Masao Kobayashi (小林 正夫, Kobayashi Masao; born May 11, 1947) is a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan…Masao Kobayashi (小林 正夫, Kobayashi Masao; born May 11, 1947) is a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Nakano, Tokyo and high school graduate, he was elected to the House of Councillors for the first time in 2004.
Yukiya Amano (Japanese: 天野 之弥, Hepburn: Amano Yukiya; 9 May 1947 – 18 July 2019) was a Japanese diplomat, who served as…Yukiya Amano (Japanese: 天野 之弥, Hepburn: Amano Yukiya; 9 May 1947 – 18 July 2019) was a Japanese diplomat, who served as the Director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from 1 December 2009 until his death on 18 July 2019. Previously, Amano served as an international civil servant for the United Nations and its subdivisions.
Tsutomu Yamazaki 山崎 力 (May 8, 1947 – June 2, 2021) was a Japanese politician. He was a member of the House of…Tsutomu Yamazaki 山崎 力 (May 8, 1947 – June 2, 2021) was a Japanese politician. He was a member of the House of Councillors from 1995 until 2007 and again from 2010 until 2016. Yamazaki was born in Aomori, Japan. Yamazaki died from COVID-19 at a hospital in Aomori on June 2, 2021, at age 74.
Mutsuhiko Maeda (前田 睦彦, Maeda Mutsuhiko; born 7 May 1947) is a Japanese speed skater. He competed at the 1968 Winter…Mutsuhiko Maeda (前田 睦彦, Maeda Mutsuhiko; born 7 May 1947) is a Japanese speed skater. He competed at the 1968 Winter Olympics and the 1972 Winter Olympics.
Hisashi Kazama (風間 昶, Kazama Hisashi; born 6 May 1947) is a former Japanese politician of the New Komeito Party, who…Hisashi Kazama (風間 昶, Kazama Hisashi; born 6 May 1947) is a former Japanese politician of the New Komeito Party, who served as a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Kamikawa (Teshio) District, Hokkaidō and graduate of Sapporo Medical University, he was elected for the first time in 1992.
Daisuke Ban (伴 大介, Ban Daisuke), born Kiyonori Saito (斎藤 清憲, Saitō Kiyonori), is a Japanese actor. He was born on May…Daisuke Ban (伴 大介, Ban Daisuke), born Kiyonori Saito (斎藤 清憲, Saitō Kiyonori), is a Japanese actor. He was born on May 5, 1947, in Saitama prefecture, north of Tokyo. He is best known for portraying several heroic roles in tokusatsu, including Jiro in Android Kikaider and Goro Watari in Inazuman.
Yoshio Mochizuki (望月 義夫, Mochizuki Yoshio; 2 May 1947 – 19 December 2019) was a Japanese politician of the Liberal…Yoshio Mochizuki (望月 義夫, Mochizuki Yoshio; 2 May 1947 – 19 December 2019) was a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature), and a Minister of the Environment.
Tomotsugu Kutsuwada (轡田 友継, Kutsuwada Tomotsugu; May 1, 1947 – October 12, 2004) was a Japanese professional wrestler…Tomotsugu Kutsuwada (轡田 友継, Kutsuwada Tomotsugu; May 1, 1947 – October 12, 2004) was a Japanese professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Samson Kutsuwada (サムソン・クツワダ, Samuson Kutsuwada).
Takashi Tanoue (30 April 1947 – 19 February 2009) was a Japanese wrestler who competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics…Takashi Tanoue (30 April 1947 – 19 February 2009) was a Japanese wrestler who competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics, placing 5th overall in the Greco-Roman event.
Tamotsu Suzuki (鈴木 保, Suzuki Tamotsu; 29 April 1947 – March 2025) was a Japanese football player and manager. He…Tamotsu Suzuki (鈴木 保, Suzuki Tamotsu; 29 April 1947 – March 2025) was a Japanese football player and manager. He managed Japan women's national team.
