Japanese bowling pioneer Ritsuko Nakayama, first woman to bowl professional perfect game, dies at 84
Ritsuko Nakayama, who achieved the first perfect game in women's professional bowling, died at 84 after helping ignite Japan's 1970s bowling boom.
TL;DR
- Ritsuko Nakayama, a prominent figure in Japanese bowling, died at 84.
- She was instrumental in the sport's boom in the 1970s.
- Nakayama was part of the first generation of 13 women to pass the professional qualification test in 1969.
- She bowled the first perfect game in women's professional bowling in 1970.
- Her popularity led to her appearing in a commercial, earning her the nickname "Sawayaka Ritsuko-san."