1940s: 1,885 people
Yū Terashima (寺島優, Terashima Yū; born 1949 in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese manga artist. After working in the Toho…
Yū Terashima (寺島優, Terashima Yū; born 1949 in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese manga artist. After working in the Toho marketing department for a while, he made his manga debut by winning the 1st Shōnen Jump Original Manga Work Contest in 1978.
Harue Okitsu (沖津 はる江, Okitsu Harue; born 31 May 1949) is a Japanese alpine skier. She competed in three events at the…
Harue Okitsu (沖津 はる江, Okitsu Harue; born 31 May 1949) is a Japanese alpine skier. She competed in three events at the 1972 Winter Olympics.
Kōichi Nihei (二瓶 康一, Nihei Kōichi; May 30, 1949 – November 14, 2024), known professionally as Shōhei Hino (火野 正平, Hino…
Kōichi Nihei (二瓶 康一, Nihei Kōichi; May 30, 1949 – November 14, 2024), known professionally as Shōhei Hino (火野 正平, Hino Shōhei), was a Japanese actor and singer who appeared in jidaigeki television dramas. He is best known for his roles in the Hissatsu series.
Toshiyuki Tanaka (田中 利幸, Tanaka Toshiyuki; born May 26, 1949) is a Japanese historian and political critic. Dr.…
Toshiyuki Tanaka (田中 利幸, Tanaka Toshiyuki; born May 26, 1949) is a Japanese historian and political critic. Dr. Toshiyuki Tanaka was Emeritus Research Professor of History at the Hiroshima Peace Institute, Hiroshima City University before his retirement in 2015. He was a visiting professor at Birkbeck, University of London, and the Sir Ninian Stephen Visiting Scholar at the Law School, University of Melbourne. He was a coordinator of the journal "The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus" and a member of the SVAC (Sexual Violence in Armed Conflicts) research project group funded by Hamburg Institute of Social Research. Tanaka has written extensively about forced prostitution (comfort women) under the Empire of Japan, history of Japanese war crimes during World War II, American aerial bombing of Japanese cities as well as Japan under US military rule. South Korean academic Park Yu-ha has also written on differing interpretations related to the comfort women issue. Tanaka also writes about the laws of warfare and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. As a guest speaker, he has lectured about the criminality of strategic bombing and the atomic bombings at universities including the University of Chicago and the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Kūdō (空道) (formerly known as Daido Juku) is a Japanese hybrid martial art. It is a full-contact combat sport that aims…
Kūdō (空道) (formerly known as Daido Juku) is a Japanese hybrid martial art. It is a full-contact combat sport that aims to achieve safety, aggression and practicality, a style of mixed martial arts practised with headgear and gloves. It features stand-up striking, with throwing and grappling techniques being also allowed in the competition, including restraint, locks and chokeholds. Kūdō is a form of budō (modern martial arts) that originated in the Daido Juku school, an organization founded by Azuma Takashi in 1981. The relationship between the Daido Juku school and kudo is similar to that between the kodokan school and judo. Kūdō is found in more than 100 locations in Japan and is practised in more than 50 countries around the world. Although it is a martial art created by the Japanese, Russia currently has the largest number of Kūdō athletes, eclipsing the number of Japanese practitioners.
Yoshioyama Osamu (born 20 May 1949 as Osamu Yoshimura) is a former sumo wrestler from Yatsushiro, Kumamoto, Japan. He…
Yoshioyama Osamu (born 20 May 1949 as Osamu Yoshimura) is a former sumo wrestler from Yatsushiro, Kumamoto, Japan. He made his professional debut in March 1965 and reached the top division in November 1969. His highest rank was maegashira 2. Upon retirement from active competition he became an elder in the Japan Sumo Association under the name Onogawa. He left the Sumo Association in January 1977.
Masayoshi Namiki (並木 正芳, Namiki Masayoshi; born 19 May 1949) is a former Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic…
Masayoshi Namiki (並木 正芳, Namiki Masayoshi; born 19 May 1949) is a former Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), who served as a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Tokorozawa, Saitama and graduate of Saitama University, he had served in the assembly of Tokorozawa for three terms since 1979 and in the assembly of Saitama Prefecture for two terms since 1991. He was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 1996 as a member of the New Frontier Party. After losing his seat in 2000, he also lost the election in 2003. He was re-elected in 2005 as a member of the LDP.
Hiroshi Ogawa (小川 洋, Ogawa Hiroshi; 17 May 1949 – 2 November 2021) was a Japanese politician who became the governor of…
Hiroshi Ogawa (小川 洋, Ogawa Hiroshi; 17 May 1949 – 2 November 2021) was a Japanese politician who became the governor of Fukuoka Prefecture in 2011. In 2015, he was re-elected for a second term, and for a third term in 2019. In 2021 he resigned to receive cancer treatment and the vice governor Seitaro Hattori was elected to replace him.
Sumio Hirota (弘田 澄男, Hirota Sumio) (born May 13, 1949 in Sukumo, Kōchi Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese former…
Sumio Hirota (弘田 澄男, Hirota Sumio) (born May 13, 1949 in Sukumo, Kōchi Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese former professional baseball outfielder. He played with the Lotte Orions from 1972 to 1983 and the Hanshin Tigers from 1984 to 1987. He won the Japan Series Most Valuable Player Award in 1974.
Moto Hagio (萩尾 望都, Hagio Moto; born May 12, 1949) is a Japanese manga artist. Regarded for her contributions to shōjo…
Moto Hagio (萩尾 望都, Hagio Moto; born May 12, 1949) is a Japanese manga artist. Regarded for her contributions to shōjo manga (manga aimed at young and adolescent women), Hagio is considered the most significant artist in the demographic and among the most influential manga artists of all time, being referred to as the "god of shōjo manga" (少女漫画の神様, shōjo manga no kami-sama) by critics. Hagio made her debut as a manga artist in 1969 at the publishing company Kodansha before moving to Shogakukan in 1971, where she was able to publish her more radical and unconventional works that had been rejected by other publishers. Her first serializations at Shogakukan – the vampire fantasy The Poe Clan, the shōnen-ai (male–male romance) drama The Heart of Thomas, and the science fiction thriller They Were Eleven – were among the first works of shōjo manga to achieve mainstream critical and commercial success. Hagio subsequently emerged as a central figure in the Year 24 Group, a grouping of female manga artists who significantly influenced shōjo manga in the 1970s by introducing new aesthetic styles and expanding the category to incorporate new genres. Since the 1980s, Hagio has drawn primarily adult-oriented manga in the manga magazine Petit Flower and its successor publication Flowers, notably Marginal, A Cruel God Reigns, and Nanohana. While Hagio primarily authors works in the science fiction, fantasy, and shōnen-ai genres, her manga explores a wide range of themes and subjects, including comedy, historical drama, and social and environmental issues. She has been recognized with numerous awards both in Japan and internationally, including the Order of the Rising Sun, a Medal of Honor, and commendation as a Person of Cultural Merit.
Terumi Niki (二木 てるみ, Niki Terumi; born 11 May 1949) is a Japanese actress from Tokyo. Since a child, she has been a…
Terumi Niki (二木 てるみ, Niki Terumi; born 11 May 1949) is a Japanese actress from Tokyo. Since a child, she has been a member of the Japanese Theatrical Company Gekidan Wakakusa, of which she has joined in 1953. She played the young girl Otoyo in Akira Kurosawa's Red Beard (1965).
Banmei Takahashi (高橋伴明, Takahashi Banmei) (or Tomoaki Takahashi) is a Japanese film director. Takahashi started his…
Banmei Takahashi (高橋伴明, Takahashi Banmei) (or Tomoaki Takahashi) is a Japanese film director. Takahashi started his career in the pink film industry, making his directorial debut in 1972 with Escaped Rapist Criminal. Due to a disagreement with his producer, Takahashi quit the film industry for a couple years. He joined pink film pioneer Kōji Wakamatsu's production studio in 1975, working as a script-writer until Wakamatsu produced Takahashi's second film, Delinquent File: Juvenile Prostitution (1976). For the next few years Takahashi averaged five films annually at Wakamatsu's studio, until Takahashi left to start his own production company in 1979. Takahashi married Nikkatsu Roman Porno and pink film actress Keiko Sekine who then changed her name to Keiko Takahashi and starred in several of Takahashi's films. Sekine appeared in Takahashi's Tattoo Ari (1982), a mainstream box-office hit which won Takahashi the award for Best Director at the 4th Yokohama Film Festival. With the success of this film, Takahashi dissolved Takahashi Productions to focus on mainstream filmmaking. Takahashi's 1994 film Ai no Shinsekai, inspired by photographer Nobuyoshi Araki's work, is significant as the first Japanese production to play uncensored and unfogged domestically.
Satoshi Mori (森 哲, Mori Satoshi; born 10 May 1949) is a Japanese basketball player. He competed in the men's tournament…
Satoshi Mori (森 哲, Mori Satoshi; born 10 May 1949) is a Japanese basketball player. He competed in the men's tournament at the 1972 Summer Olympics and the 1976 Summer Olympics.
Kenji Shimaoka (嶋岡 健治, Shimaoka Kenji; born May 9, 1949) is a Japanese former volleyball player who competed in the…
Kenji Shimaoka (嶋岡 健治, Shimaoka Kenji; born May 9, 1949) is a Japanese former volleyball player who competed in the 1968 Summer Olympics, in the 1972 Summer Olympics, and in the 1976 Summer Olympics. In 1968, he was part of the Japanese team which won the silver medal in the Olympic tournament. He played four matches. Four years later, in 1972, he won the gold medal with the Japanese team in the 1972 Olympic tournament. He played all seven matches. At the 1976 Games, he was a member of the Japanese team which finished fourth in the Olympic tournament. He played all five matches.
Haruko Tachiiri (たちいり ハルコ, Tachīri Haruko) (born 7 May 1949 in Meguro, Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese manga artist who…
Haruko Tachiiri (たちいり ハルコ, Tachīri Haruko) (born 7 May 1949 in Meguro, Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese manga artist who writes mostly manga for children. In 1979, she received an Excellence Prize from the Japanese Cartoonists' Association for Picola-picola, and in 1984 she received the Shogakukan Manga Award for children's manga for Panku Ponk.
Setsurō Wakamatsu (若松節朗, Wakamatsu Setsurō) is a Japanese film director. His film Shizumanu Taiyō won the Japan Academy…
Setsurō Wakamatsu (若松節朗, Wakamatsu Setsurō) is a Japanese film director. His film Shizumanu Taiyō won the Japan Academy Prize for Picture of the Year at the 33rd Japan Academy Prize.
Kaoru Abe (阿部 薫, Abe Kaoru) (May 3, 1949 – September 9, 1978) was a Japanese avant-garde alto saxophonist. Self-taught…
Kaoru Abe (阿部 薫, Abe Kaoru) (May 3, 1949 – September 9, 1978) was a Japanese avant-garde alto saxophonist. Self-taught at a young age, Abe performed with notables such as Motoharu Yoshizawa, Takehisa Kosugi, Yosuke Yamashita, Derek Bailey, and Milford Graves, although he generally performed solo. He was married to the author Izumi Suzuki, and was a nephew of singer Kyu Sakamoto. He was portrayed in Kōji Wakamatsu's film Endless Waltz by novelist and punk rock singer Kō Machida.
Hiroko Uehara (上原 公子, Uehara Hiroko) is a Japanese centre-left politician and policy consultant. From 1999 to 2007, she…
Hiroko Uehara (上原 公子, Uehara Hiroko) is a Japanese centre-left politician and policy consultant. From 1999 to 2007, she served for two terms as mayor of Kunitachi City, becoming the first female mayor in Tokyo. Uehara was born in 1949 in Miyazaki City, Miyazaki Prefecture. After attending Miyazaki prefectural Miyazaki-Ōmiya High School (Miyazaki kenritsu Miyazaki Ōmiya kōtō-gakkō), she graduated from the Faculty of Letters of Hōsei University, but subsequently broke off her postgraduate studies. Later, she became the leader of the female consumer-driven local party Tokyo Seikatsusha Network, part of the national citizens' network movement (also known as "representative/deputy/proxy movement", 代理人運動, dairinin undō), and was elected to the assembly of Kunitachi City. In 1999, Uehara won the mayoral election, ending a two-decade streak of conservative/centre-right mayors. After two terms, she did not stand for re-election (the network movement has rules on assembly member rotation and chief executive term limits). With centre-left support including hers, Hiroshi Sekiguchi was elected to succeed her. In the 2007 regular election, she tried to win a seat in the House of Councillors via the Social Democratic Party list in the proportional district; but she received only 108,636 votes nationwide, making her fourth on the SDP list while the party won only two seats in the proportional election. In the 2016 Tokyo gubernatorial election, Uehara ran a support group for centre-left candidate Shuntarō Torigoe.
