Ritsuko Nakayama

Ritsuko Nakayama, born in 1942 in Kusatsu, Gunma, Japan, is a former professional bowler who joined the Japan Professional Bowling Association in 1969 and won 33 times as a professional. She ranked first among JPBA women in 1969 and 1970 and in the top three from 1969 to 1973. On August 21, 1970, she rolled a perfect 300 game on Japanese national television, the first woman anywhere to do so in any television market, and her fame lifted the sport in Japan. In 1971 she set a women's world record of 824 for a three game series. An injury to her shoulder and knee ended her full time career in 1990. She served as president of the JPBA until 2012 and is co-founder and president of the Japan Ladies Bowling Club and vice-president of the Bowling Council of Japan.