Obituary of Masaaki Dazai

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our father, husband, grandfather and friend, Masaaki Dazai, who passed away peacefully in his sleep on Wednesday, June 10th at the age of 80. Mas was born on January 1st, 1940 in Tokyo, Japan to Mikiko and Masamichi Dazai. He grew up in Tokyo with his sister Toshie but loved spending his summers at the family cottage by the ocean, cultivating his true love for nature. After receiving his Master’s Degree in Architecture from Waseda University in Tokyo, he was drawn to Canada so he made the bold move of applying to work as an architect in Toronto in 1967. He was hired sight unseen and moved to Toronto to begin a whole new adventure. The gamble paid off and he met his future wife, Mitsuko Takahashi. She was enamored with his sense of humor, kindness and his love of children. They were married on January 24th, 1970. They decided to live in the Beaches so that their two sons, Taku and Jun, could enjoy a childhood close to the natural wonder of Lake Ontario. He instilled in them a love of the outdoors and spent many summers traveling around Ontario camping, as well as fishing for “Walter”, the fish that always got away. He worked for many years as an architect at a few firms in Toronto and went on to start his own business which linked architecture in Japan and Canada. Along the way he met many beloved colleagues who became life-long friends. Mas will be remembered as a man who loved life, art, food, drinks and the company of his family and large circle of friends. Christmas parties, summer barbecues, cottage parties and his golf games were always filled with positive energy, laughter, and fabulous food. He loved art, especially Gustav Klimt and late in life he became a prolific oil painter himself. Mas never lost his sense of adventure, which led him to Canada all those years ago. Along with Mitsuko they travelled throughout Canada, Japan, Europe and many other places, which he depicted in many of his paintings. Those who loved him will remember him for his gentle but rebellious nature, his jokes, smiles and silliness. His legacy will live on through his children, grandchildren and those who became his “adopted” family. His love for them was resolute and unwavering and he was loved the same way in return; a man could achieve no greater success in life than that!While there is no funeral at this time, there will be a celebration of life at a later date as we know that he would have wanted it that way.