(born April 6, 1976) is a Japanese
sports writer
Sports journalism is a form of writing that reports on matters pertaining to sporting topics and competitions. Sports journalism started in the early 1800s when it was targeted to the social elite and transitioned into an integral part of the n ...
from
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.46 ...
, Japan.
Born without
arm
In human anatomy, the arm refers to the upper limb in common usage, although academically the term specifically means the upper arm between the glenohumeral joint (shoulder joint) and the elbow joint. The distal part of the upper limb between th ...
s and
legs
A leg is a weight-bearing and locomotive anatomical structure, usually having a columnar shape. During locomotion, legs function as "extensible struts". The combination of movements at all joints can be modeled as a single, linear element c ...
due to a genetic disorder called
tetra-amelia syndrome
Tetra-amelia syndrome ('' tetra-'' + '' amelia''), also called autosomal recessive tetraamelia, is an extremely rare autosomal recessive congenital disorder characterized by the absence of all four limbs. Other areas of the body are also affected ...
, Ototake is most notable for his 1998
memoir
A memoir (; , ) is any nonfiction narrative writing based in the author's personal memories. The assertions made in the work are thus understood to be factual. While memoir has historically been defined as a subcategory of biography or autobiog ...
(). Within a year of publication, the book became the third-best-selling book in
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...
since
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
. It has since been translated into English.
After publishing his autobiography, Ototake became a successful sports journalist. In 2007, he took a job as a
primary school
A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary e ...
(first through sixth grades) teacher at
Suginami
is a Special wards of Tokyo, special ward in Tokyo, Japan. The ward refers to itself as Suginami City in English.
As of June 1, 2022, Suginami has an estimated population of 588,354 and a population density of 17,274 persons per km2. The total ...
Dai-Yon Elementary School in
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.46 ...
. He starred in the 2013 film, based on the events of his own life as a teacher, ''Daijōbu 3-Gumi'' (), English title: ''Nobody's Perfect''.
The
Liberal Democratic Party considered recruiting Ototake to run in the
summer 2016 upper house elections. However, in March 2016, the tabloid magazine ''Shukan Shincho'' reported that Ototake had affairs with five women since the birth of his eldest son in 2008. Ototake acknowledged and apologized for his actions.
See also
*
Nick Vujicic
Nicholas James Vujicic ( ; born 4 December 1982) is an Australian American Christian evangelist and motivational speaker of Serbian descent, born with tetra-amelia syndrome, a rare disorder characterised by the absence of arms and legs.
Earl ...
, an Australian motivational speaker and another survivor of
tetra-amelia syndrome
Tetra-amelia syndrome ('' tetra-'' + '' amelia''), also called autosomal recessive tetraamelia, is an extremely rare autosomal recessive congenital disorder characterized by the absence of all four limbs. Other areas of the body are also affected ...
.
*
Joanne O'Riordan
Joanne O'Riordan (born 24 April 1996) is an Irish activist and sports journalist who contributes to ''The Irish Times.'' From Millstreet in County Cork, she is one of seven currently living people born with the condition Tetra-amelia syndrome. ...
, an Irish tetra-amelia syndrome survivor who has addressed the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoni ...
*
Jennifer Bricker
Jennifer Bricker (born October 1, 1987) is an American acrobat and aerialist. She is the sister of gymnast Dominique Moceanu. Born without legs, she was placed for adoption by her parents. The Moceanu family from which she originates is ethnically ...
, an American acrobat born without legs
References
External links
*
1976 births
Living people
Japanese people with disabilities
Japanese amputees
People with tetra-amelia syndrome
Japanese memoirists
Sportswriters
{{Japan-writer-stub