In the 1950s the 1950s, an Japanese woman called Masako Katsura took the billiards world by storm and became a household name her in a sport that was traditionally male-dominated.
The Wing/TwitterMasako Katsura was the first female to play on the world Billiards stage, which made her legend.
The year 1952 saw the reigning champion of Billiards Willie Hoppe faced an unprecedented opponent: a female. Masako Katsura had not even been born at the time Hoppe was the winner of his first world championships, which he won in 1951 however, she soon made her name in Japan.
And Katsura was soon a global sensation, bringing decades of experience playing billiards in Tokyo’s halls to the international stage being the first woman to play internationally in tournaments.
For American Billiards players in the United States, Katsura seemed to come out of thin air. While the press was enthralled at the outfits of Katsura and the uniqueness that a woman could play the players admired her skills.
It is the tale of how during the 50s Masako Katsura gained the title of First Lady of Billiards because she broke the gender barriers in the sport that was so popular.
Who was Masako Katsura?
Masako Katsura was 14 when she began playing Billiards. Born in Tokyo on the 7th of March 1913. Katsura lived her life under the supervision of her mother especially when her father died. Her mother also advised her to play billiards.
“I had a weak body and felt tired all the time,” Katsura said. “So my mother encouraged I play pool in order to help me get exercise and build my strength.”
The 1920s saw billiard rooms were very popular in Tokyo. The brother of Katsura’s in-law owned one. When she first picked up the cue, Katsura discovered her talent for the game. Then, it wasn’t long before Katsura began working in the billiards hall and playing each day.
Since her very first days, Katsura had a knack for making a trick shot.
At the age of 15, Katsura was crowned at the age of 15, she won the Japanese women’s straight-rail champion. The youngster’s talent caught interest from Japan’s current champion Kinrey Matsuyama. Matsuyama was Katsura’s coach, and introduced her to billiards with three cushions.
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Advertisement from the Long Beach Press-Telegram in 1953 for an exhibition that featured Masako Katsura.
The difficult sport demanded accuracy. The players had to hit the cushion of the rail three times using the cue ball, while also hitting two objects balls. The best players can score two-digit points within a single round. World champion Hoppe holds the record for the highest scoring turn with a score of 25 points.
It was a sport renowned for its power. Players slammed their cues into the balls to score more points. However, Katsura introduced elegance to the game.
Masako Katsura Moves To America
World War II halted Katsura’s professional billiards career. In the years of war she performed a solo show for Japanese troops. Following the war, she changed her attention to performing Billiard tricks to American soldiers.
The performances launched Katsura’s international career. A single American G.I. wrote for his parents, billiards legend Welker Cochran, in regards to Masako Katsura. He said, “This girl is better than you!” Cochran reached out to Katsura, urging Katsura to come to the U.S.
Prior to that, Katsura won the national women’s billiards championship and began playing in the national men’s championship.
As of 1951 Katsura relocated to California. She discovered a completely different world than the billiard halls of Tokyo. Women in the home country worked and played in a myriad of Billiard halls. However, American the billiard rooms were male’s area of expertise.
“I have met just one female player in the time I’ve been here,” Katsura admitted. “Here the billiards room is considered to be a male’s spot … That’s right it would be nice if you had the billiards parlor to be just for women it would be a great idea.”
The Billiards World is Changing Into A Global Sensation
Masako Katsura rocketed onto the Billiard scene in the 1950s, and instantly established herself as a legend. Champion Welker Cochran became Katsura’s manager.
Cochran was quoted in the press “The sport has always needed an athlete who is skilled enough to compete with the best of male players. And I’m certain that we have exactly that.”
Katsura quickly made headlines. The media seemed to care more about her gender rather than her talent. The newspaper called her champion the “real Japanese cue-tee.”
Another person described Katsura as being a “little girl … she’s a tiny wispy woman who appears as if she has trouble in removing a feather, however, she is able to cause billiard balls to explode, or behave as if she were a child.”
Other players from the billiards world showed Katsura greater respect. Willie Hoppe declared, “In the East they said that she was very good But I didn’t expect to witness something like this. The girl is amazing. She’s sure to be winning her fair share of games against the very best of them.”
Bain News Services/Library the CongressBilliards Champion Willie Hoppe in his young days, circa. 1910s.
The media covered a widely-hyped 1952 game that featured Hoppe Katsura and Hoppe Katsura differently. Hoppe was a world champion. Katsura was a slim Japanese woman.
“No gentleman should be treated as an individual who is a stranger and let alone a beautifully balanced young lady wearing the gold satin gown of an evening like Willie Hoppe did Miss Masako Katsura last night,” the San Francisco Chronicle published. “He hit her with a good billiard cue and did it with an pool cue.”
Despite not being able to challenge Hoppe as world champion Katsura made history as the first female to play in an international billiards event.
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FAQs on Masako Katsura
Is Masako still alive?
Masako was a slacker when he passed away at the age of 82 back in 1995. This means that Masako is deceased but living as of yet. In addition, there are numerous fake cases and bits of hearsay regarding the age of Masako and are all false since she passed away several times ago. The set of events presented her true picture , and the years to be.
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What is the reason why Masako not well-known?
Masako is specifically praised for her titleof “Woman of Billiards” when she competed in the world-wide billiards competition as the top women’s contestant. This was the moment where she earned the title and everyone was awed by the work she performed.
From that point onward, Masako began to take part in various gatherings and the people began to be aware about her appearance.
Was Masako a happy kid?
According to a few sources saying the fact that she had lost her father at a very young age, she was not the most happy. This was the moment where she started grieving, however, this was followed by a succession of other events throughout her daily life that sparked an interest for sports.
How did she start her journey in the in the first place?
Masako Katsura, unlike Beth Harmon she was not an orphan, even though her father passed away at the age of twelve years old. She later was moved in with her mother and sibling, who’s husband owned the billiards shop. She started spending time at the parlour at 13 years old, she was employed by his company as a billiard attendant. Due to her interest she learned the basics of billiards and gave her an billiard table given at her house.
What’s the point whether she didn’t get the title of world champion?
Check out the work she performed for women who played billiards or other sports with cues. She made it possible for women to take part in these games. She represents what it is to be an innovator. She was awed by every minute of her famed life. She was loved by her fans and was loved by them. It’s difficult to grasp how important she was to the present world by 2021. Prior to when Katsura was born, watching women play cue sports or even women in snooker and pool halls was considered to be a scandal and many people resented the concept. That she was able to do it, and got praise and admiration for it is proof of the kind, wonderful intelligent, powerful spirit she was.
Conclusion
This concludes our study of Masako Katsura with a comprehensive review. Most people who die are wiped from the records and memories however, some are living. Even after such a long time, individuals like Masako remain in the memory of others.
She was a persona that gained prominence in the last century, and then was gone in the following century. But, she is known for her exceptional performance in the game of Billiards. In a world sports event, she represented women of all nations world.