Yoshiaki Fujiwara (藤原 喜明, Fujiwara Yoshiaki; April 27, 1949) is a Japanese professional wrestler, trainer and wrestling…
Yoshiaki Fujiwara (藤原 喜明, Fujiwara Yoshiaki; April 27, 1949) is a Japanese professional wrestler, trainer and wrestling promoter. He is famous for his long career in wrestling, having worked in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), Pro Wrestling ZERO-ONE (ZERO-ONE), and the two incarnations of shoot style promotion Universal Wrestling Federation. Fujiwara is known for his catch wrestling expertise, having been praised by fighters like Josh Barnett and Ken Shamrock. He was trained by Karl Gotch and has trained many MMA fighters and professional wrestlers. Fujiwara also has a strong background in Judo and Muay Thai.
Hiroji Imamura (今村 博治, Imamura Hiroji; born April 27, 1949) is a former Japanese football player. He played for Japan…
Hiroji Imamura (今村 博治, Imamura Hiroji; born April 27, 1949) is a former Japanese football player. He played for Japan national team.
Morio Kazama (風間杜夫, Kazama Morio) is a Japanese actor. He won the award for best supporting actor at the 2nd Yokohama…
Morio Kazama (風間杜夫, Kazama Morio) is a Japanese actor. He won the award for best supporting actor at the 2nd Yokohama Film Festival for Shiki Natsuko and Yūgure made and at the 6th and 7th Japan Academy Prizes. Morio Kazama has been referred to as "The Japanese version of Alain Delon".
Issei Sagawa (佐川 一政, Sagawa Issei; 26 April 1949 – 24 November 2022) also known as Pang or the Kobe Cannibal, was a…
Issei Sagawa (佐川 一政, Sagawa Issei; 26 April 1949 – 24 November 2022) also known as Pang or the Kobe Cannibal, was a Japanese lust murderer, cannibal, and necrophiliac known for the killing of Renée Hartevelt in Paris in 1981. He murdered Hartevelt and then mutilated, cannibalized, and performed necrophilia on her corpse over several days. In France, Sagawa was judged to be legally insane and ordered to be held indefinitely in a mental institution. After a few years, he was deported to Japan, where psychologists from Matsuzawa Hospital examined him and unanimously concluded that he was sane. He therefore had to be released from the hospital in 1986. Since the criminal case in France had been closed and the court records were not made available to the Japanese authorities, Sagawa was not again put on trial and spent the rest of his life a free man. While this was widely criticized as an example of obstruction of justice, he became a minor celebrity in Japan and made a living through the public's interest in his crime.
Yoshiko Tōma (当摩 好子, Tōma Yoshiko; born 26 April 1949) is a Japanese politician from Ōmuta, Fukuoka. Having graduated…
Yoshiko Tōma (当摩 好子, Tōma Yoshiko; born 26 April 1949) is a Japanese politician from Ōmuta, Fukuoka. Having graduated from Keio University, Tōma was elected to Tokorozawa City Council in 1979. She ran unsuccessfully for the Tokorozawa mayoral election in 1991 and for the national lower house election in 1996 before she was elected to the Saitama Prefectural Assembly in 1999. Elected as mayor of Tokorozawa in October 2007, Tōma became the first woman to hold that post.
