Hamao Umezawa (梅沢 浜夫, Umezawa Hamao; October 1, 1914 – December 25, 1986) was a Japanese scientist who discovered…
Hamao Umezawa (梅沢 浜夫, Umezawa Hamao; October 1, 1914 – December 25, 1986) was a Japanese scientist who discovered several antimicrobial agents and enzyme inhibitors. Umezawa was born in Obama City, Fukui Prefecture, as the second son in a family of seven children. After graduating from Musashi Junior and Senior High School, he entered the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Medicine in 1933, and completed his medical degree in 1937. After serving in the Japanese army during World War II, Umezawa did work on tuberculosis which led to his discovery, in 1955, of the aminoglycoside antibiotic kanamycin. By this stage Umezawa was heading the Institute of Microbial Chemistry in Tokyo where his main focus was antimicrobial agents manufactured through fermentation processes. In 1963, he discovered the anticancer drug bleomycin, and in 1965 he discovered kasugamycin, a compound useful in combating rice molds. His elder brother, Sumio Umezawa, was a chemist who had sometimes assisted in his work. He was married to Mieko Ishizaki on December 2, 1944; they had two sons. Umezawa died of pneumonia on December 25, 1986. The Hamao Umezawa Memorial Museum in Setagaya, Tokyo was named in his honor.
Famous People Born in 1910s
1910s: 660 people
Jūkichi Uno (宇野重吉, Uno Jūkichi) (real name Nobuo Terao (寺尾 信夫); 27 September 1914 – 9 January 1988) was a Japanese…
Jūkichi Uno (宇野重吉, Uno Jūkichi) (real name Nobuo Terao (寺尾 信夫); 27 September 1914 – 9 January 1988) was a Japanese actor. In 1950, he formed the Gekidan Mingei (劇団民藝) with Osamu Takizawa and others.
Nayoroiwa Shizuo (名寄岩静男, September 27, 1914 – January 26, 1971) was a Japanese sumo wrestler from Nayoro, Hokkaidō…
Nayoroiwa Shizuo (名寄岩静男, September 27, 1914 – January 26, 1971) was a Japanese sumo wrestler from Nayoro, Hokkaidō, Japan.
Kentaro Kawatsu (河津憲太郎, Kawatsu Kentarō; September 26, 1914 – March 23, 1970) was a Japanese swimmer who competed at…
Kentaro Kawatsu (河津憲太郎, Kawatsu Kentarō; September 26, 1914 – March 23, 1970) was a Japanese swimmer who competed at the 1932 Summer Olympics. Kawatsu was a native of Hiroshima City, where his father, a physical education instructor at the predecessor of Hiroshima University, became known as the "Father of Hiroshima Sports". In 1930, while still in middle school, Kawatsu set a new Japan record of 33.2 seconds for the 50-meter backstroke. In 1932, while a student at Meiji University, he was selected for the Japanese Olympic team to the Los Angeles Olympics. The Japanese swimming team had significant success that year. The team took the gold, silver and bronze medals in the 100 meter backstroke event, with Kawatsu winning the bronze medal. He subsequently participated in the 1934 Far Eastern Games held in Manila. Kawatsu killed himself on March 23, 1970.
Tamio Hōjō (Japanese: 北條 民雄, Hepburn: Hōjō Tamio) (1914 – 1937) was a Japanese writer. At the age of 19, he was…
Tamio Hōjō (Japanese: 北條 民雄, Hepburn: Hōjō Tamio) (1914 – 1937) was a Japanese writer. At the age of 19, he was diagnosed with leprosy, entered a hospital where he would be kept in isolation for the rest of his life, and died of the disease three and a half years later. Life's First Night (いのちの初夜, Inochi no Shoya) is his representative work.
Akira Matsunaga (松永 行, Matsunaga Akira; 21 September 1914 – 20 January 1943) was a Japanese footballer. He played for…
Akira Matsunaga (松永 行, Matsunaga Akira; 21 September 1914 – 20 January 1943) was a Japanese footballer. He played for the Japan national team. His brother Nobuo Matsunaga and Seki Matsunaga also played for the Japan national team.
