Riichirō Manabe (真鍋理一郎, Manabe Riichirō; 9 November 1924 – 29 January 2015) was a Japanese composer. He wrote scores…Riichirō Manabe (真鍋理一郎, Manabe Riichirō; 9 November 1924 – 29 January 2015) was a Japanese composer. He wrote scores for films of various genres like science fiction, horror, kaiju and drama films, including works of directors such as Nagisa Ōshima and Yūzō Kawashima.
Shigeru Oda (小田 滋, Oda Shigeru; 22 October 1924 – 4 September 2025) was a Japanese jurist who was a judge on the…Shigeru Oda (小田 滋, Oda Shigeru; 22 October 1924 – 4 September 2025) was a Japanese jurist who was a judge on the International Court of Justice from 1976 until 2003, when he retired. He served as vice-president from 1991 to 1994. His main area of expertise was law of the sea. He was born in Sapporo. Oda earned his law degree from the University of Tokyo in 1947 and his doctorate in law from Yale Law School in 1953. He turned 100 in October 2024. Oda died on 4 September 2025, at the age of 100.
Hachiro Kasuga (春日八郎, Kasuga Hachirō; October 9, 1924 – October 22, 1991), born Minoru Watabe, was a Japanese enka…Hachiro Kasuga (春日八郎, Kasuga Hachirō; October 9, 1924 – October 22, 1991), born Minoru Watabe, was a Japanese enka singer. He has been dubbed "the first enka singer". Having seen Ichiro Fujiyama on stage, he attempted to become a popular singer. After he graduated from the Toyo Music School, he was drafted into the Imperial Japanese Army in 1944, and returned from Taiwan in 1946. He joined Shinjuku Moulin Rouge in 1947 and then King Records in 1949. In 1952, Kasuga made his debut with the song "Akai lamp no Shū Ressha" (赤いランプの終列車, lit. "Last Train with Red Lamp"), which at first got into the news in Nagoya. His popularity soon became widespread. His 1954 song "Otomi-san" (お富さん, lit. "Miss Otomi") became more successful throughout Japan. This single sold 500,000 copies in a half year, and eventually sold more than one million copies. In 1955, he also released the single "Wakare no Ipponsugi" (別れの一本杉, lit. "Farewell One Cedar") which he musically sought. The song was composed by Toru Funamura. His music, which was later called enka, had much effect on subsequent popular music of Japan. He died on October 22, 1991, aged 67.
Nobuko Otowa (乙羽 信子, Otowa Nobuko; 1 October 1924 – 22 December 1994) was a Japanese actress who appeared in more than…Nobuko Otowa (乙羽 信子, Otowa Nobuko; 1 October 1924 – 22 December 1994) was a Japanese actress who appeared in more than 100 films between 1950 and 1994.
Fukumi Shimura (志村ふくみ; born 30 September 1924) is a Japanese textile artist who has created kimono since 1958. Shimura…Fukumi Shimura (志村ふくみ; born 30 September 1924) is a Japanese textile artist who has created kimono since 1958. Shimura was awarded multiple honours including the Living National Treasure in 1990 and the 2014 Kyoto Prize in Arts and Philosophy.
Hidemaro Watanabe (渡部 英麿, Watanabe Hidemaro; September 24, 1924 – October 12, 2011) was a Japanese football player. He…Hidemaro Watanabe (渡部 英麿, Watanabe Hidemaro; September 24, 1924 – October 12, 2011) was a Japanese football player. He played for Japan national team.
Hiroomi Umezawa (梅沢 博臣, Umezawa Hiroomi) (September 20, 1924 – March 24, 1995) was a physicist and Distinguished…Hiroomi Umezawa (梅沢 博臣, Umezawa Hiroomi) (September 20, 1924 – March 24, 1995) was a physicist and Distinguished Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee and later at the University of Alberta. He is known for his fundamental contributions to quantum field theory and for his work on quantum phenomena in relation to the mind.
Koken Nosaka (野坂 浩賢, Nosaka Kōken; 17 September 1924 – 18 April 2004) was a Japanese politician. He was first elected…Koken Nosaka (野坂 浩賢, Nosaka Kōken; 17 September 1924 – 18 April 2004) was a Japanese politician. He was first elected to the Diet of Japan in 1972, representing the Tottori at-large district. A member of the Social Democratic Party, he served as construction minister and chief cabinet secretary in the cabinet led by Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama. Liberal Democratic Party politician Yōhei Kōno described Nosaka as "the main player" in forming the LDP-SDP coalition governments of the mid-1990s.
