Hiroki Azuma (東 浩紀, Azuma Hiroki) (born May 9, 1971) is a Japanese cultural critic, novelist, and philosopher. His…Hiroki Azuma (東 浩紀, Azuma Hiroki) (born May 9, 1971) is a Japanese cultural critic, novelist, and philosopher. His specializations include Philosophy, Studies of Culture and Representation, and information society studies. He is a professor at ZEN University and the co-founder of Genron, an independent institute in Tokyo, Japan.
Momoyo Kaijima (Kajima, Momoya; born 1969) is a Japanese architect known for her work at Atelier Bow-wow, a studio that…Momoyo Kaijima (Kajima, Momoya; born 1969) is a Japanese architect known for her work at Atelier Bow-wow, a studio that was founded by herself and Yoshiharu Tsukamoto. Her work has focused mainly on urban residential buildings in Japan. In 2021, was appointed as a Full Professor of Affective Architectures in the Department of Architecture at ETH Zurich.
Keitarō Ohno (大野 敬太郎, Ōno Keitarō; born 1 November 1968) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party. He…Keitarō Ohno (大野 敬太郎, Ōno Keitarō; born 1 November 1968) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party. He is currently serving as Deputy Secretary-General of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan. He has served as State Minister of Cabinet Office in charge of Economic Security, Disaster Management, Space Policy, Science and Technology, etc, from 2021 to 2022, Parliamentary Vice Minister of Defense from 2017 to 2018, acting director of Foreign Policy Division and Deputy Chief Secretary of Security Research Committee from 2018 to 2019. He has been representing Kagawa 3rd district in the House of Representatives. He started his career as an engineering researcher at Fujitsu Limited. He was with the Space Development Group, involved in research and design of several components on flight-model satellites, including ARH on ETS-VII, GLI on ADEOS-II, TIR on ASTER, XRS on ASTRO-E and LISM on SELENE. In 1999, he moved to its research institute, Fujitsu Laboratories and was working on the robust and optimal control for applications including HDDs, humanoid robot, GPS, spatial information system, etc. During this term, he was with the University of California at Berkeley as visiting fellow to continue to work on the fundamental research on control engineering.
Susumu Sakurai (born 1968) is a Japanese scientist and science navigator. He was born in Yamagata Prefecture. He is the…Susumu Sakurai (born 1968) is a Japanese scientist and science navigator. He was born in Yamagata Prefecture. He is the president of sakurAi Science Factory Inc.
Kenzo Fujisue (藤末 健三, Fujisue Kenzō; born February 18, 1964) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party…Kenzo Fujisue (藤末 健三, Fujisue Kenzō; born February 18, 1964) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Kumamoto, Kumamoto, he graduated from Tokyo Institute of Technology and received master's degrees from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University in the United States. He was elected to the House of Councillors for the first time in 2004 when he left an assistant professorship at the University of Tokyo.
Akitoshi Kawazu (河津 秋敏, Kawazu Akitoshi; born November 5, 1962) is a Japanese game designer, director, producer and…Akitoshi Kawazu (河津 秋敏, Kawazu Akitoshi; born November 5, 1962) is a Japanese game designer, director, producer and writer. After joining Square (later Square Enix) in 1986, he went on to become a central developer for the first two Final Fantasy titles, then acted as creator and lead developer for the SaGa series. Interested in games since his high school days, his first project at Square was a graphic designer for Rad Racer; he then acted as battle designer for Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy II. He has since worked on nearly every SaGa title, in addition to creating the Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles subseries, smaller projects including The Last Remnant, and serving in an executive role on many Square Enix projects. Kawazu was inspired by role-playing titles such as Dungeons & Dragons, Wizardry and Dragon Quest, with a preference for sword and sorcery settings in his scenarios. A characteristic of his games is a non-linear design for storylines and exploration, and systems that are not actively explained to players. He also has a deep involvement in each project beyond his credited roles, and tries something new with each game he develops.
Shin-ya Koyama (小山 信也, Koyama Shin'ya; born 1962, Niigata) is a Japanese mathematician working in number theory. He is…Shin-ya Koyama (小山 信也, Koyama Shin'ya; born 1962, Niigata) is a Japanese mathematician working in number theory. He is currently a professor at Toyo University.
