Background
Masami Kuni was born on January 2, 1908 in Ulsan, South Korea. He was actually born in Korea, and had adopted a Japanese name and persona because Japanese rule of Korea began when he was two. Birth name Pak Yeong-in.
Masami Kuni was born on January 2, 1908 in Ulsan, South Korea. He was actually born in Korea, and had adopted a Japanese name and persona because Japanese rule of Korea began when he was two. Birth name Pak Yeong-in.
While studying at school, he learnt and practiced the fundamentals of dancing. Masami Kuni graduated from Tokyo University in 1934 and then entered National School of Dancing in Berlin for further training.
In the 1930s and 40s, Masami Kuni was employed in Germany (where he eventually met and had an affair with his wife) as a performer for the Nazis. A 1944 report from the US Office of War Information suggests that Masami Kuni was actually leading a double life, moonlighting as a secret agent for Japan during his stint as performer among the Nazis.