45 Years of Building Businesses and People:
Yoshi Yokoyama’s Legacy
By Ako Mizoe
The North American Post
For more than 45 years, Yoshihisa “Yoshi” Yokoyama has helped establish Japanese cuisine in the region beginning at a time when Japanese restaurants were still a rarity in Bellevue, Washington. At a gathering celebrating his 80th birthday, longtime friends and colleagues reflected on Yokoyama’s journey and on what has mattered most to him along the way – the people.
Yokoyama with his wife, Keiko – his partner of 52 years. Photo courtesy: ShoMon
Yokoyama’s connection to Bellevue began in 1981. Newly arrived from Japan, he was captivated by the beauty of Bellevue as he looked across Lake Washington. He then went straight to City Hall. In a conversation with former Bellevue City Council member, Cary Bozeman, Yokoyama learned that the city did not have a Japanese restaurant. So, he decided to open one. Despite having little business experience and limited funds, Yokoyama secured a loan without collateral and opened Shogun restaurant. In 1986, he opened the first I Love Sushi location. He later expanded his restaurant business to Seattle and San Francisco, California. In 2025, Yokoyama also opened Sushi WAKU in Hanzomon, Tokyo, Japan. Today, he remains involved in four restaurants: Shiro’s Sushi, ShoMon, KUSAKABE, and Sushi WAKU.
Former Bellevue Mayor Cary Bozeman (left) with Yokoyama. Photo courtesy: ShoMon
Bozeman, who later served as mayor of Bellevue, was among the guests. The two had not seen each other in roughly 45 years. Bozeman recalled a time when Bellevue was beginning to grow into a more diverse community and spoke with admiration about what Yokoyama had accomplished.
The restaurants are not the only legacy Yokoyama has built. Over the past 45 years, he has hired 165 chefs from Japan through the E-2 visa program, giving them opportunities to build careers in the U.S. and take new steps forward. Longtime colleagues shared stories of how he has valued personal connections, opened doors for younger generations, and helped them realize their potential. When introducing ShoMon’s chefs, Yokoyama expressed his confidence in the team with a simple message: “Everyone can be a head chef.”
ShoMon’s hassun course, featuring a colorful assortment of seasonal flavors. Photo courtesy: ShoMon
One of Yokoyama’s guiding principles is, “to die leaving money behind is the lowest; to die leaving a business behind is the middle; to die leaving people behind is the highest.” The people who gathered to celebrate his 80th birthday, along with the staff surrounding him at ShoMon, seemed to embody those words. Alongside the Japanese food culture he has helped root into the region, the people he has mentored and connected with will carry his passion into the next generation.
