Eigo Kawashima (河島英五, Kawashima Eigo; 23 April 1952 – 16 April 2001) was a Japanese singer-songwriter.
1950s: 1,954 people
Eigo Kawashima (河島英五, Kawashima Eigo; 23 April 1952 – 16 April 2001) was a Japanese singer-songwriter.
Shinichi Nishimiya (西宮 伸一, Nishimiya Shinichi; 1952 – 16 September 2012) was a Japanese diplomat. Nishimiya was…
Shinichi Nishimiya (西宮 伸一, Nishimiya Shinichi; 1952 – 16 September 2012) was a Japanese diplomat. Nishimiya was appointed as Ambassador of Japan to the People's Republic of China in 2012. However, he died unexpectedly before traveling to China to present his credentials. Nishimiya studied in the United Kingdom. He was considered one of the leading experts on United States within the Japanese Foreign Ministry. He was well known in U.S. diplomatic and political circles, and was a contributor to programs at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York City. He served at the Japanese Embassy in Beijing in 2005. In 2007, Nishimiya became the head of the Foreign Ministry's North American Affairs Bureau. He then served as the Japanese Consul-General in New York City before being named a deputy minister in 2010. Shinichi Nishimiya was appointed as Japan's Ambassador to China in 2012. He was designated to replace outgoing Ambassador Uichiro Niwa, a former chairman of Itochu. Nishimiya's appointment came at a critical time in relations between China and Japan due to an escalation in tensions over the Senkaku Islands dispute and the ongoing 2012 China anti-Japanese demonstrations. Ambassador Nishimiya collapsed outside of his home shortly after his appointment. He died unexpectedly at a hospital in Tokyo on September 16, 2012, at the age of 60. Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba held a press conference to acknowledge the loss of Nishimiya. Gemba noted that it will take time to find a capable replacement for Ambassador to China, especially during the ongoing Senkaku Islands dispute. His widow Sachiko has served as chief lady-in-waiting to the Empress since 2019.
Haruhiko Kataoka (片岡晴彦, Haruhiko Kataoka; born April 1952) was the 32nd Chief of Staff of the Japan Air Self-Defense…
Haruhiko Kataoka (片岡晴彦, Haruhiko Kataoka; born April 1952) was the 32nd Chief of Staff of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, the de facto air force of Japan.
Fumio Hayashi (林 文夫, Hayashi Fumio; born 18 April 1952) is a Japanese economist. He is a professor at the National…
Fumio Hayashi (林 文夫, Hayashi Fumio; born 18 April 1952) is a Japanese economist. He is a professor at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) in Tokyo. Hayashi received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Tokyo and his PhD from Harvard University in 1980. He has taught at Northwestern University, the University of Tokyo, the University of Tsukuba, Osaka University, the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University, Hitotsubashi University, and the University of Chicago. Hayashi is the author of a standard graduate-level textbook on econometrics (Hayashi 2000). He was a Fellow of the Econometric Society since 1988. He was awarded the inaugural Nakahara Prize in 1995. He was elected as foreign honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2005 and the American Economic Association in 2020.
Yoshikazu Nagai (永井 良和, Nagai Yoshikazu; born April 16, 1952) is a former Japanese football player. He played for Japan…
Yoshikazu Nagai (永井 良和, Nagai Yoshikazu; born April 16, 1952) is a former Japanese football player. He played for Japan national team. His son Shunta Nagai is also a former footballer.
Gania Nishimura (西村我尼吾, Nishimura Gania; born April 16, 1952 in Osaka Prefecture, real name Hidetoshi Nishimura) is a…
Gania Nishimura (西村我尼吾, Nishimura Gania; born April 16, 1952 in Osaka Prefecture, real name Hidetoshi Nishimura) is a Japanese poet and an international civil servant.
