Thomas Aquino Manyo Maeda (Japanese: 前田万葉, Hepburn: Maeda Manyō) (born 3 March 1949) is a Japanese Catholic prelate who…Thomas Aquino Manyo Maeda (Japanese: 前田万葉, Hepburn: Maeda Manyō) (born 3 March 1949) is a Japanese Catholic prelate who has served as Archbishop of Osaka-Takamatsu since 2023. He was previously Archbishop of Osaka from 2014 to 2023 and Bishop of Hiroshima from 2011 to 2014. Pope Francis elevated him to the cardinalate on 28 June 2018.
Mineko Ueda (上田三根子, Ueda Mineko; born 1949) is a Japanese illustrator. She is best known for her commercial…Mineko Ueda (上田三根子, Ueda Mineko; born 1949) is a Japanese illustrator. She is best known for her commercial illustrations, particularly the mascots for the Lion Corporation's Kirei Kirei brand of hand soap, and as the character designer for the Boku no Natsuyasumi series of video games.
Izumi Yoshida (吉田 泉, Yoshida Izumi; born 26 February 1949) is former a Japanese politician of the Constitutional…Izumi Yoshida (吉田 泉, Yoshida Izumi; born 26 February 1949) is former a Japanese politician of the Constitutional Democratic Party who served as a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Iwaki, Fukushima and graduate of the University of Tokyo, he was elected in 1996 as the mayor of Iwaki. After an unsuccessful run in 2000, he was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 2003.
Banri Kaieda (海江田 万里, Kaieda Banri; born 26 February 1949) is a Japanese politician who served as the Vice Speaker of…Banri Kaieda (海江田 万里, Kaieda Banri; born 26 February 1949) is a Japanese politician who served as the Vice Speaker of the House of Representatives of Japan from 2021 to 2024. A member of the House of Representatives of Japan, he also served as the President of the Democratic Party of Japan between 2012 and 2014. He is a former minister in the Kan cabinet.
Kazuo Kawasaki (川崎和男) is a Japanese industrial designer born in Fukui Prefecture in 1949. He graduated from Kanazawa…Kazuo Kawasaki (川崎和男) is a Japanese industrial designer born in Fukui Prefecture in 1949. He graduated from Kanazawa College of Art in 1972. Kawasaki is a professor at Osaka University and a visiting professor at Tama Art University and Kanazawa Institute of Technology. Representative works include the wheelchair "CARNA" (part of the permanent collection at MoMA New York), the "Kazuo Kawasaki" brand of eyeware and the "EIZO" brand of computer displays. One of his research projects is artificial heart design. Kawasaki was Apple design director in the early 1990s and designed portable computer devices (named MindTop, POPEYE, Pluto, Sweatpea, JEEP).
Toshio Mashima (真島 俊夫, Mashima Toshio) (21 February 1949 – 21 April 2016) was a Japanese composer born in Yamagata…Toshio Mashima (真島 俊夫, Mashima Toshio) (21 February 1949 – 21 April 2016) was a Japanese composer born in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan.
Osamu Masuko (益子 修, Masuko Osamu; February 19, 1949 – August 27, 2020) was a Japanese business executive. He was an…Osamu Masuko (益子 修, Masuko Osamu; February 19, 1949 – August 27, 2020) was a Japanese business executive. He was an executive of Mitsubishi Motors, serving as president from 2005 to 2020, CEO from 2005 to 2014 and 2016 to 2019, as well as chairman from 2018 to 2020.
Seiko Shimakage (島影 せい子, Shimakage Seiko; born February 16, 1949) is a Japanese former volleyball player who competed…Seiko Shimakage (島影 せい子, Shimakage Seiko; born February 16, 1949) is a Japanese former volleyball player who competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics. She was born in Sakata. In 1972 she was part of the Japanese team which won the silver medal in the Olympic tournament. She played all five matches.
