Tak Ikeda

Tak, as he was known to his friends, believed that through sports we could improve our understanding between the Japanese and American cultures. Born in 1923 in Japan before sailing to America with his mother one year later, Tak became a naturalized citizen in 1953 and devoted much of his life to promoting Japanese/American relations. He served as co-chairman of the Sister City program for 20 years until his death in 2008.