Yasuo Fukuda (福田 康夫, Fukuda Yasuo; 16 July 1936 – 22 October 2026) was a Japanese politician who served as Prime…
Yasuo Fukuda (福田 康夫, Fukuda Yasuo; 16 July 1936 – 22 October 2026) was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 2007 to 2008. He was previously the longest-serving Chief Cabinet Secretary in Japanese history, serving in that role from 2000 to 2004 under Prime Ministers Yoshirō Mori and Junichiro Koizumi. His record was surpassed by Yoshihide Suga, who served almost twice as long. Following the resignation of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Fukuda was elected as President of the Liberal Democratic Party and became prime minister in September 2007. Fukuda was the first son of a former Japanese Prime Minister (Takeo Fukuda) to also take up the post. On 1 September 2008, Fukuda announced his resignation as party leader, and was succeeded by Tarō Asō. Although Japan hosted the G8 summit meeting without mishap during Fukuda's time in office, he himself earned little or no credit from ordinary Japanese, and when he resigned, he became the first of the G8 leaders to leave office.
Famous People Born in the Year of the Rat
Rat: 2,116 people
Akira Mori (森 章, Mori Akira; born July 1936) is a Japanese property developer, and the chairman of Mori Trust, a real…
Akira Mori (森 章, Mori Akira; born July 1936) is a Japanese property developer, and the chairman of Mori Trust, a real estate developer in Tokyo, Japan and an offshoot of Mori Building, the company his father Taikichiro Mori founded in 1959. As of July 2022, his net worth was estimated at US$3.0 billion. Mori was born in Kyoto, Japan in July 1936. He attended Keio University, graduating in 1960, and joining Yasuda Trust & Banking (now part of Mizuho Trust & Banking). He formally joined Mori Building as an employee in 1972. Following their father's death in 1993, he and his older brother Minoru Mori inherited the family business and in 1999 they split it after a falling-out. Akira headed Mori Trust, while his brother headed what was left of the Mori Building company until his death on March 8, 2012. Mori Trust owns and operates 67 buildings, manages 89 buildings, consisting of office and residential buildings, mainly in central Tokyo and other major Japanese cities. These include the Tokyo Shiodome Building in a commercial district near Tokyo Bay, and about 30 hotels including the Conrad Tokyo. He expressed interest in expanding the company's Tokyo real estate portfolio in 2013 in the midst of economic reforms being enacted by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Mori has selected his only daughter Miwako Date, who served as president of Mori Trust Hotels & Resorts, in 2016 to take over the Mori Trust business. Akira Mori is now assuming the role of Chairman of the Board of Mori Trust.
Tetsundo Iwakuni (岩國 哲人, Iwakuni Tetsundo; 11 July 1936 – 6 October 2023) was a Japanese politician who, until 2009…
Tetsundo Iwakuni (岩國 哲人, Iwakuni Tetsundo; 11 July 1936 – 6 October 2023) was a Japanese politician who, until 2009, represented Democratic Party of Japan as a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature).
Takekuni Hirayoshi (平吉 毅州, Hirayoshi Takekuni; July 10, 1936 in Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture – May 28, 1998) was a Japanese…
Takekuni Hirayoshi (平吉 毅州, Hirayoshi Takekuni; July 10, 1936 in Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture – May 28, 1998) was a Japanese classical composer.
Hiroshi Sasagawa (笹川 ひろし, Sasagawa Hiroshi; born July 9, 1936) is a Japanese animator and cartoonist known for…
Hiroshi Sasagawa (笹川 ひろし, Sasagawa Hiroshi; born July 9, 1936) is a Japanese animator and cartoonist known for directing several anime series including Time Bokan, Speed Racer, The Genie Family, Ninja Hattori-Kun, and Tekkaman: The Space Knight.
Katsu Kanai (金井 勝, Kanai Katsu; 9 July 1936 – 22 April 2026) was a Japanese experimental and avant-garde film director.…
Katsu Kanai (金井 勝, Kanai Katsu; 9 July 1936 – 22 April 2026) was a Japanese experimental and avant-garde film director. The Harvard Film Archive has called him "one of the most vital and inventive filmmakers in the history of Japanese underground film".
