Komazawa University: 159 people
Takuya Yamada (山田 卓也, Yamada Takuya; born August 24, 1974) is a former Japanese football player. He played for Japan…
Takuya Yamada (山田 卓也, Yamada Takuya; born August 24, 1974) is a former Japanese football player. He played for Japan national team.
Susumu Watanabe (渡邉 晋, Watanabe Susumu; born October 10, 1973) is a Japanese professional football manager and former…
Susumu Watanabe (渡邉 晋, Watanabe Susumu; born October 10, 1973) is a Japanese professional football manager and former player who most recent as the manager of J2 League club Montedio Yamagata.
Keisuke Kurihara (栗原 圭介, Kurihara Keisuke; born May 20, 1973) is a former Japanese football player and manager.
Tomoaki Matsukawa (松川 友明, Matsukawa Tomoaki; born April 18, 1973) is a former Japanese football player.
Hiroyuki Takagi (高木 浩之, born October 14, 1972) is a former Nippon Professional Baseball infielder.
Akira Higashi (東 輝, Higashi Akira) (born 7 January 1972) is a Japanese former ski jumper.
Gōsei Yamamoto is a Japanese politician and a former member of the House of Representatives.
'Makoto Majima' (馬島 誠, Majima Makoto; born 24 August 1971 in Tatsuno, Nagano Prefecture) is a Japanese ice sledge…
'Makoto Majima' (馬島 誠, Majima Makoto; born 24 August 1971 in Tatsuno, Nagano Prefecture) is a Japanese ice sledge hockey player and para powerlifter. He was part of the Japanese sledge hockey team that won a silver medal at the 2010 Winter Paralympics. In his third year at university, he lost the functioning of both legs following an accident involving high-voltage electric wires.
Tatsushi Ōmori (大森立嗣, Ōmori Tatsushi; born 4 September 1970) is a Japanese film director and actor.
Masanori Taguchi (田口 昌徳, born 26 August 1970) is a former Nippon Professional Baseball catcher.
Tadashi Takagi (髙木 規, Takagi Tadashi; born January 13, 1970 in Toyonaka, Japan), better known by his ring name Sanshiro…
Tadashi Takagi (髙木 規, Takagi Tadashi; born January 13, 1970 in Toyonaka, Japan), better known by his ring name Sanshiro Takagi (髙木 三四郎, Takagi Sanshirō), is a Japanese professional wrestler and promoter who works for the Japanese wrestling promotion CyberFight, where he serves as executive vice president. He is one of the founding members and current chairman of United Japan Pro Wrestling. Takagi is the founder of DDT Pro-Wrestling, which is now part of the CyberFight umbrella. As a wrestler, Takagi's gimmick is that he is Stone Cold Steve Austin.
Masahiko Kobe (神戸 勝彦, Kōbe Masahiko; October 15, 1969 – March 14, 2019) was a celebrity chef specializing in Italian…
Masahiko Kobe (神戸 勝彦, Kōbe Masahiko; October 15, 1969 – March 14, 2019) was a celebrity chef specializing in Italian cuisine, most notable as the "Iron Chef Italian" on the television series Iron Chef, where he appeared wearing a chef's uniform decorated like the Italian Flag (green, white and red) and holding a tomato (in some episodes, an apple).
Yūsei Oda (織田 優成, Oda Yūsei; born September 19, 1969, as Katsuaki Arima (有馬 克明, Arima Katsuaki)) is a Japanese voice…
Yūsei Oda (織田 優成, Oda Yūsei; born September 19, 1969, as Katsuaki Arima (有馬 克明, Arima Katsuaki)) is a Japanese voice actor from Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan.
Kenichi Wakatabe (若田部 健一, Wakatabe Kenichi; born August 5, 1969) is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher…
Kenichi Wakatabe (若田部 健一, Wakatabe Kenichi; born August 5, 1969) is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher, and current first squad pitching coach for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He played in NPB for the Hawks and Yokohama BayStars. Haruka Wakatabe, his daughter, is a former member of the female idol group HKT48.
Takayoshi Amma (安間 貴義, Amma Takayoshi; born May 23, 1969) is a Japanese professional football manager and former player…
Takayoshi Amma (安間 貴義, Amma Takayoshi; born May 23, 1969) is a Japanese professional football manager and former player who most recently was the manager of J2 League club Júbilo Iwata.
