Published August 31, 2026

From a young age, I learned firsthand about the Japanese American experience and the challenges they faced through my family members. I am the Sansei (third generation) son of a vegetable farmer born and raised in Arizona. My Nisei (second generation) mother grew up in Wilmington, California, and was incarcerated at Jerome. Her brother died fighting in Europe with the 442nd Infantry Regiment. My Nisei father was drafted into the Army and served in the Military Intelligence Service (MIS) occupational force in Japan. My Issei (first generation) grandparents were community leaders in Wilmington and farmers in Arizona.

The discrimination faced by and sacrifices of the Issei and Nisei were not foisted on me as a burden, but an awareness of them was etched in my consciousness. The legacy of those generations could be defined by grief and loss. Instead, the Nisei chose to focus on the love and joy of family, creating opportunities and privileges to bequeath to us.

I spent my summers in Wilmington, with my mom and siblings, soaking in the Japanese American community, going to Gardena to eat Japanese food, watching samurai movies with my grandfather, and dancing and eating at the Gardena Buddhist Church Obon. Thanks to my parents, I was able to attend college and medical school at the University of Arizona.

What would be the legacy of my generation?

Becoming a physician is one of the greatest privileges a society can give an individual. Serving fellow human beings at a vulnerable time in their life is an honorable endeavor. I started my career in medicine in neonatology, the care of ill newborns. I was struck by the pain and suffering of babies and their families, and how their comfort was not a priority in the field at the time. Mid-career, I came across a new field of medicine that cared about the pain and suffering of human beings — palliative care. Because of this newfound discovery, I decided to change careers at age 52. 

After finishing palliative care training at Harvard in 2005, I returned to Providence Little Company of Mary Torrance Medical Center to establish the hospital’s palliative care service and grow the fledgling pediatric hospice program, Trinity Kids Care.

While those programs became successful and nationally recognized as centers of excellence, most patients were not children or hospitalized; they were adults in the community, living at home or in facilities. They needed palliative care services, and there were very few clinics available, much less programs that would serve them in their residences. 

This was the genesis of Iyashi Care. A palliative care program conceived to serve an unmet need in the greatest generations before us, a small contribution to the reparations so deserved by them, so they can age in the comfort of their own homes.

The year 2017 was the perfect storm of circumstances that led to the establishment of Iyashi Care. Keiro was searching for novel ways to serve the older adults in the community. At the time, Providence had launched an innovative community-based palliative care service with grants but needed more reliable funding and more staff to continue and grow the program. Dr. Yuichi Edwin Yanami, Iyashi Care’s current palliative care/hospice physician, was a kind, conscientious physician finishing his training and searching for the right opportunity. With his professional experience and fluency in Japanese, he was the perfect fit for Iyashi Care!

Iyashi Care is now well-established thanks to the support of Keiro, Providence, our communities, and the diligent work of the entire Iyashi Care team. However, there is still more to do. Pain and suffering of people and their families are part of the human experience. We Sansei need to support the Yonsei and Gosei generations as they care for and support us as we age. As patients’ needs continue to evolve, I am confident that Iyashi Care will remain a key contributor in the lives of patients who need it most and will provide whole-person care for years to come.

Please help Iyashi Care define our legacy!

For more information about Iyashi Care, visit keiro.org/iyashi-care.