Shūsaku Arakawa (荒川 修作, Arakawa Shūsaku; July 6, 1936 – May 19, 2010) was a Japanese conceptual artist and architect.…
Shūsaku Arakawa (荒川 修作, Arakawa Shūsaku; July 6, 1936 – May 19, 2010) was a Japanese conceptual artist and architect. He had a personal and artistic partnership with the writer and artist Madeline Gins that spanned more than four decades in which they collaborated on a diverse range of visual mediums, including: painting & printmaking, experimental filmmaking, performance art, and architectural & landscape design. Throughout his life, Arakawa frequently infused his works with philosophical ideas that considered art's intrinsic functions, human perceptions of the physical world, and the language of signs, symbols, and visual meanings. These thematic elements were based on the writings and theories authored by key figures in Science, Philosophy, and Art History: Leonardo da Vinci, Albert Einstein, and Ludwig Wittgenstein. Beginning in the 1960s, Arakawa's work attracted positive responses from the Western art world and led to his representation at numerous esteemed galleries and museums: the Dwan Gallery, Gagosian, The National Museum of Modern Art, Centre Pompidou, David Barnett Gallery, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Museum of Modern Art, New York. Arakawa and Gins founded The Reversible Destiny Foundation in which they designed architectural sites that were aimed toward the longevity of human life expectancy. Moreover, they established the Architectural Body Research Foundation in 1987 as a non-profit research group that stimulated multidisciplinary studies with renowned biologists, neuroscientists, quantum physicists, and medical doctors on the nature of life and death. Arakawa usually referred to himself by his surname only, which eventually came to be more commonly practiced by him during his career in the United States and Europe.
Natsuko Toda (戸田 奈津子, Toda Natsuko; born July 3, 1936) is a Japanese subtitler and film industry interpreter. She has…
Natsuko Toda (戸田 奈津子, Toda Natsuko; born July 3, 1936) is a Japanese subtitler and film industry interpreter. She has been called "the most famous film translator in Japan [...] unquestionably" and the "Subtitle Queen". She has subtitled more than 1,000 English-language films in Japanese.
Jirō Tsunoda (Japanese: つのだじろう Tsunoda Jirō, born 3 July 1936) is a Japanese manga artist. He is known in Japan for his…
Jirō Tsunoda (Japanese: つのだじろう Tsunoda Jirō, born 3 July 1936) is a Japanese manga artist. He is known in Japan for his horror manga series such as Kyōfu Shinbun and Ushiro no Hyakutarō as well as illustrator of the karate series Karate Master.
Tetsuzo Fuyushiba (冬柴 鉄三, Fuyushiba Tetsuzō; 29 June 1936 – 5 December 2011) was a Japanese politician of the New…
Tetsuzo Fuyushiba (冬柴 鉄三, Fuyushiba Tetsuzō; 29 June 1936 – 5 December 2011) was a Japanese politician of the New Komeito Party, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). He served as Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport as well as Minister of State for Tourism Promotion in Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's Cabinet. Fuyushiba was born in Shenyang (which was then known as Hōten) in the Japanese-occupied territory of Manchukuo, in what is now northeastern China. He graduated from Kansai University in 1960 before working as a lawyer. He was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 1986. Fuyushiba died on 5 December 2011, aged 75, of acute pneumonia at a hospital in Amagasaki, Hyōgo Prefecture.
Tadanori Yokoo (横尾 忠則, Yokoo Tadanori; born 27 June 1936) is a Japanese graphic designer, illustrator, printmaker and…
Tadanori Yokoo (横尾 忠則, Yokoo Tadanori; born 27 June 1936) is a Japanese graphic designer, illustrator, printmaker and painter. Yokoo's signature style of psychedelia and pastiche engages a wide span of modern visual and cultural phenomena from Japan and around the world.
Kyosuke Machida (待田 京介, Machida Kyosuke; born 22 June 1936) is a retired Japanese actor. He appeared in more than 150…
Kyosuke Machida (待田 京介, Machida Kyosuke; born 22 June 1936) is a retired Japanese actor. He appeared in more than 150 films, including many yakuza films produced by Toei. When he was a child, he became Mas Oyama's pupil. He is currently an advisor to the International Karate Organization Kyokushin-kaikan.
