TOSHIO ASAEDA is best described by the naturalist William Beebe as being the “most excellent artist, photographer, taxidermist, cartographer, etc, etc, etc” (Beebe, 1936). That “etc, etc, etc” meant that Toshio was also a scientist, explorer, and the “first Japanese to explore the Galapagos Islands” (Nichigai Associates, 2014). Toshio is best known for his work with Charles Templeton Crocker on expeditions during the 1930s and his contributions to the California Academy of Sciences that spanned from the late 1920s until 1965.
Toshio Asaeda was born on December 9, 1893 in Tokyo, Japan. At a very young age, he was interested in spending time outdoors and observing the natural world, and that passion continued throughout his life. In 1920, he received his undergraduate degree in natural history and geography from Tokyo Higher Normal School. Three years later, Toshio moved to the United States to further his education, but the Tokyo–Yokohama earthquake...