Yamaguchi Hisashi (born Hisashi Yamaguchi; April 16, 1952 – October 19, 2010) was a sumo wrestler from Nakatsu Ōita…
Yamaguchi Hisashi (born Hisashi Yamaguchi; April 16, 1952 – October 19, 2010) was a sumo wrestler from Nakatsu Ōita, Japan. He made his professional debut in January 1971, won the championship in his only sixth-division tournament, and another in March 1977 winning undefeated in third division. He reached the top division in May 1978, but struggled initially. After winning the second division in November, securing a second re-promotion, he reached his highest rank of maegashira 4 in March 1979. Upon initial promotion he had changed his shikona from his real name to Taniarashi Hisashi. He would drop back to the unsalaried ranks in 1980 Winning out in a rare nine-way playoff, he secured the third-division championship in March 1982, but retired soon after in November 1982. His son is Shun Yamaguchi, a former baseball player.
Atsushi Watanabe (渡部 篤, Watanabe Atsushi; born 12 April 1952) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party…
Atsushi Watanabe (渡部 篤, Watanabe Atsushi; born 12 April 1952) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima and graduate of Komazawa University, he was elected to the first of his two terms in the city assembly of Aizuwakamatsu in 1982, to the first of his four terms in the assembly of Fukushima Prefecture and to the first of his terms in the House of Representatives in 2005.
Masashi Sada (さだ まさし, Sada Masashi; born 10 April 1952) is a Japanese singer, lyricist, and composer. Sada formed the…
Masashi Sada (さだ まさし, Sada Masashi; born 10 April 1952) is a Japanese singer, lyricist, and composer. Sada formed the folk duo Grape with Masami Yoshida in 1972, and they made their debut as recording artists a year afterward. The pair rose to fame owing to the hit song "Shourou Nagashi" (精霊流し) composed by Sada, which peaked at the number-two position on the Japanese Oricon chart in 1974. They broke up in 1976, after producing some hit singles including "En-kiri Dera" (縁切寺) and "Muen Zaka" (無縁坂). Sada released his first solo album entitled Kikyorai shortly after Grape's dissolution. Following the commercial success of the number-one hit single "Amayadori" (雨やどり, Shelter from the rain) in 1977, he enjoyed a recording career as one of the most popular Japanese male artists during the late 1970s and the first half of the 1980s. Throughout his career as a musician, Sada released over 35 solo albums and 70 singles, and multiple live albums or compilations. Since the release of Shourou Nagashi, published in 2001, Sada has also worked as a novelist.
Ramo Nakajima (中島らも, Nakajima Ramo; April 3, 1952 – July 26, 2004) was a Japanese cult novelist, essayist, and…
Ramo Nakajima (中島らも, Nakajima Ramo; April 3, 1952 – July 26, 2004) was a Japanese cult novelist, essayist, and copywriter. He also appeared frequently on Japanese TV as an actor. He was born in Amagasaki City, Hyōgo Prefecture. He received eighth place in his entrance exam to the prestigious Nada High School, and continued to the Osaka University of Arts, where he graduated from the school of broadcasting. He then worked for a publishing company for five years, where he became famous for his catchy advertisements and commercials. He was given his own advice column in Asahi Shimbun, called the "Lighthearted Worry Column", which highlighted his strange and unique sense of humor and made him a household name. He began to work as a freelance copywriter in 1987, and in his free time, wrote the novels that would give him his cult following in Japan, as well as a variety of rakugo, essays, scripts and short stories. His best-known works include the novels Tonight, from Every Bar in Town (13th Eiji Yoshikawa New Author Prize), The Pigs of Gadara (Mystery Writers of Japan Award), and The Night of Human Models (Naoki Prize). After his success in novels, he then expanded into theater, producing Laugh-to-Death Lilliput Army, as well as creating his own rock band, PISS, of which he was the lead singer and guitar player. After the band dissolved, he then formed Ramo and the Mother's Boys, where he played rhythm guitar and sang. Nakajima was known for his wild lifestyle and his constant use of drugs and alcohol. His appearances on television in the late 1990s and early 2000s were always an audience draw because of his slurred speech—probably from years of alcohol and drug abuse—and humorous personality. He was arrested and convicted of marijuana possession in 2003; he was sentenced to five years incarceration. He was put into a mental hospital for a brief period, and then served his 10-month sentence, with a suspended sentence of five years. He then released an essay about his trials in prison called "The Prison Diet". After his release, he plunged back into alcoholism. On July 15, 2004, after drinking late at a bar, he fell down a staircase and suffered serious head injuries. He never recovered, dying on July 26, 2004.
