1950s: 1,954 people
Nakayama Zenji (中山 善司, January 16, 1959) is the fourth and current Shinbashira of Tenrikyo. He has held the office…
Nakayama Zenji (中山 善司, January 16, 1959) is the fourth and current Shinbashira of Tenrikyo. He has held the office since October 25, 1998.
Seinosuke Toda (戸田 誠之助, Toda Seinosuke; born January 15, 1959) is a computer scientist working at the Nihon University…
Seinosuke Toda (戸田 誠之助, Toda Seinosuke; born January 15, 1959) is a computer scientist working at the Nihon University in Tokyo. Toda earned his Ph.D. from the Tokyo Institute of Technology in 1992, under the supervision of Kojiro Kobayashi. He was a recipient of the 1998 Gödel Prize for proving Toda's theorem in computational complexity theory, which states that every problem in the polynomial hierarchy has a polynomial-time Turing reduction to a counting problem.
Kōtarō Yoshida (吉田 鋼太郎, Yoshida Kōtarō; born January 14, 1959, in Tokyo) is a Japanese actor and theatre director. He…
Kōtarō Yoshida (吉田 鋼太郎, Yoshida Kōtarō; born January 14, 1959, in Tokyo) is a Japanese actor and theatre director. He established himself on the stage in classical theatre, becoming a regular in Yukio Ninagawa's Shakespeare productions and co-founding the theatre company Performance Unit AUN in 1997. Television roles in Hanzawa Naoki (2013) and Hanako to Anne (2014) brought him wider recognition and led to frequent film and television work. In 2016 he succeeded Ninagawa as the second artistic director of the Sai no Kuni Shakespeare Series. He is affiliated with Horipro.
Yosuke Tagawa (太川 陽介, Tagawa Yōsuke; born 13 January 1959, in Ōmiya, Naka (now Kyōtango), Kyoto Prefecture, Japan) is a…
Yosuke Tagawa (太川 陽介, Tagawa Yōsuke; born 13 January 1959, in Ōmiya, Naka (now Kyōtango), Kyoto Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese actor, tarento, and former idol singer. His real name is Ikuo Tsubokura (坪倉 育生, Tsubokura Ikuo). Tagawa is a resident of Chōfu, Tokyo. He is represented by Sun Music Production. Tagawa's wife is actress Kumiko Fujiyoshi.
Shu Fujisawa (藤沢 周, Fujisawa Shū; born June 29, 1959) is a Japanese writer active during the late Shōwa and early…
Shu Fujisawa (藤沢 周, Fujisawa Shū; born June 29, 1959) is a Japanese writer active during the late Shōwa and early Heisei period periods of Japan.
Yoshiyuki Ohmiya (近江谷 好幸, Ōmiya Yoshiyuki; born January 8, 1959) is a Japanese curler and curling coach from Kitami…
Yoshiyuki Ohmiya (近江谷 好幸, Ōmiya Yoshiyuki; born January 8, 1959) is a Japanese curler and curling coach from Kitami, Hokkaido, Japan. He represented Japan at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, where the Japanese men's team placed 5th. His daughter is Japanese female curler Anna Ohmiya, participant of Japan women's curling team on 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada.
Tetsunari Iida (飯田 哲也, Iida Tetsunari; born 1959, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan) is director of the Institute for…
Tetsunari Iida (飯田 哲也, Iida Tetsunari; born 1959, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan) is director of the Institute for Sustainable Energy Policies in Japan. Following the Fukushima nuclear disaster, he is calling for a decrease in Japan's reliance on nuclear power and an increase in renewable energy use. Iida started his career as a nuclear engineer, but he quit in 1992, and went to study renewable energy in Sweden. In September 2011, Iida launched the Japan Renewable Energy Foundation, which is backed by ¥1 billion (US$13 million) from Japan's richest man, Masayoshi Son. Solar power in Japan has been expanding since the late 1990s. The country is a leading manufacturer of photovoltaics (PV) and a large installer of domestic PV systems with most of them grid connected.
Fuyumi Soryo (惣領 冬実, Sōryō Fuyumi; born January 6, 1959) is a Japanese manga artist.
Kyoichi Katayama (片山 恭一, Katayama Kyōichi; born January 5, 1959) is a Japanese author.
