Resident of Los Gatos

Marjorie Sugako Nakaji peacefully passed away on April 11, 2025, in Los Gatos, California, at the age of 85 years old. Her parents, George Kenji and Helen Hisako Iwasaki, welcomed her to the world on August 27, 1939, in Gridley, California. As an only child, she spent the early years of her life surrounded by extended family in Marysville and Cortland. At the age of 3, she was sent to Tule Lake internment camp along with her parents’ families in 1942. It was there that she began nursery school and developed an interest in Japanese classical dance (Nihon Buyo), which would later become her lifelong passion.

When the war ended and the camps were closed, the family of three moved to Columbus, Ohio due to the distrust and negativity Japanese Americans were facing in California. At the time, Marjorie only spoke “yes” and “no” in English when she enrolled in first grade at Rowen Lakin. After one year of living in Ohio, they returned to California at her grandfather’s insistence, where they briefly lived with both sets of grandparents before moving to Los Gatos. In 1947, the family relocated once more to Japantown in San Jose, where they purchased a home near her father’s place of employment.

Marjorie attended Jefferson Grammar School, Burnett Middle School, and San Jose High School, graduating in 1957. Throughout her childhood, she also attended Japanese School at the San Jose Buddhist Temple three times a week, where she met her lifelong girlfriends.

In addition to Japanese school, Marjorie continued Japanese classical dance studying in San Jose, San Francisco, and Sacramento under Jumai Hanayagi and Jutei Hanayagi up until 1963. As a junior in high school, Marjorie received her professional title (Natori) of Jumasuga Hanayagi from the headmaster of the Hanayagi School, Jusuke Hanayagi II, in Tokyo, becoming the first sansei in California to accomplish this at such a young age. After her high school graduation, she traveled to Tokyo for a year from 1957 to 1958 to continue studying dance there. Upon returning from Japan, she enrolled in college at San Jose State University, taking pre-nursing courses, and later transferred to the University of California, San Francisco, where she was accepted into the nursing program.

While attending a dance at San Jose State University, Marjorie was reacquainted with a man she first met at her Sweet 16, Robert (Bob) Nakaji. Shortly after, their courtship began and continued while they both attended UCSF. On April 6, 1963, the two were married at the San Jose Buddhist Temple during their spring break. They honeymooned in Lake Tahoe, and in June 1963, they both graduated from UCSF. Once Bob completed his physical therapy clinical training, the couple moved from San Francisco to Tokyo. From 1964 to 1966, Bob introduced and taught physical therapy techniques in Tokyo, while Marjorie resumed her dance studies and obtained her teaching certificate in 1966.

When they returned to the United States, Marjorie worked at the Santa Clara County Health Department as apublic health nurse and led Bon Odori at the San Jose and Palo Alto Obon Festivals. In 1967, she formed a dance troupe called the Hanayagi Jumasuga Kai and taught students from her home studios. That year, she also welcomed her first child, Michelle Mayumi, who was born on April 16 in San Jose, CA. Three years later, she stepped away from her nursing job and gave birth to her son, Ross Makoto, on May 24, 1970, completing the Nakaji family. In addition to raising her family, she continued teaching dance, and her troupe performed at many Bay Area events, festivals, schools, and recitals, including a performance in Japan in 1982.

Marjorie retired from classical dance instruction in 1984 to return to nursing, which she continued with for the next 20 years. During this time, she also led Bon Odori at the Palo Alto Obon Festivals and later served as a consultant for Opera San Jose’s productions of “Madama Butterfly”. Her family grew over the years as both of her children married and brought grandchildren into her life. When she retired in 2003, she traveled the globe with Bob. When they were not traveling, they were present at many of their grandchildren’s sporting events and activities.

Marjorie was known for looking forward to her next delicious meal and her insatiable sweet tooth. She will always be affectionately remembered for her motto, “Life is short. Eat dessert first.” She collected kokeshi dolls and bunny figurines. She also loved her annual trips to Maui to relax island style and to enjoy lilikoi and shave ice with ice cream and azuki. She will be missed dearly by her family and friends.

Marjorie is survived by her daughter, Mayumi (Thomas Elardo); her son, Ross (Kristine Nakaji); her five grandchildren, Mikaela (Ryan Colton), Tara (Parker Bastian), Maren, Garrison, and Kimiko; and her great-granddaughter, Kylie. A memorial service will be held at Palo Alto Buddhist Temple at 2751 Louis Road, Palo Alto, CA 94303, on Sunday, June 8, 2025, at 4pm.