Masaru Takumi (宅見 勝 Takumi Masaru; June 22, 1936 – August 28, 1997) had been a powerful Japanese organized crime figure…
Masaru Takumi (宅見 勝 Takumi Masaru; June 22, 1936 – August 28, 1997) had been a powerful Japanese organized crime figure until he was assassinated in 1997. Until his death, he was the second-in-command (wakagashira) and financial overseer of Japan's largest yakuza gang, the Yamaguchi-gumi. Known as "the man who never sleeps", he also headed his own sub-organization, the 1000-member Takumi-gumi.
Hiromasa Ezoe (June 12, 1936 – February 8, 2013) was a Japanese industrialist who founded Recruit Holdings. He is…
Hiromasa Ezoe (June 12, 1936 – February 8, 2013) was a Japanese industrialist who founded Recruit Holdings. He is remembered as one of the most prolific entrepreneurs educated at the University of Tokyo, alongside Kiichiro Toyoda (founder of Toyota) and Namihei Odaira (founder of Hitachi). Ezoe was also the central figure in the Recruit insider trading scandal, which fundamentally changed the Japanese political landscape after the resignation of prominent figures including then-PM Noboru Takeshita.
Mari Shimizu (Japanese: 清水 マリ, Hepburn: Shimizu Mari; born 7 June 1936) is a Japanese voice actress affiliated with 81…
Mari Shimizu (Japanese: 清水 マリ, Hepburn: Shimizu Mari; born 7 June 1936) is a Japanese voice actress affiliated with 81 Produce. She is known for voicing the titular protagonist of the 1963 Astro Boy television series and its 1980 colour remake, Belo in Humanoid Monster Bem, and the titular protagonist of Jetter Mars.
Maki Ishii (Japanese: 石井 眞木, Hepburn: Ishii Maki; May 28, 1936 – April 8, 2003) was a Japanese composer of contemporary…
Maki Ishii (Japanese: 石井 眞木, Hepburn: Ishii Maki; May 28, 1936 – April 8, 2003) was a Japanese composer of contemporary classical music.
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.
Hiroshi Saeki (佐伯 博司, Saeki Hiroshi; born May 26, 1936) is a former Japanese football player. He played for Japan…
Hiroshi Saeki (佐伯 博司, Saeki Hiroshi; born May 26, 1936) is a former Japanese football player. He played for Japan national team.
Kunio Hamada (濱田 邦夫, Hamada Kunio; born May 24, 1936) is a former member of the Supreme Court of Japan from 2001 until…
Kunio Hamada (濱田 邦夫, Hamada Kunio; born May 24, 1936) is a former member of the Supreme Court of Japan from 2001 until 2006. Until his appointment to the court, he worked in private practice, initially at Anderson Mori & Rabinowitz and Pillsbury Madison & Sutro. He founded the law firm of Yanagida & Hamada in 1972, his portion of which eventually became part of Mori Hamada & Matsumoto. In November 2007, he was awarded the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun, by the Japanese Government for his public service.
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.
Azuma Koshiishi (輿石 東, Koshiishi Azuma; born 14 May 1936) is a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party, a member of…
Azuma Koshiishi (輿石 東, Koshiishi Azuma; born 14 May 1936) is a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet, and general secretary of the ruling Democratic Party. A native of Nirasaki, Yamanashi, and graduate of Tsuru University, he was elected to the House of Representatives in 1990, where he served for two terms until 1996 when he failed to be re-elected. He was elected to the House of Councillors for the first time in 1998.
Makoto Watanabe (渡辺 允, Watanabe Makoto; 9 May 1936 – 8 February 2022) was a Japanese diplomat.
Kazuhiko Masumoto (Japanese: 増本 一彦 Masumoto Kazuhiko; 9 May 1936 – 6 February 2022) was a Japanese politician of the…
Kazuhiko Masumoto (Japanese: 増本 一彦 Masumoto Kazuhiko; 9 May 1936 – 6 February 2022) was a Japanese politician of the Japanese Communist Party who served in the House of Representatives from 1972 to 1976, before dying of bile duct cancer at age 85.