Shin Kanemaru (金丸 信, Kanemaru Shin; 17 September 1914 – 28 March 1996) was a Japanese politician who was a significant…
Shin Kanemaru (金丸 信, Kanemaru Shin; 17 September 1914 – 28 March 1996) was a Japanese politician who was a significant figure in the political arena of Japan from the 1970s to the early 1990s. He was also Director General of the Japan Defense Agency from 1977 to 1978.
Yasuharu Furuta (古田 康治, Furuta Yasuharu; 11 September 1914 – 8 May 2008) was a Japanese hurdler, who competed in the…
Yasuharu Furuta (古田 康治, Furuta Yasuharu; 11 September 1914 – 8 May 2008) was a Japanese hurdler, who competed in the men's 110 metres hurdles at the 1936 Summer Olympics. He later served as a member of the board of directors of the Japan Association of Athletics Federations.
Kenzō Yagi (八木健三, Yagi Kenzō; 5 September 1914 – 18 July 2008) was a Japanese mineralogist and petrologist who…
Kenzō Yagi (八木健三, Yagi Kenzō; 5 September 1914 – 18 July 2008) was a Japanese mineralogist and petrologist who specialized in experimental mineralogy and petrology. Yagiite, a new mineral found in the Colomera meteorite, was named after him for its contribution to the petrology.
Eiichiro Matsuno (松野 栄一郎, Matsuno Eiichirō; born 5 September 1914, date of death unknown) was a Japanese track and…
Eiichiro Matsuno (松野 栄一郎, Matsuno Eiichirō; born 5 September 1914, date of death unknown) was a Japanese track and field athlete. He competed in the men's hammer throw at the 1936 Summer Olympics.
Tsuneko Sasamoto (笹本 恒子, Sasamoto Tsuneko; 1 September 1914 – 15 August 2022) was Japan's first female photojournalist.
Fumio Hayasaka (早坂 文雄, Hayasaka Fumio; August 19, 1914 – October 15, 1955) was a Japanese composer of classical music…
Fumio Hayasaka (早坂 文雄, Hayasaka Fumio; August 19, 1914 – October 15, 1955) was a Japanese composer of classical music and film scores.
Akira Nozawa (野澤 晁, Nozawa Akira) was a Japanese football player. He played for Japan national team. His brother Masao…
Akira Nozawa (野澤 晁, Nozawa Akira) was a Japanese football player. He played for Japan national team. His brother Masao Nozawa also played for Japan national team.
Masaharu Gotōda (後藤田 正晴, Gotōda Masaharu, 9 August 1914 – 19 September 2005) was a Japanese bureaucrat and politician…
Masaharu Gotōda (後藤田 正晴, Gotōda Masaharu, 9 August 1914 – 19 September 2005) was a Japanese bureaucrat and politician of the Liberal Democratic Party who served as Deputy Prime Minister of Japan in 1993. He also several in several other cabinet positions such as Chief Cabinet Secretary from 1982 to 1983 and 1985 to 1987 under Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone and Minister of Justice from 1992 to 1993 under Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa. Before becoming a politician Gotōda served as Commissioner General of the National Police Agency from 1969 to 1972 and Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary from 1972 to 1973.
Giuliana Stramigioli (Italian: [dʒuˈljaːna stramiˈdʒɔːli]; 8 August 1914 – 25 July 1988) was an Italian business woman…
Giuliana Stramigioli (Italian: [dʒuˈljaːna stramiˈdʒɔːli]; 8 August 1914 – 25 July 1988) was an Italian business woman, university professor and Japanologist.
Hidekichi Nagamatsu (Japanese: 永松 英吉; August 4, 1914 – November 18, 1992) was a Japanese boxer who competed in the 1936…
Hidekichi Nagamatsu (Japanese: 永松 英吉; August 4, 1914 – November 18, 1992) was a Japanese boxer who competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics. In 1936 he was eliminated in the second round of the lightweight class after losing his fight to the upcoming silver medalist Nikolai Stepulov.
