Frank S. Matsura

Who was Frank S. Matsura?

Frank Matsura was an early 20th-century Japanese photographer who travelled from Japan to America in 1901 where he lived until his early death. More than 1,800 of his frontier-era photographs and glass plate negatives have been preserved by the Okanogan County Historical Society and Washington State University.

He was born Sakae Matsuura in 1873, a descendant of Emperor Saga, the 52nd emperor of Japan, through the Matsuura, lords of Hirado Island. For unknown reasons, Matsura led his friends and acquaintances to believe he was seven years younger than he actually was. For example, the US Census sheet for 1910 lists his age as 28, and the headstone on his grave states "aged 32 years" in 1913. Researchers discovered his passport application dated 1901 for a "Sakae Matsuura" that lists his age at 27. Matsura's earliest photos give his name as Frank S. Matsuura.

Frank S. Matsura's father and uncle were samurai, serving Tokugawa Yoshinobu, 15th Shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate. After the Meiji Restoration in 1868, the family entered the tea business. Matsura's parents died, and he was raised by an uncle and aunt, learning English at a school they founded in Tokyo. As further evidence of his family's high standing, he possessed a ceremonial sword.