Ikuma Dan (團 伊玖磨, Dan Ikuma; 7 April 1924 – 17 May 2001) was a Japanese composer. Dan was born in Tokyo, the descendant…
Ikuma Dan (團 伊玖磨, Dan Ikuma; 7 April 1924 – 17 May 2001) was a Japanese composer. Dan was born in Tokyo, the descendant of a prominent family, his grandfather Baron Dan Takuma having been President of Mitsui before being assassinated in 1932. He graduated from Aoyama Gakuin and Tokyo Music School in 1946. He studied with teachers including Kosaku Yamada, Kunihiko Hashimoto, Kan'ichi Shimofusa, Saburō Moroi, and Midori Hosokawa. During his career he completed six symphonies, all recorded and released on the Decca label in Japan, and wrote seven operas as well as a number of filmscores, and many songs. He wrote celebratory music for the Japanese imperial family, actively promoted cultural exchange with China (from 1979 until his death in Suzhou, China, in 2001), and received the commission to write an opera (Takeru) for the 1997 opening of the New National Theatre, Tokyo, Japan's main opera house. Dan is known in Japan for his 1951 opera Yūzuru (Twilight Crane), which is regularly revived there.
Famous People Born in 1920s
1920s: 838 people
Tokuji Iida (飯田 徳治, Iida Tokuji; April 6, 1924 – June 19, 2000) was a Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball first…
Tokuji Iida (飯田 徳治, Iida Tokuji; April 6, 1924 – June 19, 2000) was a Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball first baseman. He both batted and threw right-handed. Iida spent most of his 16-year career with the Nankai Hawks, where he won 5 Best Nine Awards, 4 Pacific League pennants, and a Pacific League MVP Award in 1955. He spent the remainder of his career with the Kokutestu Swallows, with his final season in 1963. He played 1,246 consecutive games until finally taking a rest day on May 24, 1958.
Peter Takaaki Hirayama (March 31, 1924 – July 15, 2023) was a Japanese prelate of the Catholic Church. Hirayama was…
Peter Takaaki Hirayama (March 31, 1924 – July 15, 2023) was a Japanese prelate of the Catholic Church. Hirayama was born in Seoul and was ordained a priest on March 19, 1957. Hirayama was appointed bishop of the Diocese of Oita on November 15, 1969, and was consecrated on January 25, 1970. Hirayama served in this capacity until his retirement on May 10, 2000.
Saburo Date (伊達三郎, Date Saburō; 27 March 1924 – 12 September 1991) was a Japanese actor. In 1945, he signed a contract…
Saburo Date (伊達三郎, Date Saburō; 27 March 1924 – 12 September 1991) was a Japanese actor. In 1945, he signed a contract with Daiei Film company and started his acting career. Following year, he made his film debut with Okagura Kyōdai directed by Hiroshi Inagaki. At the same time, he was given the stage name Saburo Date by Inagaki. As the Daiei studio gave up film production in 1970, he left Daiei and became a freelance actor. He appeared in nearly 200 films between 1947 and 1990.
Soichiro Ito (伊藤宗一郎, Itō Sōichirō; 21 March 1924 – 4 September 2001) was a Japanese politician who served in the House…
Soichiro Ito (伊藤宗一郎, Itō Sōichirō; 21 March 1924 – 4 September 2001) was a Japanese politician who served in the House of Representatives from 1967 until his death in 2001. From 1981 to 1982, Ito was the Director General of the Japan Defense Agency. Born in Miyagi Prefecture in 1924, he studied law at Tohoku University and served briefly as a second lieutenant in the Imperial Japanese Army.
Yasushi Mieno (三重野 康, Mieno Yasushi; March 17, 1924 – April 15, 2012) was a Japanese businessman, central banker, the…
Yasushi Mieno (三重野 康, Mieno Yasushi; March 17, 1924 – April 15, 2012) was a Japanese businessman, central banker, the 26th Governor of the Bank of Japan (BOJ) and a Director of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS).
Morihiko Hiramatsu (平松 守彦, Hiramatsu Morihiko; 12 March 1924 – 21 August 2016) was a Japanese politician who was…
Morihiko Hiramatsu (平松 守彦, Hiramatsu Morihiko; 12 March 1924 – 21 August 2016) was a Japanese politician who was governor of Ōita Prefecture from April 1979 to April 2003. He is best known for initiating the One Village One Product movement in the prefecture, which was later followed by various other countries.
Kimifusa Abe (安部 公房, Abe Kimifusa; March 7, 1924 – January 22, 1993), known by his pen name Kōbō Abe (安部 公房, Abe Kōbō)…
Kimifusa Abe (安部 公房, Abe Kimifusa; March 7, 1924 – January 22, 1993), known by his pen name Kōbō Abe (安部 公房, Abe Kōbō), was a Japanese writer, playwright and director. His 1962 novel The Woman in the Dunes was made into an award-winning film by Hiroshi Teshigahara in 1964. Abe has often been compared to Franz Kafka for his modernist sensibilities and his surreal, often nightmarish explorations of individuals in contemporary society. He died aged 68 of heart failure in Tokyo after a brief illness.
