Sasamoto Tsuneko

Japan's first female photojournalist who documented social changes through wars and modernization

Born in 1914, Sasamoto Tsuneko broke gender barriers in pre-war Japan by becoming the country's first professional female photojournalist. Her lens captured pivotal moments from World War II aftermath to Japanese feminist movements across nine decades.

Defying family expectations, she joined the Tokyo Nichi Nichi Shimbun newspaper in 1940. Her photos of Hiroshima survivors provided visceral documentation of nuclear devastation. Through the 1950-60s, she chronicled labor strikes and emerging youth culture while maintaining artistic sensitivity in "Flower Patterns of Life" series.

At age 97, she survived the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and created the "Hana Akari" exhibition reflecting on disaster resilience. This extraordinary centenarian continues challenging age stereotypes, proving that "one should never stop pursuing dreams" through her ongoing creative work.