Jinzō Toriumi (鳥海 尽三, Toriumi Jinzō; February 1, 1929 – January 17, 2008) was a Japanese screenwriter who first began…
Jinzō Toriumi (鳥海 尽三, Toriumi Jinzō; February 1, 1929 – January 17, 2008) was a Japanese screenwriter who first began his career during the "revolutionary era" of Japanese animation on Mach GoGoGo (Speed Racer), Science Ninja Team Gatchaman (Battle of the Planets/G-Force), and Yatterman. Toriumi was born in the northern Japanese prefecture of Hokkaidō. After trying his hand at live-action at Nikkatsu, he began writing animation scripts at Mushi Productions for Mighty Atom (Astro Boy) in 1964. He went on to devote himself full-time to television at Tatsunoko Production in 1965. He contributed to Casshern, Tekkaman and Time Bokan. He later began writing for such Sunrise works as Armored Trooper VOTOMS, Yoroiden Samurai Troopers (Ronin Warriors), Mister Ajikko. He also wrote the novel versions of Gatchaman, Shin Heiyōden and Dororo, as well as the Anime Scenario Nyūmon (The Introduction to Anime Scriptwriting). He used the Anime Scenario Nyūmon book when he became a vocational school teacher for future generations of scriptwriters. He also chaired Ohtori Koubou, a support organization for scriptwriters. He received the (Scenario) Scriptwriting Award from the Japan Writers Guild on May 26, 2000.
Famous Alumni of Nihon University
Nihon University: 841 people
Shiro Hashizume (橋爪四郎, Hashizume Shirō; September 20, 1928 – March 9, 2023) was a Japanese Olympic freestyle swimmer.…
Shiro Hashizume (橋爪四郎, Hashizume Shirō; September 20, 1928 – March 9, 2023) was a Japanese Olympic freestyle swimmer. He won the silver medal in the men's 1500m freestyle at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland. He broke the world record in the same event on August 16, 1949, clocking 18:35.7. That time was bettered the same day, however, by compatriot Hironoshin Furuhashi at the American Swimming Championships in Los Angeles, California.
Hironoshin Furuhashi (古橋 廣之進, Furuhashi Hironoshin; 16 September 1928 – 2 August 2009) was a Japanese Olympic freestyle…
Hironoshin Furuhashi (古橋 廣之進, Furuhashi Hironoshin; 16 September 1928 – 2 August 2009) was a Japanese Olympic freestyle swimmer. In 1948, he set world records in the 400 and 1,500 meter freestyles at the Japan national championships. Furuhashi and Japan were not allowed to compete at the 1948 Summer Olympics because of Japan's role in World War II. Because of his achievement at the 1949 U.S. National Championships of Aquatics, in which he set new world records of freestyle swimming in all distance categories, Furuhashi was referred to by the US media as "the flying fish of Fujiyama". Furuhashi competed in the 1952 Summer Olympics, but did not perform well because of the lingering effects of dysentery which he had contracted during a swimming tour of South America in 1950. In total, Furuhashi set 33 world records during his swimming career. After retiring from competitive swimming, he served as president of the Japanese Olympic Committee for five terms until retiring in 1999. On August 2, 2009, he was found dead in his sleep at his hotel room in Rome, where he was staying for the 2009 World Aquatics Championships.
Kōichi Hamada (浜田 幸一, Hamada Kōichi; 5 September 1928 – 5 August 2012) was a Japanese politician who served in the…
Kōichi Hamada (浜田 幸一, Hamada Kōichi; 5 September 1928 – 5 August 2012) was a Japanese politician who served in the House of Representatives from 1969 to 1980 and from 1983 to 1993. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party, he often drew attention for his unrestrained statements and actions. After his retirement from politics he was active as a television personality.
