Sakura Miyajima (宮島 咲良, Miyajima Sakura; born 9 November 1983) is a Japanese tarento, free announcer, and singer.…Sakura Miyajima (宮島 咲良, Miyajima Sakura; born 9 November 1983) is a Japanese tarento, free announcer, and singer. Miyajima is represented with Watanabe Entertainment. She graduated from Tokyo Metropolitan Ryōgoku High School and Kyoritsu Women's University.
Tetsuro Matsuzawa (松沢 哲郎, Matsuzawa Tetsurō; born October 15, 1950) is a primatologist who was a past director of the…Tetsuro Matsuzawa (松沢 哲郎, Matsuzawa Tetsurō; born October 15, 1950) is a primatologist who was a past director of the Primate Research Institute of Kyoto University. He graduated from Kyoto University with a B.A. degree in 1974, a Psy.M. degree in 1976 and a Ph.D. degree in Science in 1989. Matsuzawa is known for his research on chimpanzee intelligence both in the laboratory and in the wild. His laboratory work consists of the "Ai project", which focuses on the language-like skills, number-concepts, and memory ability of a female chimpanzee named Ai. Started in 1978, it is one of the longest running laboratory research projects on chimpanzee intelligence. Matsuzawa has been a part of the project since the beginning. Matsuzawa has also studied tool use in the wild chimpanzees at Bossou, Guinea, West Africa since 1986. The bossou chimpanzee community consists of about 12 individuals and has been studied by Japanese researchers for three decades. Bossou chimps are well known to use a pair of stones as hammer and anvil to crack open oil-palm nuts. Long-term research on wild chimpanzee tool use revealed interesting topics like handedness of use of a hammer, critical period of learning nut-cracking at around 3 to 5 year old, "education by master-apprenticeship" and observational learning, possession of stones, deception, new tool use like algae-scooping, use of leaves for cushions, cultural variation in adjacent communities, etc. Matsuzawa's approach to research is to synthesize the field work and the laboratory work in order to understand the nature of chimpanzees, our evolutionary neighbors. Matsuzawa is well known for his research on chimpanzee memory, which suggests that chimpanzees outperform humans on some simple memory tasks. He has argued that this is evidence of a memorial capacity in young chimpanzees that is superior to that seen in adult humans. However, the accuracy of these findings has been disputed. A. Silberberg and D. Kearns have argued that the performance difference between human and chimpanzee trials can be explained by training effects on the tested chimpanzees. They did reach Ayumu's performance level after thousands of trials, as did humans in a subsequent study with training more closely matching that of the chimpanzees, but only for 5 numbers whereas Ayumu effortlessly does it for 9. In 2020, Kyoto University announced that Matsuzawa was involved in misappropriating the funding of Primate Research Institute.
Yoshiharu Sekino (関野 吉晴, Sekino Yoshiharu; born 20 January 1949, Tokyo) is a Japanese surgeon, explorer, travel writer…Yoshiharu Sekino (関野 吉晴, Sekino Yoshiharu; born 20 January 1949, Tokyo) is a Japanese surgeon, explorer, travel writer, photographer and anthropologist.
Norikazu Otsuka (大塚 範一, Ōtsuka Norikazu; born 28 September 1948) is a Japanese TV presenter. He was the main presenter…Norikazu Otsuka (大塚 範一, Ōtsuka Norikazu; born 28 September 1948) is a Japanese TV presenter. He was the main presenter of Fuji TV's morning TV magazine show Mezamashi TV from its start in 1994 until he left the show in November 2011 due to illness.
Noriaki Okabe (岡部 憲明, Okabe Noriaki; born December 9, 1947) is a Japanese architect. He was born in Shizuoka, Japan. He…Noriaki Okabe (岡部 憲明, Okabe Noriaki; born December 9, 1947) is a Japanese architect. He was born in Shizuoka, Japan. He worked with Renzo Piano for twenty years in Europe, from the designing and construction supervision of the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris. In 1988, Okabe, then the representative of the Renzo Piano Building Workshop in Japan, won the international competition for the Kansai International Airport Terminal Building and was responsible for the design and construction supervision. While not currently on display, the Museum of Modern Art holds a model of the building's main structural truss in its Architecture and Design department. After the construction of the Terminal Building, he established the Noriaki Okabe Architecture Network in 1995 in Tokyo. While Okabe's practice has since expanded beyond architecture into industrial design, including the Odakyu 50000 series VSE train. In 2009 he collaborated with Belgian architect Jean-Michel Jaspers in designing the Belgian Embassy in Tokyo.
