Shokichi “Shox” Tokita

Shokichi “Shox” Tokita is a retired career U.S. Air Force navigator and Vietnam veteran who enjoys working out regularly, like playing pickle ball, when gathering in gyms is allowed. His present plans include submitting articles periodically to the North American Post, for which he retains “a soft spot.”

Updated November 2021

education en

Tokita Tales

Lessons Realized

Have you ever thought about the lessons you learned from your parents? When did you realize that they were lessons? At the time you were learning these lessons, did you understand and comprehend that they were, in fact, “lessons?” I don’t know about you, but I never, ever realized at the time that lessons were being taught to me, primarily by my dad. In early years, they were often accompanied by a whack on the head. In later years, there were denials: not being able to go play with my friends or do fun things, no fishing at the canal…. And what were my feelings? …

Read more

business en

Tokita Tales—Only in America

Mom became quite a businesswoman after Papa passed away in October 1948 after a ten-month illness caused by a severe case of diabetes. It took her a while to adjust and come to the realization that at age 41, she was more than just the mother of eight children, ages 2 to 14. Once she recognized that she was fully in charge, she gradually changed from being wife and mother to head of the family with total responsibility for raising the children as well as providing for their well-being. With not much more than a sixth-grade education in Japan, she attended a couple of years at Bailey Gatzert …

Read more

community en

Tokita Tales

Parental Responsibilities

The phrase “parental responsibilities,” as stated, is quite obvious and doesn’t need much of an explanation. It simply states that Mom and Dad are responsible for the well-being of their children, right? Yup. Agreed. So why the discussion? Well, when I was in my pre-driving teens, I learned about another aspect of that statement that a lot of young people don’t realize. Let me explain what I learned. When we lived in Chinatown in the late 1940s, I used to run errands for my Mom in the area. One was to run over to Main Drugs, over on 6th and Main, for prescription ite…

Read more

sports en

Tokita Tales

Haruko (Mom), A Football Fan

Haruko (Mom), a football fan? Yes, a football fan. How so? Well, three of her youngest sons, Yuzo, Masao, and Goro all played Little League Football in their younger days, and Haruko went to virtually all their games. They all played for the NVC Fighting Irish under the sponsorship of the Nisei Veteran’s Committee (NVC). Yuzo played in 1951 with many of his later friends. They were very successful in that they won all of their games under the coaching of Fred Sato, Chuck Kinoshita and Charlie Chihara. They won quite easily and by wide margins. In fact, they won the city cham…

Read more

community en

Tokita Tales

A Lifetime Christmas Gift

As I mentioned before, my mother was widowed at age 41 with eight children, ages two to 14. We lived in Chinatown, or the International District as it is now called, in a run-down old hotel named the New Lucky Hotel, on the southwest corner of Maynard and Weller (present location of Luke’s Pharmacy). Mom was fortunate that she was left with this hotel because it provided the income to support her family after Papa passed away in October 1948. The period following Papa’s passing was an especially difficult time in terms of the money that was available for basic needs. When Papa di…

Read more

Series this author contributes to