Masachi Osawa (大澤 真幸, Ōsawa Masachi; born October 15, 1958 in Nagano, Japan) is a Japanese sociologist and philosopher.…Masachi Osawa (大澤 真幸, Ōsawa Masachi; born October 15, 1958 in Nagano, Japan) is a Japanese sociologist and philosopher. Outside Japan, he is best known as a social scientist, often mentioned in reference to sociological and philosophical research on otaku culture and popular Japanese animation series such as Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex.
Shunsuke Mutai (務台 俊介, Mutai Shunsuke; born 3 July 1956) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party who…Shunsuke Mutai (務台 俊介, Mutai Shunsuke; born 3 July 1956) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party who served in the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). He was first elected in the 2012 general election. He is a former career bureaucrat in the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (briefly serving as Director of the CLAIR London Office) and graduate of University of Tokyo. Having unsuccessfully contested the Nagano 2nd district in the 2009 general election, he then served as a professor of local administration at Kanagawa University. Mutai was Secretary to the Alliance of Legislators who wish to legislate for Mountain Day, which was inaugurated in August 2016. In 2016 Mutai was appointed Parliamentary Vice Minister for Reconstruction and shortly after hit global headlines concerning an incident concerning a ministerial visit to a disaster-hit region. Half year later at a campaign party Mutai joked about the incident only to be criticized by Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga. Mutai resigned from his post on the following day. At the 2017 general election Mutai was defeated in his Nagano constituency but re-elected to the Diet under his party's proportional representation bloc. He was reappointed to government as a State Minister for the Environment in October 2021 but relieved of his position in the August 2022 Kishida reshuffle .
Yasuo Tanaka (田中 康夫, Tanaka Yasuo; born 12 April 1956) is a Japanese novelist and politician. He served as the governor…Yasuo Tanaka (田中 康夫, Tanaka Yasuo; born 12 April 1956) is a Japanese novelist and politician. He served as the governor of Nagano Prefecture from 2000 to 2006, became president of New Party Nippon, and has been elected to Japan's legislatures.
Ushio Torikai (鳥養潮; surname Torikai; born July 11, 1952, in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese composer…Ushio Torikai (鳥養潮; surname Torikai; born July 11, 1952, in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese composer of contemporary classical music. She is known for her highly individual musical voice, developed over many years of research and compositional experience in diverse musical fields including European classical music, traditional Japanese music, ancient Japanese music and computer/electronics.
Shuji Ikeguchi (池口 修次, Ikeguchi Shūji; born November 10, 1949) is a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of…Shuji Ikeguchi (池口 修次, Ikeguchi Shūji; born November 10, 1949) is a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Kiso, Nagano and graduate of Waseda University, he joined Honda in 1972 and was elected to the House of Councillors for the first time in 2001.
Akiko Kumai (熊井明子, Kumai Akiko; June 11, 1940 – September 21, 2024) was a Japanese writer and researcher focusing on…Akiko Kumai (熊井明子, Kumai Akiko; June 11, 1940 – September 21, 2024) was a Japanese writer and researcher focusing on potpourri, known for introducing the fragrant decoration to Japan. She was married to the Japanese film director Kei Kumai.
Jin Murai (村井 仁, Murai Jin; born 28 March 1937) is a former governor of Nagano Prefecture in Japan. After growing up in…Jin Murai (村井 仁, Murai Jin; born 28 March 1937) is a former governor of Nagano Prefecture in Japan. After growing up in Matsumoto, Nagano, he graduated from the University of Tokyo in 1959 and entered the Ministry of International Trade and Industry upon graduation. In 1986 he was elected to the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature) for the first time. He served six consecutive terms as a member for Nagano No.4 district (1986–1996), Nagano No.2 district (1996–2003) and the national proportional representation block (2003–2005). Whilst in the Diet he served in various ministerial roles, including as Minister of State for Food Safety, Minister of State for Disaster Management and Chairman of the National Public Safety Commission. In July 2005 he voted against the government's postal reform legislation and subsequently lost the support of the Liberal Democratic Party. He did not nominate to contest the September 2005 general election. In the following year he was elected governor of Nagano Prefecture and served one term.
Yasuo Furuhata (降旗 康男, Furuhata Yasuo; 19 August 1934 – 20 May 2019) was a Japanese film director. He was a director of…Yasuo Furuhata (降旗 康男, Furuhata Yasuo; 19 August 1934 – 20 May 2019) was a Japanese film director. He was a director of Toei film company and he often worked with Ken Takakura in such films as Eki and the Shin Abashiri Bangaichi series. He won the 2000 Japan Academy Prize for Director of the Year and 31st International Film Festival of India for Poppoya. He died 20 May 2019.
Kei Kumai (熊井 啓, Kumai Kei; 1 June 1930 – 23 May 2007) was a Japanese film director. After his studies in literature at…Kei Kumai (熊井 啓, Kumai Kei; 1 June 1930 – 23 May 2007) was a Japanese film director. After his studies in literature at Shinshu University, he began work as a director's assistant. He won the Directors Guild of Japan New Directors Award for his second film, Nihon rettō, in 1965. His 1972 film Shinobu Kawa was entered into the 8th Moscow International Film Festival. His 1973 film Rise, Fair Sun was entered into the 24th Berlin International Film Festival. Sandakan No. 8 received widespread acclaim for tackling the issue of a woman forced into prostitution in Borneo before the outbreak of World War II. Kinuyo Tanaka won the Best Actress Award at the 25th Berlin International Film Festival for her performance. The film was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 48th Academy Awards. Kumai's follow-up film was 1976's Cape of North, starring French actress Claude Jade as a Swiss nun who falls in love with a Japanese engineer on a trip from Marseilles to Yokohama. His 1986 film The Sea and Poison won the Silver Bear - Special Jury Prize at the 37th Berlin International Film Festival. In 1992, his film Luminous Moss was entered into the 42nd Berlin International Film Festival. Other works include Death of a Tea Master starring Toshirō Mifune as Sen no Rikyū (Silver Lion at the 46th Venice International Film Festival), and the 2002 film The Sea Is Watching, based on Akira Kurosawa's posthumous script. Kumai was married to the writer and researcher Akiko Kumai. He died in 2007 at age 76.
Shōichi Fujimori (Japanese: 藤森昭一) (26 December 1926 – 25 June 2016) was a Japanese bureaucrat who served as Grand…Shōichi Fujimori (Japanese: 藤森昭一) (26 December 1926 – 25 June 2016) was a Japanese bureaucrat who served as Grand Steward of the Imperial Household Agency (1988–1996). He was born in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture.
Ryōji Uehara (上原良司, Uehara Ryōji; 27 September 1922 – 11 May 1945) was a flight captain of the Imperial Japanese Army…Ryōji Uehara (上原良司, Uehara Ryōji; 27 September 1922 – 11 May 1945) was a flight captain of the Imperial Japanese Army and was killed in action as a kamikaze pilot. Uehara was born in what is now the town of Ikeda, Nagano. He entered the Department of Economics at Keio University in 1942 and joined the IJA 50th Regiment in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, later that same year. He was a member of the 56th Shinmu squadron (第56振武隊) of the IJA Air Corps when he carried out his final mission against the US carrier fleet near Kadena, Okinawa Prefecture on 11 May 1945. He was 22 years old. His letter, written to his parents the night before his final mission, was published after the war and it is still regarded as a masterpiece of wartime literary works in Japan.
Shigehiro Ozawa (小沢 茂弘, Ozawa Shigehiro; 29 August 1922 – 12 October 2004) was a Japanese film director and…Shigehiro Ozawa (小沢 茂弘, Ozawa Shigehiro; 29 August 1922 – 12 October 2004) was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. He is best known for his film The Street Fighter. He directed over 110 films between 1954 and 1976.
Gisiro Maruyama (丸山 儀四郎, Maruyama Gishirō; April 4, 1916 – July 5, 1986) was a Japanese mathematician, noted for his…Gisiro Maruyama (丸山 儀四郎, Maruyama Gishirō; April 4, 1916 – July 5, 1986) was a Japanese mathematician, noted for his contributions to the study of stochastic processes. The Euler–Maruyama method for the numerical solution of stochastic differential equations bears his name. Maruyama was born in 1916 and graduated from Tohoku University, where he studied Fourier analysis and physics. He began his mathematical work with a paper on Fourier analysis in 1939. He became interested in probability theory through the study of Norbert Wiener's work. He was appointed Assistant professor at the Kyushu University in 1941. When Kiyosi Itô published his papers on stochastic differential equations in 1942, Maruyama immediately recognized the importance of this work and soon published a series of papers on stochastic differential equations and Markov processes. Maruyama is known in particular for his 1955 study of the convergence properties of the finite-difference approximations for the numerical solution of stochastic differential equations, now known as the Euler–Maruyama method. In harmonic analysis, he studied the ergodicity and mixing properties of stationary stochastic processes in terms of their spectral properties. Maruyama also studied quasi-invariance properties of the Wiener measure, extending previous work by Cameron and Martin to diffusion processes.
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.
Tomio Hora (Japanese: 洞 富雄, Hepburn: Hora Tomio; 14 November 1906 – 15 March 2000) was a Japanese historian and Waseda…Tomio Hora (Japanese: 洞 富雄, Hepburn: Hora Tomio; 14 November 1906 – 15 March 2000) was a Japanese historian and Waseda University professor, well known for his pioneering efforts to push back against Nanjing Massacre denial inside Japan.
Tamotsu Murayama (村山 有, Murayama Tamotsu; December 24, 1905 Seattle, Washington - December 31, 1968) was a Japanese…Tamotsu Murayama (村山 有, Murayama Tamotsu; December 24, 1905 Seattle, Washington - December 31, 1968) was a Japanese journalist, lecturer at Waseda University, and Director of the Boy Scouts of Japan. He also worked with Olave Baden-Powell and Peter Baden-Powell, and contributed greatly to the revival of the Boy Scout movement in Japan after World War II. After the end of World War II, he gathered members who had been forbidden from meeting, and frequently held Scout gatherings, laying the foundation for the revival of the Boy Scouts of Japan. On January 3, 1948, under the occupation, when flying the flag of Japan was not yet allowed, he held a "Hinomaru March" by the Boy Scouts with the Hinomaru for the first time since before the war. In 1949, the Tokyo Scout Council was reorganized and he assumed office as President (Renmei-chō). From 12 April to 20 June 1950, Murayama was an instructor during the first seminar on leadership held with Michiharu Mishima and staff of the Boy Scouts of America to train Japanese Scout leaders. A postage stamp collector, he established the Tokyo Stamp Association, a philatelic society, and served as the first president. In addition, as the Chairman of the Japan Scouts on Stamps Society (NSOSS), Vice Chairman of the Scouts on Stamps Society International (SOSSI), he contributed to the issuance of Japanese commemorative stamps on the "All Japan Boy Scout Conference" (1949), and the "50th Anniversary of the Founding of Scouting" (1957). On December 31, 1968, he died of myocardial infarction on board ship to Hong Kong to attend the World Scout Conference. A Scout funeral was held on January 12, 1969, in Tokyo Tsukiji Hongan-ji. Murayama posthumously received the Order of the Sacred Treasure 5th class, Gold and Silver Rays.
Yoshimi Usui (臼井 吉見, Usui Yoshimi; June 17, 1905 – July 12, 1987) was a Japanese writer and critic from Azumino, Nagano…Yoshimi Usui (臼井 吉見, Usui Yoshimi; June 17, 1905 – July 12, 1987) was a Japanese writer and critic from Azumino, Nagano prefecture. Usui won the 1974 10th Tanizaki Prize for Azumino (安曇野). In 1977 he published a novelised account of Kawabata's death that led to a lawsuit against him by the Nobel Prize-winner's family.
Kaneshichi Masuda (増田 甲子七, Masuda Kaneshichi; 4 October 1898 – 21 December 1985) was a Japanese bureaucrat, cabinet…Kaneshichi Masuda (増田 甲子七, Masuda Kaneshichi; 4 October 1898 – 21 December 1985) was a Japanese bureaucrat, cabinet minister, and politician. A career official of the Home Ministry, he served as Governor of Fukushima Prefecture and as Director-General of the Hokkaidō Agency before entering national politics. Under Shigeru Yoshida he held cabinet office as Chief Cabinet Secretary, Minister of Labour, Minister of Transport, Minister of Construction, and the inaugural Director-General of the Hokkaido Development Agency. He later returned to cabinet as Director-General of the Defense Agency under Eisaku Satō.
