Sato was a graduate of the Tokyo College of Photography, where he achieved master level. Prior to settling in Windham, NY Susumu Sato enjoyed a distinguished career spanning three decades in Manhattan, New York City, where his commercial work for such companies as Rolling Rock Beer, Pepsi Cola, Movado and other high profile accounts earned him numerous awards including a Gold Medal, Addy, Clio and The Award of Excellence in Photography from the United Nations. He also photographed covers for New York Times Magazine, Self, Money Magazine to mention a few.

His portraits included Colin Powell, Henry Kissinger, Jon Bon Jovi, Julio Iglesias, Siegfried and Roy, Andy Warhol and Hillary Rodham Clinton. His fine art photographs are represented in prominent, permanent collections and museums in Europe and the USA. Sato’s charitable donations included several Aids charities, those serving the homeless in New York City, Doctors without Borders and The New York City Opera.

While in Windham Sato created a new series called “Susumu Sato’s Eternal Snow Images of the Northern Catskills. His ongoing book projects included 17 years of the NYC Halloween Parade, and his beloved images of a Shirley Temple doll “The Voyages of Shirley Temple”. His celebrated project “Flower Power“, where the flags of the world depicted in blossoms, (80 countries completed) was recognized internationally by such presidents as the late George H.W. Bush and the late President of Russia, Boris Yeltsin. A portion of the flag collection has been on display at the Anca Club at the United Nations New York City headquarters for a number of years.