Tsuneari Fukuda (25 August 1912 – 20 November 1994) was a Japanese playwright, translator, literary critic and public…
Tsuneari Fukuda (25 August 1912 – 20 November 1994) was a Japanese playwright, translator, literary critic and public intellectual. Born in Tokyo to a working-class family, Fukuda read English literature at Tokyo Imperial University. A scholar of D. H. Lawrence, he found his voice as a critic by contributing to literary magazines. Interested in theatre from a young age, Fukuda became associated with the shingeki genre of contemporary theatre, writing and producing numerous original plays, including The Man Who Stroked the Dragon (1952) and The Fuhrer is Still Alive! (1970), for which he was awarded the Yomiuri Prize and Grand Prize for Japanese Literature respectively. From the 1950s, he began a life-long endeavour to translate William Shakespeare's work into Japanese. He staged successful productions of these translations, starting with Hamlet in 1955, which set off a Shakespeare boom in Japan. Originally associated with the Bungakuza theatre company, he later broke away to found the Kumo and Subaru companies in 1963 and 1975 respectively. A contributor to popular magazines such as Bungei Shunjū, Chūō Kōron, and Shokun!, Fukuda became well-known to the Japanese public as a conservative intellectual from the 1950s. He opposed the post-war Japanese script reform, and was awarded another Yomiuri Prize for his book on the subject, My Japanese Language Classroom (1960). He criticised left-wing movements, such as the Anpo protests, and questioned the dominance of pacifism in post-war Japan. A supporter of individual liberty and freedom of expression, he rejected the politicisation of art, and expressed doubts about Japanese modernisation. From 1969, he began teaching at Kyoto Sangyo University, and in 1981, he became a member of the Japan Art Academy. After suffering more than a decade of declining health, he died at Ōiso in Kanagawa Prefecture in 1994.
Famous People Born in the Year of the Rat
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Naoto Tajima (田島 直人, Tajima Naoto; August 15, 1912 – December 4, 1990) was a Japanese athlete who competed at the 1932…
Naoto Tajima (田島 直人, Tajima Naoto; August 15, 1912 – December 4, 1990) was a Japanese athlete who competed at the 1932 and 1936 Olympics. In 1932 he finished sixth in the long jump, while in 1936 he finished third in the long jump, behind Jesse Owens and Luz Long, and won the triple jump event, setting a world record at 16.00 m. This record stood until 1951, when Adhemar da Silva improved it by one centimeter. Raised in Iwakuni, Tajima graduated in economics from Kyoto Imperial University just prior to competing in the Olympics. His gold medal was Japan's last Olympic track and field gold medal until Naoko Takahashi won the women's marathon at the 2000 Summer Olympics. Tajima retired from competitive athletics in 1938 but maintained an administrative role as managing director of the Japan Association of Athletics Federations. He was also a member of the Japanese Olympic Committee, coached the Japanese athletics teams at the 1956 and 1964 Olympics, and worked as a lecturer at Chukyo University.
Hiroshi Negami (根上 博, Negami Hiroshi; 3 August 1912 – 1980) was a Japanese swimmer. He competed in the men's 400 metre…
Hiroshi Negami (根上 博, Negami Hiroshi; 3 August 1912 – 1980) was a Japanese swimmer. He competed in the men's 400 metre freestyle at the 1936 Summer Olympics.
Masaki Iinuma (飯沼 壮貴, Iinuma Masaki; 27 November 1912 – December 1941) was a Japanese aviator. Iinuma was born in…
Masaki Iinuma (飯沼 壮貴, Iinuma Masaki; 27 November 1912 – December 1941) was a Japanese aviator. Iinuma was born in Toyoshina (now part of Azumino, Nagano Prefecture), and was a graduate of the Imperial Japanese Army flying school at Tokorozawa. At age 24 he gained fame as the pilot on the Kamikaze (神風号, Kamikaze-go), a Mitsubishi Ki-15 Karigane aircraft, (registration J-BAAI) sponsored by the newspaper Asahi Shimbun. It became famous on April 9, 1937, as the first Japanese-built aircraft to fly from Japan to Europe, making the flight between Tokyo and London, in time for the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. The total elapsed time from departure from the Tachikawa Airfield was 94 hours, 17 minutes and 56 seconds, with actual flight time for the whole distance of 15,357 kilometres (9,542 mi) was 51 hours, 19 minutes and 23 seconds. The crew consisted of pilot Iinuma and navigator Kenji Tsukagoshi. The flight was the first Fédération Aéronautique Internationale record won by Japanese aviators. Iinuma later served as chief test pilot for the Kayaba Ka-1 autogyro from May 1941. Iinuma was killed in December 1941 at Phnom Penh airfield in French Indochina when, in a daze from hearing the news of the attack on Pearl Harbor by Japanese forces, he accidentally walked into a spinning aircraft propeller. His death was officially reported as a military casualty.
