1900s: 732 people
Yoshio Shigezono (重園 贇雄, Shigezono Yoshio; 19 January 1908 – 29 December 1980) was a Japanese lyricist and music…
Yoshio Shigezono (重園 贇雄, Shigezono Yoshio; 19 January 1908 – 29 December 1980) was a Japanese lyricist and music teacher. He is known principally for writing the words for the Hiroshima Peace Song.
Mizuko Nanbu (南部 瑞子, Nanbu Mizuko; January 14, 1908 – October 30, 1980) was a Japanese member of the Nanbu clan from…
Mizuko Nanbu (南部 瑞子, Nanbu Mizuko; January 14, 1908 – October 30, 1980) was a Japanese member of the Nanbu clan from Morioka Domain. The eldest daughter of Toshiatsu Nanbu, the 43rd daimyō of Morioka Domain, and wife of Toshihide Nanbu, the 44th head, she served as the Director of the Girl Scouts of Japan from 1955. She also served as an advisor to the Iwate Kenjinkai in Tokyo with her husband Toshihide.
Iwao Ageishi (上石 巌, Ageishi Iwao; 11 January 1908 – 12 June 1991) was a Japanese cross-country skier. He competed in…
Iwao Ageishi (上石 巌, Ageishi Iwao; 11 January 1908 – 12 June 1991) was a Japanese cross-country skier. He competed in the 1932 Winter Olympics.
Junzaburō Ban (伴淳三郎, Ban Junzaburō; January 10, 1908 – October 26, 1981) was a Japanese comedian and actor. His real…
Junzaburō Ban (伴淳三郎, Ban Junzaburō; January 10, 1908 – October 26, 1981) was a Japanese comedian and actor. His real name was Hirosada Suzuki (鈴木寛定, Suzuki Hirosada).
Jiro Sato (佐藤 次郎, Satō Jirō; Japanese pronunciation: [sa.toː dʑi.ɾoː]; January 5, 1908 – April 5, 1934) was a Japanese…
Jiro Sato (佐藤 次郎, Satō Jirō; Japanese pronunciation: [sa.toː dʑi.ɾoː]; January 5, 1908 – April 5, 1934) was a Japanese tennis player. He was ranked world No. 3 in 1933 but committed suicide in the Strait of Malacca during his trip to the Davis Cup in 1934. He received worldwide fame at Wimbledon in 1932, when he beat the defending champion Sidney Wood in the quarterfinal. In the semifinal, he lost to Bunny Austin. His peak came in 1933, when he beat Fred Perry in the French Open quarterfinal. He was ranked world No. 3 by A. Wallis Myers of The Daily Telegraph, behind Jack Crawford and Fred Perry. However, it got more and more difficult for him to endure the enormous pressure from Japan. It is believed that this pressure drove him to throw himself overboard into the Strait of Malacca on April 5, 1934, at 26 years of age.
Akira Nakashima (中嶋 章 or 中島 章, also written as Nakashima Akira, Nakasima Akira or Nakajima Akira, 5 January 1908 – 29…
Akira Nakashima (中嶋 章 or 中島 章, also written as Nakashima Akira, Nakasima Akira or Nakajima Akira, 5 January 1908 – 29 October 1970) was a Japanese electrical engineer of the NEC. He received a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the Imperial University of Tokyo. Akira Nakashima independently introduced switching circuit theory in papers from 1934 to 1936, concurrent with Victor Shestakov and Claude Shannon, laying the foundations for digital circuit design, in digital computers and other areas of modern technology. However, Shannon's ideas were markedly different in approach and theoretical framework compared to the work of Nakashima, whose work was still based on the existent circuit theory of the time and took a grounded approach, whereas Shannon based his work on mathematics and was far more abstract, thereby breaking new ground and setting up an approach that now dominates modern electrical engineering.
Akira Fujita (藤田 明, 1 January 1908 - 29 May 2001) was a Japanese male water polo player. He was a member of the Japan…
Akira Fujita (藤田 明, 1 January 1908 - 29 May 2001) was a Japanese male water polo player. He was a member of the Japan men's national water polo team. He competed with the team at the 1932 Summer Olympics.
Iwao Tokito (時任巌, Tokio Iwao; born 1908, date of death unknown) was a Japanese water polo player. He competed in the…
Iwao Tokito (時任巌, Tokio Iwao; born 1908, date of death unknown) was a Japanese water polo player. He competed in the men's tournament at the 1932 Summer Olympics.