Katsuhiko Ariga (有賀克彦, Ariga Katsuhiko; born 1962) is a Japanese chemist specializing in nanotechnology and…Katsuhiko Ariga (有賀克彦, Ariga Katsuhiko; born 1962) is a Japanese chemist specializing in nanotechnology and self-assembly. He was educated at the Tokyo Institute of Technology, where he defended his PhD in 1990 and later worked as assistant professor. Since 2004 he carries out research at the National Institute for Materials Science, and teaches at the University of Tokyo, where he is a full professor. Ariga is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (2013) and an editor of the journal Science and Technology of Advanced Materials.
The Pokémon Company (株式会社ポケモン, Kabushiki Gaisha Pokemon; TPC), formerly known as Pokémon Center Co., Ltd.…The Pokémon Company (株式会社ポケモン, Kabushiki Gaisha Pokemon; TPC), formerly known as Pokémon Center Co., Ltd. (ポケモンセンター株式会社, Pokemon Sentā Kabushiki gaisha), is a Japanese company responsible for brand management, production, publishing, marketing, and licensing of the Pokémon franchise, which consists of video games, a trading card game, anime television series, films, manga, home entertainment products, merchandise, and other ventures. Pokémon Center Co., Ltd. was founded in April 1998 through a joint investment by video game series developer Game Freak, original series publisher Nintendo, and Trading Card Game developer and original series producer Creatures to operate the Pokémon Center stores in Japan. In October 2000, it expanded its operations to cover the entire Pokémon franchise, and rebranded to its current name. The company is headquartered in the Roppongi Hills Mori Tower in Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo. The company owns separate subsidiaries that handle operations in different parts of the world, with The Pokémon Company International supporting territories outside Asia and being responsible for brand management, licensing, marketing, the Pokémon Trading Card Game, and the official Pokémon website on those territories, including in the Americas and Europe. Since 2001, The Pokémon Company has handled the publishing of all Pokémon console games in Japan, while overseas Nintendo subsidiaries such as Nintendo of America and Nintendo of Europe handle distribution and co- publication working together with The Pokémon Company International in localization, production and QA, while development is often handled by different companies contracted in spin-offs and by Game Freak in mainline titles. The company is solely responsible for publishing and licensing mobile Pokémon titles separated from Nintendo's own mobile games, unlike console titles where it has help from Nintendo in overseas regional publishing.
Satoru Iwata (Japanese: 岩田 聡; December 6, 1959 – July 11, 2015) was a Japanese businessman, video game programmer, and…Satoru Iwata (Japanese: 岩田 聡; December 6, 1959 – July 11, 2015) was a Japanese businessman, video game programmer, and producer. Beginning in 2002, Iwata served as the fourth president of Nintendo, as well as the chief executive officer (CEO) of Nintendo of America from 2013 until his death in 2015. Iwata was a major contributor in broadening the appeal of video games by focusing on novel and entertaining software rather than top-of-the-line hardware. Born in Sapporo, Iwata expressed interest in video games from an early age and created his first simple game while in high school. He majored in computer science at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. In 1980, he joined the game developer HAL Laboratory while attending the university. At HAL, he worked as a programmer and closely collaborated with Nintendo, coding his first commercial console game in 1983 and programming early Nintendo Entertainment System titles including Pinball, Golf, and Balloon Fight. Later games to which he contributed include EarthBound and numerous installments in the Kirby series. Following a financial downturn and near-bankruptcy, Iwata became the president of HAL in 1993 at the insistence of Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi and restored the company's financial stability. In the following years, he assisted in the development of the Pokémon and Super Smash Bros. series. Iwata joined Nintendo as the head of its corporate planning division in 2000. Nintendo saw strong growth under Iwata, and when Yamauchi retired in May 2002, Iwata succeeded him as the company's president, becoming the first president unrelated to the Yamauchi family. Under Iwata's leadership, Nintendo developed the Nintendo DS and Wii game consoles, helping the company achieve massive financial success. As a self-declared gamer, he focused on expanding the appeal of video games across demographics through a "blue ocean" business strategy and the Touch! Generations brand. Nintendo attained record profits by 2009, and Barron's placed Iwata among the top 30 CEOs worldwide. Iwata expanded his strategy by defining a quality-of-life product line for the Wii that evolved into a ten-year strategy to create standalone products. Later hardware such as the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U proved far less profitable than the Wii, and Nintendo's net sales fell by two-thirds from 2009 to 2012, with the company recording its first operating losses in 30 years during this period. Refusing to lay off employees, Iwata voluntarily halved his salary in 2011 and again in 2014. In 2015, after several years of decline, Iwata directed a portion of Nintendo's focus into the rapidly growing mobile game market through a landmark partnership with mobile provider DeNA established that March, while overseeing early development of the Nintendo Switch. Throughout his tenure, Iwata built a close relationship with Nintendo fans through social media and his regular appearances in Iwata Asks and Nintendo Direct, becoming the public face of the company. In June 2014, a tumor in Iwata's bile duct was discovered during a routine physical exam. It was removed, and Iwata returned to work in October of that year. The illness resurfaced in 2015, and Iwata died at the age of 55 from its complications on July 11. Members of the gaming industry and players worldwide offered tributes through public announcements and social media, and fans established temporary memorials around the globe. Iwata was posthumously awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2015 Golden Joystick Awards and the 2016 D.I.C.E. Awards.