Manabu Mabe (マナブ間部) (September 14, 1924 – September 22, 1997) was a Japanese-Brazilian painter. Mabe worked as a vendor…Manabu Mabe (マナブ間部) (September 14, 1924 – September 22, 1997) was a Japanese-Brazilian painter. Mabe worked as a vendor of hand-painted ties in São Paulo before becoming an artist. In the late 1950s, Mabe won the top award in São Paulo's Contemporary Art Salon, the top award as Brazil's best painter in the São Paulo Bienal, and the top honors for artists under 35 at Paris's first biennial. His works are currently displayed in the permanent exhibitions of the São Paulo Contemporary Art Museum, the Modern Art Museum in Rio de Janeiro, the Boston Contemporary Art Museum, the Beaux-Arts Museum of Dallas among others. The Rio de Janeiro National Museum for the Beaux-Arts lodges the most expressive paintings of a Still Life (oil on canvas). Other institutions that display his work are the National Art Museum of Bolivia and the V+R Sapoznik Art Collection. Mabe died in São Paulo on September 22, 1997.
Kazuhiro Kuroda (黒田 一博, September 13, 1924 – August 17, 2007) was a Japanese professional baseball centerfielder in…Kazuhiro Kuroda (黒田 一博, September 13, 1924 – August 17, 2007) was a Japanese professional baseball centerfielder in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
Taro Nakayama (中山 太郎, Nakayama Tarō; 27 August 1924 – 15 March 2023) was a Japanese doctor and politician who served in…Taro Nakayama (中山 太郎, Nakayama Tarō; 27 August 1924 – 15 March 2023) was a Japanese doctor and politician who served in the House of Councillors and the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature) as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. A native of Osaka he received a Ph.D. in medicine from Osaka Medical College in 1960 for the study of infantile paralysis. After serving in the assembly of Osaka Prefecture he was elected to the Diet for the first time in 1968 as a member of the House of Councilors and to the House of Representatives for the first time in 1986. From 1989 to 1990 he served as Minister for Foreign Affairs in Toshiki Kaifu's cabinet (1989–1991). Nakayama's parents, Fukuzō and Masa, were also politicians and members of the Diet, as are his brother Masaaki and nephew Yasuhide. Nakayama also made history by hiring the first non-Japanese aide, Timothy Langley, into the Japanese Diet as was showcased on 60 Minutes. Nakayama was affiliated to the openly revisionist organization Nippon Kaigi. He was a mentor to Nippon Ishin no Kai politician Nobuyuki Baba. Nakayama died on 15 March 2023, at the age of 98.
Hiroshi Katsuragawa (桂川 寛, Katsuragawa Hiroshi; August 20, 1924 – October 16, 2011) was a Japanese artist closely…Hiroshi Katsuragawa (桂川 寛, Katsuragawa Hiroshi; August 20, 1924 – October 16, 2011) was a Japanese artist closely associated with the postwar avant-garde art movement in Japan. His artworks were featured prominently in the 2010 documentary film ANPO: Art X War by American documentary filmmaker Linda Hoaglund.
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.
Yoshirō Muraki (村木 与四郎, Muraki Yoshirō; August 15, 1924 – October 26, 2009) was a Japanese production designer, art…Yoshirō Muraki (村木 与四郎, Muraki Yoshirō; August 15, 1924 – October 26, 2009) was a Japanese production designer, art director, and costume designer. Muraki joined Toho Film studio in 1944. He was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Art Direction for his work in the films Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970), Kagemusha (1980), and Ran (1985). He was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Costume Design for his work in Yojimbo (1961). He is most well known for his collaborations with director Akira Kurosawa, having done work on all of Kurosawa's films from Record of a Living Being (1955) onward, with the exception of Dersu Uzala (1975). He was married to Shinobu Muraki.
