Yōsuke Naka (中 庸助, Naka Yōsuke; born Kazuo Nakajima (中島 和男, Nakajama Kazuo) March 30, 1930 – October 20, 2023) was a…Yōsuke Naka (中 庸助, Naka Yōsuke; born Kazuo Nakajima (中島 和男, Nakajama Kazuo) March 30, 1930 – October 20, 2023) was a Japanese actor from Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture. He is best known for his roles as Admiral Majin in Kamen Rider, Nobisuke Nobi in Doraemon, Ehrenberg in Legend of the Galactic Heroes, Mulligan in Sohryuden: Legend of the Dragon Kings, and Nijūemon Tsuzureya (20 Emon) in 21 Emon.
Minoru Miki (Japanese: 三木 稔, 16 March 1930 – 8 December 2011) was a Japanese composer and Artistic director. He was…Minoru Miki (Japanese: 三木 稔, 16 March 1930 – 8 December 2011) was a Japanese composer and Artistic director. He was known for promoting Japanese, Chinese and Korean traditional instruments as well as some of their performers. In his catalogue these traditional instruments figure solo or in various types of ensembles, with and without Western instruments. His catalogue demonstrates a large stylistic and formal diversity including operas and other kinds of stage music; orchestral, concerto, chamber and solo music, as well as music for films. His work has found international recognition placing Miki in the company of other celebrated Japanese composers such as Tōru Takemitsu. Minoru was a pioneer in the composition of contemporary classical music for large ensembles of traditional Japanese musical instruments. In 1964, he founded the Nihon Ongaku Shūdan (Pro Musica Nipponia ensemble), also known as Ensemble Nipponia, for which he has composed extensively.
Masaya Takahashi (高橋 昌也, Takahashi Masaya; March 16, 1930 – January 16, 2014) was a Japanese actor and theatre…Masaya Takahashi (高橋 昌也, Takahashi Masaya; March 16, 1930 – January 16, 2014) was a Japanese actor and theatre director. He appeared in a wide range of films over six decades, including Goke, Body Snatcher from Hell (1968), Belladonna of Sadness (1973), Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001), Returner (2002), and Air Doll (2009).
Kenji Kurosaki (黒崎健時, Kurosaki Kenji; born March 15, 1930) is a Japanese martial arts instructor, specializing in…Kenji Kurosaki (黒崎健時, Kurosaki Kenji; born March 15, 1930) is a Japanese martial arts instructor, specializing in full-contact karate and kickboxing. He is a 10th dan black belt (1992) in Kyokushin Karate and operates various martial schools. He is most well known as a pioneer of full-contact karate and kickboxing in both Japan and the Netherlands.
Yoshikazu Hasegawa (長谷川 善和) (12 March 1930 – 2 September 2026) was a Japanese vertebrate palaeontologist and honorary…Yoshikazu Hasegawa (長谷川 善和) (12 March 1930 – 2 September 2026) was a Japanese vertebrate palaeontologist and honorary museum director. The Pleistocene anatid Shiriyanetta hasegawai was named in his honour, in recognition of his "outstanding contributions" to the field.
Ei Ogawa (Japanese: 小川英, Ogawa Ei, March 10, 1930; Osaka – April 27, 1994; Tokyo), also credited as Hide Ogawa (江里 明…Ei Ogawa (Japanese: 小川英, Ogawa Ei, March 10, 1930; Osaka – April 27, 1994; Tokyo), also credited as Hide Ogawa (江里 明, Ogawa Hide) was a Japanese screenwriter. He worked on many projects for Toho and Nikkatsu.
Stephen Fumio Hamao (濱尾 文郎 Hamao Fumio) (9 March 1930 – 8 November 2007) was a Japanese cardinal of the Catholic Church…Stephen Fumio Hamao (濱尾 文郎 Hamao Fumio) (9 March 1930 – 8 November 2007) was a Japanese cardinal of the Catholic Church and was the president of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerants until it merged with other elements of the Roman Curia. He was made a cardinal by Pope John Paul II in 2003.
