Matsuji Suzuki

was a Japanese matagi.

Biography

Suzuki was born on March 7, 1920, in the village of , near Ani. In his village he was a , a leader of hunting teams.

He was known for his mastery of the single-shot Murata rifle, and many of the bears he killed died from one shot to the head. As a result, he was sometimes called . When tracking bears in the mountains, Suzuki would often have to walk 30 to 40 kilometers in one day. About walking in the mountains, Suzuki reportedly said:

In 1974, Suzuki traveled to the Himalaya Mountains as a member of the led by of the Japanese Alpine Club.

In 1987, Suzuki provided instruction for Tamura Takahiro during production of the matagi film Itazu Kuma.

In his last years, Suzuki worked as a storyteller to preserve the heritage of Japan's ancient hunting culture and he was interviewed by anthropologists including . At one point, he also worked at the .

Suzuki died in 2005.