The Williams family at Wakamatsu Farm.
PLACERVILLE, El Dorado County — American River Conservancy (ARC) on July 16 welcomed newly identified direct descendants of one of the original members of the Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Farm Colony to Wakamatsu Farm, offering an emotional opportunity to reconnect a family with a remarkable chapter of American history.
During March of this year, Brian Williams of Sacramento, his daughter, Brianna, and nieces Marissa and Faith visited Wakamatsu Farm after discovering they are direct descendants of Kuninosuke Masumizu, one of the Japanese colonists who arrived at the farm in June 1869. The visit also brought together distant relatives and descendants from other branches of the family, creating a meaningful family reunion centered on their shared heritage.
Wakamatsu Farm has been owned and protected by ARC since 2010. It is California Registered Historical Landmark No. 815 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The 272-acre property is recognized as the site of the first Japanese colony in America and the birthplace of the first Japanese American born in the U.S.
It is also the resting place of young Okei, the first woman and Japanese immigrant buried on American soil in 1871. Some have described Wakamatsu Farm as the “Plymouth Rock of Japanese Americans.”
The family’s new connection to Wakamatsu Farm was uncovered through genealogical research conducted by Ryan Robinson of Pomona. While exploring his own family history following the death of his father in 2020, he discovered historical records that ultimately connected the Williams family to Masumizu through multiple generations.
Robinson is distantly related by marriage to the Williams family, and although not directly related to Masumizu, he was determined to reconnect Masumizu’s descendants with their family history.
Robinson’s research eventually led him to ARC, where staff and volunteers worked with him to arrange the family’s visit to Wakamatsu Farm.
During the tour, ARC staff Elena DeLacy and Melissa Lobach, with volunteer docent Herb Tanimoto, guided the family through the historic farmhouse and artifacts while explaining the colony’s history. The group also visited the gardens and paid their respects at Okei’s gravesite before spending time exploring the grounds where the colonists once lived and worked.
For the Williams family, the visit transformed a newly discovered family connection into a tangible experience. Being in the same place where their ancestors lived more than 150 years ago provided a powerful perspective on their family’s role in one of the earliest chapters of Japanese American history.
Williams explained, “Stepping in his footsteps on this land is amazing. It’s overwhelming.”
The day also marked the first in-person meeting between Robinson and the Williams family after months of conversations during the genealogical search. Additional relatives joined portions of the visit, including cousins Robin Brandon and Mignon “Mimi” Brandon, as well as Andrea Lashley, who is another Wakamatsu descendant through Masumizu’s daughter, Clara.
The gathering united relatives who had never previously met but who now share a unique connection through Wakamatsu Farm. Robinson gratefully acknowledged ARC for “the support in helping facilitate this magnificent historical and family event.”
For ARC, connecting descendants to the farm has become one of the most meaningful aspects of stewarding the historic property. Each newly discovered family member helps strengthen the link between the site’s international significance and the people who continue to carry that legacy today.
ARC’s Development Director, Melissa Lobach, notes, “When a new colony descendant discovers this place, we have the honor of sharing a hidden chapter of their own history. It’s such a joy to see their excitement, curiosity, and new sense of belonging to this place. It reminds us of our collective humanity and what all of our immigrant ancestors endured for our benefit. It’s one of the many reasons why permanently protecting places like Wakamatsu Farm is important now and for future generations.”
Since acquiring Wakamatsu Farm in 2010, ARC has worked to preserve both its natural and cultural resources through environmental conservation, stewardship, education, and public programming. Thousands of visitors each year experience Wakamatsu Farm through tours, school field trips, cultural events, volunteer opportunities, and educational programs that highlight the natural landscape, agricultural resources, and the story of the earliest native inhabitants through the modern-day stewardship of the scenic property.
As additional historical records become available and genealogical research continues, ARC hopes to welcome more descendants of the Wakamatsu colonists to the farm, ensuring that these family stories remain connected to the place where they began.
Discover more about ARC and Wakamatsu Farm at www.arconservancy.org. Watch video coverage of this story by Nichi Bei News at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUR3FmNudJQ