The First Female Photojournalist In Japan Doesn't Let Age Slow Her Down
by N/A, 10 years ago |
2 min read
When you've spent your whole life blazing a trail for an entire nation of women, retirement isn't really on your to-do list.
Tsuneko Sasamoto, Japanese photo-journalist, is what you might call an "experienced photographer."
Not only did she begin her career as a photo-journalist nearly 75 years ago, but she is also considered to be Japan's first female photo-journalist.
Now, at the ripe old age of 101, she continues pursuing her passion for photography, despite breaking her wrist and both her legs last year.
Sasamoto became a professional photographer when she was just 25...
[Dome in Hiroshima after bombing, 1953]
Not long into her career, she garnered acclaim for her ongoing chronicle of pre and post-war Japan.
And despite being exposed to extreme dangers, and at times, risking her own life...
Sasamoto's curiosity always drove her to capture what others wouldn't.
“Pretty scared but curious, don’t like it but want to see it. I feel compelled to face the world and let people know what I see, just want to have the pictures taken…†said Sasamoto to Zaikei News.
[Antarctic ship Soya, 1956]
Pictures of times in Japan that others failed to capture - images that would have otherwise gone unlogged.
[Politician Inejiro Asanuma, 1955]
And now, over 75 years later, Sasamoto is still curiously photographing the world around her.
“You should never become lazy. It’s essential to remain positive about your life and never give up,†Sasamoto tells NHK.Â
With over a century of life experience under her belt, she's learned more than just a few enduring truths. But she has one in particular that she wants to impart to others.
“You need to push yourself and stay aware, so you can move forward. That’s what I want people to know.â€
Life advice from a renowned trailblazer who's seen 100 years of this world? I'd say those are words worth heeding.
Watch the interview with Sasamoto by NHK:
