Yoichi Miyazawa (宮沢 洋一, Miyazawa Yōichi; born 21 April 1950) is a Japanese politician who serves as Chairman of the Tax…
Yoichi Miyazawa (宮沢 洋一, Miyazawa Yōichi; born 21 April 1950) is a Japanese politician who serves as Chairman of the Tax Research Commission in the Liberal Democratic Party since 2021 and from 2015 to 2019. He also served as Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry from 2014 to 2015. He has served as a member of the House of Councillors since 2010 and was previously a House of Representatives from 2000 to 2009. Miyazawa is a nephew of Kiichi Miyazawa and a cousin of Fumio Kishida. He was an official in the Ministry of Finance before entering politics.
Famous People of the Five Yellow Earth Star
Five Yellow Earth Star: 1,858 people
Tatsumi Kimishima (君島 達己, Kimishima Tatsumi; born April 21, 1950) is a Japanese businessman who served as the 5th…
Tatsumi Kimishima (君島 達己, Kimishima Tatsumi; born April 21, 1950) is a Japanese businessman who served as the 5th president of Nintendo from September 2015 to June 2018. He was formerly the president of Nintendo of America from January 2002, succeeding Minoru Arakawa, until Reggie Fils-Aimé took his place in May 2006. In May 2006, he became CEO and chairman of the board of Nintendo of America, and retained this position until June 2018. He was promoted to managing director in June 2013 and was named the fifth president of the company in September 2015, succeeding Satoru Iwata, who died in July 2015. Kimishima stepped down as president in June 2018 and was succeeded by Shuntaro Furukawa.
Yukihisa Fujita (藤田 幸久, Fujita Yukihisa; born 19 April 1950) is a Japanese politician. He is a Visiting Research Fellow…
Yukihisa Fujita (藤田 幸久, Fujita Yukihisa; born 19 April 1950) is a Japanese politician. He is a Visiting Research Fellow of the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Oxford, Chairman of the International IC (Initiatives of Change) Association of Japan and a Visiting Professor, Gifu Women's University. He was a member of the House of Councillors, the upper house from the Ibaraki constituency and the House of Representatives, the lower house from the Tokyo constituency of Japan's parliament. In the House of Councillors he is a former Chair of the Committee on Financial Affairs, Chairman of the Special Committee on North Korea Abduction Issue, and a Chairman of the Committee on Fundamental National Policies. He was a Director of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence. He was a Vice Minister of Finance. He was a Shadow Foreign Minister and a Director-General of the DPJ's International Department. Prior to political life, he was a Director of the Association Aid and Relief (AAR), the first Japanese NGO to help refugees and an Executive Director of the International MRA Association of Japan. He was a lecturer at Yokohama National University.
Shinji Wada (和田 慎二, Wada Shinji; April 19, 1950 – July 5, 2011) was a Japanese manga artist in Kure, Hiroshima…
Shinji Wada (和田 慎二, Wada Shinji; April 19, 1950 – July 5, 2011) was a Japanese manga artist in Kure, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, and best known for the creation of the Sukeban Deka franchise in 1979.
Tomida Yukimitsu (冨田幸光) (born 1950) is a Japanese vertebrate palaeontologist. A student of Shikama Tokio, he did his…
Tomida Yukimitsu (冨田幸光) (born 1950) is a Japanese vertebrate palaeontologist. A student of Shikama Tokio, he did his graduate work at the University of Arizona under Everett H. Lindsay, with mentorship also from George Gaylord Simpson. The curator of Mammalian Palaeontology at the National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo, from 1981 until his retirement in 2015, he has published on a wide range of terrestrial and marine mammals, dinosaurs, pterosaurs, crocodilians, and bird tracks, with a special focus on smaller mammals — lagomorphs and rodents — and on the fossil record of Japan. His descriptions and studies of Pliopentalagus spp. have shown their closeness to the Amami rabbit (Pentalagus furnessi). Upon his retirement, Tomida was the honorand of a Festschrift in the journal Historical Biology.
Tina Chow (born Bettina Louise Lutz, April 18, 1950 – January 24, 1992) was an American model and jewelry designer who…
Tina Chow (born Bettina Louise Lutz, April 18, 1950 – January 24, 1992) was an American model and jewelry designer who was considered an influential fashion icon of the 1970s and 1980s. She was the second wife of restaurateur Michael Chow, the founder and owner of the Mr Chow restaurant chain.
Mitsuru Komaeda (古前田 充, Komaeda Mitsuru; born April 14, 1950) is a former Japanese football player and manager. He…
Mitsuru Komaeda (古前田 充, Komaeda Mitsuru; born April 14, 1950) is a former Japanese football player and manager. He played for Japan national team.
Chiyozakura Teruo (千代櫻 輝夫; born 14 April 1950 as Teruo Saito) is a former sumo wrestler from Imakane, Hokkaidō, Japan.…
Chiyozakura Teruo (千代櫻 輝夫; born 14 April 1950 as Teruo Saito) is a former sumo wrestler from Imakane, Hokkaidō, Japan. He made his professional debut in March 1966 and reached the top division in September 1976. His highest rank was maegashira 5. Upon retirement from active competition, he became an elder in the Japan Sumo Association under the name Fujigane. He left the Sumo Association in March 1979. The wrestler name (shikona) "Chiyozakura" was later used by the jūryō division wrestler Chiyozakura Ukyo from 2010 until 2012.
Tetsuhisa Matsuzaki (松崎 哲久, Matsuzaki Tetsuhisa; born 14 April 1950 in Tokyo) is a former Japanese politician of the…
Tetsuhisa Matsuzaki (松崎 哲久, Matsuzaki Tetsuhisa; born 14 April 1950 in Tokyo) is a former Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, who served as a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature), representing the Saitama No. 10 District. Matsuzaki studied law at the University of Tokyo and received an MA from Harvard University in the USA. He was elected for the first time in 2003.
Takao Kawaguchi (川口 孝夫, Kawaguchi Takao; born 13 April 1950) is a retired judoka who competed in the –63 kg division.
Yoshinaga Fujita (藤田 宜永, Fujita Yoshinaga; 12 April 1950 – 30 January 2020) was a Japanese novelist and screenwriter.…
Yoshinaga Fujita (藤田 宜永, Fujita Yoshinaga; 12 April 1950 – 30 January 2020) was a Japanese novelist and screenwriter. He was known for his works in the crime novel, adventure novel and romance novel genres.
Jun Matsumoto (松本 純, Matsumoto Jun; August 11, 1950 – March 19, 2026) was a Japanese politician of the Liberal…
Jun Matsumoto (松本 純, Matsumoto Jun; August 11, 1950 – March 19, 2026) was a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, who served as a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature).
Akiko Wada (和田 アキ子, Wada Akiko; born April 10, 1950) is an ethnically Korean/Japanese singer, tarento and businesswoman…
Akiko Wada (和田 アキ子, Wada Akiko; born April 10, 1950) is an ethnically Korean/Japanese singer, tarento and businesswoman from Tennōji-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture. She has various nicknames, one being "Akko". Due to her above-average height (174 cm or 5’8.5"), she is also nicknamed jotei (女帝), meaning "empress".
Nobuo Fujishima (藤島 信雄, Fujishima Nobuo; born April 8, 1950) is a former Japanese football player and manager. He…
Nobuo Fujishima (藤島 信雄, Fujishima Nobuo; born April 8, 1950) is a former Japanese football player and manager. He played for the Japan national team.
Shin'ichi Abe (Japanese: 安部 慎一 Abe Shin'ichi; 7 April 1950 – 4 September 2026) was a Japanese mangaka. Abe joined the…
Shin'ichi Abe (Japanese: 安部 慎一 Abe Shin'ichi; 7 April 1950 – 4 September 2026) was a Japanese mangaka. Abe joined the magazine Garo when he was 20 years old and had his works extend to the European sphere in the 2000s. Abe died from mandibular gland cancer on 4 September 2026, at the age of 76.
Kenji Uchino is an American electronics engineer, physicist, academic, inventor and industry executive. He is currently…
Kenji Uchino is an American electronics engineer, physicist, academic, inventor and industry executive. He is currently an academy professor of Electrical Engineering, Emeritus Academy Institute at Pennsylvania State University, where he also directs the International Center for Actuators and Transducers at Materials Research Institute. He is the former associate director (US Navy Ambassador to Japan) at The US Office of Naval Research – Global Tokyo Office. Uchino has conducted extensive research on solid state physics, focusing especially on ferroelectrics and piezoelectrics. He is one of the pioneers in piezoelectric actuators and electro-optic displays and is the inventor of topics including lead magnesium niobate (PMN)-based electrostricive materials, cofired multilayer piezoelectric actuators, superior electromechanical coupling relaxor-PbTiO_3 single crystals, magnetoelectric laminated composite sensors, shape memory ceramics, and micro ultrasonic motors. Uchino's work has resulted in over 584 research papers, over 78 books and 33 patents in the ceramic actuator area. Uchino is a Life Fellow of IEEE, American Ceramic Society and International Association of Advanced Materials, and a senior member of National Academy of Inventors. He chaired the Smart Actuators/Sensors Study Committee in Japan from 1987 till 2014. Uchino is the Editor in Chief of J. Actuators, MDPI, J. Current Applied Materials, J. Current Mechanics and Advanced Materials, Bentham Science Pub. Ltd., and J. Insight-Material Science, PiscoMed Publishing LLT.