Hiroya Ebina (蝦名 大也, Ebina Hiroya; 4 January 1959 – 7 January 2026) was a Japanese politician. He was the mayor of…
Hiroya Ebina (蝦名 大也, Ebina Hiroya; 4 January 1959 – 7 January 2026) was a Japanese politician. He was the mayor of Kushiro, Hokkaido, Japan, from 2008 to 2024 and a member of the Hokkaido Legislative Assembly from 1999 until 2008. On the evening of 7 January 2026, after returning home from a meeting, he collapsed at his home in Kushiro City and was taken to a hospital, where he died of a sudden cardiac arrest the same day. He was 67.
Yusuke Kishi (貴志 祐介, Kishi Yūsuke; born January 3, 1959) is a Japanese author. He is a member of the Mystery Writers of…
Yusuke Kishi (貴志 祐介, Kishi Yūsuke; born January 3, 1959) is a Japanese author. He is a member of the Mystery Writers of Japan and the Honkaku Mystery Writers Club of Japan.
Atsuji Yamamoto (山本 貴嗣, Yamamoto Atsuji; born January 1, 1959) is a Japanese manga artist and character designer, best…
Atsuji Yamamoto (山本 貴嗣, Yamamoto Atsuji; born January 1, 1959) is a Japanese manga artist and character designer, best known for manga Ultimate Teacher, Elf-17 and Saber Cats, along with video game series Metal Max.
Takao Makino (牧野 京夫, Makino Takao; born 1959) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party who serves as…
Takao Makino (牧野 京夫, Makino Takao; born 1959) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party who serves as member of the House of Councillors. A graduate of Waseda University and former member of the assembly of Shizuoka Prefecture, he was elected to the House of Councillors for the first time in 2007.
Takashi Araya (荒谷 卓, Romanization: Araya Takashi, 1 January 1959 (Shōwa 34) - ) is a Japanese martial artist and…
Takashi Araya (荒谷 卓, Romanization: Araya Takashi, 1 January 1959 (Shōwa 34) - ) is a Japanese martial artist and author, who is the director at Shiseikan, Meiji Shrine. He was a Japan Ground Self-Defense Force colonel and has organized the Special Forces Group (特殊作戦群, Tokushusakusengun) as the first leader.
Hiromichi Kataura (片浦 弘道, Kataura Hiromichi) is a Japanese scientist known for his work on synthesis and…
Hiromichi Kataura (片浦 弘道, Kataura Hiromichi) is a Japanese scientist known for his work on synthesis and characterization of single-wall and double-wall carbon nanotubes and on encapsulation of water, fullerenes and other organic molecules into carbon nanotubes. Kataura is the leader of self-assembled nano-electronics group at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST).
Sumio Watanabe (渡辺 澄夫, Watanabe Sumio; born 1959) is a Japanese mathematician and engineer working in probability…
Sumio Watanabe (渡辺 澄夫, Watanabe Sumio; born 1959) is a Japanese mathematician and engineer working in probability theory, applied algebraic geometry and Bayesian statistics. He is currently a professor at Tokyo Institute of Technology in the Department of Computational Intelligence and Systems Science. He is the author of the text, Algebraic Geometry and Statistical Learning Theory, which proposes a generalization of Fisher's regular statistical theory to singular statistical models.
Akira Ogata (緒方明) is a Japanese film director. He was given the Directors Guild of Japan New Directors Award for his…
Akira Ogata (緒方明) is a Japanese film director. He was given the Directors Guild of Japan New Directors Award for his film, Boy's Choir, in 2000, and then won the award for best director at the 31st Yokohama Film Festival for Nonchan Noriben.
Keiko Kawashima (Japanese: 川島慶子; born 1959) is a Japanese historian of science whose research has focused on women in…
Keiko Kawashima (Japanese: 川島慶子; born 1959) is a Japanese historian of science whose research has focused on women in science and gender in science. She is a professor emerita at the Nagoya Institute of Technology.
Jun Suemi (末弥純 Suemi Jun, born 1959) is a Japanese illustrator, born in Ōita, Ōita, Japan.
Asako Narahashi (楢橋 朝子, Narahashi Asako; born 1959 in Tokyo) is a Tokyo-based Japanese photographer. She is known for…
Asako Narahashi (楢橋 朝子, Narahashi Asako; born 1959 in Tokyo) is a Tokyo-based Japanese photographer. She is known for her approach of taking photos from offshore and splitting the frame between water and land or sky. Her photographs are held in a permanent collection in San Francisco Museum of Art and The National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo. In 1990, Narahashi opened the gallery 03FOTOS (1990-2001) to present her works. In 1996, she co-founded the photography magazine Main (1996-2000) with Ishiuchi Miyako.