Koichi Sekikawa (関川 浩一, Sekikawa Kōichi; born April 1, 1969) is a Japanese former professional baseball catcher…
Koichi Sekikawa (関川 浩一, Sekikawa Kōichi; born April 1, 1969) is a Japanese former professional baseball catcher, outfielder, and current field player coordinator for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He previously played for the Hanshin Tigers, the Chunichi Dragons, and the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles.
Kunio Kobayashi (Kobayashi Kunio; born 5 July 1967) is a Japanese instructor of Shotokan karate. He has won the JKA…
Kunio Kobayashi (Kobayashi Kunio; born 5 July 1967) is a Japanese instructor of Shotokan karate. He has won the JKA All-Japan championships for kata on 2 occasions and for kumite on 3 occasions. He is currently an instructor of the Japan Karate Association.
Kenjiro Nomura (野村 謙二郎, Nomura Kenjirō; born September 19, 1966) is a retired Japanese baseball player. He was with the…
Kenjiro Nomura (野村 謙二郎, Nomura Kenjirō; born September 19, 1966) is a retired Japanese baseball player. He was with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp of Japan's Central League. He was born in Saiki, Ōita. He led his team into League Champion (1991). His number #7, one of the Honored Numbers of Hiroshima Carp.
Tatsuya Kato (加藤 達也, Katō Tatsuya, born 1966) is a Japanese journalist who was a Seoul bureau chief of South Korea at…
Tatsuya Kato (加藤 達也, Katō Tatsuya, born 1966) is a Japanese journalist who was a Seoul bureau chief of South Korea at Sankei Shimbun. He was indicted in October 2014 on charges of defamation for reporting the relationship of President Park Geun-hye and Choi Soon-sil's husband, Chung Yoon-hoi, by the Supreme Prosecutors' Office of the Republic of Korea after the MV Sewol sank. He was acquitted in December 2015 in what has been described as a small victory for freedom of the press in South Korea.
Kenji Yamamoto (山本 健二, Yamamoto Kenji; born August 28, 1965) is a former Japanese football player.
The Pillows (Japanese: ザ・ピロウズ, Hepburn: Za Pirōzu) were a Japanese alternative rock band formed in Hokkaido in 1989.…
The Pillows (Japanese: ザ・ピロウズ, Hepburn: Za Pirōzu) were a Japanese alternative rock band formed in Hokkaido in 1989. Originally a quartet, vocalist and rhythm guitarist Sawao Yamanaka, lead guitarist Yoshiaki Manabe and drummer Shinichiro Sato continued the band as a trio for another 33 years, following the departure of bassist Kenji Ueda in 1992. They are best known in the West for providing the soundtrack for the anime series FLCL. The Pillows announced their disbandment at the end of January 2025, and Sato died from cancer in March 2026.
Akira Satō (佐藤 晃, Satō Akira) (born 19 July 1964) is a Japanese former ski jumper. He competed at the 1988 Winter…
Akira Satō (佐藤 晃, Satō Akira) (born 19 July 1964) is a Japanese former ski jumper. He competed at the 1988 Winter Olympics.
Hiroshi Shintani (新谷 博, Shintani Hiroshi; born July 14, 1964) is a former professional baseball player from Saga, Saga…
Hiroshi Shintani (新谷 博, Shintani Hiroshi; born July 14, 1964) is a former professional baseball player from Saga, Saga, Japan.
Hitoshi Okuda (奥田 ひとし, Okuda Hitoshi; born 1963 in Daisen, Akita) is a Japanese manga artist, most famous for his…
Hitoshi Okuda (奥田 ひとし, Okuda Hitoshi; born 1963 in Daisen, Akita) is a Japanese manga artist, most famous for his characterizations and stories set in the world of Tenchi Muyo!. Okuda got his start as a doujinshi artist before debuting professionally, studying under Nobuteru Yūki and Yutaka Izubuchi. His collection of Tenchi-related works spans eleven years, beginning with "No Need for Tenchi!" in 1994 before finishing its run as "The All-New Tenchi Muyō!" ("Shin Tenchi Muyō!") in late 2005. "Tenchi, Heaven Forbid! G...", a collection of seventy-four yonkoma comics drawn during the course of six years for Pioneer LDC's monthly fan club letter, was later released by VIZ Media as "Tenchi Muyō: Sasami Stories", bundled along with previously published material featuring the Sasami character.