Shōji Yasui (安井 昌二, Yasui Shōji; 16 August 1928 – 3 March 2014) was a Japanese actor. He was best known for playing the…
Shōji Yasui (安井 昌二, Yasui Shōji; 16 August 1928 – 3 March 2014) was a Japanese actor. He was best known for playing the central role of Private Mizushima in Kon Ichikawa's The Burmese Harp.
Tatsuo Suzuki (鈴木 達夫, Suzuki Tatsuo; April 27, 1928 – July 12, 2011) Yokohama, Japan was an 8th Dan Japanese karateka…
Tatsuo Suzuki (鈴木 達夫, Suzuki Tatsuo; April 27, 1928 – July 12, 2011) Yokohama, Japan was an 8th Dan Japanese karateka instrumental in spreading the martial art of Wadō-ryū karate to Europe and the United States.
Kenjiro Tamiya (田宮 健次郎, Tamiya Kenjiro; February 11, 1928 – May 5, 2010) was a Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball…
Kenjiro Tamiya (田宮 健次郎, Tamiya Kenjiro; February 11, 1928 – May 5, 2010) was a Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball player and manager. In his early years as a professional player, Tamiya was utilized as a pitcher and first baseman, but during the prime of his career, he transitioned to playing as an outfielder. He was inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 2002.
Shinji Takahashi (高橋 信次; 1927–1976) was a Japanese religious leader, writer and founder of GLA, a religious…
Shinji Takahashi (高橋 信次; 1927–1976) was a Japanese religious leader, writer and founder of GLA, a religious organization established in Japan in 1969. Takahashi taught that the essential nature of human beings is the soul.He further asserted that life is sustained by a transcendent divine existence that surpasses human intellect, and that individuals are born with the purpose of establishing themselves and contributing to the harmony of the world.
Koreyoshi Kurahara (蔵原惟繕, Kurahara Koreyoshi) (31 May 1927 – 28 December 2002) was a Japanese screenwriter and…
Koreyoshi Kurahara (蔵原惟繕, Kurahara Koreyoshi) (31 May 1927 – 28 December 2002) was a Japanese screenwriter and director. He is perhaps best known for directing Antarctica (1983), which won several awards and was entered into the 34th Berlin International Film Festival. He also co-directed Hiroshima (1995) with Roger Spottiswoode, which was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Miniseries.
Kazuo Kasahara (笠原 和夫, Kasahara Kazuo; 8 May 1927 – 12 December 2002) was a Japanese screenwriter particularly known…
Kazuo Kasahara (笠原 和夫, Kasahara Kazuo; 8 May 1927 – 12 December 2002) was a Japanese screenwriter particularly known for his work in the yakuza film genre. He was born in the Nihonbashi area of Tokyo and dropped out of Nippon University.
Kazuhiko Sugawara (菅原 和彦, Sugawara Kazuhiko; 1 May 1927 – 27 October 1962) was a Japanese speed skater who competed in…
Kazuhiko Sugawara (菅原 和彦, Sugawara Kazuhiko; 1 May 1927 – 27 October 1962) was a Japanese speed skater who competed in the 1952 Winter Olympics. He finished seventh in the 10000 m and 15th in the 5000 m event.
Kenjiro Ezaki (Japanese: 江崎健次郎, Hepburn: Ezaki Kenjiro; born 27 October 1926) is a Japanese composer of contemporary…
Kenjiro Ezaki (Japanese: 江崎健次郎, Hepburn: Ezaki Kenjiro; born 27 October 1926) is a Japanese composer of contemporary classical music, especially famous for his electronic music and computer music.
Yoshihiro Hamaguchi (浜口 喜博, Hamaguchi Yoshihiro; June 23, 1926 – August 9, 2011) was a Japanese freestyle swimmer. He…
Yoshihiro Hamaguchi (浜口 喜博, Hamaguchi Yoshihiro; June 23, 1926 – August 9, 2011) was a Japanese freestyle swimmer. He represented Japan at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland. There, he won a silver medal as a member of the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay team, alongside Toru Goto, Hiroshi Suzuki and Teijiro Tanikawa. Also competed in the 100m freestyle advancing to the semifinals, missing the finals by a narrow margin. After retiring he debuted as an actor in the 1955 film Buruuba as a Japanese version of Tarzan. He also appeared in the TV Show Shōnen Jet, a detective adventure show made by Kadokawa Pictures.
