Henry Shigehiro Sakamoto, a civic leader in Portland’s Japanese American community who also shaped Oregon’s grain economy, died in November at the age of 98.
His son, Blake Sakamoto, said in a social media post Friday that his father — who is largely responsible for downtown Portland’s iconic cherry blossoms — “passed away peacefully” on Nov. 25.
The lifelong Portland resident leaves behind a legacy of business and civic accomplishments over the course of his nearly century-long life, including the growth of Oregon’s international wheat trade with Japan, serving as the first president of the Oregon Nikkei Endowment and helping to create the Japanese American Historical Plaza on Portland’s waterfront, his son said…