Toshiya Miura (三浦 俊也, Miura Toshiya; born July 16, 1963) is a Japanese football manager and former player. He was most…
Toshiya Miura (三浦 俊也, Miura Toshiya; born July 16, 1963) is a Japanese football manager and former player. He was most recently the head coach of Thailand U20.
Satoru Sakuma (佐久間 悟, Sakuma Satoru; born July 7, 1963) is a former Japanese football player and manager.
Toshinobu "Toshi" Kubota (久保田 利伸, Kubota Toshinobu; born 24 July 1962) is a Japanese singer, songwriter, musician…
Toshinobu "Toshi" Kubota (久保田 利伸, Kubota Toshinobu; born 24 July 1962) is a Japanese singer, songwriter, musician, music producer, and radio personality. He has produced six million-seller records and thirty-three Top 40 singles during his career. Kubota is currently part of Sony Music Japan. In addition, he has composed and written songs for many singers including Hiromi Iwasaki, Misia, Toshinori Yonekura, Kyōko Koizumi, and many other recording artists. Kubota's musical genre has varied throughout his career including R&B, Go-go, soul, funk, blues, reggae, old skool, psychedelia, jazz, and pop. His artistic influences include Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Donny Hathaway, and Sly Stone. Kubota has pioneered in the sound "Japanese hip hop" and "Japanese soul", an amalgam of funk, pop, R&B and go that has influenced many other musicians. Kubota has a tenor and falsetto vocal range and is known for his signature songs "Dance If You Want It", "Missing", "Love Rain (Koi no Ame)", "You Were Mine", "Give You My Love", and "La La La Love Song", which was the theme song of the television drama Long Vacation. Kubota has a total of seventeen studio albums and ten compilation albums. He is among the all-time best-selling Japanese music artists, having sold over 16 million records worldwide to date.
Yutsuko Chūsonji (Japanese: 中尊寺ゆつこ, Hepburn: Chūsonji Yutsuko; May 28, 1962 – January 31, 2005) was the pen name of…
Yutsuko Chūsonji (Japanese: 中尊寺ゆつこ, Hepburn: Chūsonji Yutsuko; May 28, 1962 – January 31, 2005) was the pen name of Japanese manga artist Yukiko Kobayashi (小林 幸子; born Yukiko Fujiwara).
Yasushi Suzuki (鈴木 靖, Suzuki Yasushi; born 15 May 1962) is a Japanese speed skater. He competed in the men's 500 metres…
Yasushi Suzuki (鈴木 靖, Suzuki Yasushi; born 15 May 1962) is a Japanese speed skater. He competed in the men's 500 metres event at the 1984 Winter Olympics.
Kazuo Uchida (内田 一夫, Uchida Kazuo; born April 18, 1962) is a former Japanese football player and manager. He managed…
Kazuo Uchida (内田 一夫, Uchida Kazuo; born April 18, 1962) is a former Japanese football player and manager. He managed Guam national football team.
Seizo Izumiya (Izumiya Seizo; born 12 October 1961) is a Japanese master of Shotokan karate. He has won the JKA…
Seizo Izumiya (Izumiya Seizo; born 12 October 1961) is a Japanese master of Shotokan karate. He has won the JKA All-Japan championships for kata. He is currently an instructor of the Japan Karate Association.
Kazuyuki Shirai (白井 一幸, Shirai Kazuyuki; born June 7, 1961) is a Japanese former Nippon Professional Baseball infielder.
Shinji Hashimoto (橋本 真司, Hashimoto Shinji; born May 24, 1958) is a Japanese former game producer at Square Enix and…
Shinji Hashimoto (橋本 真司, Hashimoto Shinji; born May 24, 1958) is a Japanese former game producer at Square Enix and currently senior advisor at Sony Music Entertainment Japan and a board member at Forwardworks. He served as the Final Fantasy series brand manager for over a decade, was an executive officer at Square Enix board of directors and he was the Head of Square Enix's Business Division 3 for 6 years. He is also the co-creator of the Kingdom Hearts series. He served as corporate executive of the company's 1st Production Department during its entire existence. In May 2021, Hashimoto announced he would be working in Square Enix Holdings as Corporate Advisor training future leaders of the company, after he stepped down from his position of executive director and Final Fantasy brand manager at Square Enix Co. Hashimoto retired from his duties at Square Enix on May 31, 2022. On June 16, 2022, Hashimoto announced he would be a senior advisor at Sony Music Entertainment Japan, as well as board member for ForwardWorks.