Takeshi Taketsuru (Japanese: 竹鶴威, 6 March 1924 – 17 December 2014) was a Japanese whisky distiller. He was the nephew…
Takeshi Taketsuru (Japanese: 竹鶴威, 6 March 1924 – 17 December 2014) was a Japanese whisky distiller. He was the nephew of Masataka Taketsuru, from his sister Nobuyo, and his wife Rita Taketsuru, the founders of the Nikka Whisky company before being adopted by them after his father's death in 1943. After their deaths, he took over the company, and expanded its business substantially. He died on 17 December 2014, at the age of 90. Having married his wife, Utako, in 1951, he is survived by his two children, Kotaro and Minobu.
Noboru Minowa (Japanese: 箕輪登, romanized: Minowa Noboru) (March 5, 1924 – May 14, 2006) was a member of the House of…
Noboru Minowa (Japanese: 箕輪登, romanized: Minowa Noboru) (March 5, 1924 – May 14, 2006) was a member of the House of Representatives of Japan from Hokkaido 1st district. He was from Otaru, Hokkaido, and a graduate of Hokkaido University.
Tomiichi Murayama (村山 富市, Murayama Tomiichi; 3 March 1924 – 17 October 2025) was a Japanese politician who served as…
Tomiichi Murayama (村山 富市, Murayama Tomiichi; 3 March 1924 – 17 October 2025) was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 1994 to 1996. He was the country's only socialist premier since Tetsu Katayama in 1948, and is best remembered for the Murayama Statement on the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II, in which he officially apologized for Japan's past colonial wars and aggression. Born in Ōita Prefecture, Murayama graduated from Meiji University in 1946, and became a labor union official in his home prefecture. He was elected to the Ōita City Council in 1955 as a member of the Japan Socialist Party; he was then elected to the Ōita Prefectural Assembly in 1963 and to the National Diet in 1972. After the JSP joined the government following the 1993 election, he became its leader, then became prime minister in 1994 as the head of a new coalition of the JSP, Liberal Democratic Party, and New Party Sakigake. During his time as prime minister, Murayama was noted for his Murayama Statement in which he apologised for the country's actions during World War II, oversaw a crumbling relationship between Japan and the United States, and his government was criticized for its responses to the Great Hanshin earthquake and Tokyo subway sarin attack in 1995. He resigned as prime minister in 1996, and reorganized the JSP as the Social Democratic Party. The new party lost many of its seats in the 1996 election, and he resigned as its leader soon after.
Daihachi Oguchi (小口 大八, Oguchi Daihachi; February 27, 1924 – June 27, 2008) was a Japanese drummer best known for…
Daihachi Oguchi (小口 大八, Oguchi Daihachi; February 27, 1924 – June 27, 2008) was a Japanese drummer best known for popularizing taiko. Master Japanese drummer Daihachi Oguchi is credited with inventing kumi-daiko, the taiko ensemble, in 1951. After founding his own ensemble, Osuwa Daiko, he led the spread of modern Taiko throughout Japan and the U.S. A former jazz drummer, Daihachi Oguchi took ancient rhythms, broke them down and created new arrangements and compositions to accommodate an ensemble of drummers. One day, he was asked to interpret an old sheet of taiko music for Suwa Shrine, which was found in an old warehouse. The sheet music was written in an old Japanese notation and he could not understand it at first. He found an old man who had performed the tune, and then he succeeded in interpreting it at last. However, as a jazz player, the rhythm pattern of the tune was too simple for him to play. He wondered why nobody played taiko together. A marvelous idea came across his mind and made him decide to break through the tradition. Inspired by a western drum set, he formed a group in which each player beats a different taiko; in short, he gave the group a function as a drum set. A high-pitched Shime-daiko established a basic rhythm like a snare drum does. A growling Nagado-daiko added accents like a bass drum. His intention was right to the point, and this epoch-making invention changed the taiko music forever. Oguchi helped turn the traditional form into a dramatic performance spectacle, elevating the traditional folk sounds of taiko to modern music played in concert halls, not just festivals and shrines. The period from 1970s to 1990s in Japan seemed to be the Renaissance of taiko music. The activities of Osuwa Daiko and other early kumi-daiko groups in 1960s, and the taiko performance at the Tokyo Olympics in 1964 ignited the phenomenal taiko boom for next decades. Mr. Oguchi helped found top taiko groups, including San Francisco Taiko Dojo, which has performed in Hollywood movies and on international tours since forming 40 years ago. Oguchi also led and starred in the performance of drumming and dance at the closing ceremony of the 1998 Nagano Olympics. "Your heart is a taiko. All people listen to a taiko rhythm dontsuku-dontsuku in their mother's womb," Daihachi Oguchi told The Associated Press at that time. "It's instinct to be drawn to taiko drumming." "In taiko, man becomes the sound. In taiko, you can hear the sound through your skin". In 2008, Daihachi Oguchi died at age 84 after being hit by a motorist while crossing the street. Oguchi had been scheduled to perform with Kodo, the world-renowned Taiko performance group.
