Masatoshi Nakayama

was a famous
Japanese master of Shotokan karate. He helped create the Japan Karate Association (JKA) in 1949, and wrote many textbooks on karate.
For almost 40 years, until his death in 1987, Nakayama worked to spread Shotokan karate around the world. He was the first master in Shotokan history to attain the rank of 9th "dan" while alive.
Nakayama died on April 15, 1987 in Tokyo, aged 74.