Kōbun Otogawa (乙川 弘文, Otogawa Kōbun) (February 1, 1938 – July 26, 2002) was an American Sōtō Zen priest.
Nine Purple Fire Star: 2,080 people
Kōbun Otogawa (乙川 弘文, Otogawa Kōbun) (February 1, 1938 – July 26, 2002) was an American Sōtō Zen priest.
Shuji Tsurumi (鶴見 修治, Tsurumi Shūji; born January 29, 1938) is a Japanese gymnast and Olympic champion. He was part of…
Shuji Tsurumi (鶴見 修治, Tsurumi Shūji; born January 29, 1938) is a Japanese gymnast and Olympic champion. He was part of the first Japanese team that succeeded to win gold medals in the team event at the Summer Olympics (1960) and World Championships (1962). In 2008 he was inducted to the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame.
Hiroshi Kojima (born 27 January 1938) is a Japanese field hockey player. He competed in the men's tournament at the…
Hiroshi Kojima (born 27 January 1938) is a Japanese field hockey player. He competed in the men's tournament at the 1960 Summer Olympics.
Shotaro Ishinomori (石ノ森 章太郎, Ishinomori Shōtarō; 25 January 1938 – 28 January 1998), né Onodera (小野寺 章太郎, Onodera…
Shotaro Ishinomori (石ノ森 章太郎, Ishinomori Shōtarō; 25 January 1938 – 28 January 1998), né Onodera (小野寺 章太郎, Onodera Shōtarō), was a Japanese manga artist, cartoonist, writer and director. Known as the "King of Manga" (漫画の帝王 (Manga no Teiō) or 漫画の王様 (Manga no Ōsama)), he is regarded as one of the greatest and most influential manga artists of all time. Outside of manga he is also one of the most prolific creators in the history of anime, tokusatsu, and Japanese superhero fiction, creating several immensely popular long-running series such as Cyborg 009, the Super Sentai series (later adapted into the Power Rangers series which Ishinomori has also been credited for co-creating), and the Kamen Rider series. He was twice awarded by the Shogakukan Manga Awards, in 1968 for Sabu to Ichi Torimono Hikae and in 1988 for Hotel and Manga Nihon Keizai Nyumon. He was also known as Shotaro Ishimori (石森 章太郎, Ishimori Shōtarō) prior to 1986, when he changed his family name to Ishinomori by adding the no (ノ) character in katakana.
Leiji Matsumoto (Japanese: 松本零士, Hepburn: Matsumoto Reiji; born Akira Matsumoto (松本晟); January 25, 1938 – February 13…
Leiji Matsumoto (Japanese: 松本零士, Hepburn: Matsumoto Reiji; born Akira Matsumoto (松本晟); January 25, 1938 – February 13, 2023) was a Japanese manga artist, and creator of several anime and manga series. He was best known for masterminding legendary franchises, such as Space Battleship Yamato, Space Pirate Captain Harlock, and Galaxy Express 999. His style was characterized by mythological and often tragic storylines with strong moral themes, noble heroes, feminine heroines, and a love of strange worlds and melancholic atmosphere. He received Medal with Purple Ribbon in 2001, Order of the Rising Sun in 2010 and Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2012.
Shohei Baba (馬場 正平, Baba Shōhei; January 23, 1938 – January 31, 1999), best known by his ring name Giant Baba…
Shohei Baba (馬場 正平, Baba Shōhei; January 23, 1938 – January 31, 1999), best known by his ring name Giant Baba (ジャイアント馬場, Jaianto Baba), was a Japanese professional wrestler, promoter, and professional baseball player. He is best known as a co-founder of All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), a promotion he founded in 1972 along with Mitsuo Momota and Yoshihiro Momota, the sons of his mentor Rikidōzan. For the first 10 years of its existence, Baba was the top star of All Japan, while also serving as the booker, promoter, head trainer and president of the promotion from its inception in 1972 till his death in 1999. Baba was also responsible for recruiting much of the talent for All Japan, and was the public face of the promotion for much of his lifetime. Considered one of the most beloved Japanese wrestlers ever, Baba was a national hero with a level of popularity in Japan comparable to that of Hulk Hogan in the United States. The 2006 Top 100 Historical Persons in Japan survey ranked Baba the 93rd greatest person in the history of Japan, as voted for by the general public. Among his many accomplishments, Baba was a record seven-time winner of the Champion Carnival, a four-time PWF World Heavyweight Champion, three time NWA International Heavyweight Champion and a three-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion.
