Shogen Itokazu (尚玄; born 20 June 1978), known mononymously as Shogen, is a Japanese actor. He is best known for his…Shogen Itokazu (尚玄; born 20 June 1978), known mononymously as Shogen, is a Japanese actor. He is best known for his role as Nao Tsuchiyama in Gensan Punch (2021), which had a joint win for the Kim Jiseok award with The Rapist (2021) at the 26th Busan International Film Festival. Born in Okinawa, he formerly worked as a model before making his acting debut in Bloody Snake Under the Sun (2005).
Sachio Kuwae (Japanese: 桑江朝千夫 Kuwae Sachio; 11 January 1956 – 9 December 2024) was a Japanese politician. An…Sachio Kuwae (Japanese: 桑江朝千夫 Kuwae Sachio; 11 January 1956 – 9 December 2024) was a Japanese politician. An independent, he served in the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly from 2008 to 2014 and was mayor of Okinawa from 2014 to 2024. Kuwae died of complications from myelodysplastic syndrome in Kagoshima Prefecture, on 9 December 2024, at the age of 68.
Kiyoshi Arakaki (新垣 清, Arakaki Kiyoshi; October 17, 1954) is a karate practitioner, historian, novelist, and the…Kiyoshi Arakaki (新垣 清, Arakaki Kiyoshi; October 17, 1954) is a karate practitioner, historian, novelist, and the founder of Okinawa Karate-Do Muso-Kai.
Kosaburo Nishime (西銘 恒三郎, Nishime Kōsaburō; born 7 August 1954), is a Japanese politician who has served in the House…Kosaburo Nishime (西銘 恒三郎, Nishime Kōsaburō; born 7 August 1954), is a Japanese politician who has served in the House of Representatives representing Okinawa since 2012. He is a member of the Liberal Democratic Party.
Tetsumi Takara (高良 鉄美, Takara Tetsumi; born January 15, 1954) is a Japanese politician currently serving as a member of…Tetsumi Takara (高良 鉄美, Takara Tetsumi; born January 15, 1954) is a Japanese politician currently serving as a member of the National Diet in the House of Councillors. He was elected on July 27, 2019, representing the Okinawa at-large district which encompasses the entirety of Okinawa Prefecture.
Mikiko Shiroma (城間 幹子, Shiroma Mikiko; born 20 January 1951) is a Ryukyuan politician and former mayor of Naha, the…Mikiko Shiroma (城間 幹子, Shiroma Mikiko; born 20 January 1951) is a Ryukyuan politician and former mayor of Naha, the capital city of Okinawa Prefecture.
Takeshi Onaga (翁長 雄志, Onaga Takeshi) (2 October 1950 – 8 August 2018) was a Japanese politician and the seventh…Takeshi Onaga (翁長 雄志, Onaga Takeshi) (2 October 1950 – 8 August 2018) was a Japanese politician and the seventh Governor of Okinawa Prefecture from 2014 to 2018. Onaga served as a member of the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly from 1992 to 1996 and four terms as mayor of Naha, the capital and largest city of Okinawa Prefecture, from 2000 to 2014 before being elected governor as an independent. Onaga's governorship was characterized by his opposition to the U.S. military presence in Okinawa. Onaga died in office aged 67 from illness in August 2018 and was succeeded by Okinawa 3rd district representative Denny Tamaki.
Susumu Satomi (里見 進, Satomi Susumu; born 18 June 1948) is a Japanese surgeon and academic administrator. He was the…Susumu Satomi (里見 進, Satomi Susumu; born 18 June 1948) is a Japanese surgeon and academic administrator. He was the 21st president of Tohoku University and the president of the Japan Association of National Universities. Satomi previously served as the director of the Tohoku University Hospital, and the vice president of Tohoku University. He was the president of the Japan Surgical Society from 2008-2012.