Ryūji Miyamoto (宮本 隆司, Miyamoto Ryūji, born 1947) is a Japanese photographer, best known as the "ruins photographer".…Ryūji Miyamoto (宮本 隆司, Miyamoto Ryūji, born 1947) is a Japanese photographer, best known as the "ruins photographer". Having studied graphic design at Tama Art University in Tokyo, he taught himself photography and began as an architectural journalist for magazines and newspapers. Inspired by the landscapes of post-war Japan that marked his childhood he came to reckon the imagery of destruction when he received a commission from Asahi Graph (pictorial journal) to document the demolition of the Nakano Prison in Tokyo. His early work focusing on the demolition of modern buildings led to the Architectural Apocalypse series. He later thematized what he calls "handmade architecture" (tezukuri kenchiku) through his documentation of Kowloon Walled City and his survey of Cardboard Houses constructed by homeless people in Japan and around the world, documenting the ways in which people manage to inhabit the city informally. In 1995, he applied the same survey method to document the Kobe earthquake (KOBE 1995 After The Earthquake). These images were later used as a basis for criticism of reconstruction methods that obscure the memory of the disaster and resulted in his selection for the Japanese Pavilion of the Venice Biennale of Architecture in 1996 by Arata Isozaki, known for his discourse on ruins. Miyamoto's turn between modern urban ruins and the impact of disasters was also embodied in the film: 3.11 TSUNAMI 2011, for which he changed his working method, co-creating it with three survivors of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, feeling unable to document the disaster. His photography, however, is never about the negativity of ruins. As the title of his retrospective exhibition at the Setagaya Art Museum in Tokyo (2004) evokes, he gazes at "things that are disappearing, things that are being born." His photographs exposes the ideology of progress in modern urban development, by uncovering its relation to heritage preservation, disasters, social downgrading, and informal lifestyles.
Seiichiro Shimizu (清水 清一朗, Shimizu Seiichirō; born 23 April 1947) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic…Seiichiro Shimizu (清水 清一朗, Shimizu Seiichirō; born 23 April 1947) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature).
Osamu Nagayama (Japanese: 永山 治, Hepburn: Nagayama Osamu; born April 21, 1947) is a Japanese businessman. He was the…Osamu Nagayama (Japanese: 永山 治, Hepburn: Nagayama Osamu; born April 21, 1947) is a Japanese businessman. He was the chairman and chief executive officer of Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., one of Japan's largest drug companies. He served as chairman of the board of directors of Sony Corporation from 2013 to 2019. In July 2020, Nagayama was announced as the new chairman of Japanese electronics company Toshiba. In June 2021, Nagayama was ousted from his position as chairman of Toshiba following a shareholder revolt. Nagayama is Japanese. He obtained his bachelor's degree from Keio University in 1971, where he studied in the Faculty of Business and Commerce. He began his professional career in 1971 at the Long-Term Credit Bank of Japan. He joined Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., in November 1978. Nagayama is a member of the board of directors of the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC), a global nonprofit organization that combats child sexual exploitation, child pornography, and child abduction.
Tsutomu Wakamatsu (若松 勉, Wakamatsu Tsutomu; born April 17, 1947) is a Japanese former baseball player, coach, and…Tsutomu Wakamatsu (若松 勉, Wakamatsu Tsutomu; born April 17, 1947) is a Japanese former baseball player, coach, and manager for the Yakult Swallows in Nippon Professional Baseball. He batted left-handed, and threw right-handed. His number 1 is honoured by the Swallows.
Toshio Hirano (平野 俊夫, Hirano Toshio; born April 17, 1947 in Osaka, Japan) is a Japanese immunologist and academic, best…Toshio Hirano (平野 俊夫, Hirano Toshio; born April 17, 1947 in Osaka, Japan) is a Japanese immunologist and academic, best known for his discovery of interleukin-6. Since August 2011, he has served as the 17th President of Osaka University.
Kunihiko Muroi (室井 邦彦, Muroi Kunihiko; 10 April 1947 – 3 January 2024) was a Japanese politician of the Initiatives…Kunihiko Muroi (室井 邦彦, Muroi Kunihiko; 10 April 1947 – 3 January 2024) was a Japanese politician of the Initiatives from Osaka party, who served as a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Amagasaki and dropout of Otemon Gakuin University, he served in the city assembly of Amagasaki for one term since 1983 and in the assembly of Hyōgo Prefecture for two terms since 1991. After two unsuccessful runs in 1996 and 2000, he was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 2003. He lost the seat in 2005 but was elected to the House of Councillors for the first time in 2007. Muroi died of liver failure on 3 January 2024, at the age of 76.
Masao Sen (千昌夫, Sen Masao; born 8 April 1947) is a Japanese Enka singer and businessman, of Iwate Prefecture, known for…Masao Sen (千昌夫, Sen Masao; born 8 April 1947) is a Japanese Enka singer and businessman, of Iwate Prefecture, known for the song 'Kitaguni no Haru' ('North Country Spring'). He is affiliated with the talent agency NoReason Inc.