Aiko Kitahara (北原 亞以子; January 20, 1938 – March 12, 2013) was a Japanese novelist. She is best known for writing…
Aiko Kitahara (北原 亞以子; January 20, 1938 – March 12, 2013) was a Japanese novelist. She is best known for writing historical novels.
Takaharu Kyōgoku (京極 高晴, Kyōgoku Takaharu; January 18, 1938 – May 6, 2024) was a Japanese businessman and Shinto…
Takaharu Kyōgoku (京極 高晴, Kyōgoku Takaharu; January 18, 1938 – May 6, 2024) was a Japanese businessman and Shinto priest. Kyōgoku was the 15th head of the Kyōgoku clan (the former Tajima Toyooka clan) which held power in Toyooka before and during the Edo period. He was among descendants of the Meiji period kazoku (peerage) which was abolished in 1947. Kyōgoku died from a epidural hematoma on May 6, 2024, at the age of 86.
From Osaka came the 'musical anarchist' Tadamaru Sakuragawa (桜川 唯丸, Sakuragawa Tadamaru), who sang in a style called…
From Osaka came the 'musical anarchist' Tadamaru Sakuragawa (桜川 唯丸, Sakuragawa Tadamaru), who sang in a style called Goshu ondo. With the backing of the now disbanded Spiritual Unity, Tadamaru broke out of the festival circuit with his only album, Ullambana, released in 1991. Ullambana is a Sanskrit word that refers to a Buddhism sutra, and is the origin of the Japanese word Urabonne whose shortened form Bon or Obon is now widely used throughout Japan. Tadamaru's music is characterized as a radical new workout of summer festival music from Kansai area of Japan. The song Yui Maru Bushi from the album can be found here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/world/guidejapan2.shtml https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1W7EGULc6s Tadamaru retired in 1995 and passed his name to one of his pupils who now sings as Tadamaru Sakuragawa II (二代目 桜川唯丸). Music of Japan
Bunmei Ibuki (伊吹 文明, Ibuki Bunmei; born 9 January 1938) is a retired Japanese politician who served as the Speaker of…
Bunmei Ibuki (伊吹 文明, Ibuki Bunmei; born 9 January 1938) is a retired Japanese politician who served as the Speaker of the House of Representatives from 2012 to 2014.
Nobuhiko Obayashi (大林 宣彦, Ōbayashi Nobuhiko; 9 January 1938 – 10 April 2020) was a Japanese director, screenwriter, and…
Nobuhiko Obayashi (大林 宣彦, Ōbayashi Nobuhiko; 9 January 1938 – 10 April 2020) was a Japanese director, screenwriter, and editor of films and television advertisements. He began his filmmaking career as a pioneer of Japanese experimental films before transitioning to directing more mainstream media, and his resulting filmography as a director spanned almost 60 years. He is best known as the director of the 1977 comedy horror film House, which has garnered a cult following. He was notable for his distinct surreal filmmaking style, as well as the anti-war themes commonly embedded in his films.
Yoshio Matsumoto (January 6, 1938 – August 29, 2025) was a Japanese businessman and racehorse owner.
Kanoko Tsutani-Mabuchi (津谷-馬淵 鹿乃子, January 6, 1938 – January 4, 2025) was a Japanese diver who won five medals in the 3…
Kanoko Tsutani-Mabuchi (津谷-馬淵 鹿乃子, January 6, 1938 – January 4, 2025) was a Japanese diver who won five medals in the 3 m. springboard and 10 m. platform events at the Asian Games in 1954–74. Together with her husband Ryo Mabuchi she competed in the springboard and platform at the 1956, 1960 and 1964 Summer Olympics and placed 7th–16th. Her daughter Yoshino Mabuchi also became an Olympic diver. Mabuchi died from pneumonia on January 4, 2025, at the age of 87.