Kazuo Koike (Japanese: 小池 一夫, Hepburn: Koike Kazuo; May 8, 1936 – April 17, 2019) was a Japanese manga writer…
Kazuo Koike (Japanese: 小池 一夫, Hepburn: Koike Kazuo; May 8, 1936 – April 17, 2019) was a Japanese manga writer (gensakusha), novelist, screenwriter, lyricist and entrepreneur. He is best known for his violent, artful seinen manga, notably Lone Wolf and Cub (with Goseki Kojima, 1970–6), Lady Snowblood (with Kazuo Kamimura, 1972–3) and Crying Freeman (with Ryoichi Ikegami, 1986–8), which – along with their numerous media adaptations − have been credited for their influence on the international growth of Japanese popular culture.
Ichirō Inaba (稲葉 一郎, Inaba Ichirō; 3 May 1936 – 23 September 2017) was a Japanese historian of China and professor…
Ichirō Inaba (稲葉 一郎, Inaba Ichirō; 3 May 1936 – 23 September 2017) was a Japanese historian of China and professor emeritus at Kwansei Gakuin University.
Yoshiyuki Kamei (亀井 善之, Kamei Yoshiyuki; 30 April 1936 – 12 May 2006) was a Japanese politician who served as a member…
Yoshiyuki Kamei (亀井 善之, Kamei Yoshiyuki; 30 April 1936 – 12 May 2006) was a Japanese politician who served as a member of the House of Representatives representing Kanagawa Prefecture.
Shigehiko Hasumi (Japanese: 蓮實重彥, also romanized Shiguéhiko; born 29 April 1936) is a Japanese literary critic, film…
Shigehiko Hasumi (Japanese: 蓮實重彥, also romanized Shiguéhiko; born 29 April 1936) is a Japanese literary critic, film critic, French literature scholar, and novelist. He was a professor at the University of Tokyo (Cultural Studies, or the Study of Culture and Representation), dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and the 26th President (1997-2001). Hasumi started his academic career as a Gustave Flaubert scholar, and played a central role in the early introduction of the contemporary French philosophy, such as Gilles Deleuze and Michel Foucault, into Japan in the 1970s. He is known as one of the most prolific Japanese reviewers of modern literature and film. Since the 1980s, Hasumi has been active in introducing the French New Wave filmmakers' thought and Hollywood B-films. His method of viewing and writing about film, inspired by the 1950s French film criticism appearing in Cahiers du Cinéma, played a major role in Japanese film culture in the late 20th century. His influential work includes Directed by Yasujiro Ozu (1983). Reflecting on Hasumi, Kiyoshi Kurosawa noted, "The international recognition of Yasujiro Ozu and Mikio Naruse would never have been achieved without Hasumi. Even the popularity of Clint Eastwood and Wim Wenders in Japan owes much to his influence. And as for myself—there’s no doubt that I’m only able to be here, doing what I do, all thanks to the good fortune of having met Shiguéhiko Hasumi." He is married to Chantal Van Melkebeke, the daughter of the Belgian painter, journalist, and writer Jacques Van Melkebeke, who is known for having been the first chief editor of Tintin magazine. They had one son, Shigeomi Hasumi. In 1970, the French Broadcasting and Television Office interviewed him, his wife and his son in French in Tokyo for 20 minutes. Hasumi curated a film series entitled Shiguéhiko Hasumi: Another History of the Movie in America and Japan for Japan Society in 2025, including works by Richard Fleischer, Michael Mann and Makoto Sato. Director Sho Miyake attended, presenting his collaboration with Hasumi—the montage film John Ford and Throwing.