Noboru Takeshita (竹下 登, Takeshita Noboru; 26 February 1924 – 19 June 2000) was a Japanese politician who served as…
Noboru Takeshita (竹下 登, Takeshita Noboru; 26 February 1924 – 19 June 2000) was a Japanese politician who served as prime minister of Japan from 1987 to 1989. Born in Shimane Prefecture, Takeshita attended Waseda University and was drafted into the army during the Pacific War. He was first elected to the National Diet in 1958, and served as chief cabinet secretary in 1971–1972 and in 1974, and as finance minister from 1979–1980, 1982–1986, and in 1988, during which he signed the Plaza Accord in 1985. In 1987, Takeshita became head of the Liberal Democratic Party and succeeded Yasuhiro Nakasone as prime minister. He inherited the powerful LDP faction of Kakuei Tanaka, and was dubbed the "last shadow shogun" for his behind-the-scenes influence in politics. Takeshita was forced to resign in 1989 after being implicated in the Recruit scandal, but continued to lead the largest LDP faction until his death in 2000. He was the last prime minister to serve during the rule of Emperor Shōwa.
Chikage Awashima (淡島 千景, Awashima Chikage; born Keiko Nakagawa, 24 February 1924 – 16 February 2012) was a Japanese…
Chikage Awashima (淡島 千景, Awashima Chikage; born Keiko Nakagawa, 24 February 1924 – 16 February 2012) was a Japanese film and stage actress.
Sachio Otani (大谷 幸夫, Ōtani Sachio; February 20, 1924 – January 2, 2013) was a noted Japanese architect.
Yūkichi Watabe (渡部 雄吉, Watabe Yūkichi; 1924–1993) was a Japanese photographer.
Fubuki Koshiji (越路 吹雪; 18 February 1924 – 7 November 1980), real name Mihoko Kouno (内藤 美保子), was a Japanese singer and…
Fubuki Koshiji (越路 吹雪; 18 February 1924 – 7 November 1980), real name Mihoko Kouno (内藤 美保子), was a Japanese singer and actress. She joined the Takarazuka Revue in 1939. Though she was recognized as a star at Takarazuka, she left in 1951. When she chose to leave the troupe, Koshiji's friend, Tokiko Iwatani, also quit to manage Koshiji's budding career in film, made possible by the liberalization that took place during and after the occupation of Japan. Throughout the 1950s, Koshiji appeared in productions that merged the arts of shinpa, shingeki, and kabuki. Known as the "Queen of Chanson" (シャンソンの女王, Shanson no Joō), Koshiji was influenced by French singer Édith Piaf. She released Japanese-language covers of Piaf's "Hymne à l'amour" in 1951, "Tombe la neige" by Salvatore Adamo, and "C'est si bon". Koshiji was married to composer Tsunemi Naitō. She died in Tokyo of stomach cancer at the age of 56. Koshiji's final words, addressed to her husband, were "Tsunemi-san, black coffee and milk." She is the subject of "Koshiji Fubuki Monogatari", a television production of TV Asahi in Japan with Takimoto Miori playing the role of Fubuki Koshiji.
Chin Shunshin or Chen Shunchen (陳 舜臣) (18 February 1924 – 21 January 2015) was a Taiwanese-Japanese novelist…
Chin Shunshin or Chen Shunchen (陳 舜臣) (18 February 1924 – 21 January 2015) was a Taiwanese-Japanese novelist, translator and cultural critic. He is best known for his historical fictions and mystery novels based on Chinese and Asian history, including First Opium War, Chinese History, Ryukyu Wind. He won numerous literary awards, including the Yoshikawa Eiji Prize for Literature and the Naoki Prize.
Kihachi Okamoto (岡本 喜八, Okamoto Kihachi; February 17, 1924 – February 19, 2005) was a Japanese film director who worked…
Kihachi Okamoto (岡本 喜八, Okamoto Kihachi; February 17, 1924 – February 19, 2005) was a Japanese film director who worked in several different genres.
Manzo Iwata (9 February 1924 – 4 June 1993) was a Japanese martial artist.