Masayoshi Mitani (見谷 昌禧, born January 5, 1938) is a retired Japanese alpine skier. He competed in the downhill, slalom…
Masayoshi Mitani (見谷 昌禧, born January 5, 1938) is a retired Japanese alpine skier. He competed in the downhill, slalom and giant slalom events at the 1960 Winter Olympics with the best result of 33rd place in the giant slalom. While preparing for the 1964 Winter Olympics, Mitani suffered a serious head injury, which left him bedridden for 3 months and forced him to retire from competitions. After graduating from Waseda University, Mitani joined Tokyu Corporation and was transferred to the affiliated Hakuba Tourism Development. He then returned to Waseda University to work as a skiing coach and researcher. In 1969 he became head coach of the national alpine skiing team, and prepared it to the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo. After the Olympics, he worked at a ski school and provided commentaries and reports on major international skiing competitions.
Kazuhiko Sakazaki (坂崎一彦, Sakazaki Kazuhiko; January 5, 1938 – January 28, 2014) was a Japanese baseball player who…
Kazuhiko Sakazaki (坂崎一彦, Sakazaki Kazuhiko; January 5, 1938 – January 28, 2014) was a Japanese baseball player who played as an outfielder. Born in Toyonaka, Osaka, he played for the Yomiuri Giants (1956–1964) and the Toei Flyers (1965–1967). After he retired from baseball, he took over the electric construction family business, and was also a member of the "Japan Baseball Promotion Association". He died on January 28, 2014, from stomach cancer.
Tyzen Hsiao (Chinese: 蕭泰然; pinyin: Xiāo Tàirán; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Siau Thài-jiân; 1 January 1938 – 24 February 2015) was a…
Tyzen Hsiao (Chinese: 蕭泰然; pinyin: Xiāo Tàirán; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Siau Thài-jiân; 1 January 1938 – 24 February 2015) was a Taiwanese composer of the neo-Romantic school. Many of his vocal works set poems written in Taiwanese Hokkien, the mother tongue of the majority of the island's residents at the time. His compositions stand as a musical manifestation of the Taiwanese literature movement that revitalized the island's literary and performing arts in the 1970s and 1980s. Hsiao's career in music included additional success as a pianist and conductor.
Shoji Ueda (Japanese: 上田正治; 1 January 1938 – 16 January 2025) was a Japanese cinematographer. He worked several times…
Shoji Ueda (Japanese: 上田正治; 1 January 1938 – 16 January 2025) was a Japanese cinematographer. He worked several times with filmmaker Akira Kurosawa. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography for his work in the film Ran (1985). Ueda died from a heart attack on 16 January 2025 in Yokohama, at the age of 87.
Hisashi Hieda (日枝 久, born December 31, 1937) is a Japanese business magnate, media proprietor, television executive…
Hisashi Hieda (日枝 久, born December 31, 1937) is a Japanese business magnate, media proprietor, television executive, film producer and philanthropist who was the Chairperson of Fujisankei Communications Group. He serves as the Chairperson of the Japan Art Association, which operates the Ueno Royal Museum and the Praemium Imperiale, as well as the Director of the Hakone Open-Air Museum and the Director of the Utsukushi-Ga-Hara Open-Air Museum. He transformed the Fujisankei Communications Group into one of the world's leading and Japan's largest media conglomerates and nurtured Fuji Television Network into a comprehensive entertainment entity of Japan.
Masaru Konuma (小沼勝, Konuma Masaru; December 30, 1937 – January 22, 2023) was a Japanese film director known for his…
Masaru Konuma (小沼勝, Konuma Masaru; December 30, 1937 – January 22, 2023) was a Japanese film director known for his Roman Porno films for Nikkatsu during the 1970s.
Yukio Takano (Japanese: 高野之夫 Takano Yukio; 25 December 1937 – 9 February 2023) was a Japanese businessman and…
Yukio Takano (Japanese: 高野之夫 Takano Yukio; 25 December 1937 – 9 February 2023) was a Japanese businessman and politician, member of the Liberal Democratic Party.
Hiroo Nakashima (Japanese: 中島啓雄; 25 December 1937 – 7 February 2024) was a Japanese businessman and politician. A…
Hiroo Nakashima (Japanese: 中島啓雄; 25 December 1937 – 7 February 2024) was a Japanese businessman and politician. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party, he served in the House of Councillors from 1995 to 2007. Nakashima died of lung cancer in Ōme, on 7 February 2024, at the age of 86.