Sueo Ōe (大江 季雄, Ōe Sueo; August 2, 1914 – December 24, 1941) was a Japanese athlete who competed mainly in the pole…
Sueo Ōe (大江 季雄, Ōe Sueo; August 2, 1914 – December 24, 1941) was a Japanese athlete who competed mainly in the pole vault. He won a bronze medal at the 1936 Summer Olympics held in Berlin, Germany, tying with his teammate Shuhei Nishida. When the two declined to compete against each other to decide a winner, Nishida was awarded the silver after a decision of the Japanese team, on the basis that Nishida had cleared the height in fewer attempts. On their return to Japan, Nishida and Ōe had their Olympic medals cut in half, and had a jeweler splice together two new medals, half in bronze and half in silver. In 1937 Ōe set a national record at 4 m 35 cm that stood for 21 years. In 1939 he joined the Imperial Japanese Army and was killed in action in Luzon on December 24, 1941.
Junji Kinoshita (木下 順二, Kinoshita Junji; 2 August 1914 – 30 October 2006) was a Japanese playwright. He was the…
Junji Kinoshita (木下 順二, Kinoshita Junji; 2 August 1914 – 30 October 2006) was a Japanese playwright. He was the foremost playwright of modern drama in postwar Japan. He was also a translator and scholar of Shakespeare's plays. Kinoshita’s achievements were not limited to Japan. He helped to promote theatrical exchanges between Japan and the People’s Republic of China, and he traveled broadly in Europe and Asia. In addition to his international work, Kinoshita joined various societies that focused on the study of folktales and the Japanese language.
Mieko Nagaoka (長岡三重子, Nagaoka Mieko; 31 July 1914 – 19 January 2021) was a Japanese Masters athlete. She was the first…
Mieko Nagaoka (長岡三重子, Nagaoka Mieko; 31 July 1914 – 19 January 2021) was a Japanese Masters athlete. She was the first 100-year-old to complete a 1,500m freestyle swim in a 25m pool. At the age of 106, she was Japan's oldest active swimmer.
Michizō Tachihara (立原 道造, Tachihara Michizō; 30 July 1914 – 29 March 1939) was a Japanese poet and architect. He died…
Michizō Tachihara (立原 道造, Tachihara Michizō; 30 July 1914 – 29 March 1939) was a Japanese poet and architect. He died at age 24 from tuberculosis, before either career could seriously get under way. Michizō struggled to find a way for an urban poet to root himself in traditional customs and still be "modern." Though a citizen of Tokyo, Michizō would rarely mention modern urban scenes in his work. Aside from several references to cars, Michizō chose to describe a vegetable, not a mineral realm. He described trains as vehicles of escape, rescuing him from being cooped up in his architectural office. The natural landscapes of the Shinano Highlands provided an endless parade of conventional imagery that Michizō would use in his work; such as birds, clouds, flowers, grasses, mountains, skies, trees, and wind. A sizable part of his poetry used poetic impulse, often causing his work to be labelled as "sentimental". He wrote openly about his feelings and expressed what was in his heart, allowing his verse to be both uncontaminated and genuine. His Dharma name was Onkyōin Shiundō Norikiyo Shinshi (温恭院紫雲道範清信士).
Torazō Shimamoto (Japanese: 島本虎三; 20 June 1914 – 10 November 1989) was a Japanese politician from Takashima, Hokkaido…
Torazō Shimamoto (Japanese: 島本虎三; 20 June 1914 – 10 November 1989) was a Japanese politician from Takashima, Hokkaido (now part of Otaru, Hokkaido). He belonged to the Japan Socialist Party, and was a member of the House of Representatives of Japan from Hokkaido 1st district.
Sōjirō Motoki (本木 荘二郎, Motoki Sōjirō) was a Japanese filmmaker who served primarily as a film producer, but also as a…
Sōjirō Motoki (本木 荘二郎, Motoki Sōjirō) was a Japanese filmmaker who served primarily as a film producer, but also as a writer and director. He was most famous for producing several films for Akira Kurosawa, including Seven Samurai, Ikiru and Throne of Blood. He also produced films for other directors, including Mikio Naruse, for whom he produced Spring Awakens and Battle of Roses, and Kazuo Mori, for whom he produced Vendetta for a Samurai. As a writer, he provided the story for Kei Kumai's 1968 film The Sands of Kurobe, starring Kurosawa favorite Toshiro Mifune. Besides the films he is credited with producing, Motoki also had an influence on other Kurosawa films. For example, he was involved in the production of Rashomon. Motoki sent the letter to screenwriter Shinobu Hashimoto inviting him to help expand the script of Rashomon. During the late 1940s, Motoki joined with directors Kurosawa, Senkichi Taniguchi and Kajiro Yamamoto (eventually joined by Naruse as well) to form a short-lived independent production company, the Motion Picture Art Association, which was responsible for such films as Rashomon, The Quiet Duel and Stray Dog.
Takehiko Kanagoki (17 June 1914 – 19 February 1992) was a Japanese basketball player. He competed in the men's…
Takehiko Kanagoki (17 June 1914 – 19 February 1992) was a Japanese basketball player. He competed in the men's tournament at the 1936 Summer Olympics. His correct family name is Kanokogi (鹿子木), not Kanagoki. He was the son of Japanese father, Kanokogi Kazunobu, philosopher, and Polish-German mother, Cornelia, Tadeusz Stefan Zieliński's daughter.
Haruo Okada (Japanese: 岡田春夫; 14 June 1914 – 6 November 1991) was a Japanese politician. He was a member of the…
Haruo Okada (Japanese: 岡田春夫; 14 June 1914 – 6 November 1991) was a Japanese politician. He was a member of the Socialist Party of Japan. He was a member of the House of Representatives of Japan for the multi-member constituency Hokkaido's 4th district. He was a recipient of the Order of the Rising Sun. He served alongside Seiichi Ikehata, Tatsuo Takahashi and Shōichi Watanabe.
Kenichiro Matsuoka (松岡 謙一郎, Matsuoka Ken'ichirō; June 13, 1914 – December 23, 1994) was a Japanese media executive. He…
Kenichiro Matsuoka (松岡 謙一郎, Matsuoka Ken'ichirō; June 13, 1914 – December 23, 1994) was a Japanese media executive. He founded and served as the first President of Japan Cable Television, and as a Vice President of Asahi Broadcasting Company (now TV Asahi).
Asa Dogura (土倉 麻, Dogura Asa; 11 June 1914 – 20 April 2008) was a Japanese sprinter. She competed in the women's 100…
Asa Dogura (土倉 麻, Dogura Asa; 11 June 1914 – 20 April 2008) was a Japanese sprinter. She competed in the women's 100 metres at the 1932 Summer Olympics. She later married Olympic gold medallist Naoto Tajima. She died on 20 April 2008 in Kamakura.
Toshio Kurosawa (黒沢 俊夫, Kurosawa Toshio; June 10, 1914 – June 23, 1947) was a Japanese baseball outfielder who played…
Toshio Kurosawa (黒沢 俊夫, Kurosawa Toshio; June 10, 1914 – June 23, 1947) was a Japanese baseball outfielder who played eight seasons in the Japanese Baseball League from 1936 to 1947. His career was cut short due to typhoid fever, from which he died at age 33. Kurosawa's number 4 was retired by his last club, the Yomiuri Giants, the same year, and was among the first to be retired in all of Japanese baseball.
Minosuke Hiroe (Japanese: 廣江美之助; 7 June 1914 – 12 January 2000) was a Japanese botanist. His main works are on the…
Minosuke Hiroe (Japanese: 廣江美之助; 7 June 1914 – 12 January 2000) was a Japanese botanist. His main works are on the Umbelliferae, from which family he described many new species. His work has been criticized by Lincoln Constance.
Naohiro Dōgakinai (Japanese: 堂垣内尚弘; 2 June 1914 – 2 February 2004) was the third governor of Hokkaido (1971–1983). He…
Naohiro Dōgakinai (Japanese: 堂垣内尚弘; 2 June 1914 – 2 February 2004) was the third governor of Hokkaido (1971–1983). He was a member of the Liberal Democratic Party, and originally from Sapporo.
Akira Ifukube (伊福部 昭, Ifukube Akira; 31 May 1914 – 8 February 2006) was a Japanese composer. He is best known for…
Akira Ifukube (伊福部 昭, Ifukube Akira; 31 May 1914 – 8 February 2006) was a Japanese composer. He is best known for composing several entries in the Godzilla franchise as well as developing the titular monster's roar.
Akinoumi Setsuo (Japanese: 安藝ノ海 節男, Hepburn: Akinoumi Setsuo; May 30, 1914 – March 25, 1979), born Nagata Setsuo (永田…
Akinoumi Setsuo (Japanese: 安藝ノ海 節男, Hepburn: Akinoumi Setsuo; May 30, 1914 – March 25, 1979), born Nagata Setsuo (永田 節男), was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Hiroshima. He was the sport's 37th yokozuna.
Katsuhiko Tasaka (田坂 勝彦, Tasaka Katsuhiko; 28 May 1914 – 29 September 1979) was a Japanese film director. He directed…
Katsuhiko Tasaka (田坂 勝彦, Tasaka Katsuhiko; 28 May 1914 – 29 September 1979) was a Japanese film director. He directed films from 1930s to 1960s. His older brother, Tomotaka Tasaka (田坂具隆), was also a Japanese film director.
Hideko Maehata (前畑 秀子, Maehata Hideko; May 20, 1914 – February 24, 1995) was a Japanese breaststroke swimmer. She was…
Hideko Maehata (前畑 秀子, Maehata Hideko; May 20, 1914 – February 24, 1995) was a Japanese breaststroke swimmer. She was the first Japanese and Asian woman to win a gold medal in the Olympics. Maehata was born in Hashimoto, Wakayama, as the daughter of a tofu producer and as a child learned to swim in the Kinokawa River. In the fifth grade of elementary school, she set an unofficial youth record for the 50-meter breaststroke. She went on to win numerous competitions, and was sponsored to attend a women’s boarding school in Nagoya which specialized in swimming, but the sudden death of her parents in 1931 forced her to return home. Yet she was selected for the Japanese Olympic swimming team for the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, and won the silver medal in the 200 m breaststroke event. She lost to Clare Dennis a mere 0.1 of a second. During the post-Olympic celebration after her return to Japan, she stated that she was considering to retire from competitive swimming due to family issues, but then Tokyo mayor Hidejirō Nagata reportedly asked her why she did not bring back a gold medal. Over the next four years, Maehata trained very hard, and set a new world record for the 200-meter breaststroke on September 30, 1933. During the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Maehata competed in a dead heat against the reigning German national champion, Martha Genenger, winning the gold medal for the Women's 200 m breaststroke by over one second. Despite the time difference, the race was broadcast live in Japan by NHK Radio. In 1937, Maehata married Masahiko Hyodo, a professor of the medical school of Nagoya University, and retired from competition. She was awarded the Purple Ribbon of Merit by the Japanese government in 1964 and inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1979. She had a cerebral hemorrhage in 1983, which killed both her parents, but recovered. In 1990 she was designated a Person of Cultural Merit, the first sportswoman in Japan to receive such an honor. She died of acute renal failure in 1995.
Zenjiro Watanabe (渡辺 善次郎, Watanabe Zenjirō; born 11 February 1914 - 22 June 1998) was a Japanese figure skater. He…
Zenjiro Watanabe (渡辺 善次郎, Watanabe Zenjirō; born 11 February 1914 - 22 June 1998) was a Japanese figure skater. He competed in the men's singles event at the 1936 Winter Olympics.
