Kyōichi Sawada
February 22, 1936 – October 28, 1970 was a Japanese photographer with United Press International who received a Pulitzer Prize for war photography.
Also recorded as Kyoichi Sawada · Kyouichi Sawada
Kyōichi Sawada
Eric Koch for Anefo · Nationaal Archief · CC0
- Born
- 22 February 1936
- Birthplace
- Aomori City, Aomori Prefecture, Japan
- Died
- 28 October 1970
- Place of death
- Cambodia
- Occupation
- War photographer
- Known for
- Photographs of the Vietnam War
- Nationality
- Japan · Empire of Japan
- Education
- Aomori Prefectural Aomori High School
- Honours
- Pulitzer Prize for Photography · Robert Capa Gold Medal · World Press Photo of the Year
- Languages
- Japanese
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Documentary evidence
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wikidata · Q446291 · wikipedia · Kyōichi Sawada
In this article
Biography
Biography
Kyōichi Sawada studied at Aomori Prefectural Aomori High School. The recorded working language is Japanese. Work by Kyōichi Sawada is recorded in the collections of Photography Collection. Distinctions recorded are Pulitzer Prize for Photography, Robert Capa Gold Medal and World Press Photo of the Year.
![Collectie / Archief: Fotocollectie Anefo Reportage / Serie: [onbekend] Beschrijving: UItreiking World Press Photo 1965, prins Bernhard en prijswinnaar Kyoichi Sawada naast de winnende foto Datum: 10 december 1965 Trefwoorden: fotografen, fotografie, onderscheidingen, prinsen Persoonsnaam: Bernhard (prins Nederland), Sawada, Kyoichi Instellingsnaam: World Press Photo Fotograaf: Nijs, Jac.](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ac/UItreiking_World_Press_Photo_1965%2C_prins_Bernhard_en_prijswinnaar_Kyoichi_Sawada%2C_Bestanddeelnr_918-5478.jpg/800px-UItreiking_World_Press_Photo_1965%2C_prins_Bernhard_en_prijswinnaar_Kyoichi_Sawada%2C_Bestanddeelnr_918-5478.jpg)
Collectie / Archief: Fotocollectie Anefo Reportage / Serie: [onbekend] Beschrijving: UItreiking World Press Photo 1965, prins Bernhard en prijswinnaar Kyoichi Sawada naast de winnende foto Datum: 10 december 1965 Trefwoorden: fotografen, fotografie, onderscheidingen, prinsen Persoonsnaam: Bernhard (prins Nederland), Sawada, Kyoichi Instellingsnaam: World Press Photo Fotograaf: Nijs, Jac.
Jack de Nijs for Anefo
Key facts
Key facts
• Born — 22 February 1936 • Birthplace — Aomori City, Aomori Prefecture, Japan • Died — 28 October 1970 • Place of death — Cambodia • Occupation — War photographer • Known for — Photographs of the Vietnam War
Early life
Early life
Sawada was born in Aomori, Japan and graduated from Aomori High School. He bought his first camera at age 13 with money he earned from delivering newspapers. After high school he worked at a camera shop on the United States Misawa Air Base in Aomori Prefecture.
Death
Death
On October 28, 1970, Sawada and Frank Frosch, UPI Phnom Penh branch chief, were ambushed by unknown assailants and assassinated while returning to Phnom Penh by car from a news-gathering outing to Takéo Province. The bodies of the two men were found abandoned in a rice paddy near the road, riddled with bullet holes. No blood or bullet holes were found in their car, suggesting that they had been dragged from their vehicle and killed execution-style. There was no chance they had been mistaken for soldiers since they were driving in a civilian car and were wearing brightly colored civilian clothing.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1936
Kyōichi Sawada born at Aomori.
1970
Kyōichi Sawada died at Cambodia.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Aomori.
Birth place
Cambodia.
Death place
Combat photography
Sawada became a war photographer with UPI, and received the 1966 Pulitzer Prize for Photography for his combat photography of the Vietnam War during 1965. His photograph "Flight To Safety" was selected as 1965 "World Press Photo of the Year". It shows a Vietnamese mother and children wading across a river to escape a US bombing. • Illustration — "Dusty Death", Sawada's 1966 photo that won the World Press Photo of the Year His 1966 photograph "Dusty Death" also won World Press Photo of the Year. It shows U.S soldiers of the 1st Infantry division dragging a dead Viet Cong fighter to a burial site behind their M113 armored personnel carrier, after he was killed in a fierce night attack by several Viet Cong battalions against Australian forces during the Battle of Suoi Bong Trang on 24 February 1966. He also documented the Battle of Hue in 1968, for example, capturing an image of Lance Corporal Don Hammons immediately after being wounded by enemy fire; Hammons died minutes later.
Where the work is held
Recognition and collections
Kyōichi Sawada received Pulitzer Prize for Photography, Robert Capa Gold Medal and World Press Photo of the Year.
Literature
Scholarly footprint
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Text attribution
Licensing
Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Kyōichi Sawada, revision 1362178173 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
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References
Citations
References
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reference work
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
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