Founding ILDA member and laser pioneer Seiji Inatsugu passed away last month

[buffo]

Another giant from the early years of laser entertainment has passed away. Casey Stack asked me to pass on the following regarding the recent passing of Seiji Inatsugo.

The introduction was written by Patrick Murphy.

===============

Seiji was co-founder of Laser Media, one of the first companies to do laser shows for events and concerts as opposed to planetariums. He was at Laser Media for 26 years, from 1974 to 2000.

Seiji was very active in founding ILDA, organizing and attending the first meeting in August 1986. (And his wife Barbara was ILDA's first Executive Director.)

In 1990, Seiji became the second person to receive the ILDA Career Achievement Award.

Below are thoughts from Casey, followed by an article about Seiji's Career Achievement Award.

===============
Email from Casey Stack
===============

Friends and Colleagues,

It is with a sad heart we mark the passing of another of our pioneering friends in laser entertainment.

Barbara informed me that Seiji died from complications from Parkinson’s in late November.

LaserMedia set the bar we all hoped to attain… tough competition in the early days. And most of that technology was Seiji’s doing.

At the age of 15 I set a personal goal to personally get to know each of the owners / founders of the laser light show companies. I was delighted to find that Seiji was a kind individual who i found to be humble even with all their success. I’m pleased to not only have known Seiji, but gotten to call him my friend.

It was the second of the ’Star Wars Concerts’ in 1977 that ignited my love of laser light shows… According to Barbara many years laters, that was one of the earliest LaserMedia gigs.., maybe the second paying show.

I had the opportunity of dining with Seiji and Barbara at their home in L.A. again before Covid. A memory I will treasure all my days.

Seiji’s work was an inspiration to all of us. Please join me in remembering and appreciating what he brought to our industry… not to mention being a kind and generous person always willing to share and help..

Seiji, you will be missed. Thank you for all you did to launch this crazy art and business we all seem to love. …

- Casey

I’m sure Barbara would be pleased to hear from any of you: inatsugub@aol.com.

=========================
ILDA Career Achievement Award article
=========================

Seiji Inatsugu, one of the founders of Laser Media, Inc., is the recipient of ILDA's second annual Career Achievement Award for outstanding contributions to the industry. Inatsugu, who received the award at the 1990 General Meeting in Bradenton, Fla., was hailed for a long list of technical contributions to the laser industry, "a veritable encyclopedia of fundamental innovations," said Ivan Dryer, head of Laser Images and ILDA's current president.

Inatsugu, who holds a doctorate in physics, began his fascination with lasers in the late 1960s when he made his own lasers and blew the glass for the tubes. His technical accomplishments at Laser Media include the following: the development of galvo-based beam switching, now a fundamental laser show technique; the development of stable scanner amplifiers that paved the way for complex galvo-scanned images; and the conceptualization of Digital Graphic Image Generation, leading to the development of the IMAGEN computer and ZAP software.

In accepting the award, Inatsugu urged the industry to prepare for a nev era that focuses on small but steady improvements in quality. "The book of our industry is not finished. Perhaps Chapter One of the book has been written. It is about the formative years of the industry. We are going to write Chapter Two together. That will be about the growth and maturity of the industry."

Other noteworthy "Sayings of Seiji" include the following:

• "To engineers and technicians: it is no longer possible to make leaps and bounds in technical progress as was done in my days. Do not let it discourage you because the industry still needs to solidify its technical basis.

• "To those who are in management... although short term profit may be realizable by cutting costs in the areas of research and development, I envision that quality in products and services you provide will make your organization successful. Without technical innovation accompanied by creative vision, the prospects for such an organization will be dim.

• "Technological progress depends on the technologies and components made available to us by suppliers, such as lasers and galvos. Without their improvement, there is a limit in this industry's technological progress."

===============================

Below is what Barbara Inatsugu, Seiji’s wife, sent to Casey Stack, following Seiji's passing. (As mentioned above, Barbara was the first Executive Director of ILDA from its inception, and served for nearly a decade, according to Casey.)

Adjourn in Memory - basic language

Long time Santa Monica resident, Seiji Inatsugu, husband of Barbara Inatsugu, and father of Erika and Narumi Inatsugu, and grandfather of AJ, Noah, Mikey, Colin, Sterling and Malea Inatsugu passed away peacefully at the age of 83 on November 20, 2023 after a long illness. He and Barbara were married for more than 55 years.

