Asami Maki, a dancer who worked as an artistic director in the ballet department of the New National Theatre, and worked hard to develop the Japanese ballet world, died at her home in Tokyo on the 20th of this month due to colon cancer.

I was 87 years old.

Raise many ballerinas such as Tamiyo Kusakari

Maki was born in Tokyo as the eldest daughter of Akiko Tachibana, a pioneer in the Japanese ballet world. She became familiar with ballet from an early age and studied abroad in the United States at the age of 20 to receive guidance from top dancers.



After returning to Japan, he founded a ballet company with his mother in 1956 and starred in numerous works, which was highly evaluated for his gorgeous and rich expressiveness.



After my mother died, I devoted myself to teaching juniors and raised ballerinas representing Japan such as Tamiyo Kusakari.



He has also been active as a choreographer, and has been making efforts for many years in the development of the Japanese ballet world, such as being appointed artistic director of the dance department of the New National Theatre, Japan in 1999.



For these achievements, he received the Medal with Purple Ribbon in 1996 and was selected as a Person of Cultural Merit in 2008.



According to the ballet company, Maki died at her home in Tokyo on the 20th of this month due to colorectal cancer.



I was 87 years old.

(Born August 18, 1934).