Shinichi Ikejiri (池尻 愼一, Ikejiri Shin'ichi; 1908–1945), pen name Shinichi Ōra (邑楽 慎一, Ōra Shin'ichi), was a physician…
Shinichi Ikejiri (池尻 愼一, Ikejiri Shin'ichi; 1908–1945), pen name Shinichi Ōra (邑楽 慎一, Ōra Shin'ichi), was a physician for Hansen's disease patients at Kaishun Hospital of Hannah Riddell and Tama Zenshoen Sanatorium and a writer. His book Itameru Ashi (Diseased Reeds) sold well. He was drafted into the Imperial Japanese Army in 1937 and again in 1941, and shot dead in Indonesia in 1945.
Hidekatsu Ishida (石田 英勝, Ishida Hidekatsu; 1908 – February 1945) was a Japanese diver. He competed in the men's 10…
Hidekatsu Ishida (石田 英勝, Ishida Hidekatsu; 1908 – February 1945) was a Japanese diver. He competed in the men's 10 metre platform event at the 1932 Summer Olympics.
Hiroshi Yoneyama (米山 弘, Yoneyama Hiroshi; 1908 in Ibaraki – January 24, 1988) was a Japanese swimmer who competed in…
Hiroshi Yoneyama (米山 弘, Yoneyama Hiroshi; 1908 in Ibaraki – January 24, 1988) was a Japanese swimmer who competed in the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. A graduate of Waseda University, Yoneyama was a member of the Japanese team which won the silver medal for the 4 × 200 meter freestyle relay event at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics. He also placed fifth in the semifinal of the 400 meter freestyle event, and did not advance.
Shizuo Fujieda (藤枝 静男, Fujieda Shizuo; December 20, 1907 - April 16, 1993) was a Japanese writer. Shizuo Fujieda's…
Shizuo Fujieda (藤枝 静男, Fujieda Shizuo; December 20, 1907 - April 16, 1993) was a Japanese writer. Shizuo Fujieda's first profession was of an ophthalmologist. For many years before becoming a full-time author he wrote only when he was free from his work as an ophthalmologist. Fujieda's literary career began rather late. He was already 39 when his first short story was published in a literary magazine. Fujieda knew Shūgo Honda and Ken Hirano, two literary critics, from his school days. It was that duo who gave him his pen name. Naoya Shiga, one of the best known writers of the time, was an inspiration to Fujieda. When Fujieda was 20 he had met the famous writer. After several years of stagnation as a writer, Fujieda finally established himself as a writer of the autobiographical "I-novel." He rose steadily to prominence in this genre. The effort to explore the self is evident in Fujieda's works. This deep exploratory prose is the hallmark of Fujieda's. There are also significant portions in his stories that bear a strong resemblance to reality, to his life. In the story Kuki atama (Head of Air), the protagonist is, like Fujieda once was, an ophthalmologist. His stories also deal with subjects such as relations between father and son and between siblings but in unusual settings. In his story Ikka danran (Happy Family Circle), the protagonist falls through into a grave and is met by his father and five siblings.
Rizō Takeuchi (竹内 理三, Takeuchi Rizō; December 20, 1907–March 2, 1997) was a Japanese historian. He is best known for…
Rizō Takeuchi (竹内 理三, Takeuchi Rizō; December 20, 1907–March 2, 1997) was a Japanese historian. He is best known for his work on historical records pertaining to the ancient and Middle Ages of Japanese history.
Maeda Nobuaki (前田 陳爾; 22 November 1907 – 3 July 1975) was a Japanese professional 9 dan go player, a disciple of…
Maeda Nobuaki (前田 陳爾; 22 November 1907 – 3 July 1975) was a Japanese professional 9 dan go player, a disciple of Honinbo Shusai, and a member of the Nihon Ki-in, the main organizational body for go in Japan. His own disciples were Norio Kudo, Yusuke Oeda, Shioiri Itsuzo, Nagahara Yoshiaki, and Morikawa Masao. Maeda reached the highest professional rank, 9 dan, in 1963, but never achieved the consistent record of tournament success that marks the truly elite player. Maeda is famous today principally for his series of tsume-go (problem) collections, which gained him the honorary nickname "god of tsume-go." It is said that he composed a problem a day for 40 years. Many of these problems are considered especially beautiful, ingenious, or instructive. Maeda is also remembered for his presumed role in one of the most sensational and controversial games of the 20th century: the 1933 challenge game between his teacher, Honinbo Shusai, and the Chinese prodigy Go Seigen (Wu Qingyuan). It has long been believed that the exquisite move (W160) that allowed Shusai to overturn Go's lead in the game was actually discovered by Maeda in a study session during one of the game's many adjournments. Maeda at times hinted that this was the case, but in later years would neither confirm nor deny it when asked. It may be assumed that if Maeda was indeed the author of the move, he would decline to confirm it in order to honor the long-standing Japanese professional tradition of respect for one's teacher, thus preserving Shusai's reputation.
