Yoshi's founder 'Kaz' Kajimura, who dreamed big, has died
Kazuo ‘Kaz’ Kajimura
OAKLAND, Calif. - The founder of Yoshi's, the Bay Area jazz and blues club, died on Sunday at the age of 82 following a battle with dementia. The club posted the news along with a tribute on social media on Monday.
Dedicated to the business
What we know:
Kazuo ‘Kaz’ Kajimura founded the club in 1972 with locations in Claremont, San Francisco and Oakland. The Oakland location still remains and is a thriving location that regularly books live music events.
Before moving to Berkeley, California, where he earned his masters in Journalism at UC Berkeley, Kajimura earned degrees in Tokyo, Japan and in China. According to Yoshi's social media page, he also went on to earn an M.B.A. at Stanford University.
"Those that had the privilege to work with Kaz, knew he was no stranger to working 10 to 16 hours days, 6 days a week…for over 50 years!" the post on social media read. The tribute adds that Kakimura invested his whole life, including a family inheritance, into the business.
Resilient
In 2021, KTVU reported on how Yoshi's in Oakland triumphantly returned from the pandemic. The club went back to producing live shows after stages had gone dark due to the lockdown rules for public health and safety reasons. The venue was shutdown for 14 months before Pete Escovedo, a Bay Area native, helped Yoshi's come back to life. The business was able to stay afloat during that time because of loans and fundraising from its core supporters.
Kazuo ‘Kaz’ Kajimura
Dreaming big
Yoshi's also posted quotes by Kajimura like this one: "Yoshi’s is like no other place on Earth! Everyone loves this place, it is amazing and beyond gratifying to see how we host so many talented artists, bringing all communities and everyone together with music, helping so many businesses with noble fundraisers, and exposing the new generation to real music!"
According to those tied to the business, part of Kajimura's dream was to re-open Yoshi's San Francisco in the Fillmore District, an area steeped with jazz history. Yoshi's operated in San Francisco from 2007 until 2014. Towards the end of that time, the San Francisco location reportedly filed for bankruptcy.
He also wanted to expand the business into Old Sacramento with the goal of exposing more people and other communities to his own brand of "great food and music." The Oakland location still boasts traditional Japanese food and fusion-style cuisine, as well as a full bar and cocktails. It's the type of place where reservations are recommended.
Yoshi's social media post said Kajimura saw everyone employed at the business as family.
He was a nature lover who could be seen "zipping through Oakland and San Francisco," on his bike, the tribute post read.
Kajimura is survived by his wife, Dadre, his four sisters and nephews and nieces.
Kazuo ‘Kaz’ Kajimura (far right) with Stephen Curry.
He referred to his general manager, Hal Campos, as "his only son."
The social media tribute thanked Kajimura's caregivers while he battled dementia. He is said to have died in their care at Brentwood Care Home.
In the spirit of another one of Kajimura's sayings, "Party is on, the show must go on!" Organizers are throwing a celebration of life tribute for Kajimura on Monday July 14. You can find more details about the event on their website.