Seiji was born in Japan and came to the United States in 1964 as a graduate student, studying at the University of Hawaii / East West Center. There he studied engineering and earned a PhD in physics, with a focus on lasers. He had begun his fascination with lasers in the late 1960s when he made his own lasers and blew the glass for the tubes. That’s where he met his wife Barbara, who was an undergraduate in political science and history. They were married in 1968, one year after the Loving decision. He got his green card in 1975, becoming a permanent resident of the United States.

In the mid-1970’s, he co-founded Los Angeles-based Laser Media, and became known for making fundamental breakthroughs in laser display technology. It was his work you saw if you went to Epcot Center in Florida, Stone Mountain Georgia, or any of a variety of concerts during the last three decades of the 20th Century, including WAR, ELO, Earth Wind and Fire, Diana Ross, Ann Margret, The Carpenters, Michael Jackson, Neil Diamond, George Michael, Paul McCartney, Kenny Rogers, Prince, Pink Floyd and the sold-out Star Wars Concerts of the late 1970’s, beginning with those at the Hollywood Bowl, conducted by Zubin Mehta, and sometimes with appearances by Captain Kirk.

In 1982, Seiji moved his family from Hawaii to Santa Monica. He chose Santa Monica because he had heard of its excellent public schools. Ultimately both children and all six grandchildren have attended or are attending Santa Monica schools.

In 1990, Seiji was the recipient of the International Laser Display Association’s (ILDA's) second annual Career Achievement Award for outstanding contributions to the industry and was hailed for a long list of technical contributions to the laser display industry. The Career Achievement Award was, and still is, ILDA's highest honor.

Seiji and Barbara formed a life-long partnership. Through her he learned the value of non-paid, volunteer civic engagement and its role in American life. He valued her work supporting our schools both through employment in the SMMUSD Superintendent’s Office and through volunteerism with the Santa Monica-Malibu PTA Council and PTA at the regional and California State PTA levels. He was committed to making sure his children and grandchildren and other Santa Monica students would have access to quality education and, as part of that, supported all school bond and parcel tax measures on the local ballot even as he aged and lived on a fixed income.

He was particularly proud of Barbara’s work with the League of Women Voters of Santa Monica and the League of Women Voters of California. Even when she was elected President of the League of Women Voters of California in 2001 and often traveled away from home by air in the two years following 9/11, his support for her civic engagement never waivered. In fact, because of the intensity of her work, he cooked for the family the entire time with no complaint. And, he increasingly found that he was interested in her civic engagement and began asking a lot of questions and, yes, offered his opinions as well.

Seiji never regretted the decision to move to Santa Monica, not only for the schools and other educational opportunities, but also for the services available to seniors as he aged and needed ready access to quality medical care. AND ... Another fundamental aspect of Seiji and Barbara’s love for what Santa Monica has to offer has been their ability to rescue animals and incorporate them into what they called their family pack. Over the years their family pack has included green iguanas, water dragons, a boa constrictor, ball pythons, cats and of course 5 dogs (all rescues) and an African Leopard Tortoise.

Seiji is dearly missed by family and friends. His ashes will be interred at Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary in Los Angeles.

Barbara Inatsugu
===============

I never had the chance to meet Seiji, but it's clear that he was hugely influential to a great number of people. I feel ashamed that I'm only learning about his many contributions after he has passed away.

Adam

[dougmcc]

Another giant from the early years of laser entertainment has passed away. Casey Stack asked me to pass on the following regarding the recent passing of Seiji Inatsugo.

The introduction was written by Patrick Murphy.

===============

Seiji was co-founder of Laser Media, one of the first companies to do laser shows for events and concerts as opposed to planetariums. He was at Laser Media for 26 years, from 1974 to 2000.

Seiji was very active in founding ILDA, organizing and attending the first meeting in August 1986. (And his wife Barbara was ILDA's first Executive Director.)

In 1990, Seiji became the second person to receive the ILDA Career Achievement Award.

Below are thoughts from Casey, followed by an article about Seiji's Career Achievement Award.

===============
Email from Casey Stack
===============

Friends and Colleagues,

It is with a sad heart we mark the passing of another of our pioneering friends in laser entertainment.

Barbara informed me that Seiji died from complications from Parkinson’s in late November.

LaserMedia set the bar we all hoped to attain… tough competition in the early days. And most of that technology was Seiji’s doing.

At the age of 15 I set a personal goal to personally get to know each of the owners / founders of the laser light show companies. I was delighted to find that Seiji was a kind individual who i found to be humble even with all their success. I’m pleased to not only have known Seiji, but gotten to call him my friend.