Keiiti Aki (安芸 敬一, Aki Keiichi; March 3, 1930 – May 17, 2005) was a Japanese-American professor of Geophysics at the…Keiiti Aki (安芸 敬一, Aki Keiichi; March 3, 1930 – May 17, 2005) was a Japanese-American professor of Geophysics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and then at the University of Southern California (USC), seismologist, author and mentor. He and Paul G. Richards coauthored "Quantitative Seismology: theory and methods".
Susumu Okubo (大久保 進, Ōkubo Susumu; 2 March 1930 – July 17, 2015) was a Japanese theoretical physicist at the University…Susumu Okubo (大久保 進, Ōkubo Susumu; 2 March 1930 – July 17, 2015) was a Japanese theoretical physicist at the University of Rochester. Ōkubo worked primarily on elementary particle physics. He is famous for the Gell-Mann–Okubo mass formula for mesons and baryons in the quark model; this formula correctly predicts the relations of masses of the members of SU(3) multiplets in terms of hypercharge and isotopic spin. Ōkubo died in July 2015. Ōkubo began study at the University of Tokyo in 1949 and received his bachelor's degree there in 1952. He became a graduate student at the University of Rochester in 1954, where he earned his PhD in 1958 with David Feldman as thesis advisor. Afterwards, he was a postdoc in 1959/60 at the University of Naples, in 1960/61 at CERN, and then in 1962 began researching again at the University of Rochester, where he became a professor in 1964 and retired in 1996 as an emeritus professor.
Kōichi Iijima (飯島耕一, Iijima Kōichi; February 25, 1930- October 14, 2013) was a Japanese poet, novelist, and translator.…Kōichi Iijima (飯島耕一, Iijima Kōichi; February 25, 1930- October 14, 2013) was a Japanese poet, novelist, and translator. He was a member of the Japan Art Academy.
Gorō Shimura (志村 五郎, Shimura Gorō; 23 February 1930 – 3 May 2019) was a Japanese mathematician and Michael Henry…Gorō Shimura (志村 五郎, Shimura Gorō; 23 February 1930 – 3 May 2019) was a Japanese mathematician and Michael Henry Strater Professor Emeritus of Mathematics at Princeton University who worked in number theory, automorphic forms, and arithmetic geometry. He was known for developing the theory of complex multiplication of abelian varieties and Shimura varieties, as well as posing the Taniyama–Shimura conjecture which ultimately led to the proof of Fermat's Last Theorem.
Kōryō Miura (Japanese: 三浦 公亮, born 1930) is a Japanese astrophysicist, inventor, and origamist known for the Miura…Kōryō Miura (Japanese: 三浦 公亮, born 1930) is a Japanese astrophysicist, inventor, and origamist known for the Miura fold. He is a professor emeritus at the University of Tokyo and at the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science.
Shungo Sawada (born Tokyo, February 10, 1930 - died August 28, 2006) was a Japanese jazz guitarist. Sawada began…Shungo Sawada (born Tokyo, February 10, 1930 - died August 28, 2006) was a Japanese jazz guitarist. Sawada began playing guitar at twelve years old, and played in his early twenties on US military installations. He founded his own group, Double Beats, in 1954, and led a five-piece band in the mid-1960s. His Japanese sidemen included Shotaro Moriyasu, Norio Maeda, Akitoshi Igarashi, and Motohiko Hino; he also played with visiting American musicians such as Stan Getz, Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Goodman, Thad Jones, Helen Merrill, Oscar Peterson, and Sonny Stitt. He was the founder of the label Elec in 1972, and later taught at Roots College of Music in Tokyo.
Hajime Hana (Japanese: ハナ肇, Hepburn: Hana Hajime; February 9, 1930 – September 10, 1993) was a Japanese actor. He was…Hajime Hana (Japanese: ハナ肇, Hepburn: Hana Hajime; February 9, 1930 – September 10, 1993) was a Japanese actor. He was the leader of the comic jazz band The Crazy Cats, which featured such talent as Hitoshi Ueki and Kei Tani, and which starred in a series of film comedies (such as the "Irresponsible" (Musekinin) series at Toho) and in TV variety shows such as "Shabondama Holiday." He won the award for best actor at the 31st Blue Ribbon Awards for Kaisha monogatari: Memories of You.
Ikutaro Kakehashi (梯 郁太郎, Kakehashi Ikutarō; 7 February 1930 – 1 April 2017), also known by the nickname Taro, was a…Ikutaro Kakehashi (梯 郁太郎, Kakehashi Ikutarō; 7 February 1930 – 1 April 2017), also known by the nickname Taro, was a Japanese engineer, inventor, and entrepreneur. He founded the musical instrument manufacturers Ace Tone, Roland Corporation and Boss Corporation, and the audiovisual electronics company ATV Corporation. Kakehashi founded Ace Tone in 1960 to produce electronic organs and early drum machines. He founded Roland in 1972 and was involved in the development of various influential electronic instruments, such as the TR-808 and TR-909 drum machines and the TB-303 and Juno-60 synthesizers, in addition to Boss guitar amplifiers and effects pedals. He was also key to the development of MIDI, a technical standard that connects a wide variety of electronic instruments, in the 1980s; in 2013, Kakehashi received a Technical Grammy Award, shared with Dave Smith of Sequential, for the invention of MIDI. Kakehashi's inventions are credited with shaping popular music genres such as electronic, dance, hip hop, R&B, rock and pop music.
Takie Sugiyama Lebra (February 6, 1930 – May 26, 2017) was a Japanese anthropologist and professor. Her “contributions…Takie Sugiyama Lebra (February 6, 1930 – May 26, 2017) was a Japanese anthropologist and professor. Her “contributions to the anthropology of Japan are regarded as foundational”. She was born in a rural village in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. She attended primary school in Japan, graduating from Tsuda College in Tokyo in 1951. She graduated from Gakushuin University in Tokyo with a BA in political science in 1954 and then completed her studies at the University of Pittsburgh, receiving an MA in political science in 1960 and a PhD in sociology (also from the University of Pittsburgh) in 1967. Lebra was a professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Hawaii from 1971 until her retirement in 1996. She also held visiting positions at the University of Washington, the University of Michigan, Oxford Brookes University, Harvard University, and the National University of Singapore. She was a popular teacher with her courses (especially in Japanese Studies) attracting many students. While teaching in Hawaii, she was a specialist of Japan, of psychological anthropology and of culture and social organization. She was also an author, having written 7 books about Japanese culture and selling over 66,000 copies. She has won multiple awards, including a John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship, a Fulbright Council for International Exchange, a Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research, a Japan Foundation Research Fellowship. She also received awards from the Joint Committee on Japanese Studies of the American Council of Learned Societies and the Social Science Research Council. She was a board member for the Society for Psychological Anthropology, the US-Japan Women's Journal and the Journal of Japanese Studies. Her 1976 book, Japanese Patterns of Behavior provides an overview of contemporary Japanese cultural norms and devotes a chapter to a case study of the Salvation Cult. Her 1995 book Above the Clouds, Status Culture of the Modern Japanese Nobility was the first ethnographic study of the modern Japanese aristocracy, in which she explained the Kazoku, the hereditary peerage of the Empire of Japan. An obituary sums up her career as follows: “Takie Lebra will be remembered for her feistiness that combined probing intellect with humor. For her many students and colleagues, she demonstrated that the life of the mind should never forget the body, that we are driven as whole creatures that embrace emotions, relationships, institutions, and ideas. She taught that we are only and always too human, and in the end, that may be enough.”
Jun Kondō (近藤 淳 Kondō Jun, 6 February 1930 – 11 March 2022) was a Japanese theoretical physicist. His research is noted…Jun Kondō (近藤 淳 Kondō Jun, 6 February 1930 – 11 March 2022) was a Japanese theoretical physicist. His research is noted for the Kondo effect. He was an emeritus fellow of the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST). Kondō died from pneumonia on 11 March 2022, at the age of 92.
Osamu Suzuki (鈴木 修, Suzuki Osamu; né Matsuda 松田; January 30, 1930 – December 25, 2024) was a Japanese businessman and…Osamu Suzuki (鈴木 修, Suzuki Osamu; né Matsuda 松田; January 30, 1930 – December 25, 2024) was a Japanese businessman and the chairman of Suzuki Motor Corporation. From 1978, Suzuki was the CEO, president, and chairman of the company. In February 2021, Suzuki announced that he would retire in June 2021 and assume the role of adviser.
