| biography | Tom Tamoto was born on November 23, 1911 in Cumberland, BC. In 1916 he went to study and also practice judo in Hiroshima, as it was the custom at the time, and returned to Canada in 1926. Prior to WWII Tom Tamoto was an active judo competitor and even received instruction from the father of judo, Dr. Jigoro Kano.
Mr. Tamoto received his Shodan in 1937, the first level black belt, diploma and it is around this time that he was appointed head instructor of the Woodfibre Judo Club by Mr. Steve Sasaki.
In 1942, all persons of Japanese origins were expelled from the British Columbia coast and many were placed in internment camps throughout Canada. During the war, Tom Tamoto was interned in Tashme with other well known judo senseis like Sasaki and Kamino. Some other members of the Tashme Judo Club were: Frank Hatashita, Yoshio Yoshida, Mits Sakata, Eiki Kawano, and Mr. Omori. Little documentation exists in this fond regarding Tom Tamoto’s life at the Tashme Camp, except for a certificate acknowledging his help with judo from the Tashme Judo Association.
Japanese Canadians were allowed to return to British Columbia in 1949 and soon after judo dojo’s began to reopen throughout the province. Several community members reopened the Vancouver Judo Club in 1951 at the old Ukrainian Hall on Cordova and Princess. Tom Tamoto joined the teaching staff shortly after the club reopened and went on to serve as dojo-shu (head instructor) for forty years until his retirement in 1991. The club retired their name out of deference and respect to Mr. Tamoto.
Tamoto was known for his unique, quiet style of teaching and for his special talent in determining the strengths and weaknesses of each student and making adjustments to their practices to best suite their capabilities. In 1984, Tom Tamoto was inducted into the Judo Canada Hall of fame and was awarded the rank of Hachidan (8th Dan) in 1994 by Judo Canada in recognition of his outstanding dedication to Judo. His wife Harumi (née Kumamoto) actively supported Mr. Tamoto’s involvement with Judo BC and the Vancouver Judo Club throughout their marriage. Tom Tamoto passed away in Richmond on August 20, 1997 at the age of 85.
Howard Alexander:
Howard Alexander started training under Tamoto Sensei during the 1960s. Alexander then went on to take a seven year sojourn in Japan and returned to Canada as a yudansha (black belt ranked judo practitioner). He is now ranked as a Godan (5th Dan) and is a respected authority on judo katas (judo techniques). Today he is a high school teacher in Richmond, BC.
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