Kimie Iwata (岩田喜美枝) (born April 6, 1947) is a Japanese businesswoman and former government official. After serving as…Kimie Iwata (岩田喜美枝) (born April 6, 1947) is a Japanese businesswoman and former government official. After serving as Director-General of the Equal Employment Opportunity and Child Families Bureau of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, she has served as Executive Vice President of Shiseido and Chairman of the Japan Foundation for 21st Century Vocational Education.
Yukari Itō (Japanese: 伊東 ゆかり, born 6 April 1947) is a Japanese singer and actress. She was born in Shinagawa, Tokyo…Yukari Itō (Japanese: 伊東 ゆかり, born 6 April 1947) is a Japanese singer and actress. She was born in Shinagawa, Tokyo, and her father was from Okinawa. She was one of the Japanese pop singers who took the nation by storm during the 1960s and 1970s. In addition to appearing on music programs and performing in concerts as a singer, she also worked as an actress.
Sachiko Fukunaka (福中 佐知子, Fukunaka Sachiko; born April 5, 1946) is a female Japanese former volleyball player who…Sachiko Fukunaka (福中 佐知子, Fukunaka Sachiko; born April 5, 1946) is a female Japanese former volleyball player who competed in the 1968 Summer Olympics. She was born in Chiba Prefecture. In 1968 she was part of the Japanese team which won the silver medal in the Olympic tournament. She played all seven matches.
Mikio Yahara (矢原美紀夫; born April 4, 1947, in Ehime Prefecture) is a Japanese karate expert of the Shotokan style. He…Mikio Yahara (矢原美紀夫; born April 4, 1947, in Ehime Prefecture) is a Japanese karate expert of the Shotokan style. He holds the rank of 10th dan.
Isao Matsushita is the president of JX Holdings, a Japanese petroleum and metals conglomerate, and a Fortune Global 500…Isao Matsushita is the president of JX Holdings, a Japanese petroleum and metals conglomerate, and a Fortune Global 500 company. Matsushita has been president of JX since June 2012.
Akihiko Yamamoto (山本 明彦, Yamamoto Akihiko; born 1 April 1947) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party…Akihiko Yamamoto (山本 明彦, Yamamoto Akihiko; born 1 April 1947) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, who served as a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Aichi Prefecture and graduate of Nagoya University, he was elected to the first of his three terms in Aichi Prefectural Assembly in 1987 and then to the House of Representatives for the first time in 2000. He was defeated in the 2009 election by Kazuyoshi Morimoto of the Democratic Party of Japan.
Masaharu Ōhashi (大橋正春, Masaharu Ōhashi; born March 31, 1947) is a former justice of the Supreme Court of Japan, serving…Masaharu Ōhashi (大橋正春, Masaharu Ōhashi; born March 31, 1947) is a former justice of the Supreme Court of Japan, serving from 2012 to 2017. He was appointed on 13 February 2012, succeeding Kohei Nasu on the Third Petty Bench. He passed the bar exam in 1968, received his LLB (in both Private Law and Public Law programs) from the University of Tokyo in 1969, and his LLM degree from Harvard Law School in 1976. Before joining the Supreme Court, he held a number of high-profile positions in the Japanese Federation of Bar Associations (JFBA) and was a co-founder/partner of Tokei Partners. He reportedly enjoys pottery, rakugo, and legal dramas.
Haruo Takahashi (Japanese: 高橋春男, Hepburn: Haruo Takahashi; March 30, 1947 – January 12, 2024) was a Japanese manga…Haruo Takahashi (Japanese: 高橋春男, Hepburn: Haruo Takahashi; March 30, 1947 – January 12, 2024) was a Japanese manga artist and animator. Takahashi was known for working on Tiger Mask, Silver Fang and Inspector Gadget. In 1984, he won the 30th Bungei Shunju Manga Award for "Cho-san Ism".
Satoko Tsushima (津島 里子, Tsushima Satoko; 30 March 1947 – 18 February 2016), known by her pen name Yūko Tsushima (津島 佑子…Satoko Tsushima (津島 里子, Tsushima Satoko; 30 March 1947 – 18 February 2016), known by her pen name Yūko Tsushima (津島 佑子 Tsushima Yūko), was a Japanese fiction writer, essayist and critic. Tsushima won many of Japan's top literary prizes in her career, including the Izumi Kyōka Prize for Literature, the Noma Literary New Face Prize, the Noma Literary Prize, the Yomiuri Prize and the Tanizaki Prize. The New York Times called Tsushima "one of the most important writers of her generation." Her work has been translated into over a dozen languages.
