Who was Masako Katsura? Meet the 'first lady of billiards' who paved the way for women in men-only sport
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA: Masako "Katsy" Katsura was the first woman to compete on the world billiards stage. She was a world-class female player who conquered a game that was previously solely played by men. As a result, she paved the way for other women to, not only participate in, but also make significant contributions to the sport.
Katsura went on to become an international sensation, bringing her decades of experience in Tokyo's billiards halls to the international arena as the first woman to compete in international tournaments. Let us look back at the story of Masako Katsura, who became renowned as the "First Lady of Billiards" in the 1950s for breaking the gender barrier in a popular sport.
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Who was Masako Katsura?
According to the World Confederation of Billiards Sports, Katsura had a talent for trick shots since she was a child. She began playing billiards when she was 14 years old. Katsura, who was born on March 7, 1913, in Tokyo, grew up under the careful attention of her mother, who also advised her to learn to play billiards. Billiard halls were widespread in Tokyo in the 1920s and fortunately, Katsura's brother-in-law had one. Katsura recognized her talent for the sport after picking up a cue and it didn't take long to start working at the billiard hall and practice every day.
Katsura won the Japanese women's straight-rail championship when she was 15 years old. Kinrey Matsuyama, Japan's defending champion, was impressed by the teen's abilities. Matsuyama took over as Katsura's instructor and taught her three-cushion billiards. Katsura introduced her own flair to the sport and began carving a path beyond her wildest expectations, thanks to her ability to execute trick shots and her newfound precision with three-cushion billiards.
Why made Masako Katsura come to USA after WWII?
Katsura's billiard career was cut short by World War II. During the war, she put on a one-woman show for Japanese troops. She switched her focus after the war, performing for American troops. Katsura's international career was boosted by these billiard performances. One American soldier wrote about Masako Katsura to his father, billiards champion Welker Cochran, praising her skills. Later, Cochran impressed by her skills, would be the one who would encourage Katsura to visit the United States.
Katsura relocated to California in 1951. She discovered a world that was totally different from the Tokyo halls she was familiar with. Women worked and played in hundreds of billiard establishments back home. However, billiard halls in the United States were exclusively 'for men' and her presence was an anomaly.
How did Masako Katsura become the 'first lady of billiards'?
Masako Katsura burst into the billiard scene in the 1950s and quickly established herself. Welker Cochran took over as Katsura's manager. Masako Katsura became one of the faces of the popular sport after breaking the gender barrier in billiards. She was featured on network television shows in 1958. In international tournaments, she remained around the top of the pack.
By the 1970s, billiards' gender disparity started to change and The Women's Professional Billiard Association was formed. Katsura was honored as their first Hall of Famer. In 1976, the "First Lady of Billiards" made one final appearance at a billiards parlor in San Francisco. In the last days of her life, Katsura returned to Japan and died in 1995.