It was the second of the ’Star Wars Concerts’ in 1977 that ignited my love of laser light shows… According to Barbara many years laters, that was one of the earliest LaserMedia gigs.., maybe the second paying show.

I had the opportunity of dining with Seiji and Barbara at their home in L.A. again before Covid. A memory I will treasure all my days.

Seiji’s work was an inspiration to all of us. Please join me in remembering and appreciating what he brought to our industry… not to mention being a kind and generous person always willing to share and help..

Seiji, you will be missed. Thank you for all you did to launch this crazy art and business we all seem to love. …

- Casey

I’m sure Barbara would be pleased to hear from any of you: inatsugub@aol.com.

=========================
ILDA Career Achievement Award article
=========================

Seiji Inatsugu, one of the founders of Laser Media, Inc., is the recipient of ILDA's second annual Career Achievement Award for outstanding contributions to the industry. Inatsugu, who received the award at the 1990 General Meeting in Bradenton, Fla., was hailed for a long list of technical contributions to the laser industry, "a veritable encyclopedia of fundamental innovations," said Ivan Dryer, head of Laser Images and ILDA's current president.

Inatsugu, who holds a doctorate in physics, began his fascination with lasers in the late 1960s when he made his own lasers and blew the glass for the tubes. His technical accomplishments at Laser Media include the following: the development of galvo-based beam switching, now a fundamental laser show technique; the development of stable scanner amplifiers that paved the way for complex galvo-scanned images; and the conceptualization of Digital Graphic Image Generation, leading to the development of the IMAGEN computer and ZAP software.

In accepting the award, Inatsugu urged the industry to prepare for a nev era that focuses on small but steady improvements in quality. "The book of our industry is not finished. Perhaps Chapter One of the book has been written. It is about the formative years of the industry. We are going to write Chapter Two together. That will be about the growth and maturity of the industry."

Other noteworthy "Sayings of Seiji" include the following:

• "To engineers and technicians: it is no longer possible to make leaps and bounds in technical progress as was done in my days. Do not let it discourage you because the industry still needs to solidify its technical basis.

• "To those who are in management... although short term profit may be realizable by cutting costs in the areas of research and development, I envision that quality in products and services you provide will make your organization successful. Without technical innovation accompanied by creative vision, the prospects for such an organization will be dim.

• "Technological progress depends on the technologies and components made available to us by suppliers, such as lasers and galvos. Without their improvement, there is a limit in this industry's technological progress."

===============================

Below is what Barbara Inatsugu, Seiji’s wife, sent to Casey Stack, following Seiji's passing. (As mentioned above, Barbara was the first Executive Director of ILDA from its inception, and served for nearly a decade, according to Casey.)

Adjourn in Memory - basic language

Long time Santa Monica resident, Seiji Inatsugu, husband of Barbara Inatsugu, and father of Erika and Narumi Inatsugu, and grandfather of AJ, Noah, Mikey, Colin, Sterling and Malea Inatsugu passed away peacefully at the age of 83 on November 20, 2023 after a long illness. He and Barbara were married for more than 55 years.

Seiji was born in Japan and came to the United States in 1964 as a graduate student, studying at the University of Hawaii / East West Center. There he studied engineering and earned a PhD in physics, with a focus on lasers. He had begun his fascination with lasers in the late 1960s when he made his own lasers and blew the glass for the tubes. That’s where he met his wife Barbara, who was an undergraduate in political science and history. They were married in 1968, one year after the Loving decision. He got his green card in 1975, becoming a permanent resident of the United States.

In the mid-1970’s, he co-founded Los Angeles-based Laser Media, and became known for making fundamental breakthroughs in laser display technology. It was his work you saw if you went to Epcot Center in Florida, Stone Mountain Georgia, or any of a variety of concerts during the last three decades of the 20th Century, including WAR, ELO, Earth Wind and Fire, Diana Ross, Ann Margret, The Carpenters, Michael Jackson, Neil Diamond, George Michael, Paul McCartney, Kenny Rogers, Prince, Pink Floyd and the sold-out Star Wars Concerts of the late 1970’s, beginning with those at the Hollywood Bowl, conducted by Zubin Mehta, and sometimes with appearances by Captain Kirk.

In 1982, Seiji moved his family from Hawaii to Santa Monica. He chose Santa Monica because he had heard of its excellent public schools. Ultimately both children and all six grandchildren have attended or are attending Santa Monica schools.