Kazuo Shiraga (白髪 一雄, Shiraga Kazuo; August 12, 1924 – April 8, 2008) was a Japanese abstract painter and the…Kazuo Shiraga (白髪 一雄, Shiraga Kazuo; August 12, 1924 – April 8, 2008) was a Japanese abstract painter and the first-generation member of the postwar artists collective Gutai Art Association (Gutai). As a Gutai member, he was a prolific, inventive, and pioneering experimentalist who tackled a range of media: in addition to painting, he worked in performance art, three-dimensional object making, conceptual art, and installations, many of which are preserved only in documentary photos and films. Shiraga is best known for his abstract paintings, or the so-called “foot painting”, which he created by spreading oil paint initially on paper and later on canvas with his feet. Through this original method he had invented in 1954, he made a critical engagement with the tradition of painting, the result of which resonated with European and American gestural abstraction of the 1950s, such as Informel and Abstract Expressionism. In the 1960s and 1970s, he reintroduced tools such as boards and spatulas for spreading the paint. His experiments outside painting, such as Challenging Mud and Ultramodern Sanbasō, were closely associated with the notion of “picturing,” derived from e (絵), or “picture” in Japanese, that Gutai members shared in exploring new ways of painting. At the same time, his innovations were at times associated with his embrace of violence and the grotesque, which Shiraga had been fascinated with since his childhood. Among the Gutai members who were promoted by the French art critic Michel Tapié in Europe and the US, Shiraga was most recognized after the leader Jirō Yoshihara and most commercially successful as a solo artist as early as the late 1950s; and his success continues to date with in the international auctions.
Toranosuke Takeshita (竹下 虎之助, Takeshita Toranosuke; 6 August 1924 – 16 December 2008) was the Governor of Hiroshima…Toranosuke Takeshita (竹下 虎之助, Takeshita Toranosuke; 6 August 1924 – 16 December 2008) was the Governor of Hiroshima Prefecture from 1981 to 1993. In August 1990, while participating in a symposium in Hiroshima, he publicly called on Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to visit the city.
Megumi Ohnaka (大中恩), who also used the pseudonym Ai Tsuchida (July 24, 1924 - December 3, 2018), was a Japanese…Megumi Ohnaka (大中恩), who also used the pseudonym Ai Tsuchida (July 24, 1924 - December 3, 2018), was a Japanese composer known for his children's songs (doyo) and choruses, as well as his live "Song Song" parties, which he began in 1961. In 1945, he graduated from the composition department of Tokyo Music School, into which he had matriculated in 1942. The same year he was drafted into the Imperial Japanese Navy. In 1955, he formed Roba no Kai with Yoshinao Nakada, Toshi Isobe, Mitsutoshi Ugajin, and Kazutsugu Nakada. In 1957, he formed Goal Me through the activities of the mixed chorus PF Call (1946-1955), which disbanded after thirty years in 1987. In 1968, he formed the female chorus, Cole Grace. In 1989, he received the Medal of Honor with Purple Ribbon for individuals who have contributed to academic and artistic developments, improvements, and accomplishments.
Mitsuo Higashinaka (東中光雄, Higashinaka Mitsuo; 23 July 1924 – 7 August 2014) was a Japanese lawyer and politician from…Mitsuo Higashinaka (東中光雄, Higashinaka Mitsuo; 23 July 1924 – 7 August 2014) was a Japanese lawyer and politician from the Japanese Communist Party, he served for a total of 10 terms in the House of Representatives from 1969 to 2000, representing Osaka's 2nd District. In 2001, he resumed his legal career at the Kansai Joint Law Office, and in 2005, he served as head of the defense team in the Kurabo (Kurashiki Spinning) Human Rights Trial, and in 2009, he served as head of the defense team in the State Compensation Lawsuit for Special Benefits for the Wives of War Dead.
Matsunobori Shigeo (20 July 1924 – 21 April 1986) was a sumo wrestler from Matsudo Chiba, Japan. He fought for the now…Matsunobori Shigeo (20 July 1924 – 21 April 1986) was a sumo wrestler from Matsudo Chiba, Japan. He fought for the now defunct Ōyama stable, joining in 1941. He reached the top makuuchi division in 1951 and made the second highest ōzeki rank (alongside Wakanohana) in 1956, after finishing as a runner-up to Kagamisato in the September 1955 tournament. He was an ōzeki for fifteen tournaments, although he lost the rank at the end of 1958. He retired in November 1961, and in his role as an elder of the Japan Sumo Association he became the head of Ōyama stable in January 1962 upon the death of his old stablemaster, ex-sekiwake Takanobori. He produced one sekitori, the maegashira Daihi, who retired in 1983. Shortly after Ōyama's death in April 1986 the stable was wound up and its two remaining wrestlers retired.