Chieko Naniwa (浪花 千栄子) (November 19, 1907 – December 22, 1973) was a Japanese actress who was active from the 1920s to…
Chieko Naniwa (浪花 千栄子) (November 19, 1907 – December 22, 1973) was a Japanese actress who was active from the 1920s to the 1970s. She is best known for playing geisha in several films, such as Kenji Mizoguchi's A Geisha, and the Forest Spirit in Akira Kurosawa's Throne of Blood. Her birth name was Kikuno Nanko.
Ko Takamoro (高師 康, Takamoro Ko; November 9, 1907 – March 26, 1995) was a Japanese football player. He played for Japan…
Ko Takamoro (高師 康, Takamoro Ko; November 9, 1907 – March 26, 1995) was a Japanese football player. He played for Japan national team.
Yasushi Nagata (永田靖, Nagata Yasushi; 11 October 1907 – 12 September 1972) was a Japanese stage, film, and television…
Yasushi Nagata (永田靖, Nagata Yasushi; 11 October 1907 – 12 September 1972) was a Japanese stage, film, and television actor.
Kiichi Aichi (愛知 揆一, Aichi Kiichi; 10 October 1907 – 23 November 1973) was a Japanese politician and cabinet minister…
Kiichi Aichi (愛知 揆一, Aichi Kiichi; 10 October 1907 – 23 November 1973) was a Japanese politician and cabinet minister in post-war Japan. He held several cabinet-level positions throughout his career, including Minister for Foreign Affairs, Minister of Finance and Minister of Education. He notably negotiated and signed the Okinawa Reversion Agreement with the United States on behalf of then Japanese prime minister Eisaku Satō in 1971.
Kiyonobu Murakami (村上清信) (24 December 1907 - 8 October 1951) was a Japanese boxer who competed in the 1932 Summer…
Kiyonobu Murakami (村上清信) (24 December 1907 - 8 October 1951) was a Japanese boxer who competed in the 1932 Summer Olympics. He was the national champion in the flyweight division for two years running in 1930–31, winning at the Japan Amateur Boxing Association's Japanese Amateur Boxing Championships. In 1932 he was eliminated in the quarter-finals of the flyweight class after losing his fight to Thomas Pardoe.
Kosaku Sumiyoshi (Japanese: 住吉 耕作; 1 October 1907 – 1971) was a Japanese track and field athlete. He represented his…
Kosaku Sumiyoshi (Japanese: 住吉 耕作; 1 October 1907 – 1971) was a Japanese track and field athlete. He represented his country twice at the Summer Olympics (1928 and 1932) and was the first Asian to compete in the Olympic javelin throw. He was a three-time gold medallist at the Far Eastern Championship Games and the only person to win two javelin titles at the competition.
Eijirō Tōno (東野英治郎, Tōno Eijirō; 17 September 1907 – 8 September 1994) was a Japanese actor who, in a career lasting…
Eijirō Tōno (東野英治郎, Tōno Eijirō; 17 September 1907 – 8 September 1994) was a Japanese actor who, in a career lasting more than 50 years, appeared in over 400 television shows, nearly 250 films and numerous stage productions. He is best known in the West for his roles in films by Akira Kurosawa, such as Seven Samurai (1954) and Yojimbo (1961), and films by Yasujirō Ozu, such as Tokyo Story (1953) and An Autumn Afternoon (1962). He also appeared in Kill! by Kihachi Okamoto and Tora! Tora! Tora!, a depiction of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. His final film was Juzo Itami's A-ge-man (Tales of a Golden Geisha) in 1990. Tōno also starred as the title character in the long-running television jidaigeki series Mito Kōmon from 1969 to 1983. In the early years of his career he acted under the name of Katsuji Honjo (本庄克二).
