Tsuneko Sasamoto, Japan’s first female photojournalist, has died at the age of 107 of natural causes.
She was known for her monumental work in capturing the lives and hardships of civilians during the devastating Showa era in Japan.
Her work encompassed experiences during events including Women’s Celebration of the Tripartite Pact between Japan, Germany and Italy in the 1940s, World War II in Japan, and the Showa era, during which Japanese fascism and nationalism rose.
Later in life, she captured the realities of a postwar society, particularly in her breathtaking portraits of artists, writers and the wives of striking coal miners.
In 1950, she joined the Japan Professional Photographers Society, and 18 years later travelled to other countries around the world.
Sasamoto had a few secrets to long life and success which she shared in several quotes in interviews:
