Tomihiko Morimi (Japanese: 森見 登美彦, Hepburn: Morimi Tomihiko; born January 6, 1979) is a Japanese writer from Nara…Tomihiko Morimi (Japanese: 森見 登美彦, Hepburn: Morimi Tomihiko; born January 6, 1979) is a Japanese writer from Nara Prefecture. He graduated from Kyoto University and his works often have Kyoto as the setting. In July 2018, it was announced that the first two of Morimi's original works to be published in English will be Penguin Highway and The Night Is Short, Walk On Girl, both published by Yen Press in 2019. In 2022, Tower of the Sun and Fox Tales were published in English by Yen Press, while The Tatami Galaxy was published by HarperCollins, who also published The Tatami Time Machine Blues in 2023.
Norito Yashima (八嶋 智人, Yashima Norito; born September 27, 1970 in Nara) is a Japanese actor, TV personality, narrator…Norito Yashima (八嶋 智人, Yashima Norito; born September 27, 1970 in Nara) is a Japanese actor, TV personality, narrator, voice actor and presenter. He is currently employed by ComeCome Miniki-Na Theater Company and SIS Company.
Shōgo Arai (荒井 正吾, Arai Shōgo; born 18 January 1945 in Yao, Osaka) is a Japanese politician and a former governor of…Shōgo Arai (荒井 正吾, Arai Shōgo; born 18 January 1945 in Yao, Osaka) is a Japanese politician and a former governor of Nara Prefecture in Japan.
Yukio Takeuchi (竹内 行夫, Takeuchi Yukio; born 20 July 1943) is a Japanese diplomat and jurist who served as a justice of…Yukio Takeuchi (竹内 行夫, Takeuchi Yukio; born 20 July 1943) is a Japanese diplomat and jurist who served as a justice of the Supreme Court of Japan from 2008 to 2013. Before his appointment to the court, he served as vice minister for foreign affairs from 2002 to 2005 and ambassador to Indonesia from 2001 to 2002.
Hiroshi Matsumoto (松本 紘, Matsumoto Hiroshi; November 17, 1942 – June 15, 2025) was a Japanese engineer and atmospheric…Hiroshi Matsumoto (松本 紘, Matsumoto Hiroshi; November 17, 1942 – June 15, 2025) was a Japanese engineer and atmospheric scientist. He was the president of Kyoto University until August 2014, and then served as the president of RIKEN until March 2022. He was a member of the Japanese government's committee on space policy. He had a Doctorate in Engineering (1973, Kyoto University). He was born in Zhangjiakou, China. His research centered on plasma in the geomagnetosphere and cosmosphere. He developed the KEMPO (Kyoto university ElectroMagnetic Particle) code to reproduce the dynamics of the physical processes of space plasma. He led the plasma wave Geotail observations, and helped elucidate mechanisms of excitation, such as electrostatic solitary waves. He also worked on studies for the practical application of microwave power transmission in space. Matsumoto died on June 15, 2025, at the age of 82.
Tadatoshi Miyagawa (水谷川忠俊, Miyagawa Tadatoshi; born 9 December 1935) is a Japanese composer, a Gagaku performer and…Tadatoshi Miyagawa (水谷川忠俊, Miyagawa Tadatoshi; born 9 December 1935) is a Japanese composer, a Gagaku performer and researcher, as well as a music arranger. His former last and first name was Konoe Toshitake (近衛俊健). He is a 13th generation Patrilinear descendant, also known as the male line, of Emperor Go-Yōzei, Emperor of Japan.
Fumiko Ikawa-Smith is a Japanese Canadian archaeologist. She is an emeritus professor in the department of anthropology…Fumiko Ikawa-Smith is a Japanese Canadian archaeologist. She is an emeritus professor in the department of anthropology at McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She trained as an anthropologist and prehistorian and specialises in the Early Palaeolithic cultures in East Asia, specifically Japan). She is married to Philip E. L. Smith, also an archaeologist, with one son.