Takaaki Yamazaki (山崎 孝明, Yamazaki Takaaki; 13 October 1943 – 12 April 2023) was a Japanese politician who was the mayor…Takaaki Yamazaki (山崎 孝明, Yamazaki Takaaki; 13 October 1943 – 12 April 2023) was a Japanese politician who was the mayor of Kōtō, Tokyo. He was also an advisor to the head of the Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee.
Bun'yō Ishikawa (石川 文洋, Ishikawa Bun'yō; March 10, 1938 – August 23, 2026) was a Japanese photographer. Ishikawa was…Bun'yō Ishikawa (石川 文洋, Ishikawa Bun'yō; March 10, 1938 – August 23, 2026) was a Japanese photographer. Ishikawa was stationed in Saigon and covered the Vietnam War as a photojournalist from 1964 to 1968. He worked as a staff photographer for Asahi Shimbun from 1969 to 1984. After 1984 he worked as a freelance photographer. After 1984, Ishikawa continued to photograph in conflict zones around the world but also is known for photographs of daily life, portraits, and Ryukyu Dance. In 1998, Ishikawa donated about 250 photographs with a focus on the Vietnam War to become part of a permanent exhibition at the Vietnam War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City. Ishikawa donated about 270 photographs to the Okinawa City "Material Culture after World War II" exhibition room to become a permanent exhibition. Ishikawa died from lymphoma in Nagano Prefecture on August 23, 2026, at the age of 88.
Koji Kakizawa (柿澤 弘治, Kakizawa Kōji; 26 November 1933 – 27 January 2009) was a Japanese politician who served as…Koji Kakizawa (柿澤 弘治, Kakizawa Kōji; 26 November 1933 – 27 January 2009) was a Japanese politician who served as Japan's Minister for Foreign Affairs in 1994. After his death, he was conferred the Junior Third Rank, Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun. After graduating from the University of Tokyo, Faculty of Economics, Kakizawa worked as a bureaucrat within the Ministry of Finance before entering politics. During his enrollment in the ministry, Kakizawa was transferred to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Economic Planning Agency. He was first elected to the House of Councillors in 1977 as a member of the New Liberal Club (NLC), which is now defunct. He moved to the House of Representatives of Japan beginning in 1980. Kakizawa then left the NLC in order to join the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). In 1994, Kakizawa defected from the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in order to help found the now-defunct Liberal Party that same year. He held the post of Foreign Minister of Japan for about two months in 1994 within the coalition government of Prime Minister Tsutomu Hata. Hata's government had excluded the LDP from power. Kakizawa rejoined the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in 1995. Kakizawa unsuccessfully ran for Governor of Tokyo in the 1999 election after being expelled from the LDP. He continued to serve a total of seven terms within the Japanese House of Representatives until his retirement in 2003. Koji Kakizawa died of esophagus cancer on 27 January 2009, at the age of 75 at a hospital in Tokyo. His son Mito Kakizawa became a member of the Diet later that year.
Ryō Hanmura (Japanese: 半村 良, Hepburn: Hanmura Ryō; October 27, 1933 – March 4, 2002) was a Japanese science fiction…Ryō Hanmura (Japanese: 半村 良, Hepburn: Hanmura Ryō; October 27, 1933 – March 4, 2002) was a Japanese science fiction, fantasy, and horror author. His name is alternatively transliterated as Ryō Hammura. While he wrote books as Ryō Hanmura his real name was Heitarō Kiyono (清野 平太郎, Kiyono Heitarō). He won the first Izumi Kyōka Prize for Literature for his novel Musubi no Yama Hiroku (産霊山秘録) in 1973. He won the Naoki Prize for his 1975 novel Amayadori (雨やどり). He won also the 1988 Nihon SF Taisho Award. One of his novels was the basis of the 1979 film G.I. Samurai (戦国自衛隊, Sengoku Jieitai). A series of role-playing video games called The Legend of Heroes (英雄伝説, Eiyū Densetsu) is loosely based on his novel by the same name.
Tony Tani (トニー谷) (14 October 1917 – 16 July 1987) was a popular Japanese entertainer of the 1950s. His flamboyant stage…Tony Tani (トニー谷) (14 October 1917 – 16 July 1987) was a popular Japanese entertainer of the 1950s. His flamboyant stage persona satirized American stereotypes of the Japanese as well as the influence of the U.S. occupation on Japanese culture.