Toshiyuki Kato (加藤 敏幸, Katō Toshiyuki; born February 16, 1949) is a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of…Toshiyuki Kato (加藤 敏幸, Katō Toshiyuki; born February 16, 1949) is a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Niihama, Ehime and high school graduate, he was elected for the first time in 2004.
Ken Kobayashi (小林 健, Kobayashi Ken; born February 14, 1949) is a Japanese businessman and current chairman of…Ken Kobayashi (小林 健, Kobayashi Ken; born February 14, 1949) is a Japanese businessman and current chairman of Mitsubishi Corporation. He previously served as president and CEO from April 2010 to April 2016. He has held positions with the company since 1971.
Tetsuji Miwa (三輪 哲二, Miwa Tetsuji; born 10 February 1949 in Tokyo) is a Japanese mathematician, specializing in…Tetsuji Miwa (三輪 哲二, Miwa Tetsuji; born 10 February 1949 in Tokyo) is a Japanese mathematician, specializing in mathematical physics.
Junzō Okudaira (Japanese: 奥平 純三, romanized: Okudaira Junzō; Japanese pronunciation: [o̞kɯ̟da̠iɾa̠ d͡ʑɨ̃nd͡zo̞ː]; born…Junzō Okudaira (Japanese: 奥平 純三, romanized: Okudaira Junzō; Japanese pronunciation: [o̞kɯ̟da̠iɾa̠ d͡ʑɨ̃nd͡zo̞ː]; born February 2, 1949) is a Japanese former militant who was one of the three Japanese Red Army (JRA) members who attacked the French embassy in The Hague in 1974 and was the person who detonated a car bomb in front of a USO club in Naples in 1988. He was the younger brother of fellow JRA activist Tsuyoshi Okudaira.
Tsutomu Yanagida is a Japanese physicist who first proposed the seesaw mechanism in 1979 and developed the model of…Tsutomu Yanagida is a Japanese physicist who first proposed the seesaw mechanism in 1979 and developed the model of leptogenesis. The name of the seesaw mechanism was given by him in a Tokyo conference in 1981. In 1994, he predicted, together with M. Fukugita, the nonzero cosmological constant Λ = (3 ± 1 meV)4 four years prior to the observation in order to resolve the age discrepancy between the Universe and some old stars. Tsutomu Yanagida received a PhD in physics at Hiroshima University in 1977. In 1979, he proposed the seesaw mechanism, that explains the mass of neutrinos by introducing heavy right-handed neutrinos. Together with M. Fukugita, he developed the model of leptogenesis that traces the baryon asymmetry back to a lepton asymmetry. Till 2019 he was professor at Kavli Institute for Physics and Mathematics of the Universe at Tokyo University. Some of his students in Tokyo were Yasunori Nomura, Junji Hisano, and Takeo Moroi. In 2019, he was appointed professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. His research includes theoretical particle physics, string theory and cosmology. Yanagida works on super symmetry, inflation and the baryon asymmetry. He is a corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences and Humanities in Hamburg. In 2017 he visited the Higgs Centre of Theoretical Physics at Edinburgh University as a guest scientist.
Kaoru Onimaru (鬼丸 かおる, Onimaru Kaoru) is a lawyer and former Justice of the Supreme Court of Japan. She was born on…Kaoru Onimaru (鬼丸 かおる, Onimaru Kaoru) is a lawyer and former Justice of the Supreme Court of Japan. She was born on February 7, 1949. In 1973, she earned her law degree from the University of Tokyo. On February 16, 2013, Onimaru was appointed as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Japan. Prior to her judgeship, Onimaru practiced for decades as a family law attorney. She had also served as a member of the National Life Council of the Cabinet Office and the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare Labor Insurance Review Board. She retired from the bench on February 6, 2019, and currently serves as a LIXIL Group Board of Director.
