Ritsuko Nakayama, pioneer of Japan's bowling boom, dies at 84
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Ritsuko Nakayama, a pioneering female professional bowler who helped ignite the bowling boom of the late 1960s and 1970s in Japan, di
Ritsuko Nakayama, a trailblazing female professional bowler who sparked Japan's bowling craze in the late 1960s and 1970s, passed away on Saturday at the age of 84, as announced by the national sport organization. Born in Kagoshima Prefecture, Nakayama joined the ranks of 13 inaugural female professionals in 1969, following her high school volleyball career.
The sport's meteoric rise coincided with Japan's rapid economic expansion from the mid-1950s to the early 1970s. In 1970, Nakayama etched her name in history as the first female bowler to achieve a perfect 300 game during a televised monthly tournament final. She amassed 33 professional titles throughout her illustrious career. Known affectionately as "Sawayaka Ritsuko-san" (Refreshing Ritsuko), Nakayama served as the Japan Professional Bowling Association's first female president from 2004 until 2012, when she became an honorary president.
During the sport's golden era, the number of bowling alleys skyrocketed from 970 in 1969 to 3,697 in 1972, with people lining up for hours to play. The public's fascination with bowling even led to television networks airing 10 dedicated bowling programs. However, the boom came to an abrupt end with the 1973 oil crisis.
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