[2] Born on November 2, 1918, in Qingdao, China, Sasaki took an in interest in photography after purchasing a Togo camera in 6th grade.
After returning to Kobe, Sasaki worked as a photojournalist and freelance photographer before meeting Ihei Kimura in 1951 and would later move to Tokyo as his apprentice in 1960.
Accepting Kimura's invitation, he left his photo studio to a friend, sold all his camera gear, and bought a Leica M3.
As a photojournalist he covered social issues including heroin addiction, gradeschool dropouts, and prostitution.
Sasaki began publishing regularly on Asahi Camera in 1966, becoming renowned for his macro work on flowers, insects, and small animals.