OBITUARY: Takashi Matsuoka

Takashi Matsuoka

Nov. 14, 1934 – Oct. 6, 2021

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of MATSUOKA, TAKASHI. He passed away peacefully and free of pain at his home in Daly City, CA, surrounded by his son John and daughter Yuki. His grandson Brendan Kei was also by his side prior to his passing.

Takashi was born in Iizuka, Fukuoka, Japan. He attended Kaho High School and Waseda University. In the early 1960s he briefly worked in Chicago, IL, before returning to Japan. He returned to the United States around 1967 with his new wife, Nobuko. They had a son (John) in 1968 and daughter (Yuki) in 1972 in San Francisco. In 1973, they purchased their first and only house in Daly City, CA, which became their forever home.

Takashi worked for J.P. Publications at first, then moved on to become General Manager (and subsequently President) of J.C. Trading (Mikado) in San Francisco’s Japantown, where he became a fixture in the business community of Japantown. He stayed at Mikado until his retirement in the mid-2000s.

In retirement, he was involved in the Fukuoka Kenjin-kai, where he acted as president of the San Francisco Chapter for a time. He was a board member of Nichibei-kai. He also studied the Japanese art of Shigin for over 50 years. He became a teacher of shigin in his later years. Tennis brought him the most joy, and he played 3 to 4 times a week until he became ill. He made many close friends from tennis, shigin, and Fukuoka Kenjin-kai. His other passion was the San Francisco Giants. He was a loyal fan, watching almost every Giants game on TV from the early 1970s to his passing.

Takashi was preceded in death by his parents, several brothers and sisters, and his wife of over 33 years, Nobuko. He is survived by his son John, daughter Yuki, and his grandson Brendan Kei, who he absolutely adored.