Webster in Harris County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Seito and Kiyoaki Saibara
Contributions to the Texas Rice Industry by
Seito Saibara (1861-1939), former president of Doshisha University in Kyoto, Japan, and first Christian member of the Japanese Diet (Parliament). Arrived in the United States in 1901 to study theology, and with the desire to establish a Japanese colony in America. Saibara came to Texas in August 1903 at the invitation of the Houston Chamber of Commerce to advise farmers on the cultivation of rice, which was emerging as a major cash crop. He decided rice farming was the ideal business for a colony, leased this tract of land (which he later purchased), and sent for his family.
The oldest son, Kiyoaki Saibara (1884-1972), brought from Japan 300 pounds of Shinriki seed, a variety superior to native rice; and together, father and son planted a field near the canal (½ mile NE). Their first crops were utilized primarily for distribution as seed in Texas and Louisiana. The Saibaras built a house (250 yards S), and several families soon moved here from Japan, but the colonization effort failed because of disillusionment and homesickness of the new colonists.
Seito Saibara aided the growth of the Texas rice industry with improved rice strains and agricultural techniques until his death, and Kiyoaki Saibara continued new developments until his retirement in 1964.
Erected 1974 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 10758.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Asian Americans. A significant historical year for this entry is 1901.
Location. 29° 32.685′ N, 95° 6.447′ W. Marker is in Webster, Texas, in Harris County. Marker is at the intersection of East NASA Parkway and Kings Row, on the right when traveling east on East NASA Parkway. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Webster TX 77598, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within one mile of this marker, measured as the crow flies. NASA Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (approx. one mile away); Saturn V Rocket (approx. one mile away); F-1 Engine: Power for the Rocket (approx. 1.1 miles away); J-2 Engine: Versatile Sidekick (approx. 1.1 miles away); Mercury-Redstone: Putting the First Americans in Space (approx. 1.1 miles away); H-1 Engine: A Powerful Start (approx. 1.1 miles away); Little Joe II (approx. 1.1 miles away); Little Joe II and BP-22: Safety First (approx. 1.1 miles away).
Also see . . . Kiyoaki Saibara. Texas State Historical Association (Submitted on December 6, 2011, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on December 2, 2011, by Jim Evans of Houston, Texas. This page has been viewed 1,700 times since then and 87 times this year. Last updated on December 21, 2020, by Jim Evans of Houston, Texas. Photos: 1. submitted on December 2, 2011, by Jim Evans of Houston, Texas. 2, 3, 4. submitted on December 27, 2020, by Jim Evans of Houston, Texas. 5. submitted on August 22, 2016, by Jim Evans of Houston, Texas. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.