大昔の、まだ初めの会社に入社して間もない頃、米国本社の研究所に何度も出張したわけだけど、そこの道路の名前が「ヤマト・ロード」。
Yamato Road is a 9.38-mile (15.10 km) east–west arterial boulevard in incorporated and unincorporated Boca Raton, Florida.
当時はなんでヤマトなんだろう、と思うぐらいで特に気にもとめなかったけど、その謎が氷解。
その昔日本人の入植エリア、「大和コロニー」というものが有ったんだそう。
The Yamato Colony was an attempt to create a community of Japanese farmers in what is now Boca Raton, Florida, early in the 20th century. With encouragement from Florida authorities, young Japanese men were recruited to farm in the colony. There were as many as 75 Japanese men, some with their families, at the peak. There was "a cluster of two-story frame houses, a general store..., some packing houses."[1]
Because of various difficulties, including blight, the colony never grew very large, and gradually declined until it was finally dispersed during World War II.
数々の問題を抱えて縮小し、WWIIの時に消滅。上のコラムはこのコロニーを支えた森上さんについて。そういえばモリカミミュージアムって聞いたことが有ったかも。言われてみれば。
