Meet Your Neighbor… Kiyotaka Ichikawa

By DONNA NICKEL

It was no grand plan that landed Kiyotaka Ichikawa in North Canton. The Japanese native spent his youth travelling where the winds of chance took him Since he decided to plant roots in the area, Kiyo (pronounced “Key-O”) has become a familiar face at local soccer fields, the district's schools and throughout the community.
Kiyo grew up in Shizuoka, Japan. His parents divorced when he was young and he and his older brother were raised by their father and his grandparents.
Kiyo and his father, a gynocologist, had a very close relationship, often talking for hours. At times, the conversation centered on family ancestry. Kiyo's great-great grandfather Daijiro Ichikawa was among the first people to leave the country when Commodore Perry opened Japan to the western world in 1854. He spent time in the United States studying American architecture before returning home to build the first American-style building in Japan. Kiyo said the building, which later became a school, is still standing and is recognized as a national historical building. His father also told him stories of how his great grandfather spent years in Manchuria while serving in the army.
“My father believed it was in our blood to go abroad. He told me I should go somewhere else, not stay in Japan.”
Rock 'n roll dreams were what sent Kiyo packing his bags. As a young boy, he played guitar and loved to listen to western-style music. “My favorites then and even now are Simon and Garfunkel. I was also into British rock like Led Zepplin and Deep Purple.” He and his friends formed a blues band and he dreamed of writing music in English. “I studied English in school, but I wasn't very good at it.”
With his father's blessings, he left Japan and entered his junior year of high school at a boarding school in Plattsburgh, NY run by the Brothers of Christian Instruction. His guitar made the trip also, but Kiyo soon decided not to pursue a music career. “I thought about it, but I realized I wasn't that good and I wasn't a very good writer either.” After finishing high school, he enrolled at Walsh University, familiar to him because it is also run by the Brothers of Christian Instruction. He studied math and computer science. “With those subjects, I didn't have to use English, so it was easier for me.” Walsh's soccer program was also part of the allure. He played soccer his freshman year before a teammate from Bogata convinced him to transfer to South Carolina's Winthrop University. Kiyo didn't make the school's team because the coach was looking for players of a larger stature, so he played for local club teams. He spent his summers in Myrtle Beach working in a Mexican restaurant and valet parking to earn money for school where he continued to study math.
He said a turning point for him came when he returned to Japan to spend time with his ill grandmother. “I decided I didn't want to teach and I wasn't going to work at NASA or anything like that, so I decided to study business.” On a bus ride from the airport to Tokyo, Kiyo struck up a conversation with a man who was a Japanese gardner in New York City. He told me if I ever needed a job, to look him up. While in Japan, he convinced a friend to return to the United States with him. They arrived in New York, looked up the man from the bus and were hired on as gardeners for the summer. “I didn't know what I was doing,” Kiyo admitted. After taking computer classes at the Empire Technical School in the basement of the Empire State Building, he returned to Walsh University and graduated with a degree in business finance in 1988.
While working his way through his last year at Walsh as waiter at the China Garden Restaurant on Fulton Rd, (now Hong Kong Buffet) Kiyo met his future wife Joyce, a Canton native, who was working as a hostess. The couple married and moved to New York where Kiyo worked for Mitsubishi Trust and Banking Corp.
The Ichikawas came back to Canton area in 1996. “The major and only reason was because we wanted to raise our kids here.” Their children are Shizuyo 16, Kiyo 15, and nine-year-old Mitsuyo. Kiyo spent a couple years in the exporting business, “it was mainly toys, but other things too” based in Canton, with a warehouse in Japan too. In 2000, he joined Mitsubishi International Steel, Inc. as a marketing sales manager.
Much of his free time is spent on the soccer fields. Since 1999, Kiyo's served as director of the New Berlin FC (football club) and for the past year he's been president of the Greater Stark County Amatuer Soccer League. He also coaches U-8, U-10, U-12, and U-14 teams and is affiliated with Summit FC in Hudson. “I grew up watching and playing soccer, and like everybody else, I'm always a critic, always analyizing and stratigizing.” He also plays for the Canton Limeys, a team in the 30+ league, and on an open team for Greater Stark Co. “I play any position, but mostly mid-field because I can stay in the center and distribute to the younger players.”
“Lately, I like to coach more than play. The more I get into it, the more I find individual skills are most important. I like to focus on ball touch and creativity.” He holds a National “C” coaching license and is working on a “B” license. His wife helps out with league registration and is the communication link to team parents.
The Ichikawa family is also known in the local chess community. Daughter Shizuyo became interested in learning chess when teams in the school district were formed several years ago. Kiyo, who had volunteered to help, found himself with another coaching job. He was the coach for Northwood and Orchard Hill and later, for the North Canton Middle School. “Now, the kids are too good for me.” All three of the Ichikawa children are involved in chess clubs and the family has travelled the state for chess tournaments and even particaped in national competitions at Disney World.
Kiyo said he also enjoys following and discussing national politics.. “I like listening to the radio. I'm in the car a lot and I find NPR very interesting.”
Though his rock n' roll dreams never amounted to much, through the decades, Kiyo obviously found other reasons to stay in America. “But I'll always enjoy the music.”