Norio Ohga (大賀 典雄, Ōga Norio; January 29, 1930 – April 23, 2011), also spelled Norio Oga, was a Japanese businessperson…Norio Ohga (大賀 典雄, Ōga Norio; January 29, 1930 – April 23, 2011), also spelled Norio Oga, was a Japanese businessperson who was the president and chairman of Sony Corporation. He is credited with spurring the development of the compact disc (CD) as a commercially viable audio format.
Tetsuzo Fuwa (不破 哲三, Fuwa Tetsuzō; 26 January 1930 – 30 December 2025) was the pen name of Kenjiro Ueda (上田 建二郎, Ueda…Tetsuzo Fuwa (不破 哲三, Fuwa Tetsuzō; 26 January 1930 – 30 December 2025) was the pen name of Kenjiro Ueda (上田 建二郎, Ueda Kenjirō), a member and chairman of the Japanese Communist Party. He was a graduate of Tokyo University. He joined the Communist Party in 1947, and was elected to the House of Representatives in 1969.
Yūji Tsushima (津島 雄二, Tsushima Yūji; 24 January 1930 – 25 October 2023) was a Japanese politician who served in the…Yūji Tsushima (津島 雄二, Tsushima Yūji; 24 January 1930 – 25 October 2023) was a Japanese politician who served in the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature) as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party.
Keigo Ōuchi (大内 啓伍, Ōuchi Keigo; 23 January 1930 – 9 March 2016) was a Japanese politician who served as chairman of…Keigo Ōuchi (大内 啓伍, Ōuchi Keigo; 23 January 1930 – 9 March 2016) was a Japanese politician who served as chairman of the Democratic Socialist Party from 1990 to 1994. He led the Democratic Socialist Party into the 1993 Japanese general election. He was Minister of Health and Welfare in the Hosokawa Cabinet and Hata Cabinet. When his party merged into the New Frontier Party in 1994, Ōuchi declined to join. He instead formed the Liberal League with other independents. He joined the Liberal Democratic Party the following year. Ōuchi died of pneumonia in Tokyo on 9 March 2016, at the age of 86.
Yasutaka Matsudaira (22 January 1930 – 31 December 2011) was a volleyball player, coach, and sports official. He was…Yasutaka Matsudaira (22 January 1930 – 31 December 2011) was a volleyball player, coach, and sports official. He was the coach of Japan men's national volleyball team from 1965–1972 and the first Japanese to enter the International Volleyball Hall of Fame. Matsudaira was also previously a captain for Keio University.
Yu Ying-shih (Chinese: 余英時; 22 January 1930 – 1 August 2021) was a Chinese-born American historian, sinologist, and the…Yu Ying-shih (Chinese: 余英時; 22 January 1930 – 1 August 2021) was a Chinese-born American historian, sinologist, and the Gordon Wu '58 Professor of Chinese Studies, Emeritus, at Princeton University. He was known for his mastery of sources for Chinese history and philosophy, his ability to synthesize them on a wide range of topics, and for his advocacy for a new Confucianism. He was a tenured professor at Harvard University and Yale University before his time at Princeton. He was the elder brother of philosopher, educator, and university president Paul Yu.
Chiyoko Nakatani (中谷千代子, Nakatani Chiyoko, January 16, 1930 - December 26, 1981) was a Japanese picture book author and…Chiyoko Nakatani (中谷千代子, Nakatani Chiyoko, January 16, 1930 - December 26, 1981) was a Japanese picture book author and illustrator. During the Shōwa era, Nakatani was one of the artists to popularize Japanese children's books outside of Japan.
Shōmei Tōmatsu (東松 照明, Tōmatsu Shōmei; January 16, 1930 – December 14, 2012) was a Japanese photographer. He is known…Shōmei Tōmatsu (東松 照明, Tōmatsu Shōmei; January 16, 1930 – December 14, 2012) was a Japanese photographer. He is known primarily for his images that depict the impact of World War II on Japan and the subsequent occupation of U.S. forces. As one of the leading postwar photographers, Tōmatsu is attributed with influencing the younger generations of photographers including those associated with the magazine Provoke (Takuma Nakahira and Daido Moriyama).