Kenshi Togami (戸上 研之, Togami Kenshi; 1 August 1912 – 1986) was a Japanese athlete. He competed in the men's long jump…
Kenshi Togami (戸上 研之, Togami Kenshi; 1 August 1912 – 1986) was a Japanese athlete. He competed in the men's long jump at the 1936 Summer Olympics. His personal best in the long jump was 7.64 meters, achieved in 1938
Tōshirō Ishida (石田 東四郎, Ishida Tōshirō; August 1912 – June 25, 2009) was a former Japanese military employee. Drafted…
Tōshirō Ishida (石田 東四郎, Ishida Tōshirō; August 1912 – June 25, 2009) was a former Japanese military employee. Drafted in 1937, he was sent to China in order to gain information for the Imperial Japanese Army, but went missing, eventually being declared dead in 1963. He was found living in the Chinese province of Henan in 1993, suffering from amnesia, and returned to Japan that year. In 1993, a Hyogo-based civilian group got information about a Japanese man living in Henan Province. DNA testing identified the man as Ishida. He returned to Japan the same year. His family said Ishida had been suffering from amnesia after receiving a bullet wound to the head during the war. He died of pneumonia in 2009.
Yojiro Kimura (木村 陽二郎, Kimura Yōjirō; 1912–2006) was a Japanese botanist, known for his classification of…
Yojiro Kimura (木村 陽二郎, Kimura Yōjirō; 1912–2006) was a Japanese botanist, known for his classification of monocotyledons, and of Japanese species of Hypericum.
Rikkō Nakamura (中村 立行, Nakamura Rikkō; 1912–1995) was a renowned Japanese photographer.
Tadashi Nakayama (中山 正, Nakayama Tadashi; July 26, 1912, Tokyo Prefecture – June 5, 1964, Nagoya) was a mathematician…
Tadashi Nakayama (中山 正, Nakayama Tadashi; July 26, 1912, Tokyo Prefecture – June 5, 1964, Nagoya) was a mathematician who made important contributions to representation theory.
Hideo Itokawa (糸川 英夫, Itokawa Hideo; July 20, 1912 – February 21, 1999) was a pioneer of Japanese rocketry, popularly…
Hideo Itokawa (糸川 英夫, Itokawa Hideo; July 20, 1912 – February 21, 1999) was a pioneer of Japanese rocketry, popularly known as "Dr. Rocket," and described in the media as the father of Japan's space development. The near-Earth asteroid 25143 Itokawa was named in honor of Itokawa, and is notable as the target of the Hayabusa mission.
Kosho Uchiyama (内山 興正, Uchiyama Kōshō; 1912 – March 13, 1998) was a Sōtō Zen monk, origami master, and abbot of…
Kosho Uchiyama (内山 興正, Uchiyama Kōshō; 1912 – March 13, 1998) was a Sōtō Zen monk, origami master, and abbot of Antai-ji near Kyoto, Japan. Uchiyama was author of more than twenty books on Zen Buddhism and origami, of which the best known in the Western World are Opening the Hand of Thought: Foundations of Zen Buddhist Practice and How to Cook Your Life: From the Zen Kitchen to Enlightenment.
