Shōzō Satō

Satō was born in Kobe, Japan on May 18, 1933, and grew up in Kamakura. He obtained a degree in Fine Arts from Bunka Gakuen College in Tokyo, studied music at the Tokyo Seisen School, studied theatre at the Toho Academy of Performing Arts in Tokyo, and trained with kabuki artist Nakamura Kanzaburō XVII. He studied Japanese Tea Ceremony under Kishimoto Kōsen. He taught and performed in Japan until the early 60s.

Satō first arrived at the University of Illinois in 1964 as a visiting artist. In 1968, he founded the Japanese Arts and Culture Program, where he taught classes in traditional Japanese arts, such as Calligraphy, Sumi-e, Ikebana, Kabuki, Tea Ceremony, and Japanese Aesthetics.

He was known for adapting traditional western theatre into Kabuki style productions. His adaptations include Macbeth, Medea, Othello, Faust, Achilles, Madame Butterfly and, The Mikado.{{cite web |url=http://www.library.illinois.edu/archives/uasfa/1212021.pdf |title=Shozo Sato Papers, 1964-2004 |website=University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Archives |access-date=July 5, 2018}} His last academic production was a Kabuki adaptation of Othello, titled Iago's Plot (2017), at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts.{{cite web |url=https://krannertcenter.com/events/iagos-plot |title=Iago's Plot |date=March 2017 |website=Krannert Center for the Performing Arts |access-date=July 5, 2018}}

He was a visiting professor at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.{{cite web |url=http://www.ikebana.org/Events/Jan_May1997/NewsE.html |title=Ikebana for the 21st Century |date=April 18, 1997 |website=Ikebana International San Francisco Bay Area Chapter |access-date=July 5, 2018 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041213100445/http://www.ikebana.org/Events/Jan_May1997/NewsE.html |archive-date=December 13, 2004}}

Satō was the author of The Art of Arranging Flowers: A Complete Guide to Japanese Ikebana, published in 1968 by Harry N. Abrams, Incorporated, New York, NY. The volume was printed and bound in Japan.{{cite book |url=https://www.amazon.com/The-Art-Arranging-Flowers-Complete/dp/B0006BN1U4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1334125332&sr=8-2 |last=Satō |first=Shōzō |date=July 1, 1968 |title=The Art of Arranging Flowers: A Complete Guide to Japanese Ikebana |location=New York |publisher=Harry N. Abrams |isbn=978-0-81090-194-0}} With the assistance of Thomas A. Heenan, Satō was the author of The Art of Sumi-E: Appreciation, Techniques, and Application, published in 1984 by Kodansha International Limited, Tokyo, Japan. The volume was printed in Japan and distributed in the U.S. by Kodansha International/USA Limited through Harper & Row, Publishers, Incorporated, New York, NY.{{Cite book|last=Sato|first=Shozo|title=The Art of Sumi-E: Appreciation, Techniques, and Application|publisher=Kodansha International, Ltd.|year=1984|isbn=0-87011-570-7|location=Tokyo, Japan and New York, NY USA}}

Satō retired from teaching in 1992 and moved to Northern California where he established a Center for Japanese Art.

Satō officiated at the wedding of actors Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally{{Cite episode |title=Interview with Nick Offerman |url=http://www.hulu.com/#!watch/499484 |series=Larry King Live |network=CNN |date=June 11, 2013 |season=1 |number=176}} on September 20, 2003.

In 2016, Satō returned to Champaign, Illinois, where he taught calligraphy, Sumi-e, and Zen philosophy.

Satō died on May 4, 2025, at the age of 91.{{Cite web |title=In Memory of Prof. Shozo Sato |url=https://emails.illinois.edu/newsletter/91/2110184591.html |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=emails.illinois.edu}}{{Cite web |title=Shozo Sato Obituary (2025) - Champaign, IL - The News-Gazette |url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/news-gazette/name/shozo-sato-obituary?id=58359845 |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=Legacy.com}}

In 2004, he was awarded the Japanese Order of the Sacred Treasure.{{cite web |url=http://www.calendar.ilstu.edu/detail.taf?_function=detail&event_uid2=24168&date=11/10/2006 |title=About Shozo Sato |date=November 10, 2006 |website=Illinois State University |access-date=July 5, 2018 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719211323/http://www.calendar.ilstu.edu/detail.taf?_function=detail&event_uid2=24168&date=11/10/2006 |archive-date=July 19, 2011}}

• 1965: The Art of Arranging Flowers: A Complete Guide to Japanese Ikebana
• 1984: The Art of Sumi-E: Appreciation, Techniques, and Application
• 2004: Soul of Japan: Introducing Traditional Japanese Arts to New Generations
• 2010: Sumi-e: The Art of Japanese Ink Painting
• 2013: Ikebana: The Art of Arranging Flowers
• 2014: Shodo: The Quiet Art of Japanese Zen Calligraphy, Learn the Wisdom of Zen Through Traditional Brush Painting
• 2017: Tea Ceremony: Explore the unique Japanese tradition of sharing tea
• 2017: Ikebana: Create beautiful flower arrangements with this traditional Japanese art
• 2022: Chazen: Zen Wisdom for Jeans & a T-Shirt

• 1978: Kabuki Macbeth
• 1981: Kabuki Madame Butterfly
• 1982: Kabuki Medea
• 1986: Kabuki Faust
• 1988: Kabuki Othello
• 1991: Achilles: A Kabuki Play
• 1996: Iago's Plot
• 1997: For Love, Reconstructed from Romeo and Juliet
• 2005: Kabuki Lady Macbeth

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Category:1933 births

Category:2025 deaths

Category:Kabuki playwrights

Category:Recipients of the Order of the Sacred Treasure, 4th class

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