Kichio left to work in 10/1944, the rest of his family were released on a "term with grant" to Anderson Dam, ID, on 05/28/1945. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information Ancestry.com. U.S., Final Accountability Rosters of Evacuees at Relocation Centers, 1942-1946 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013, accessed 06/05/2023.)

The architect passed away at age 65 in Los Angeles, CA, and was buried at the Sunset Hills Memorial Park, Bellevue, WA.

Parents

His mother was Yone Arai (born c. 1872 in Japan). The 1920 US Census recorded that she arrived in the US in 1899.

The 1910 US Census identified his father as "S. Arai" (born c. 1870 in Japan-d. 09/10/1930 in Seattle, WA). It noted that he immigrated to the US in 1891, and worked as a laborer in a restaurant. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1910; Census Place: Seattle Ward 1, King, Washington; Roll: T624_1658; Page: 14b; Enumeration District: 0060; FHL microfilm: 1375671, accessed 06/06/2023.)

The 1920 US Census, listed him as "Sherinaki Arai," and indicated that he operated an apartment hotel. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1920; Census Place: Seattle, King, Washington; Roll: T625_1929; Page: 1A; Enumeration District: 278, accessed 06/06/2023.)

The 1930 US Census registered his immigration date as 1899. This census noted that Kichio's father worked as a salesman for a grocery store, and that all other children in the family over age 16 had jobs. Kichio's sisters worked as an office stenographer and bank bookkeeper, while his brothers worked in a grocery and the wholesale produce business. At this time, the produce industry was one of the few businesses open to hiring male Japanese-Americans. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1930; Census Place: Seattle, King, Washington; Page: 10B; Enumeration District: 0153; FHL microfilm: 2342233, accessed 06/06/2023.)

Despite the bad transliterations of his first name in official records, his father's name was Shimakichi Arai. A 1923 US passport application of Tama Arai, Kichio's sister, indicated that Shimakichi came to the US from possibly Yokohama, Japan, in 1895. (Tama was to spend four months traveling and studying in Japan, leaving on 09/04/1923.) (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington D.C.; NARA Series: Passport Applications, January 2, 1906 - March 31, 1925; Roll #: 2353; Volume #: Roll 2353 - Certificates: 333850-334349, 18 Aug 1923-21 Aug 1923, accessed 06/06/2023.) This 1923 passport application misspelled his name as "Shimakechi."

Shimakichi's death certificate listed his parents as "Kri" and Tame Arai. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Washington State Archives; Olympia, Washington; Washington Death Index, 1940-2017, accessed 06/06/2023.)

As per the 1910 US Census, Yone had had eight children, five girls and three boys, all of whom were alive at that time. The list of children in 1910 included: S. Arai (female, born c. 1890 in Japan), Toyo Arai (female, born c. 1892 in Japan), Kichio Arai (born 1901), Tama. Arai (female, born 11/30/1903 in Port Blakely, WA), S. Arai (male, born c. 1905 in WA), Kazuo Arai (male, born c. 1906 in WA), H. Arai (female, born c. 1908) and Ayake Arai (female, born 01/17/1910 in Seattle, WA). (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Washington State Archives; Olympia, Washington; Washington State Births 1907-1920, accessed 06/06/2023.) Kichio was the third eldest child and the oldest born in the US. He had two older sisters who had been born in Japan.

A list of some of Kichio's sibling appeared in the Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1932, (p. 125). The names listed included his mother Yone and siblings Hana, Hide, Kazuo, Saki and Sumi.

In 1940, Kichio still lived at home and the siblings still present there were Kazuo Arai, Sumi Arai (born c. 1912 in Seattle, WA) and Hide Arai (born c. 1914 in Seattle, WA). In 1940, all of his siblings had completed high school. Kichio was the only one to have completed college. Their mother Yone had finished school in the 8th grade. In 1940, Donald worked as a clerk in a grocery store, Sumi was a stenographer in an office and Hide a packer at a wholesale hardware company. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1940; Census Place: Seattle, King, Washington; Roll: m-t0627-04379; Page: 12A; Enumeration District: 40-184, accessed 06/05/2023.)

Spouse

Arai married Nobu Kawaguchi (born 04/03/1906 in Bellingham, WA-d. 01/25/1983 in Seattle, WA) on 10/09/1932 at the Seattle Buddhist Church in Seattle, WA. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Washington State Archives; Olympia, Washington; Washington Marriage Records, 1854-2013; Reference Number: kingcoarchmcvol40_642, accessed 06/05/2023 and Ancestry.com, Source Citation Washington State Archives; Olympia, Washington; Washington Marriage Records, 1854-2013; Reference Number: kingcoarchmcvol40_642, accessed 06/05/2023.) Kichio would design a later Seattle Buddhist Church, constructed in 1940-1941.

Her parents were Tamejiro Kawaguchi (born c. 1870 in Japan) and Kume Nakashima (born c. 1874 in Japan). The US Census of 1910, indicated that Tamejiro came to the US in 1901, while Kume came in 1905. Nobu was the eldest of three, although at least one of her siblings died early in life. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1910; Census Place: Bellingham Ward 2, Whatcom, Washington; Roll: T624_1673; Page: 12b; Enumeration District: 0322; FHL microfilm: 1375686, accessed 06/05/2023.) Another brother Masao Kawaguchi was born on 04/11/1916. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Washington State Archives; Olympia, Washington; Washington State Births 1907-1920, accessed 06/05/2023.)

In 1915, her father operated a restaurant at 608 West Holly Street in Bellingham, WA. The Kawaguchi Family also lived in the same building as the restaurant. (See R.L. Polk and Company's Bellingham, Washington, City Directory, 1915, p. 224.)

Children

As per the 1950 US Census, Nobu and Kichio had four children: Donald Noboru Arai (born 07/14/1933 in Seattle, WA), Gerald Yoshio Arai (born 07/18/1937 in Seattle, WA), David Yukio Arai (born 05/24/1940 in Seattle, WA) and Joanne Masayo Arai (born 08/23/1942 in Seattle, WA). (See Ancestry.com, Source Information Ancestry.com. U.S., Final Accountability Rosters of Evacuees at Relocation Centers, 1942-1946 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013, accessed 06/05/2023.)

Gerald Arai also became an architect.

Biographical Notes

Arai was an early Asian-American architect in Seattle, although not the first graduate of the University of Washington program; this distinction belongs to Wing Sam Chinn. In his student days, Arai was known as "K. Allen Arai" (during his second year at the UW) and "A.K. Arai" thereafter. Student presentation drawings done by Arai were reproduced by a friend of the architect's son, Gerald A. Arai, in the 1980s. According to David Rash, 20,000 of these posters were sold. (See David A. Rash, "Kichio Allen Arai," in Shaping Seattle Architecture, Jeffrey Karl Ochsner, Editor, [Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press, 1994], p. 243.)

His World War II draft registration card of 02/15/1942 indicated that Arai was "oriental" and with a "yellow" complexion, reflective of the period's racially insensitive nomenclature. He had brown eyes and black hair and stood 5-feet, 6-inches and weighed 170 pounds. It indicated that he had a "small birthmark on neck." (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Wwii Draft Registration Cards For Washington, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 6, accessed 06/06/2023.)

SSN: 535013722.

• Los Angeles, CA (Architect's Death)
  Los Angeles, CA 90012

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• Port Blakely, WA (Architect's Birth)
  Port Blakely, WA

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  Bainbridge Island

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