Reiko Okutani (奥谷 禮子, Okutani Reiko; born April 4, 1950 in Kobe, Hyōgo) is a Japanese businesswoman, founder and chief…
Reiko Okutani (奥谷 禮子, Okutani Reiko; born April 4, 1950 in Kobe, Hyōgo) is a Japanese businesswoman, founder and chief executive of the temporary personnel service company The R. She serves on the board of Culture Convenience Club Co., Ltd. A graduate of Konan University, she is best known for her criticism of "gap-widening society". She also presented the 120th GRIPS Forum on the challenges for Japanese women in the workforce.
Naoko Otani (大谷直子, Ōtani Naoko; born April 3, 1950 in Sumida, Tokyo) is a Japanese actress. She made her screen debut…
Naoko Otani (大谷直子, Ōtani Naoko; born April 3, 1950 in Sumida, Tokyo) is a Japanese actress. She made her screen debut in The Human Bullet while still a high school student, and became popular for her role in the NHK Asadora television programme Nobuko to Obāchan (信子とおばあちゃん, Nobuko and Grandmother) in 1969. She published a collection of nude photos while pregnant. She has been married twice.
Ryo Shuhama (主浜 了, Shuhama Ryō; born 2 April 1950) is a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, a member…
Ryo Shuhama (主浜 了, Shuhama Ryō; born 2 April 1950) is a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature).
Katsuko Nishimoto (西本 勝子, Nishimoto Katsuko; 1 April 1950 – 2 February 2025) was a Japanese politician of the Liberal…
Katsuko Nishimoto (西本 勝子, Nishimoto Katsuko; 1 April 1950 – 2 February 2025) was a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), who was a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature).
Yoshifumi Kondō (近藤 喜文, Kondō Yoshifumi; March 31, 1950 – January 21, 1998) was a Japanese animator who worked for…
Yoshifumi Kondō (近藤 喜文, Kondō Yoshifumi; March 31, 1950 – January 21, 1998) was a Japanese animator who worked for Studio Ghibli in his last years. He was born in Gosen, Niigata Prefecture, Japan. He worked as an animation director on Anne of Green Gables, Sherlock Hound, Kiki's Delivery Service, Only Yesterday and Princess Mononoke. Kondō directed the animated film Whisper of the Heart, and was expected to become one of the top directors at Studio Ghibli, alongside Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, and to become their eventual successor. Kondō died of aortic dissection – alternately aneurysm – in 1998.
Hiroshi Tachi (舘 ひろし, Tachi Hiroshi; born 31 March 1950 in Naka-ku, Nagoya) is a Japanese actor and singer. His…
Hiroshi Tachi (舘 ひろし, Tachi Hiroshi; born 31 March 1950 in Naka-ku, Nagoya) is a Japanese actor and singer. His ancestors were samurai of the Owari Domain and the family of the former samurai. He graduated from Chiba Institute of Technology. He was a leader of a rock 'n' roll group Cools but he left the group soon after he joined Toei film company and made his film debut with The Classroom of Terror. In 1983, he moved to Yujiro Ishiharas production company. In the 1980s, he won great popularity through his roles in the TV drama series Seibu Keisatsu and Abunai Deka. In 2018, Tachi won the Best Actor award at the 42nd Montreal World Film Festival for his role in Owatta Hito. As a singer Tachi is known for his hit song Nakanaide and appeared in the Kōhaku Uta Gassen twice.
