Paul Shigeichi Sakamoto, educator, artist and horticulturist, passed October 27th, 2023 at age of 89 in his hometown of San José after a valiant battle with Parkinson's Disease.

Paul was the last of eleven children, born on February 3, 1934 in a boarding house at 5th and Jackson in San José Japantown. His father was a farmer, and his mother helped with farming, as did the children during harvest time. During World War II, the Sakamoto family was uprooted and incarcerated at Jerome, Arkansas, one of the ten American Concentration Camps that imprisoned 120,000 persons of Japanese ancestry, the majority of them American-born citizens.

Paul was one of the kindest and most thoughtful, gentle souls you will ever know. People with whom he interacted throughout his career as an administrator, gardener, and artist, continually sought after him. To countless students, Mr. Sakamoto was the teacher who influenced them the most to be the best they could be.

He was an amazing man who led an extraordinary life with a powerful impact on those around him. You always had to be careful not to admire any of his art or plants too much, lest he would gift them to you. He also admired the creativity in others, as he was an avid collector, particularly of ceramics, and supported local artists.

After retiring from the Mountain View school district as superintendent in 1990, Paul followed his passion in life – plants and art. He established Sakamoto Plants in Los Gatos and created countless original works of art, including his signature pen and ink drawings, many of which he donated to charitable causes and organizations in Japantown. His style changed over time due to Parkinson's, however he never stopped creating beautiful drawings for all to see. When he closed his nursery, he donated precious plants and many cherry blossom trees to Hakone Gardens in Saratoga.

He had impeccable taste and attention to detail, whether it was picking a restaurant or positioning a tree in just the right spot. Paul was a gift to all who knew him. And to those who did not, they will experience his generosity of spirit when they visit a place where he donated trees, plants and artwork, adding a sense of enchantment to any garden or room. As put by longtime friend and Historian Connie Young Yu, “Everywhere Paul went, he changed the landscape”.

SJSU Asian American Studies extends immense gratitude to Paul for being a guiding light. Please learn more about Paul's contribution to the AAS Program here.

SJSU AAS Paul Sakamoto Memorial Scholarship

The Asian American Studies Program wishes to honor the legacy of a pillar of the Asian American Community. We are creating the Paul Sakamoto Memorial Scholarship to forever enshrine Paul's legacy in San Jose. If you would like to contribute, please donate here: giving.sjsu.edu/paulsakamoto