Ritsuko Nakayama: key obituary facts
Is Ritsuko Nakayama dead? Yes. Ritsuko Nakayama died on November 7, 2026, at age 84.
Cause of death: Ritsuko Nakayama's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Ritsuko Nakayama known for?
She was a bowler.
More about Ritsuko Nakayama
Born: 12 October 1942.
Place of birth: Kusatsu.
Gender: female.
Occupation: bowler.
Nationality: Japan.
Ritsuko Nakayama, a Japanese professional bowler, died November 7, 2026, aged 84.
Born in Kusatsu, Gunma, Japan, on October 12, 1942, she later moved to Kagoshima, her parents’ hometown. Nakayama joined the Japan Professional Bowling Association in 1969 and represented Tokyo Tower Bowling Center.
That year, she ranked first among JPBA female bowlers, with an average of 197.6. She held the top position again in 1970, averaging 199.2, and remained among the association’s top three women bowlers from 1969 through 1973. Her early professional record thus included consecutive seasons at the top of the rankings, followed by several years among the leading competitors. Across her professional career, she recorded 33 wins. On August 21, 1970, Nakayama rolled a perfect 300 game during a tournament match at Fuchū Star Lanes. The match aired on Japanese national television as part of Ladies Challenge Bowl, a bowling program that ran from October 1969 to March 1975. With that televised game, she became the first woman to bowl a 300 game on television in any market. The feat connected her competitive results with a milestone in televised bowling, achieved during a tournament broadcast rather than outside competition.