Kuniaki Shibata (柴田 国明, born March 29, 1947) is a Japanese former professional boxer who competed from 1965 to 1977. He…Kuniaki Shibata (柴田 国明, born March 29, 1947) is a Japanese former professional boxer who competed from 1965 to 1977. He is a world champion in two weight classes, having held the World Boxing Council (WBC) and Ring magazine featherweight titles from 1970 to 1972, the World Boxing Association (WBA) and Ring magazine super-featherweight titles in 1973, and the WBC super-featherweight title from 1974 to 1975.
Miyako Ishiuchi (石内 都, Ishiuchi Miyako; born March 27, 1947), is a Japanese photographer. In 2005, she represented…Miyako Ishiuchi (石内 都, Ishiuchi Miyako; born March 27, 1947), is a Japanese photographer. In 2005, she represented Japan at the Venice Biennale. In March 2014, she received the Hasselblad Foundation International Award in Photography. Ishiuchi's work is included in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, and the Art Institute of Chicago.
Tokutoshi Torii (鳥居 徳敏, Torii Tokutoshi; born 1947 in Toyokawa) is a Japanese architect and writer. He has lived for…Tokutoshi Torii (鳥居 徳敏, Torii Tokutoshi; born 1947 in Toyokawa) is a Japanese architect and writer. He has lived for more than ten years in Zambia, researching Spanish architecture, especially the architecture of Gaudi, on which he has published several studies.
Meiko Kaji (梶 芽衣子, Kaji Meiko; born March 24, 1947) is a Japanese actress and singer. With over 100 film and television…Meiko Kaji (梶 芽衣子, Kaji Meiko; born March 24, 1947) is a Japanese actress and singer. With over 100 film and television credits since the 1960s, her most prolific period was the 1970s, when she achieved fame for her starring roles as outlaws and vengeful women in the film series Stray Cat Rock, Wandering Ginza Butterfly, Female Prisoner Scorpion and Lady Snowblood. Kaji also performed as a singer, releasing records concurrently with her film career and beyond, often performing the theme songs for the films in which she starred.
Nobuhide Tachi (舘 信秀, Tachi Nobuhide; born March 23, 1947 in Suzuka, Mie) is a Japanese former racing driver, and the…Nobuhide Tachi (舘 信秀, Tachi Nobuhide; born March 23, 1947 in Suzuka, Mie) is a Japanese former racing driver, and the co-founder of TOM'S, a Japanese racing team and tuner for Toyota and Lexus. His son, Shingo, was also a racing driver.
Yasuo Matsuyama (born March 23, 1947) is a Japanese researcher in machine learning and human-aware information…Yasuo Matsuyama (born March 23, 1947) is a Japanese researcher in machine learning and human-aware information processing. Matsuyama is a Professor Emeritus and an Honorary Researcher of the Research Institute of Science and Engineering of Waseda University.
Kazuhiko Katō (加藤 和彦, Katō Kazuhiko; March 21, 1947 – October 17, 2009), nicknamed "Tonovan" (トノヴァン), was a Japanese…Kazuhiko Katō (加藤 和彦, Katō Kazuhiko; March 21, 1947 – October 17, 2009), nicknamed "Tonovan" (トノヴァン), was a Japanese record producer, songwriter and singer. He sometimes used the spelling of "Kazuhiko Katoh".
Remi Hirano (平野 レミ, Hirano Remi; born March 21, 1947, in Taitō, Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese chef, TV personality, and…Remi Hirano (平野 レミ, Hirano Remi; born March 21, 1947, in Taitō, Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese chef, TV personality, and chanson singer. Her father is French-American-Japanese writer Imao Hirano. Her husband is illustrator Makoto Wada. Her eldest son is Sho Wada, member of the band Triceratops, and whose wife is the actress Juri Ueno. The wife of her second son is chef and model Asuka Wada. Her grandfather is Japanese art historian and jurist Henry Pike Bowie.