Miyoko Kudo (工藤 美代子, Kudō Miyoko; born March 27, 1950) is a Japanese non-fiction writer and a member of the Japan…
Miyoko Kudo (工藤 美代子, Kudō Miyoko; born March 27, 1950) is a Japanese non-fiction writer and a member of the Japan Institute for National Fundamentals. Her father, Tsuneo Ikeda, was a sports journalist and businessman who started Baseball Magazine (BBM) and his mother’s family founded Kudō Shashin-kan in Ryōgoku. Because her parents divorced, she took the family name of Kudō. Her older sister Akiko was the wife of Chiharu Igaya and her younger brother Tetsuo Ikeda is president of Baseball Magazine (BBM).
Nobuyoshi Ino (born March 26, 1950, Gunma) is a Japanese jazz double-bassist. Ino began playing professionally in the…
Nobuyoshi Ino (born March 26, 1950, Gunma) is a Japanese jazz double-bassist. Ino began playing professionally in the early 1970s, and worked in that decade with Motohiko Hino, Terumasa Hino, Kosuke Mine, Akira Miyazawa, Masahiko Sato, Isao Suzuki, Hidefumi Toki, and Kazumi Watanabe. Early in the 1980s he played with Masayuki Takayanagi and Aki Takase, then formed a duo with Lester Bowie, performing from 1984 to 1988 (including on the 1985 album Duet). He also worked with Alex Schlippenbach and Sunny Murray in a trio setting and toured with Elvin Jones. He founded an ensemble called Four Sounds in 1989 which featured Kosuke Mine, Fumio Itabashi, and Hiroshi Murakami as sidemen. Later in his career he worked with Masahiko Togashi as well as with Aki Takase once more.
Makoto Kōsaka (高坂 真琴, Kōsaka Makoto; born 22 March 1950) is a Japanese voice actress affiliated with Tokyo Actor's…
Makoto Kōsaka (高坂 真琴, Kōsaka Makoto; born 22 March 1950) is a Japanese voice actress affiliated with Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society. She is best known for voicing Hiromi Oka in Aim for the Ace!, O-jirō in Little Ghost Q-Taro, and Mari Sakurano in Brave Raideen.
Masami Horiuchi (Japanese: 堀内 正美, Hepburn: Horiuchi Masami; born March 22, 1950 in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese actor.
Kan Mikami (三上 寛, Mikami Kan; born March 20, 1950) is a Japanese folk singer-songwriter and actor. His music, heavily…
Kan Mikami (三上 寛, Mikami Kan; born March 20, 1950) is a Japanese folk singer-songwriter and actor. His music, heavily influenced by American blues, was popular in Japan in the 1970s. He re-wrote the lyric of the song "Yume wa Yoru Hiraku" for his cover version in 1972, which was banned for its negative portrayal of modern Japanese culture. Mikami also acted in cinema and is notable for collaborations with Shūji Terayama and his avant-garde theater Tenjō Sajiki. His autobiography, A Life in Folk, was translated into English and published in 2017 by Public Bath Press of Nara, Japan.
Jun Hatanaka (Japanese: 畑中 純, Hepburn: Hatanaka Jun; March 20, 1950 – June 13, 2012) was a Japanese manga artist and…
Jun Hatanaka (Japanese: 畑中 純, Hepburn: Hatanaka Jun; March 20, 1950 – June 13, 2012) was a Japanese manga artist and woodblock artist. Born in Kokura, Fukuoka Prefecture, Tsukiyo (月夜) marked his debut as a professional manga artist in 1977. Two years later, his most well-known work, Mandaraya no Ryouta, began to be published in Jitsugyo no Nihon Sha's Weekly Manga Sunday magazine. He also served as an instructor in Tokyo Polytechnic University's Department of Manga before he died on June 13, 2012, from an abdominal aortic aneurysm in Chōfu, Tokyo.
Daiju Hisateru (born 19 March 1950 as Toshiaki Sakaiya) is a former sumo wrestler from Hokkaidō, Japan. His highest…
Daiju Hisateru (born 19 March 1950 as Toshiaki Sakaiya) is a former sumo wrestler from Hokkaidō, Japan. His highest rank was ōzeki, but he held the rank for only five tournaments – fewer than any ōzeki in the modern era until Mitakeumi, who held the rank of ōzeki for only four tournaments in 2022. He won eleven sanshō or special prizes during his top division career which lasted from 1970 to 1977. He was the head coach of Asahiyama stable from 1997 until 2015.
