Kazuo Ohno was born on October 27, 1906, in Hakodate City, Hokkaido, to a family with a strong cultural influence. His father, a fishermen's cooperative head, spoke Russian and traveled to Kamchatka, while his mother was skilled in European cuisine and played the Japanese zither.
Ohno was sent to live with relatives in Akita prefecture during his junior high school years, where he excelled in track-and-field events and established a new record in the prefecture. He later attended Japan Athletic College, where he was introduced to modern dance by a superintendent who took him to see a performance by Antonia Merce, also known as "La Argentina."
After graduating, Ohno worked as a physical education teacher at Kanto Gakuin High School and began dancing to teach dance to girls students. He trained with modern dance pioneers Baku Ishii and Takaya Eguchi, who had studied Neue Tanz with Mary Wigman in Germany. In 1938, Ohno was drafted and served in the army for nine years, including a year as a prisoner of war in New Guinea.
Upon his return, Ohno resumed dancing and held his first recital in 1949 at Kanda Kyoritsu Hall in Tokyo. The experience of war influenced his dance style, and he created the "Jellyfish dance" in the 1950s. Ohno met Tatsumi Hijikata, who inspired him to cultivate Butoh, a dance form that rejected Western dance forms.
Ohno premiered his solo Butoh work, "La Argentina Sho" (Admiring La Argentina),in 1977, which was awarded the Dance Critic's Circle Award. He continued to tour internationally, performing in Europe, North and South America, Australia, and Asia. He also created other major works, including "My Mother," "Dead Sea," "Water Lilies," "Ka Cho Fu Getsu," and "The Road in Heaven, The Road in Earth."
After his 90th birthday, Ohno continued to dance, even when his physical strength waned. He danced with the support of others, seated himself, or used his hands to move. His determination and passion for dance inspired audiences worldwide.
Throughout his career, Ohno received numerous awards, including a cultural award from Kanagawa Prefecture, a cultural award from Yokohama city, and the Michelagelo Antonioni Award for the Arts. He also starred in several films and wrote three books on Butoh, including "The Palace Soars through the Sky," "Dessin," and "Words of Workshop."