Adolfo Nicolás Pachón (29 April 1936 – 20 May 2020) was a Spanish Catholic priest who served as the 30th superior…
Adolfo Nicolás Pachón (29 April 1936 – 20 May 2020) was a Spanish Catholic priest who served as the 30th superior general of the Society of Jesus from 2008 to 2016. He previously taught at Sophia University in Tokyo for twenty years and headed educational institutions in Manila from 1978 to 1984 and in Tokyo from 1991 to 1993. He led the Jesuits in Japan from 1993 to 1996 and, after four years of pastoral work in Tokyo, led the Jesuits in Asia from 2004 to 2008. Though elected superior general for life, Nicolás, like his predecessor Peter Hans Kolvenbach, resigned, as the Jesuit constitutions permit.
Toshio Naka (中 利夫, Naka Toshio; 28 April 1936 – 10 October 2023) was a Japanese baseball outfielder and manager. Naka…
Toshio Naka (中 利夫, Naka Toshio; 28 April 1936 – 10 October 2023) was a Japanese baseball outfielder and manager. Naka played with the Chunichi Dragons from 1955 to 1972, and later managed the team from 1978 to 1980. He led the Central League with a .343 batting average in 1967.
Sō Nishimura (西村 宗, Nishimura Sou); (born April 28, 1936) is a Japanese manga artist from Izumiōtsu. Nishimura's…
Sō Nishimura (西村 宗, Nishimura Sou); (born April 28, 1936) is a Japanese manga artist from Izumiōtsu. Nishimura's best-known work is the yonkoma comedy Sarari-kun (サラリ君, Mr. Salary), which earned Nishimura the 1985 Bungeishunjū Manga Award and the Japanese Cartoonists' Association's Excellence Prize for 2000.
Tōru Shinohara (篠原とおる, Shinohara Tōru; born April 28, 1936) is a Japanese manga artist. He was born in Niihama, Ehime.…
Tōru Shinohara (篠原とおる, Shinohara Tōru; born April 28, 1936) is a Japanese manga artist. He was born in Niihama, Ehime. After graduating from high school in 1955, he started working at a factory in Osaka making car parts but quit after only ten months. He studied manga via a mail-offered course and wrote to various manga magazines. In 1958, came his first commercially printed work Fukumenhakushi (覆面博士) and he began his career as a manga artist. He is best known for Nippon Keibaden that detailed the history of Japan's horse racing industry and its horses. He is also known for beautiful amazon-like heroines who are never daunted by the hardship they endure. Since 1970, he has written a series of works titled Sasori, lit. scorpion, which is the name for a female inmate and heroine seeking escape and revenge upon those who wronged her. Director Shunya Ito started a series of ten films starring Meiko Kaji based on the manga, the most famous one being the initial film, Female Prisoner 701: Scorpion. However, Ito withdrew from the project after three, and Kaji four films. Many of his works have been turned into movies since 1972.
Joseph Atsumi Misue (24 April 1936 – 28 June 2016) was a Japanese Roman Catholic bishop. Ordained to the priesthood in…
Joseph Atsumi Misue (24 April 1936 – 28 June 2016) was a Japanese Roman Catholic bishop. Ordained to the priesthood in 1963, Misue served as bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hiroshima, Japan, from 1985 to 2011.
Makoto Wada (和田誠, Wada Makoto) (10 April 1936 – 7 October 2019) was a Japanese illustrator, essayist, and film director.
Wakanokuni Takeo (born 4 April 1936 as Teruo Ito) is a former sumo wrestler from Nannō, Gifu, Japan. He made his…
Wakanokuni Takeo (born 4 April 1936 as Teruo Ito) is a former sumo wrestler from Nannō, Gifu, Japan. He made his professional debut in March 1953 and reached the top division in November 1959. His highest rank was maegashira 8. He left the sumo world upon retirement from active competition in September 1969.
Kōji Wakamatsu (若松孝二, Wakamatsu Kōji; 1 April 1936 – 17 October 2012) was a Japanese film director who directed such…
Kōji Wakamatsu (若松孝二, Wakamatsu Kōji; 1 April 1936 – 17 October 2012) was a Japanese film director who directed such pink films as Ecstasy of the Angels (天使の恍惚, Tenshi no Kōkotsu; 1972) and Go, Go, Second Time Virgin (ゆけゆけ二度目の処女, Yuke Yuke Nidome no Shojo; 1969). He also produced Nagisa Ōshima's controversial film In the Realm of the Senses (1976). He has been called "the most important director to emerge in the pink film genre," and one of "Japan's leading directors of the 1960s". His 2010 film, Caterpillar, was nominated for the Golden Bear at the 60th Berlin International Film Festival.
