People: Yuzo Ota

Former consul general returns to Japan after years of community involvement in Denver

By Joe Nguyen, editor

Sept. 9, 2007

Photo by Joe Nguyen Former Consul General of Japan in Denver Yuzo Ota stands in front of a Japanese flag in his office.

It's difficult for anyone who's deeply involved in a community to leave.

For Yuzo Ota, it's an occupational hazard. For more than 30 years, he has traveled the world working for the Japanese government.

“I've worked in New Zealand, I've worked in Bangladesh, I've worked in Tanzania,” he said. “And each has its own culture and its own pride.”

Since March 2004, Ota served as the consul general of Japan in Denver. According to his office's website, he was in charge of processing visa applications for non-Japanese citizens who need a visa to enter Japan for short-term visits and extended stays. But on Aug. 20, he was reassigned.

“I have to return to Japan and report for the ministry,” he said. “Like other public servants, I have to go anywhere (and) prepare to do anything.”

During his stay he involved himself in the Asian-American community, attending a variety of events. But the ones involving the younger generation were his favorite.

“There are many education awards ceremonies in (the) Asian communities,” he said. “So I'm very happy to see many youngsters have encouragement from those events.”

Perhaps it is because he and his wife, Mutuko, have two children of their own – a 24-year-old son, Michihiko, and a 20-year-old daughter, Tomoka.

“They are accustomed to life in foreign countries,” he said, adding that his family has lived with him during various posts.

But during this Denver assignment, the family stayed in Japan. Ota said it's because of his wife's affinity for their house.

“Japanese wives trust their spouses and prefer their houses to their husbands,” he joked. “To them, houses are more important than husbands.”

Ota said he was able to make a couple of visits every year to see his family. But during his stay here, he was able to occupy his time with some hobbies. Like his more famous namesake, Ota enjoyed playing the board game Go in his spare time.

“I'm very happy because in Denver, there are about 200 or 300 (Go players),” he said.

He said he also enjoyed driving through the Rocky Mountains, as there are roads along the ridges – something that's not available in Japan. And when he's in the city he delighted in hitting the links.

“I'm not a good player, but I play a lot,” he said about his golfing. “There's a lot of good players and I enjoy the conversations.”

Maybe he'll be able to spend more time improving his game once he retires, but that's not something he's thinking about.

“Retired – I haven't thought about my own retirement,” he laughed. “I'd like to continue to work with society even after retiring.”

And that dedication is Ota's advice to stay young.

“As long as we should work, we can keep our mind and body fresh,” he said.

Joe Nguyen is the editor in chief of AsiaXpress.com. Joe can be contacted via e-mail at joe@asiaxpress.com.