Tokuichiro Tamazawa (玉沢 徳一郎, Tamazawa Tokuichirō; born 16 December 1937) is a former Japanese politician who served in…
Tokuichiro Tamazawa (玉沢 徳一郎, Tamazawa Tokuichirō; born 16 December 1937) is a former Japanese politician who served in the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature) as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. He is a native of Tarō, Iwate and attended a graduate school at Waseda University. He was elected for the first time in 1976 as an independent after unsuccessful runs in 1969 and 1972. From 1994 to 1995 he was Director General of the Japan Defense Agency. In May 2008 Tamazawa was awarded the Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon from President Chen Shui-bian as recognition for the work he has done to foster relations between Taiwan and Japan.
Mitsuo Kamata (鎌田 光夫, Kamata Mitsuo; born December 16, 1937) is a former Japanese football player and manager. He…
Mitsuo Kamata (鎌田 光夫, Kamata Mitsuo; born December 16, 1937) is a former Japanese football player and manager. He played for the Japan national team.
Tadao Sawai (沢井 忠夫, Sawai Tadao; 1938 – April 1, 1997) was a Japanese koto player and composer. He was renowned all…
Tadao Sawai (沢井 忠夫, Sawai Tadao; 1938 – April 1, 1997) was a Japanese koto player and composer. He was renowned all over Japan for his skill at the koto and also received acclaim for his compositions.
Mutsuo Takahashi (高橋 睦郎, Takahashi Mutsuo; born December 15, 1937) is one of the most prominent and prolific poets…
Mutsuo Takahashi (高橋 睦郎, Takahashi Mutsuo; born December 15, 1937) is one of the most prominent and prolific poets, essayists, and writers of contemporary Japan, with more than three dozen collections of poetry, several works of prose, dozens of books of essays, and several major literary prizes to his name. He is well known for his open writing about male homoeroticism. He currently lives in the seaside town of Zushi, several kilometers south of Yokohama, Japan.
Kanda Nissho (神田 日勝; 1937–1970) was a Japanese artist and farmer. He is known mostly for his oil paintings. Nissho…
Kanda Nissho (神田 日勝; 1937–1970) was a Japanese artist and farmer. He is known mostly for his oil paintings. Nissho Kanda was born in 1937 in the Nerima district of Tokyo. When he was seven, his family moved to the Tokachi district in Hokkaidō to work the farmland there. Raised in the hard, unfamiliar life of a settler’s family, he eventually became a farmer himself. At the same time, he came to put his heart into painting. His powerful works depicting scenes of daily life, each brushstroke imbued with his soul, gradually gained acclaim in the art world. However, in 1970, just when he was beginning to develop new modes of expression, he died of illness at the age of 32. His last painting of a horse was incomplete, with its body half finished. In 1993, Kanda Nissho Memorial Museum of Art was established in Tokachi, Hokkaidō. Kanda’s unfinished last work, Horse serves as the symbol of the museum. Since his death, other works such as Interiors have been in the collection of the Hokkaidō Museum of Modern Art in Sapporo and the Hokkaidō Obihiro Museum of Art in Obihiro.
Amatsukaze Masao, born Masao Miyanaga (1 December 1937 – 30 April 2013), was a sumo wrestler from Monzen, Ishikawa…
Amatsukaze Masao, born Masao Miyanaga (1 December 1937 – 30 April 2013), was a sumo wrestler from Monzen, Ishikawa, Japan. He made his professional debut in May 1955 and reached the top division in September 1962. His highest rank was maegashira 3. He left the sumo world upon retirement in May 1967.
Yōko Matsuyama (松山 容子, Matsuyama Yōko; born 30 November 1937 in Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan) is a Japanese actress best…
Yōko Matsuyama (松山 容子, Matsuyama Yōko; born 30 November 1937 in Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan) is a Japanese actress best known for her work in the Crimson Bat series.
Toyokuni Susumu (born 30 November 1937 as Susumu Otsuka) is a former sumo wrestler from Nakatsu, Ōita, Japan. He made…
Toyokuni Susumu (born 30 November 1937 as Susumu Otsuka) is a former sumo wrestler from Nakatsu, Ōita, Japan. He made his professional debut in May 1960, and reached the top division in November 1961. He earned seven gold stars against grand champion yokozuna in the course of his career. His highest rank was komusubi. He retired in January 1968.