Churyo Sato (Japanese: 佐藤 忠良, Hepburn: Satō Chūryō; 1912 – 2011) was a Japanese sculptor and painter. He was born in…
Churyo Sato (Japanese: 佐藤 忠良, Hepburn: Satō Chūryō; 1912 – 2011) was a Japanese sculptor and painter. He was born in Miyagi Prefecture and grew up in Hokkaido. In 1932 he moved to Tokyo to become a painter. Becoming influenced by Aristide Maillol and Charles Despiau, Sato decided to specialize in sculpture. He graduated from the Tokyo School of Fine Arts. From 1934 on, Sato spent the next seventy years making art works primarily from bronze to much acclaim. He was a dedicated artist working from 8 am until 8 pm every day and died on 30 March 2011 at the age of 98.
Paek Ki-haeng (Korean: 백기행; 1 July 1912 – 7 January 1996), known by his art name Paek Sŏk (백석) was a North Korean poet.…
Paek Ki-haeng (Korean: 백기행; 1 July 1912 – 7 January 1996), known by his art name Paek Sŏk (백석) was a North Korean poet. He was born in Chŏngju in North Pyongan Province, and started his journalist career at The Chosun Ilbo in 1934. He published his first poem "Chŏngju Fortress" (정주성, Jeongjuseong) on 31 August 1935 issue of Chosun Ilbo. On 20 January next year, he published a collection of the poems he had written entitled Deer (사슴, Sasŭm). Even though Deer contained 33 poems, many of which were new, seven of them were already published in magazines or newspapers in slightly different forms. Until 1948, he published about 60 more pieces, but is not believed to have produced another poetry book. In South Korea, the publication of his works was strictly prohibited for a while because he was labelled as a North Korean poet and a communist. However, since 1987 when a collection of his works (poems and essays) were first introduced after the Korean War, he has been widely re-evaluated by scholars and critics. He is now regarded as having opened a new face of Korean socialist modernism with a group of literary writers. In 2007, he was listed by the Korean Poets' Association among the ten most important modern Korean poets.
Morita Shiryū (June 24, 1912 – December 1, 1998) was a postwar Japanese artist who revolutionized Japanese calligraphy…
Morita Shiryū (June 24, 1912 – December 1, 1998) was a postwar Japanese artist who revolutionized Japanese calligraphy into a global avant-garde aesthetic. He was born in Toyooka, Hyōgo, Japan with the name Morita Kiyoshi (森田清). About 1925, he adopted the art name Morita Shiryū (森田子龍). "Shiryū" (子龍) translates a "dragon child". Around 1937, he moved to Tokyo to study calligraphy under Ueda Sōkyū (上田桑鳩). In 1943, he returned home, and five years later, he moved to Kyoto City to immerse himself in its art community. He was a founding member of the Bokujinkai ('Group of People of the Ink'), an association of calligraphy artists who envisioned to bring the art of calligraphy to the position of international prominence. He edited the monthly journal Bokubi (墨美, Beauty of Ink) from 1951 to 1981. He participated in meetings and exhibitions of the cross-genre study and discussion group Gendai Bijutsu Kondankai (現代美術懇談会, Contemporary Art Discussion Group, short: ゲンビ Genbi). While at the Bokujinkai, Morita launched artistic and intellectual exchange with many prominent international abstract artists including Franz Kline, Pierre Soulages, Pierre Alechinsky, and Walasse Ting. Ryu chi Ryu (Dragon Knows Dragon) from 1964 is an example of Morita's large scale (42.8 x 86 inch) calligraphic paintings that incorporate unusual materials (aluminum flake pigment in polyvinyl acetate medium, yellow alkyd varnish on paper), and are devoid of textural meaning.
Toshinobu Onosato (June 8, 1912 – November 30, 1986) was a Japanese printmaker. His work frequently included geometric…
Toshinobu Onosato (June 8, 1912 – November 30, 1986) was a Japanese printmaker. His work frequently included geometric shapes like circles, rectangles, and triangles, leading to his reputation as a pioneer of scientifically oriented design.
Tomoe Yamashiro (山代巴, Yamashiro Tomoe; June 8, 1912 – November 7, 2004) was a Japanese novelist, and activist.
Okuda Genso (奥田元宋) (6 July 1912 – 15 February 2003) was one of the most famous Nihonga painters of the Showa era. He…
Okuda Genso (奥田元宋) (6 July 1912 – 15 February 2003) was one of the most famous Nihonga painters of the Showa era. He gave his name to a red pigment "Genso red".