Eiji Okuda (奥田瑛二, Okuda Eiji; born 18 March 1950) is a Japanese actor and film director. Born in Kasugai, Aichi, he was…
Eiji Okuda (奥田瑛二, Okuda Eiji; born 18 March 1950) is a Japanese actor and film director. Born in Kasugai, Aichi, he was nominated for the Best Actor award at the 1990 Japanese Academy Awards for his performance in Sen no Rikyu. He won the award for best actor at the 37th Blue Ribbon Awards for Like a Rolling Stone. He made his directing debut in 2001, and has taken leading roles in front of the camera in the three films he has directed as of 2006. He appeared in the Brazilian soap opera Morde & Assopra, of 2011, as a scientist in the first chapter. He also appeared in the film Dirty Hearts, also released in 2011, this time as the character Colonel Watanabe, officer of the Japanese Imperial Army, leader of Shindo Renmei and the great villain of the film.
Joh Sasaki (佐々木 譲, Sasaki Jō; born March 16, 1950) is a Japanese writer and journalist, chiefly known for his…
Joh Sasaki (佐々木 譲, Sasaki Jō; born March 16, 1950) is a Japanese writer and journalist, chiefly known for his historical fiction and mystery novels.
Emiko Shiratori (白鳥 英美子 Shiratori Emiko; born March 16, 1950) is a Japanese singer and songwriter. In 1969, the record…
Emiko Shiratori (白鳥 英美子 Shiratori Emiko; born March 16, 1950) is a Japanese singer and songwriter. In 1969, the record label Toshiba EMI (now EMI Music Japan) paired her with Sumio Akutagawa, and they formed the folk group Toi et Moi. They achieved great success in Japan, and from 1969 to 1973 released an average of two albums and four singles a year. In 1973, Shiratori released her first solo album and continued as a solo artist throughout the 1970s. She performed at the 1972 Sapporo Winter Olympics and the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics. As a vocalist for the video game Final Fantasy IX, she performed the main theme "Melodies of Life" in both Japanese and English. Due to the English version's popularity, a special single was released, "Final Fantasy IX" Original Soundtrack. In 2006, she was asked by Nobuo Uematsu to perform a "defining version" of the song at the Final Fantasy Voices Concert; she sang a version that combined the Japanese and English lyrics. Shiratori also performed a vocal arrangement of "Epona's Song" for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Re-Arranged Album, and narrated, as well as performed, the opening and ending themes to the 1990–1992 Moomin anime television series. She also performed "Do-Re-Mi-Fa Lullaby", the ending theme to the second Unico movie, Unico in the Island of Magic, although the song was changed to an instrumental in the film's English version. Shiratori has had at least one song on the NHK program Minna no Uta. Shiratori is married to composer and music producer Sumio Shiratori, and mother of singer Maika Shiratori.
Junichi Hamada (濱田 純一, Hamada Jun'ichi ; born March 14, 1950) is the 29th President of the University of Tokyo in…
Junichi Hamada (濱田 純一, Hamada Jun'ichi ; born March 14, 1950) is the 29th President of the University of Tokyo in Tokyo, Japan. He was born in Akashi in Hyōgo Prefecture, graduated from Nada High School and is the first University of Tokyo President to be born after World War II. He is also a Professor of Law, specializing in media law, constitutional law, the freedom of speech, and human rights law. He earned his Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate degrees from the University of Tokyo.
Mayumi Inaba (稲葉 真弓, Inaba Mayumi; 8 March 1950 – 30 August 2014) was a Japanese writer and poet. She won the Tanizaki…
Mayumi Inaba (稲葉 真弓, Inaba Mayumi; 8 March 1950 – 30 August 2014) was a Japanese writer and poet. She won the Tanizaki Prize in 2011 for her memoir To the Peninsula (半島へ). Her short story Asa ga nido kuru (朝が二度くる, Morning Comes Twice a Day) was translated into English by Lawrence Rogers for the collection Tokyo Stories: A Literary Stroll.
Shunichi Yamaguchi (山口 俊一, Yamaguchi Shun'ichi; born 28 February 1950) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal…
Shunichi Yamaguchi (山口 俊一, Yamaguchi Shun'ichi; born 28 February 1950) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature).
Futatsuryū Jun'ichi (双津竜 順一, born Jun'ichi Yamamoto; February 28, 1950 – August 12, 2014) was a sumo wrestler from…
Futatsuryū Jun'ichi (双津竜 順一, born Jun'ichi Yamamoto; February 28, 1950 – August 12, 2014) was a sumo wrestler from Hokkaidō, Japan. After retirement he became the head coach of Tokitsukaze stable. Following his involvement in the hazing and death of trainee Takashi Saito, in October 2007 he became the first serving stablemaster to be dismissed by the Japan Sumo Association. In May 2009 he was sentenced to six years in prison. He died on August 12, 2014, of lung cancer.
