Kenji Yamada (judoka) explained

Kenji Yamada (1924^[1]  - 2014) was a competitive judoka who was a two-time U.S. National Judo champion.^[2]

Yamada was born in Sunnyside, Utah, but was raised in Japan. In 1941, he returned to the United States to rejoin his father in Seattle, Washington. A year later, after Executive Order 9066 was signed, he was imprisoned with other Americans of Japanese descent at the Minidoka Relocation Center in Idaho.^[1] Yamada graduated from Franklin High School in Seattle and later, the University of Washington.^[3]

Yamada won the 1954 and 1955 US Judo National Championships^[2] where he competed at 150 lbs.^[4] In 1954, he lost to judoka Gene Lebell (who outweighed Yamada by about 50 pounds) in the open division finals in 1954 due to a judge's decision.^{[5] [6]}

Yamada was a member of the Seattle Dojo^[7] and was one of the key people in spreading judo around the United States.^[8] Yamada obtained his 8th degree black belt in judo.^[2] Yamada died on April 18, 2014.^[9]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Japanese American Internee Data File: Kenji Yamada. National Archives and Records Administration. September 2, 2019.
2. Web site: The North American Post – Kenji Yamada, National Judo Champion, Passes. napost.com. 2015-04-16. https://web.archive.org/web/20150419201753/http://www.napost.com/2014/05/01/kenji-yamada-national-judo-champion-passes/. 2015-04-19. dead.
3. Web site: Kenji Yamada Obituary - Seattle, WA - The Seattle Times. The Seattle Times.
4. Book: Hickok, R. . New encyclopedia of sports . McGraw-Hill . 1977 . 978-0-07-028705-1 . registration . 2015-05-01.
5. Web site: Kano. Cichorei. Passing of Seattle's Yamada Kenji, Kōdōkan 8th dan. 2014-04-27. 2020-05-10.
6. Book: Udel, J.C. . The Film Crew of Hollywood: Profiles of Grips, Cinematographers, Designers, a Gaffer, a Stuntman and a Makeup Artist . McFarland, Incorporated Publishers . 2013 . 978-1-4766-0226-4 . 2015-05-01.
7. Book: Franks, J.S. . Crossing Sidelines, Crossing Cultures: Sport and Asian Pacific American Cultural Citizenship . University Press Of America . 2010 . 978-0-7618-4744-1 . 2015-05-01.
8. Book: Nishioka, H. . Judo: Heart & Soul . Ohara Publications . Literary links to the Orient . 2000 . 978-0-89750-137-8 . 2015-05-01.
9. Web site: Memorial service for Kenji Yamada - USJF.COM. usjf.com. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160206042312/http://www.usjf.com/2014/04/memorial-service-for-kenji-yamada/. 2016-02-06.