Jirō Nitta (新田 次郎, Nitta Jirō; June 6, 1912 – February 15, 1980) is the pen name of Japanese historical novelist and…
Jirō Nitta (新田 次郎, Nitta Jirō; June 6, 1912 – February 15, 1980) is the pen name of Japanese historical novelist and meteorologist Hiroto Fujiwara (藤原 寛人, Fujiwara Hiroto). He was born in an area that is now part of the city of Suwa, Nagano Prefecture, Japan.
Shikama Tokio (鹿間時夫) (1912–1978) was a Japanese vertebrate palaeontologist. Considered the leading Japanese figure in…
Shikama Tokio (鹿間時夫) (1912–1978) was a Japanese vertebrate palaeontologist. Considered the leading Japanese figure in the field in the immediate pre- and post-war years, species he described include Yabe's giant deer (Sinomegaceros yabei).
Ryūtarō Ōtomo (大友柳太朗, Ōtomo Ryūtarō) (5 June 1912 – 27 September 1985) was a Japanese film and television actor most…
Ryūtarō Ōtomo (大友柳太朗, Ōtomo Ryūtarō) (5 June 1912 – 27 September 1985) was a Japanese film and television actor most famous for his starring roles in jidaigeki. In 1936, he made his debut in movies with the film Aozura Roshi. Overall Ryūtarō Ōtomo appeared in more than 100 movies. He ended his life by leaping from the top of a building in 1985. His final appearance in the film was Tampopo directed by Juzo Itami in 1985.
Kaoru Morimoto (森本薫, Morimoto Kaoru; 4 June 1912 – 6 October 1946) was a Japanese playwright, screenwriter and…
Kaoru Morimoto (森本薫, Morimoto Kaoru; 4 June 1912 – 6 October 1946) was a Japanese playwright, screenwriter and translator. He is famous for his critically acclaimed play A Woman's Life (Onna no isshō), which became one of the most often performed plays in post-war Japan.
Norio Taniguchi (谷口 紀男, Taniguchi Norio; May 27, 1912 – November 15, 1999) was a professor of Tokyo University of…
Norio Taniguchi (谷口 紀男, Taniguchi Norio; May 27, 1912 – November 15, 1999) was a professor of Tokyo University of Science. He coined the term nano-technology in 1974 to describe semiconductor processes such as thin film deposition and ion beam milling exhibiting characteristic control on the order of a nanometer: nano-technology "mainly consists of the processing of separation, consolidation, and deformation of materials by one atom or one molecule." Taniguchi started his research on abrasive mechanisms of high precision machining of hard and brittle materials. At Tokyo University of Science, he went on to pioneer the application of energy beam techniques to ultra precision materials processing; these included electro discharge, microwave, electron beam, photon (laser) and ion beams. He studied the developments in machining techniques from 1940 until the early 1970s and predicted correctly that by the late 1980s, techniques would have evolved to a degree that dimensional accuracies of better than 100 nm would be achievable.
Princess Deokhye of Korea (Korean: 덕혜옹주; Japanese: 徳恵姫, Tokue-hime; 25 May 1912 – 21 April 1989) was the last princess…
Princess Deokhye of Korea (Korean: 덕혜옹주; Japanese: 徳恵姫, Tokue-hime; 25 May 1912 – 21 April 1989) was the last princess of the Korean royal family. She was born on 25 May 1912, at Changdeok Palace, in Seoul, as the youngest daughter of Emperor Gojong from his concubine, then known as Yang Gwi-in. After her birth, Gojong bestowed the royal title Boknyeong on Lady Yang. Deokhye was not formally recognized as a princess by Japan because she was not the daughter of a Queen. In 1917, she was officially recognized as a princess by the Japanese government and her name was also formally entered into the imperial family's registry. Her father loved her greatly and established the Deoksugung Kindergarten for her in Junmyungdang (준명당), Hamnyeong Hall. Girls her age from noble families attended the kindergarten. In South Korea, she is called Deokhye Ongju, not Gongju. Gongju refers to the daughters of the Queen, and Ongju refers to the daughters of concubines.