Masatake Kuranishi (倉西 正武 Kuranishi Masatake; July 19, 1924 – June 22, 2021) was a Japanese mathematician who worked on…Masatake Kuranishi (倉西 正武 Kuranishi Masatake; July 19, 1924 – June 22, 2021) was a Japanese mathematician who worked on several complex variables, partial differential equations, and differential geometry.
Yoichi Numata (沼田 曜一, Numata Yōichi) (19 July 1924 – 29 April 2006) was a Japanese film actor. He appeared in 27 films…Yoichi Numata (沼田 曜一, Numata Yōichi) (19 July 1924 – 29 April 2006) was a Japanese film actor. He appeared in 27 films between 1949 and 2001.
Akira Kanayama (金山明 Kanayama Akira; 1924–2006) was a Japanese avant-garde artist and an early member of The Gutai Art…Akira Kanayama (金山明 Kanayama Akira; 1924–2006) was a Japanese avant-garde artist and an early member of The Gutai Art Association. An active contributor to Gutai's exhibitions and performance events, Kanayama was one of the pivotal figures of the group. His artworks were characterised by witty experiments with unconventional materials such as toy cars and signal lights for level crossing. He left Gutai in 1965 with Atsuko Tanaka, whom he married later in the same year.
Yatsuko Kaneko Tanami (Japanese: 丹阿弥 谷津子, born 25 June 1924) is a Japanese actress, known for her performance during…Yatsuko Kaneko Tanami (Japanese: 丹阿弥 谷津子, born 25 June 1924) is a Japanese actress, known for her performance during the Golden Age of Japanese film.
Jun'ichi Tomizawa (Japanese: 富澤 純一 Tomizawa Jun'ichi; June 24, 1924 – January 26, 2017, in Mishima, Shizuoka, Japan)…Jun'ichi Tomizawa (Japanese: 富澤 純一 Tomizawa Jun'ichi; June 24, 1924 – January 26, 2017, in Mishima, Shizuoka, Japan) was a Japanese molecular geneticist.
Kazutoshi Sasayama (笹山 幸俊, Sasayama Kazutoshi) is a Japanese politician who served as mayor of Kobe, the capital city…Kazutoshi Sasayama (笹山 幸俊, Sasayama Kazutoshi) is a Japanese politician who served as mayor of Kobe, the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. He served as the mayor of the city from 1989 until 2001. He was also the mayor when the Great Hanshin earthquake struck Kobe in 1995.
Kōichi Iiboshi (also Koichi or Kohichi) (飯干晃一, Iiboshi Kōichi 2 June 1927, in Osaka – 2 March 1996, in Tokyo) was a…Kōichi Iiboshi (also Koichi or Kohichi) (飯干晃一, Iiboshi Kōichi 2 June 1927, in Osaka – 2 March 1996, in Tokyo) was a Japanese journalist for Yomiuri Shimbun and author.
Madokoro Akutagawa Saori (芥川 (間所) 紗織, Akutagawa (Madokoro) Saori; 1924–31 January 1966) was a Japanese painter whose…Madokoro Akutagawa Saori (芥川 (間所) 紗織, Akutagawa (Madokoro) Saori; 1924–31 January 1966) was a Japanese painter whose works were often associated with primitivism, folkloric and mythological subjects, as well as unique dyeing techniques. Her paintings from the 1950s manifest various themes from distorted and dramatic portrayal of women to divine narratives based on traditional Japanese folklore. After briefly studying and living in the US, Akutagawa shifted her artistic exploration towards abstraction before her death at a young age in 1966.
Yoshiaki Arata (荒田 吉明, Arata Yoshiaki; 22 May 1924 – 5 June 2018) was a Japanese physicist. Arata was one of the…Yoshiaki Arata (荒田 吉明, Arata Yoshiaki; 22 May 1924 – 5 June 2018) was a Japanese physicist. Arata was one of the pioneering researchers into nuclear fusion in Japan and a former professor at Osaka University. He was reported to be a strong nationalist, speaking only Japanese in public. He received the Order of Culture in 2006. Arata started researching and publishing in the field of cold fusion around 1998, together with his colleague Yue Chang Zhang.
Mitsuo Aida (相田みつを, Aida Mitsuo; 20 May 1924 – 17 December 1991) was a Japanese poet and calligrapher known as The Poet…Mitsuo Aida (相田みつを, Aida Mitsuo; 20 May 1924 – 17 December 1991) was a Japanese poet and calligrapher known as The Poet of Zen. His work was influenced by Zen Buddhism and he is known for his works, Ningen damono (Because I'm Human), Okagesan (Our Debt to Others), and Inochi ippai (Live a Full Live).