Masao Oka (岡 正雄, Oka Masao; 1898–1982) was a Japanese ethnologist and Japanologist. Oka is considered the leading…Masao Oka (岡 正雄, Oka Masao; 1898–1982) was a Japanese ethnologist and Japanologist. Oka is considered the leading figure in the establishment of Japanese ethnology since the 1930s.
Mitsumi Shimizu (清水 光美, Shimizu Mitsumi; March 16, 1888 – May 5, 1971) was a vice admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy…Mitsumi Shimizu (清水 光美, Shimizu Mitsumi; March 16, 1888 – May 5, 1971) was a vice admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy in World War II.
Gobara Koto (August 8, 1887 – April 6, 1965), whose real name was Horie Tōichirō, was a Japanese painter a native of…Gobara Koto (August 8, 1887 – April 6, 1965), whose real name was Horie Tōichirō, was a Japanese painter a native of Shiojiri City, Nagano Prefecture, and an art educator during the period of Japanese rule in Taiwan. Inspired by the model of the Imperial Art Exhibition (Japan Fine Arts Exhibition) held in mainland Japan, Gobara Koto collaborated with artists such as Kinichiro Ishikawa, Tōho Shiotsuki, and Kinoshita Seigai to establish the Taiwan Art Exhibition in Taiwan. He was highly dedicated to nurturing younger generations of artists, with notable students including Chen Jin (painter), Lin Aqin, Qiu Jinlian, and Zhou Hongchou, etc., who have a huge influence on Taiwan's painting circles.
Makoto Nishimura (西村 真琴, Nishimura Makoto; 1883 – 1956) was a Japanese biologist. He is most renowned as the inventor…Makoto Nishimura (西村 真琴, Nishimura Makoto; 1883 – 1956) was a Japanese biologist. He is most renowned as the inventor of Gakutensoku, Japan's first functional robot. He was the father of actor Kō Nishimura.
Kōichi Shiozawa (塩沢 幸一, Shiozawa Kōichi; March 5, 1883 – November 17, 1943) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese…Kōichi Shiozawa (塩沢 幸一, Shiozawa Kōichi; March 5, 1883 – November 17, 1943) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during the Second Sino-Japanese War. The literary critic Rinsen Nakazawa was his older brother.
Ryū Saitō (斎藤 瀏, Saitō Ryū; April 16, 1879 – July 5, 1953) was a Japanese Major General and poet during the 20th…Ryū Saitō (斎藤 瀏, Saitō Ryū; April 16, 1879 – July 5, 1953) was a Japanese Major General and poet during the 20th century. He is commonly associated with the Jinan incident, playing a major role in the diplomatic and public press of the incident. He was also known for his tanka poetry works.
Utsubo Kubota (窪田 空穂 Kubota Utsubo; 1877–1967) was a Japanese tanka poet. He also wrote poetry in other forms, as well…Utsubo Kubota (窪田 空穂 Kubota Utsubo; 1877–1967) was a Japanese tanka poet. He also wrote poetry in other forms, as well as prose fiction and non-fiction critical and scholarly works on Japanese classical literature. He was a lecturer at Waseda University.
Aizō Sōma (相馬愛蔵, Sōma Aizō; November 8, 1870 – February 14, 1954) was an entrepreneur, philanthropist, patron of the…Aizō Sōma (相馬愛蔵, Sōma Aizō; November 8, 1870 – February 14, 1954) was an entrepreneur, philanthropist, patron of the arts, and advocate of Pan-Asianism in the Empire of Japan. He is known as the founder of Nakamura-ya, a noted bakery in Tokyo.
Kinoshita Naoe (木下 尚江, Kinoshita Naoe; 12 October 1869 – 5 November 1937) was a Japanese Christian socialist activist…Kinoshita Naoe (木下 尚江, Kinoshita Naoe; 12 October 1869 – 5 November 1937) was a Japanese Christian socialist activist and author.
Masao Maruyama (丸山 政男, Maruyama Masao; 13 September 1889 – 11 November 1957), was a lieutenant general and commander in…Masao Maruyama (丸山 政男, Maruyama Masao; 13 September 1889 – 11 November 1957), was a lieutenant general and commander in the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II.