Yuji Fujii (藤井 勇治, Fujii Yūji; born 27 February 1950) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a…
Yuji Fujii (藤井 勇治, Fujii Yūji; born 27 February 1950) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Torahime, Shiga and graduate of Ryukoku University, he ran unsuccessfully for the assembly of Shiga Prefecture. He was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 2005, and represents the 2nd District of Shiga prefecture.
Yasunori Shimura (志村 康徳, Shimura Yasunori; February 20, 1950 – March 29, 2020), known professionally as Ken Shimura (志村…
Yasunori Shimura (志村 康徳, Shimura Yasunori; February 20, 1950 – March 29, 2020), known professionally as Ken Shimura (志村 けん, Shimura Ken), was a Japanese comedian. He was born in Higashimurayama, Tokyo. He started his career as an assistant to the comedy band The Drifters, led by Chōsuke Ikariya. In 1974, He joined the group, replacing Chū Arai. He appeared as members of the group on popular comedy shows that gained massive popularity from the 1970s to the 1980s. Hachiji-dayo! Zen'in-shūgō achieved the highest viewership rating of 50.5%, and The Drifters Daibakushō (ドリフ大爆笑) reached 40.4% viewership. These shows made him nationally popular. After the end of Hachiji-dayo! in 1985, he began to work independently as well. He appeared on shows like Kato-chan Ken-chan Gokigen TV (加トちゃんケンちゃんごきげんテレビ), with Cha Katō, a fellow member of the group, Shimura Ken no Daijōbu-dā (志村けんのだいじょうぶだぁ)," and Shimura Ken no Baka Tono-sama (志村けんのバカ殿様), portraying characters like Baka Tono-sama (バカ殿様, Stupid Lord) and Hen na Oji-san (変なおじさん, Strange Older Man). These characters became highly popular. Shimura's comedic work was inspired in part by that of Jerry Lewis.
Junichiro Yasui (安井 潤一郎, Yasui Jun'ichirō; born 10 February 1950) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic…
Junichiro Yasui (安井 潤一郎, Yasui Jun'ichirō; born 10 February 1950) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Shinjuku, Tokyo and dropout of Waseda University, he was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 2005.
Takanohana Kenshi (貴ノ花 健士), born Mitsuru Hanada (花田 満, Hanada Mitsuru; February 19, 1950 – May 30, 2005), was a…
Takanohana Kenshi (貴ノ花 健士), born Mitsuru Hanada (花田 満, Hanada Mitsuru; February 19, 1950 – May 30, 2005), was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Hirosaki, Aomori. Making his debut in May 1965, his highest rank was ōzeki, which he reached in November 1972. He then went on to hold the rank for what was then a record fifty tournaments, before retiring in January 1981. He was extremely popular and was nicknamed the "Prince of Sumo" (角界のプリンス, Kakukai no Purinsu) due to his good looks and relatively slim build. He was the younger brother of Wakanohana Kanji I, and the father of Wakanohana Masaru and Takanohana Kōji. After retiring from competition, he coached both of his sons to the rank of yokozuna as head of Futagoyama stable.
Yoshiharu Tomonaga (友永 義治, Tomonaga Yoshiharu; born 18 February 1950) is a Japanese former sprinter who competed in the…
Yoshiharu Tomonaga (友永 義治, Tomonaga Yoshiharu; born 18 February 1950) is a Japanese former sprinter who competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics.
Ryu Shionoya (塩谷 立, Shionoya Ryū; born 18 February 1950) is a former Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic…
Ryu Shionoya (塩谷 立, Shionoya Ryū; born 18 February 1950) is a former Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, who served as a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature) and who was the former Minister of Education, Science and Technology.
Keiko Takemiya (竹宮 惠子, Takemiya Keiko; born February 13, 1950) is a Japanese manga artist, professor and university…
Keiko Takemiya (竹宮 惠子, Takemiya Keiko; born February 13, 1950) is a Japanese manga artist, professor and university administrator. As part of the Year 24 Group, she was a leading figure in shōjo manga scene in the 1970s creating such manga as Kaze to Ki no Uta, Toward the Terra, Natsu e no Tobira. Additionally she became head of the Faculty of Manga at Kyoto Seika University, and then later became the president of the university.
