Gihei Takeda

The following was written in Japanese by Gengo Endo at 707 Micheltorena Street, Los Angeles, CA in 1952, before he left for Japan. Translated by Robert Tsuneo Endo and given to Ada Endo on September 14, 2002 at Tsuneo's 88th birthday celebration at Sambi of Tokyo, Downey, California.

The 1st generation Genemon Endo can be traced back to the Kan'ei era (1624 - 1643). He as a wealthy land owner in Hojo village in Yonezawa basin (now Miyauchi, Nanyo City). He served under Kanetsugu Naoe, the chief councilor of Daimyo (feudal lord) Kage Katsu Uesugi. The family business had been sake brewing for generations. However, the business had ended and a family line had died out also at the 7th generation. The oldest son of founder succeeded his father, 2nd and 3rd sons established separate families (bunke) and became Gihei Takeda and Gentaro Abe respectively.

The oldest sons of 2nd and 3rd generations succeeded their father, but the 4th generation had no successor. Therefore, the 2nd son of Gentaro Abe, Masanosuke, was adopted to become his heir (5th generation).

The 5th generation had two daughters, Chui (an heiress) and Kana. Chiu married Zensuke who cam frome Taira family (no relation to Endo family). He became the 6th generation Genemon Endo. Kano married into Takeda family.

The 6th generation had a daughter named Fuji (an heiress). Nitaro (came from Abe family) was adopted as her husband. The couple had two daughters (both died soon after birth) and a son Gengo (an heir). Because of Fuji's early death, Nitaro had his name removed from the family register and became an adopted son of Tokuji Abe (brother of Masanosuki). Gengo would have been the 7th generation of Endo family, but he turned over his heirship to adopted bother Kokichi (came from Takeda family). when he left Japan for America in 1898 (Gengo was 21). Kokichi became the 7th generation of Endo family.

The 7th generation (Kokichi) was a university man, graduated from Hokaido Sapporo University in an agriculture. He died in 1925 at an early age of 46. After his death, Gengo was reinstated and became the 8th generation of Endo family. Yutaka (youngest of 7 sons) would be the 9th generation.

P.S. The 5th generation (Masanosuke) held two positions concurrently - a village manager of Miyauchi-mura and an assistant accounting for Uesugi family.

Gengo's wife is Naka Inaba from Ho City (Shizuoka Prefecture), an oldest daughter of Seikichi Inaba.