Kenji Uchida is one of the Pioneers who came to Zamboanga. He is from Kobe, Japan. He arrived in Zamboanga at the tender age of 17, in the year 1906, as a stow-away. Not much is known about his own family he left behind in Kobe. But other sources say that he was working as an assistant to an American who had interest here in Zamboanga, when they docked at Zamboanga, he decided to stay and settled in Zamboanga.

Kenji Uchida was known for his photos and his photo studio and was considered as the first foreigner to put up a photo shop in Zamboanga. His first studio was located in front of the City Hall. (the Provincial Capitol) He was occupying a part of the Barrios Building that was the former site of the Bank and the Compania Maritima. Today, this building house the Manila Plaza Furniture and its facade and architecture is still intact up to this date.

Uchida maintained the studio together with Koyama, another Japanese who owns the Aurora Studio along Calle Madrid (now the Valderosa St.) which was the enclave of the cosmopolitan class and as the center and hub for business, military and civic activities. The Calle Madrid was the "Escolta" of Zamboanga that boast of its classy clubs, flush town houses, expensive shops that caters for the upper class, selling goods from all over the world from jewelry to clothing and suiting materials, curios shops and imported foodstuff like wine, cheese, liquor, and cooking ingredients.

Right after Calle Guardia Nacional became the center hub for business - Uchida transferred his shop along Guardia Nacional near Mindanao Bakery and P. Brillantes St. He maintained his shop until he left for Davao in 1939. Uchida was a professional photographer who caters his services to the utmost satisfaction of his clients: His photos are evidences of his artistic eye and his high standard quality work. To achieve this, he imports his chemicals from England and subscribes numerous magazines and books about photography from all over the world.

His photographic services caters to individuals who require their photo taken as portraits as well as family shots. Institutions, business and the Government of Zamboanga with its numerous requirements like architectural shots, Projects, Engineering works, landscape views, and many others required UCHIDAS services and satisfy his numerous clients. One Archival rare photo of the "Provincial Capitol" the City Hall is a clear example of his work, Uchida signs his "photos" with white ink in a slanting upward stroke as "Photo by Uchida" in print and all in capital letters.

I am lucky to find this rare photo of Uchida in one of my research stint at the Library of Congress in Washington D.C., U.S.A.

His granddaughter, Mrs. Fe Uchida Natividad, intimates to me that her grandfather was a highly intelligent man. He was an intellectual, a wide reader, and multilingual. He speaks English, Spanish, Chavacano, Tagalog aside from Niponggo, and during his early years in Zamboanga, he worked with several institutions and important personalities as an interpreter, translator of important documents and also worked as a translator in the Court of Zamboanga under the employ of Hon. Don Pablo Lorenzo.

In one of the Fondas held near the Jardin del Chino (presently the Puericulture Center) along the La Purisima St. He met a beautiful girl named Agripina Ignacio- later on married her in 1912. They were blessed with 10 children.

Aside from being a professional photographer and a translator, he too was a farmer at heart. If he is not so busy with work in the pueblo, he would retreat to his farms with his family and he would encourage his children to help him in his work at the farm. Kenji was a very industrious man, he would do planting of bananas, cassava, and other vegetables in the full moon nights in contrary to Filipinos superstitious beliefs not to work at night. Kenji would retort "It is better to plant in the evenings, than to go hungry in the daytime." Kenji and his wife invested in real estate and bought farm lands in Dumagsa in Ayala, Pamucutan, and Cadalagan in San Ramon.

He was a good father and a husband and a good provider for his big family. His son Agustin, relates that his father was a loving father though not very demonstrative, he is strict but a compassionate person, and he relates that he never experience any spanking from his father. Felipe Uchida, a younger son recalls, that when he went to visit his father in Catobato, during the war, his father gave him a "bayong" that contained money for his mother around 10,000 Japanese money - 2 pcs rake, 2 pcs hoe, and 2 pcs scythe. That very afternoon, Felipe left Cotabato for Zamboanga via a "kumpit" and that was the last time he saw his father.

In 1939 - Kenji knew that the World War was eminent. so he decided to sell his interest in his photography and sold all his equipment to Koyama, the owner of Aurora Studio. He transferred all his real estate holdings in favor to his eldest daughter Clotilde Uchida Cabrera, a nurse.

After which, he left for Davao, then later on his wife joined him together with their youngest son, Dionisio.

Kenji Uchida worked for the Japanese Chamber of Commerce; as a translator, and interpreter to Gen. Morimoto, of the Japanese Imperial Army.

Davao then, was an enclave of the Japanese community because of its Japanese interest of its agricultural farms and plantations. Davao was called as "Davao Kuo" as a Japanese settlement in Mindanao, Philippines, and was considered as the biggest number of Japanese migrants in the Far East at that time.

While in Davao, Uchida was also assigned as a Niponggo teacher in the Japanese Academy, aside being a liaison officer representing the Japanese community of San Pedro, Davao.

Before the Liberation, Uchida encouraged his wife and his other children to transfer back to Zamboanga, thinking about the safety and their predicament as Mestizo Japanese. He saw the liberation was eminent and he was not really sure what Davao can offer his family when the Americans will come.

His two sons named Roberto and Felipe were stationed in Zamboanga and maintained their farms in Ayala and San Ramon, while Agustin enlisted himself with the Philippine Constabulary in Davao. While in Davao, he had close contact with his father.

After Davao, Uchida was transferred to Cotabato as a liaison officer and was always on travel as he would spend 3 months in Manila, Davao, Cebu, and in transit, he would spend his vacation in Zamboanga.

By 1944- Agustin was transferred to Zamboanga and was stationed in Tugbungan, at the Headquarters of the Philippine Constabulary the present residence of the Climacos.

By March 10, 1945 - the Americans arrived to liberate Zamboanga and the Uchida Brothers, Roberto, Felipe were apprehended by the Americans suspecting them to be collaborators and working for Miguel Moreno, the most dreaded figure during the Japanese occupation in Zamboanga. The Uchida Brothers were brought to the "Tiangge" as the concentration camp, then later, was put to prison. Agustin, on the other hand, surrendered to the Americans and by fate met his two brothers in the Prison. Agustin was released upon the intervention of the American Military police named Msgt. Gacken; the two Uchida Brothers stayed in prison and later was sent to Manila as POW (Prisoners of War). But later was acquitted by the People’s Court, under the Presidential Laurel Amnesty Program.

While in Manila, they met Dato Blama, one of the Japanese collaborator who gave them information about their father Kenji Uchida.

After Liberation, the family never knew what happened to Kenji Uchida. There was no confirmation about his whereabouts- he was "Missing in Action".

The Kenji Uchida story is a classic that entailed adventure, love, and the adversities of war and the diasphora of the people in a country such as the Philippines.