Takashi Taniguchi (谷口尚, Taniguchi Takashi; born July 11, 1959) is a Japanese material scientist. He is a fellow and the…Takashi Taniguchi (谷口尚, Taniguchi Takashi; born July 11, 1959) is a Japanese material scientist. He is a fellow and the Director of the International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics at the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS). He is also a former President of the High Pressure Science Society of Japan. Taniguchi is an expert in crystal growth and has published numerous co-authored papers with Kenji Watanabe and others. Their laboratory is the primary source of high-quality hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) crystals, used widely as a substrate for various two-dimensional materials, such as graphene and transition metal dichalcogenide monolayers. He was featured in Nature as one of the “most prolific researchers.”.
Sumio Watanabe (渡辺 澄夫, Watanabe Sumio; born 1959) is a Japanese mathematician and engineer working in probability…Sumio Watanabe (渡辺 澄夫, Watanabe Sumio; born 1959) is a Japanese mathematician and engineer working in probability theory, applied algebraic geometry and Bayesian statistics. He is currently a professor at Tokyo Institute of Technology in the Department of Computational Intelligence and Systems Science. He is the author of the text, Algebraic Geometry and Statistical Learning Theory, which proposes a generalization of Fisher's regular statistical theory to singular statistical models.
Yutaka Takagi (高木 豊, Yutaka Takagi; born October 22, 1958 in Hōfu, Yamaguchi, Japan) is a professional Japanese…Yutaka Takagi (高木 豊, Yutaka Takagi; born October 22, 1958 in Hōfu, Yamaguchi, Japan) is a professional Japanese baseball player.
Masaaki Kijima (born 1957) is a Japanese economist and mathematician. The Dean of the School of Informatics and Data…Masaaki Kijima (born 1957) is a Japanese economist and mathematician. The Dean of the School of Informatics and Data Science at Hiroshima University, he has made significant contributions to applied probability and financial engineering. The most familiar of his contributions in the field of applied probability was the development of the G-renewal process. Kijima graduated with a bachelor's degree from the Tokyo Institute of Technology in 1980, then obtained a Ph.D. in business from the University of Rochester in 1986.
Pailin Chuchottaworn (Thai: ไพรินทร์ ชูโชติถาวร, RTGS: Phairin Chuchotithawon; born 8 July 1956) is a Thai businessman…Pailin Chuchottaworn (Thai: ไพรินทร์ ชูโชติถาวร, RTGS: Phairin Chuchotithawon; born 8 July 1956) is a Thai businessman, and from 2011 to 2015 was the chief executive officer (CEO) of PTT Public Company Limited, a Thai state-owned oil and gas company, and a Fortune Global 500 company.
Masao Yoshida (吉田 昌郎, Yoshida Masao; 17 February 1955 – 9 July 2013) was a nuclear engineer who served as plant manager…Masao Yoshida (吉田 昌郎, Yoshida Masao; 17 February 1955 – 9 July 2013) was a nuclear engineer who served as plant manager of the Tokyo Electric Power Company Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant during the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
Junichi Iijima (born August 28, 1954), Japanese, Enterprise Engineer and Professor of the Department of Industrial…Junichi Iijima (born August 28, 1954), Japanese, Enterprise Engineer and Professor of the Department of Industrial Management and Engineering at the Tokyo Institute of Technology in Japan.