Yoshiko Shibaki (芝木好子, Shibaki Yoshiko; 7 May 1914 – 25 August 1991) was a Japanese writer of short stories and novels.…
Yoshiko Shibaki (芝木好子, Shibaki Yoshiko; 7 May 1914 – 25 August 1991) was a Japanese writer of short stories and novels. She was awarded numerous prizes for her work, including the Akutagawa Prize and the Women's Literature Prize.
Maedayama Eigorō (Japanese: 前田山 英五郎; May 4, 1914 – August 17, 1971) was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from…
Maedayama Eigorō (Japanese: 前田山 英五郎; May 4, 1914 – August 17, 1971) was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Ehime Prefecture. He was the sport's 39th yokozuna.
Toshihiko Izutsu (井筒 俊彦, Izutsu Toshihiko; 4 May 1914 – 7 January 1993) was a Japanese scholar who specialized in…
Toshihiko Izutsu (井筒 俊彦, Izutsu Toshihiko; 4 May 1914 – 7 January 1993) was a Japanese scholar who specialized in Islamic studies and comparative religion. He took an interest in linguistics at a young age, and came to know more than thirty languages, including Arabic, Hebrew, Turkish, Persian, Sanskrit, Pali, Hindustani, Russian, Greek, and Chinese. He is widely known for his translation of the Qurʾān into Japanese.
Iwao Miyajima (2 May 1914 – 21 June 2005) was a Japanese ski jumper. He competed in the individual event at the 1936…
Iwao Miyajima (2 May 1914 – 21 June 2005) was a Japanese ski jumper. He competed in the individual event at the 1936 Winter Olympics.
Satsue Mito (三戸 サツエ, Mito Satsue; April 21, 1914 – April 7, 2012) was a Japanese school teacher and primate researcher.…
Satsue Mito (三戸 サツエ, Mito Satsue; April 21, 1914 – April 7, 2012) was a Japanese school teacher and primate researcher. She helped with the Kyoto University Primatology group (composed of Kinji Imanishi, Junichiro Itani) studying wild monkeys on an island called Kōjima, in Miyazaki Prefecture. She identified every monkey in the island and recorded their relationships. She discovered the origin and spreading of sweet potato washing by monkeys. She was an instructor of Kyoto University working with other researchers between 1970 and 1984.
Mitsue Ishizu (石津 光恵, Ishizu Mitsue; born 16 April 1914, date of death unknown) was a Japanese track and field athlete.…
Mitsue Ishizu (石津 光恵, Ishizu Mitsue; born 16 April 1914, date of death unknown) was a Japanese track and field athlete. She competed in the women's discus throw and the women's javelin throw at the 1932 Summer Olympics.
Masao Yoshida (吉田 正男, Yoshida Masao; April 14, 1914 – May 23, 1996) was a Japanese amateur pitcher originally from…
Masao Yoshida (吉田 正男, Yoshida Masao; April 14, 1914 – May 23, 1996) was a Japanese amateur pitcher originally from Ichinomiya, Aichi. He had 23 wins at Spring and Summer Koshien. In the National High School Baseball Championship between 1931 and 1933, he won 14 consecutive games at Koshien Stadium and he became the only pitcher to win three consecutive championships.
Jūshirō Konoe (近衛 十四郎, Konoe Jūshirō; 10 April 1914 – 24 May 1977) was a Japanese jidaigeki actor. He was born Toraichi…
Jūshirō Konoe (近衛 十四郎, Konoe Jūshirō; 10 April 1914 – 24 May 1977) was a Japanese jidaigeki actor. He was born Toraichi Meguro in Nagaoka, Niigata. Debuting at Ajia Eiga in 1934, Konoe appeared in jidaigeki at Daito Eiga, Shochiku, and Toei, the latter having him star in a popular series about Yagyu Jubei. Konoe was known for his dazzling swordplay and appeared in over 200 movies and TV dramas. He retired in 1973 due to his worsening diabetes. Konoe's sons Hiroki Matsukata and Yūki Meguro are actors.
Koichi Oita (種田 孝一, Oita Koichi; April 9, 1914 – September 11, 1996) was a Japanese football player and manager. He…
Koichi Oita (種田 孝一, Oita Koichi; April 9, 1914 – September 11, 1996) was a Japanese football player and manager. He played for Japan national team.
