Yoshi Okubo Tanaka was born in Riverside, California, the 2nd oldest of 7 children of Tometsugu Okubo and Miejoko Kato. There were 5 other brothers and 1 sister. She is the only survivor of all the siblings.
Yoshi attended school in Riverside, then went on to Riverside Community College and obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree at UCLA, majoring in Art. Art was central to the family life, her mother was a calligrapher, her sister and brother and an uncle all were artists in their own right.
Prior to marrying, Yoshi and a girl friend opened an art gallery at the Mission Inn in Riverside, CA. Then she married Shigeru Tanaka, an art student. They settled in Pomona, CA until World War II broke out, when they and their 2 sons were interned along with 110,000 others of Japanese-American descent in various relocations centers scattered in the western states. They were sent to Heart Mountain, Wyoming Relocation Camp.
After the end of the war, they briefly lived in New York City, where Yoshi’s younger sister, Mine’ Okubo, also an accomplished artist/writer had moved earlier. And finally moved back to Riverside, California, where they started a chicken ranch and farming.
Yoshi gave up her art career until her 3 children were grown and then in the early 70’s moved to Honolulu, Hawaii, started up her art career again at the early age of 65 and made a living selling paintings and traveling the world, to Europe, Asia, South America and places in between. Among her most interesting places to travel were St. Petersburg, Moscow, the Great Wall of China and the heights of Mancha Pichu.
As a native of Riverside, she was pillar in the community offering her services to friends, church and civic organizations. She is an accomplished cook and gracious hostess. She devoted her life to family and friends.
In 2003 and 2004 Yoshi was awarded 1st place in Women’s 5k Run 95-99 Division at the Huntsman World Senior Games and in 2008 Woman of Achievement at the Miss Washington County Fair Scholarship Program. She was also honored at the Susan B. Kolman Breast Cancer Survivors’ Program.
Yoshi has 3 children, 7 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren. She has instilled a sense of duty, pride and tenacity. Duty to family, community and God. Do things to the best of your ability and never give up!