Tamio Kageyama (景山 民夫, Kageyama Tamio; March 20, 1947 in Tokyo, Japan – January 27, 1998) was a Japanese writer. The…Tamio Kageyama (景山 民夫, Kageyama Tamio; March 20, 1947 in Tokyo, Japan – January 27, 1998) was a Japanese writer. The former television script writer and essayist won the 99th Naoki Prize in 1988 for his novel Coo: Tooi Umi Kara Kita Coo. The novel was later adapted into an animated film. Kageyama also contributed to the films Sakana kara daiokishin!! (1992), Saraba itoshiki hito yo (1987), and Hoshikuzu kodai no densetsu (1985), and appeared as a judge on the TV series Iron Chef. Kageyama died at the age of 50 following a house fire at his residence.
Kumiko Aihara (相原 久美子, Aihara Kumiko; born 14 March 1947) is a Japanese politician of the Constitutional Democratic…Kumiko Aihara (相原 久美子, Aihara Kumiko; born 14 March 1947) is a Japanese politician of the Constitutional Democratic Party and a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Hokkaidō and law graduate of Hokkai Gakuen University, she was elected for the first time in 2007.
Masashi Ozawa (小沢 正志, Ozawa Masashi; March 6, 1947 – December 29, 2023) was a Japanese professional wrestler. Popularly…Masashi Ozawa (小沢 正志, Ozawa Masashi; March 6, 1947 – December 29, 2023) was a Japanese professional wrestler. Popularly known as Killer Khan, he was billed from Mongolia and had numerous high-profile matches with André the Giant in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) during the 1980s, including a high-profile "Mongolian stretcher match". Khan used Asian mist against opponents.
Harumi Kurihara (栗原 はるみ, Kurihara Harumi; born March 5, 1947) is a celebrity homemaker and television personality in…Harumi Kurihara (栗原 はるみ, Kurihara Harumi; born March 5, 1947) is a celebrity homemaker and television personality in Japan. Kurihara has often been called the "Martha Stewart of Japan", and has enjoyed popularity there for over twenty years. She is the host of numerous television shows, author of Suteki Recipe, a quarterly recipe magazine which has sold 5 million copies, as well as over 20 bestselling cookbooks and style magazines, has a line of cookware named after her, and owns a chain of stores. Her homemaking empire is named Yutori no Kukan, which means "a space to relax". She has had sponsorship deals with companies such as P&G, Shiseido, 3M, Takara Distillers and Nissan. She was born in Shimoda, a coastal city, and never had professional training as a chef. She is therefore known for satisfying home cooking. In particular her cuisine is known for combining traditional and newer Western influences, while accounting for the real-world time constraints of a housewife. She is married to Reiji Kurihara, a former television newsanchor, who originally encouraged her to begin her television career, and is now president of Yutori no Kukan. Harumi's first cookbook was Gochisōsama Ga Kikitakute!, which translates to "I want to hear you say: 'I'm all finished and that was great!'". Harumi's first major cookbook published in English was Harumi's Japanese Cooking, which in 2004 was awarded the best cookbook of the year (and the best world Asian cuisine book) at the 10th Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, and was selected from a pool of 5000 cookbooks from 67 countries.
Nobuhiko Hasegawa (長谷川 信彦, Hasegawa Nobuhiko; March 5, 1947 – November 7, 2005) was one of the best table tennis…Nobuhiko Hasegawa (長谷川 信彦, Hasegawa Nobuhiko; March 5, 1947 – November 7, 2005) was one of the best table tennis players worldwide from 1966 to 1974.
