Mits Katayama

Mits Katayama was a well-established and talented artist of renown in his profession as a commercial artist. He was recognized over the course of his life with a number of honors and awards as an artists and as a caring community activist. Mits illustrated a number of children's books for Parenting Press, including What About Me? 12 Ways to Get Your Parents' Attention (Without Hitting Your Sister) and Feelings for Little Children Series, among others. Mits began drawing as a boy and spent most...See more

Mits Katayama was a well-established and talented artist of renown in his profession as a commercial artist. He was recognized over the course of his life with a number of honors and awards as an artists and as a caring community activist. Mits illustrated a number of children's books for Parenting Press, including What About Me? 12 Ways to Get Your Parents' Attention (Without Hitting Your Sister) and Feelings for Little Children Series, among others. Mits began drawing as a boy and spent most of his adult life drawing and painting primarily as a commercial artist. He credited his first-generation Issei parents, along with a teacher in his small three-room rural school, for encouraging him early along. Mits was incarcerated at Minidoka concentration camp in 1942 as a young teen and spent three years there with his family. At the time, he was living with his widowed mother and a younger brother in a small rural area south of Seattle. Mits had many distinct memories from what he called his "camp days" that he drew from in his detailed illustrations for this book. During his imprisonment, Mits became well-known in the community for his singing. His crooning style earned him the title of the "Japanese Frank Sinatra." His public appearances were in stark contrast to his shy personality, but he sang at many weddings, festivals, bazaars, and family gatherings. After the war, Mits returned to Seattle and graduated from Garfield High School and later, the Edison Technical School, now called Seattle Central Community College. He also served in the U.S. Signal Corps as a radio operator--and as an artist assigned to paint names on Army helmets. Mits married Kazu Takahashi (Mako's eldest sister) in Seattle on September 20, 1953. They both had many names. Kazu is Kazzie to friends and Kai to family. Francis Mitsuru was Mits to friends and Yogi to family, inspired by his drawings of Yogi Bear. To both, the names most important have always been Hamma (Grandma) and Bumpa (Grandpa) to Sara. Mits and Kazzie raised raised there three sons--Mark, Glenn, and Stevan in Seattle. Mits loved to place gold and tennis, to shoot pool, and to watch the Seahawks and Mariners. Mits passed away in November 2014, but his spirit lives on through his art. See less