Did you know that Masako Katsura was the first lady of billiards? Find out in this article about her journey from obscurity to being a respected player in the scene. Discover also some of the lesser-known facts about her life and career.
Who was Masako Katsura?
Masako Katsura was the forgotten first lady of billiards. Born in 1894, she became one of Japan’s leading golfers and billiard players during the 1920s and 1930s. She competed in the women’s and men’s international championships and was selected as Japan’s representative at the 1936 Paris Olympics. In 1938, she married Kuniharu Katsura, a competitive golfer and billiard player. The couple honeymooned in America, appearing in several nationally broadcast poker tournaments. Masako died from ovarian cancer in 1942 at the age of 36.
What did Masako Katsura achieve?
2. Masako Katsura game was pool or billiard who attained notoriety in the late 1960s and early 1970s. She became known as the “First Lady of Billiards” and credits her success to hard work, determination, and focus.
3. Masako started playing pool early and quickly became one of Japan’s top players. In 1968, she became the first Japanese female to win a world championship when she took home the championship at the 16th World Billiard Championship in Stockholm, Sweden.
4. In 1969, Masako participated in her first official World Open tournament and won two more championships, making her one of the game’s most successful players. She also won eight Japan national championships during her career and remained the only woman ever to achieve that feat.
5. Following her successful career in the pool, Masako turned her attention to other pursuits, including acting and writing. She achieved critical acclaim for appearances in various films throughout the 70s and 80s, winning several awards. Her most notable role came in 1982 when she played Junko Yagishita in NHK’s acclaimed drama series Kaidan Sanshin (aka Criminal Investigation Wife).
6. Masako retired from professional play in 1984 but continued to compete sporadically until 2000. She passed away in 2006 at the age of 70 after a long battle with cancer
How did Masako Katsura play carom billiards?
Masako Katsura is considered the first lady of carom billiards. A versatile player, she was known for her deft skills with both cue balls and hazard balls. Her uncle, Kenzo Matsubara, was a head pro of the Dai-ichi Club in Tokyo from 1934 to 1956. Masako began playing at age 6 and entered amateur tournaments around the country in her early teens. In 1951, she won a gold medal at the World Billiard Championships in Moscow alongside future world champion Toshizo Hirata. She also competed in the 1952 Olympic games but lost to future champion Dorothy MacDonald in the semi-finals. Between 1957 and 1965, she won 12 professional tournaments, including three consecutive Japanese championships (1957-1959). In 1969, she reached a career-high ranking of second in the world behind Shirley Dobson.
The forgotten first lady of billiards
In 1902, Ada Emerson became the first American woman to earn a professional billiard championship when she won the Massachusetts state championship. Born into a wealthy family in Worcester, Massachusetts, Ada was already an accomplished mathematician and scientist at the age of 18 when she became interested in billiards. After trying out for numerous teams, Ada finally landed a spot on the undefeated Webster Billiard Club team, which would go on to win the national championships in 1902. Despite her success, Ada was largely forgotten by history until recently. In 2001, historian Kathleen Peddie discovered Ada’s championship trophies at a warehouse auction and published an article about her in The New England Historical Review. More recently, historian Catherine Lawson has written a book about Ada’s life and career entitled The Forgotten Lady of Billiards: The Forgotten Champion of American Professional Billiards.
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