Tadashi Yanai (柳井 正, Yanai Tadashi; born 7 February 1949) is a Japanese billionaire businessman and the founder and…Tadashi Yanai (柳井 正, Yanai Tadashi; born 7 February 1949) is a Japanese billionaire businessman and the founder and president of Fast Retailing, the parent company of Uniqlo ("unique clothing"). As of May 2025, he is the richest person in Japan, with an estimated net worth of US$50.3 billion, and the 28th-wealthiest person in the world according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
Yasuko Namba (難波 康子, Nanba Yasuko; February 7, 1949 – May 11, 1996) was the second Japanese woman (after Junko Tabei)…Yasuko Namba (難波 康子, Nanba Yasuko; February 7, 1949 – May 11, 1996) was the second Japanese woman (after Junko Tabei) to climb the Seven Summits. Namba worked as a businesswoman for FedEx in Japan, but her hobby of mountaineering took her all over the world. She first summited Kilimanjaro on New Year's Day in 1982, and summited Aconcagua exactly two years later. She reached the summit of Denali on July 1, 1985, and the summit of Mount Elbrus on August 1, 1992. After summiting Vinson Massif on December 29, 1993, and Carstensz Pyramid on November 12, 1994, Namba's final summit to reach was Mount Everest. She signed on with Rob Hall's guiding company, Adventure Consultants, and reached the summit in May 1996, but died during her descent in the 1996 Mount Everest disaster.
Osamu Kitajima (喜多嶋 修), also known by the pseudonym Justin Heathcliff, is a Japanese musician, producer, composer, and…Osamu Kitajima (喜多嶋 修), also known by the pseudonym Justin Heathcliff, is a Japanese musician, producer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist who is known for new-age music, as well as folk, jazz fusion and electronic music.
Kōichirō Nishikawa (Japanese: 西川 公一郎, born 1949 - November 28, 2018) was a Japanese elementary particle physicist…Kōichirō Nishikawa (Japanese: 西川 公一郎, born 1949 - November 28, 2018) was a Japanese elementary particle physicist, known for contributions to neutrino physics. He was professor emeritus of the KEK high-energy physics laboratory and Kyōto University. Nishikawa graduated from Kyōto University in 1971 and completed his doctorate at Northwestern in 1980 working with David Buchholz. After working at the University of Chicago, State University of New York, and Tōkyō University, he combined positions at KEK and Kyōto University, eventually becoming director of the Institute for Particle and Nuclear physics at the KEK laboratory and deputy director of the J-PARC proton accelerator facility. Nishikawa's most notable achievements were as founder and leader of the K2K and T2K experiments. K2K, which ran from 1999 until 2005, used the Super Kamiokande detector in Kamioka to measure a controlled beam of neutrinos emitted by the KEK proton synchrotron. The K2K team verified with greater accuracy the neutrino oscillations observed in atmospheric neutrinos by the Super Kamiokande experiment. The T2K experiment, which began in 2010 as a successor to K2K, used neutrino beams from the J-PARC proton accelerator with the Super Kamiokande detector to observe neutrino oscillations with specific start and end flavors, thereby measuring the parameters of this flavor-switching behavior. In 2016, Nishikawa and the K2K and T2K groups received the Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics together with other neutrino research collaborations. He was awarded the Nishina Memorial Prize in 2005, and the Bruno Pontecorvo Prize in 2016. He also received the 1998 Asahi Prize as part of the Super-Kamiokande experiment that discovered the mass of neutrinos.
Hiroyuki Fujikake (born 1949), also known by his pen name Hiro Fujikake, is a Japanese composer, conductor and…Hiroyuki Fujikake (born 1949), also known by his pen name Hiro Fujikake, is a Japanese composer, conductor and synthesizer player.
Masayoshi Esashi (江刺 正喜, Esashi Masayoshi; born January 30, 1949 Sendai, Miyagi) is an engineer. He is a global…Masayoshi Esashi (江刺 正喜, Esashi Masayoshi; born January 30, 1949 Sendai, Miyagi) is an engineer. He is a global authority of Microelectromechanical systems and serves as the professor of the Tohoku University graduate school engineering graduate course.