Michiru Jo (城みちる, Jō Michiru; born 18 November 1957 in present day Kure, Hiroshima, Japan, as Kōtarō Jōya) is an actor…
Michiru Jo (城みちる, Jō Michiru; born 18 November 1957 in present day Kure, Hiroshima, Japan, as Kōtarō Jōya) is an actor and J-pop musician in Japan. He first became famous when he applied to a Star Tanjō! audition at the age of 15. He released his first single, "Iruka ni Notta Shounen" ('The Boy Who Rode the Dolphin'), in 1973, which was his most well-known song. At the age of 20, he stopped singing to study at the Komazawa University in Tokyo, but then left at the age of 23 to return to Hiroshima. In Hiroshima, he lived with his parents and worked for them in their electrical appliance shop. He then got married when he was 25 and moved to Tokyo. His first child (a son) was born two years later. He soon divorced but then remarried again when he was 34, and not long after that, his daughter was born. His most famous television appearance was on the game show Takeshi's Castle during the late 1980s, where he played the role of one of the many henchmen working for Count Takeshi, portrayed by, Takeshi Kitano. Despite the rumours outside Japan, Michiru is not Takeshi Kitano's nephew. Most recently, he got a job on the local TV channel Hiroshima TV on a programme called "Susume, sports-genkimaru", where he talked about fishing once a month. The programme is still shown in Hiroshima, but it is unknown whether or not he is still on it. He is still listed as a "Class D Entertainer", which means that his appearance fee is between 1 and 2 million yen.
Hiromichi Ishige (石毛 宏典, born September 22, 1956) is a retired Japanese professional baseball player and manager in…
Hiromichi Ishige (石毛 宏典, born September 22, 1956) is a retired Japanese professional baseball player and manager in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball. He played most of his career for the Seibu Lions. Ishige was the 1986 Pacific League Most Valuable Player, a seven-time Best Nine Award-winner, and a ten-time Gold Glove winner. A 14-time All-Star, he left a track record in 16 years as a shortstop and third baseman in the Pacific League. Ishige was drafted by the Lotte Orions in the third round of the 1974 NPB draft, but went to college instead. He won a Tokyo Metropolitan University League batting title and made six Best Nines in college. He was then picked in the first round of the 1980 NPB draft by the Seibu Lions. Ishige made the All-Star team as a rookie with Seibu and would make it all 14 seasons he was with them. He hit .311/.380/.531 that first year with 21 homers and 25 steals (in 34 tries). He won a Gold Glove, made his first Best Nine and won Rookie of the Year honors. Ishige's production slipped to a .259/.337/.401 line in 1982 though he stole 22 in 26 tries and won a Gold Glove and Best Nine. He hit .296/.321/.370 in his first Japan Series, to help Seibu take the 1982 Series but was thrown out in two of three steal attempts. In 1983, Ishige hit .303/.593/.503 with 29 steals in 34 tries, hit 16 homers, scored 86 runs, won another Gold Glove, earned a third Best Nine spot and tied Yutaka Fukumoto and Hiromi Matsunaga for the PL lead with 7 triples. He hit .276/.276/.379 as Seibu won another Japan Series, but was 0 for 1 in steals. The next year, Ishige batted .259/.338/.498 with 91 runs, 26 homers and 26 steals (in 36 tries); Keijiro Yumioka beat him out for the Best Nine that time. While he only stole 11 bases (in 14 tries) in 1985, Ishige remained a potent offensive force, chipping in at a .280/.386/.508 clip with 96 runs, 27 homers and 88 walks. His 26 doubles led the league and he won another Gold Glove and Best Nine. In the 1985 Japan Series, Hiromichi hit .208/.296/.583 with 3 home runs in a losing effort. Ishige won his MVP in 1986, when he batted .329/.386/.531, won another Gold Glove at short, scored 91 runs, drove in 89, smacked 27 home runs and stole 19 bases. He set a Nippon Pro Baseball record by leading off eight games with home runs and set a Seibu club record with a 23-game hitting streak. He hit .297/.297/.405 as Seibu won a hard-fought 1986 Japan