Sandayū Dokumamushi (毒蝮 三太夫, Dokumamushi Sandayū) born Iyoshi Ishii (石井 伊吉, Ishii Iyoshi) on 31 March 1936 in Osaka…
Sandayū Dokumamushi (毒蝮 三太夫, Dokumamushi Sandayū) born Iyoshi Ishii (石井 伊吉, Ishii Iyoshi) on 31 March 1936 in Osaka, Japan) is a Japanese actor. He portrayed the role of Daisuke Arashi in the original Ultraman series (1966-1967) and Shigeru Furuhashi in Ultra Seven. He has been a radio personality on the Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) since 1969. His radio program is famous for vulgar language and is popular with an older audience.
Hagurohana Toji (born Susumu Chiba; March 28, 1936 - June 3, 1984) was a sumo wrestler from Nishiokoppe, Hokkaidō…
Hagurohana Toji (born Susumu Chiba; March 28, 1936 - June 3, 1984) was a sumo wrestler from Nishiokoppe, Hokkaidō, Japan. He made his professional debut in September 1955, and reached the top division in September 1960. He was a prominent member of the top division during the Hakuho era, dominated by Taihō and Kashiwado. Upon retirement from active competition in 1965 at the early age of 29 he became an elder in the Japan Sumo Association under the name Onaruto and later Tamagaki. He left the Sumo Association in October 1972. He died of cancer in 1984 at the age of 48.
Shōichi Ueno (上野 尚一, Ueno Shōichi; 1936 – February 29, 2016) was a Japanese newspaper publisher, philanthropist and…
Shōichi Ueno (上野 尚一, Ueno Shōichi; 1936 – February 29, 2016) was a Japanese newspaper publisher, philanthropist and co-owner of the Asahi Shimbun, Japan's second largest daily newspaper in terms of circulation. Ueno served as the co-owner of Asahi Shimbun from 1997 until his death in February 2016. Ueno was the great-grandson of the co-founder of Asahi Shimbun, Riichi Ueno (1848-1919). In 1879, Ueno and his business partner, Ryuhei Murayama (1850-1933), established Asahi Shimbun in Osaka. Riichi Ueno became the newspaper's co-owner in 1881. Shōichi Ueno earned a law degree from Keio University in 1958. He first joined the staff of the Asahi Shimbun Company in 1962. An executive at the newspaper's Tokyo offices, Ueno held positions within Asahi Shimbun's advertising, sales and international departments. In 1997, Ueno became the Asahi Shimbun's co-owner upon the death of his father, Junichi Ueno. Shōichi Ueno remained the newspaper's co-owner until his own death in February 2016. He served on the board of directors of the Ueno Memorial Foundation for the Study of Buddhist Art, which was founded by the Ueno family in 1970 to research Buddhist art and culture. He was also a councilor for the Kyoto National Museum. Shōichi Ueno died from lung cancer at a hospital in the Shinjuku ward of Tokyo on February 29, 2016, at the age of 79.
Kunihiko Fukushima (Japanese: 福島 邦彦, born 16 March 1936) is a Japanese computer scientist, most noted for his work on…
Kunihiko Fukushima (Japanese: 福島 邦彦, born 16 March 1936) is a Japanese computer scientist, most noted for his work on artificial neural networks and deep learning. He is currently working part-time as a senior research scientist at the Fuzzy Logic Systems Institute in Fukuoka, Japan.
Hitoshi Nakazato (Japanese: 中里斉; 1936 – 2010) was a Japanese-born American painter, printmaker, muralist, and educator.
Manabu Murakami (shinjitai 村上 学, kyūjitai 村上 學, Murakami Manabu; born 1936) is a Japanese scholar specializing in…
Manabu Murakami (shinjitai 村上 学, kyūjitai 村上 學, Murakami Manabu; born 1936) is a Japanese scholar specializing in medieval Japanese literature.