Bishin Jumonji (十文字 美信, Jūmonji Bishin) is a Japanese photographer known for advertising, portrait, and architectural…Bishin Jumonji (十文字 美信, Jūmonji Bishin) is a Japanese photographer known for advertising, portrait, and architectural work. Jumonji was born in Yokohama on 4 March 1947. After studying at the Tokyo College of Photography he worked as an assistant to Kishin Shinoyama and went freelance in 1971, working as the photographer for advertisements for Matsushita Electric and Shiseido products. The association with Matsushita would later bring awards from the Art Directors Club every year from 1975 to 1979. Jumonji has continued to do editorial and commercial work (notably for Hayashibara Biochemical Laboratories). In 1972, with nine other photographers, he participated in an exhibition of portraits of Simon Yotsuya at the Kinokuniya Gallery in Shinjuku. Jumonji had started taking his "Untitled" series of portraits of people framed to exclude their heads in 1971. In 1972, these appeared in the magazine Camera Mainichi and were shown in the Neikrug gallery in New York; a year later they were included in "New Japanese Photography", at the New York MoMA. Up to 1980, Jumonji made nineteen trips to Hawaii, photographing the islands and photographing and interviewing elderly first-generation Japanese immigrants. The series juxtaposes photographs of Hawaiʻi and black-and-white portraits of the people living there. Installments were published in Camera Mainichi in 1979 and the set was exhibited in 1980, when it won the Ina Nobuo Award. It was published, as Orchid Boat, in 1981. Jumonji's second published collection was Kéntauros, a large-format booklet of black-and-white photographs of the members of the motorbike organization Kéntauros striking poses with switchblades and other props. In 1981, Jumonji went to Indochina to photograph the religious customs of the Yao people. In 1983–84 he visited Thailand, Burma and Laos. The result was published as Sumitōtta yami in 1987. Jumonji had started photographing gold works of art in 1981. The first exhibition of the results was in Matsuya department store (Ginza), in 1987. This work culminated in the book Ōgon fūtenjin, published in 1990. This won the Domon Ken Award the following year. Some of these works would also be shown in two of a set of four volumes of stereoscopes, all photographed by Jumonji and published in 1993–4. Jumonji started photographing architecture and gardens in 1988, and the Katsura Detached Palace in particular in 1991. Jumonji photographed Matsumoto Kōshirō IX for a collection of black-and-white portraits; in 2005 he published a second volume, Nippon Geki-gan, of monochrome portraits of actors taken with a large-format camera shortly before or after performance. In 1998, Jumonji started work on Wabi, his attempt to depict (in color) the Japanese aesthetic ideal of wabi. The project started with cha-no-yu but branched out into everyday scenes. Jumonji exhibited composite photographs of four Japanese waterfalls at the Shiseido Gallery (Ginza) in June and July 2004. Jumonji's photographs have appeared in Zoom and Stern.
These are the official results of the men's 3000 metres steeplechase event at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. The…These are the official results of the men's 3000 metres steeplechase event at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. The competition was held on 1 and 4 September.
Moriaki Wakabayashi (若林 盛亮, Wakabayashi Moriaki; born February 26, 1947) is a Japanese former rock and roll musician…Moriaki Wakabayashi (若林 盛亮, Wakabayashi Moriaki; born February 26, 1947) is a Japanese former rock and roll musician and airline hijacker currently residing in self-imposed exile in North Korea. In the late 1960s, Wakabayashi was a founding member of the Japanese avant-garde rock band Les Rallizes Dénudés, serving as the band's bassist. Wakabayashi was a member of the "Yodogō Group" of the radical New Left Japan Communist League's "Red Army Faction" that carried out the hijacking of Japan Air Lines Flight 351 in 1970, ultimately forcing the plane to fly to North Korea. Wakabayashi currently resides in North Korea, along with other hijackers of the aircraft.
Ryo Kawasaki (川崎 燎, Kawasaki Ryō; February 25, 1947 – April 13, 2020) was a Japanese jazz fusion guitarist, composer…Ryo Kawasaki (川崎 燎, Kawasaki Ryō; February 25, 1947 – April 13, 2020) was a Japanese jazz fusion guitarist, composer and band leader, best known as one of the first musicians to develop and popularise the fusion genre and for helping to develop the guitar synthesizer in collaboration with Roland Corporation and Korg. His album Ryo Kawasaki and the Golden Dragon Live was one of the first all-digital recordings and he created the Kawasaki Synthesizer for the Commodore 64. During the 1960s, he played with various Japanese jazz groups and also formed his own bands. In the early 1970s, he moved to New York City, where he settled and worked with Gil Evans, Elvin Jones, Chico Hamilton, Ted Curson, Joanne Brackeen amongst others. In the mid-1980s, Kawasaki drifted out of performing music in favour of writing music software for computers. He also produced several techno dance singles, formed his own record company called Satellites Records, and later returned to jazz-fusion in 1991.
Hajime Sorayama (空山 基, Sorayama Hajime; born February 22, 1947) is a Japanese illustrator known, along for his design…Hajime Sorayama (空山 基, Sorayama Hajime; born February 22, 1947) is a Japanese illustrator known, along for his design work on the original Sony AIBO, for his precisely detailed, erotic portrayals of feminine robots. He describes his highly detailed style as "superrealism", which he says "deals with the technical issue of how close one can get to one's object."
Masaharu Nakagawa (中川 雅治, Nakagawa Masaharu; born 22 February 1947) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic…Masaharu Nakagawa (中川 雅治, Nakagawa Masaharu; born 22 February 1947) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Meguro, Tokyo and graduate of the University of Tokyo, he worked at the Ministry of Finance from 1969 until 2001. He was elected to the House of Councillors for the first time in 2004.
