PORTLAND – Takahiro “Tak” Sato, owner of Portland’s popular Yosaku restaurant, may be 67, but he’s as vital as a much younger man. One need only watch him rapidly but indefatigably preparing sushi to know he still possesses abundant life force – although, watching him play hockey might prove a still-better indication.
Remarkably, Tak continues to compete on the ice, decades after transitioning to the sport from speed skating when he was in college in Tokyo. This week, he travels with his team, the defending champs in the Greater Portland Industrial League, to Japan, where they will play two exhibition matches against former Japanese Olympians to benefit children orphaned by the March 2011 Tohoku earthquake.
At 9.0 on the Richter scale, Tohoku is the fourth-largest quake since 1900, when modern record-keeping began. It generated a tsunami that swelled to nearly 40 meters over 130 feet in height; the quake and tsunami combined to wreak havoc at the Fukushima Daiichi and other nuclear power stations, resulting in large explosions and radioactive leakage, which necessitated the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of nearby residents. The chain of disasters killed roughly 16,000 people, and caused damage totaling an estimated $235 billion. It is the costliest natural disaster in world history.
Undeterred by the magnitude of the devastation, Tak intends to do what he can. He has given money, raised through Yosaku, twice before to help with the ongoing recovery process. Proceeds from ticket sales to the games, which will be held at the Yokohama Skate Center, an Olympic-size venue about 15 minutes by train from Tokyo, will go to relief organizations. Additionally, donations will be collected and channeled to those in need, and Yomiuri Shimbun, a major newspaper company, will sponsor the event.
Tickets are sold out, and Tak expects more than 1,000 spectators to attend, including many residents affected by
the disaster. He hopes for a pair of exciting, close matches, because he believes the action will pull in more funds.
“I hope we can make best game at the time,” he said, in clear but broken English. “I hope customer enjoy … I want everybody audience enjoy, not 10-1.”
Tak’s teammate, Steven Tsujiura, a native Canadian drafted to the New Jersey Devils in 1981 who also coached the 1998 Japanese team at the Nagano Winter Olympics, helped organize the game.
“Why not Steven’s old friend team?” Tak said. “I was met in Japan last year. These guys [are] so simple, easy to work with; accept my idea and [say], ‘Yoshi! Yaruzo!’ (‘OK, just do it!’).”
Tak plays left wing on the team’s third line, which also includes a nearly 50-year-old center and a 68-year-old right wing (who, some time back, played for Harvard). Tak calls it “the checking line.”
“Very close to 200 years old, all together,” he said, laughing. “Thirty seconds, 45 seconds, we have to come back. First line, second line, responsible for goal. Our job is, first and second line, give them rests, and nobody can score. That’s our job.”
Here in Maine, the team skates weekly. Many of the men have been playing together for 30 or more years, and the teams they play against also include many longtime friendly rivals. But the age range on Tak’s team is extensive, and 30 years ago, some of his teammates may not have even been on skates yet. His youngest teammate is 33, and Tak emphasizes the skaters’ diverse hockey histories.
“Yosaku USA is ex-professional player, college Division I player, college Division III player, local top player,” he said, rattling off their experience levels. “One Colby, one Bowdoin, one Merrimack, one Wesleyan …”
Tak notes that ice arenas are few and far between in Japan. So, while he and his American friends may skate three to four times a week, Japanese players are sometimes lucky to skate once or twice a month. But the competition is nevertheless nothing to scoff at. Their team name is “Kokudo,” or “Legend,” and though they may all be over 40, they are, as mentioned, veterans of the ’98 Japanese Olympic team.
The team will stay in Japan for a week, though they will play only on Saturday and Sunday. The rest of the time they will spend primarily sightseeing – as Tak points out, it is cherry blossom season.
But they will also have a very special meeting, with the prime minister, Shinzo? Abe. Abe learned of the event and wanted to meet the participants.
“Our agenda, his agenda is perfect fit,” Tak said, “so he invite us to visit Kantei, Japanese White House.”
The prime minister is obviously busy, so the team will not get to spend a great deal of time with him – perhaps 15 minutes or so. But that’s plenty for Tak.
“He made time to see us, shake hand, and take a picture, and talk, that is special,” he said. “I am excited. I am 67, I am ready.”
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