Haruhiko Kataoka (片岡晴彦, Haruhiko Kataoka; born April 1952) was the 32nd Chief of Staff of the Japan Air Self-Defense…Haruhiko Kataoka (片岡晴彦, Haruhiko Kataoka; born April 1952) was the 32nd Chief of Staff of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, the de facto air force of Japan.
Nobushige Kurokawa (黒川 信重, Kurokawa Nobushige; born 1952) is a Japanese mathematician working in number theory…Nobushige Kurokawa (黒川 信重, Kurokawa Nobushige; born 1952) is a Japanese mathematician working in number theory, especially analytic number theory, multiple trigonometric function theory, zeta functions and automorphic forms. He is currently a professor emeritus at Tokyo Institute of Technology.
Tetsuo Saito (斉藤 鉄夫, Saitō Tetsuo; born 5 February 1952) is a Japanese politician who served as chief representative of…Tetsuo Saito (斉藤 鉄夫, Saitō Tetsuo; born 5 February 1952) is a Japanese politician who served as chief representative of the Komeito from 2024 to 2026. He served as Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism from 2021 to 2024 and Minister of the Environment from 2008 to 2009. Born in Shimane Prefecture, he was educated at the Tokyo Institute of Technology and worked as an engineer before entering politics. He was elected to serve as chief representative of the Komeito to succeed Keiichi Ishii, who was defeated in the 2024 election.
Shunri Oda from the Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan was named Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and…Shunri Oda from the Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan was named Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in 2012 for contributions to silicon quantum dot devices.
Eiichi Nakamura (中村 栄一, Nakamura Eiichi; born 24 February 1951) is a Japanese chemist and professor of chemistry at…Eiichi Nakamura (中村 栄一, Nakamura Eiichi; born 24 February 1951) is a Japanese chemist and professor of chemistry at University of Tokyo in Japan, also appointed as lecture profession in Nankai University in Tianjin, China from Sep 2025.
Hirofumi Akagi (born in Okayama, Japan) is a Japanese electrical engineer and Distinguished Emeritus Professor at the…Hirofumi Akagi (born in Okayama, Japan) is a Japanese electrical engineer and Distinguished Emeritus Professor at the Institute of Science Tokyo. He specializes in power electronics and power conversion systems. He developed the three-level neutral-point-clamped PWM inverters and the three-phase instantaneous power theory, commonly known as p-q theory.
Reiko Miyaoka (Japanese: 宮岡 礼子, born 1951) is a Japanese mathematician and professor at Tohoku University, known for…Reiko Miyaoka (Japanese: 宮岡 礼子, born 1951) is a Japanese mathematician and professor at Tohoku University, known for her research on hypersurfaces. In 2001 she won the Geometry prize of the Mathematical Society of Japan. She received her Ph.D. in 1983 from Tokyo Institute of Technology. Her husband Yoichi Miyaoka is also a mathematician.
Kenji Uchino is an American electronics engineer, physicist, academic, inventor and industry executive. He is currently…Kenji Uchino is an American electronics engineer, physicist, academic, inventor and industry executive. He is currently an academy professor of Electrical Engineering, Emeritus Academy Institute at Pennsylvania State University, where he also directs the International Center for Actuators and Transducers at Materials Research Institute. He is the former associate director (US Navy Ambassador to Japan) at The US Office of Naval Research – Global Tokyo Office. Uchino has conducted extensive research on solid state physics, focusing especially on ferroelectrics and piezoelectrics. He is one of the pioneers in piezoelectric actuators and electro-optic displays and is the inventor of topics including lead magnesium niobate (PMN)-based electrostricive materials, cofired multilayer piezoelectric actuators, superior electromechanical coupling relaxor-PbTiO_3 single crystals, magnetoelectric laminated composite sensors, shape memory ceramics, and micro ultrasonic motors. Uchino's work has resulted in over 584 research papers, over 78 books and 33 patents in the ceramic actuator area. Uchino is a Life Fellow of IEEE, American Ceramic Society and International Association of Advanced Materials, and a senior member of National Academy of Inventors. He chaired the Smart Actuators/Sensors Study Committee in Japan from 1987 till 2014. Uchino is the Editor in Chief of J. Actuators, MDPI, J. Current Applied Materials, J. Current Mechanics and Advanced Materials, Bentham Science Pub. Ltd., and J. Insight-Material Science, PiscoMed Publishing LLT.