Jiro Yamagishi (山岸二郎, Yamagishi Jirō; 23 May 1912 – 30 January 1997) was an amateur tennis player from Japan who…
Jiro Yamagishi (山岸二郎, Yamagishi Jirō; 23 May 1912 – 30 January 1997) was an amateur tennis player from Japan who competed primarily in the 1930s. He was ranked World No 8 in 1938.
Tetsuo Imai (今井 哲夫, Imai Tetsuo; 20 May 1912 – 27 December 1987) was a Japanese middle-distance runner. He competed in…
Tetsuo Imai (今井 哲夫, Imai Tetsuo; 20 May 1912 – 27 December 1987) was a Japanese middle-distance runner. He competed in the men's 3000 metres steeplechase at the 1936 Summer Olympics.
Isao Hayashi (林伊佐緒, Hayashi Isao; May 11, 1912 – September 29, 1995) was a Japanese popular music and military music…
Isao Hayashi (林伊佐緒, Hayashi Isao; May 11, 1912 – September 29, 1995) was a Japanese popular music and military music singer and composer. He took part in the Japan's famous year-end show Kōhaku Uta Gassen eleven times. One of the well-known songs composed by him is the military song "Shussei Heishi o Okuru Uta" (出征兵士を送る歌; "Song for Giving Warriors a Send-off").
Gen Ōtsuka (大束 元, Ōtsuka Gen; 1912-1992) was a renowned Japanese photographer. He was born on May 10, 1912, in the Kita…
Gen Ōtsuka (大束 元, Ōtsuka Gen; 1912-1992) was a renowned Japanese photographer. He was born on May 10, 1912, in the Kita ward in Tokyo, Japan. His father, Otsuka Masayoshi, was a pioneer of photographic retouching. After graduating secondary school in 1929, his father encouraged him to study photography at Tokyo Industrial Arts High School (currently part of Chiba University). He graduated in 1933. Otsuka was a photographer who worked in various photographic styles. He was not tethered to specific photographic techniques or motifs. He was a leader in the Tokyo-based photojournalism that focused on social issues. But he was also a well established portrait photographer. He worked for the Asahi Newspaper.
Yoshio Sakurauchi (櫻内 義雄, Sakurauchi Yoshio; 8 May 1912 – 5 July 2003) was a Japanese politician and a significant…
Yoshio Sakurauchi (櫻内 義雄, Sakurauchi Yoshio; 8 May 1912 – 5 July 2003) was a Japanese politician and a significant member of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). He was speaker of the House of Representatives of which he was a member for 53 years.
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.
Shiro Azuma (東 史郎, Azuma Shirō; April 27, 1912 – January 3, 2006) was a Japanese soldier who openly admitted his…
Shiro Azuma (東 史郎, Azuma Shirō; April 27, 1912 – January 3, 2006) was a Japanese soldier who openly admitted his participation in Japanese war crimes against the Chinese during World War II. He was one of the few former soldiers of the Empire of Japan to admit to his participation in the 1937 Nanjing Massacre. After his confession, he visited China seven times to apologize and help Chinese scholars find more evidence of the Japanese soldiers' brutality. He prepared an eighth trip to Nanjing but died of cancer on January 3, 2006 in Kyoto.
Shunsuke Matsumoto (松本 竣介, Matsumoto Shunsuke; 1912–1948) was a Japanese painter, who primarily painted in the Yōga…
Shunsuke Matsumoto (松本 竣介, Matsumoto Shunsuke; 1912–1948) was a Japanese painter, who primarily painted in the Yōga ("Western painting") style. Matsumoto is known for his urban landscapes. His works can be divided into two series: those depicting anonymous urban landscapes and people in cold blue tones in a montage style, and those depicting Tokyo and Yokohama landscapes in dull brown tones. For a short period between 1947 and 1948, Matsumoto also painted Cubist-style works.
Shoichi Nishimura (西邑 昌一, Nishimura Shōichi; 1912 – March 22, 1998) was a Japanese football player and manager. He…
Shoichi Nishimura (西邑 昌一, Nishimura Shōichi; 1912 – March 22, 1998) was a Japanese football player and manager. He played for Japan national team.
