Yasushi Nagao
20 May 1930 – 2 May 2009 was a Japanese photojournalist. He became the first Japanese to win the Pulitzer Prize for his 1960 photograph capturing the moment Inejirō Asanuma, chairman of the Japan Socialist Party, was stabbed to death.
Yasushi Nagao
Harry Pot for Anefo]] · Nationaal Archief · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Name
- Yasushi Nagao
- Born
- 20 May 1930
- Died
- 2 May 2009
- Place of death
- Shimogamo, Minamiizu, Japan
- Occupation
- Photojournalist
- Known for
- Photographing the Assassination of Inejirō Asanuma
- Awards
- World Press Photo of the Year Pulitzer Prize for Photography
- Nationality
- Japan · Empire of Japan
- Education
- Chiba University
- Honours
- George Polk Award · Pulitzer Prize for Photography · World Press Photo of the Year
- Languages
- Japanese
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20 May 1930 – 2 May 2009 was a Japanese photojournalist. He became the first Japanese to win the Pulitzer Prize for his 1960 photograph capturing the moment Inejirō Asanuma, chairman of the Japan Socialist Party, was stabbed to death.
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Note VALÉORINE
Yasushi Nagao (1930–2009) was a Japanese and Japanese journalist and photographer. The journalist was born in Tokyo. Yasushi Nagao studied at Chiba University.
Languages used include Japanese. The journalist received George Polk Award, Pulitzer Prize for Photography and World Press Photo of the Year.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 26 September 2026
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In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Yasushi Nagao • Native Name — 長尾 靖 • Born — 20 May 1930 • Died — 2 May 2009 • Place of death — Shimogamo, Minamiizu, Japan • Occupation — Photojournalist • Known for — Photographing the Assassination of Inejirō Asanuma • Awards — World Press Photo of the Year Pulitzer Prize for Photography
Career
Career
Nagao is best known for his photograph of Otoya Yamaguchi assassinating Japanese Socialist Party politician Inejirō Asanuma. At the time Nagao was a cameraman working for Mainichi Shimbun. Hisatake Abo, Nagao's picture editor, told Nagao to cover a debate at Hibiya Hall. As Yamaguchi charged Asanuma, Nagao changed the focus to fifteen feet from ten feet. • Illustration — "Tokyo Stabbing", Nagao's famous photograph Nagao won the 1960 World Press Photo of the Year award and the 1961 Pulitzer Prize. The first award allowed Nagao to travel abroad widely, impossible for most Japanese people at the time. Nagao left the newspaper in 1962 and became a freelance photographer.
Death
Death
Nagao was found dead in the bathroom of his apartment in the Shimogamo district of Minamiizu on 2 May 2009. It is believed he died of natural causes.
![Collectie / Archief: Fotocollectie Anefo Reportage / Serie: [onbekend] Beschrijving: Opening World Press Photo 61. Commissaris van de Koningin Klaasesz en Yasushi Nagao Datum: 2 oktober 1961 Trefwoorden: Openingen, fotografie Instellingsnaam: World Press Photo Fotograaf: Nijs, Jac. de / Anefo Auteursrechthebbende: Nationaal Archief Materiaalsoort: Negatief (zwart/wit) Nummer archiefinv](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b6/Opening_World_Press_Photo_61_._Commissaris_van_de_Koningin_Klaasesz_en_Yasushi_N%2C_Bestanddeelnr_913-0036.jpg/800px-Opening_World_Press_Photo_61_._Commissaris_van_de_Koningin_Klaasesz_en_Yasushi_N%2C_Bestanddeelnr_913-0036.jpg)
Collectie / Archief: Fotocollectie Anefo Reportage / Serie: [onbekend] Beschrijving: Opening World Press Photo 61. Commissaris van de Koningin Klaasesz en Yasushi Nagao Datum: 2 oktober 1961 Trefwoorden: Openingen, fotografie Instellingsnaam: World Press Photo Fotograaf: Nijs, Jac. de / Anefo Auteursrechthebbende: Nationaal Archief Materiaalsoort: Negatief (zwart/wit) Nummer archiefinv
Jack de Nijs for Anefo
Primary material
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reference work
- “Yasushi Nagao”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q376396: Yasushi Nagao
General reference · Wikidata
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.John Faber, Great News Photos and the Stories Behind Them, 2nd ed. (New York: Dover, 1978), no. 58, p. 126 (Google Books).
- 2.Untitled page about this photograph, "In pictures: 50 years of photojournalism", BBC
- 3."Japan's first Pulitzer Prize winning photo journalist dies" . The Mainichi Daily News. May 4, 2009.
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General reference
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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