Series over the Hiroshima Carp. In '87, Hiromichi hit .269/.331/.370 in an off-year but still won a Gold Glove and made the Best Nine. He batted .348/.423/.652 in the 1987 Japan Series to win his fourth ring. That winter, he assumed chairmanship of the board of directors of the Japan Professional Baseball Players Association, replacing Hiromitsu Ochiai; two years later, Akinobu Okada would take the role. The 31-year-old had his third and last 20-20 year in 1988 (21 HR, 22 SB in 26 tries; he would never hit 20 homers again) and batted .283/.364/.441 and won his 7th Gold Glove. He had his best Series, the 1989 Japan Series, hitting .389/.389/.944 with 3 HR, 5 runs and 6 RBI in five games to win the Series MVP award. In '89, Ishige stole 28 in 33 tries for his final 20-steal season and batted .270/.395/.428. He drew 98 walks, a career-best and led the PL in that category. Ishige hit .298/.364/.429 in 1990 and was 7 for 8 in steals. Now a third baseman, he fielded .991, a Pacific League record for the position. He went 1 for 12 in the 1990 Japan Series but drew four walks as his club won a sixth Series. At one point, he had hit in 17 straight games in a Japan Series, a record. In '91, the veteran still produced at a .269/.331/.424 rate and he hit .280/.333/.440 in the 1991 Japan Series, Seibu's seventh victory in his time with the club. He won his first Gold Glove in three years. In 1992, Ishige batted .297/.359/.413, won a Gold Glove and made his seventh Best Nine, the first in five years. He hit .240/.286/.440 as Seibu took the 1992 Japan Series for their eighth Series win in his 12 seasons, marking it as the greatest Pacific League dynasty ever — other key contributors in the run had included Koji Akiyama, Kimiyasu Kudoh, Hisanobu Watanabe, Orestes Destrade, Kazuhiro Kiyohara, Taigen Kaku, Osamu Higashio, and Tetsuya Shiozaki. Ishige was the captain of the team during the last stretch of Series victories at least. Destrade recalls that Ishige was the team's motivator. Ishige continued to produce as the 36-year-old put up a .306/.389/.479 batting line in 1993, won his last Gold Glove and made his final Best Nine. He hit .304/.385/.304 in the 1993 Japan Series as Seibu fell in 7 games to the Yakult Swallows to end their dynastic run. In '94, Hiromichi hit .266/.335/.397 and made his last All-Star appearance. He went 1 for 12 with three walks in the 1994 Japan Series. Leaving Seibu after 14 All-Star seasons and 8 titles in 14 years, Ishige moved on to the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks, where the 38-year-old hit .200/.260/.275 to signal that his glory days were definitely gone. Fellow faded star Matsunaga was the primary third baseman that year. In 1996, Ishige concluded his playing career by going 3 for 23 for Daiei. Overall, Ishige hit .283/.362/.450 in 7,570 plate appearances, cracked 236 homers and stole 243 in 314 tries. Through 2006, Hiromichi ranks 25th all-time in NPB in runs (1,049, 10 behind Matsunaga), 18th in sacrifice bunts (218; manager Masahiko Mori often had him bunt as he felt Ishige hit into too many double plays in the clutch. Destrade, on the other hand, described him as a timely player who drove in key runs, showing how different perceptions of "clutch play" can be) and 22nd in strikeouts (1,127). With one more year as a regular, he likely would have been in the top 30 in walks as well. After retiring as a player, Ishige was a minor league manager for Seibu for two years then spent a year as a commentator for NHK in 1999. When manager Akira Ohgi was let go after the 2001 season, the Orix BlueWave hired Ishige to replace him as manager. The club fell from above-.500 in '01 to 50-87-3 and last place. The next year, they started poorly and Ishige lambasted high-strikeout sluggers Fernando Seguignol and Scott Sheldon. After a 7-12-1 start, Ishige was let go and they brought in Leon Lee as the new manager, the first African-American manager in NPB history. Lee fared no better with the sorry lot and they finished last again. In 2005, Ishige founded the independent Shikoku Island League (now known as Shikoku Island League Plus).
