Miki Imai (Japanese: 今井美希; born 30 May 1975) is a Japanese former track and field athlete who competed in the high…Miki Imai (Japanese: 今井美希; born 30 May 1975) is a Japanese former track and field athlete who competed in the high jump. Her personal best of 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in), set in 2001, is the Japanese record for the event. She is also co-holder of the indoor national record of 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) with Megumi Sato. She represented Japan at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and was a three-time participant at the World Championships in Athletics (1999, 2001 and 2003). Her best major global placing came at the 1999 IAAF World Indoor Championships, where she came eighth. She also made appearances at the 1998 Asian Games and the 1998 IAAF World Cup. Imai was the 1998 Asian Champion in the high jump and holds the championship record of 1.94 m (6 ft 4+1⁄4 in). She was the runner-up in 1995 and fourth in 2002. She was also a two-time medallist at the East Asian Games, taking bronze in 1997 and the gold medal in 2001 (with a games record of 1.92 m (6 ft 3+1⁄2 in)). She was a six-time Japanese champion in the high jump.
Toshinobu Kawai (河合 季信, Kawai Toshinobu; born 19 December 1967 in Nagoya, Japan) is a Japanese short-track speed…Toshinobu Kawai (河合 季信, Kawai Toshinobu; born 19 December 1967 in Nagoya, Japan) is a Japanese short-track speed skater, who won a bronze medal in the 5000 m relay at the 1992 Winter Olympics together with teammates Yuichi Akasaka, Tatsuyoshi Ishihara and Tsutomu Kawasaki. Before 1992, he won two gold medals in the World Short Track Speed Skating Championships, 1985 and 1987. He is currently working at the University of Tsukuba.
Ichirō Hirosawa (Japanese: 広沢 一郎, Hepburn: Hirosawa Ichirō; born December 27, 1963) is a Japanese businessman and…Ichirō Hirosawa (Japanese: 広沢 一郎, Hepburn: Hirosawa Ichirō; born December 27, 1963) is a Japanese businessman and politician who is the mayor of Nagoya since 2024. Born in Mizuho-ku, Nagoya, he previously worked as a producer and CEO for Magnolia kabushiki-gaisha before entering politics in 2011. Hirosawa was a member of the Aichi Prefectural Assembly for Mizuho-ku from 2011 to 2014 alongside Taro Kawashima. He lost elections for the House of Representatives for Aichi 1st district in the 2014 and for the House of Councillors for Aichi at-large district in 2022. He was later appointed as Deputy Mayor for Nagoya from 2017 to 2021. A member of the Aichi-based regional party Genzei Nippon, Hirosawa served as deputy general-secretary for the party from 2011 to 2023. He also served as the deputy general-secretary for Conservative Party of Japan from 2023 to 2024.
Masahiro Andō (安藤 正容, Andō Masahiro; born September 16, 1954) is a Japanese composer and guitarist from Chikusa-ku…Masahiro Andō (安藤 正容, Andō Masahiro; born September 16, 1954) is a Japanese composer and guitarist from Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. From 1976 to 2021, he was the guitarist and leader of the Japanese jazz-fusion band T-Square. He was also one-third of Ottottrio, a supergroup led by three Japanese guitarists: himself, Hirokuni Korekata of Rocket Jam and Issei Noro of Casiopea. Andō was also commissioned to create the music for Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits and Gran Turismo. He is one of the performers for the band's composition, "Truth", the theme tune for Fuji Television's Formula One World Championship coverage (which started in use in 1987) and the F-1 Grand Prix video game series. On February 1, 2021, Andō announced that he would leave T-Square following the release of their next album and tour.
Makoto Tonami (戸並 誠, Tonami Makoto; born September 18, 1948), also known as Mac Akasaka (マック 赤坂, Makku Akasaka), is a…Makoto Tonami (戸並 誠, Tonami Makoto; born September 18, 1948), also known as Mac Akasaka (マック 赤坂, Makku Akasaka), is a Japanese businessman, retired politician and activist and former perennial candidate.
Yukito Muraki (村木 征人, Muraki Yukito; born 31 July 1945) is a Japanese track and field athlete. He competed in the men's…Yukito Muraki (村木 征人, Muraki Yukito; born 31 July 1945) is a Japanese track and field athlete. He competed in the men's triple jump at the 1968 Summer Olympics and the 1972 Summer Olympics. He later became a professor of sports science at the University of Tsukuba and Hosei University. Muraki won the British AAA Championships title in the triple jump event at the 1970 AAA Championships.
Yasutomi Nishizuka, MJA, ForMemRS (西塚 泰美, Nishizuka Yasutomi; July 12, 1932 – November 4, 2004) was a prominent…Yasutomi Nishizuka, MJA, ForMemRS (西塚 泰美, Nishizuka Yasutomi; July 12, 1932 – November 4, 2004) was a prominent Japanese biochemist and made important contributions to the understanding of molecular mechanism of signal transduction across the cell membrane. In 1977, he discovered protein kinase C, which plays significant roles in a variety of intracellular signal transduction processes. He was elected as a foreign member of the Royal Society (ForMemRS) in 1990 and as a member of the Japan Academy (MJA) in 1991.