Kōjō Tanaka (田中 光常, Tanaka Kōjō; May 11, 1924 – May 6, 2016) was a renowned Japanese photographer. He graduated from…Kōjō Tanaka (田中 光常, Tanaka Kōjō; May 11, 1924 – May 6, 2016) was a renowned Japanese photographer. He graduated from Hokkaido University in 1944.
Tatsu Ishimoda (Japanese: 石母田 達 Ishimoda Tatsu; 11 May 1924 – 12 February 2022) was a Japanese politician. A member of…Tatsu Ishimoda (Japanese: 石母田 達 Ishimoda Tatsu; 11 May 1924 – 12 February 2022) was a Japanese politician. A member of the Japanese Communist Party, he served in the House of Representatives from 1972 to 1976. He died in Atsugi on 12 February 2022, at the age of 97.
Hajime Tamura (田村 元, Tamura Hajime) (5 May 1924 – 1 November 2014) was a Japanese politician. He held different cabinet…Hajime Tamura (田村 元, Tamura Hajime) (5 May 1924 – 1 November 2014) was a Japanese politician. He held different cabinet posts and served as the speaker of the House of Representatives.
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.
Shintaro Abe (安倍 晋太郎, Abe Shintarō; 29 April 1924 – 15 May 1991) was a Japanese politician who served as Minister of…Shintaro Abe (安倍 晋太郎, Abe Shintarō; 29 April 1924 – 15 May 1991) was a Japanese politician who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1982 to 1986. He was a leading member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). He was the father of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and part of the Satō–Kishi–Abe family.
Miyeko O Murase (村瀬実惠子 Murase Miyeko 27 April 1924 – 12 February 2025) was a Japanese art historian, curator, and…Miyeko O Murase (村瀬実惠子 Murase Miyeko 27 April 1924 – 12 February 2025) was a Japanese art historian, curator, and scholar known for her work on classical Japanese painting, particularly narrative handscrolls (emakimono), folding screens (byōbu), and calligraphy. She was the Takeo and Itsuko Atsumi Professor of Japanese Art at Columbia University and served for a decade as Special Consultant for Japanese Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Junnosuke Yoshiyuki (吉行 淳之介, Yoshiyuki Junnosuke; April 13, 1924 – July 26, 1994) was a Japanese novelist and…Junnosuke Yoshiyuki (吉行 淳之介, Yoshiyuki Junnosuke; April 13, 1924 – July 26, 1994) was a Japanese novelist and short-story writer, and a member of the so-called "Third Generation of Postwar Writers" (第3の新人).
Ikuma Dan (團 伊玖磨, Dan Ikuma; 7 April 1924 – 17 May 2001) was a Japanese composer. Dan was born in Tokyo, the descendant…Ikuma Dan (團 伊玖磨, Dan Ikuma; 7 April 1924 – 17 May 2001) was a Japanese composer. Dan was born in Tokyo, the descendant of a prominent family, his grandfather Baron Dan Takuma having been President of Mitsui before being assassinated in 1932. He graduated from Aoyama Gakuin and Tokyo Music School in 1946. He studied with teachers including Kosaku Yamada, Kunihiko Hashimoto, Kan'ichi Shimofusa, Saburō Moroi, and Midori Hosokawa. During his career he completed six symphonies, all recorded and released on the Decca label in Japan, and wrote seven operas as well as a number of filmscores, and many songs. He wrote celebratory music for the Japanese imperial family, actively promoted cultural exchange with China (from 1979 until his death in Suzhou, China, in 2001), and received the commission to write an opera (Takeru) for the 1997 opening of the New National Theatre, Tokyo, Japan's main opera house. Dan is known in Japan for his 1951 opera Yūzuru (Twilight Crane), which is regularly revived there.
Tokuji Iida (飯田 徳治, Iida Tokuji; April 6, 1924 – June 19, 2000) was a Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball first…Tokuji Iida (飯田 徳治, Iida Tokuji; April 6, 1924 – June 19, 2000) was a Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball first baseman. He both batted and threw right-handed. Iida spent most of his 16-year career with the Nankai Hawks, where he won 5 Best Nine Awards, 4 Pacific League pennants, and a Pacific League MVP Award in 1955. He spent the remainder of his career with the Kokutestu Swallows, with his final season in 1963. He played 1,246 consecutive games until finally taking a rest day on May 24, 1958.