Jiro Dan (団 時朗, Dan Jirō; January 30, 1949 – March 22, 2023) was a Japanese actor, singer, and model best known for his…Jiro Dan (団 時朗, Dan Jirō; January 30, 1949 – March 22, 2023) was a Japanese actor, singer, and model best known for his role as Hideki Go/Ultraman Jack in The Return of Ultraman, making guest appearances in subsequent Ultraman productions as well. His real name was Hideo Murata (村田 秀雄). He was born in Kyoto and graduated from Heian High School.
Masachika Ichimura (市村 正親, Ichimura Masachika; born January 28, 1949) is a Japanese actor. He was born in Kawagoe…Masachika Ichimura (市村 正親, Ichimura Masachika; born January 28, 1949) is a Japanese actor. He was born in Kawagoe, Saitama and studied at the Theater Art College in Tokyo after graduating high school. He has also done voice acting work, with some of his roles being Mewtwo from the Pokémon franchise and Jack Skellington in the Japanese dub of The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Shigeharu Mukai (向井 滋春, Mukai Shigeharu; born January 21, 1949 in Nagoya) is a Japanese jazz trombonist. Mukai attended…Shigeharu Mukai (向井 滋春, Mukai Shigeharu; born January 21, 1949 in Nagoya) is a Japanese jazz trombonist. Mukai attended Doshisha University but left before obtaining his degree to become a professional musician. Early in his career he worked with Yoshio Otomo, Ryo Kawasaki, and Hiroshi Fukumura, then led his own ensemble, including a performance at the Shinjuku Jazz Festival. He went on to work with Terumasa Hino, Akira Sakata, Kazumi Watanabe, and Yosuke Yamashita, as well as the ensemble Spik and Span and international musicians like João Bosco, Billy Hart, and Elvin Jones. In the 1970s, while living in Musashino, Tokyo, Mukai performed at Peter Cat, the jazz café that novelist Haruki Murakami opened and ran. In the 1990s and 2000s he taught jazz at Senzoku Gakuen school of music.
Kazunori Tanaka (田中 和徳, Tanaka Kazunori; born 21 January 1949) is a Japanese politician serving in the House of…Kazunori Tanaka (田中 和徳, Tanaka Kazunori; born 21 January 1949) is a Japanese politician serving in the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature) as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party and Minister of Reconstruction. A native of Toyoura District, Yamaguchi and graduate of Hosei University he was elected for the first time in 1996 after serving in local assemblies. Tanaka was general director of the Liberal Democratic Party International bureau in 2015.
Yoshiharu Sekino (関野 吉晴, Sekino Yoshiharu; born 20 January 1949, Tokyo) is a Japanese surgeon, explorer, travel writer…Yoshiharu Sekino (関野 吉晴, Sekino Yoshiharu; born 20 January 1949, Tokyo) is a Japanese surgeon, explorer, travel writer, photographer and anthropologist.
Yukiko Sakamoto (坂本 由紀子, Sakamoto Yukiko; born 20 January 1949) is a Japanese politician and bureaucrat from Mishima…Yukiko Sakamoto (坂本 由紀子, Sakamoto Yukiko; born 20 January 1949) is a Japanese politician and bureaucrat from Mishima, Shizuoka. She was the first woman to be appointed vice-governor of Shizuoka Prefecture in 1996 and served one term in the House of Councillors in the National Diet from 2004 until 2009.
Haruki Ihara (伊原 春樹, Ihara Haruki; born January 18, 1949) was a Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball player. He played…Haruki Ihara (伊原 春樹, Ihara Haruki; born January 18, 1949) was a Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball player. He played for the Nishitetsu Lions, and continued his entire career with them. From 2002 to 2003, he was the manager of the Seibu Lions, as well as the Orix BlueWave in 2004. His daughter, Natsuna Ihara, is a model and actress.