Hachiro Maekawa (前川 八郎, Maekawa Hachirō) (1912 – March 16, 2010) was a former Yomiuri Giants player, and head of…
Hachiro Maekawa (前川 八郎, Maekawa Hachirō) (1912 – March 16, 2010) was a former Yomiuri Giants player, and head of scouting (1967–1972) for the Giants. In 1936, Maekawa joined the Giants and contributed to their first championship the same year. After fighting in and surviving World War II, Maekawa played for the 1946 Hankyu Braves, the predecessor of the current Orix Buffaloes. Maekawa posted a record of 21–23 with a 3.34 ERA over four years in professional baseball. In 1967, years after his playing career was through, Maekawa was appointed the head of scouting for the Giants, and served in that capacity for almost five years until he retired from baseball management in 1972 at the age of 59.
Shigeo Takahashi (高橋 成夫, Takahashi Shigeo; 29 March 1912 – 4 November 1990) was a Japanese swimmer. He competed in the…
Shigeo Takahashi (高橋 成夫, Takahashi Shigeo; 29 March 1912 – 4 November 1990) was a Japanese swimmer. He competed in the men's 100 metre freestyle at the 1932 Summer Olympics and the water polo tournament at the 1936 Summer Olympics.
Major Kenji Hatanaka (畑中 健二, Hatanaka Kenji; 28 March 1912 – 15 August 1945) was a Japanese military officer and one of…
Major Kenji Hatanaka (畑中 健二, Hatanaka Kenji; 28 March 1912 – 15 August 1945) was a Japanese military officer and one of the chief conspirators in the Kyūjō incident, a plot to seize the Imperial Palace and to prevent the broadcast of Emperor Hirohito's surrender speech announcing the end of World War II.
Toshimasa Shimamura (島村 利正, Shimamura Toshimasa; March 25, 1912 - November 25, 1981) was a noted Japanese author of…
Toshimasa Shimamura (島村 利正, Shimamura Toshimasa; March 25, 1912 - November 25, 1981) was a noted Japanese author of fiction. Shimamura was born in Nagano Prefecture, and in 1931 graduated from college with an English degree. His first book was published in 1941, and in 1943 his book 暁雲 became the first of his several candidates for the Akutagawa Prize. He founded a company in 1955 which went bankrupt in 1962, after which he took up writing full-time. Shimamura won the 1979 Yomiuri Prize for Myōkō no aki.
Yoshiyuki Iwamoto (岩本 義行, Iwamoto Yoshiyuki; March 11, 1912 – September 26, 2008) was a Japanese baseball player and…
Yoshiyuki Iwamoto (岩本 義行, Iwamoto Yoshiyuki; March 11, 1912 – September 26, 2008) was a Japanese baseball player and manager. He is a member of the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame.
Kichizo Sasaki (Japanese: 佐々木 吉蔵, Hepburn: Sasaki Kichizō; 10 March 1912 – 23 January 1983) was a Japanese sprinter. He…
Kichizo Sasaki (Japanese: 佐々木 吉蔵, Hepburn: Sasaki Kichizō; 10 March 1912 – 23 January 1983) was a Japanese sprinter. He was selected for the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics but had to drop out because of an injury. He competed in the men's 100 metres at the 1936 Summer Olympics. He later worked at the Japanese Ministry of Education and was the starter for the 100 meter finals at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
Teru Hasegawa (長谷川テル, Hasegawa Teru) (7 March 1912 – 10 January 1947 or 14 January 1947) was a Japanese Esperantist…
Teru Hasegawa (長谷川テル, Hasegawa Teru) (7 March 1912 – 10 January 1947 or 14 January 1947) was a Japanese Esperantist, also known by her Esperanto pen name Verda Majo (green May).