Noriaki Yokosuka (横須賀 功光, Yokosuka Noriaki; 1937–2003) was a Japanese photographer.
Nobuyuki Idei (出井 伸之, Idei Nobuyuki; 22 November 1937 – 2 June 2022) was a Japanese businessman. He was chairman and…
Nobuyuki Idei (出井 伸之, Idei Nobuyuki; 22 November 1937 – 2 June 2022) was a Japanese businessman. He was chairman and group chief executive officer of Sony Corporation until 7 March 2005. He was a director of General Motors, Baidu, Yoshimoto Kogyo and Nestlé.
Yoshikichi Furui (古井 由吉, Furui Yoshikichi; 19 November 1937 – 18 February 2020) was a Japanese author and translator.…
Yoshikichi Furui (古井 由吉, Furui Yoshikichi; 19 November 1937 – 18 February 2020) was a Japanese author and translator. He has won the Akutagawa Prize, the Tanizaki Prize, and the Yomiuri Prize, among other literary awards.
Jun Morinaga (森永 純, Morinaga Jun; 1937 – 5 April 2018) is a Japanese photographer. Morinaga worked as an assistant to…
Jun Morinaga (森永 純, Morinaga Jun; 1937 – 5 April 2018) is a Japanese photographer. Morinaga worked as an assistant to W. Eugene Smith. Work by Morinaga is held in the permanent collection of the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography.
Hirokazu Mizuta (Japanese: 水田 廣和; November 9, 1937 – July 25, 2026) was a Japanese business executive. He served as the…
Hirokazu Mizuta (Japanese: 水田 廣和; November 9, 1937 – July 25, 2026) was a Japanese business executive. He served as the president and chairman of Tokyu Department Store.
Michiko Kanba (Japanese: 樺 美智子; November 8, 1937 – June 15, 1960) was a Japanese communist, University of Tokyo…
Michiko Kanba (Japanese: 樺 美智子; November 8, 1937 – June 15, 1960) was a Japanese communist, University of Tokyo undergraduate and Zengakuren activist. She died in clashes between demonstrators and police at the South Gate of the National Diet Building in central Tokyo at the height of the 1960 Anpo Protests against the US–Japan Security Treaty.
Kimiko Tsukada (塚田 紀美子, Tsukada Kimiko; born October 26, 1937) is a retired Japanese artistic gymnast. She placed…
Kimiko Tsukada (塚田 紀美子, Tsukada Kimiko; born October 26, 1937) is a retired Japanese artistic gymnast. She placed fourth with the Japanese team at the 1960 Summer Olympics, while her best individual result was 15th place on uneven bars.
Yoshihiro Tatsuki (立木 義浩, Tatsuki Yoshihiro; born October 25, 1937) is a Japanese photographer.
Katsuyo Kobayashi (小林 カツ代, Kobayashi Katsuyo; October 24, 1937 – January 23, 2014) was a Japanese celebrity chef, food…
Katsuyo Kobayashi (小林 カツ代, Kobayashi Katsuyo; October 24, 1937 – January 23, 2014) was a Japanese celebrity chef, food writer, and founder/leader of the charity "Kagurazaka Women's Choir".
Takeshi Maeda (前田 武志, Maeda Takeshi; born 22 October 1937) is a retired Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of…
Takeshi Maeda (前田 武志, Maeda Takeshi; born 22 October 1937) is a retired Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, who served as a member of the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature).
Kikuō Hayashiya (Japanese: 林家 木久扇, Hepburn: Hayashiya Kikuō; born October 19, 1937) is a Japanese rakugo performer and…
Kikuō Hayashiya (Japanese: 林家 木久扇, Hepburn: Hayashiya Kikuō; born October 19, 1937) is a Japanese rakugo performer and a featured member of the long-running television comedy show Shōten. His real name is Hiroshi Toyota (豊田 洋, Toyota Hiroshi), although he is most widely known by his previous comedian name Kikuzō Hayashiya (林家 木久蔵), a name he was the first to assume. The new Kikuzō Hayashiya is his son, the former Kikuo Hayashiya (林家 きくお, Hayashiya Kikuo). On Shōten he always wears a yellow kimono. He is known for making commonplace jokes and usually "plays the fool".