Ikko Tanaka (田中 一光, Tanaka Ikkō; January 13, 1930 – January 10, 2002) was a Japanese graphic designer. Tanaka is widely…Ikko Tanaka (田中 一光, Tanaka Ikkō; January 13, 1930 – January 10, 2002) was a Japanese graphic designer. Tanaka is widely recognized for his prolific body of interdisciplinary work, which includes graphic identity and visual matter for brands and corporations including Seibu Department Stores, Mazda, Issey Miyake, Hanae Mori, and Expo 85. He is credited with developing the foundational graphic identity for lifestyle brand Muji, emphasizing the "no brand" quality of their products through unadorned, charming line drawings paired with straightforward slogans. His use of bold, polychromatic geometries and his harnessing of the dynamic visual potential of typography are undergirded by a sensitivity towards traditional Japanese aesthetics. Though keenly sensitive to historical precedents and established conventions, Tanaka nevertheless maintained a degree of playfulness in his work, manipulating color, scale, and form to reconfigure familiar iconographies into fresh and accessible visual representations. Tanaka is also widely recognized for his posters designs for Noh productions and other performances and exhibitions staged in Japan and beyond. He was active in realms of typography, exhibition design, and book design as well, and his publication Japan Style was released in 1980 alongside the Victoria and Albert Museum exhibition of the same name. As a leading figure in postwar Japanese design, Tanaka is also credited with playing a role in the professionalization and expansion of the discipline.
Minoru Makihara (Japanese: 槙原稔 Makihara Minoru; January 12, 1930 – December 13, 2020) was a Japanese business executive…Minoru Makihara (Japanese: 槙原稔 Makihara Minoru; January 12, 1930 – December 13, 2020) was a Japanese business executive who was the chief executive (1992–1998) and chairman (1998–2004) of Mitsubishi Corporation. He was noted for steering the group through the turbulent economic times of the 1990s and for advocating strong US–Japan business relations, serving on many trade and cultural relations advocacy groups.
Kōsaku Yamashita (山下耕作, Yamashita Kōsaku; 10 December 1930 – 6 December 1998) was a Japanese film director who…Kōsaku Yamashita (山下耕作, Yamashita Kōsaku; 10 December 1930 – 6 December 1998) was a Japanese film director who specialized in directing Yakuza films. Yamashita was nicknamed Shōgun. His son is director Tomohiko Yamashita. In 1952, He graduated from Kyoto University and joined Toei Film. He was working an office job, but three years later, he became an assistant director under Tomu Uchida and Kōzaburō Yoshimura. Yamashita made his directorial debut with Wakatono Senryu Hada in 1961. His representative works included The Valiant Red Peony series and Kyōdai Jingi (1966).
Yasuo Takei (武井保雄, Takei Yasuo) (January 4, 1930 – August 10, 2006) was the founder and former chairman of Takefuji…Yasuo Takei (武井保雄, Takei Yasuo) (January 4, 1930 – August 10, 2006) was the founder and former chairman of Takefuji (武富士), Japan's number one consumer finance group. On 17 November 2004 he was given a three-year suspended sentence for wiretapping and defamation of character, after ordering the phones of two freelance journalists who had written articles critical of Takefuji to be bugged between December 2000 and February 2001. The defamation of character charge followed Takei's ordering Takefuji employees to place libelous statements about one of the journalists on its web site. According to a Forbes survey in June 2006, Takei was the second-wealthiest person in Japan (after Masayoshi Son) - he possessed an estimated net worth of US$5.6 billion.
Tetsumi Nabeya (鍋谷鐵巳, Nabeya Tetsuya; 2 January 1930 – 4 April 2010) was a Japanese gymnast. He competed in eight…Tetsumi Nabeya (鍋谷鐵巳, Nabeya Tetsuya; 2 January 1930 – 4 April 2010) was a Japanese gymnast. He competed in eight events at the 1952 Summer Olympics. His best result was 14th place in Floor Exercise and his worst result was 69th place in Rings. He achieved fifth place in the team all-around event. Nabeya died on 4 April 2010, at the age of 80.