In 1990, Seiji was the recipient of the International Laser Display Association’s (ILDA's) second annual Career Achievement Award for outstanding contributions to the industry and was hailed for a long list of technical contributions to the laser display industry. The Career Achievement Award was, and still is, ILDA's highest honor.

Seiji and Barbara formed a life-long partnership. Through her he learned the value of non-paid, volunteer civic engagement and its role in American life. He valued her work supporting our schools both through employment in the SMMUSD Superintendent’s Office and through volunteerism with the Santa Monica-Malibu PTA Council and PTA at the regional and California State PTA levels. He was committed to making sure his children and grandchildren and other Santa Monica students would have access to quality education and, as part of that, supported all school bond and parcel tax measures on the local ballot even as he aged and lived on a fixed income.

He was particularly proud of Barbara’s work with the League of Women Voters of Santa Monica and the League of Women Voters of California. Even when she was elected President of the League of Women Voters of California in 2001 and often traveled away from home by air in the two years following 9/11, his support for her civic engagement never waivered. In fact, because of the intensity of her work, he cooked for the family the entire time with no complaint. And, he increasingly found that he was interested in her civic engagement and began asking a lot of questions and, yes, offered his opinions as well.

Seiji never regretted the decision to move to Santa Monica, not only for the schools and other educational opportunities, but also for the services available to seniors as he aged and needed ready access to quality medical care. AND ... Another fundamental aspect of Seiji and Barbara’s love for what Santa Monica has to offer has been their ability to rescue animals and incorporate them into what they called their family pack. Over the years their family pack has included green iguanas, water dragons, a boa constrictor, ball pythons, cats and of course 5 dogs (all rescues) and an African Leopard Tortoise.

Seiji is dearly missed by family and friends. His ashes will be interred at Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary in Los Angeles.

Barbara Inatsugu
===============

I never had the chance to meet Seiji, but it's clear that he was hugely influential to a great number of people. I feel ashamed that I'm only learning about his many contributions after he has passed away.

Adam

Sad news indeed. Seiji was not only a pioneer in the field of laser display, but he was a really good person. The 1980s were a time of intense competition among laser light show companies - when it was extremely rare for one company to praise, or even compliment, the successes of a rival. Seiji was a notable exception to that behavior. He was always friendly (with a big smile) and very willing to acknowledge other company's breakthroughs and accomplishments. I'm glad to have gotten to know him and Barbara through ILDA. I'll raise a cup of saki in his honor.

[mixedgas]

Barbara... Ever the Mom and profoundly gifted educator / efficient administrator arranged for what would become a student membership in ILDA for a very, very, young Mixedgas.

Many , many, hours on the phone from Ohio to California, resulted in being invited to LFX and ILDA conferences. With a twist, not being there as a corporate member put me backstage and in the trenches. Hands on...


I should explain, as the current generation may not understand, but in the 1990s and early 2000s, in the days BD, "Before Diode" it took immense planing, skill, logistics, and technical knowledge, not to mention business acumen, to get a show up and running. Touring , Compared to the ease of fixed install, was a whole different universe.

My career diverged into academic and industrial work, those hands on skills of making it all work seventy-five feet in the air translated well to other fields.

I'm assuming there was a dinner conversation some night about " Where do we stick this one?".

I cannot possibly, with words, convey enough thanks to the ILDA Community and the Ion Laser Community.

In my life, I've found that only the Military and Aviation communities offer a lifetime educational and networking
system similar to what ILDA set up.

For those of you of a newer generation, it may be tough to understand why a grizzled elder laserist, whom you might view as competitor, shows up at one AM, spare galvo in hand,
and patiently gets you back up and running, but makes you install it while chattering away with the how and why
But you can thank Barbara and a few other Laser Moms and Laser Dads for instilling that culture.

Some years ago, I was digging into a HENE issue, the appearance of an unassigned yellow laser line. Much to my surprise, Seiji's Doctoral Thesis popped up in the search engine, and after a long read, of an exceptional, well written thesis, I had most of what I needed for an answer.

Knowing the amount of skill required to create a successful, working, tunable HeNe laser, let alone probe the physics of it.
tells me this Industry was blessed to have such a skilled man as a founder. He clearly could have worked on any thing he wanted to. Yet he chose to share the glow of Coherent Light.

Thank You Seiji, thank you Barbara, for the gift of a career. You did not have to do that, but both of you clearly wanted to make the world a better place. That thanks also extends to many, many, other members of the community.

I have been blessed to have learned the lesson of mentoring and teaching. I just wish there had been more of an opportunity to get to know them both, more personally.



Steve