Taketoshi Naito (内藤 武敏, Naitō Taketoshi; 16 June 1926 – 21 August 2012) was a Japanese actor. He appeared in more than…
Taketoshi Naito (内藤 武敏, Naitō Taketoshi; 16 June 1926 – 21 August 2012) was a Japanese actor. He appeared in more than 70 films between 1953 and 2003. He died of lymphoma on 21 August 2012.
Seiroku Kajiyama (梶山 静六, Kajiyama Seiroku; March 27, 1926 – June 6, 2000) was a Japanese politician who served in the…
Seiroku Kajiyama (梶山 静六, Kajiyama Seiroku; March 27, 1926 – June 6, 2000) was a Japanese politician who served in the House of Representatives from 1969 to 1976 and from 1979 to 2000, as Secretary-General of the Liberal Democratic Party from 1992 to 1993, and as Chief Cabinet Secretary from 1996 to 1998.
Tsuneo Sato (佐藤 恒夫, Satō Tsuneo; 18 December 1925 – 16 September 1992) was a Japanese speed skater. He competed in two…
Tsuneo Sato (佐藤 恒夫, Satō Tsuneo; 18 December 1925 – 16 September 1992) was a Japanese speed skater. He competed in two events at the 1952 Winter Olympics.
Asao Sano (佐野 浅夫, Sano Asao; 13 August 1925 – 28 June 2022) was a Japanese actor. He was known for playing the role of…
Asao Sano (佐野 浅夫, Sano Asao; 13 August 1925 – 28 June 2022) was a Japanese actor. He was known for playing the role of Tokugawa Mitsukuni on the television jidaigeki series Mito Kōmon. Sano died on 28 June 2022, at the age of 96.
Akira Tanno (丹野 章, Tanno Akira; 8 August 1925 – 5 August 2015) was a Japanese photographer who was a member of Vivo.
Masaru Urata (Japanese: 浦田勝 Urata Masaru; 20 June 1925 – 5 March 2026) was a Japanese politician. A member of the…
Masaru Urata (Japanese: 浦田勝 Urata Masaru; 20 June 1925 – 5 March 2026) was a Japanese politician. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party, he served in the House of Councillors from 1983 to 1989 and again from 1992 to 1998. Urata died in Tamana on 5 March 2026, at the age of 100.
Tsunetoshi Tanaka (田中 恒利, Tanaka Tsunetoshi; April 1, 1925 - January 12, 2014) was a Japanese politician. He was a…
Tsunetoshi Tanaka (田中 恒利, Tanaka Tsunetoshi; April 1, 1925 - January 12, 2014) was a Japanese politician. He was a member of the House of Representatives (1969–1972, 1980–1996).
Masashige Narusawa (Japanese: 成沢昌茂, Narusawa Masashige; 29 January 1925 – 13 February 2021) was a Japanese screenwriter…
Masashige Narusawa (Japanese: 成沢昌茂, Narusawa Masashige; 29 January 1925 – 13 February 2021) was a Japanese screenwriter and director.
Tomio Fujii (Japanese: 藤井 富雄, Fujii Tomio; 17 August 1924 – 11 July 2021) was a Japanese politician who served as the…
Tomio Fujii (Japanese: 藤井 富雄, Fujii Tomio; 17 August 1924 – 11 July 2021) was a Japanese politician who served as the leader of the Komei splinter party between 1994 and 1998. In addition, he was a founding member of Komeito who served as an 11-term member of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly as well as a leading figure in Komeito's Tokyo chapter.