Yoichiro Kawaguchi (河口 洋一郎, Kawaguchi Yoichirō; born 1952 in Tanegashima, Kagoshima) is a Japanese computer graphics…
Yoichiro Kawaguchi (河口 洋一郎, Kawaguchi Yoichirō; born 1952 in Tanegashima, Kagoshima) is a Japanese computer graphics artist and professor emeritus at the University of Tokyo.
Satoshi Kikuchi (菊池 悟, Kikuchi Satoshi; 27 April 1952 – 10 March 2019) was a Japanese handball player who competed in…
Satoshi Kikuchi (菊池 悟, Kikuchi Satoshi; 27 April 1952 – 10 March 2019) was a Japanese handball player who competed in the 1976 Summer Olympics.
Toyohiko Hozumi (穂積 豊彦, Hozumi Toyohiko; born 26 March 1952) is a Japanese former handball player who competed in the…
Toyohiko Hozumi (穂積 豊彦, Hozumi Toyohiko; born 26 March 1952) is a Japanese former handball player who competed in the 1976 Summer Olympics.
Pai Pai Miyuki (パイパイ 美ゆき; born 23 March 1952, in Tokyo) is a Japanese actress and singer. Until 1970, she used the…
Pai Pai Miyuki (パイパイ 美ゆき; born 23 March 1952, in Tokyo) is a Japanese actress and singer. Until 1970, she used the stage name Miyuki Kojima (児島 みゆき, Kojima Miyuki). She is represented with Kagawa Office. She graduated from Musashino-shi Daiichi Elementary School, Musashino Municipal First Junior High School, and Nakano Fumizono High School (now Otsuma Nakano High School).
Yoshimi Watanabe (渡辺 喜美, Watanabe Yoshimi; born 17 March 1952) is a former Japanese politician. He was formerly a…
Yoshimi Watanabe (渡辺 喜美, Watanabe Yoshimi; born 17 March 1952) is a former Japanese politician. He was formerly a member of the Liberal Democratic Party and later the founder of Your Party, after which he became a member of Nippon Ishin no Kai until 2019 when he then became an independent politician. He was a member of the House of Representatives from 1996 to 2014, and returned to the Diet (national legislature) in 2016 as a member of the House of Councillors.
Yasuhiko Okudera (奥寺 康彦, Okudera Yasuhiko; born 12 March 1952) is a Japanese former football player and manager. A…
Yasuhiko Okudera (奥寺 康彦, Okudera Yasuhiko; born 12 March 1952) is a Japanese former football player and manager. A midfielder, Okudera was the first Japanese footballer to play professionally in Europe, as well as being the first Asian football player to score in the European Cup, while playing for 1. FC Köln in the 1979 semi-final match against Nottingham Forest and made 32 appearances – scoring nine goals – with the Japan national team.
Noriko Matsuda (松田紀子, Matsuda Noriko) (born 5 March 1952) is a Japanese volleyball player and Olympic champion. She was…
Noriko Matsuda (松田紀子, Matsuda Noriko) (born 5 March 1952) is a Japanese volleyball player and Olympic champion. She was a member of the Japanese winning team at the 1976 Olympic games.
Daisuke Yamashita (山下 大輔, Yamashita Daisuke; born March 5, 1952) was a Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball player.
Kazuki Ōmori (大森 一樹, Ōmori Kazuki; 3 March 1952 – 12 November 2022) was a Japanese film director and screenwriter.
