[CONN CHRIS]

YOSHINORI "Jimmy" SAKAMOTO FW

Hometown - Seattle, Washington, USA

3(2)-6-0

Sakamoto learned Judo as a boy in Seattle and took up boxing while attending Princeton in New Jeresy. He suffered detached retinas following his fight with Clark Anderson which would eventualy leave Sakamoto blind. He turned to writing and became the editor of the Japanese-American Courier where he quickly became a leader in the Japanese community. During World War II he was very oukspoken that second and third generation Japanese in America needed to demonstrate their loyalty to the US government. He even encouraged Japanese Americans to willingly and efficiently comply with the government's relocation plans. As a result, he was greatly resented by the community and never regained his place as a leader. He died crossing a Seattle street when he was struck by a car on December 3, 1955.