was a Pulitzer Prize-winning press photographer.

Nagao took a photograph of Otoya Yamaguchi

Otoya Yamaguchi

was a Japanese ultranationalist, a member of a right-wing Uyoku dantai group, who assassinated Inejiro Asanuma by wakizashi on October 12, 1960 at Tokyo's Hibiya Hall during a political debate in advance of parliamentary elections...

 killing Inejiro Asanuma

Inejiro Asanuma

Inejiro Asanuma was a Japanese politician, and head of the Japanese Socialist Party. Asanuma was noted for speaking publicly about Socialism and economic and cultural opportunities...

. At the time Nagao was a cameraman working for Mainichi Shimbun

Mainichi Shimbun

The is one of the major newspapers in Japan, published by .-History:The history of the Mainichi Shimbun begins with founding of two papers during the Meiji period. The Tokyo Nichi Nichi Shimbun was founded first, in 1872. The Mainichi claims that it is the oldest existing Japanese daily newspaper...

; Hisatake Abo, Nagao's picture editor, told Nagao to cover a debate at Hibiya Hall. As Yamaguchi challenged Asanuma, Nagao changed the focus to fifteen feet from ten feet.

Nagao won the 1961 Pulitzer Prize

1961 Pulitzer Prize

-Journalism awards:*Public Service:** The Amarillo Globe-Times*Local Reporting, Edition Time:**Sanche de Gramont of the New York Herald Tribune*Local Reporting, No Edition time:**Edgar May of The Buffalo Evening News*National Reporting:**Edward R...

 and the 1960 World Press Photo of the Year

World Press Photo of the Year

The vote for Press Photo of the Year is taken during the World Press Photo Awards, hosted by the Dutch foundation World Press Photo. The creator of the winning entry receives €10,000 along with "the most prestigious and coveted award in photojournalism"....

award. The second award allowed Nagao to travel abroad widely, impossible for most Japanese people at the time.

Nagao left the newspaper in 1962 and became a freelance photographer.

Nagao was discovered collapsed in his bathroom on May 2, 2009. It is believed he died of natural causes.

External links

• Faber, John. Great News Photos and the Stories Behind Them. 2nd ed. New York: Dover, 1978. ISBN 0486236676. Google Books.