Takeo Yoshikawa (吉川 猛夫, Yoshikawa Takeo; March 7, 1912 – February 20, 1993) was a Japanese spy in Hawaii before the…
Takeo Yoshikawa (吉川 猛夫, Yoshikawa Takeo; March 7, 1912 – February 20, 1993) was a Japanese spy in Hawaii before the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
Shigeto Tsuru (都留 重人, Tsuru Shigeto; March 6, 1912 – February 5, 2006) was a Japanese economist. He was widely honoured…
Shigeto Tsuru (都留 重人, Tsuru Shigeto; March 6, 1912 – February 5, 2006) was a Japanese economist. He was widely honoured for his scholarship, including the Presidency of the International Economic Association. A pivotal figure in post-war Japanese economic thought, Shigeto Tsuru is widely recognized for his authoritative analysis of Japan's rapid economic reconstruction following its total defeat in World War II, and creator of the concept of creative defeat. He provided both a comprehensive chronology of the recovery process and a distinctive interpretation of the modern Japanese economy. Tsuru critically concluded that while Japan's creative and inspired response to its post-war challenges led to unprecedented economic success, this very success simultaneously generated a new set of persistent and complex problems within its structure.
Yi Ho-woo (Korean: 이호우; March 1, 1912 – January 6, 1970) was a South Korean poet and journalist.
Ohno Taiichi (大野耐一, Ōno Taiichi; February 29, 1912 – May 28, 1990) was a Japanese industrial engineer and businessman.…
Ohno Taiichi (大野耐一, Ōno Taiichi; February 29, 1912 – May 28, 1990) was a Japanese industrial engineer and businessman. He is considered to be the father of the Toyota Production System, which inspired Lean Manufacturing in the U.S. He devised the seven wastes (or muda in Japanese) as part of this system. He wrote several books about the system, including Toyota Production System: Beyond Large-Scale Production.
Senkichi Taniguchi (谷口 千吉, Taniguchi Senkichi) (February 19, 1912 – October 29, 2007) was a Japanese film director and…
Senkichi Taniguchi (谷口 千吉, Taniguchi Senkichi) (February 19, 1912 – October 29, 2007) was a Japanese film director and screenwriter.
Isao Ko Abe (阿部 功, February 18, 1912 – February 15, 1980) was a Japanese hammer thrower. He competed at the 1936 Summer…
Isao Ko Abe (阿部 功, February 18, 1912 – February 15, 1980) was a Japanese hammer thrower. He competed at the 1936 Summer Olympics and finished in 13th place. After his athletic retirement, he joined the Ministry of Railways.
Taijun Takeda (武田 泰淳, Takeda Taijun; February 12, 1912 – October 5, 1976) was a Japanese novelist and Buddhist priest…
Taijun Takeda (武田 泰淳, Takeda Taijun; February 12, 1912 – October 5, 1976) was a Japanese novelist and Buddhist priest active as one of the first post-war generation writers, and a noted influencer on Chinese literature. His Dharma name was (恭蓮社謙誉上人泰淳和尚).
Toshi Maruki (丸木俊, Maruki Toshi ; born Akamatsu Toshi, 赤松俊, on February 11, 1912, in Hokkaido, died on January 13…
Toshi Maruki (丸木俊, Maruki Toshi ; born Akamatsu Toshi, 赤松俊, on February 11, 1912, in Hokkaido, died on January 13, 2000, in Saitama; also known as Akamatsu Toshiko, 赤松俊子) was a Japanese painter. Maruki is best known for the Hiroshima Panels (Genbaku no zu) series that she and her husband Iri Maruki (丸木位里, 1901–1995) produced collaboratively from around 1950. The Marukis took on heavy themes such as the atomic bomb, genocide, and environmental pollution, and constantly voiced their anti-war and peace message through their art. Toshi Maruki is also known as an accomplished picture book author.
Futabayama Sadaji (双葉山 定次; February 9, 1912 – December 16, 1968) was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Oita…
Futabayama Sadaji (双葉山 定次; February 9, 1912 – December 16, 1968) was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Oita Prefecture. Entering sumo in 1927, he was the sport's 35th yokozuna from 1937 until his retirement in 1945. He won twelve yūshō or top division championships and had a winning streak of 69 consecutive bouts, an all-time record. because of his dominance he was extremely popular with the public. After his retirement he was head coach of Tokitsukaze stable and chairman of the Japan Sumo Association.
Kazuo Dan (檀 一雄, Dan Kazuo; February 3, 1912 – January 2, 1976) was a Japanese novelist and poet.