Emiko Murai Schowengerdt

February 14, 1933 - June 22, 2023

Emiko Murai Schowengerdt was born on the southernmost island of Japan, Kyushu, the youngest of seven children, on February 14, 1933.

At age five, she began formal dance training in the traditional, Classical School of Female Japanese Dance, specializing, by the age of 12 in specific aspects of "Nihon buyō."

At the same time, being unusually tall for a Japanese girl (5'7") she was always chosen to play the male parts in her dance troupe. At age 12, she was her Teacher's hand-picked Successor and rode the trains throughout wartime Japan presiding over dance classes.

After the war, Emiko continued teaching Classical Dance by day but also supplemented her income by working as a "Ten Cents A Dance" girl in nightclubs, popular with U S. servicemen. The men would purchase a roll of tickets, each ticket for ten cents, survey the girls of their choice to dance with and give them a ticket. At the end of the evening, each girl would "cash in" her evening's accumulated tickets.

During the post-war years, she was encouraged by an Actor cousin in the Japanese film industry to sign a film contract with TOHO Studios but she ultimately turned the offer down as film work didn't appeal to her as much as live theater work.

In 1953, Emiko met USN serviceman, Richard Schowengerdt, at a popular night spot called "The Jungle Club" in Sasebo (military port town) and they were married in 1954.

The couple moved to Tokyo where Emiko was the primary "breadwinner," teaching dance while Richard attended school at Sophia University.

In 1955, she was invited to become a member of the world-famous Takarazuka Revue, but decided that the lifestyle of a touring dancer would have a detrimental effect on her role as a wife and mother, so, elected to remain in Tokyo simply teaching dance on a conservative daytime schedule.

In 1957, Richard, Emiko and their two daughters, Margaret and Maria, emigrated to Richard's home State of Missouri.

In 1961, the family relocated to Southern California and eventually bought a home in Costa Mesa in 1963.

In 1964, their son, Michael, was born and the family continued to make Costa Mesa their home throughout their lives.

Emiko continued dancing very occasionally by special request for churches and other organizations.

She had many hobbies, primarily, cooking, collecting, sewing, and jewelry-making, having learnt the latter while a member of the Northrop-Grumman Rock and Mineral Club in the 1980s. Emiko also embraced her husband's love of Ragtime music and the pair often attended these musical festivals annually throughout the United States for many decades.

In 1986, she opened "EMIKO'S," a small restaurant in Costa Mesa serving both Japanese and American cuisine. The restaurant was also known for its Karaoke Laser Disc Stage, featuring Japanese and popular American hit songs (of the latter, the first in Orange County, CA, to do so).

Beginning in 1988, Emiko devoted most of her time catering for churches and fraternal groups and by the Year 2000, she was involved daily with events at the Costa Mesa Senior Center.

Throughout her long married life, Emiko enjoyed travelling with Richard to both Japan and Europe several times to each as well as family trips throughout the U.S. With Richard's retirement at age 84, the couple enjoyed several cruises throughout the Northern hemisphere.

At the age of 90, Emiko passed away peacefully in her sleep on June 22, 2023.

Emiko was preceded in death by her Great-Grandson, Ryon, her daughter, Margaret, son, Michael, and husband, Richard, and is survived by her daughter, Maria, two Grandchildren, and six Great-Grandchildren.

SERVICES: A visitation for Emiko will be held Sunday, July 23, 2023 from 1:45 PM Hoffmeister Colonial Mortuary, 6464 Chippewa Street, St. Louis, MO 63109. Private burial in Bellflower Cemetery.