Michizō Tachihara (立原 道造, Tachihara Michizō; 30 July 1914 – 29 March 1939) was a Japanese poet and architect. He died…Michizō Tachihara (立原 道造, Tachihara Michizō; 30 July 1914 – 29 March 1939) was a Japanese poet and architect. He died at age 24 from tuberculosis, before either career could seriously get under way. Michizō struggled to find a way for an urban poet to root himself in traditional customs and still be "modern." Though a citizen of Tokyo, Michizō would rarely mention modern urban scenes in his work. Aside from several references to cars, Michizō chose to describe a vegetable, not a mineral realm. He described trains as vehicles of escape, rescuing him from being cooped up in his architectural office. The natural landscapes of the Shinano Highlands provided an endless parade of conventional imagery that Michizō would use in his work; such as birds, clouds, flowers, grasses, mountains, skies, trees, and wind. A sizable part of his poetry used poetic impulse, often causing his work to be labelled as "sentimental". He wrote openly about his feelings and expressed what was in his heart, allowing his verse to be both uncontaminated and genuine. His Dharma name was Onkyōin Shiundō Norikiyo Shinshi (温恭院紫雲道範清信士).
Miyoji Ieki (家城巳代治, Ieki Miyoji; 10 September 1911 – 22 February 1976) was a Japanese film director and screenwriter.…Miyoji Ieki (家城巳代治, Ieki Miyoji; 10 September 1911 – 22 February 1976) was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. He often made adolescents the protagonists of his films, which addressed political themes through personal drama. His most noted works include Stepbrothers (1957) and Naked Sun (1958).
Yasushi Sugiyama (杉山 寧, Sugiyama Yasushi; 20 October 1909 – 20 October 1993) was a Japanese painter of the Shōwa and…Yasushi Sugiyama (杉山 寧, Sugiyama Yasushi; 20 October 1909 – 20 October 1993) was a Japanese painter of the Shōwa and Heisei eras, who practiced the nihonga style of watercolour painting.
Tatsuo Hori (堀辰雄, Hori Tatsuo; 28 December 1904 – 28 May 1953) was a Japanese translator and writer of poetry, short…Tatsuo Hori (堀辰雄, Hori Tatsuo; 28 December 1904 – 28 May 1953) was a Japanese translator and writer of poetry, short stories and novels.
Toshio Irie (入江 俊郎, Irie Toshio; January 10, 1901 – July 18, 1972) was a Japanese bureaucrat and politician. Born and…Toshio Irie (入江 俊郎, Irie Toshio; January 10, 1901 – July 18, 1972) was a Japanese bureaucrat and politician. Born and raised in Tokyo, Toshio attended Tokyo University and joined the Home Affairs Ministry on graduation. He became Counselor for the Bureau of Legislation in 1927, and served in various posts there. In 1946, under Yoshida Shigeru Toshio was promoted to Director-General of the Bureau. In this role, he assisted in drafting the reforms to the post-war Constitution of Japan, and served on the Cabinet's committee for dealing with legislative problems. After the enactment of the new constitution, Toshio was appointed to the House of Peers, and two years later he was promoted to Commissioner General of the House of Representatives' Legislative Bureau. He later served as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Japan from 1952 to 1970, the longest recorded tenure in that office. After his retirement from public office in 1971, Toshio became a lecturer at Komazawa University. He died the following year.
Hideto Kishida (6 February 1899 – 3 May 1966) was a Japanese architect. His work was part of the architecture event in…Hideto Kishida (6 February 1899 – 3 May 1966) was a Japanese architect. His work was part of the architecture event in the art competition at the 1936 Summer Olympics.
Inejiro Asanuma (浅沼 稲次郎, Asanuma Inejirō; 27 December 1898 – 12 October 1960) was a Japanese politician and chairman of…Inejiro Asanuma (浅沼 稲次郎, Asanuma Inejirō; 27 December 1898 – 12 October 1960) was a Japanese politician and chairman of the Japan Socialist Party from 23 March 1960 until his assassination the same year. Known for his large stature and powerful voice, he tirelessly toured the country delivering speeches, earning him the nicknames "speech-making everyman" (enzetsu hyakushō), "human locomotive" (ningen kikan-sha), and the affectionate "Numa-san". In the prewar years, Asanuma was a forceful advocate of socialist policies and tenant and farmer rights. During World War II, Asanuma aligned himself with the Imperial Rule Assistance Association and supported Japan's war in Asia. In the postwar period, Asanuma resumed forceful advocacy of socialism and sharply criticized the U.S.–Japan alliance. During visits to China in 1957 and 1959, he publicly expressed deep remorse for Japan's wartime invasion and aggression against the Chinese people and declared that "American imperialism is the common enemy of the peoples of Japan and China". These positions made him a highly polarizing figure in Japan. Despite his leftist politics, Asanuma was known for his personal reverence for the emperor, maintaining a kamidana in his modest apartment and performing daily rituals there. He lived simply in public housing for decades and was popular among working-class voters for his approachable "everyman" style. In 1960, Asanuma was assassinated with a wakizashi, a traditional short sword, by 17-year-old far-right ultranationalist Otoya Yamaguchi while speaking in a televised political debate in Tokyo. His violent death was seen in graphic detail on national television by millions of Japanese, causing widespread public shock and outrage.