Masaaki Sugiyama (杉山正明, Sugiyama Masaaki) (1952-2019) was a Japanese historian and author. Sugiyama was born March 1…
Masaaki Sugiyama (杉山正明, Sugiyama Masaaki) (1952-2019) was a Japanese historian and author. Sugiyama was born March 1, 1952, in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. He graduated from the Faculty of Letters of Kyoto University in 1974. In 1992, he became an associate professor at the Faculty of Letters at Kyoto University, and in 1995, a professor, and later a professor at the Graduate School of Letters. He received the Japan Academy Prize in 2007. Sugiyama died on December 24, 2019.
Nobushige Kurokawa (黒川 信重, Kurokawa Nobushige; born 1952) is a Japanese mathematician working in number theory…
Nobushige Kurokawa (黒川 信重, Kurokawa Nobushige; born 1952) is a Japanese mathematician working in number theory, especially analytic number theory, multiple trigonometric function theory, zeta functions and automorphic forms. He is currently a professor emeritus at Tokyo Institute of Technology.
Kazuo Oga (男鹿 和雄, Oga Kazuo; born 29 February 1952, in Akita Prefecture, Japan) is an art director and background…
Kazuo Oga (男鹿 和雄, Oga Kazuo; born 29 February 1952, in Akita Prefecture, Japan) is an art director and background artist for many Madhouse Studio and Studio Ghibli anime films. Oga has worked with many respected directors, such as Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, Yoshiaki Kawajiri, and Osamu Dezaki. He has also published two compilations of his art and directed a short animated film.
Shōgo Tomiyama (富山 省吾, Tomiyama Shōgo) is a Japanese former film producer. He is best known for his long tenure at…
Shōgo Tomiyama (富山 省吾, Tomiyama Shōgo) is a Japanese former film producer. He is best known for his long tenure at Toho, where oversaw the production of the Godzilla film series during its Heisei and Millennium eras.
Kijuro Yahagi (矢萩 喜從郎; born 1952) is a Japanese artist, designer, architect and photographer.
Issey Ogata (イッセー尾形, Issei Ogata; born February 22, 1952) is a Japanese actor and comedian. He was interested in plays…
Issey Ogata (イッセー尾形, Issei Ogata; born February 22, 1952) is a Japanese actor and comedian. He was interested in plays since childhood. After he graduated from Toyotama High School in Japan, he joined a theatrical company and appeared on the stage. Later, he jumped at the opportunity to be an entertainer when he took the gold medal at the audition called "Birth of Comedians". Then, he started garnering roles on Japanese TV. Shows he appeared on include Fuji TV's Evil Grandmother and NHK's RinRinto. He performs in Life Never Stops by himself at GyanGyan Theater in Shibuya. Furthermore, he has had starring roles in major art-house films, including Ota in Edward Yang's Yi Yi, the title character in Jun Ichikawa's Tony Takitani (an adaptation of the Haruki Murakami short story), the role of Japanese Emperor Hirohito in Aleksandr Sokurov's The Sun, and Inoue Masashige in Martin Scorsese's Silence.
Juichi Yamagiwa (Japanese: 山極 寿一) (born on February 21, 1952) is a Japanese anthropologist and the former president of…
Juichi Yamagiwa (Japanese: 山極 寿一) (born on February 21, 1952) is a Japanese anthropologist and the former president of Kyoto University.
Ryū Murakami (村上 龍, Murakami Ryū; born February 19, 1952) is a Japanese novelist, essayist and filmmaker. His novels…
Ryū Murakami (村上 龍, Murakami Ryū; born February 19, 1952) is a Japanese novelist, essayist and filmmaker. His novels explore human nature through themes of disillusion, drug use, surrealism, murder and war, set against the dark backdrop of Japan. His best known novels are Almost Transparent Blue, Audition, Coin Locker Babies, and In the Miso Soup.