Takashi Yabe (矢部 孝, Yabe Takashi) is a professor at the Department of Mechanical Sciences and Engineering, Tokyo…Takashi Yabe (矢部 孝, Yabe Takashi) is a professor at the Department of Mechanical Sciences and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech.).
Tadamichi Yamamoto (山本 忠通, Yamamoto Tadamichi; born 1950) is a diplomat, who served as UN Secretary-General's Special…Tadamichi Yamamoto (山本 忠通, Yamamoto Tadamichi; born 1950) is a diplomat, who served as UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Afghanistan and head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) until replaced by Deborah Lyons in March 2020. Previously, he served as the Secretary-General's Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan dating back to November 2014. He also served as Ambassador of Japan to Hungary in 2012 and was the special representative of the Government of Japan for Pakistan and Afghanistan from 2010 to 2012. Yamamoto also coordinated a ministerial-level international conference on Afghan development, which was held in Tokyo, Japan in July 2012. He completed his Bachelor of Science degree in engineering from the Tokyo Institute of Technology and a bachelor's degree from the University of Oxford.
Toshikazu Sunada (砂田 利一, Sunada Toshikazu; born September 7, 1948) is a Japanese mathematician and author of many books…Toshikazu Sunada (砂田 利一, Sunada Toshikazu; born September 7, 1948) is a Japanese mathematician and author of many books and essays on mathematics and mathematical sciences. He is professor emeritus of both Meiji University and Tohoku University. He is also distinguished professor of emeritus at Meiji in recognition of achievement over the course of an academic career. Before he joined Meiji University in 2003, he was professor of mathematics at Nagoya University (1988–1991), at the University of Tokyo (1991–1993), and at Tohoku University (1993–2003). Sunada was involved in the creation of the School of Interdisciplinary Mathematical Sciences at Meiji University and is its first dean (2013–2017). Since 2019, he is President of Mathematics Education Society of Japan.
Naoki Inose (猪瀬 直樹, Inose Naoki; born 20 November 1946) is a Japanese politician, journalist, historian, social critic…Naoki Inose (猪瀬 直樹, Inose Naoki; born 20 November 1946) is a Japanese politician, journalist, historian, social critic and biographer of literary figures such as Yukio Mishima and Osamu Dazai. He served as Lieutenant Governor of Tokyo from June 2007 until becoming Acting Governor on 1 November 2012 following the resignation of Shintaro Ishihara. He was elected Governor in a historical landslide victory in December 2012, but announced his resignation on December 19, 2013, following a political funds-related scandal; his resignation was approved and became effective December 24, 2013.
Naoto Kan (菅 直人, Kan Naoto; born 10 October 1946) is a Japanese former politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan…Naoto Kan (菅 直人, Kan Naoto; born 10 October 1946) is a Japanese former politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) from June 2010 to September 2011. Kan was the first Prime Minister since the resignation of Junichiro Koizumi in 2006 to serve for more than one year, with his predecessors Yukio Hatoyama, Tarō Asō, Yasuo Fukuda, and Shinzo Abe either resigning prematurely or losing an election. On 26 August 2011, Kan announced his resignation. Yoshihiko Noda was elected as his successor. On 1 August 2012, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced Kan would be one of the members of the UN high-level panel on the post-2015 development agenda. Kan would announce his retirement from politics in November 2023. In February 2024 he would publish a memoir reflecting on his time in politics titled 'Fifty Years of Citizen Politics' (市民政治50年, Shimin Seiji 50-nen).
Kenichi Ohmae (大前 研一, Ōmae Ken'ichi; born February 22, 1943) is a Japanese organizational theorist, management…Kenichi Ohmae (大前 研一, Ōmae Ken'ichi; born February 22, 1943) is a Japanese organizational theorist, management consultant, former Professor and Dean of UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, and author, known for developing the 3Cs model. He has argued that Japan's prolonged economic stagnation stems from a societal shift he terms a "low-desire society", characterized by declining ambition and consumption, particularly among younger generations.
