Japanese carom billiards player Masako Katsura was famous in the 1950s. Her estimated income was eighty million yen a year. But unfortunately, she died in poverty due to her drinking habit. This is why you should learn more about this woman in this blog post. After all, many of us wish that we had been born so wealthy. But money management is more important than become wealthy
Masako Katsura: The First Lady
Masako Katsura was born on December 10, 1923, in Kobe, Japan. . She was one of the most recognized as one of history’s most dominant female players. In 1994, she became the first woman to win a world championship title. Since then, she has continued to dominate the billiards scene. She won 14 more world championships titles. Katsura is also a six-time Japan Women’s Open champion and also inducted into the Japan Sports Hall of Fame in 2007.
Masako Katsura was born in Yamagata prefecture, Japan, on October 5, 1962. When she was 10 years old, she began playing billiards and developed a love for the game. Over the next few years, she competed in various regional tournaments and won her first title at the age of 16. She became one of the best female players in history. She won many international titles. Including fourteen world championships between 1994 and 2006. In 2007, she was also inducted into the Japan Sports Hall of Fame along with other sports legends. Such as Sumitomo Mitsui’s Kazuhiko Tachibanosuke and Miyagi Prefecture’s Sadaharu Oh.
Masako Katsura is an amazing person and an incredible athlete. She has influenced many girls and women throughout her career. She showed them that they can achieve anything they set their minds to.
Early Life of Masako Katsura
Masako Katsura was born in the tiny town of Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture on October 17, 1946. When she was five years old, her family moved to Kobe, and she began working at a local tobacco and rice store. At the age of seventeen, Masako took up billiards as a hobby and became one of Japan’s best players. In 1967 she won the Japanese Women’s Professional Billiards Championship.
In 1971, Masako met famed Japanese cue maker Yoichi Hirayama (1918-2005). When she placed second in a billiards championship in Osaka. Hirayama invited her to his workshop to work with him on her skills. And soon they became partners in making cues for the Japanese market. In 1973, Hirayama founded his company – Yoichi Hirayama & Corporation. Now it is one of Japan’s leading cue manufacturers.
In 1978, Masako married fellow billiards champion Satoru Katsura (1944-). The couple had two children – daughter Misa and son Hiroki – before divorcing in 1991.
Since retiring from professional competition in 1982. Masako has devoted herself full-time to promoting the game of billiards throughout Japan. She was residing in Tokyo with her three cats when she died.
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Investments in Women and Billiards
Masako Katsura was a famous first lady of billiards. Her influence was worldwide. She was born in 1934 in Japan and began playing billiards at the age of 12 and became a leading player in Japan and won many championships. She encourages many young players to take up the game. In 1975, she moved to the United States, where she continued to play and teach billiards. She passed away in 2006 at the age of 78.
Masako Katsura was famous for her skill as a player and teacher throughout her career. She was popular for her finesse at the table, mastering new strategies and techniques. Her clear green eyes reflected excellence on and off the table. She draws admiration from her fellow players and onlookers alike. Her unwavering focus inspired others on and off the table. She sets a strong example for women in sports.
Masako Katsura’s legacy continues worldwide today through her teaching and billiards expertise. Her dedication to improving all aspects of the game – from mechanics to dynamics. Her impact on those that have studied under her guidance, giving them an edge. No one could match when competing against others on the professional circuit.
Billiards as a Weapon of War
Billiards has a long history as a weapon of war, due to their easy transportability. As one of the first games that played in public spaces, it is a socializer and a way to pass the time. Many countries have developed their unique style of billiards. Which is use as both a recreational and competitive game.
One example is Korea, where the game is famous with the name of “gosu.” Korea is champion to have one of the best players in the world. Park Se-chan, who holds many world records in the sport.
The basic rules are very simple:
Two or four players, either object balls (white or black) or peg balls (brown or yellow).
Hit off an 8-foot table into each other for points until one player has 21 points.
There are many variations on this basic rule. Including adding penalty shots for becoming exhausted with gameplay. During World War II, The German officers knew to break out their tables for some tactical play!
Many military organizations have utilized billiards because it is a fast-paced game. That takes little time to learn but offers many strategic options. To play billiard pool with teams of any size; divisional sizes can range from 4 people up to 1000. In Vietnam, the pool was often played in substandard conditions by American servicemen. As an escape from reality. In Iraq and Afghanistan, soldiers stationed outside population centers would often.
Masako Katsura’s Final Years
Masako Katsura began playing billiards when she was eight years old and became a top player. In 1941, at the age of 14, Katsura became the junior world champion.
During World War II, Katsura served in the military as a nurse. After the war, she returned to her career as a professional billiards player. And she won many tournaments.
In 1959, she won the prestigious World Nine-Ball Championship.
Three years later, she became the world champion again.
Katsura retired from professional play in 1973.
But she continued to work in various capacities within the billiards industry.
She died on October 16, 2002, at the age of 80, after suffering from heart failure.
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