Ryūnosuke Akutagawa (芥川 龍之介, Akutagawa Ryūnosuke; Japanese pronunciation: [ɾʲɯː.no.sɯ̥.ke], 1 March 1892 – 24 July…Ryūnosuke Akutagawa (芥川 龍之介, Akutagawa Ryūnosuke; Japanese pronunciation: [ɾʲɯː.no.sɯ̥.ke], 1 March 1892 – 24 July 1927), art name Chōkōdō Shujin (澄江堂主人), was a Japanese writer active in the Taishō period in Japan. He is regarded as the "father of the Japanese short story", and Japan's premier literary award, the Akutagawa Prize, is named after him. He took his own life at the age of 35 through an overdose of barbital.
Saburo Hayakawa (8 April 1888 – 19 April 1973) was a Japanese politician who served as governor of Hiroshima Prefecture…Saburo Hayakawa (8 April 1888 – 19 April 1973) was a Japanese politician who served as governor of Hiroshima Prefecture from April 1936 to January 1937. He was born in Kanagawa Prefecture and graduated from the University of Tokyo. He was also governor of Saga Prefecture (1931–1933), Mie Prefecture (1933–1935), Kagoshima Prefecture (1935–1936) and Aichi Prefecture (1946).
Kawabata Shotarō (川端 昇太郎; 6 June 1885 – 10 April 1966), later known as Kawabata Ryūshi (川端 龍子; Japanese pronunciation…Kawabata Shotarō (川端 昇太郎; 6 June 1885 – 10 April 1966), later known as Kawabata Ryūshi (川端 龍子; Japanese pronunciation: [ka.wa.ba.ta (|) ɾʲɯꜜː.ɕi],), was a Japanese Nihonga artist active during the Taishō and Shōwa periods.
Ira Ishida (石田 衣良, Ishida Ira; born March 8, 1960) is a Japanese novelist and TV commentator. After graduating from…Ira Ishida (石田 衣良, Ishida Ira; born March 8, 1960) is a Japanese novelist and TV commentator. After graduating from Seikei University, he worked for a number of different advertising production companies and as a freelance copywriter. In 1997, he published his first short story collection, Ikebukuro West Gate Park, which won the 36th All Yomimono New Mystery Writer's Prize. In 2003, he won the Naoki Prize for 4teen. His novels describe the culture of young people in Japan, particularly young women and otaku without a college education. Many of his works have been adapted for manga and television. As an actor, he made his first appearance in a leading role in the 2006 film Love My Life. Ishida's pen name, Ishida Ira, was derived by splitting his real family name Ishidaira.
Kazuhide Uekusa (植草 一秀, Uekusa Kazuhide; born December 18, 1960) is a Japanese economist, economic analyst, former…Kazuhide Uekusa (植草 一秀, Uekusa Kazuhide; born December 18, 1960) is a Japanese economist, economic analyst, former senior economist at Nomura Research Institute, and chairman of the Three-Nations Research Institute. He was arrested for sexual offenses in 2004 and 2006.
Yōko Honna (本名 陽子, Honna Yōko; born January 7, 1979) is a Japanese actress, voice actress and singer from Sōka, Saitama…Yōko Honna (本名 陽子, Honna Yōko; born January 7, 1979) is a Japanese actress, voice actress and singer from Sōka, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. She works at Re-Max, although she formerly worked at 81 Produce. She is best known as the voice of Nagisa Misumi from the original Pretty Cure series, as well as Shizuku Tsukishima from Whisper of the Heart. She married someone outside of the industry in 2014 and gave birth to a daughter in June 2015. In 2017, she announced her pregnancy with a second child, as well as sharing her experience of miscarriage sometime prior.