Noboru Sugimoto (杉本 盛, Sugimoto Noboru; born 6 April 1914) is a Japanese freestyle swimmer who competed in the 1932…
Noboru Sugimoto (杉本 盛, Sugimoto Noboru; born 6 April 1914) is a Japanese freestyle swimmer who competed in the 1932 Summer Olympics. He was born in Kōchi Prefecture. In 1932 he finished fifth in the 100 metre freestyle event.
Kansuke Yamamoto (Japanese: 山本 悍右; 30 March 1914 – 2 April 1987) was a Japanese Surrealist photographer, poet, editor…
Kansuke Yamamoto (Japanese: 山本 悍右; 30 March 1914 – 2 April 1987) was a Japanese Surrealist photographer, poet, editor, and publisher based in Nagoya. Eiko Aoki describes him as a driving force in Japan's avant-garde movement, producing innovative photographs with an uncompromising spirit. Photography historian Ryūichi Kaneko regards the establishment of the 1932 date of Yamamoto's photocollage The Developing Thought of a Human... Mist and Bedroom and as a landmark for understanding the formation and development of modern Japanese photography in the 1930s. Drawing on French Surrealist literature and periodicals, Yamamoto developed a practice that Amanda Maddox and John Solt discuss in terms of interpretation, translation, and dialogue rather than belated imitation of European models. Yamamoto's Surrealist practice also took the form of editing, translation, and publishing. Through Yoru no Funsui, which he founded and edited in 1938, he brought together poetry, photography, translations of French Surrealist writing, and reproduced drawings. The journal ceased publication in 1939 under pressure from the Special Higher Police (Tokkō), and Yamamoto was questioned about the political meaning of his Surrealist photography and poetry. He nevertheless continued Surrealist publishing under wartime conditions through Carnet Bleu, including a Japanese translation of an essay on photography by Philippe Soupault. Maddox argues that Yamamoto resisted pressure to strip Surrealism of provocation, politics, and thought. After the war, Yamamoto continued to pursue Surrealist ideas through collective activity and new photographic forms. He co-founded VIVI in 1947, which Maddox describes as an effort to keep the spirit of Surrealist ideology alive in the postwar period. Jelena Stojković traces Yamamoto's postwar photographic narratives from a pair of self-portraits made in 1949 to staged sequences of the 1950s, including My Thin-Aired Room (1956), in which he appeared as both actor and director. Stojković argues that these experiments made a direct link between Yamamoto's Surrealist background and emerging conceptual and performative uses of photography, and describes his work as a point of reference both for the prewar Japanese avant-garde and for the development of contemporary art and photography in Japan. Kaneko likewise rejects the accepted division of Yamamoto's career into separate prewar and postwar periods, arguing that his postwar work increased in complexity and strength and that modern Japanese photography, despite the interruption of war, should be reconsidered as a continuous and interconnected history. The 2001 retrospective Kansuke Yamamoto: Conveyor of the Impossible at Tokyo Station Gallery became a turning point in the later reassessment of Yamamoto's work. His work was subsequently featured in Japan's Modern Divide at the J. Paul Getty Museum in 2013 and Surrealism Beyond Borders at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Tate Modern in 2021–2022.
