Kentaro Kodama (児玉 健太郎, Kodama Kentarō; born 28 January 1992) is a Japanese international rugby union player who plays…Kentaro Kodama (児玉 健太郎, Kodama Kentarō; born 28 January 1992) is a Japanese international rugby union player who plays in the wing position. He currently plays for the Panasonic Wild Knights in Japan's domestic Top League.
Ryohei Kiya (木谷 良平, Kiya Ryohei; born April 7, 1989 in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Japan) is a professional Japanese baseball…Ryohei Kiya (木谷 良平, Kiya Ryohei; born April 7, 1989 in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Japan) is a professional Japanese baseball player. He plays pitcher for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows.
Akihito Yamada (山田章仁, Yamada Akihito; born 26 July 1985 in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture) is a Japanese rugby union…Akihito Yamada (山田章仁, Yamada Akihito; born 26 July 1985 in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture) is a Japanese rugby union player who plays as a winger. He also plays for Top League side the Panasonic Wild Knights in his home country.
Ryota Takeda (武田 良太, Takeda Ryōta; born 1 April 1968) is a Japanese politician who served as the Minister of Internal…Ryota Takeda (武田 良太, Takeda Ryōta; born 1 April 1968) is a Japanese politician who served as the Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications from September 2020 to October 2021. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party, he previously served as the Minister in Charge of Public Safety, Measures for National Land Strengthening and Disaster Management.
Sohei Nihi (仁比 聡平, Nihi Sōhei; born October 16, 1963) is a Japanese politician of the Japan Communist Party, a member…Sohei Nihi (仁比 聡平, Nihi Sōhei; born October 16, 1963) is a Japanese politician of the Japan Communist Party, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Kitakyushu, Fukuoka and graduate of Kyoto University, he was elected for the first time in 2004 after unsuccessful runs for the House of Representatives in 2000 and 2003 and for the House of Councillors in 2001.
Akihiro Nishimura (西村 明宏, Nishimura Akihiro; born 16 July 1960) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic…Akihiro Nishimura (西村 明宏, Nishimura Akihiro; born 16 July 1960) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party and a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature).
Seitaro Hattori (服部誠太郎, Hattori Seitarō; born 11 September 1954) is a Japanese politician. He currently serves as…Seitaro Hattori (服部誠太郎, Hattori Seitarō; born 11 September 1954) is a Japanese politician. He currently serves as governor of Fukuoka Prefecture since 2021.
Michiyo Takagi (高木 美智代, Takagi Michiyo; born 13 September 1952) is a Japanese politician serving in the House of…Michiyo Takagi (高木 美智代, Takagi Michiyo; born 13 September 1952) is a Japanese politician serving in the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature) as a member of the New Komeito Party. A native of Kitakyushu, Fukuoka and graduate of Soka University she was elected for the first time in 2003.
Takashi Hiraide (平出 隆, Hiraide Takashi; born 21 November 1950 in moji, now a part of Kitakyūshū, Fukuoka) is a Japanese…Takashi Hiraide (平出 隆, Hiraide Takashi; born 21 November 1950 in moji, now a part of Kitakyūshū, Fukuoka) is a Japanese poet, critic, book designer, and professor. Hiraide's most celebrated work, published in English, is The Guest Cat (2014). The Guest Cat made the New York Times best-seller list in the same year it was published in English, 2014 and has reached international acclaim.
Masaaki Shirakawa (白川 方明, Shirakawa Masaaki; born September 27, 1949) is a Japanese economist and the 30th Governor of…Masaaki Shirakawa (白川 方明, Shirakawa Masaaki; born September 27, 1949) is a Japanese economist and the 30th Governor of the Bank of Japan (BOJ), and professor at Aoyama Gakuin University. He is also a Director and Vice-Chairman of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS).
Shozaburo Jimi (自見 庄三郎, Jimi Shōzaburō; born 5 November 1945) is a former Japanese politician of the now defunct…Shozaburo Jimi (自見 庄三郎, Jimi Shōzaburō; born 5 November 1945) is a former Japanese politician of the now defunct People's New Party, and was a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature).
Seizō Watase (わたせ せいぞう or 渡瀬 政造, Watase Seizō) is a Japanese manga artist and illustrator born 15 February 1945 in…Seizō Watase (わたせ せいぞう or 渡瀬 政造, Watase Seizō) is a Japanese manga artist and illustrator born 15 February 1945 in Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. Outside of being an illustrator for numerous posters, books, and other works, he is most well known for his dramatic romance manga Heart Cocktail, which had sold over 5 million copies. He won the 1974 Shogakukan Big Comic Prize. In 1987, Watase received the Bungeishunjū Manga Award for his work Phillip, P.I. (私立探偵フィリップ, Shiritsu Tantei Firippu). In addition to various exhibits in Japan, Watase held his first major exhibit in the United States at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center in Los Angeles, California in 1998.
Kazuo Hirotomo (弘友 和夫, Hirotomo Kazuo; born August 17, 1944) is a Japanese politician of the New Komeito Party, a…Kazuo Hirotomo (弘友 和夫, Hirotomo Kazuo; born August 17, 1944) is a Japanese politician of the New Komeito Party, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Kitakyūshū, Fukuoka and graduate of Chuo University, he was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 1993 after serving in the city assembly of Kitakyushu. In 1998, he was elected to the House of Councillors for the first time.
Ashihei Hino (火野 葦平, Hino Ashihei) (born 玉井勝則, Tamai Katsunori; 25 January 1907 – 24 January 1960) was a Japanese…Ashihei Hino (火野 葦平, Hino Ashihei) (born 玉井勝則, Tamai Katsunori; 25 January 1907 – 24 January 1960) was a Japanese writer, whose works included depictions of military life during World War II. He was born in Wakamatsu (now Wakamatsu ward, Kitakyūshū) and in 1937 he received the prestigious Akutagawa Prize for one of his novels, Fun'nyōtan (糞尿譚, Tales of Excrement and Urine). At that moment he was a soldier for the Japanese army in China. He then got promoted to the information corps and published numerous works about the daily lives of Japanese soldiers. It is for his war novels that he became famous during (and forgotten after) the war. His book Mugi to Heitai (麦と兵隊, Wheat and Soldiers) sold over a million copies. Hino committed suicide at the age of 53. His death was first reported to have been from a heart attack, but was later revealed by his family to have been from an overdose of sleeping pills. His birthhouse can be visited nowadays.
Ken'ichi Kumagai (熊谷 憲一, Kumagai Ken'ichi; 2 October 1895 – 9 October 1956) was a Japanese bureaucrat and politician. A…Ken'ichi Kumagai (熊谷 憲一, Kumagai Ken'ichi; 2 October 1895 – 9 October 1956) was a Japanese bureaucrat and politician. A career official of the Home Ministry and related wartime agencies, he served as Governor of Okayama Prefecture and Yamaguchi Prefecture, as the 27th Director-General of the Hokkaidō Agency, and after the war as a member of the House of Representatives from Fukuoka 1st district.
Junpei Morita (森田 順平, Morita Junpei; born August 1, 1954) is a Japanese actor and voice actor affiliated with Mausu…Junpei Morita (森田 順平, Morita Junpei; born August 1, 1954) is a Japanese actor and voice actor affiliated with Mausu Promotion. Some of his major roles include Ryuzo in Cybuster, Dr. White in Black Jack 21, Nagato in Naruto: Shippuden, and BUER in Pandora in the Crimson Shell: Ghost Urn.