Kazuo Manabe (真部 一男, Manabe Kazuo; February 16, 1952 – November 24, 2007) was a Japanese professional shogi player…
Kazuo Manabe (真部 一男, Manabe Kazuo; February 16, 1952 – November 24, 2007) was a Japanese professional shogi player, ranked 9-dan.
Yasuyuki Sakai is a Japanese politician who is a member of the House of Councillors of Japan.
Isao Kiso (木曽 功, Isao Kiso; born 11 February 1952) is a Special Advisor to the Cabinet and a former official of the…
Isao Kiso (木曽 功, Isao Kiso; born 11 February 1952) is a Special Advisor to the Cabinet and a former official of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in Japan. He has held positions as the Director of Cultural Properties Department at the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the Head of Minister's Secretariat International Affairs Division at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan, Permanent Delegate to UNESCO.
Shinako Tsuchiya (土屋 品子, Tsuchiya Shinako; born 2 February 1952) is a Japanese politician serving in the House of…
Shinako Tsuchiya (土屋 品子, Tsuchiya Shinako; born 2 February 1952) is a Japanese politician serving in the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature) as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. A native of Kasukabe, Saitama and graduate of University of the Sacred Heart she was elected for the first time in 1996. Her father is Yoshihiko Tsuchiya, former governor of Saitama Prefecture.
Jaw-Shen Tsai (Chinese: 蔡兆申; born February 8, 1952) is a Taiwan-born American physicist specializing in low-temperature…
Jaw-Shen Tsai (Chinese: 蔡兆申; born February 8, 1952) is a Taiwan-born American physicist specializing in low-temperature solid-state physics. He is known for pioneering research on superconducting qubits and their quantum control. In 1999, he, Yasunobu Nakamura, and their colleagues achieved the first demonstration of qubit operation in a superconducting circuit. He has conducted research at NEC and RIKEN, and was appointed a professor at the Tokyo University of Science in 2015 and a chair professor at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University in 2025.
Tsugutoshi Gotō (後藤 次利, Gotō Tsugutoshi), born February 5, 1952, is a Japanese songwriter, bassist and music producer.…
Tsugutoshi Gotō (後藤 次利, Gotō Tsugutoshi), born February 5, 1952, is a Japanese songwriter, bassist and music producer. Gotō broke into the Japanese music industry playing bass on tour for artists like Sadistic Mika Band, Bread & Butter and Shiro Kishibe. He went on to write and produce songs for other artists including Kenji Sawada, Miyuki Nakajima, Shizuka Kudō, and various idol singers. In 1980, Gotō won Song of the Year at the Japan Record Award for his work on Kenji Sawada's song "Tokio". In 1983, Gotō married former idol singer and actress Midori Kinouchi. The pair divorced four years later. In 1987, he contributed the soundtrack for the Famicom/NES version of the video game Ultima III: Exodus. In 1994, he married former Onyanko Club member Sonoko Kawai. Gotō also joined several musical units like Draw4 in 1990, gym in 2003, Non-Chords in 2004 and WAIP in 2006.
Tetsuo Saito (斉藤 鉄夫, Saitō Tetsuo; born 5 February 1952) is a Japanese politician who served as chief representative of…
Tetsuo Saito (斉藤 鉄夫, Saitō Tetsuo; born 5 February 1952) is a Japanese politician who served as chief representative of the Komeito from 2024 to 2026. He served as Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism from 2021 to 2024 and Minister of the Environment from 2008 to 2009. Born in Shimane Prefecture, he was educated at the Tokyo Institute of Technology and worked as an engineer before entering politics. He was elected to serve as chief representative of the Komeito to succeed Keiichi Ishii, who was defeated in the 2024 election.
Takashi Fukutani (福谷たかし; February 4, 1952 – September 9, 2000) was a Japanese manga artist. He is best known for his…
Takashi Fukutani (福谷たかし; February 4, 1952 – September 9, 2000) was a Japanese manga artist. He is best known for his manga series Dokudami Tenement.