Katsutoshi Nagasawa (長沢 勝俊, Nagasawa Katsutoshi; August 2, 1923 – January 10, 2008) was a Japanese composer of…
Katsutoshi Nagasawa (長沢 勝俊, Nagasawa Katsutoshi; August 2, 1923 – January 10, 2008) was a Japanese composer of classical music with a modern approach. Nagasawa composed for traditional Japanese musical instruments (e.g., Shakuhachi, Koto, Shamisen). Nagasawa was born in 1923 in Tokyo and graduated from Nihon University. He was one of the founding members of Pro Musica Nipponia (日本音楽集団) in 1964, a group of famous Japanese composers and musicians who aim at performing classical and contemporary compositions from both Japan and the West. The group's music is performed by traditional Japanese musical instruments. From 1949, he was also the musical supervisor for the puppet theater “Puk.” In 1990, he received the Purple Ribbon Medal from the Japanese government. He has been part of six overseas tours with Pro Musica Nipponia.
Ishihara Tōru (Japanese: 石原 徹; March 15, 1923 – June 19, 1998), known by the pseudonyms Ishihara Gōjin (石原 豪人) and…
Ishihara Tōru (Japanese: 石原 徹; March 15, 1923 – June 19, 1998), known by the pseudonyms Ishihara Gōjin (石原 豪人) and Hayashi Gekkō (林 月光), was a Japanese painter and illustrator.
Jun Fukuda (Japanese: 福田 純, Hepburn: Fukuda Jun; February 17, 1923 – December 3, 2000) was a Japanese film director…
Jun Fukuda (Japanese: 福田 純, Hepburn: Fukuda Jun; February 17, 1923 – December 3, 2000) was a Japanese film director, screenwriter, and producer. He is best known for directing five entries in the Godzilla series for Toho starting with Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (1966) as well as the spy films Ironfinger (1965) and Golden Eyes (1968) starring Akira Takarada. Son of Godzilla (1967) has received particular attention from Godzilla fans. His next features with Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972) and Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973) were constrained with the extensive use of stock footage. His last Godzilla film Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974) was the first of numerous ones to feature the character of Mechagodzilla, which he co-wrote the screenplay for. While he did not particularly enjoy the five Godzilla films he made for Toho, he understood the appreciation the films had in some circles, particularly among children.
Sen Fujimoto (藤本泉; born February 15, 1923) was a Japanese novelist. She was best known for her Edogawa Rampo…
Sen Fujimoto (藤本泉; born February 15, 1923) was a Japanese novelist. She was best known for her Edogawa Rampo Prize-winning work Toki wo Kizamu Ushio (時を刻む潮).
Mitsuo Kagawa (賀川 光夫, Kagawa Mitsuo; January 5, 1923 – March 9, 2001) was a Japanese archaeologist and a professor at…
Mitsuo Kagawa (賀川 光夫, Kagawa Mitsuo; January 5, 1923 – March 9, 2001) was a Japanese archaeologist and a professor at Beppu University in Ōita Prefecture, Japan. He committed suicide by hanging himself on March 9, 2001, as a result of the Japanese Paleolithic hoax.
Kim Chunsu (Korean: 김춘수; Hanja: 金春洙; November 25, 1922 – November 29, 2004) was one of the leading South Korean poets…
Kim Chunsu (Korean: 김춘수; Hanja: 金春洙; November 25, 1922 – November 29, 2004) was one of the leading South Korean poets of the late twentieth century. He won numerous literary awards and was a professor of Korean Literature. His works have been translated into English, German and Spanish.