Yoshinotani Akitoshi (born Sakuri Yoshitani; April 23, 1949 – January 14, 2000) was a sumo wrestler from Miiraku…
Yoshinotani Akitoshi (born Sakuri Yoshitani; April 23, 1949 – January 14, 2000) was a sumo wrestler from Miiraku, Nagasaki, Japan. He made his professional debut in May 1965 and reached the top division in January 1974. His shikona was adapted from own surname of Yoshitani after he had previously used Utonoyama. His highest rank was maegashira 4 and he fought in seven top division tournaments, although he struggled with a persistent elbow injury. He was one of the smallest sekitori, weighing less than 100kg for much of his career. He was a contemporary of Washuyama, another small wrestler from Dewanoumi stable. He won the jūryō division championship in September 1973 with an 11–4 record, despite losing his last three matches. In May 1978 he inflicted the first defeat of future ōzeki Asashio's career to secure his majority of wins on the final day of the tournament. His final tournament as a sekitori was in November 1978. He fought in 102 tournaments in total, 27 as a sekitori, with no bouts missed and 930 career matches. Upon retirement from active competition in May 1982 he became an elder in the Japan Sumo Association under a series of different names, since he didn't own a toshiyori-kabu of his own. He died while active as Onaruto-oyakata of multiple organ failure in January 2000, having been ill for several months.
Fumio Nanjo (南條 史生, Nanjō Fumio; born 1949 in Tokyo) is a curator and art historian. Between 2006 and 2019 he was the…
Fumio Nanjo (南條 史生, Nanjō Fumio; born 1949 in Tokyo) is a curator and art historian. Between 2006 and 2019 he was the director of the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo. A graduate of Keio University, Nanjo was previously Director of the Institute of Contemporary Arts in Nagoya (1986–1990) and served as commissioner of the Japan Pavilion at the Venice Biennale (1997). He has curated many art exhibitions and directed many art program, including the Taipei Biennale (1998); the Asia-Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (1999); the Yokohama Triennale (2001), the Singapore Biennale (2006, 2008) and the inaugural Honolulu Biennial (2017). In 2018 he curated the exhibition Japan in Architecture: Genealogies of Its Transformations at the Mori Art Museum. Fumio Nanjo was one of the co-organizers of 1994 exhibition “Open Air ’94 Out of Bounds̶ Contemporary Art in the Seascape” held in Naoshima. Nanjo also contributed to exhibitions catalogues, art journals and magazines, and is the author of From Art to the City (1997) and Asian Contemporary Art Report: China, India, Middle East and Japan (2010).
Nozomu Suzuki (Japanese: 鈴木望; 20 April 1949 – 7 June 2024) was a Japanese politician. A member of the Japan Restoration…
Nozomu Suzuki (Japanese: 鈴木望; 20 April 1949 – 7 June 2024) was a Japanese politician. A member of the Japan Restoration Party, he served in the House of Representatives from 2012 to 2014. Suzuki died in Hamamatsu on 7 June 2024, at the age of 75.
Yūzan Fujita (藤田 雄山, Fujita Yūzan; April 19, 1949 – December 18, 2015) was a Japanese politician and the governor of…
Yūzan Fujita (藤田 雄山, Fujita Yūzan; April 19, 1949 – December 18, 2015) was a Japanese politician and the governor of Hiroshima Prefecture from 1993 to 2009. A native of Minami-ku, Hiroshima and graduate of Keio University, he had served in the House of Councillors in the Diet of Japan since 1989 for one term before being elected governor.
Takayoshi Taniguchi (谷口 隆義, Taniguchi Takayoshi; born 18 April 1949) is a former Japanese politician who served in the…
Takayoshi Taniguchi (谷口 隆義, Taniguchi Takayoshi; born 18 April 1949) is a former Japanese politician who served in the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature) as a member of the New Komeito Party. A native of Osaka, Osaka and graduate of Osaka Prefecture University he was elected for the first time in 1993.
Osamu Naito (14 April 1949 – 22 October 2016 ) was a Japanese speed skater. He competed in two events at the 1972…
Osamu Naito (14 April 1949 – 22 October 2016 ) was a Japanese speed skater. He competed in two events at the 1972 Winter Olympics.