Toshitada Doi (土井 利忠, Doi Toshitada; born February 2, 1943) is a Japanese electrical engineer, who played a significant…Toshitada Doi (土井 利忠, Doi Toshitada; born February 2, 1943) is a Japanese electrical engineer, who played a significant role in the digital audio revolution. He received a degree in electrical engineering from the Tokyo Institute of Technology in 1964, and a PhD from Tohoku University in 1972. He joined Sony Japan in 1964 and started the first digital audio project within Sony. He was the driving force behind the PCM adaptor, and was a prominent member of the Sony/Philips taskforce responsible for the design of the Compact Disc. He created, among others, the CIRC error correction system. He, with Kees Immink, refutes the myth that the Compact Disc's playing time was determined by Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. He was the lead engineer of the DASH multi-track digital audio tape recorder. In the 1990s, he headed Sony's Digital Creatures Laboratory, where he was responsible for the Aibo, Sony's robotic dog. In 2003, Doi created the Qrio, a running humanoid robot.
Hideki Shirakawa (白川 英樹, Shirakawa Hideki; August 20, 1936 – August 24, 2026) was a Japanese chemist and engineer who…Hideki Shirakawa (白川 英樹, Shirakawa Hideki; August 20, 1936 – August 24, 2026) was a Japanese chemist and engineer who was Professor Emeritus at the University of Tsukuba and Zhejiang University. He was best known for his discovery of conductive polymers. He was co-recipient of the 2000 Nobel Prize in Chemistry jointly with Alan MacDiarmid and Alan Heeger.
Nobuyuki Yoshigahara (芦ヶ原 伸之 Yoshigahara Nobuyuki, commonly known as "Nob"; May 27, 1936 – June 19, 2004) was a…Nobuyuki Yoshigahara (芦ヶ原 伸之 Yoshigahara Nobuyuki, commonly known as "Nob"; May 27, 1936 – June 19, 2004) was a Japanese inventor, collector, solver, and communicator of puzzles.
Toshiaki Tsushima (津島 利章, Tsushima Toshiaki; 22 May 1936 – 25 November 2013) was a Japanese composer, mainly known for…Toshiaki Tsushima (津島 利章, Tsushima Toshiaki; 22 May 1936 – 25 November 2013) was a Japanese composer, mainly known for his film scores. Born in Okayama Prefecture, he graduated from the Arts Department of Nihon University in Tokyo. He died on November 25, 2013, of pneumonia.
Yasuharu Suematsu (末松 安晴, Suematsu Yasuharu; born September 22, 1932) is a Japanese electrical engineer who is…Yasuharu Suematsu (末松 安晴, Suematsu Yasuharu; born September 22, 1932) is a Japanese electrical engineer who is recognised for his contributions to developments in fiber-optic communication technology. His research in the field of electromagnetic radiation concerning dynamic single-mode lasers has also been cited in several academic and technical studies. Suematsu is professor emeritus at the Institute of Science Tokyo.
Shōji Hayashi (林 昌二, Hayashi Shōji) (23 September 1928 – 30 November 2011) was a Japanese architect. As chief architect…Shōji Hayashi (林 昌二, Hayashi Shōji) (23 September 1928 – 30 November 2011) was a Japanese architect. As chief architect of Nikken Sekkei, Ltd., he designed many notable buildings, including the Palaceside Building in Tokyo, which was selected as one of 20 works of modern Japanese architecture by Docomomo Japan. He was chairman of the Japan Institute of Architects (1990–1992) and an honorary fellow of the American Institute of Architects.
Teruaki Mukaiyama (向山 光昭, Mukaiyama Teruaki; January 5, 1927 – November 17, 2018) was a Japanese organic chemist. One…Teruaki Mukaiyama (向山 光昭, Mukaiyama Teruaki; January 5, 1927 – November 17, 2018) was a Japanese organic chemist. One of the most prolific chemists of the 20th century in the field of organic synthesis, Mukaiyama helped establish the field of organic chemistry in Japan after World War II.
