Shojiro Koyama

Shojiro Koyama, (85), passed away peacefully at home on October 18, 2021 with his wife of 51 years at his side. He and his 5 siblings were born and raised in Tokyo, Japan. He began studying and mastering the art of karate in 1951 at Hosei High School, graduating from the University in 1958. He trained under Master Masatoshi Nakayama. He moved to Phoenix, Arizona, bringing Shotokan Karate to Phoenix in 1964. He was the Chief Instructor, establishing the Arizona Karate Association. With the help and passion of an amazingly dedicated, hard-working group of students, he was able to build a karate community and teach the art of karate locally, nationally, and globally. He taught at his dojo until 2019, when he officially retired, as a 9th Dan. During his tenure as Chief Instructor at his dojo, Sensei Koyama hosted the Western States Karate Tournament for over 50 years and donated all proceeds to charity. He began and led one of the nation's largest karate camps at Northern Arizona University for decades and established karate clubs at Arizona State University and three local community colleges. He was instrumental in making karate a physical education course for credit at sev...[more]

View Full Online Obituary and Tributes

l universities. He wrote several books on karate and penned multiple articles in English and Japanese about his teachings. He coached many winning U.S. karate champions (individuals and teams) for both national and international competitions and helped to establish and support dojos locally and internationally. He helped to establish karate dojos in Mexico, traveling to and teaching in Mexico annually. Some countries we know he taught in: Japan, Israel, Lebanon, Bahamas, British Virgin Islands, Barbados, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Trinidad & Tobago, Brazil, Jamaica, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Belize, Panama, Canada, Germany, Spain, amongst others. Sensei Koyama will be remembered for his dedication to the Art of Karate, his love of teaching, and his perennial positive outlook. He inspired and mentored many. He was committed to teaching everyone, from beginners to advanced karate students, from young in years and hearts to wise in years and minds. He is quoted as saying, "We should seek a life that is fulfilling, so we can one day say 'I worked hard. I made worthy contributions, and I am happy.'" He is survived by his wife, son and daughter, and three grandchildren. Please do not send flowers or other items. In lieu of any gifts, please consider donating in Sensei Koyama's memory to one of the organizations below. 1) The Native American Advancement Foundation (Sensei Koyama respected nature and the Native American lands on which we live. He loved the energy of Sedona, Flagstaff, and the White Mountains. He spent many a dawn welcoming the morning sun, meditating, and taking in the vortex energy. He'd love to be able to support local Native Americans.) https://www.naafnow.org/get-involved 2) HonorHealth Foundation (The Koyama family has benefited from HonorHealth's various services.) https://www.desertmission.com/donate/ 3) Hospice of the Valley (While the Koyama family did not receive services from HOV, we understand and appreciate the difficulty of caring for loved ones in need of hospice services. HOV has also provided much needed clinical care and mental health/support services to many of our friends and their families.) https://www.hov.org/donate