Established sometime before 1907, Seattle Dojo is the oldest judo dojo in the continental United States. The club moved several times before the present (as of 2019) dojo at 1510 Washington Street in Seattle's Chinatown - International District was built in the 1930s by first generation Japanese Americans. Wartime curfews during World War II and the Japanese American incarceration caused the club to close from 1941-1947. In addition, 75% of the club's adult members served in the armed forces in WWII. After the war, the sport's popularity spread, as many white servicemen became interested in judo while on occupation duty in Japan.
In this image adult members of the judo club pose at the dojo a few months before the club's first post-war tournament on April 26, 1953. The members are identified from left to right as, front row: Charles Woo, Ben Ishii, Don Waters, Mitch Shinoda (veteran of U.S. 82nd Airborne Division), Sam Furuta, Y. Miyazawa, Tom Osaki, and A. Takojuma; back row: Ted Kogita, Ted Shinoda, Duncan Burke (veteran of U.S. Marine Corps), Howard Yamauchi, George Wilson (veteran of U.S. Marine Corps), and Shuzo Kato (veteran of U.S. Army). The club members continue to honor members of the club who were killed in action in WWII: Taka Okazaki, Pete Fujino, Yukio Sato, Tadasai Sito, Yosh Kato, and Paul Seike, all volunteers of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team.
Caption information source: The Seattle Sunday Times, February 9, 1958, page 86 Caption information also derived from captions written by Post-Intelligencer staff and attached to the back of the photograph.