Yōsuke Takahashi (高橋 葉介, Takahashi Yōsuke; born 15 March 1956, Nagano, Japan) is a Japanese horror manga artist who is…
Yōsuke Takahashi (高橋 葉介, Takahashi Yōsuke; born 15 March 1956, Nagano, Japan) is a Japanese horror manga artist who is known for his works Mugen Shinshi and Gakkō no Kaidan. He graduated from Komazawa University. He made his professional manga debut in 1977, and has had stories published in the manga anthology series Petit Apple Pie. Kouta Hirano, the Japanese manga artist, says that Takahashi is a treasure to the Japanese manga world.
William Marvin Bodiford (born December 3, 1955) is an American professor and author. He teaches Buddhist Studies and…
William Marvin Bodiford (born December 3, 1955) is an American professor and author. He teaches Buddhist Studies and religion in the cultures of Japan and East Asia at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Shigekazu Mori (森 繁和, born November 18, 1954, in Chosei, Chiba Prefecture) is a former Japanese professional baseball…
Shigekazu Mori (森 繁和, born November 18, 1954, in Chosei, Chiba Prefecture) is a former Japanese professional baseball pitcher who played for the Seibu Lions in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball. He has held coaching positions at 4 different teams most notably including a 10 years stint at the Seibu Lions and 10 years at current employers, the Chunichi Dragons. On 9 August 2016 it was announced that Mori would become the interim manager of the Dragons following the dismissal of Motonobu Tanishige. On 29 September 2016, following the end of the 2016 NPB season where the Dragons finished last in the Central League, Mori was announced as permanent full-time manager for the 2017 season.
Hajime Meshiai (飯合 肇, Meshiai Hajime; born 12 March 1954) is a Japanese professional golfer.
Shigeo Nakajima (中島 成雄, Nakajima Shigeo; born January 16, 1954) is a retired Japanese boxer who is a former WBC junior…
Shigeo Nakajima (中島 成雄, Nakajima Shigeo; born January 16, 1954) is a retired Japanese boxer who is a former WBC junior flyweight champion. He is an alumnus of the Komazawa University. Nakajima began boxing at Yonekura Boxing Gym at the age of a high school student. He compiled an amateur record of 80–15 (48 KOs) before turning professional.
Kiyoshi Nakahata (中畑 清, Nakahata Kiyoshi; born January 6, 1954) is a Japanese former Nippon Professional Baseball…
Kiyoshi Nakahata (中畑 清, Nakahata Kiyoshi; born January 6, 1954) is a Japanese former Nippon Professional Baseball player. He played for the Yomiuri Giants (1976–1989). He managed the Yokohama DeNA BayStars for four seasons from 2011 to 2015.
Amanoyama Shizuo (born Shizuo Ogata; December 28, 1953 – September 17, 1997) was a sumo wrestler from Taku Saga, Japan.…
Amanoyama Shizuo (born Shizuo Ogata; December 28, 1953 – September 17, 1997) was a sumo wrestler from Taku Saga, Japan. He was an amateur champion at Komazawa University and so was given makushita tsukedashi status upon entering professional sumo. He made his professional debut in March 1976, fighting under surname of Ogata, winning the third-division championship in September 1976, in an eight-way playoff, but following up with a losing record of six losses. In July 1977 he would win the third-division championship again, this time undefeated, and earning promotion to Jūryō. He then reached the top division in March 1978. In his top division debut he defeated ozeki Takanohana and scored 11 wins against 4 losses, winning the Fighting Spirit prize for the only time. He made his makuuchi debut in the same tournament as Kotowaka and as both were unusually tall, they were nicknamed "Jumbo Jet" and "Concorde". His highest rank was maegashira 1. Upon retirement from active competition, he became an elder in the Japan Sumo Association under the name Tatsutayama. He died while an active oyakata in September 1997 at the age of 43. He had been suffering from diabetes and liver disease since his days as an active wrestler.
Atsushi Watanabe (渡部 篤, Watanabe Atsushi; born 12 April 1952) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party…
Atsushi Watanabe (渡部 篤, Watanabe Atsushi; born 12 April 1952) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima and graduate of Komazawa University, he was elected to the first of his two terms in the city assembly of Aizuwakamatsu in 1982, to the first of his four terms in the assembly of Fukushima Prefecture and to the first of his terms in the House of Representatives in 2005.
