Our History
The idea of establishing a basketball organization in the San Jose area originated with Tom Kinoshita in the summer of 1980. He shared his vision with Jim Kotsubo, a longtime friend and former teammate from the San Jose Zebras, a team they both played for in the 1950s. To further develop the concept, they approached Herman Santo of the Zebras, who suggested forming a new all-star team to showcase the area's many talented players. The first official meeting took place at Azuma’s Restaurant, where the group explored various ways to bring this organization to life. As plans took shape, Dr. Ken Sakoda proposed the name "Ninja," inspired by the popularity of the movie Shogun. The team's black uniforms were chosen to reflect the traditional attire of a ninja, and Linda Inouye designed the original logo.
To launch the organization, initial funding was generously provided by Larry Dobashi, Roy Fukumura, Mel Inouye, Shig Inouye, Tom Kinoshita, Al Kogura, Jim Kotsubo, Dennis Mitome, Ko Nishimura, Geo Sakamoto, Ken Sakamoto, Ken Sakoda, and Shig Shimada. The very first Ninja Invitational Tournament was held on April 10-11, 1982, with Jim Kotsubo serving as the inaugural tournament chairman. Since then, the organization has flourished, growing to 14 teams and becoming an integral part of the San Jose community. While we are deeply grateful to all the founders who contributed to the success of Ninja basketball, we especially recognize Tom Kinoshita, whose vision and dedication laid the foundation for what has become a lasting tradition.
To launch the organization, initial funding was generously provided by Larry Dobashi, Roy Fukumura, Mel Inouye, Shig Inouye, Tom Kinoshita, Al Kogura, Jim Kotsubo, Dennis Mitome, Ko Nishimura, Geo Sakamoto, Ken Sakamoto, Ken Sakoda, and Shig Shimada. The very first Ninja Invitational Tournament was held on April 10-11, 1982, with Jim Kotsubo serving as the inaugural tournament chairman. Since then, the organization has flourished, growing to 14 teams and becoming an integral part of the San Jose community. While we are deeply grateful to all the founders who contributed to the success of Ninja basketball, we especially recognize Tom Kinoshita, whose vision and dedication laid the foundation for what has become a lasting tradition.
2024-2025 Board of Directors
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Kevin Kawano
President Andy Namba Girls' Commissioner Tania Yang Social Co-Director Jeff Young Girls' Tournament Director Dean Kobashigawa Member at Large |
Lindsay Mune
Treasurer Kevin Kawano Boys' Commissioner Keith Morikawa Historian & Social Media Kevin Dobashi Boys' Tournament Director Stuart Ishida Gym Coordinator |
Tori Sakurai
Secretary Karen Shen Social Co-Director Cynthia Kashima Bader Tournament Director Kevin Eng Equipment & Apparel Manager Carol Kimura Webmaster |
Contact Information
For questions related to the San Jose:
Ninja Youth Foundation, contact president@sjninja.org.
Ninja Invitational Basketball Tournament, contact tournament@sjninja.org.
Ninja Girls' Team, contact girlscommissioner@sjninja.org.
Ninja Boys' Team, contact boyscommissioner@sjninja.org.
Ninja Website, contact webmaster@sjninja.org.
Ninja Youth Foundation, contact president@sjninja.org.
Ninja Invitational Basketball Tournament, contact tournament@sjninja.org.
Ninja Girls' Team, contact girlscommissioner@sjninja.org.
Ninja Boys' Team, contact boyscommissioner@sjninja.org.
Ninja Website, contact webmaster@sjninja.org.