On May 31, Tomio Moriguchi celebrated his 90th birthday over a casual brunch with his family and dozens of long-time community friends. It was held at Palisade, nestled on the edge of the Elliott Bay Marina, with sweeping views of the Seattle skyline and the Olympic Mountains.
Tomio’s birthday was actually on April 16, according to son Tyler Moriguchi. This year, Tomio decided to celebrate with one of his four grandkids, 15-year-old Minh, Tyler’s son. They went to Yokohama, Japan.
Tomio’s children, Tyler and Denise, welcomed guests to the low-key affair at the door, pointing them to an immense buffet along the wall. Tomio, sporting a bright red flashing lei, sat nearby, catching up with old friends and sharing warm memories.
The Moriguchi family, which established Uwajimaya in 1928, has nurtured it from a small business which peddled fishcakes out of the back of a truck in Tacoma, into one of the biggest and most influential Asian grocery retailers in the Pacific Northwest. It has stores in Seattle, Renton, Bellevue and Beaverton.
Tomio served as CEO of Uwajimaya during the formative growth years of 1964 to 2007. The business is now led by daughter Denise Moriguchi, president and CEO. She spent a lot of time in the Chinatown-International District store in her youth.
What did Denise pick up from her father?
“He always has a very positive attitude,” she remarked. “He doesn’t get angry over little things. He’ always thinking about things from the other person’s perspective. He’s open-minded. He’s not reactive. I learned to ask good questions.
“I remember that in college, I got a ‘B’ in a class and I was so mad. When I told him, he said, ‘Oh, I got a ‘B’ one time, too. But all the rest of the grades were ‘C.’”
Tyler added, “He always just shows up. He’s always there. He’s served on so many community boards, not just serving at the very beginning, but also coming in with a larger vision.
Keys to his longevity?
Tyler: “He’s never stopped working. He still has his real estate projects. I was kind of hoping that he would stop working and that he would retire and become more of a babysitter, but that never happened.”
Denise: “He doesn’t sit on the couch and watch TV. He goes out all the time. He’s always walking. He loves the ID, the community and Asian culture. It’s definitely not his diet or eating healthy. He eats whatever he likes. He loves sugar.”
Adds Tyler: “We’re just lucky that we’ve had him here for so long.”
I asked Tomio how it feels to be 90. He shrugged and said with a slight smile, “I feel fine. It’s a very gradual thing.”
What has contributed to his long life?
“I don’t know,” he said. “I live a simple life. Don’t overthink things. I have a very supportive family and community that I know I can turn to if I need help.
“I learned from my mother. She never spoke badly about anyone. My mother taught us to treat everyone well. A lot of the Issei bachelors used to come around the store and she took them up to Harborview. There were about four or five hotels nearby. A lot of them had lost their spouses.
“I walk a lot. I used to read a lot. Not that much anymore.”
Proudest achievements
“Denise and Tyler and all the grandchildren. I regret that my children’s mother wasn’t around to see their spouses and the grandkids.”
