Tosa & Yuji

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Yuji Kumasaka (1888-1961) was born the second son of Saroku and Matsu Kumasaka on November 11, 1888. Following the immigration route many of the first Issei pioneers travelled when coming to the United States, Yuji stayed briefly in Hawaii, working in the sugar cane fields. His first mainland employment was working in the California fruit orchards. He headed up to the Pacific Northwest, working in the railroad gangs and sawmills, spending his leisure hours sumo wrestling and playing baseball.

Returning to Japan, he married Tosa Kumasaka (1897-1974) in November, 1918. When Tosa emigrated from Japan in 1919, she was 21-years old. Yuji and Tosa worked alongside each other in the greenhouse business; first, at Green Lake; then later, in the Angle Lake area. While living in the Green Lake area, Yuji coached its first Japanese baseball team in the 1920's and 1930's.

Yuji was an avid reader, and possessed an eloquent speaking ability and a grand sense of humor. These qualities helped him as a leader in the Japanese community. He was on the Sunny-dale Language School Board and President of the Sunnydale Japanese Association.

Yuji and Tosa had three boys; Ryo (1919), George (1920) and Yukio (1927). Interestingly, each member of the family was born in the month of November. Along with education, Yuji emphasized the importance of sports in the upbringing of his children.

Proficient and self-sufficient, Tosa was a pioneer, persevering through a hard life. Her daily routine consisted of doing house-work, raising three boys, and spending most of her spare time in the greenhouses. Her duties as family barber must have seemed like a vacation from her rigorous routine. As well as the family picnics and get-togethers, her interests included playing the shamisen, singing, English lessons, flowers and plants, church, movies, playing cards and sports. And like her husband, she especially loved baseball, coming to know the game very well.

She was sensitive, devoted and courageous, with her spirit and enthusiasm overcoming her life's share of up's and down's.