Mariko Aono was born to parents Choichi and Mitsue Sato in 1930 in Hokkaido, Japan. As a young girl she got her picture in the local newspaper standing next to the new blooming flowers that marked the start of springtime. This was a big event for a young girl in the 1940's. In 1950 she married Masaru Joe Osaka who was a Sergeant in the United States Army and a translator to the Captain on base stationed in Hokkaido. It was her husbands boss that married them in a traditional ceremony and again it made the local newspaper; it was the first time Hokkaido saw an American in Japanese wedding attire. Throughout her years, Mariko had luck in getting her picture in local newspapers: twice in Japan, and about 5 times in the Rafu Shimpo.
Together they moved to Los Angeles, California in the 1950's. Times were very difficult for them; after the war they were faced with prejudice while her husband Masuru had lingering difficulties from his four years spent in Manzanar. After completing his duties with the US Army. He could only find work as a cook and worked long hours; at first, they could only afford to live in someone's garage. While her husband worked, she taught herself to drive. Late at night while her husband was exhausted, she would take the car to a large parking lot and taught herself to maneuver the car, she used the same tenacity and taught herself to read and write English.
They saved their money and opened a restaurant near Little Tokyo, but they saw their efforts end in disappointment; their restaurant was burglarized so many times, they had to close it down. Masaru started a gardening business and once again began to save money; they bought their first house in South Central Los Angeles. They had a daughter named Liz, Mariko was 27 years old. Mariko started a successful Jukebox Vending machine service. In the 60's and 70's she serviced all the vending machines in Little Tokyo. What Masaru was good at was saving money beyond frugalness, unfortunately Mariko spent money as soon as she earned it. The havoc of the Watts riots and differences of opinions strained the relationship. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1966.
Mariko was very unlucky in love, her first husband was too tight with money her next husband had no money at all. She married Atsushi Aono in 1968 and together they had a son, Michael. Mariko was 39 years old. She supported Atsushi through many attempts at procuring a career: aspiring film student, gardener and travel agent. At that time, Mariko was the main financial provider. When Mariko turned 50 years old, her career was ending as the vending machines became obsolete, then the unthinkable happened. Atsushi abandoned his family. He left with his mistress and disappeared. He left Mariko in financial disaster. His work and friends refused to talk with her. Occasionally, checks would arrive with his name but no address. He broke her heart and she spent many years with severe depression. Her children supported her spiritually and financially.
Mariko survived. Slowly she came out of her depression and started breeding Yorkshire Terriers for additional money and worked for a relative Chieko, in a export business. After eight years and out of the blue, Atsushi re-emerged to ask Mariko for a divorce. Up until this time he refused to divorce Mariko. With his career as a travel agent becoming successful, Atsushi had spent 10 years with his mistress in a lavish lifestyle and fathered two children out of wedlock. The mistress was embarrassed Atsushi would not marry her. By that time Atsushi had been married to Mariko for twenty years. The longest marriage both ever had.
Through grace and strength, Mariko was at peace with her life and forgave Atsushi for abandoning the family. She survived humiliation, abandonment, financial disaster, and so much gossip and innuendo that she vowed never to inflict it on anyone else. Her dream was to re-establish a relationship with Michael and his father. In his absence, he forgot Michael's birthdays, Christmas', teenage milestones and never visited. But his second wife would not allow Michael into the family and Atsushi did not stand up to her. On Michael's graduation from community college, the second wife through a lavish party to distract Atsushi from fully attending.
After the divorce, Mariko and Atsushi remained friends because she had the perseverance and heart to put her son first in hopes Atsushi would become a good father. One night he came to visit her and they talked the night away. Unbeknownst to Mariko he came to say goodbye. Three days later he committed suicide due to financial pressures. Ironically, his second wife was also 50 years old when Atsushi left her.
In Mariko's later life she attained the happiness, peace and security she dreamed of. She came to America with great hopes, after enduring great difficulties, she rebounded with appreciation and empowered with the experience that she survived through it all. She moved on, leaving bad memories, hurt feelings, and depression behind her. She truly became an American success story by rising above gossip, working hard to surmount her misfortunes and letting go of the past.
And then she changed her life. Mariko retired and moved to Little Tokyo Towers. Mariko's passion was collecting vintage and antique Japanese dolls, her collection numbered over 150. She enjoyed crafts, dancing the Bon Odori's at each temple and enjoyed having her regular seat with the puzzle club. She continued learning by taking computer and Korean lessons Luck came to Mariko, when she won the Grand Prize in the Nisei Week Raffle. For the first time in 40 years Mariko revisited Japan but more importantly she was happy. She studied very hard and passed her citizenship test and became a naturalized citizen. She never missed voting in an election.
She was known in Little Tokyo Towers by her scooter, her friends dubbed it "Her Cadillac." She would regularly travel by scooter to Chinatown and Olvera Street alone. Her children would visit her and when they went out to eat, Mariko was a speed demon on her scooter. She would race to her favorite restaurant, having parked and seated with menu in hand as her children tried to keep up, only to arrive at the restaurant out of breath.
She loved life and her smile and energy would defy her early struggles. She lived a feisty and energetic 84 years.
Mariko visited her eldest daughter's house to help Liz recover from her last surgery for breast cancer. Mariko lived long enough to help her daughter recover. On her last day at her daughter's house, she awoke, fed and joyfully watched the fish playing in their pond, played her favorite game of solitaire then PEACE came to her as she napped during the day. She died in her sleep of natural causes just shy of her 85th birthday.
Mariko is survived by two children: Liz and Mika. Siblings, Lucy in Los Angeles, Meri, Sachihiko, Kachihiko, and Kimihiko of Japan. Niece Shinobu of Chino Hills, niece Saeko in Japan and many friends around Los Angeles and at Little Tokyo Towers.
A memorial service will be held on January 10, 2015 at 2pm.