Kimiko Nishimoto
Kimiko Nishimoto (西本 喜美子, Nishimoto Kimiko; 22 May 1928 – 9 June 2025) was a Brazilian-born Japanese photographer and internet celebrity. She was previously a hairdresser, track cyclist and homemaker.
Early life and education
[edit]Kimiko Nishimoto was born in Brazil in 1928. Her parents taught agriculture to locals. She was the second daughter of 7 siblings. At the age of 8, her family moved to Kumamoto. She graduated from beauty school.[1]
Career
[edit]Nishimoto worked as a hairdresser in her father's salon where she specialized in bridal and Japanese coiffure. After four years working as a hairdresser, Nishimoto attended cycling school and became licensed as a professional cyclist.[1] From the age of 22 to 27, she competed nationally as a track cyclist with her two younger brothers.[2]
In 2001, Nishimoto began her career as an amateur photographer after taking a photography and image processing course taught by her eldest son. In 2011, she had her first solo exhibit at the Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art.[3] In 2018, she had an exhibition named "Asobokane?" (transl. "Shall We Play?") in Shinjuku.[1] As of March 2020[update], Nishimoto had developed a social media presence, with over 220,000 followers of her Instagram account.[4]
Personal life and death
[edit]At the age of 27, Nishimoto married Hitoshi, a tax official, and they raised their three children in Kyushu. She was a homemaker for over 45 years. Nishimoto's husband died in 2012 of lung cancer.[1] As of May 2018[update], Nishimoto resided in Kumamoto Prefecture.[3] In reference to her longevity, Nishimoto stated that she was a daily cigarette smoker and drank a tall glass of Bourbon whiskey every day.[4]
Nishimoto died on June 9, 2025, at the age of 97.[5]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Ito, Masami (2018-02-10). "'Insta-gran' Kimiko Nishimoto discovers that it's never too late to experiment with inventive photography". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2020-07-06.
- ^ Sasaki, Sayo (December 18, 2017). "89-year-old photographer Kimiko Nishimoto debuts in Tokyo with funny selfies". Kyodo News+. Retrieved 2020-07-06.
- ^ a b Clark, Nicole (May 29, 2018). "This Insta-Famous 89-Year-Old Japanese Woman Takes Amazing Self-Portraits". Vice. Retrieved 2020-07-06.
- ^ a b Airth, Johanna (March 30, 2020). "What the Japanese can teach us about super-ageing gracefully". BBC. Retrieved 2020-07-06.
- ^ "「自撮りおばあちゃん」写真家・西本喜美子さん死去、97歳：朝日新聞". 朝日新聞 (in Japanese). June 9, 2025. Retrieved June 9, 2025.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
- 1928 births
- 2025 deaths
- Brazilian people of Japanese descent
- Brazilian emigrants to Japan
- Sportspeople from Kumamoto Prefecture
- Japanese Internet celebrities
- Japanese track cyclists
- Japanese female cyclists
- 21st-century Japanese artists
- 21st-century Japanese women photographers
- 21st-century Japanese photographers
- Japanese hairdressers
- Social media influencers
- 20th-century Japanese sportswomen