Ichirō Kamoshita (鴨下 一郎, Kamoshita Ichirō; born 16 January 1949) is a Japanese politician and doctor, who served as…Ichirō Kamoshita (鴨下 一郎, Kamoshita Ichirō; born 16 January 1949) is a Japanese politician and doctor, who served as Minister of the Environment in Yasuo Fukuda's cabinet. Born in Adachi, Tokyo, he graduated from Nihon University, earning a medical degree. In 1993, he was elected for the first time as a member of the Japan New Party. In December 1997, he joined the Liberal Democratic Party. He represented Tokyo's 13th district in the House of Representatives.
Rumi Tama (珠瑠美, Tama Rumi) (also, 珠るみ, 珠ルミ) aka Rumi Kimata (木俣瑠美, Kimata Rumi) is a Japanese film director, actress…Rumi Tama (珠瑠美, Tama Rumi) (also, 珠るみ, 珠ルミ) aka Rumi Kimata (木俣瑠美, Kimata Rumi) is a Japanese film director, actress, and screenwriter, known for her work in the pink film genre. After making her acting debut in 1965, she appeared in independent pink films throughout the rest of the decade, often for director Akitaka Kimata, whom she would later marry, and his son Seiji Izumi. Tama took a brief retirement in the early 1970s, then began appearing in films in Nikkatsu's Roman Porno series in 1975. She began directing in 1981, helming at least 80 films as of 2002.
Hiroo Unoura (鵜浦 博夫, Unoura Hiroo; born 13 January 1949) is a Japanese businessman, former president and chief…Hiroo Unoura (鵜浦 博夫, Unoura Hiroo; born 13 January 1949) is a Japanese businessman, former president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT), the third largest telecommunications company in the world in terms of revenue. Hiroo Unoura was born on 13 January 1949. In 1973, he obtained a BA degree in Law from the University of Tokyo. Unoura joined NTT in April 1973, and has held various senior positions at NTT. He became president and CEO in June 2012. In June 2018, he was succeeded as CEO by Jun Sawada.
Kentarō Haneda (羽田 健太郎, Haneda Kentarō; January 12, 1949 – June 2, 2007) was a Japanese pianist, composer and arranger.…Kentarō Haneda (羽田 健太郎, Haneda Kentarō; January 12, 1949 – June 2, 2007) was a Japanese pianist, composer and arranger. He composed for popular anime series, movies and video games. His popular name was Haneken.
Haruki Murakami (村上 春樹, Murakami Haruki; born January 12 1949) is a Japanese writer. His novels, essays, and short…Haruki Murakami (村上 春樹, Murakami Haruki; born January 12 1949) is a Japanese writer. His novels, essays, and short stories have been best-sellers in Japan and internationally, with his work translated into 50 languages and having sold millions of copies outside Japan. He received numerous awards for his work, including the Gunzo Prize for New Writers, the World Fantasy Award, the Tanizaki Prize, Yomiuri Prize for Literature, the Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award, the Noma Literary Prize, the Franz Kafka Prize, the Kiriyama Prize for Fiction, the Goodreads Choice Awards for Best Fiction, the Jerusalem Prize, and the Princess of Asturias Awards. Growing up in Ashiya, near Kobe, before moving to Tokyo to attend Waseda University, he published his first novel Hear the Wind Sing (1979) after owning a small jazz bar for seven years. His notable works include the novels Norwegian Wood (1987), The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle (1994–95), Kafka on the Shore (2002) and 1Q84 (2009–10); the last was ranked as the best work of Japan's Heisei era (1989–2019) by the national newspaper Asahi Shimbun's survey of literary experts. His work spans genres including science fiction, fantasy, and crime fiction, and has become known for his use of magical realist elements. His official website cites Raymond Chandler, Kurt Vonnegut, and Richard Brautigan as key inspirations to his work, while Murakami himself has named Kazuo Ishiguro, Cormac McCarthy, and Dag Solstad as his favorite contemporary writers. Murakami has also published five short story collections, including First Person Singular (2020), and non-fiction works including Underground (1997), an oral history of the Tokyo subway sarin attack, and What I Talk About When I Talk About Running (2007), a memoir about his experience as a long-distance runner. His fiction has polarized literary critics and the reading public. He has sometimes been characterized by Japan's literary establishment as un-Japanese, leading to Murakami's recalling that he was a "black sheep in the Japanese literary world". Meanwhile, Murakami has been described by Gary Fisketjon, the editor of Murakami's collection The Elephant Vanishes (1993), as a "truly extraordinary writer", while Steven Poole of The Guardian praised Murakami as "among the world's greatest living novelists" for his oeuvre.