Miyako Yamaguchi (山口美也子) (born February 3, 1952) is a Japanese actress. She won the award for best supporting actress…
Miyako Yamaguchi (山口美也子) (born February 3, 1952) is a Japanese actress. She won the award for best supporting actress at the 7th Hochi Film Award for Farewell to the Land.
Yoshitsugu Harada (原田 令嗣, Harada Yoshitsugu; born 2 February 1952) is a former Japanese politician of the Liberal…
Yoshitsugu Harada (原田 令嗣, Harada Yoshitsugu; born 2 February 1952) is a former Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, who served as a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Yaizu, Shizuoka and graduate of Keio University, he worked at the public broadcaster NHK from 1974 to 2003. Harada served in the House of Representatives between 2003 and 2009, representing the Shizuoka 2nd district, succeeding his father Shōzō Harada.
Eitetsu Hayashi (林英哲, Hayashi Eitetsu) (born February 2, 1952) is an acclaimed Japanese musician best known for his…
Eitetsu Hayashi (林英哲, Hayashi Eitetsu) (born February 2, 1952) is an acclaimed Japanese musician best known for his solo performance work in taiko. Hayashi joined the group Ondekoza at an early age. Later, after parting from group, helped found the taiko group Kodo, though he quickly left to begin a solo career. Hayashi has performed in notable venues such as Carnegie Hall in 1984 and was the first featured taiko performer at the institution. He is also the recipient of multiple awards recognizing the cultural value of his work.
Hitoshi Okamura (born December 2, 1952) is a Japanese scientist who specializes in chronobiology. He is currently a…
Hitoshi Okamura (born December 2, 1952) is a Japanese scientist who specializes in chronobiology. He is currently a professor of Systems Biology at Kyoto University Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences and the Research Director of the Japan Science Technology Institute, CREST. Okamura's research group cloned mammalian Period genes, visualized clock oscillation at the single cell level in the central clock of the SCN, and proposed a time-signal neuronal pathway to the adrenal gland. He received a Medal of Honor with Purple Ribbon in 2007 for his research and was awarded Aschoff's Ruler for his work on circadian rhythms in rodents. His lab recently revealed the effects of m6A mRNA methylation on the circadian clock, neuronal communications in jet lag, and the role of dysregulated clocks in salt-induced hypertension.
Anzu Furukawa(古川あんず, February 28 , 1952 – October 23 , 2001) was a butoh dancer and performance artist. Since 1973 she…
Anzu Furukawa(古川あんず, February 28 , 1952 – October 23 , 2001) was a butoh dancer and performance artist. Since 1973 she has worked as a choreographer, performer and dancer in various groups in Japan including Dairakudakan and Europe.
Echiko Maeda (前田 悦智子, Maeda Echiko) (born 31 January 1952) is a Japanese volleyball player and Olympic champion. Maeda…
Echiko Maeda (前田 悦智子, Maeda Echiko) (born 31 January 1952) is a Japanese volleyball player and Olympic champion. Maeda was a member of the Japanese gold medal winning team at the 1976 Olympic games.
Tomokazu Miura (三浦 友和, Miura Tomokazu; born Miura Minoru (三浦 稔) on January 28, 1952) is a Japanese actor.
Koichi Tani (谷 公一, Tani Kōichi; born 28 January 1952) is a Japanese politician serving in the House of Representatives…
Koichi Tani (谷 公一, Tani Kōichi; born 28 January 1952) is a Japanese politician serving in the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature) as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. A native of Muraoka, Hyōgo and graduate of Meiji University, he was elected for the first time in 2003.
Kang Chang-il (Korean: 강창일; born 28 January 1952) is a South Korean politician who is member of the National Assembly…
Kang Chang-il (Korean: 강창일; born 28 January 1952) is a South Korean politician who is member of the National Assembly since 2004. Kang served as South Korea's ambassador to Japan from January 2021 to 2022.