Motoko Katakura (片倉もとこ (素子)) (née Niiya, 17 October 1937 - 23 February 2013) was a Japanese anthropologist who…
Motoko Katakura (片倉もとこ (素子)) (née Niiya, 17 October 1937 - 23 February 2013) was a Japanese anthropologist who specialized in the Islamic world.
Yoshio Taniguchi (谷口 吉生, Taniguchi Yoshio; 17 October 1937 – 16 December 2024) was a Japanese architect best known for…
Yoshio Taniguchi (谷口 吉生, Taniguchi Yoshio; 17 October 1937 – 16 December 2024) was a Japanese architect best known for his redesign of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, which was reopened on 20 November 2004. Critics have emphasized Taniguchi's fusion of traditional Japanese and Modernist aesthetics. Martin Filler, writing in The New York Times, praised "the luminous physicality and calm aura of Taniguchi's buildings," noting that the architect "sets his work apart by exploiting the traditional Japanese strategies of clarity, understatement, opposition, asymmetry and proportion." "In an era of glamorously expressionist architecture," wrote Time critic Richard Lacayo, MoMA "has opted for a work of what you might call old-fashioned Modernism, clean-lined and rectilinear, a subtly updated version of the glass-and-steel box that the museum first championed in the 1930s, years before that style was adopted for corporate headquarters everywhere."
Shinji Takahashi (高橋 信司, Takahashi Shinji; born 12 October 1937) is a Japanese sport shooter who competed in the 1964…
Shinji Takahashi (高橋 信司, Takahashi Shinji; born 12 October 1937) is a Japanese sport shooter who competed in the 1964 Summer Olympics.
Mikio Sasaki (佐々木 幹夫, Sasaki Mikio; born October 8, 1937) is chairman of the board of Mitsubishi Corporation. In 1960…
Mikio Sasaki (佐々木 幹夫, Sasaki Mikio; born October 8, 1937) is chairman of the board of Mitsubishi Corporation. In 1960, Sasaki graduated from Waseda University with a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering and management. In April 1960, he went to work for Mitsubishi Corporation, where he still resides to the present day. From 1993 to 1994, he was president of the American subsidiary Mitsubishi International Corporation in New York City. In 1994, he became a managing director in Japan, and in 1995 became an overall managing director of administration. In 1998, he became president and chief executive officer, and then, in 2004, became chairman of the board. On June 13, 2008, Sasaki was elected to the position of director for the International Chamber of Commerce.
Hideo Murota (室田 日出男, Murota Hideo; 7 October 1937 – 15 June 2002) was a Japanese actor who specialized in playing…
Hideo Murota (室田 日出男, Murota Hideo; 7 October 1937 – 15 June 2002) was a Japanese actor who specialized in playing villains and tough guys. In 1957, he signed a contract with Toei Studio and appeared in over 1000 films. He won the Best Supporting Actor award at the Yokohama Film Festival for his role in Shinde mo ii.
Hōzan Yamamoto (山本 邦山, Yamamoto Hōzan; October 6, 1937 - February 10, 2014 in Ōtsu, Shiga prefecture) was a Japanese…
Hōzan Yamamoto (山本 邦山, Yamamoto Hōzan; October 6, 1937 - February 10, 2014 in Ōtsu, Shiga prefecture) was a Japanese shakuhachi player, composer and lecturer. Yamamoto started playing the Japanese bamboo flute shakuhachi at the age of nine. He was initially taught by his father and then by Chozan Nakanishi. After graduating from Kyoto Junior College of Foreign Studies in 1958, he participated in UNESCO's World Folk Music Festival and graduated from Seiha Music College in 1962. Together with koto player Shinichi Yuize and Tony Scott, he recorded the album Music for Zen Meditation in February 1964. After forming the widely acclaimed "Shakuhachi Sanbon Kai" trio in 1966 with Reibo Aoki and Katsuya Yokoyama, he electrified the conservative traditional scene by applying his talents to a variety of crossover collaborations. These have led him to work with such world-renowned musicians as Ravi Shankar, Helen Merrill, Gary Peacock and Karl Berger, and also with flute colleagues Jean-Pierre Rampal and Chris Hinze. In 1980 he was invited to the renowned Donaueschingen music festival with his trio. He recorded music for the movie Samurai Reincarnation film and the album Masters of Zen: Shakuhachi & Organ with Wolfgang Mitterer. Through the 1970s and 1980s until his death he led the shakuhachi world receiving innumerable honors, including Japanese Ministry of Cultural Affairs and Education Ministerial awards for his performances, recordings (numbering in the hundreds) and compositions. He served as lecturer at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music and as head of the Hozan-kai Shakuhachi Guild. In 2002 he was designated Living National Treasure of Japan. In 2004, he was awarded a Medal with Purple Ribbon. In 2009, he was awarded an Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette. On February 10, 2014, he died at a hospital in Tokyo.