Sengaku Mayeda (Japanese: 前田專學, romanized: Maeda Sengaku; 1 April 1931 – 22 August 2026) was a Japanese writer…Sengaku Mayeda (Japanese: 前田專學, romanized: Maeda Sengaku; 1 April 1931 – 22 August 2026) was a Japanese writer, philosopher and teacher, known for his writings on Indian philosophy and Adi Shankara. He was honoured by the Government of India, in 2014, by bestowing on him the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award, for his services to the fields of literature and education. He is the fourth Japanese to be honoured with Padma Shri, after Taro Nakayama, Shoji Shiba and Prof. Noboru Karashima. He is also a recipient of the Third Order of Merit with the Middle Cordon of the Rising Sun of the Government of Japan, which he received in 2002.
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.
Admiral Sugie Ichizo (杉江 一三, Ichizo Sugie; 18 September 1908 – 27 July 1999) was a Japanese naval officer who served in…Admiral Sugie Ichizo (杉江 一三, Ichizo Sugie; 18 September 1908 – 27 July 1999) was a Japanese naval officer who served in both the Imperial Japanese Navy and the post-war Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). A staff officer during the Second World War Ichizo joined the post-war Coastal Security Force in 1953 before transferring to the JMSDF the following year where he most notably served as the second Chairman of Joint Staff Council of the Japan Self-Defense Force, from 1964 until his retirement in 1966.
Kinjiro Okabe (岡部 金治郎, Okabe Kinjirō; March 27, 1896 – April 8, 1984) was a Japanese electrical engineering researcher…Kinjiro Okabe (岡部 金治郎, Okabe Kinjirō; March 27, 1896 – April 8, 1984) was a Japanese electrical engineering researcher and professor who made major contributions to magnetron and radar development. He did work after the Second World War on medical instruments using ultrasounds.
Tetsuzō Tanikawa (谷川 徹三, Tanikawa Tetsuzō; 26 May 1895 – 27 September 1989) was a Japanese philosopher who promoted the…Tetsuzō Tanikawa (谷川 徹三, Tanikawa Tetsuzō; 26 May 1895 – 27 September 1989) was a Japanese philosopher who promoted the concept of World Government for purposes of peace.
In this Japanese name, the surname is Hirai. In the pen name, the surname is Edogawa. Tarō Hirai (平井 太郎, Hirai Tarō…In this Japanese name, the surname is Hirai. In the pen name, the surname is Edogawa. Tarō Hirai (平井 太郎, Hirai Tarō; October 21, 1894 – July 28, 1965), better known by the pen name Edogawa Ranpo or Edogawa Rampo (江戸川 乱歩), was a Japanese author and critic who played a major role in the development of Japanese mystery and thriller fiction. Many of his novels involve the detective hero Kogoro Akechi, who in later books was the leader of a group of boy detectives known as the "Boy Detectives Club" (少年探偵団, Shōnen tantei dan). Ranpo was an admirer of Western mystery writers, and especially of Edgar Allan Poe. His pen name is a rendering of Poe's name; Edogawa (江戸川) is an extremely rare surname in Japan, with roughly 130 people bearing it. Other authors who were special influences on him were Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, whom he attempted to translate into Japanese during his days as a student at Waseda University, and the Japanese mystery writer Ruikō Kuroiwa.
Chiune Sugihara (杉原 千畝, Sugihara Chiune; 1 January 1900 – 31 July 1986) was a Japanese diplomat who served as…Chiune Sugihara (杉原 千畝, Sugihara Chiune; 1 January 1900 – 31 July 1986) was a Japanese diplomat who served as vice-consul for the Japanese Empire in Kaunas, Lithuania. During the Second World War, Sugihara helped thousands of Jews flee Europe by issuing transit visas to them so that they could travel through Japanese territory, risking his career and the lives of his family. The fleeing Jews were refugees from German-occupied Western Poland and Soviet-occupied Eastern Poland, as well as residents of Lithuania. Lithuania declared the year 2020 as "The Year of Chiune Sugihara" in his honor. Today, the estimated number of descendants of those who received "Sugihara visas" ranges between 40,000 and 100,000. In 2021, a street in Jerusalem was dedicated in his honor. There is street “Sempo Sugihara” in Tel Aviv-Jaffa as well.
Yutaka Banno (伴野 豊, Banno Yutaka; born 1 January 1961) is a Japanese politician of the Constitutional Democratic Party…Yutaka Banno (伴野 豊, Banno Yutaka; born 1 January 1961) is a Japanese politician of the Constitutional Democratic Party, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Nagoya, Aichi he attended Nagoya Institute of Technology both as undergraduate and graduate. Upon graduation, he joined Japanese National Railways in 1985 and JR Central in 1987 when Japanese National Railways was privatized. He left JR Central in 1994. In 2000 he was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time after an unsuccessful run in 1996.