JWH Author's Voice Vol. 9 interview with Katsuko Suzuki
T he book, “Fishmonger's daughter,” is the saga of the life of Katsuko Suzuki, a woman who experienced World War II in Japan and later moved to America to pursue her dreams. Overcoming countless obstacles, Suzuki started her new career in a real estate company at the age of 60. Today, at 82, she is the vice president of the Barbara Corcoran group, the largest residential real estate firm in New York City.What really struck me about this author is her inner drive, her resolve to never give up on her dreams. I was also deeply moved by the fact that Suzuki’s honest and cordial work ethic passes muster even in the cutthroat world of the Big Apple’s real estate industry. When I met the author last month in Tokyo, she was brimming with energy and a disarming charm. Her passionate talk went on non-stop for four hours and it was truly entertaining. When I asked her for a tip or two on life, she said, ‘Cherish your hopes and dreams. Cultivate love and wisdom. And never lose courage. I’m planning to become a movie actress when I turn 100!' Here’s an overview of the book. Suzuki was born in 1927 in a town called Yatsushiro, far on the other side of Kyushu from Nagasaki. She still remembers the day clearly when she saw the mushroom cloud of the atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki in 1945. After the war ended, she got divorced and moved to Tokyo to study dressmaking. To make ends meet, however, she worked as a bargirl at night in Tachikawa, a town found on the outskirts of Tokyo where American soldiers were stationed at a military base. These soldiers used to frequent the bar where Suzuki worked and she made quite a fortune from tips alone. However, working as a bargirl wasn’t enough to raise her son. One day, she found a vacant land and began to believe that she could build a house there and rent it out to American soldiers. Her peers thought she was crazy, but she was firm in her conviction nevertheless. She believed that building a house was just like making a dress. In the end, she succeeded in raising funds from various sources and went on to build a house from scratch in six months and then rent it out to an American businessman. This was Suzuki’s first foray into real estate. Marrying an American soldier whom she met at the bar, she moved to the state of Wisconsin at the age of 29. However, she realized that the pastoral life was not her cup of tea and that she needed to apply herself to work. So at the age of 35, she got divorced again and moved to New York City, where she later married a Japanese man and launched a fabric shop. Although the business went well, she eventually had to close it down after a series of misfortunes. For one thing, rioting broke out after the assassination of John F. Kennedy and her shop was completely destroyed in its aftermath. Although she managed to restart the business, she closed down the shop for the last time after people around her began to shoplift expensive clothes.  Suzuki’s next adventure began after she turned 60. Her son, a property developer, encouraged her to take a job interview at a real estate company. On the day of the interview, Suzuki arrived on site an hour earlier than scheduled. She then walked around to kill time, ending up buying a blanket on impulse while almost forgetting about the interview altogether. Carrying the blanket in her arms, she stepped inside an elevator with another woman . Noticing the bulky blanket, this woman offered to help out by carrying it for her. Suzuki was touched and later inquired the receptionist about the identity of the kind stranger. When she found out that this stranger was none other than Barbara Corcoran, the president of the company, she was deeply moved. Undoubtedly, she became convinced that working for this company was what she really wanted to do.However, the interview was a real challenge. ‘This is an American Company. How do you expect to get by here if you can’t speak and write English?’ the interviewer asked. Undaunted, Suzuki leapt out of her chair and declared, ‘I can do it!’ The interviewer was bewildered. ‘I can do it! Please watch me!’ Suzuki reassured. After Suzuki returned home, all she could think about was how badly she wished to work for Corcoran. Next day, she received a call from the same interviewer. “Katsuko? Please be at our office at nine o’clock next Monday.” She was hired. To find out how the rest of her amazing story unfolds, you must read the book. Suzuki’s unconventional approach not only protected her clients, but also helped her to outperform expectations and achieve stellar sales figures, thanks to the fact that she never buckled under the pressures of prejudice. Today, Suzuki is positive that the English edition of her book, “The Fishmonger's Daughter,” will be available in the near future. This is a good thing. Her book fascinates, inspires and ultimately conveys the timeless message that fortune favors the bold. Koji Chikatani Senior Agent Japanese Writers' House / TranNet KK »»» To read other interviews | |
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