Ken Kiyoyuki Okuyama (奥山 清行, Okuyama Kiyoyuki; born 1959) is a Japanese industrial designer. He is the owner of the Ken…
Ken Kiyoyuki Okuyama (奥山 清行, Okuyama Kiyoyuki; born 1959) is a Japanese industrial designer. He is the owner of the Ken Okuyama Design company. Okuyama formerly worked for Pininfarina, designing and supervising projects such as the Enzo Ferrari and Ferrari P4/5.
Tomomi Mochizuki (望月 智充, Mochizuki Tomomi; born December 31, 1958), sometimes incorrectly spelled as Tomomichi…
Tomomi Mochizuki (望月 智充, Mochizuki Tomomi; born December 31, 1958), sometimes incorrectly spelled as Tomomichi Mochizuki, is a Japanese storyboard artist, screenwriter, and director, known for having collaborated with leading animation studios such as Studio Ghibli, Nippon Animation, Pierrot, and Sunrise. He sometimes uses the alias Gō Sakamoto (坂本 郷, Sakamoto Gō) when writing screenplays or working on storyboards.
Shirō Sasaki (佐々木 史朗, Sasaki Shirō; born December 30, 1958) is a Japanese anime producer and music producer. Formerly…
Shirō Sasaki (佐々木 史朗, Sasaki Shirō; born December 30, 1958) is a Japanese anime producer and music producer. Formerly an employee of Victor Entertainment, he founded and has been the representative director of its sublabel, Flying Dog, since its inception in 2007. In his time working as a music producer and project developer he's helped launch the careers of musicians Yoko Kanno, Yuki Kajiura, May'n and singer and voice actress Maaya Sakamoto.
Naomi Fujiyama (藤山 直美, Fujiyama Naomi; born December 28, 1958) is a Japanese actress. She won the award for best…
Naomi Fujiyama (藤山 直美, Fujiyama Naomi; born December 28, 1958) is a Japanese actress. She won the award for best actress at the 25th Hochi Film Award and at the 22nd Yokohama Film Festival for Face. She is the daughter of leading Japanese comedian Kanbi Fujiyama.
Eriko Watanabe (born December 27, 1958) is a Japanese jurist who has served as an associate Justice of the Supreme…
Eriko Watanabe (born December 27, 1958) is a Japanese jurist who has served as an associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Japan since 2021.
Mieko Harada (原田 美枝子, Harada Mieko; born December 26, 1958) is a Japanese actress. She has played various roles in many…
Mieko Harada (原田 美枝子, Harada Mieko; born December 26, 1958) is a Japanese actress. She has played various roles in many films and Japanese television drama series since 1974.
Yoshihiko Kazamaru (風丸 良彦, Kazamaru Yoshihiko; born 1958) is a Japanese contemporary literary critic.
Masayuki Suzuki (Japanese: 鈴木 正之, Suzuki Masayuki; 26 December 1958 – 7 September 2026), better known by the stage name…
Masayuki Suzuki (Japanese: 鈴木 正之, Suzuki Masayuki; 26 December 1958 – 7 September 2026), better known by the stage name Great Gidayū (グレート義太夫, Gurēto Gidayū), was a Japanese comedian and actor. He notably played Biker in the 1999 film Kikujiro. Gidayū died on 7 September 2026, at the age of 67.
Munetaka Higuchi (樋口 宗孝, Higuchi Munetaka) (December 24, 1958 – November 30, 2008) was a Japanese musician and record…
Munetaka Higuchi (樋口 宗孝, Higuchi Munetaka) (December 24, 1958 – November 30, 2008) was a Japanese musician and record producer. He is best known as the original drummer of the heavy metal band Loudness, but first rose to prominence as a member of Lazy in the 1970s. In 2018, readers and professional musicians voted Higuchi the second best drummer in the history of hard rock and heavy metal in We Rock magazine's "Metal General Election".
Mari Shirato (白都真理, Shirato Mari) (born December 24, 1958, in Iizuka, Fukuoka, Japan) is a Japanese actress. She won…
Mari Shirato (白都真理, Shirato Mari) (born December 24, 1958, in Iizuka, Fukuoka, Japan) is a Japanese actress. She won the award for Best Actress at the 6th Yokohama Film Festival for Mermaid Legend.
Michihiko Chida (千田美智仁, Chida Michihiko) (born 22 December 1958 in Kitakami) is a former Japanese rugby union player…
Michihiko Chida (千田美智仁, Chida Michihiko) (born 22 December 1958 in Kitakami) is a former Japanese rugby union player who played mainly as Number 8.