Takumi Shibano (柴野 拓美, Shibano Takumi; October 27, 1926 – January 16, 2010) was a Japanese science-fiction translator…Takumi Shibano (柴野 拓美, Shibano Takumi; October 27, 1926 – January 16, 2010) was a Japanese science-fiction translator and author. He was a major figure in fandom in Japan and contributed to establishing the Japanese science fiction genre. A native of Kanazawa, Ishikawa, in 1957 Takumi started Japan's first successful science fiction fanzine Uchūjin initially published monthly; many contributors to the fanzine later became pro, including Shin'ichi Hoshi, Sakyo Komatsu, Ryu Mitsuse and Yasutaka Tsutsui, and formed the first generation of modern Japanese science fiction authors. Shibano was the chair of Japan's first science fiction convention in 1962, as well as the second (1963), fourth (1965) and sixth (1967). He worked on the formation of the Federation of SF Fan Groups of Japan, founded in 1965, and served as its chair from 1966 through 1970. After leaving his job as a high-school mathematics teacher in 1977, he became a full-time writer and translator. Under the pen-name Rei Kozumi (小隅 黎, Kozumi Rei), a play on "cosmic ray," he translated as many as sixty science fiction novels from English into Japanese, including E. E. Smith's Lensman series and Larry Niven's Known Space series. Also as Rei Kozumi, he wrote three children's books, Superhuman ‘Plus X’ (1969), Operation Moonjet (1969), and Revolt in North Pole City (1977), and was also principal author of The World of Popular Literature (1978). In 1968 a fan fund paid for him to attend Worldcon for the first time, and after 1979 he attended most of the Worldcons and served as the presenter of the Seiun Award. He received the E. E. Evans Big Heart Award in 1986 and a Worldcon Special Award at the 51st World Science Fiction Convention in 1993. He was the Fan Guest of Honor of the 54th World Science Fiction Convention in 1996 and the 65th World Science Fiction Convention in 2007. Nihon SF Taisho Award Special Prize, Seiun Award Special Prize, Tokyo Anime Award Award of Merit were awarded posthumously for his lifetime achievement.
Takeo Okuno (奥野 健男, Okuno Takeo; July 25, 1926–November 26, 1997), was a Japanese chemist and a leading literary critic…Takeo Okuno (奥野 健男, Okuno Takeo; July 25, 1926–November 26, 1997), was a Japanese chemist and a leading literary critic of the postwar era. A close friend of philosopher Takaaki Yoshimoto and writer Yukio Mishima, he helped draw attention to a new generation of postwar Japanese authors and push the Japanese literary world to break free from hegemonic ideologies and pursue more individualistic forms of expression.
Kazuo Shinohara (篠原 一男, Shinohara Kazuo; April 2, 1925 – July 15, 2006) was a Japanese architect, forming what is now…Kazuo Shinohara (篠原 一男, Shinohara Kazuo; April 2, 1925 – July 15, 2006) was a Japanese architect, forming what is now widely known as the "Shinohara School", which has been linked to the works of Toyo Ito, Kazunari Sakamoto and Itsuko Hasegawa, Kazuyo Sejima, Ryue Nishizawa. As architectural critic Thomas Daniell put it, "A key figure who explicitly rejected Western influences yet appears on almost every branch of the family tree of contemporary Japanese architecture... is Kazuo Shinohara... His effects on the discipline as a theorist, designer and teacher have been immense." He studied at Tokyo Institute of Technology, (TIT) finishing in 1953, and going on to become professor in 1970. He established his own practice in 1954, going on to design more than 30 residential buildings, as well as many key public buildings across Japan. His work is generally classified as having strong qualities of lucidity and ephemerality, and for these reasons is often seen as ideologically influential on Toyo Ito's work. He was awarded the Architectural Institute of Japan's (AIJ) grand prize in 2005. In 2010 the Biennale di Venezia awarded a special commemorative Golden Lion in memory of Kazuo Shinohara.
Takaaki Yoshimoto (吉本 隆明, Yoshimoto Takaaki; 25 November 1924 – 16 March 2012), also known as Ryūmei Yoshimoto, was a…Takaaki Yoshimoto (吉本 隆明, Yoshimoto Takaaki; 25 November 1924 – 16 March 2012), also known as Ryūmei Yoshimoto, was a Japanese poet, philosopher, and literary critic. As a philosopher, he is remembered as a founding figure in the emergence of the New Left in Japan, and as a critic, he was at the forefront of a movement to force writers to confront their responsibility as wartime collaborators. Yoshimoto is the father of Japanese writer Banana Yoshimoto and of cartoonist Yoiko Haruno.