Takehiko Bessho (別所 毅彦, Bessho Takehiko; October 1, 1922 – June 24, 1999), born Akira Bessho (別所 昭, Bessho Akira), was…
Takehiko Bessho (別所 毅彦, Bessho Takehiko; October 1, 1922 – June 24, 1999), born Akira Bessho (別所 昭, Bessho Akira), was a Japanese baseball player whose professional career as a player lasted from 1942 until 1960. Bessho first achieved fame as a pitcher in Japanese professional baseball; later, he served as a Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) manager. Bessho spent his first five seasons in the Japanese Baseball League (the predecessor of NPB) with the Nankai franchise (1942–43, 1946–48) and his final 12 seasons with the Yomiuri Giants (1949–1960). He quickly established himself as a top pitcher and went on to earn two Sawamura Awards, the Japanese equivalent of the Cy Young Award, and six Best Nine Awards. In 1947, Bessho set the JBL record for most complete games in a single season (47). In addition, Bessho earned the NPB Most Valuable Player Award in 1952 and 1956. Bessho retired after the 1960 season with 310 wins, a 2.18 earned run average, and 1,932 strikeouts. Up until 2019, he was also the only Hawk to ever throw a no-hitter. After he retired from the sport as a player and a manager, Bessho became a sports broadcaster. In recognition of his accomplishments, the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame inducted Bessho in 1979.
Shigehiro Ozawa (小沢 茂弘, Ozawa Shigehiro; 29 August 1922 – 12 October 2004) was a Japanese film director and…
Shigehiro Ozawa (小沢 茂弘, Ozawa Shigehiro; 29 August 1922 – 12 October 2004) was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. He is best known for his film The Street Fighter. He directed over 110 films between 1954 and 1976.
Yoshio Inaba (稲葉 義男, Inaba Yoshio; July 15, 1920 – April 20, 1998) was a Japanese actor best known for his role as…
Yoshio Inaba (稲葉 義男, Inaba Yoshio; July 15, 1920 – April 20, 1998) was a Japanese actor best known for his role as Gorobei in Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai. In addition to his career in film, Inaba was also a prolific theater actor and a member of the prestigious Haiyuza Theatre Company. He died of a heart attack at the age of 77.
Tsuguhiro Hattori (服部 受弘; February 23, 1920 – December 6, 1991) was a prominent Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball…
Tsuguhiro Hattori (服部 受弘; February 23, 1920 – December 6, 1991) was a prominent Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball player who excelled as a pitcher and was the first Chunichi Dragons pitcher to reach 100 wins. He played with the Dragons franchise his entire career. His number 10 jersey is one of only two retired by the team.
Tal-su Kim (金達寿、キム・タルス/キムダルス、김달수, Kimu Darusu/Tarusu) was a Korea-born, Japan-raised writer. He is considered the…
Tal-su Kim (金達寿、キム・タルス/キムダルス、김달수, Kimu Darusu/Tarusu) was a Korea-born, Japan-raised writer. He is considered the "founding father" of Resident Korean literature. He was born in Masanhoewon-gu. Although he spent most of his life in Japan, many of his literary works are set in Korea and explore the injustices of colonial rule and its painful aftermath.
Ku Sang (Korean: 구상; September 16, 1919 – May 11, 2004) was a Korean poet, considered one of Korea's most respected and…
Ku Sang (Korean: 구상; September 16, 1919 – May 11, 2004) was a Korean poet, considered one of Korea's most respected and trusted poets.
Katsumi Nishikawa (西河克己, Nishikawa Katsumi) (1 July 1918 – 6 April 2010) was a Japanese film director most famous for…
Katsumi Nishikawa (西河克己, Nishikawa Katsumi) (1 July 1918 – 6 April 2010) was a Japanese film director most famous for his youth films (seishun eiga). Graduating from Nihon University, he started out at the Shochiku studio in 1939 and directed his first film in 1952. He moved to Nikkatsu in 1954 and, while working in a variety of genres, became most famous for his youth films starring Sayuri Yoshinaga, Yujiro Ishihara, and Hideki Takahashi. In the 1970s, he remade some of these films with the idol singer Momoe Yamaguchi and her future husband Tomokazu Miura. The Katsumi Nishikawa Memorial Film Museum was opened in his hometown of Chizu, Tottori, in 2001. Nishikawa published several books, including one about his war experience and another about filming Yasunari Kawabata's The Dancing Girl of Izu several times. He died of pneumonia on April 6, 2010.