Etsuko Inada (稲田 悦子, Inada Etsuko; Hiragana: いなだ えつこ; February 8, 1924 – July 8, 2003) was a Japanese figure skater who…
Etsuko Inada (稲田 悦子, Inada Etsuko; Hiragana: いなだ えつこ; February 8, 1924 – July 8, 2003) was a Japanese figure skater who mostly competed in singles. She was the first female athlete to represent Japan at the Winter Olympics.
Akira Kume (久米 明, Kume Akira; February 8, 1924 – April 23, 2020) was a Japanese actor, voice actor, and narrator. As of…
Akira Kume (久米 明, Kume Akira; February 8, 1924 – April 23, 2020) was a Japanese actor, voice actor, and narrator. As of 2019, with his role as the narrator of the NHK show Tsurube's Salute to Families, he was the world's oldest active voice actor.
Ryōhei Uchida (内田良平, Uchida Ryōhei; 5 February 1924 – 15 June 1984) was a Japanese actor. Uchida appeared in nearly 300…
Ryōhei Uchida (内田良平, Uchida Ryōhei; 5 February 1924 – 15 June 1984) was a Japanese actor. Uchida appeared in nearly 300 films between 1950 and 1984. He specialized in playing villains and yakuza roles. He got acquainted with film director Masaki Kobayashi through a friend's introduction. He was able to sign his contract with Shochiku film company with the help of Kobayashi. In 1953, he made his film debut with Kabe Atsukiheya directed by Masaki Kobayashi. His first starring role in a film was playing Kazama in League of Gangsters (1963) directed by Kinji Fukasaku. He died of myocardial infarction on 15 June 1984 at the age of 60.
Jun-ichi Igusa (井草 凖一, Igusa Jun’ichi; 30 January 1924 – 24 November 2013) was a Japanese mathematician who for over…
Jun-ichi Igusa (井草 凖一, Igusa Jun’ichi; 30 January 1924 – 24 November 2013) was a Japanese mathematician who for over three decades was on the faculty at Johns Hopkins University. He is known for his contributions to algebraic geometry and number theory. The Igusa zeta-function, the Igusa quartic, Igusa subgroups, Igusa curves, and Igusa varieties are named after him. He was an invited speaker for the 1962 International Congress of Mathematicians in Stockholm. He was awarded Japan's Order of the Sacred Treasure. In 2012 he became a fellow of the American Mathematical Society.
Ong Iok-tek (Ikutoku Ō; 王育德/王育徳; POJ: Ông Io̍k-tek; Hepburn:Ō Ikutoku: pinyin: Wáng Yùdé; Wade–Giles: Wang Yü-te; 30…
Ong Iok-tek (Ikutoku Ō; 王育德/王育徳; POJ: Ông Io̍k-tek; Hepburn:Ō Ikutoku: pinyin: Wáng Yùdé; Wade–Giles: Wang Yü-te; 30 January 1924–9 September 1985) was a Taiwanese scholar and early leader of the Taiwan independence movement. He is considered to be an authority on the Southern Min language family and the Taiwanese language. He was born in Tainan Prefecture (modern-day Tainan), during Japanese rule, of a prominent family. He attended Tokyo Imperial University in 1943 but the ongoing World War II compelled him to return to Taiwan after a year. Following the war and handover of Taiwan he took a critical attitude toward the Kuomintang, one accentuated by the killing of his brother, Wang Yu-lin, a Tokyo-educated prosecutor, in the February 28 Incident. His own life threatened by the new regime, he fled to Japan in 1949 and spent the rest of his life there in addition to various other places. He resumed his studies in May 1950, and after completing his Ph.D. in 1969 at the University of Tokyo, he later taught Taiwanese at Meiji University in 1974. He also played a leading role in garnering support for the Taiwan independence movement within Japan. As a student he had joined Thomas Liao's Republic of Taiwan Provisional Government but became dissatisfied with it after two years. He established the Taiwan Youth Association in 1960 and published the organization's influential monthly Taiwan Seinen in Japanese (later for a time in Chinese) and Formosan Quarterly in English. The Taiwan Youth Association later changed its name to the Taiwan Youth Independence League. In the 1970s he was a leader in the campaign to secure compensation for the 200,000 Taiwanese who had served as soldiers under the Imperial Japanese military. In 1982 he served as a committee member of the Formosan Association for Public Affairs. Ong argued that Han people were a folk, and not a nation, and that Hakka and Hoklos are smaller folks within the Han. Ong further argued that after Japan modernized Taiwan, the Taiwanese nation was established with Taiwan being pre-national as the Japanese ruled it, and that modern capitalism creates a nation. Ong argued that Taiwanese people can become a nation within the state container if Taiwan becomes an independent state. Shaojin Chai, author of Taiwanese Nationalism: Situation Dependency and Elite Games, said that Ong's view of a nation is that it is "the modern construction of state" and that his concept "responded to the modernity of nationalism". Chai added that "Ong's Taiwanese nationalism theory indicates that nationalism precedes nation, and without a state, there could be no nation." Chai added that Ong and Thomas Liao were both perceived as Mainlanders in Taiwan and Chinese people in Mainland China, and hence were viewed as oppressors of Taiwanese people and non-Taiwanese. Chai explained that Ong placed emphasis on the "political construction" while Liao placed emphasis on "primordial criteria". In regards to reception to Ong's ideas, Chai said that Taiwanese people at the time of Ong's active period did believe they were a folk of Han people, even though they did have a strong provincial identity. Chai added that "Ong's argument was especially convincing to Holos [sic], but it is problematic when applied to indigenous peoples. Following his rationale, the different indigenous tribes also have to [sic] right to build their state to form their own nations."