Seiken Akamine (赤嶺 政賢, Akamine Seiken; born 18 December 1947) is a Japanese politician of the Japanese Communist Party…Seiken Akamine (赤嶺 政賢, Akamine Seiken; born 18 December 1947) is a Japanese politician of the Japanese Communist Party, who served as a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Naha, Okinawa and graduate of the Tokyo University of Education, he taught at high schools. He was elected to the first of his three terms in the Naha City Assembly in 1985 and then to the House of Representatives for the first time in 2000. In the 2014 Japanese general elections, he won Okinawa's 1st district. The election saw significant gains for the Japanese Communist Party, which raised its seat total from 8 to 21. Akamine's victory was JCP's first single-seat constituency victory in 18 years. His victory was part of a wave against the ruling Liberal Democratic Party in Okinawa caused by local anger over by a joint US-Japan decision to relocate a marine base to a residential area. LDP candidates lost all four Okinawan seats despite the party winning nationwide. In the 2017 general election, Akamine retained his seat. In the 2026 Japanese general election he lost the district to the previous LDP representative Kōnosuke Kokuba.
Mitsuko Tomon (東門 美津子, Tōmon Mitsuko; born 16 November 1942) is a Japanese politician of the Social Democratic Party…Mitsuko Tomon (東門 美津子, Tōmon Mitsuko; born 16 November 1942) is a Japanese politician of the Social Democratic Party who served as the vice governor of Okinawa from 1994 to 1998.
Hirokazu Nakaima (仲井眞 弘多, Nakaima Hirokazu; born 19 August 1939) is a Japanese bureaucrat, business leader, and…Hirokazu Nakaima (仲井眞 弘多, Nakaima Hirokazu; born 19 August 1939) is a Japanese bureaucrat, business leader, and politician. He was governor of Okinawa Prefecture from 2006 to 2014.
Seiji Nakamura (仲村 正治, Nakamura Seiji; 6 September 1931 – 15 November 2018) was a Japanese politician who served in the…Seiji Nakamura (仲村 正治, Nakamura Seiji; 6 September 1931 – 15 November 2018) was a Japanese politician who served in the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature) as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party.
Tatsuhiro Ōshiro (大城 立裕, Ōshiro Tatsuhiro; 19 September 1925 – 27 October 2020) was an Okinawan novelist and playwright…Tatsuhiro Ōshiro (大城 立裕, Ōshiro Tatsuhiro; 19 September 1925 – 27 October 2020) was an Okinawan novelist and playwright from Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands. He was awarded the Akutagawa Prize in 1967 for his novella of the same year, The Cocktail Party, which has been adapted for the stage and made into a film. Ōshiro has also been an innovator of the traditional Ryukyuan narrative dance form known as kumi odori. Having added twenty new pieces to the repertoire, Ōshiro is credited as having "single-handedly revived the genre that originated in the 18th century" by incorporating Okinawa shibai (dramas in the Okinawan language) and distinctive rhythms to construct a fluid, hybrid cultural identity. His writings have been noted for making Okinawan culture and history accessible to Japanese readership, while his more popular works have been critically praised for "offering an acute perspective on the psychological and moral implications of war and military occupation."
Junji Nishime (西銘 順治, Nishime Junji; 5 November 1921 – 10 November 2001) was a Japanese politician who served as the…Junji Nishime (西銘 順治, Nishime Junji; 5 November 1921 – 10 November 2001) was a Japanese politician who served as the 4th Governor of Okinawa from 1978 until 1990 and mayor of Naha, the capital of Okinawa. He studied and graduated at the University of Tokyo. His son is Kosaburo Nishime a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet.
Kamejiro Senaga (Japanese: 瀬長 亀次郎, Hepburn: Senaga Kamejirō; 10 June 1907 – 5 October 2001) was a politician…Kamejiro Senaga (Japanese: 瀬長 亀次郎, Hepburn: Senaga Kamejirō; 10 June 1907 – 5 October 2001) was a politician, journalist, also Mayor of Naha city. Senaga was an outspoken critic of American oppression on Okinawa and was imprisoned by American military authorities for sheltering Communists. He was a mayor in Naha and a prominent political figure during the American occupation of Okinawa. However, he was removed when military authorities arbitrarily changed Okinawan election ordinances. Senaga was a strong advocate for the reversion of Okinawa, which was initially opposed by the American military. Later, he served as a representative of the Japanese Communist Party in the Diet, in the House of Representatives, before retiring from politics in 1990.