Hiroyuki Nasu (那須博之, Nasu Hiroyuki) (January 27, 1952 – February 27, 2005) was a Japanese film director. He won the…
Hiroyuki Nasu (那須博之, Nasu Hiroyuki) (January 27, 1952 – February 27, 2005) was a Japanese film director. He won the award for Best Director at the 8th Yokohama Film Festival for Be-Bop High School and Be-Bop High School: Kōkō yo Tarō aika.
Kaoru Adachi (安達かおる, Adachi Kaoru; born January 27, 1956) is a Japanese film director, producer and editor, and founder…
Kaoru Adachi (安達かおる, Adachi Kaoru; born January 27, 1956) is a Japanese film director, producer and editor, and founder of the Japanese documentary and adult video (AV) studio V&R Planning.
Yūko Katagiri (片桐夕子, Katagiri Yūko; 26 January 1952 – 16 October 2022) was a Japanese actress. She appeared in more…
Yūko Katagiri (片桐夕子, Katagiri Yūko; 26 January 1952 – 16 October 2022) was a Japanese actress. She appeared in more than sixty films from 1971 to 2022. Katagiri starred in over fifty Nikkatsu Roman Porno films in eight years and once was married to Nikkatsu director Masaru Konuma, though they later divorced.
Koji Ota (太田 幸司, Ōta Kōji; born January 23, 1952) is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher in Japan's Nippon…
Koji Ota (太田 幸司, Ōta Kōji; born January 23, 1952) is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball, and belongs to Mainichi Broadcasting System, Inc. as a commentator in baseball live on radio and TV. Ota is a son of an American father and a Japanese mother, the adopted son of a Japanese stepfather and a Russian stepmother, who emigrated to Japan because of the Russian Revolution in 1917.
Maki Kawai (川合眞紀, Kawai Maki) is a Japanese chemist who developed spatially selective single-molecule spectroscopy. In…
Maki Kawai (川合眞紀, Kawai Maki) is a Japanese chemist who developed spatially selective single-molecule spectroscopy. In 2018, she became the first woman to become president of the Chemical Society of Japan.
Ryuichi Sakamoto (Japanese: 坂本 龍一, Hepburn: Sakamoto Ryūichi; January 17, 1952 – March 28, 2023) was a Japanese…
Ryuichi Sakamoto (Japanese: 坂本 龍一, Hepburn: Sakamoto Ryūichi; January 17, 1952 – March 28, 2023) was a Japanese musician, composer, keyboardist, record producer, singer and actor. He pursued a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of the synth-based band Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). With his YMO bandmates Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi, Sakamoto influenced and pioneered a number of electronic music genres. As a film score composer, Sakamoto won an Academy Award (Oscar), BAFTA, Grammy and two Golden Globe Awards. Sakamoto began his career as a session musician, producer, and arranger while he was at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music in the mid 1970s. His first major success came in 1978 as co-founder of YMO. He pursued a solo career at the same time, releasing the experimental electronic fusion album Thousand Knives in that year, and the album B-2 Unit in 1980. B-2 Unit includes the track "Riot in Lagos", which had a significant influence on the development of electro, hip hop and dance music. He went on to produce more solo records, and collaborate with many international artists, including David Sylvian, DJ Spooky, Carsten Nicolai, Youssou N'Dour, and Fennesz. Sakamoto composed music for the opening ceremony of the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympic Games, and his composition "Energy Flow" (1999) was the first instrumental number-one single in Japan's Oricon charts history. Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983) marked his debut as both an actor and a film score composer; its main theme was adapted into the single "Forbidden Colours", which became an international hit. His most successful work as a film composer was his original score for The Last Emperor (1987), for which he won the Academy Award for Best Original Score, making him the first Japanese composer to win an Academy Award. He continued earning accolades composing for films such as The Sheltering Sky (1990), Little Buddha (1993), and The Revenant (2015). On occasion, Sakamoto also worked as a composer and a scenario writer on anime and video games. He was awarded the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from the French Ministry of Culture in 2009 for his contributions to music. Sakamoto died on March 28, 2023, from colorectal cancer at the age of 71.