Japan's only TT winner, Mitsuo Itoh, passes away

The only Japanese racer to even win an Isle of Man TT, Mitsuo Itoh, as passed away, aged 82.

Itoh-san won the 50cc Ultra-Lightweight TT in 1963 and competed in world championship grand prix racing from 1961 to 1967. He achieved his career-best world championship results from 1962 to 1965, when he placed fifth in the championship standings in the 50cc world titles.

He also competed in the 125cc and 250cc world championships, and spent his entire racing career with Suzuki, the company for whom he worked.

He won two world championship races, at the Isle of Man TT in 1963 and at the Japanese Grand Prix in 1967, both in the 50cc class.

Itoh-san also campaigned on four wheels, racing a Suzuki Fronte RF single-seater in the JAF Grand Prix Formula Junior 'Junior Seven Challenge Cup' race at Fuji International Speedway – an event he won at an average speed of 130.9km/h.

Itoh's racing achievements were celebrated late last year when he was inducted into the Motorcycle Federation of Japan (MFJ) Hall of Fame on December 15, in its inaugural year.

After retiring from racing he helped train other racers like Kevin Schwantz, and is acknowledged as helping popularise motorcycle racing in Japan, and the development of racing motorcycles.

At his MFJ Hall of Fame induction, Itoh-san said he couldn't have achieved what he did without Suzuki's support.

"I am very honoured to be inducted into the first Hall of Fame," he said.

"However, it couldn't have been achieved without the teamwork of everyone, so I don't believe that I was personally awarded. It is a result of a brave decision by our second president, Shunzo Suzuki, who had the foresight to participate in the TT racing, and I am honoured and thankful that I was selected as a participant and was able to win the race."