Michiyo Kogure (木暮実千代, Kogure Michiyo) (31 January 1918 – 13 June 1990) was a Japanese film actress. She appeared in…
Michiyo Kogure (木暮実千代, Kogure Michiyo) (31 January 1918 – 13 June 1990) was a Japanese film actress. She appeared in nearly 200 films in a career which spanned 45 years, starring in works by Akira Kurosawa, Kenji Mizoguchi, Yasujirō Ozu, Mikio Naruse, and others. Film historian Donald Richie once called her "[o]ne of Japan's most versatile actresses, and perhaps the most intellectual of all in her approach to acting."
Takahiko Ishikawa (石川隆彦, Ishikawa Takahiko, 1917–2008) was an All Japan Judo Champion. In the 1949 All-Japan Judo…
Takahiko Ishikawa (石川隆彦, Ishikawa Takahiko, 1917–2008) was an All Japan Judo Champion. In the 1949 All-Japan Judo Championships Tahahiko fought Masahiko Kimura to a draw. In the following year he became the champion and subsequently placed three more times in the semi-finals and then retired.
Tsuneo Shibahara (柴原 恒雄, Shibahara Tsuneo; born 1 January 1917, date of death unknown) was a Japanese diver who…
Tsuneo Shibahara (柴原 恒雄, Shibahara Tsuneo; born 1 January 1917, date of death unknown) was a Japanese diver who competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics. In 1936 he finished fourth in the 3 metre springboard event and sixth in the 10 metre platform competition. Shibahara is deceased.
Shuntaro Hida (肥田舜太郎, Hida Shuntaro; January 1, 1917 – March 20, 2017) was a Japanese physician who was an eyewitness…
Shuntaro Hida (肥田舜太郎, Hida Shuntaro; January 1, 1917 – March 20, 2017) was a Japanese physician who was an eyewitness when the Little Boy atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima by the Enola Gay on 6 August 1945. He treated survivors as a medical doctor and wrote about the effects of radiation on the human body.
Tatsuo Utagawa (宇田川 竜男, Utagawa Tatsuo; 1917 – 2006) is a Japanese ornithologist and retired professor from Azabu…
Tatsuo Utagawa (宇田川 竜男, Utagawa Tatsuo; 1917 – 2006) is a Japanese ornithologist and retired professor from Azabu University. A native of Tokyo, he graduated from Tokyo University in 1937 in veterinary medicine. He worked at Ueno Zoo. In 1958 he obtained his doctorate in science from Hokkaido University, on research in "A Comparative Study of chromosomes in birds". Later he became the Section Chief for Birds and Wild Animals at the Experimental Forestry Station for the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. In 1959 he was awarded the Ornithological Society of Japan Award and published various academic papers in the OSJ journal and other academic journals.
Tokumitsu Iwagō (岩合 徳光, Iwagō Tokumitsu; 1916–2007) was a renowned Japanese photographer. Mitsuaki Iwagō is his son.
Michio Asanuma (浅沼 美智雄, Asanuma Michio; November 19, 1915 – 2001; also written as 浅沼 美知雄, Asanuma Michio) was a…
Michio Asanuma (浅沼 美智雄, Asanuma Michio; November 19, 1915 – 2001; also written as 浅沼 美知雄, Asanuma Michio) was a Japanese political activist and right-wing activist. He served as vice representative and supreme advisor of the Greater Japan Patriotic Groups Federation – Current Affairs Countermeasures Council (大日本愛国団体連合・時局対策協議会, Jitaikyō or Jitaitai Kyō); editor-in-chief and director of the Anti-Communist Newspaper Company; participant and supreme advisor of the Greater Japan Patriotic Party; captain and advisor of the Anti-Communist Volunteer Corps; advisor to the Student Movement Pure Alliance; caretaker of the All-Japan Patriots Friendship Association; second-generation representative of the Greater Japan Patriotic Groups Federation; advisor to the Gakunan Gijuku; advisor to the Speech Comrades Association; and representative of the Imperial Way National Federation.
