Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of SR0349

SR0349 LRB104 13931 LAW 26837 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Shozo Sato, professor emeritus of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, who passed away on May 3, 2025; and

WHEREAS, Prof. Sato was born in Kobe, Japan on May 18, 1933; he studied music, sumi-e painting, calligraphy, kabuki, and Japanese tea ceremony, among other traditional crafts, under the guidance of masters, such as Nakamura Kanzaburo XVII and Kishimoto Kosen, in Kamakura and Tokyo; he earned a degree in fine arts from Bunka Gakuen University in Tokyo; and

WHEREAS, Prof. Sato originally came to Illinois as an artist-in-residence at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) in 1964, where he taught classes on traditional Japanese arts, aesthetics, and culture; recognizing the need for cultural arts education to build cultural bridges, he committed the rest of his life to teaching in the United States; and

WHEREAS, Prof. Sato was the founding director of the Japanese Arts and Culture Program at UIUC and the visionary creator behind Japan House, a space dedicated to teaching traditional Japanese arts in an authentic Japanese environment, which he founded at UIUC in 1976; through sharing his profound understanding of Japanese traditional arts and actively participating in contemporary American arts, he hoped to sow seeds of worldwide peace, understanding, and mutual respect; and

WHEREAS, Prof. Sato was the author of definitive texts on calligraphy and ikebana flower arranging as well as adaptations of several classics of Western theater in a traditional kabuki style, which transfixed audiences at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts and stages the world over; and

WHEREAS, Prof. Sato was internationally celebrated for his mastery of traditional Japanese arts, and his accolades include the Japan America Society of Chicago's inaugural Cultural Achievement Award in 2003 and the Order of the Sacred Treasure by the Emperor of Japan in 2004 in recognition of his exceptional contributions to promoting Japanese culture abroad; and

WHEREAS, Prof. Sato, respectfully referred to as "Sato Sensei" by his legion of former students, was cherished for his inexhaustible dynamism, audacious generosity, elegance, sparkling intellect, unimpeachable taste, and gently bombastic humor; and

WHEREAS, Prof. Sato was a teacher, an artist, a director, an author, and a cultural ambassador who profoundly shaped the cultural ties between Japan and the United States and whose work will continue to inspire for generations to come; and

WHEREAS, Prof. Sato is survived by his brother, Tomoyasu; his sisters, Yoshiko and Shitsuko; and a host of nieces, nephews, close friends, colleagues, and students; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Shozo Sato, professor emeritus of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Prof. Sato as an expression of our deepest sympathy.