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| Satoko "Cedar" Tabata |
Satoko "Cedar" Kodani ( Poston 219-3-D) was born May 15, 1921 in the family home at Point Lobos in Monterey County, California to a marine biologist from Japan, Gennosuke Kodani and his wife, Fukui. Gennosuke led the establishment of the local abalone fishing and processing industry, and introduced modern diving equipment to the area. By 1898, Gennosuke Kodani and landowner Alexander Allan began the Point Lobos Canning Company, which harvested, dried and shipped abalone to Japan and China. The Kodani home, a guest house and a bunkhouse for Japanese laborers formed a center for activity across Whalers Cove from the cannery until 1933, when the State of California purchased the land to create Point Lobos State Reserve. Satoko attended Bay School, and graduated in 1937 from Monterey High School.
After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Satoko, her widowed mother, sisters, Kumiko, Takeko, Yoshiko, and brothers, Eugene, and Seizo Kodani were forcibly evacuated from Carmel to the Salinas Assembly Center. Later, they were transported by train to their new living quarters in the Arizona desert and arrived on June 29, 1942 at the Poston internment camp block 219-3-D. Her sister, Fusako had been evacuated from Salinas to the Salinas Assembly Center and arrived later on July 5, 1942 at Poston. Her brother, Eugene was accepted to attend Huron College in South Dakota, and left Poston on October 25, 1942. Her sister, Fusako married Charles Koji Onoye in February 1943, and they left Poston on May 12, 1943 after Charles located employment in Denver. Her brother, Seizo married Fumiye Sakoda (219-7-C) on February 6, 1943 in Poston. Her two sisters, Kumiko and Yoshiko found employment in Washington DC and departed from Poston on March 24, 1943. Takeko found employment at Gross Pointe, Michigan and left on May 25, 1943. Seizo found employment in Cleveland and left on June 29, 1943. Satoko, her mother, and Seizo's wife, Fumiye were the last of the family to leave Poston on August 4, 1943 and went to join Seizo in Cleveland, Ohio.
In 1944, while in Cleveland, Satoko married Jimmie Tabata, a graduate of Monterey Union High School in 1933. They spent one year working in Chicago before returning to Monterey in 1946 to reopen Sunrise Grocery, the family business, which the Sunrise Brothers started in 1919. During its 82 years serving the Japanese and Monterey Peninsula community, Sunrise relocated five times before closing its Pearl Street location in 2001.
Cedar was an active member of El Estero Presbyterian Church where her father and mother were among its original members. Satoko, "Cedar" known to family and friends, died at the age of 86 on June 20, 2007.
Cedar was an active member of El Estero Presbyterian Church where her father and mother were among its original members. Satoko, "Cedar" known to family and friends, died at the age of 86 on June 20, 2007.
She was preceded in death by brother Seizo (1988); mother Fuku (1952); husband Jimmie (2004).
She is survived by sons, James, Jr. (Barbara) and Thomas (Stephanie).
Sources: Published in The Monterey Herald on June 26, 2007
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/montereyherald/obituary.aspx?n=satoko-tabata-cedar&pid=89696399&fhid=6695
http://www.californiajapantowns.org/monterey.html
http://www.ci.pg.ca.us/HCS_Public_Draft_Part_2_6-29-11.pdf
