Setsuko Otani

Setsuko (Kurasaki) Otani was born in San Francisco on July 17, 1928, to Ray and Kiye Kurasaki. She was the third daughter in a family of six daughters. She grew up in San Jose’s Japantown. As were all Japanese Americans living on the west coast, the family was relocated to an internment camp in Heart Mountain, Wyoming during WWII. Just before the family was released from camp, her mother sent Setsuko to Palo Alto to finish high school. She graduated from Palo Alto High School in 1946 while living with a family as their domestic.

After high school, Setsuko attended San Jose State College (later San Jose State University). While in college, she worked as an elevator operator at Hale’s department store in downtown San Jose. She graduated with a Teaching Credential and was the only one in her family to get a college degree. She taught elementary school in Sunnyvale, then in San Jose for the Alum Rock School District and Oak Grove School District.

She married Shigeru Otani on July 19,1952 and had five children: Lynn, David, Larry, Donna, and Ray. They spent their retirement years taking cruises, going to Reno, spending time with family, and doting on their beloved grandchildren, Stephen, Thomas, and Matthew. Her grandsons meant the world to her.

She enjoyed watching all sports, She was an ever present fixture at her grandsons’ youth baseball and basketball games. She enjoyed fresh peach pie, See’s Candy, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, “Young Sheldon,” and K-Dramas.

Setsuko passed away on July 23, 2025, at the age of 97. She lived just long enough to attend a reunion of her mother’s Matsumura family just one month before her passing.

She is survived by her children, Lynn, Larry, Donna (Busse), and Ray. Her son-in-law Scott Busse, grandsons Stephen, Thomas and Matthew Busse, her sister Ruby Kobashi, brothers-in law Sab Kobashi and Darrell Asing. She is preceded in death by her son David (2011), husband Shigeru (2016), and her sisters Sayo Nakamura (1974), May Sueki (1996), Sumi Shiraki (2010), and Shyoko Asing (2022).

Private services were held. Inurnment at the San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin Nokotsudo.