Toshiyuki Kajiyama (梶山 季之, Kajiyama Toshiyuki; 2 January 1930 – 11 May 1975) was a Japanese novelist, essayist and…Toshiyuki Kajiyama (梶山 季之, Kajiyama Toshiyuki; 2 January 1930 – 11 May 1975) was a Japanese novelist, essayist and journalist active during the Shōwa period of Japan.
Toshiko D'Elia (née Kishimoto) (January 2, 1930 – February 19, 2014) was an American Masters athletics long distance…Toshiko D'Elia (née Kishimoto) (January 2, 1930 – February 19, 2014) was an American Masters athletics long distance running legend. She was a member of the 1996 inaugural class of the Masters division of the USATF National Track and Field Hall of Fame. She holds numerous American long distance running records, primarily in the W75 age division.
Mitsuo Horiuchi (Japanese: 堀内 光雄, Hepburn: Horiuchi Mitsuo; 1 January 1930 – 16 May 2016) was a Japanese politician of…Mitsuo Horiuchi (Japanese: 堀内 光雄, Hepburn: Horiuchi Mitsuo; 1 January 1930 – 16 May 2016) was a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Misaka, Yamanashi and graduate of Keio University, he was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 1976. He joined Sosuke Uno's cabinet as the Minister of Labour.
Mototeru Kamo (加茂 元照, Kamo Mototeru; born 1930 in Kakegawa, Shizuoka) is a Japanese horticulturist. He is known for…Mototeru Kamo (加茂 元照, Kamo Mototeru; born 1930 in Kakegawa, Shizuoka) is a Japanese horticulturist. He is known for creating and maintaining a number of bird and flower theme parks in Japan, including the following. Fuji Kachoen (1990) Matsue Vogel (2001) Kamo Iris Garden (2003) in Kakegawa, Shizuoka Kobe Kachoen (2003) in Kobe He is creator of Kimjongilia, a Begonia hybrid flower, dedicated to North Korean leader Kim Jong Il.
Koichi Kawana (Japanese: 川名孝一, born March 16, 1930, in Hokkaido – September 13, 1990) was a post-war Japanese American…Koichi Kawana (Japanese: 川名孝一, born March 16, 1930, in Hokkaido – September 13, 1990) was a post-war Japanese American garden designer, landscape architect and teacher. He designed gardens in San Diego, Los Angeles, Denver, Colorado, Chicago, Illinois, Memphis, Tennessee, and St. Louis, Missouri. Some of his major works include the Seiwa-en Japanese Garden in the Missouri Botanical Garden, the Hannah Carter Japanese Garden and a dry landscape garden at Sawtelle, Los Angeles. He designed the bonsai collection for the Pavilion of Japanese Art at LACMA in the 90s.
Hisao Yamada (山田 尚勇, Yamada Hisao; June 8, 1930 – May 21, 2008) was a Japanese computer scientist, known for his…Hisao Yamada (山田 尚勇, Yamada Hisao; June 8, 1930 – May 21, 2008) was a Japanese computer scientist, known for his influential contributions to theoretical computer science, as well as for the development of Japanese keyboard layouts, a challenging practical problem. From 1972 to 1991, he was professor of the formal languages division at the Department for Information Science at the University of Tokyo.
Yoshinori Shigematsu (重松 良典, Shigematsu Yoshinori; April 2, 1930 – 2018) was a Japanese football player. He played for…Yoshinori Shigematsu (重松 良典, Shigematsu Yoshinori; April 2, 1930 – 2018) was a Japanese football player. He played for Japan national team.
Bunji Sakita (崎田 文二, Sakita Bunji; 1930 – August 31, 2002) was a Japanese-American theoretical physicist who made…Bunji Sakita (崎田 文二, Sakita Bunji; 1930 – August 31, 2002) was a Japanese-American theoretical physicist who made important contributions in quantum field theory, superstring theory and discovered supersymmetry in 1971. He was a distinguished professor of physics at the City College of New York.