Kosaku Inaba (稲葉 興作, Inaba Kōsaku; January 16, 1924 – November 16, 2006) was a Singapore-born Japanese businessman…
Kosaku Inaba (稲葉 興作, Inaba Kōsaku; January 16, 1924 – November 16, 2006) was a Singapore-born Japanese businessman, former president of Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co., head of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (1993–2001) and second president of Nippon Kaigi (1998–2001). He was a graduate of Azabu High School and Tokyo Institute of Technology. He joined the Ishikawajima Shibaura Turbine Co. in 1946. In 1962, the company merged with Ishikawajima-Shibaura Seiki Co. and Shibaura Sewing Machine Co. and changed its name to its current one. Inaba rose through the ranks as board director, managing director and senior vice president before becoming president of the company in 1983 and chairman in 1995. He was a recipient of the Order of the Rising Sun.
Shōtarō Moriyasu (守安 祥太郎, Moriyasu Shōtarō; January 5, 1924 – September 25, 1955) was a Japanese jazz pianist. He…
Shōtarō Moriyasu (守安 祥太郎, Moriyasu Shōtarō; January 5, 1924 – September 25, 1955) was a Japanese jazz pianist. He became a leading bebop musician in Japan in the early to mid-1950s, but was never officially recorded. His suicide at the age of 31 contributed to his image as a tragic artistic figure in jazz.
Kim Chung-yum (Korean: 김정렴; Hanja: 金正濂; 3 January 1924 – 25 April 2020) was a South Korean politician. Under President…
Kim Chung-yum (Korean: 김정렴; Hanja: 金正濂; 3 January 1924 – 25 April 2020) was a South Korean politician. Under President Park Chung Hee, he was the longest serving chief presidential secretary in South Korean history. He also served as Minister of Finance and Minister of Commerce and Industry, playing a leading role in the country's miraculous economic development. Kim died on April 25, 2020.
Susumu Ishii (Japanese: 石井 進; 1924–1991) was the second kaicho (godfather) of the Inagawa-kai yakuza gang in Japan. He…
Susumu Ishii (Japanese: 石井 進; 1924–1991) was the second kaicho (godfather) of the Inagawa-kai yakuza gang in Japan. He was also fifth socho of the Yokosuka-ikka. Ishii was born in Yokosuka in 1924. As a child, he moved with his family to Kamakura where they ran a small noodle shop. In World War II, he was assigned to a kaiten unit of the Japanese Navy but was not given the chance to take part in a suicide attack. After the war, he became a yakuza and joined the Inagawa-kai in 1958. He rose to the number two position in that gang, but was imprisoned for a gambling scam from 1978 to 1984. After serving his time in prison Ishii spoke to the media, saying; "We cannot succeed in the yakuza world unless we are active and aggressive until our early forties. After that, we have to adapt our lives to ordinary society. We cannot always be so forceful." His house remains in Yokosuka city, a three-storey, brick house in French, Greek and Italian styles. Ishii owned the Iwama Country Club, with a 36 holes, luxurious golf course. Ishii gathered the wealthiest of Japan and asked them to buy memberships, at a cost of over 200,000 USD. The golf course was a success, bringing millions to Ishii. He was released from prison at the start of Japan's bubble economy in 1984. Through various loans, banking deals, and real estate scams, he accumulated assets of over $4 billion which he invested in projects around the world, including in Korea and the United States. In 1989, his group even hired Prescott Bush Jr., the brother of President George H. W. Bush, as an advisor (Bush denied knowing his clients' criminal background). The Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper stated, "Almost every money transaction was related to Susumu Ishii in the 80s and 90s." Ishii's money went overseas as well. He invested in hotels in Monaco, Hong Kong and America. In total he invested 700 million dollars around the world. Throughout various investments he was able to have successful international relations and grow his money. Ishii was known as the "World's Richest Gangster" or "The Gangster With the Golden Touch".