Noburu Yamada (9 February 1950 – 24 February 1989) was a Japanese mountaineer known for his extensive climbing…
Noburu Yamada (9 February 1950 – 24 February 1989) was a Japanese mountaineer known for his extensive climbing experience in the Himalayas, including several first ascents and for his proficiency for climbing during winter. A contemporary of Reinhold Messner and Jerzy Kukuczka, Yamada reached the summits of 9 of the 14 eight-thousanders and was part of the climbing team that made the second successful winter ascent of Mount Everest. Six of these ascents were done without oxygen. He died while climbing Denali in 1989. 4807 Noboru, a main-belt asteroid is named after him.
Tadaki Nishiyama (Japanese: 西山 忠来; 9 February 1950 – 24 November 2023), better known under the pen names Shizuka Ijūin…
Tadaki Nishiyama (Japanese: 西山 忠来; 9 February 1950 – 24 November 2023), better known under the pen names Shizuka Ijūin (Japanese: 伊集院静) and Ayumi Date (Japanese: 伊達 歩), was a Japanese writer and lyricist.
Satoko Tanaka (田中 聡子, Tanaka Satoko; born February 3, 1942) is a retired Japanese backstroke swimmer. She competed at…
Satoko Tanaka (田中 聡子, Tanaka Satoko; born February 3, 1942) is a retired Japanese backstroke swimmer. She competed at the 1960 and 1964 Olympics in the 100 m backstroke and 4×100 m medley relay. She won individual bronze in 1960 and finished fourth in both events in 1964. Between 1959 and 1964 she set 10 world records in the 200 m backstroke, but did not have a chance to compete in this discipline. She set five more world records in the 110 yd and 220 yd backstroke. Tanaka held the national records in the 100 m and 200 m backstroke for 12 years. In retirement for many decades she worked as a swimming coach, and competed in the masters category. In 1991 she was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.
Kanemaru Shiratori (白鳥 金丸, Shiratori Kanemaru; born 3 February 1942) is a Japanese boxer. He competed in the men's…
Kanemaru Shiratori (白鳥 金丸, Shiratori Kanemaru; born 3 February 1942) is a Japanese boxer. He competed in the men's lightweight event at the 1964 Summer Olympics.
Toshitada Doi (土井 利忠, Doi Toshitada; born February 2, 1943) is a Japanese electrical engineer, who played a significant…
Toshitada Doi (土井 利忠, Doi Toshitada; born February 2, 1943) is a Japanese electrical engineer, who played a significant role in the digital audio revolution. He received a degree in electrical engineering from the Tokyo Institute of Technology in 1964, and a PhD from Tohoku University in 1972. He joined Sony Japan in 1964 and started the first digital audio project within Sony. He was the driving force behind the PCM adaptor, and was a prominent member of the Sony/Philips taskforce responsible for the design of the Compact Disc. He created, among others, the CIRC error correction system. He, with Kees Immink, refutes the myth that the Compact Disc's playing time was determined by Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. He was the lead engineer of the DASH multi-track digital audio tape recorder. In the 1990s, he headed Sony's Digital Creatures Laboratory, where he was responsible for the Aibo, Sony's robotic dog. In 2003, Doi created the Qrio, a running humanoid robot.
Michiko Imai (今井通子) (born 1 February 1942) is a Japanese medical doctor, mountaineer and alpinist. She is notable for…
Michiko Imai (今井通子) (born 1 February 1942) is a Japanese medical doctor, mountaineer and alpinist. She is notable for making the first all-female ascent of the north face of the Matterhorn, and for being the only female member of the Japanese team of mountaineers who established the Japanese Direct alpine climbing route on the north face of the Eiger. She was also the first Japanese woman to scale all of the three great north faces of the Alps (the Matterhorn, the Eiger, and the Grandes Jorasses), and has been credited as the first woman in the world to have achieved that.
Maki Asakawa (Japanese: 浅川マキ, Hepburn: Asakawa Maki; January 27, 1942 – January 17, 2010) was a Japanese jazz and blues…
Maki Asakawa (Japanese: 浅川マキ, Hepburn: Asakawa Maki; January 27, 1942 – January 17, 2010) was a Japanese jazz and blues singer, lyricist and composer. Known as the "Queen of the Underground" (アングラの女王, Angura no Joō), she was an important voice of Japan's urban counterculture.