Sueo Inoue (April 12, 1949 – November 27, 2024), better known by the ring names Mighty Inoue (Japanese: マイティ井上) and All…
Sueo Inoue (April 12, 1949 – November 27, 2024), better known by the ring names Mighty Inoue (Japanese: マイティ井上) and All Mighty Inoue, was a Japanese professional wrestler and referee. He is best known for his appearances with International Wrestling Enterprise from 1967 to 1981, with All Japan Pro-Wrestling from 1981 to 2000, and with Pro Wrestling Noah from 2000 to 2010 as a referee.
Tetsuya Takeda (武田 鉄矢, Takeda Tetsuya; born April 11, 1949) is a Japanese folk singer and actor. Takeda is perhaps most…
Tetsuya Takeda (武田 鉄矢, Takeda Tetsuya; born April 11, 1949) is a Japanese folk singer and actor. Takeda is perhaps most known in Japan for his starring role in the Tokyo Broadcasting System's long-running, highly rated television drama Mr. Kinpachi of the Third-Year B Class. The program, targeted at junior high and high school-aged adolescents, ran on TBS with Takeda at various times from 1979 until 2011. Takeda wrote and performed several well-known songs, including "Childhood", the theme song for the 1985 animated film Doraemon: Nobita's Little Star Wars. Takeda's 1980 song, "The Word I Give to You", is often performed at junior high school and high school graduation ceremonies in Japan. Previous to his appearance on Kinpachi, Takeda studied to be a teacher at Fukuoka University of Education. He later formed a folk music group called Kaientai. The song "Okuru Kotoba", which Takeda wrote and performed with Kaientai, actually had nothing to do with schooling, but is reportedly associated with education because of Takeda's role in Kinpachi.
Kishirō Nakamura (中村 喜四郎, Nakamura Kishirō; born 10 April 1949) is a former Japanese politician who served as a member…
Kishirō Nakamura (中村 喜四郎, Nakamura Kishirō; born 10 April 1949) is a former Japanese politician who served as a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet. A native of Sakai in Ibaraki Prefecture and a graduate of Nihon University, he was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 1976. After winning 14 elections in a row without a single defeat at the polls, he lost to Keiko Nagaoka in the election of 21 October 2021.
Luiz Hiloshi Nishimori (born 9 April 1949) is a Brazilian politician and farmer. He has spent his political career…
Luiz Hiloshi Nishimori (born 9 April 1949) is a Brazilian politician and farmer. He has spent his political career representing Paraná, having served as a state deputy representative from 2005 to 2011 and as federal deputy representative from 2011.
Seiji Ebihara (海老原 清治, Ebihara Seiji; born 2 April 1949) is a Japanese professional golfer.
Norio Suzuki (鈴木 紀夫, Suzuki Norio; April 1949 – November 1986) was a Japanese explorer and adventurer. In 1974 he…
Norio Suzuki (鈴木 紀夫, Suzuki Norio; April 1949 – November 1986) was a Japanese explorer and adventurer. In 1974 he searched for and found Hiroo Onoda, one of the last remaining Japanese holdouts who had refused to surrender after the end of World War II. Suzuki died in November 1986 in an avalanche while searching for the yeti.
Masatō Ibu (伊武 雅刀, Ibu Masatō; real name: Satoru Murota (室田 悟, Murota Satoru)) is a Japanese actor and voice actor…
Masatō Ibu (伊武 雅刀, Ibu Masatō; real name: Satoru Murota (室田 悟, Murota Satoru)) is a Japanese actor and voice actor, Best known for his villainous characters. He is sometimes credited as Masato Eve.
Fumiaki Matsumoto (松本 文明, Matsumoto Fumiaki; born 25 March 1949) is a former Japanese politician of the Liberal…
Fumiaki Matsumoto (松本 文明, Matsumoto Fumiaki; born 25 March 1949) is a former Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, who served as and a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). Matsumoto served as a vice minister for the Cabinet Office between August 2017 and January 2018. He resigned from his post after being recorded in the Diet mocking the gravity of US military helicopter accidents in Okinawa.