Tadashi Yamamoto CBE (March 11, 1936 – April 15, 2012) was one of Japan's leading internationalists and a pioneering…
Tadashi Yamamoto CBE (March 11, 1936 – April 15, 2012) was one of Japan's leading internationalists and a pioneering proponent of efforts to strengthen nongovernmental ties between Japan and the United States as well as between Japan and other countries. Yamamoto championed the view that civilian diplomacy and person-to-person exchanges conducted by nongovernmental organizations had a critical role to play in international relations. He was the founder and longtime president of the Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE) a foreign policy think tank established in 1970 which promotes bilateral relations and exchanges between nongovernmental organizations. Yamamoto also helped to found the Shimoda Conference in 1967, a private sector forum for the discussion of bilateral issues between American and Japanese policymakers and policy experts. The Wall Street Journal has called him "an ardent champion of the U.S.-Japan alliance." Yamamoto served as the President of the Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE) from 1970 until his death in 2012. As head of the JCIE, Yamamoto simultaneously served as director for a number of forums, including the German-Japan Forum, the UK-Japan 21st Century Group, the Korea-Japan Forum, the Trilateral Commission Pacific Asia Group, and the Friends of the Global Fund, Japan, which works to promote the goals of The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria throughout Asia. In addition to the Shimoda Conference and the JCIE, Yamamoto also founded the Korea-Japan Forum, the U.S.-Japan Parliamentary Exchange Program, and the Trilateral Commission.
Naoki Tanemura (種村 直樹, Tanemura Naoki; March 7, 1936 – November 6, 2014) was a Japanese writer, essayist and critic. He…
Naoki Tanemura (種村 直樹, Tanemura Naoki; March 7, 1936 – November 6, 2014) was a Japanese writer, essayist and critic. He called himself a "railway writer". He had published commentaries on railways and travel writings including mysteries. He came from Ōtsu, Shiga Prefecture. He graduated from Shiga Prefectural Zeze High School and then the Department of Law of Kyoto University. He became a journalist of the Mainichi Shimbun, and became independent afterwards. Tanemura was well informed about the railways in Japan. His travel style in his book called "Kimagure Ressha" (capricious train) influenced a lot of young people. Tanemura had a fan club. Writers in Japan who have their own fan club is considerably few. He traveled with the members of the fan club and he often wrote about them in his works. Tanemura was an authority of a hobby named "travel savings" (旅行貯金, ryokō chokin), where participants around the country deposit a small amount of money at post offices (and Japan Post Bank) to collect the rubber stamps of the post offices.
Nobuhiko Kawamoto (川本 信彦, Kawamoto Nobuhiko; born March 3, 1936) is a Japanese businessman and the CEO of Honda Motor…
Nobuhiko Kawamoto (川本 信彦, Kawamoto Nobuhiko; born March 3, 1936) is a Japanese businessman and the CEO of Honda Motor from 1990 to 1998.
Tasuku Tsukada (塚田 佐, Tsukada Tasuku; March 3, 1936 – February 22, 2023) was a Japanese politician, and past mayor of…
Tasuku Tsukada (塚田 佐, Tsukada Tasuku; March 3, 1936 – February 22, 2023) was a Japanese politician, and past mayor of the city of Nagano, the capital of Nagano Prefecture, in central Japan. Tsukada won his first mayoral contest in 1985. He served four full 4-year terms, until November 10, 2001. In 1997, Tsukada served as the Vice President of the Japan Association of City Mayors. Tsukada graduated from Nagano Prefectural Nagano Senior High School (長野県長野高等学校, Nagano ken Nagano kōtō gakkō) (which was called Nagano North High School (長野北高校, Nagano kita kōkō) at the time). He then graduated from the School of Commerce at Waseda University in 1958. From 1967, he served on the Nagano City Council, and from 1975 until 1985, he served in the Nagano Prefectural Assembly. He was elected mayor in 1985 in his first candidacy. In addition, he served as chairman of the Nagano City-Hokuriku Shinkansen Liaison Council. Tsukada retired from municipal politics in 2001. Following retirement from politics, Tsukada served as an auditor at Nagano Jidosha Center, and from 2007 an external auditor at Moriya Corporation in Nagano. Tsukada died on February 22, 2023, at the age of 86.
