Dr. Yasuhiko Kaji

Dr. Yasuhiko Kaji, a longtime Toledo physician who delivered thousands of babies to local families, died peacefully in his sleep on December 16, 2021, age 88.

Born and raised in Japan, Dr. Kaji earned his M.D. and Ph.D. at Nagoya University School of Medicine. He came to the United States in 1966 as a research fellow at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York City, then interned at St. Charles Hospital in Toledo and completed his residency at the Medical College of Ohio (now the University of Toledo Medical Center). He went into private practice as an OB/GYN in 1977 and retired in 2003.

A compassionate person who had endured hardship as a child in World War II, Dr. Kaji kept his medical practice open to all. In his free time, he enjoyed gardening, tending to his koi, and playing the piano. He worked with Project Returned Memories Kiseki, an organization that returns katanas and other Japanese family heirlooms found in America to their families in Japan.

He is survived by his wife; daughters; son; granddaughter; half-brother; and half-sister.

A Memorial Gathering will be held on Sunday, May 29, 2022, from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Walker Funeral Home, 5155 W. Sylvania Avenue, Toledo, OH 43623. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, well-wishers donate to the Humane Society or the ASPCA.