Tadashi Kodaira (Japanese: 小平忠) (August 1, 1915 – December 3, 2000) was a Japanese politician from Iwamizawa, Hokkaido.…
Tadashi Kodaira (Japanese: 小平忠) (August 1, 1915 – December 3, 2000) was a Japanese politician from Iwamizawa, Hokkaido. He was the father of Tadamasa Kodaira. He was a member of the House of Representatives of Japan from the Hokkaido 4th district. He is a graduate of Nihon University.
Yōichi Midorikawa (緑川 洋一, Midorikawa Yōichi; 1915–2001), birth name Satoshi Yokoyama (横山 知), was a Japanese…
Yōichi Midorikawa (緑川 洋一, Midorikawa Yōichi; 1915–2001), birth name Satoshi Yokoyama (横山 知), was a Japanese photographer from Okayama prefecture, Japan, who became one of postwar Japan's leading figures in color landscape photography. He first took up the camera after graduating middle school in Okayama, but his father forced him into studying Dentistry. He returned to photography as a hobby around the same time he opened his own dentil clinic in 1937. Throughout his life, he maintained his base in Okayama. He later joined the Chūgoku Photographers Group, alongside figures such as Shoji Ueda, and Ginryūsha with Tadahiko Hayashi and Shōtarō Akiyama. HIs first work appear in monthly photo competitions in the 1930s. His early work, produced during the Pacific war, focused on photojournalism, followed by documentary photography depicting fishing villages, salt fields, rural communities around the Seto Inland Sea, and Osaka Merchant districts. From the 1950s onward, however, he turned to experimental forms of expression, employing techniques such as multiple exposure, long exposure, photomontage, filter works, and special film processing to create his dreamlike landscapes. He began using color film in the early 1960s, before it had come into widespread use. His breakthrough came with the1962 photobook Seto Inland Sea / Setonaikai, which won several awards from the Japan Photo Critics Association and the Photographic Society of Japan Award. Thereafter, he continued his exploration of landscape photography, taking photos of Japanese national parks and other natural sites throughout Japan. He is often described as a “magician of color.” Over the course of his career, he published more than seventy photobooks. Midorikawa's photographs have been widely exhibited in Japan and internationally, and his works are represented in major public collections such as the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum, the Yokohama Museum of Art, Victoria and Albert Museum. And the Bibliothèque national de France. Midorikawa's photographs were included in Donald Richie's travel memoir titled, The Inland Sea, about the region and its disappearing traditions. The exhibition Midorikawa Yoichi and his Circle: The Early Years, 1938-59, held at the Okayama Prefectural Museum of Art in 2005, sought to reexamine Midorikawa's early works in order to trace the process through which he developed the richly saturated colors, multiple exposures, and other experimental techniques that culminated in the landscape photographs of the 1960s, earning him the epithet the “magician of color.” Curator Naruhisa Hirose surveys Midorikawa ‘s first appearances in the photography magazine Shashin Salon to his various photo series from the 1950s, and his relationships to contemporaneous photographers including Shoji Ueda, Shōtarō Akiyama, Tadahiko Hayashi, and Takeji Iwamiya.
Masanori Yusa (遊佐 正憲, Yusa Masanori; January 8, 1915 – March 8, 1975) was a Japanese freestyle swimmer. He won gold…
Masanori Yusa (遊佐 正憲, Yusa Masanori; January 8, 1915 – March 8, 1975) was a Japanese freestyle swimmer. He won gold medals in the 4 × 200 m relay in the 1932 and 1936 Olympics, setting world records on both occasions. In 1936 he finished almost simultaneously with Shigeo Arai and Masaharu Taguchi in the 100 m race and was awarded a silver medal. Yusa graduated from Nihon University and later worked for the Yokohama Rubber Company. In 1942, he married Yumeko Aizome, a famous stage and silent/sound film actress in Japan.
