Well since this thread hasn't been added to in a while I'll add mine
The writing is supposed to say Masatoshi in Japanese. I think the first letter is a little messed up.
He was a friend of mine here as a Japanese foreign exchange student going to the language institue at DVC. He died in a car accident from head trauma, his parents were funeral home directors in Japan and their first trip to the US was to pick up their dead son. From what I've learned at his memorial service he was a samurai and was given a samurai's burial when he was returned to Japan. I plan on visiting his family soon.