Teiichi Nishi (西貞一, 31 August 1907 – 3 February 2001) was a Japanese sprinter. He competed in the men's 200 metres and…
Teiichi Nishi (西貞一, 31 August 1907 – 3 February 2001) was a Japanese sprinter. He competed in the men's 200 metres and the men's 4 x 400 meters relay events at the 1932 Summer Olympics.
Takeo Wakabayashi (若林 竹雄, Wakabayashi Takeo; 29 August 1907 – 7 August 1937) was a Japanese football player. He played…
Takeo Wakabayashi (若林 竹雄, Wakabayashi Takeo; 29 August 1907 – 7 August 1937) was a Japanese football player. He played for Japan national team.
Ekizo Fujibayashi (藤林 益三, Fujibayashi Ekizō; August 26, 1907 – April 24, 2007) was the 7th Chief Justice of Japan…
Ekizo Fujibayashi (藤林 益三, Fujibayashi Ekizō; August 26, 1907 – April 24, 2007) was the 7th Chief Justice of Japan (1976–1977) and a recipient of the Order of the Rising Sun. He was born in Kyoto Prefecture and graduated from the University of Tokyo in 1931. Early in his career, he worked as a corporate attorney; he was the first practicing attorney to become Chief Justice of Japan. He returned to law practice in 1977 following his resignation. Fujibayashi was a non-denominational Christian and followed the non-church movement.
Yoichi Hiraoka (平岡 養一, Yoichi Hiraoka; August 16, 1907 – July 13, 1981) was a xylophonist in Japan. He permanently…
Yoichi Hiraoka (平岡 養一, Yoichi Hiraoka; August 16, 1907 – July 13, 1981) was a xylophonist in Japan. He permanently resided in the United States in 1963.
Noriko Awaya (Japanese: 淡谷 のり子, Hepburn: Awaya Noriko; August 12, 1907 – September 22, 1999) was a Japanese female…
Noriko Awaya (Japanese: 淡谷 のり子, Hepburn: Awaya Noriko; August 12, 1907 – September 22, 1999) was a Japanese female soprano chanteuse and popular music (ryūkōka) singer. She was dubbed the "Queen of Blues" (ブルースの女王, Burūsu no Joō) in Japan.
Seishichi Inuma (井沼 清七, Inuma Seishichi; 27 July 1907 – 1 October 1973) was a Japanese sprinter. He competed in the…
Seishichi Inuma (井沼 清七, Inuma Seishichi; 27 July 1907 – 1 October 1973) was a Japanese sprinter. He competed in the men's 4 × 100 metres relay at the 1928 Summer Olympics.
Shōshin Nagamine (長嶺 将真, Nagamine Shōshin; 15 July 1907 – 2 November 1997) was an Okinawa karate master as well as a…
Shōshin Nagamine (長嶺 将真, Nagamine Shōshin; 15 July 1907 – 2 November 1997) was an Okinawa karate master as well as a soldier, police superintendent, assemblyman of Naha City between 1953 and 1957, play director and author.
Toshiko Matsuo (Japanese: 松尾トシ子; 14 July 1907 – 3 June 1993) was a Japanese politician. She was one of the first group…
Toshiko Matsuo (Japanese: 松尾トシ子; 14 July 1907 – 3 June 1993) was a Japanese politician. She was one of the first group of women elected to the House of Representatives in 1946, serving in parliament until 1960.
Ikutarō Shimizu (清水 幾太郎, Shimizu Ikutarō; 9 July 1907 – 10 August 1988) was a Japanese sociologist, cultural critic…
Ikutarō Shimizu (清水 幾太郎, Shimizu Ikutarō; 9 July 1907 – 10 August 1988) was a Japanese sociologist, cultural critic, and prominent public intellectual. He taught sociology for many years at Gakushūin University.
Shigetaka Takashima (高島 重孝, Takashima Shigetaka; June 29, 1907 – January 23, 1985) was a Japanese physicist and medical…
Shigetaka Takashima (高島 重孝, Takashima Shigetaka; June 29, 1907 – January 23, 1985) was a Japanese physicist and medical researcher. He worked in Kuryu Rakusen-en Sanatorium, Tohoku Shinseien Sanatorium, Suruga Sanatorium and Nagashima Aiseien Sanatorium.