Shunzo Ohno (大野 俊三, Ōno Shunzō; born 22 March 1949) is a Japanese trumpeter, composer and arranger. In 1974 Ohno…
Shunzo Ohno (大野 俊三, Ōno Shunzō; born 22 March 1949) is a Japanese trumpeter, composer and arranger. In 1974 Ohno accepted Art Blakey's offer and went to the U.S. He made recordings in cooperation with famous musicians, and some of his songs sold very well. He played active parts as a member of MACHITÖ Y SUS AFROCUBANAS and became known in Europe and South America. In 1984, he won a Grammy Award for his album Machito and His Salsa Big Band. Four years later, he also won for Live at Sweet Basil. Ohno was a passenger in an automobile accident in 1988 severing his lip, concussion, and broke teeth. He had to take months to re establish his embouchure to play trumpet 3 months later he played on the Buster Williams 'Something More" album with Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, and Al Foster. In 2014, he won the Grand Prize in the International Songwritting Competition. The first Jazz artist to win the Grand Prize and became the first Japanese composer/musician to win the Grand Prize The song is one of his most well known compositions, "Musashi".
Kiyoko Okabe (岡部 喜代子, Okabe Kiyoko) served as a justice of the Supreme Court of Japan from 2010 to 2019. She was born…
Kiyoko Okabe (岡部 喜代子, Okabe Kiyoko) served as a justice of the Supreme Court of Japan from 2010 to 2019. She was born on March 20, 1949. She attended Keio University (graduating in 1971) and completed the master’s program at the university’s law school in 1974. In 1974, she was admitted as a legal apprentice, and would not begin her judicial career until 1976. From 1976-1985, Okabe worked as an assistant judge for various court systems, including the Sapporo District Court. She thereafter worked as a judge for other district courts until entering private practice in 1993. On April 12, 2010, Okabe was appointed as a justice of the Supreme Court of Japan. Prior to her most recent judgeship, she worked as a law professor at Toyo University. Okabe retired on March 19, 2019 (the day before her seventieth birthday). This is because the Supreme Court of Japan has a mandatory retirement age of 70.
Hirofumi Hirano (平野 博文, Hirano Hirofumi; born 19 March 1949) is a Japanese politician of the Constitutional Democratic…
Hirofumi Hirano (平野 博文, Hirano Hirofumi; born 19 March 1949) is a Japanese politician of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and a former member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). He is a native of Katsuragi, Wakayama and he started working for Panasonic Corporation in 1971 after graduating from Chuo University. He was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 1996 as an independent. He was the Chief Cabinet Secretary in the Yukio Hatoyama administration. He represented the 11th District of Osaka Prefecture from 1996 until 2012, and again from 2014 to 2021.
Shizuko Tōdō (藤堂志津子; born March 14, 1949) is a Japanese novelist and essayist. She is best known for writing the novel…
Shizuko Tōdō (藤堂志津子; born March 14, 1949) is a Japanese novelist and essayist. She is best known for writing the novel Ureteyuku Natsu (熟れてゆく夏), which won the 1988 Naoki Prize.
Hiroshi Kazato (風戸 裕, Kazato Hiroshi; born March 13, 1949, Chiba Prefecture, Japan; died June 2, 1974) was a Japanese…
Hiroshi Kazato (風戸 裕, Kazato Hiroshi; born March 13, 1949, Chiba Prefecture, Japan; died June 2, 1974) was a Japanese racecar driver. Kazato started his career at the age of 19. He took part in the 1971 Can-Am season, finishing 10th in the championship driving a Lola T222-Chevrolet. He participated at Formula Two European seasons 1972 and 1973, scoring seven championship points. He graduated from Seikei University in 1973. Kazato died at 25 years old at Fuji Speedway, during a Fuji Grand Champion series race after colliding with Seiichi Suzuki on the banking, resulting in the circuit being modified to eliminate the 30-degree banking, establishing the modern configuration with the hairpin that bypasses the banking.
Tetsuo Satō (佐藤 哲夫, Satō Tetsuo; March 12, 1949 – June 11, 2025) was a Japanese volleyball player who competed in the…
Tetsuo Satō (佐藤 哲夫, Satō Tetsuo; March 12, 1949 – June 11, 2025) was a Japanese volleyball player who competed in the 1968 Summer Olympics, in the 1972 Summer Olympics, and in the 1976 Summer Olympics. He was born in Fukushima Prefecture. In 1968, he was part of the Japanese team which won the silver medal in the Olympic tournament. He played two matches. Four years later, in 1972, he won the gold medal with the Japanese team in the 1972 Olympic tournament. He played one match. At the 1976 Games, he was a member of the Japanese team which finished fourth in the Olympic tournament. He played all five matches. Tetsuo Satō died on June 11, 2025, at the age of 76.
