Ayao Shirane (白根 斐夫, Shirane Ayao; August 7, 1916 – 24 November 1944) was a fighter ace in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War II. He participated in various battles and campaigns throughout the Pacific War and was eventually shot down and killed over Leyte, Philippines on 24 November 1944. He was officially credited with destroying nine enemy aircraft.
Source: “Ayao Shirane”, English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0), excerpt