Jūkichi Uno (宇野重吉, Uno Jūkichi) (real name Nobuo Terao (寺尾 信夫); 27 September 1914 – 9 January 1988) was a Japanese…
Jūkichi Uno (宇野重吉, Uno Jūkichi) (real name Nobuo Terao (寺尾 信夫); 27 September 1914 – 9 January 1988) was a Japanese actor. In 1950, he formed the Gekidan Mingei (劇団民藝) with Osamu Takizawa and others.
Noboru Sugimoto (杉本 盛, Sugimoto Noboru; born 6 April 1914) is a Japanese freestyle swimmer who competed in the 1932…
Noboru Sugimoto (杉本 盛, Sugimoto Noboru; born 6 April 1914) is a Japanese freestyle swimmer who competed in the 1932 Summer Olympics. He was born in Kōchi Prefecture. In 1932 he finished fifth in the 100 metre freestyle event.
Kim Whanki (Korean: 김환기; Hanja: 金煥基; April 3, 1913 – July 25, 1974) was a Korean painter and pioneering abstract…
Kim Whanki (Korean: 김환기; Hanja: 金煥基; April 3, 1913 – July 25, 1974) was a Korean painter and pioneering abstract artist. Kim lived and worked in a number of cities and countries during his lifetime, including Tokyo, Japan; Seoul and Busan, Korea; Paris, France; and New York City, USA, where he died. Kim belongs to the first generation of Korean Abstract artists, mixing oriental concepts and ideals with abstraction. With refined and moderated formative expression based on Korean Lyricism, he created his characteristic art world. His artworks largely dealt with diverse hues and patterns. Kim's early works were semi-abstract paintings which allowed viewers to see certain forms, but his later works were more deeply absorbed abstract paintings, filled with lines and spaces. The artist's partner Hyang-an Kim established the Whanki Foundation in 1978 and opened the Whanki Museum in 1992. The Museum, located in Seoul, was built by Korean American architect Kyu Sung Woo. A pioneer of abstract painting and the godfather of the Dansaekhwa movement, Whanki Kim established his place in Korean history and art at an early age. Whanki Kim was an artist whose profound impact on the history of Korean art was seen in the first wave of abstract art. His nomadic lifestyle led him to many different places, like Japan, France, and the U.S., which differentiated his artwork from other artists, who created their art based in Korea, due to the lack of opportunities for travel. As a peripatetic artist gaining inspiration from artists of other origins, Whanki Kim's style of abstract art transformed from geometric abstraction to art with traditional Korean motifs to monochrome paintings of dots and lines. He balanced keeping Korean values and beliefs close and incorporating new foreign techniques into his works, which evidently reflect his personal identity and Korea's national identity, impacted by the political and social conditions of the mid-1900s.
Toshiaki Okamura (岡村 俊昭; 4 May 1912 – 25 January 1996), also known as Yeh Tien-sung (Chinese: 葉天送; Wade–Giles: Yeh4…
Toshiaki Okamura (岡村 俊昭; 4 May 1912 – 25 January 1996), also known as Yeh Tien-sung (Chinese: 葉天送; Wade–Giles: Yeh4 Tien1-sung4), was a Taiwanese baseball outfielder who played for the Nankai Hawks of the Japanese Baseball League (JBL) from 1939 to 1949.
Hisakichi Toyoda (豊田 久吉, Toyoda Hisakichi) (January 2, 1912 – October 7, 1976) was a Japanese swimmer who competed at…
Hisakichi Toyoda (豊田 久吉, Toyoda Hisakichi) (January 2, 1912 – October 7, 1976) was a Japanese swimmer who competed at the 1932 Summer Olympics. There he won the gold medal in the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay event. He was born in Yamaguchi, Japan, and is the grandfather of three-time Olympian Kenji Watanabe.