Yosuke Natsuki (Japanese: 夏木陽介, Hepburn: Natsuki Yōsuke; February 27, 1936 – January 14, 2018) was a Japanese actor. He…
Yosuke Natsuki (Japanese: 夏木陽介, Hepburn: Natsuki Yōsuke; February 27, 1936 – January 14, 2018) was a Japanese actor. He participated twice in the Dakar Rally as a racing driver. He did a lot of work for the Toho Company and made his debut in the film The H-Man. He appeared in Akira Kurosawa's Yojimbo in 1961. In the same year, he received the Elan d'or Award for Newcomer of the Year. In the 1970s, he left Toho and joined Toshiro Mifune's production company. He was famous for his role in the police TV drama G-Men '75 as well as Toho Studios monster movies.
Sadao Yamahana (山花 貞夫, Yamahana Sadao; 26 February 1936 – 14 July 1999) was a Japanese politician who served as…
Sadao Yamahana (山花 貞夫, Yamahana Sadao; 26 February 1936 – 14 July 1999) was a Japanese politician who served as chairman of the Japan Socialist Party from January 1993 to September 1993. Yamahana led his party into coalition with other opposition parties to form the first non-LDP cabinet since 1955, led by Prime Minister Morihiro Hosokawa. Yamahana served as Minister in charge of political reform in the same cabinet. Yamahana later left the Socialists and became a founding member of the Democratic Party.
Kyōichi Sawada (沢田 教一, Sawada Kyōichi; February 22, 1936 – October 28, 1970) was a Japanese photographer with United…
Kyōichi Sawada (沢田 教一, Sawada Kyōichi; February 22, 1936 – October 28, 1970) was a Japanese photographer with United Press International who received a Pulitzer Prize for war photography.
Shigeo Nagashima (長嶋 茂雄 or 長島 茂雄, Nagashima Shigeo; February 20, 1936 – June 3, 2025) was a Japanese professional…
Shigeo Nagashima (長嶋 茂雄 or 長島 茂雄, Nagashima Shigeo; February 20, 1936 – June 3, 2025) was a Japanese professional baseball player and manager. Nagashima first began playing baseball in elementary school, before playing at his high school in Chiba Prefecture, part of Kanto Region, just before he played as a third baseman for Rikkyo University. After winning the batting title for two straight years in Tokyo Big6 Baseball League, Nagashima made his professional debut in 1958 with the Yomiuri Giants. In his rookie season, he led the Central League in home runs and runs batted in, with 29 and 92 respectively and ultimately received Rookie of the Year honors. With the arrival of Sadaharu Oh in 1959, the two would both become a dual force in being the best hitters in the game that earned the nickname "O-N Cannon" for one of the most dominant dynasties in NPB history, and Nagashima won league MVP five times while being named to the Best Nine Award in every season he played; his four Japan Series MVP award wins is still the most in NPB history. After retiring in 1974, he became as a manager of the Giants from 1975 to 1980, and again from 1993 to 2001; during this time, he won the Japan Series twice. His nicknames includes "Mr. Pro Baseball", "Mr. Giants", and "Hot Man" of Japan. Nagashima is regarded as a beloved national figure of postwar Japan, on par with Hibari Misora and Yujiro Ishihara.
Masateru Nagatani, known professionally as Charlie Nagatani, is a Japanese country music singer-songwriter. He started…
Masateru Nagatani, known professionally as Charlie Nagatani, is a Japanese country music singer-songwriter. He started performing music with his band Charlie and the Cannonballs in 1961, which is one of the longest-running music groups in Japanese history. He opened a honky tonk in his hometown of Kumamoto called Good Time Charlie, and started the Country Gold music festival at Mount Aso in 1989. His first studio album in 1992 Charlie Nagatani Sings Country Gold featured Emmylou Harris, Bill Monroe, the Osborne Brothers, and Porter Wagoner.