Ai-Mitsu (Japanese: 靉光) (June 24, 1907 - January 19, 1946) was a Japanese artist and painter. He was also known as…
Ai-Mitsu (Japanese: 靉光) (June 24, 1907 - January 19, 1946) was a Japanese artist and painter. He was also known as Akemitsu or his birth name, Nichiro Ishimura (石村 日郎). He is usually identified as a Surrealist although he also painted works that can be classified in other styles and genres. He was born into a small landowning family in 1907 in Hiroshima, and given the name Nichiro Ishimura, which he later changed to Ai-Mitsu when he moved to Tokyo to pursue his career as an artist. In 1934 he married Kie, a teacher of the deaf who helped support him through his struggles as an artist. His most famous work is "Landscape with an Eye" (1938), currently held in the collection of the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo. It consists of shapeless forms with a large eye in a landscape setting. In 1944 he was conscripted and sent to China in the months after the war, where he died of a fever, possibly due to malaria and dysentery, on the outskirts of Shanghai. In March - May 2007, a retrospective exhibition commemorating the 100th anniversary of Aimitsu's birth was held at the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo.
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.
Yoshiko Kawashima (川島 芳子, Kawashima Yoshiko; 24 May 1907 – 25 March 1948), born Aisin Gioro Xianzi (愛新覺羅 · 顯㺭), was a…
Yoshiko Kawashima (川島 芳子, Kawashima Yoshiko; 24 May 1907 – 25 March 1948), born Aisin Gioro Xianzi (愛新覺羅 · 顯㺭), was a Qing dynasty royal, part of the Aisin Gioro clan. Kawashima was raised in Japan and served as a spy for the Japanese Kwantung Army and Manchukuo during the Second Sino-Japanese War, and is sometimes known in fiction under the pseudonym "Eastern Mata Hari". After the war, Kawashima was captured, sentenced, and executed as a traitor by the Nationalist government of the Republic of China. Kawashima is also a notable descendant of Hooge, eldest son of Hong Taiji.
Tadashi Sasaki (佐々木 直, Sasaki Tadashi; 5 May 1907 – 7 July 1988) was a Japanese central banker, and 22nd Governor of…
Tadashi Sasaki (佐々木 直, Sasaki Tadashi; 5 May 1907 – 7 July 1988) was a Japanese central banker, and 22nd Governor of the Bank of Japan (BOJ).
Kentaro Higuchi (樋口 謙太郎, Higuchi Kentarō; May 14, 1907 – March 8, 1994) was a Japanese dermatologist and educator.
Yasushi Inoue (井上靖, Inoue Yasushi; May 6, 1907 – January 29, 1991) was a Japanese writer of novels, short stories…
Yasushi Inoue (井上靖, Inoue Yasushi; May 6, 1907 – January 29, 1991) was a Japanese writer of novels, short stories, poetry and essays, noted for his historical and autobiographical fiction. His most acclaimed works include The Bullfight (Tōgyū, 1949), The Roof Tile of Tempyō (Tenpyō no iraka, 1957) and Tun-huang (Tonkō, 1959).
Yoritsune Matsudaira (松平 頼則, Matsudaira Yoritsune; May 5, 1907, Tokyo, Japan – October 25 or October 30, 2001 in Tokyo…
Yoritsune Matsudaira (松平 頼則, Matsudaira Yoritsune; May 5, 1907, Tokyo, Japan – October 25 or October 30, 2001 in Tokyo, Japan) was a Japanese composer of contemporary classical music. Matsudaira was descended, on his father's side of the family, from the Matsudaira clan, related to the Tokugawa clan who ruled Japan as shōgun during the Edo period (specifically from the branch of the family which was enfeoffed at the Hitachi-Fuchū Domain), and on his mother's side of the family from the Fujiwara clan, who were court regents from the 7th to the 12th centuries. His style was influenced by gagaku, the ancient court music of Japan. His music has been frequently performed in Europe. His eldest son, Yoriaki (Yori'Aki) Matsudaira (松平 頼暁) was also a composer.
Hisao Ōtsuka (大塚 久雄, Ōtsuka Hisao; 3 May 1907 – 9 July 1996) was a Japanese historian, founder of an influential…
Hisao Ōtsuka (大塚 久雄, Ōtsuka Hisao; 3 May 1907 – 9 July 1996) was a Japanese historian, founder of an influential historiographic school in postwar Japan known as the Ōtsuka Historical School (大塚史学, Ōtsuka shigaku).
