Leadership by Example

At age 76, Nao Takasugi is contemplating retirement from the State Assembly only because those whippersnapper voters went and imposed term limits.

And he landed in a Sacramento hospital bed last week while pursuing a personal fitness routine that puts most of his much younger colleagues to shame.

Takasugi, a Republican whose 37th Assembly District stretches from his hometown of Oxnard across to Thousand Oaks, suffered a heart attack Monday morning a block from his Sacramento home during one of his customary brisk morning walks around Capitol Park.

The longtime community leader quickly revived once taken to a hospital and appeared to be headed for full recovery. Yet the episode is a reminder of the remarkable energy Nao Takasugi has brought to his work for many years.

In addition to his three terms in the Assembly and decade as mayor of Oxnard from 1982 to 1992, Takasugi is well-known as the former owner of Oxnard’s historic Asahi Market, which his father founded in 1909. Like many Japanese Americans, Takasugi and his family were sent to an internment camp during World War II.

Aides said Takasugi usually walks two to three miles every morning and had never complained of health problems. In fact, he talked about his desire to work on his tennis game and seek a more active lifestyle once his third term ends later this year. Friends joke that his tennis game needs no work.

To Assemblyman Takasugi we send best wishes for a speedy recovery.

And to his many colleagues and constituents who swoon at the very thought of walking a brisk three miles each morning, we suggest that his dedication to physical fitness is one more reason to consider following in Nao Takasugi’s estimable footsteps.