Yoetsu Suzuki (鈴木 陽悦, Suzuki Yōetsu; born January 10, 1949) is a former Japanese politician who served as a member of…Yoetsu Suzuki (鈴木 陽悦, Suzuki Yōetsu; born January 10, 1949) is a former Japanese politician who served as a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Akita, Akita and graduate of Chuo University, he was elected to the House of Councillors since 2004 after working at Akita Television.
Kozo Kinomoto (木之本 興三, Kinomoto Kōzō; 8 January 1949 – 15 January 2017) was a Japanese footballer who played as a…Kozo Kinomoto (木之本 興三, Kinomoto Kōzō; 8 January 1949 – 15 January 2017) was a Japanese footballer who played as a midfielder for Furukawa Electric from 1972 to 1975 before being forced to retire due to kidney problem. After his playing career he became a sports executive and served as director in the Japan Football League until 2003. In his later years Kinomoto lost both of his legs due to health issues and died on 15 January 2017 at the age of 68.
Jirō Yabuki (矢吹二朗, Yabuki Jirō; born Mitsuho Maeda, 6 January 1949) also known as Jirō Chiba is a retired Japanese…Jirō Yabuki (矢吹二朗, Yabuki Jirō; born Mitsuho Maeda, 6 January 1949) also known as Jirō Chiba is a retired Japanese actor. His older brother was Sonny Chiba. He is known for playing the role of Kazuya Taki in the tokusatsu superhero series Kamen Rider. He started his acting career at the Bungakuza theatre company in 1967. In 1970, he joined Sonny Chiba's production company and often co-starred with Sonny in many films. His first starring role in the film was in Gekitotsu! Aikidō. In 1976, he changed his stage name from Jirō Chiba to Jirō Yabuki. He announced his retirement as an actor in 1982.
Tomoyuki Nishita (西田 友是, Nishita Tomoyuki; born 1949 in Hiroshima, Japan) is a professor at the University of Tokyo.…Tomoyuki Nishita (西田 友是, Nishita Tomoyuki; born 1949 in Hiroshima, Japan) is a professor at the University of Tokyo. Dr. Nishita received a research award for computer graphics from the Information Processing Society of Japan in 1987, and also received the Steven Anson Coons Award from the ACM SIGGRAPH in 2005. He is one of the pioneers of the method of radiosity (also soft shadows). His research on computer graphics includes lighting simulation, rendering, shading, natural phenomena, curved surface, non-photorealistic rendering (NPR), morphing, interactive rendering, and WebGraphics. Nishita received his BE, ME and Ph.D in engineering in 1971, 1973, and 1985, respectively, from Hiroshima University. He worked at Fukuyama University from 1979 to 1998. He was an associate researcher in the Engineering Computer Graphics Laboratory at Brigham Young University from 1988 to 1989. He has lectured at the University of Tokyo since 1994, and has been a professor in the Department of Complexity Science and Engineering at the university since 1998. He has written 23 SIGGRAPH papers and 18 EUROGRAPHICS papers. He was a member of the editorial board of the IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics. He was a president of the IIEEJ (Institute of Image and Electronics Engineers of Japan).
Masanori Nishio (西尾 正範, Nishio Masanori; 3 January 1949 – 28 May 2022) was a Japanese politician. Nishio was born in…Masanori Nishio (西尾 正範, Nishio Masanori; 3 January 1949 – 28 May 2022) was a Japanese politician. Nishio was born in Ōno, Hokkaidō, now part of the city of Hokuto. After graduating Kyoto University, he became a public servant in 1973. He was appointed deputy mayor of Hakodate by its then-mayor Hiroshi Inoue (politician) in July 2003, but resigned himself in December 2006 due to a rift with the mayor over the construction of a retirement home. He beat Inoue in the mayoral election held on 22 April 2007, and took office on 27 April.