Kenji Takama J.S.C. (born March 10, 1949, in Suginami, Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese cinematographer. Takama is a member…
Kenji Takama J.S.C. (born March 10, 1949, in Suginami, Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese cinematographer. Takama is a member of the Japanese Society of Cinematographers.
Takahiro Sasaki (佐々木 隆博, Sasaki Takahiro; born 10 March 1949) is a former Japanese politician of the Constitutional…
Takahiro Sasaki (佐々木 隆博, Sasaki Takahiro; born 10 March 1949) is a former Japanese politician of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, who served as a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature).
Kazuo Kuroda (Japanese: 黒田和生; born 8 March 1949) is a Japanese former football manager and player who last managed…
Kazuo Kuroda (Japanese: 黒田和生; born 8 March 1949) is a Japanese former football manager and player who last managed Chinese Taipei.
Fumio Itabashi (板橋 文夫, Itabashi Fumio; born March 8, 1949 in Tochigi) is a Japanese pianist and composer. Itabashi…
Fumio Itabashi (板橋 文夫, Itabashi Fumio; born March 8, 1949 in Tochigi) is a Japanese pianist and composer. Itabashi began playing piano when he was eight years old, and studied music formally at Kunitachi College of Music, where he first started playing jazz. In the 1970s he worked with Terumasa Hino, Takeo Moriyama, and Sadao Watanabe, in addition to leading his own small ensembles. In the 1980s he did several international tours as a sideman with Ray Anderson and Elvin Jones, and in the 1990s worked with Leo Etoh in a traditional Japanese percussion ensemble called Wa Daiko. In addition to his work in jazz, Itabashi also works as a film score composer, and has done soundtracks for Chinese and Japanese motion pictures.
Genyo Takeda (竹田 玄洋, Takeda Gen'yō; born March 7, 1949) is a former Japanese game designer and executive who worked for…
Genyo Takeda (竹田 玄洋, Takeda Gen'yō; born March 7, 1949) is a former Japanese game designer and executive who worked for the video game company Nintendo. Takeda was formerly the general manager of Nintendo's Integrated Research & Development division, and was the co-representative director and "Technology Fellow" of the company until his retirement in 2017. He joined Nintendo in 1972, and was promoted to his best-known position when the Integrated Research & Development (IRD) division was founded in 1981. At IRD, he mostly worked on improving hardware for home consoles and handhelds, but sometimes developed video games. In software development, he is notable for creating the Punch-Out!! and StarTropics franchises. He also designed Nintendo's first arcade game, EVR Race, in 1975. In September 2015, Takeda was promoted to co-representative director and given the title of "Technology Fellow" during the company wide executive shuffle following the death of former company president Satoru Iwata.
Mariko Takahashi (高橋 真梨子, Takahashi Mariko; born March 6, 1949 in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese female…
Mariko Takahashi (高橋 真梨子, Takahashi Mariko; born March 6, 1949 in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese female singer. She is known for her ballad pop songs. She began her singing career in 1973 singing covers, but soon progressed to writing her own songs. She is also able to play piano and saxophone. On May 20, 2009, Takahashi released the cover album of Japanese male singers, No Reason: Otoko Gokoro, in which she covered Kyu Sakamoto's "Miagete Goran Yoru no Hoshi o" and Yūzō Kayama's "Kimi to Itsumademo." The album debuted at No. 7 on the Japanese Oricon album charts. Representative works include'Peach Breath' (Peach Breath / 1984).
Shusaku Hirasawa (平沢 周策, Hirasawa Shusaku; born March 5, 1949) is a former Japanese football player. He played for…
Shusaku Hirasawa (平沢 周策, Hirasawa Shusaku; born March 5, 1949) is a former Japanese football player. He played for Japan national team.