Peter Takaaki Hirayama (March 31, 1924 – July 15, 2023) was a Japanese prelate of the Catholic Church. Hirayama was…Peter Takaaki Hirayama (March 31, 1924 – July 15, 2023) was a Japanese prelate of the Catholic Church. Hirayama was born in Seoul and was ordained a priest on March 19, 1957. Hirayama was appointed bishop of the Diocese of Oita on November 15, 1969, and was consecrated on January 25, 1970. Hirayama served in this capacity until his retirement on May 10, 2000.
Saburo Date (伊達三郎, Date Saburō; 27 March 1924 – 12 September 1991) was a Japanese actor. In 1945, he signed a contract…Saburo Date (伊達三郎, Date Saburō; 27 March 1924 – 12 September 1991) was a Japanese actor. In 1945, he signed a contract with Daiei Film company and started his acting career. Following year, he made his film debut with Okagura Kyōdai directed by Hiroshi Inagaki. At the same time, he was given the stage name Saburo Date by Inagaki. As the Daiei studio gave up film production in 1970, he left Daiei and became a freelance actor. He appeared in nearly 200 films between 1947 and 1990.
Soichiro Ito (伊藤宗一郎, Itō Sōichirō; 21 March 1924 – 4 September 2001) was a Japanese politician who served in the House…Soichiro Ito (伊藤宗一郎, Itō Sōichirō; 21 March 1924 – 4 September 2001) was a Japanese politician who served in the House of Representatives from 1967 until his death in 2001. From 1981 to 1982, Ito was the Director General of the Japan Defense Agency. Born in Miyagi Prefecture in 1924, he studied law at Tohoku University and served briefly as a second lieutenant in the Imperial Japanese Army.
Yasushi Mieno (三重野 康, Mieno Yasushi; March 17, 1924 – April 15, 2012) was a Japanese businessman, central banker, the…Yasushi Mieno (三重野 康, Mieno Yasushi; March 17, 1924 – April 15, 2012) was a Japanese businessman, central banker, the 26th Governor of the Bank of Japan (BOJ) and a Director of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS).
Morihiko Hiramatsu (平松 守彦, Hiramatsu Morihiko; 12 March 1924 – 21 August 2016) was a Japanese politician who was…Morihiko Hiramatsu (平松 守彦, Hiramatsu Morihiko; 12 March 1924 – 21 August 2016) was a Japanese politician who was governor of Ōita Prefecture from April 1979 to April 2003. He is best known for initiating the One Village One Product movement in the prefecture, which was later followed by various other countries.
Kimifusa Abe (安部 公房, Abe Kimifusa; March 7, 1924 – January 22, 1993), known by his pen name Kōbō Abe (安部 公房, Abe Kōbō)…Kimifusa Abe (安部 公房, Abe Kimifusa; March 7, 1924 – January 22, 1993), known by his pen name Kōbō Abe (安部 公房, Abe Kōbō), was a Japanese writer, playwright and director. His 1962 novel The Woman in the Dunes was made into an award-winning film by Hiroshi Teshigahara in 1964. Abe has often been compared to Franz Kafka for his modernist sensibilities and his surreal, often nightmarish explorations of individuals in contemporary society. He died aged 68 of heart failure in Tokyo after a brief illness.
Takeshi Taketsuru (Japanese: 竹鶴威, 6 March 1924 – 17 December 2014) was a Japanese whisky distiller. He was the nephew…Takeshi Taketsuru (Japanese: 竹鶴威, 6 March 1924 – 17 December 2014) was a Japanese whisky distiller. He was the nephew of Masataka Taketsuru, from his sister Nobuyo, and his wife Rita Taketsuru, the founders of the Nikka Whisky company before being adopted by them after his father's death in 1943. After their deaths, he took over the company, and expanded its business substantially. He died on 17 December 2014, at the age of 90. Having married his wife, Utako, in 1951, he is survived by his two children, Kotaro and Minobu.
Noboru Minowa (Japanese: 箕輪登, romanized: Minowa Noboru) (March 5, 1924 – May 14, 2006) was a member of the House of…Noboru Minowa (Japanese: 箕輪登, romanized: Minowa Noboru) (March 5, 1924 – May 14, 2006) was a member of the House of Representatives of Japan from Hokkaido 1st district. He was from Otaru, Hokkaido, and a graduate of Hokkaido University.