Toyoko Yamasaki (山崎 豊子, Yamasaki Toyoko; real name Sugimoto Toyoko (杉本 豊子); 3 November 1924 – 29 September 2013) was a…
Toyoko Yamasaki (山崎 豊子, Yamasaki Toyoko; real name Sugimoto Toyoko (杉本 豊子); 3 November 1924 – 29 September 2013) was a Japanese novelist. A native of Osaka, Yamasaki worked as a journalist for the Mainichi Shimbun from 1945 to 1959 after graduating from Kyoto Women's University in Japanese literature. She published her first story, Noren (1957), a story of a kelp trader, based on the experiences of her family's business. The following year, she won the Naoki Prize for her second novel Hana Noren, the story about the founder of an entertainment group. A major influence on her writings of that period was Yasushi Inoue, who was deputy head of the Mainichi Shimbun's cultural news desk. Yamasaki wrote some stories based on actual events. For example, Futatsu no Sokoku is derived from the biography of a Japanese American David Akira Itami, and Shizumanu Taiyō is based on the Japan Air Lines Flight 123 accident. Several works of hers were featured in films and television dramas.
Masao Kawai (河合 雅雄, Kawai Masao; January 2, 1924 – May 14, 2021) was a Japanese primatologist, who introduced the…
Masao Kawai (河合 雅雄, Kawai Masao; January 2, 1924 – May 14, 2021) was a Japanese primatologist, who introduced the concept of kyōkan as a means of studying primates in his book Life of Japanese Monkeys (1969).
Genichi Taguchi (田口 玄一, Taguchi Gen'ichi; January 1, 1924 – June 2, 2012) was a Japanese engineer and statistician.…
Genichi Taguchi (田口 玄一, Taguchi Gen'ichi; January 1, 1924 – June 2, 2012) was a Japanese engineer and statistician. From the 1950s on, Taguchi developed a methodology for applying statistics to improve the quality of manufactured goods. Taguchi methods have been controversial among some conventional Western statisticians, but others have accepted many of the concepts introduced by him as valid extensions to the body of knowledge.
Yoko Matsuoka McClain (January 1, 1924 – November 2, 2011) was a Japanese-born American professor of Japanese language…
Yoko Matsuoka McClain (January 1, 1924 – November 2, 2011) was a Japanese-born American professor of Japanese language and literature at the University of Oregon. She was the granddaughter of Japanese novelist, Natsume Sōseki, from her maternal lineage. McClain was born Yoko Matsuoka in Tokyo. She graduated from Tsuda College in 1945 and found work as a translator during the Occupation of Japan by the Americans following World War II. She obtained a scholarship, the forebear of the Fulbright Program, to study at the University of Oregon. As a student, Matsuoka worked as a receptionist for the University of Oregon's art museum, now called the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art. She received a bachelor's degree in French from the University of Oregon in 1956 and a master's degree in comparative literature in 1967. McClain taught Japanese literature at the University of Oregon from 1964 to 1994, when she became a professor emeritus. She authored more than a dozen books and scholarly works on Japanese studies. Her husband, George Robert McClain, collected Japanese prints and art, which she donated to Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art following his death. The Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs honored McClain for her contributions to Japanese-U.S. cultural relations in 2003. The University of Oregon College of Arts and Sciences also awarded her the Alumni Fellows Award in 2003. In August 2011, McClain received the Gertrude Bass Warner Award from the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art. McClain died from a stroke on November 2, 2011, aged 87.
Teruo Ishii (石井輝男, Ishii Teruo; January 1, 1924 – August 12, 2005) was a Japanese film director best known in the West…
Teruo Ishii (石井輝男, Ishii Teruo; January 1, 1924 – August 12, 2005) was a Japanese film director best known in the West for his early films in the Super Giant series, and for his films in the ero guro ("erotic-grotesque") subgenre of sexploitation such as Shogun's Joy of Torture (1968). He also directed the 1965 film Abashiri Prison, which helped to make Ken Takakura a major star in Japan. Referred to in Japan as "The King of Cult", Ishii had a much more prolific and eclectic career than was generally known in the West during his lifetime.
Ki-baik Lee (Korean: 이기백; 1924–2004) was a Korean historian. He was born in Jeongju-gun, in North Pyeongan province in…
Ki-baik Lee (Korean: 이기백; 1924–2004) was a Korean historian. He was born in Jeongju-gun, in North Pyeongan province in what is today North Korea. He graduated from the Osan School in 1941, attending Waseda University in Tokyo but ultimately graduating from Seoul National University in 1947. Lee was a notable historian. He served as professor of history at Sogang University, Seoul. His most noted work was the New History of Korea (Kuksa Sillon, to echo Shin Chaeho's 1908 Doksa Sillon), first published in 1967 and revised thereafter. New History of Korea was published in English in translation by Edward W. Wagner. Lee was given the Inchon Award in 1990.