Kosaku Inaba (稲葉 興作, Inaba Kōsaku; January 16, 1924 – November 16, 2006) was a Singapore-born Japanese businessman…Kosaku Inaba (稲葉 興作, Inaba Kōsaku; January 16, 1924 – November 16, 2006) was a Singapore-born Japanese businessman, former president of Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co., head of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (1993–2001) and second president of Nippon Kaigi (1998–2001). He was a graduate of Azabu High School and Tokyo Institute of Technology. He joined the Ishikawajima Shibaura Turbine Co. in 1946. In 1962, the company merged with Ishikawajima-Shibaura Seiki Co. and Shibaura Sewing Machine Co. and changed its name to its current one. Inaba rose through the ranks as board director, managing director and senior vice president before becoming president of the company in 1983 and chairman in 1995. He was a recipient of the Order of the Rising Sun.
Toshio Ikeda (池田 敏雄, Ikeda Toshio; August 7, 1923 – November 14, 1974) was a Japanese engineer. He was the former…Toshio Ikeda (池田 敏雄, Ikeda Toshio; August 7, 1923 – November 14, 1974) was a Japanese engineer. He was the former managing director of Fujitsu and was the pioneer of domestic computer production in Japan.
Sadao Bekku (別宮貞雄, Bekku Sadao; May 24, 1922, in Tokyo – January 12, 2012, in Mitaka, Tokyo) was a Japanese classical…Sadao Bekku (別宮貞雄, Bekku Sadao; May 24, 1922, in Tokyo – January 12, 2012, in Mitaka, Tokyo) was a Japanese classical composer. His works include five symphonies, film scores, a flute sonata, a piano concerto, choral work and art songs, and the opera, Prince Arima. His work took strong influence from jazz. His best-known works include the film score Matango (1963).
Heitaro Nakajima (中島 平太郎, Nakajima Heitarō; 19 March 1921 – 9 December 2017) was a Japanese digital audio pioneer, who…Heitaro Nakajima (中島 平太郎, Nakajima Heitarō; 19 March 1921 – 9 December 2017) was a Japanese digital audio pioneer, who led Sony's Compact Disc project in the 1970s. Born in Kurume, Fukuoka Prefecture, Nakajima graduated from the Tokyo Institute of Technology with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering in 1944, and earned a Doctor of Engineering degree from Kyushu University in 1958. In 1971, Nakajima joined Sony as a managing director, hired by Sony's co-founder and president at large, Masaru Ibuka. He became president of Aiwa in 1984. In 1989, he received the first IEEE Masaru Ibuka Consumer Electronics Award and in 1993 he was awarded the Purple Ribbon Medal for CD development.
Jiro Kawakita (川喜田 二郎, Kawakita Jirō) was an ethnographer, a pioneer in participation of remote Nepalese villagers in…Jiro Kawakita (川喜田 二郎, Kawakita Jirō) was an ethnographer, a pioneer in participation of remote Nepalese villagers in researching their problems, resulting in practical benefits of potable water supplies and rapid rope-way transport across mountain gorges. He was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1984. He is reported as the author of KJ method for organizing notes, also termed affinity walls in UX Research. He viewed the method as an alternative to Western quantitative methods in ethnography. Kawakita established the non-profit organisation Institute for Himalayan Conservation Japan.
Tatsuzō Shimaoka (島岡 達三, Shimaoka Tatsuzō; 27 October 1919 – 11 December 2007) was a Japanese mingei inspired potter…Tatsuzō Shimaoka (島岡 達三, Shimaoka Tatsuzō; 27 October 1919 – 11 December 2007) was a Japanese mingei inspired potter who studied under Shōji Hamada and later became the second Living National Treasure of Mashiko, Japan. He was best known for his unique Jōmon zogan style of pottery, and was a master of many slip decorating and firing techniques for pottery. Throughout his career, Shimaoka worked collaboratively with a group of workers, students, and apprentices from Japan and abroad. After supervising the loading of what would become his last noborigama firing in late 2007, Shimaoka collapsed, and died several weeks later in late 2007 from acute liver failure at Mashiko in Tochigi Prefecture.