Toshio Ukishima (浮島 敏男, Ukishima Toshio; born 1 January 1949) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party…
Toshio Ukishima (浮島 敏男, Ukishima Toshio; born 1 January 1949) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Tokyo and a high school graduate, he was elected for the first time in 2005 after working at a manufacturer of soft drinks.
Shōhaku Okumura (奥村 正博, born June 22, 1948) is a Japanese Sōtō Zen priest and the founder and abbot of the Sanshin Zen…
Shōhaku Okumura (奥村 正博, born June 22, 1948) is a Japanese Sōtō Zen priest and the founder and abbot of the Sanshin Zen Community located in Bloomington, Indiana, where he and his family currently live. From 1997 until 2010, Okumura also served as director of the Sōtō Zen Buddhism International Center in San Francisco, California, which is an administrative office of the Sōtō school of Japan.
Mitsuo Shindō (信藤 三雄, Shindō Mitsuo; 1948 – 10 February 2023) was a Japanese art director, photographer, film director…
Mitsuo Shindō (信藤 三雄, Shindō Mitsuo; 1948 – 10 February 2023) was a Japanese art director, photographer, film director and producer, music video director and calligraphist. Shindō designed over 1000 albums and single cover art for artists including Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, Yumi Matsutoya, Pizzicato Five, Mr. Children, Misia, Hikaru Utada and Glay. He was also a frequent collaborator with Mr. Children and Misia, for whom he has directed several music videos. In 2010, Shindō became a board member of Mudef, a foundation established by Misia and Rhythmedia CEO Hiroto Tanigawa. Shindō died from stomach cancer on 10 February 2023, at the age of 75.
Akihiko Ohya (大矢 明彦 Ōya Akihiko, born December 20, 1947) is a former Japanese baseball player and manager. He was the…
Akihiko Ohya (大矢 明彦 Ōya Akihiko, born December 20, 1947) is a former Japanese baseball player and manager. He was the manager of the Yokohama BayStars baseball team in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball until he was fired on May 18, 2009, for not maintaining club standards.
Shundo Aoyama Rōshi is a Japanese Buddhist nun and abbess. She is the first nun to be appointed to the rank of…
Shundo Aoyama Rōshi is a Japanese Buddhist nun and abbess. She is the first nun to be appointed to the rank of Daikyoshi (Great Teacher) in the Soto Zen school.
Bungaku Ito (Jap. 伊藤 文學 new characters 伊藤 文学; born March 19, 1932) is a Japanese entrepreneur, founder and…
Bungaku Ito (Jap. 伊藤 文學 new characters 伊藤 文学; born March 19, 1932) is a Japanese entrepreneur, founder and editor-in-chief of Japan's first commercially based homosexuality magazine Barazoku. He is the president of Daini-Shobo (Jap. 株式会社第二書房).
Hakuyū Taizan Maezumi (前角 博雄 Maezumi Hakuyū, February 24, 1931 – May 15, 1995) was a Japanese Sōtō Zen Buddhist priest…
Hakuyū Taizan Maezumi (前角 博雄 Maezumi Hakuyū, February 24, 1931 – May 15, 1995) was a Japanese Sōtō Zen Buddhist priest who substantially contributed to development of Zen in the United States. In 1956 he was sent to the United States to serve as a priest for a Japanese-American congregation in Los Angeles. After taking English classes, Maezumi began holding zazen for Western students early in the 1960s, founding the Zen Center of Los Angeles in 1967. After studying koans with Hakuun Yasutani and lay-teacher Koryū Osaka, in his teachings and practice Maezumi combined Sōtō-style shikantaza with Harada Daiun Sogaku's kōan-curriculum, which uses both Rinzai and Soto kōan-collections. In 1979 Maezumi and his first dharma-heir Bernie Glassman informally conceived the White Plum Asanga, a "community of peers" of dharma-heirs of Maezumi and their successors, "represent[ing] the vision of Maezumi Roshi." Maezumi publicly admitted he was an alcoholic in 1983, coinciding with revelations that he had been having sexual relationships with some of his female students. Many students and several of his dharma heirs left the Zen Center of Los Angeles, founding their own Zen communities.