Akira Arimura (有村 章, Arimura Akira; December 26, 1923 – December 10, 2007) was a Japanese-American professor of…
Akira Arimura (有村 章, Arimura Akira; December 26, 1923 – December 10, 2007) was a Japanese-American professor of medicine at Tulane University, and the founding Director of the university's Hébert Research Center, working on neuroendocrinology and biochemistry research. He died in 2007 of multiple myeloma. His books have been collected by libraries worldwide.
Gan Tanigawa (谷川 雁; December 25, 1923 – February 2, 1995) was a Japanese poet, critic, and social activist. He is best…
Gan Tanigawa (谷川 雁; December 25, 1923 – February 2, 1995) was a Japanese poet, critic, and social activist. He is best known for his work with the Sakuru Mura (サークル村) poetry group.
Isamu Togawa (戸川猪佐武, Togawa Isamu; 16 December 1923 – 19 March 1983) was a Japanese writer and political commentator.…
Isamu Togawa (戸川猪佐武, Togawa Isamu; 16 December 1923 – 19 March 1983) was a Japanese writer and political commentator. Togawa was born in the city of Hiratsuka in Kanagawa Prefecture. His father was a novelist and former mayor of Hiratsuka Sadao Togawa and his younger brother was the novelist Itaru Kikumura.
Minoru Ōki (大木 実, Ōki Minoru; 16 December 1927 – 30 March 2009) was a Japanese actor. His notable film appearances were…
Minoru Ōki (大木 実, Ōki Minoru; 16 December 1927 – 30 March 2009) was a Japanese actor. His notable film appearances were Lone Wolf and Cub films, Stakeout, and Not Forgotten. Ōki started working as a shooting assistant at the Nikkatsu Tamagawa studio at the age of 16. In 1951, he made his film debut with Aa Seishun at Shin Saburi and Michiyo Kogure's recommendation. In the same year, he officially signed his contract with Shochiku film company and became an actor. In 1963, he left Shochiku and transferred to Toei. In Toei, he mainly appeared in yakuza films. In 2000, he won the best actor award at the Three Continents Film Festival for his role in Not Forgotten. He died of pancreatic cancer in 2006.
Shigeichi Negishi (November 29, 1923 – January 26, 2024) was a Japanese engineer who invented the earliest prototype of…
Shigeichi Negishi (November 29, 1923 – January 26, 2024) was a Japanese engineer who invented the earliest prototype of the karaoke machine. Using a speaker, a microphone, and a tape deck, he was able to simultaneously amplify his voice and play an instrumental backing track. Although Daisuke Inoue receives more international recognition for a similar invention, the All-Japan Karaoke Industrialist Association recognizes Negishi as the first among five independent inventors of the karaoke machine.
Tadashi Yamamoto (Japanese: 山本 忠司, Hepburn: Yamamoto Tadashi; 25 November 1925 – 28 July 1998) was a Japanese athlete…
Tadashi Yamamoto (Japanese: 山本 忠司, Hepburn: Yamamoto Tadashi; 25 November 1925 – 28 July 1998) was a Japanese athlete and architect. He competed in the men's triple jump at the 1952 Summer Olympics. He later became a prominent architect.
Keiju Kobayashi (小林桂樹, Kobayashi Keiju; 23 November 1923 – 16 September 2010) was a Japanese actor who appeared in 253…
Keiju Kobayashi (小林桂樹, Kobayashi Keiju; 23 November 1923 – 16 September 2010) was a Japanese actor who appeared in 253 films in a career spanning 67 years. Born in Gunma Prefecture, he began acting at the Nikkatsu studio after dropping out of Nihon University and made his film debut in 1942. In 1956 he moved to Toho film company. In a career that spanned 65 years, he appeared in over 250 films, most famously in the "Company President" (Shachō) comedy films made at Toho, where he worked alongside Hisaya Morishige, Daisuke Katō, Norihei Miki, and others. There he helped define the popular image of the postwar salaryman. He also won many awards for his acting, including best actor awards at the Mainichi Film Awards for The Naked General in 1958 (where he played Kiyoshi Yamashita), for Kuroi gashū in 1960, and for The Elegant Life of Mr Everyman in 1963. Kobayashi appeared in films made by such notable directors as Akira Kurosawa, Yasujirō Ozu, Mikio Naruse, and Kihachi Okamoto. He continued to give powerful performances after largely moving to television in the late 1960s. He also portrayed the voice of the "Shirō Nishi" in the original Japanese version of the Studio Ghibli anime film Whisper of the Heart in 1995. He died on 16 September 2010 of heart failure at the age of 86.