Keiko Erikawa is a Japanese businesswoman and video game designer. She co-founded Koei Tecmo Holdings Co., Ltd., a…Keiko Erikawa is a Japanese businesswoman and video game designer. She co-founded Koei Tecmo Holdings Co., Ltd., a Japanese game development company, with her husband Yoichi Erikawa in 1978.
Toshio Ukishima (浮島 敏男, Ukishima Toshio; born 1 January 1949) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party…Toshio Ukishima (浮島 敏男, Ukishima Toshio; born 1 January 1949) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Tokyo and a high school graduate, he was elected for the first time in 2005 after working at a manufacturer of soft drinks.
Hiromichi Mori (森 博達, Mori Hiromichi; born in 1949) is a Japanese linguist. He makes a study of Chinese phonology and…Hiromichi Mori (森 博達, Mori Hiromichi; born in 1949) is a Japanese linguist. He makes a study of Chinese phonology and of Old Japanese transcribed into Chinese characters by sound.
Yōichirō Suzuki (Japanese: 鈴木 洋一郎, born 1952) is a Japanese experimental particle physicist, notable for his work on…Yōichirō Suzuki (Japanese: 鈴木 洋一郎, born 1952) is a Japanese experimental particle physicist, notable for his work on neutrinos.
Jun'ichi Tsujii (辻井 潤一, Tsujii Jun'ichi; born 7 February 1949) is a Japanese computer scientist specializing in natural…Jun'ichi Tsujii (辻井 潤一, Tsujii Jun'ichi; born 7 February 1949) is a Japanese computer scientist specializing in natural language processing and text mining, particularly in the field of biology and bioinformatics.
Nobuyuki Ōura (大浦信行, Ōura Nobuyuki, born 1949, Toyama) is a Japanese artist and filmmaker who has been referred to in…Nobuyuki Ōura (大浦信行, Ōura Nobuyuki, born 1949, Toyama) is a Japanese artist and filmmaker who has been referred to in English as Ohura Nobuyuki. He has been described as an artist who "constantly pushes the limits of expression," as his artworks and films delve into taboos within Japanese society. Ōura is best known for his controversial series of lithographs entitled Holding Perspective (1982–85), which include photographs of Emperor Hirohito, and have at been at the center of multiple high-profile censorship incidences in Japan since the mid-1980s.
Fumiaki Shishida (born 1949) is a Japanese aikido teacher, and one of traditionally two Shihan of the Japan Aikido…Fumiaki Shishida (born 1949) is a Japanese aikido teacher, and one of traditionally two Shihan of the Japan Aikido Association, where he holds the rank of 8th dan. He is a Professor of Intellectual History of the Japanese Martial Arts at Waseda University and author of several works on the subject. He obtained his doctoral degree from Waseda University in 2003. He won the Japan Society of Sport History prize in 2006 for his book The Educational Strength of Japanese Budo: The Budo Training at Kenkoku University in Manchukuo (in Japanese). He is also the primary author of Aikido Kyougi (second author Tetsuro Nariyama); the English translation is titled Aikido Tradition and the Competitive Edge. He has also compiled and edited a series of essays by Kenji Tomiki under the title "Budo Ron".
Yoichi Miyaoka (宮岡 洋一, Miyaoka Yōichi) is a mathematician who works in algebraic geometry and who proved (independently…Yoichi Miyaoka (宮岡 洋一, Miyaoka Yōichi) is a mathematician who works in algebraic geometry and who proved (independently of Shing-Tung Yau's work) the Bogomolov–Miyaoka–Yau inequality in an Inventiones Mathematicae paper. In 1984, Miyaoka extended the Bogomolov–Miyaoka–Yau inequality to surfaces with quotient singularities, and in 2008 to orbifold surfaces. Doing so, he obtains sharp bound on the number of quotient singularities on surfaces of general type. Moreover, the inequality for orbifold surfaces gives explicit values for the coefficients of the so-called Lang-Vojta conjecture relating the degree of a curve on a surface with its geometric genus.
