Manhattan Beach in Los Angeles County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Francis Miyosaku Uyematsu
"Camellia King"
| | Mira Costa High School | |
Photographed by Craig Baker
1. Francis Miyosaku Uyematsu Marker
Mira Costa sits on land previously owned by the Uyematsu family, whose patriarch arrived in California in 1904. Despite fierce anti-Asian sentiment and racist restrictions on land ownership and citizenship, 22-year-old F.M. Uyematsu successfully imported and bred Japanese camellias and cherry trees. Over forty years, he expanded Star Nurseries to three locations, including 120 acres in Manhattan Beach, pioneered temperature-controlled greenhouses, and earned the nickname "Camellia King."
After Japan's 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, as the U.S. government prepared to forcibly remove and incarcerate 120,000 Japanese Americans, Uyematsu, with few available options, sold 300,000 of his prized camellias under duress. Interned at Manzanar, the family donated 1,000 cherry trees for a park there, which Uyematsu cultivated throughout his years in camp. During detention, Uyematsu had to sell most of his Manhattan Beach land to sustain his business. In 1947, two years after the camps closed, and with his business still below pre-war levels, Uyematsu sold this last 40 acres of his Manhattan Beach land to the Redondo Union High School District for $60,000.
Erected 2021.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Asian Americans
this page online
Location. 33° 52.468′ N, 118° 23.358′ W. Marker is in Manhattan Beach, California, in Los Angeles County. It can be reached from the intersection of Artesia Boulevard and Peck Avenue, on the right when traveling west. Located on the campus of Mira Costa High School. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1401 Artesia Blvd, Manhattan Beach CA 90266, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Greater Los Angeles and in the Transverse Ranges. It is also on the American Pacific Coast. Globally, it is in North America, on the Ring of Fire, in the Pacific Rim, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain and also Mexicos Alta California.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Pier Avenue School (approx. Ύ mile away); Beach Cottage (approx. one mile away); Site of The Courthouse, City Jail, Police and Fire Station (approx. one mile away); The Metropolitan Theater (approx. one mile away); The First Bank of Hermosa Beach (approx. 1.1 miles away); Hermosa Beach Pier (approx. 1.1 miles away); John "Whitney" Guild (approx. 1.2 miles away); Former Site Of The La Mar Theatre (approx. 1.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Manhattan Beach.
Regarding Francis Miyosaku Uyematsu. This marker is located on the campus of Mira Costa High School, which was built on part of the Uyematsu
Photographed by Craig Baker
2. Francis Miyosaku Uyematsu Marker
Before going to the internment camp at Manzanar, Uyematsu sold many of his beloved camellias to collector and Los Angeles Daily News publisher Manchester Boddy.
Boddy brought the plants to his Rancho del Descanso estate in La Caρada. The rancho would later become Descanso Gardens, and its camellia collection would become world-famous.
Uyematsu spent three years imprisoned at Manzanar. While there, he was allowed to truck plants from Los Angeles and establish what became known as Japanese Cherry Park at the camp.
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. - Descanso Gardens camellias purchased by Manchester Boddy from F.M. Uyematsu.
Credits. This page was last revised on September 19, 2025. It was originally submitted on September 5, 2025, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. This page has been viewed 563 times since then and 53 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 5, 2025, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California.