Yoshio Shirai (白井 義男, Shirai Yoshio; November 23, 1923 – December 26, 2003) was a professional boxer from Tokyo, Japan.…
Yoshio Shirai (白井 義男, Shirai Yoshio; November 23, 1923 – December 26, 2003) was a professional boxer from Tokyo, Japan. He won the Undisputed Flyweight Championship in 1952, becoming the first Japanese boxer to win a world title.
Asako Kishi (岸 朝子, Kishi Asako; November 22, 1923 – September 22, 2015) was a Japanese culinary critic, journalist, and…
Asako Kishi (岸 朝子, Kishi Asako; November 22, 1923 – September 22, 2015) was a Japanese culinary critic, journalist, and publisher, best known for her role as a guest judge on Iron Chef.
Aiko Satō (佐藤 愛子, Satō Aiko; 5 November 1923 – 29 April 2026) was a Japanese writer.
Tsuguo Hongo (本郷 次雄, Hongō Tsuguo; November 1, 1923 – April 2, 2007) was a Japanese mycologist who specialized in the…
Tsuguo Hongo (本郷 次雄, Hongō Tsuguo; November 1, 1923 – April 2, 2007) was a Japanese mycologist who specialized in the biogeography and taxonomy of Agaricales. Hongo entered the Department of Biology at what is now Hiroshima University in 1943, where he studied botany until graduating in 1946 with a B.Sc. Hongo received his Ph.D. degree, entitled "Agaricales of Japan", from Kyoto University in 1961 while working under Dr. Shiro Kitamura. He was president of the Mycological Society of Japan from 1987 to 1989. In 2003 he was awarded the Minakata Kumagusu Award for contributions to mycology. Hongo published more than 130 scientific papers and 9 books. He also described 215 new taxa of Agaricales from a variety of locations. Fungus species named after Hongo include: Amanita hongoi, Boletus hongoi, Xerula hongoi, Pluteus hongoi, Russula hongoi, Strobilomyces hongoi, and Tylopilus hongoi. Hongo may be considered a case of cross-lingual nominative determinism, as the word hongo means "mushroom" or "fungus" in Spanish.
Tomio Aoki (青木 富夫, Aoki Tomio; October 7, 1923 – January 24, 2004) aka Tokkan Kozō (突貫小僧) was a Japanese film actor.…
Tomio Aoki (青木 富夫, Aoki Tomio; October 7, 1923 – January 24, 2004) aka Tokkan Kozō (突貫小僧) was a Japanese film actor. Aoki became famous as a child actor after debuting at the age of six in silent films directed by Yasujirō Ozu. His leading role in Ozu's 1929 short comedy Tokkan kozo gave Aoki his nickname. I Was Born, But... (1932), Passing Fancy (1933) and An Inn in Tokyo (1935) were three other Ozu films in which Aoki had notable roles. Aoki disappeared from Japanese cinema in 1940, at the age of 16, but returned to film acting in Kon Ichikawa's The Burmese Harp (1956). During the 1960s he appeared in films for directors Seijun Suzuki and Teruo Ishii before retiring again in 1972. He again returned to the screen in 1995 in Makoto Shinozaki's Okaeri, and appeared in Suzuki's Pistol Opera (2001). He continued appearing in films, and in short comedies by Shinozaki until his death in 2004. He shared the Best Actor award at the French Three Continents Festival with two of his co-stars for Shinozaki's Not Forgotten (2000). By the time of his death, at the age of 80, Aoki had performed in over 300 films.
Tetsu Yano (Japanese 矢野徹 Yano Tetsu; October 5, 1923 – October 13, 2004) was a Japanese translator and writer of…
Tetsu Yano (Japanese 矢野徹 Yano Tetsu; October 5, 1923 – October 13, 2004) was a Japanese translator and writer of science fiction, fantasy, adventure stories and young adult novels. He was a founder and promoter of the Japanese science fiction at the dawn of this genre in Japan. Yano introduced the works of British and American science fiction writers to Japanese readers through almost half centuries from the late 1940s. He was also the first Japanese writer of the genre to visit the United States, in 1953. He took part in founding Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of Japan (SFWJ, 日本SF作家クラブ) in 1963, and served as its president from 1978 to 1979.
Keiichiro Ryu (隆 慶一郎, Ryū Keiichirō; September 30, 1923 – November 4, 1989) was a Japanese editor, acclaimed screenplay…
Keiichiro Ryu (隆 慶一郎, Ryū Keiichirō; September 30, 1923 – November 4, 1989) was a Japanese editor, acclaimed screenplay writer, and historical fiction writer.
Jun Negami (根上 淳, Negami Jun; born Fujio Mori; September 20, 1923 - October 24, 2005) was a Japanese actor. He was best…
Jun Negami (根上 淳, Negami Jun; born Fujio Mori; September 20, 1923 - October 24, 2005) was a Japanese actor. He was best known internationally for his role as Ryū Ibuki on the tokusatsu television series Return of Ultraman (1971–72).