Shinichi Eto (江藤 愼一, Shinichi Eto; October 6, 1937 – February 28, 2008) was a Japanese professional baseball outfielder…
Shinichi Eto (江藤 愼一, Shinichi Eto; October 6, 1937 – February 28, 2008) was a Japanese professional baseball outfielder and first baseman in Nippon Professional Baseball. Eto played for the Chunichi Dragons from 1959 to 1969, where he was the Central League batting champion in 1964 and 1965 (hitting .323 and .336 respectively). In addition, he was a Best Nine Award-winner as an outfielder five times: 1961, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, and 1968. Eto moved to the Lotte Orions from 1970 to 1971 and the Taiyo Whales from 1972 to 1974. He was the player-manager of the Taiheiyo Club Lions in 1975. He returned to the Lotte Orions for his final season in 1976. Eto died in 2008 of liver cancer at the age of 70. He was posthumously inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 2010.
Chūsei Sone (曽根 中生, Sone Chūsei; 1 October 1937 – 26 August 2014) was a Japanese film director known for his stylish…
Chūsei Sone (曽根 中生, Sone Chūsei; 1 October 1937 – 26 August 2014) was a Japanese film director known for his stylish and popular Roman Porno films for Nikkatsu, particularly the first two installments of the Angel Guts series. Despite a somewhat uneven career, many mainstream critics consider Sone the best of Nikkatsu's Roman Porno directors.
Kunio Egashira (江頭 邦雄, Egashira Kunio; October 1, 1937 – April 7, 2008) was the Japanese chairman of Ajinomoto, a…
Kunio Egashira (江頭 邦雄, Egashira Kunio; October 1, 1937 – April 7, 2008) was the Japanese chairman of Ajinomoto, a Japanese food company which specializes in seasoning and flavorings. Egashira was born in Nagasaki Prefecture and graduated from Hitotsubashi University with a degree in economics. Egashira became president of Ajinomoto in June 1997. He pushed through a very aggressive array of business reforms as president. He realigned Ajinomoto to focus on growth areas within the food industry, with an emphasis on amino acid technology. Egashira became president following a scandal at the company. His predecessor stepped down as president to take over the managerial responsibility at Ajinomoto. Two company officials were indicted for making illegal payments to corporate racketeers. Egashira became chairman of the company in June 2005. Kunio Egashira died on April 7, 2008, of pancreatic cancer at the age of 70.
Kōichirō Matsuura (松浦 晃一郎, Matsūra Kōichirō; born 29 September 1937) is a Japanese diplomat. He is the former…
Kōichirō Matsuura (松浦 晃一郎, Matsūra Kōichirō; born 29 September 1937) is a Japanese diplomat. He is the former Director-General of UNESCO. He was first elected in 1999 to a six-year term and reelected on 12 October 2005 for four years, following a reform instituted by the 29th session of the General Conference. In November 2009, he was replaced by Irina Bokova. He studied law at the University of Tokyo and economics at Haverford College (Pennsylvania, USA) and began his diplomatic career in 1959. Posts held by Mr Matsuura include those of Director-General of the Economic Co-operation Bureau of Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1988); Director-General of the North American Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1990); and Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs (1992–1994). He was Japan’s Ambassador to France from 1994 to 1999. After one year as the Chairperson of UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee, he became UNESCO’s ninth Director-General on 12 November 1999.