Yasuo Matsui (1877 – 1962) was a prominent 20th-century Japanese-American architect.Gray, Christopher (2012) A Towering Career; a Collision With War in The New York Times. (Accessed: 11 February 2017)

Early years Immigrating to the United States from Japan in 1902, Matsui attended the University of California and afterward worked for Ernest Flagg. He was one of the architects who worked on the Empire State Building.Larry Tajiri cited in Pacific Citizens: Larry and Guyo Tajiri and Japanese American Journalism in the World War II Era edited by Greg Robinson (Urbana-Champaign: University of Illinois Press, 2012), 34. He eventually rose to the position of President at F.H. Dewey & Company, an architectural firm, which was involved with many prominent skyscraper projects on the East Coast. Their most prominent project was the 71-story 40 Wall Street building. He also designed the Japanese Pavilion at the 1939 World's Fair.Wood, A.F. (2004) New York’s 1939-1940 World’s Fair (postcard history series). Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing SC. (Accessed: 10 February 2017)

World War II Along with other prominent Japanese living throughout the United States, Matsui was arrested by the FBI after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He was taken to Ellis Island on December 8, 1941, and interned for two months until he was paroled in February 1942.Larry Tajiri cited in Pacific Citizens: Larry and Guyo Tajiri and Japanese American Journalism in the World War II Era edited by Greg Robinson (Urbana-Champaign: University of Illinois Press, 2012), p. 34. For the rest of the war his freedom to travel was curtailed, he had to report his activities to the federal government every month, and he was barred from owning a camera. He was released from parole in October 1945.

Death He died a naturalized American citizen in 1962. He was predeceased by his daughter, Margaret, who died on July 19, 1942, at the age of 29. Margaret was employed by Life, and was at the time of her death married to Life photographer John Phillips.

Bibliography

See also Higher: A Historic Race to the Sky and the Making of a City

References