Chūya Nakahara (中原 中也, Nakahara Chūya; 29 April 1907 – 22 October 1937), born Chūya Kashimura (柏村 中也, Kashimura Chūya)…
Chūya Nakahara (中原 中也, Nakahara Chūya; 29 April 1907 – 22 October 1937), born Chūya Kashimura (柏村 中也, Kashimura Chūya), was a Japanese poet active during the early Shōwa period. Originally shaped by Dada and other forms of European (mainly French) experimental poetry, he was one of the leading renovators of Japanese poetry. Although he died at the young age of 30, he wrote more than 350 poems throughout his life. Many called him the "Japanese Rimbaud" for his affinities with the French poet whose poems he translated in 1934.
Kiyoshi Saitō (斎藤 清, Saitō Kiyoshi; April 27, 1907 – November 14, 1997, born in Aizubange, Fukushima) was a…
Kiyoshi Saitō (斎藤 清, Saitō Kiyoshi; April 27, 1907 – November 14, 1997, born in Aizubange, Fukushima) was a sōsaku-hanga artist in 20th-century Japan.
Yamamoto Kenkichi (山本 健吉; 1907-1988) was the pen-name of Ishibashi Teikichi, a Japanese writer and literary critic. As…
Yamamoto Kenkichi (山本 健吉; 1907-1988) was the pen-name of Ishibashi Teikichi, a Japanese writer and literary critic. As a critic he wrote notable studies of Shishōsetsu as well as of the poet Kakinomoto no Hitomaro. He has been referred to as supportive of Shishōsetsu in an orthodox way. He is mainly known as "...the mid to late twentieth century's greatest scholar of Japanese haiku and related literature. He made a particular study of the development of the system of seasonal topics and season words, and single-handedly compiled the haikai saijiki (haikai almanacs) and kiyose (season word guides). They are all still in print today and widely used by renku as well as haiku poets. (Unlike many such books, Prof. Yamamoto's guides always indicate the parts of the seasons, an important feature for renku poets.) In Japanese scholarly publishing, senior scholars are often called upon as supervising editors over large, complex projects edited by teams of younger scholars. Among other projects, Prof. Yamamoto served in this capacity for the ground-breaking six-volume Eigo Saijiki / An English & American Literary Calendar (1968-70), which examined our literature through the lens of the Japanese season word system. He was a senior editor on the five-volume Nihon Dai Saijiki ('Japan Great Saijiki', 1981-83), an encyclopedic, fully color-illustrated work that still sets the standard for such books. He also wrote a five-volume series called Yamamoto Kenkichi Haiku Tokuhon ('The Kenkichi Yamamoto Haiku Readers'), published posthumously. The individual volumes have titles like 'What is Haiku?', 'A Haiku Commentary Saijiki', 'The Modern Haiku Poets', 'The Heart and Laws of Haikai', and 'The Haiku Environment', each exploring its subject clearly and thoroughly." While working on the Nihon Dai Saijiki, Prof. Kenkichi Yamamoto selected 500 season words (out of the 16,000 included) as the 'Essential Season Words'. For each of these, he wrote the main entry, describing in detail their origins and histories in the tradition. Later, he collected these same season words for the Kihon Kigo 500-Sen ('The Essential Kigo--500 Selections', 1986), which has become a classic." This selective list, "The five hundred essential Japanese season words", translated by William J. Higginson and Kris Young Kondo (also edited by Higginson, is considered a standard by western haiku researchers and poets.
Japanese supercentenarians are citizens, residents or emigrants from Japan who have attained or surpassed the age of…
Japanese supercentenarians are citizens, residents or emigrants from Japan who have attained or surpassed the age of 110 years. As of January 2015, the Gerontology Research Group (GRG) had validated the longevity claims of 263 Japanese supercentenarians, most of whom are women. As of 18 October 2026, the oldest-known living Japanese person is Fuyo Kishimoto (born in Hamasaka on 20 December 1911), who is aged 114 years, 302 days. The oldest verified Japanese and Asian person ever is Kane Tanaka (1903–2022), who lived to the age of 119 years and 107 days, making her the second-oldest validated person ever as well. Japan was also home to the world's oldest man ever, Jiroemon Kimura (1897–2013), who lived to the age of 116 years and 54 days.
Yoshio Watanabe (渡辺 義雄, Watanabe Yoshio; 1907–2000) was a Japanese photographer.
