During World War II he was a member of the Varsity Victory Volunteers, 442 Regimental Combat Team, and the Military Intelligence Service.
[2] When Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7, 1941, he was a student at the University of Hawaiʻi and a member of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps.
He joined the newly-formed Varsity Victory Volunteers, then the 442nd Regimental Combat Team.
[3] When World War II ended, Tsukiyama returned to his studies, transferring to Indiana University.
[8] He earned an Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays in 2001 for his work with bonsai.