Yoshio Shiga (志賀 淑雄, Shiga Yoshio; 1914 – November 25, 2005) was an officer, ace fighter pilot, and leader in the…
Yoshio Shiga (志賀 淑雄, Shiga Yoshio; 1914 – November 25, 2005) was an officer, ace fighter pilot, and leader in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Pacific theater of World War II. At the December 1941 Attack on Pearl Harbor, Shiga led one of the aircraft carrier Kaga's fighter divisions during the first strike on American forces on Oahu. The number of his Zero fighter was AII-105. Shiga continued as a fighter division commander on Kaga until April 1942. In May 1942, then Lieutenant Shiga took command of aircraft carrier Jun'yō's fighter group, a post he held until December 1942. During this time, Shiga led the carrier's fighters in the battles of Dutch Harbor and the Santa Cruz Islands. In the latter battle, he attacked the US carriers, USS Hornet (CV-8) and USS Enterprise (CV-6), in which the former was later sunk, while Enterprise was heavily damaged. He subsequently commanded the aircraft carrier Hiyō's fighter group from December 1942 through January 1943 while the carrier was in port in Japan. After promotion to Lieutenant Commander, Shiga was assigned as air officer to the 343rd Air Group which was engaged in homeland defence in Japan, based at Matsuyama Air Base, in December 1944. He was projected to be Air Group Commander aboard the carrier Shinano during her brief time in service, but was not aboard for her fatal delivery voyage; he instead awaited the ship in Kure with the carrier's planned air group. He is famous for his strong objection against the tactic of suicide attack (Kamikaze) and saved the lives of many young Japanese pilots. After the war, Shiga became president of police equipment manufacturer Nobel Kōgyō and made many devices, such as bullet resistant vests, and expandable police batons for Japanese police. He died on 25 November 2005.
Toru Kumon (公文 公, Kumon Tōru; March 26, 1914 – July 25, 1995) was a Japanese mathematics educator. He was born in Kōchi…
Toru Kumon (公文 公, Kumon Tōru; March 26, 1914 – July 25, 1995) was a Japanese mathematics educator. He was born in Kōchi Prefecture, Japan. He graduated from the College of Science at Osaka University with a degree in mathematics and taught high school mathematics in his home town of Osaka. In 1954, his son, Takeshi, performed poorly in a Year 2 mathematics test. Prompted by his wife, Teiko, Toru closely examined Takeshi's textbooks and believed they lacked the proper opportunity for a child to practice and master a topic. He wrote worksheets each day for his son. By the time Takeshi was in Year 6, he was able to solve differential and integral calculus. This was the beginning of the Kumon Method of Learning. Other parents became interested in Kumon's ideas, and in 1955, the first Kumon Center was opened in Osaka. In 1958, Toru Kumon founded the Kumon Institute of Education. Toru Kumon died in Osaka on July 25, 1995, at the age of 81 from pneumonia. There is a Toru Kumon museum in Osaka. Asteroid 3569 Kumon is named after him.
Masao Maruyama (丸山 眞男, Maruyama Masao; 22 March 1914 – 15 August 1996) was a leading Japanese political scientist and…
Masao Maruyama (丸山 眞男, Maruyama Masao; 22 March 1914 – 15 August 1996) was a leading Japanese political scientist and political theorist. His expertise lay in the history of Japanese political thought, to which he made major contributions.
Sakae Ōba (大場 栄, Ōba Sakae; 21 March 1914 – 8 June 1992) was an officer of the Imperial Japanese Army during World War…
Sakae Ōba (大場 栄, Ōba Sakae; 21 March 1914 – 8 June 1992) was an officer of the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. He served in both China and in the Pacific campaign. After Japanese forces were defeated in the Battle of Saipan, he led a group of soldiers and civilians deep into the jungle to evade capture by Allied forces. Under Ōba's leadership, the group survived for over a year after the battle and finally surrendered in December 1945, three months after the war had ended. Following his return to Japan, he became a successful businessman and served on the city council of Gamagōri.
Hiro Saga (嵯峨 浩, Saga Hiro; 16 April 1914 – 20 June 1987) was a Japanese noblewoman and memoir writer. She was the…
Hiro Saga (嵯峨 浩, Saga Hiro; 16 April 1914 – 20 June 1987) was a Japanese noblewoman and memoir writer. She was the daughter of Marquis Saneto Saga and a distant relative of Emperor Shōwa. She was married in 1937 to Pujie, the younger brother of Puyi, the last monarch of the Qing dynasty of China between 1908 and 1912 and the ruler of Japanese-backed Manchukuo between 1932 and 1945. After her marriage to Pujie, she was known as, and identified herself as, Aishinkakura Hiro (愛新覺羅•浩) or Aixinjueluo Hao in Chinese.