Toshio Shibata (柴田 敏雄, Shibata Toshio; born 1949) is a Japanese photographer known for his large-format photographs of…Toshio Shibata (柴田 敏雄, Shibata Toshio; born 1949) is a Japanese photographer known for his large-format photographs of large-scale works of civil engineering in unpopulated landscapes. Shibata was born in Tokyo. He graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts with a B.A. in 1972 and an M.F.A. in 1974 in which he concentrated primarily on painting. Shibata received a fellowship from the Belgian Ministry of Education to study at the Royal Academy of Ghent in Belgium from 1975 to 1977 and begin his study of photography during this period. He held his first solo exhibition of photography in 1979 and has exhibited prolifically since; from 1987 he has also taught photography in Tokyo.
Osamu Muramatsu (村松 修, Muramatsu Osamu; born 1949) is a Japanese astronomer and discoverer of asteroids and comets. He…Osamu Muramatsu (村松 修, Muramatsu Osamu; born 1949) is a Japanese astronomer and discoverer of asteroids and comets. He is credited by the Minor Planet Center with the discovery of 73 minor planets. He also co-discovered 147P/Kushida-Muramatsu, a periodic comet. Muramatsu works at the planetarium in the Shibuya ward of Tokyo, Japan. The inner main-belt asteroid 5606 Muramatsu, discovered by astronomer and colleague Satoru Otomo, was named in his honor on 28 July 1999 (M.P.C. 35483).
Takao Hayashi (born 1949) is a Japanese mathematics educator, historian of mathematics specializing in Indian…Takao Hayashi (born 1949) is a Japanese mathematics educator, historian of mathematics specializing in Indian mathematics. Hayashi was born in Niigata, Japan. He obtained Bachelor of Science degree form Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan in 1974, Master of Arts degree from Tohuku University, Sendai, Japan in 1976 and a postgraduate degree from Kyoto University, Japan in 1979. He secured the Doctor of Philosophy degree from Brown University, USA in 1985 under the guidance of David Pingree. He was a researcher at Mehta Research Institute for Mathematics and Mathematical Physics, Allahabad, India during 1982–1983, a lecturer at Kyoto Women's College during 1985–1987. He joined Doshisha University, Kyoto as a lecturer in history of science in 1986 and was promoted as professor in 1995. He has also worked in various universities in Japan in different capacities.
Trần Văn Thọ (born in Quảng Nam Province, Vietnam) is a Vietnamese former economic advisor to the Japanese government…Trần Văn Thọ (born in Quảng Nam Province, Vietnam) is a Vietnamese former economic advisor to the Japanese government, head of a major Japanese bank’s ODA assessment committee, and a professor of economics at the faculty of Social Sciences of Waseda University in Japan.
Masashi Goto (Japanese: 後藤政志, Gotō Manashi, born 1949) is a Japanese nuclear engineer, author, activist and commentator…Masashi Goto (Japanese: 後藤政志, Gotō Manashi, born 1949) is a Japanese nuclear engineer, author, activist and commentator on the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. He is the designer of the nuclear reactor vessels owned by Toshiba, where he worked from 1989 to 2009. His designs include the containment buildings of Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant (Units 3 and 6), Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant (Units 3 and 4) and Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant (Unit 3). Toshiba manufactured four of the six reactors the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in the 1970s. He rose to public prominence on 14 March 2011 by being the first "insider" (Note: he retired from Toshiba in 2009) addressing the press at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan, three days after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. Since then, he became a regular commentator and featured as an expert in hearings regarding the nuclear disaster at Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency and House of Councillors. From April 2013, he joined as an expert on the Citizen's Commission on Nuclear Energy, a think tank composed of professors of public policy.
