Nov 163 min read

Sakauye Farmstead

By Ariel Lee 11/6/2024

The sun sets over the rolling hills of the Sakauye farm in North San Jose, shining brightly among the orchards. Yet this is likely one of the last times the golden light will illuminate clear land. In early July, the San Jose City Council decided to demolish the city’s last Japanese-owned farmstead, a 23-acre fruit orchard owned by the Sakauye family, to create a mixed-use development. Yet there are many mixed opinions in the community over this decision: many want to preserve the land full of Japanese culture, while others believe that it is mandatory to create more living space.

The story of the Sakauye Farm began in 1920, when the farm was originally built. In 1952, the Pratt-Low Preserving Company bought the buildings in Santa Clara for Yuwakichi Sakauye and relocated them to his ranch on North First Street. Eiichi “Ed” Sakayue, Sakauye’s eldest son, later took over the farm. During the 1950s and 1960s, most of the laborers were Mexican braceros, and the farm was one of the few that a person of Japanese descent owned in the Bay Area. Though Sakauye died in 2005, another Japanese family called the Tsukudas continued to take care of part of the land, leasing and operating a fruit stand for the past 40 years.

Despite the farm’s impact, the San Jose City Council voted to turn the land into about 1,500 new apartment units and townhomes to accommodate for the housing crisis on July 10. The farm’s demolition is expected to begin next February. However, San Jose is one of only three existing Japantowns in America, and community organizations such as the Preservation Action Council of San Jose are fighting to save the century-old farmhouse, emphasizing that it represents the towering contributions Japanese Americans made to the state’s agricultural history. Locals believe this farm stands for the difficulties Japanese immigrants went through, especially due to the period during World War II when it was difficult for the Sakauyes to keep the land, according to the Japanese American Museum of San Jose Collection.

“Although homelessness is a huge issue in San Jose, tearing down the Sakauye farm would not make a significant difference in the housing crisis because homelessness comes from the lack of affordable housing, not the number of houses. The farm has a very significant historical meaning as it was one of the first Japanese-owned farmlands in America, and therefore we should preserve the land,” Sophomore Apurva Tadimeti said.

Due to this support, members of the San Jose City Council have been debating whether to relocate the farm into the boundaries of a future public park. However, this is not guaranteed, as it could require hundreds of thousands of dollars of funding.

“The council should discuss how to split up the land evenly, as it has historical meaning but San Jose still needs affordable housing. The council could build apartments on half the land and keep the other half for historical preservation,” Junior Varna Mouli said.

Despite all the efforts to preserve the culture of the farm, the Sakauye family believes that the land is not worth the preservation. They are willing to sell their land to Hanover Company, a Huston-based developer, as they have expressed that they are proud of their father’s accomplishments but are not fond of saving his former home. In fact, in 2005, Eiichi expressed that he did not believe there would be any Japanese farmers in the future during an interview with the Japanese American Museum of San Jose Collection.

In essence, the city holds very different views regarding the Sakauyes’ land, as many want to preserve the land and its culture while others believe that housing comes first. With the consent of the Sakauyes, the options for change are very minimal, as the government is set on creating a new housing development with the land.

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