Hajime Yasuda (安田一, Yasuda Hajime; 14 April 1907 – 26 March 1991) was a Japanese businessman. He was head of the Yasuda…
Hajime Yasuda (安田一, Yasuda Hajime; 14 April 1907 – 26 March 1991) was a Japanese businessman. He was head of the Yasuda zaibatsu at the end of World War II. He is best known for the "Yasuda plan" which proposed dissolving the zaibatsu in Japan.
Kim Kirim (Korean: 김기림; Hanja: 金起林; May 11, 1908 – 2000) was a Korean poet and literary critic who represented Korean…
Kim Kirim (Korean: 김기림; Hanja: 金起林; May 11, 1908 – 2000) was a Korean poet and literary critic who represented Korean modernist literature in the 1930s. Kim wrote monumental poems such as “The Weather Chart” (1936), “Wind Speed of the Sun” (1939), and “The Sea and the Butterfly” (1939) during the Japanese colonial period. In pursuing a new spirit of poetry, he criticized sentimental romanticism in the 1920s and the movement of the Korean Artists’ Proletarian Federation (Korea Artista Proleta Federacio; KAPF), which based its literary theory and practice on left-wing ideologies. Kim was one of the first intellectualists who introduced modernism to the Korean literary circle and emphasized rationality by means of the compressibility of poetry. Being active as a literary critic, he introduced great Korean writers such as Yi Sang, Baek Seok, and Jeong Ji-yong to the literary world through his critique and papers. After Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule, Kim took part in the progressive Chosun Writer's Union along with the writers Jeong Ji-yong and Lee Tae-jun and called for the role of literature in building a new nation by its active engagement in reality.
Shirō Fukai (深井 史郎, Fukai Shirō; 4 April 1907 - 2 July 1959) was a Japanese composer.
Takeso Shimoda (下田 武三, Shimoda Takezō; 3 April 1907 – 22 January 1995) was a Japanese diplomat who served as ambassador…
Takeso Shimoda (下田 武三, Shimoda Takezō; 3 April 1907 – 22 January 1995) was a Japanese diplomat who served as ambassador to the United States and a justice in the Supreme Court of Japan.
Takashi Inukai (犬養 孝, Inukai Takashi; April 1, 1907 – October 3, 1998) was professor emeritus at Osaka University and…
Takashi Inukai (犬養 孝, Inukai Takashi; April 1, 1907 – October 3, 1998) was professor emeritus at Osaka University and Kōnan Women's University, and a noted scholar of Japanese literature and especially the Man'yōshū poetry. He earned his bachelor's degree in Japanese literature from the University of Tokyo in 1932, as well as its Ph.D. in 1962. He received the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon from the Japanese Government in 1978. He was qualified as a Person of Cultural Merit in 1987. Upon his death, the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold and Silver Star, was posthumously conferred on him. After graduating from the Faculty of Letters at the University of Tokyo, Inukai Takashi taught at Taipei High School, where he served as the homeroom teacher for students such as Koo Kuan-min(辜寬敏) and Takeuchi Akihiro(竹內昭太郎). During his time at Taipei High School (officially known as Taiwan Governor-General's Taipei Senior High School(臺灣總督府臺北高等學校)), Inukai captivated many students with his unique "Inukai melody" while reciting the *Man'yōshū* (萬葉集). Students like Huang Bo-chao(黃伯超, Koo Kuan-min(辜寬敏), and Wu Jiantang(吳建堂) (pen name: 孤蓬萬里) were so enchanted by it that they continued to recite *Man'yōshū* (萬葉集) using the "Inukai melody" (犬養節) even into their old age (around 2023). In addition, he mentored future luminaries such as Dr. Wu Jiantang(吳建堂) (pen name: 孤蓬萬里), who later became a renowned physician. In 1996, Dr. Wu received the prestigious Kikuchi Kan Prize in Japan for his book *Taiwan Man'yōshū*. When he was a professor of Osaka University, he walked around with his students the places where each verse of the Man'yōshū was composed, in order to help them understand the essences of the Man'yōshū more deeply. His idea impressed the students very much, and they went for more than 250 trips all over the country for almost 50 years, until he died in 1998. The total number of participants of those Osaka University Man'yo trips reached more than 40,000. In addition to teaching his students, he helped the people be more familiar with the Man'yōshū. Countless of people was attracted by the Man'yōshū thanks to his activities. He gave a lecture on Man'yōshū to Emperor Shōwa on the top of a hill in Asuka, Nara, on December 4, 1979. Inukai Man'yō Memorial Hall in Asuka, Nara Prefecture is dedicated to Inukai.