About Etsuo Higa
Lived 1915 – 2000 (aged 84). Etsuo Higa was a Japanese businessperson.
Yetsuo "Yets" Higa (1915 – July 31, 2000) was a second-generation Okinawan American businessman.
Higa was born in Honokaa, Hawaii in 1915. He and his family moved to Wahiawa in 1923. After graduating from Leilehua High School in 1934, he joined and expanded his father's trucking business. Over his career Y. Higa Enterprises grew from a single truck to a multi-million dollar enterprise with branches in Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Paris. Higa also opened the first Pepsi-cola bottling plant in Japan, and is credited with introducing it to the nation. His son Ernest and his daughter Merle Aiko followed him in business, opening up their own franchises in Japan.
Higa was also an athlete who played baseball and ran track and field. He brought two Major League Baseball teams to Hawaii and Japan to play.
Higa died on July 31, 2000, of complications from Alzheimer's disease.
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Important facts
People in Etsuo Higa's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Etsuo Higa's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Etsuo Higa?
Japanese American businessman
When was Etsuo Higa born?
Etsuo Higa was born on 10 November 1915.
When did Etsuo Higa die?
Etsuo Higa died on 31 July 2000.
What was Etsuo Higa's occupation?
Etsuo Higa was a businessperson.
What nationality was Etsuo Higa?
Etsuo Higa was Japanese.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Etsuo Higa. https://biography.guide/etsuo-higa/
MLA: "Etsuo Higa." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/etsuo-higa/.
Chicago: "Etsuo Higa." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/etsuo-higa/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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