Masako Katsura is a professional billiards player who has achieved impressive accomplishments. She has competed in numerous tournaments worldwide and has even been named to the World Professional Billiards Association’s (WPBA) Hall of Fame. Katsura was born in Japan in 1969 and began playing billiards at a young age.
She quickly became one of the country’s top players and won many championships. Her international career started in the early 1990s when she travelled to compete in European tournaments. She travelled internationally throughout her career, frequently visiting countries such as China, Malaysia, and Australia.
Her most successful years were during the 2000s when she consistently placed first or second in major competitions. In 2003, she became the inaugural winner of the Women’s World Open Championship. Katsura retired from professional play in 2012 after finishing third at the WPBA Championship. She has consistently topped league tables worldwide throughout her career, earning her place in the WPBA Hall of Fame.
Influence on the Game of Billiards
Masako Katsura is known for her design work on all things related to the game of billiards, but she traces her history back much further. Born in 1925 in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, Katsura was introduced to billiards at an early age. She had an older sister who was a professional player and taught Masako the basics of the game.
Katsura started working as a designer for Meitetsu in 1950, where she worked on several popular games in Japan. Her most famous design is undoubtedly the official table tennis ruleset that helped cement the sport’s popularity in East Asia.
Her Last Days
However, Katsura’s impact on the game goes beyond just her design work. In 1956 she foundBilliard World magazine, one of Japan’s longest-running publications dedicat to the game, which is still published today. Additionally, Katsura has served as commissioner for multiple world championships and even acted as a referee for a couple of tournaments during her career.
Masako Katsura was born in 1951 in the city of Akita. She started her career as a fashion designer and quickly rose to fame, winning the prestigious Stelarc Award in 1983. She continued to design clothes until she retired in 2006.
Masako Katsura became one of Japan’s most celebrated cultural icons during her lifetime. Her work ranged from clothing and accessories to screenplays and novels. She also starred in some films, including “Shonan Belladonna” (1991), “The Taste of Cherry” (1997), and “In This Corner of the World” (1998).
After retiring from designing clothes, Masako Katsura largely retreated from public life. In January 2017, however, she announc that she had stage-4 pancreatic cancer and would soon be gone.
Masako Katsura passed away on March 17, 2017, at 69, after a long battle with cancer.
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