10/15/2026
The story of the Yamato Colony begins with a 29-year-old Japanese man named Jo Sakai🌱
Jo "Kamosu" Sakai was born October 7, 1874 in the castle town of Miyazu, Japan. He traveled to the United States in 1895 upon completing the equivalent of a high school education in Japan. Later that year, he attended New York University and was a member of their first graduating class from the School of Commerce, Accounting and Finance, in 1903. After graduation, Sakai began visiting possible farming colony sites in California, Texas, and Florida.
After visiting a site in Florida, he knew that was the right place. He returned to Japan early the following year to recruit settlers and investors for his colony project. He finally established the Yamato Colony on a permanent site early in the summer of 1905.They chose the name, “Yamato,” the Japanese characters, 大和, meaning “great peace.”
Today, the land that was home to the Yamato Colony has become a place that our Morikami community can call our own. In 2027, we are celebrating our 50th anniversary and the lasting legacy of those who made it possible. We are grateful for the community that has helped carry Morikami forward, and we hope you join us as we celebrate this milestone together.
50 Years of Honoring the Past and Inspiring the Future.
