Shinji Imaoka (今岡信治 or いまおかしんじ, いまおかしんぢ, Imaoka Shinji) a.k.a. 羅門ナカ is a Japanese film director, screenwriter, and…Shinji Imaoka (今岡信治 or いまおかしんじ, いまおかしんぢ, Imaoka Shinji) a.k.a. 羅門ナカ is a Japanese film director, screenwriter, and actor. He is one of a group of pink film directors of the 2000s known collectively as the "Seven Lucky Gods of Pink" (ピンク七福神, shichifukujin), which besides Imaoka, also includes Toshiya Ueno, Mitsuru Meike, Yūji Tajiri, Yoshitaka Kamata, Toshirō Enomoto and Rei Sakamoto.
Toshihito Bandō (坂東 齢人; born February 18, 1965), known by his pen name Hase Seishū (馳 星周), is a Japanese novelist known…Toshihito Bandō (坂東 齢人; born February 18, 1965), known by his pen name Hase Seishū (馳 星周), is a Japanese novelist known for his Yakuza crime novels. His pen name is based on the Chinese name of Hong Kong filmmaker Stephen Chow, Chow Sing-chi (周星馳), written backwards and rendered in Japanese.
Yoshiharu Sekino (関野 吉晴, Sekino Yoshiharu; born 20 January 1949, Tokyo) is a Japanese surgeon, explorer, travel writer…Yoshiharu Sekino (関野 吉晴, Sekino Yoshiharu; born 20 January 1949, Tokyo) is a Japanese surgeon, explorer, travel writer, photographer and anthropologist.
Akira Fuse (布施 明, Fuse Akira; born December 18, 1947) is a Japanese singer and actor. He debuted in 1965 with the…Akira Fuse (布施 明, Fuse Akira; born December 18, 1947) is a Japanese singer and actor. He debuted in 1965 with the single "Kimi ni Namida to Hohoemi o" (君に涙とほほえみを; "Tears and Smiles to You").
Masaru Emoto (Japanese: 江本 勝, Hepburn: Emoto Masaru; July 22, 1943 – October 17, 2014) was a Japanese businessman…Masaru Emoto (Japanese: 江本 勝, Hepburn: Emoto Masaru; July 22, 1943 – October 17, 2014) was a Japanese businessman, author and pseudoscientist who claimed that human consciousness could affect the molecular structure of water. His 2004 book The Hidden Messages in Water was a New York Times best seller. His ideas had evolved over the years, and his early work revolved around pseudoscientific hypotheses that water could react to positive thoughts and words and that polluted water could be cleaned through prayer and positive visualization. Starting in 1999, Emoto published several volumes of a work entitled Messages from Water, containing photographs of ice crystals and accompanying experiments such as that of the "rice in water 30 day experiment."
Koichi Kawana (Japanese: 川名孝一, born March 16, 1930, in Hokkaido – September 13, 1990) was a post-war Japanese American…Koichi Kawana (Japanese: 川名孝一, born March 16, 1930, in Hokkaido – September 13, 1990) was a post-war Japanese American garden designer, landscape architect and teacher. He designed gardens in San Diego, Los Angeles, Denver, Colorado, Chicago, Illinois, Memphis, Tennessee, and St. Louis, Missouri. Some of his major works include the Seiwa-en Japanese Garden in the Missouri Botanical Garden, the Hannah Carter Japanese Garden and a dry landscape garden at Sawtelle, Los Angeles. He designed the bonsai collection for the Pavilion of Japanese Art at LACMA in the 90s.
Yoichi Nishimaru (西丸 與一, Nishimaru Yoichi; 14 March 1927 – 3 April 2020) was a Japanese physician specializing in…Yoichi Nishimaru (西丸 與一, Nishimaru Yoichi; 14 March 1927 – 3 April 2020) was a Japanese physician specializing in medical jurisprudence. His books were so popular that they became best-sellers in Japan.
Masatoshi Itō (伊藤 雅俊, Itō Masatoshi; 30 April 1924 – 10 March 2023) was a Japanese businessman and founder of…Masatoshi Itō (伊藤 雅俊, Itō Masatoshi; 30 April 1924 – 10 March 2023) was a Japanese businessman and founder of Ito-Yokado.
Ken Hirai (平井 堅, Hirai Ken; born January 17, 1972) is a Japanese singer-songwriter. Since his debut, Hirai has worked…Ken Hirai (平井 堅, Hirai Ken; born January 17, 1972) is a Japanese singer-songwriter. Since his debut, Hirai has worked as a model, actor, composer, lyricist, singer, and brand ambassador. During his career, Hirai has released forty-seven singles and eleven studio albums as of January 2024. According to Oricon, his single Hitomi o Tojite (Close Your Eyes) became the best-selling single of 2004 in Japan, while his compilation album Ken Hirai 10th Anniversary Complete Single Collection '95–'05 "Utabaka" became the best-selling album of 2006 in Japan.