Yūko Nakagawa (中川郁子, Nakagawa Yūko; née Iwata, born 22 December 1958) is a Japanese politician in the Liberal…
Yūko Nakagawa (中川郁子, Nakagawa Yūko; née Iwata, born 22 December 1958) is a Japanese politician in the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). She represented Hokkaido in the House of Representatives from 2012 to 2017. Her husband, Shōichi Nakagawa, was also a politician, serving as Minister of Finance of Japan in 2008 and 2009. Nakagawa was born in Niigata Prefecture and graduated from University of the Sacred Heart in 1981. She worked at Mitsubishi for a year until her marriage to Shōichi, and moved to Hokkaido shortly afterward. After Shōichi's death in 2009, Yūko began to get involved in politics. In the 2012 election, she ran in Hokkaido's 11th district against Tomohiro Ishikawa, who had defeated her husband for the position in the last election; she won with 51 percent of the vote. During her time in the House, she served on the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Committee, and was appointed as parliamentary minister of the committee in 2014. In her role as minister, she spoke out in opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership. After being re-elected in the 2014 election, Nakagawa came under controversy in March 2015, when a photograph was released where she was kissing fellow politician Hirofumi Kado; Nakagawa later apologized for the incident, and LDP President Shinzo Abe offered his continued support after the leak. She was challenged by Kaori Ishikawa, Tomohiro's wife, in the 2017 election. She lost, 54.5 to 45.5 percent, and the kiss with Kado was considered by the media to be the primary reason why she was defeated. Nakagawa narrowly regained a seat in the 2021 election. She was defeated in the 2024 election.
Masaaki Kato (加藤 正明, Kato Masaaki; born December 22, 1958) is a former Japanese football player. He played for the…
Masaaki Kato (加藤 正明, Kato Masaaki; born December 22, 1958) is a former Japanese football player. He played for the Japan national team.
Atsuji Miyahara (宮原 厚次, Miyahara Atsuji; born December 20, 1958) is a Japanese wrestler and Olympic champion in…
Atsuji Miyahara (宮原 厚次, Miyahara Atsuji; born December 20, 1958) is a Japanese wrestler and Olympic champion in Greco-Roman wrestling.
Takao Sakamoto (阪本 孝男, Sakamoto Takao; born 19 December 1958) is a Japanese former high jumper who competed in the 1984…
Takao Sakamoto (阪本 孝男, Sakamoto Takao; born 19 December 1958) is a Japanese former high jumper who competed in the 1984 Summer Olympics. Sakamoto won the British AAA Championships title twice, at the 1979 AAA Championships and the 1982 AAA Championships.
Takeo Akiba (秋葉 剛男, Akiba Takeo, born 19 December 1958) is a Japanese diplomat who served as National Security Advisor…
Takeo Akiba (秋葉 剛男, Akiba Takeo, born 19 December 1958) is a Japanese diplomat who served as National Security Advisor to the Cabinet from 2021 to 2025. He had a long career as a diplomat in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, serving as administrative vice minister from 2018 to 2021.
Tōryū Kenji (born 19 December 1958 as Kenji Tanaka) is a former sumo wrestler from Kakogawa, Hyōgo, Japan. He made his…
Tōryū Kenji (born 19 December 1958 as Kenji Tanaka) is a former sumo wrestler from Kakogawa, Hyōgo, Japan. He made his professional debut in March 1974, and reached the top division in November 1979. His highest rank was sekiwake. He retired in January 1990.
Ganari Takahashi (高橋がなり, Takahashi Ganari) is a Japanese adult video director and company founder. He founded Soft On…
Ganari Takahashi (高橋がなり, Takahashi Ganari) is a Japanese adult video director and company founder. He founded Soft On Demand (SOD), one of the largest adult video conglomerates in Japan.
Hiroaki Sakurai (桜井 弘明, Sakurai Hiroaki; born December 15, 1958) is a Japanese anime director and bassist who is known…
Hiroaki Sakurai (桜井 弘明, Sakurai Hiroaki; born December 15, 1958) is a Japanese anime director and bassist who is known for his work with the Di Gi Charat series and UFO Baby. He has served as the director for series such as Nanaka 6/17, Cromartie High School, Les Misérables: Shōjo Cosette, GA Geijutsuka Art Design Class, Maid Sama!, Nekogami Yaoyorozu, Jewelpet Happiness, The Disastrous Life of Saiki K., and The Demon Girl Next Door. He is married to Sayuri Ōba, an anime screenwriter.
Yoshimi Ashikawa (芦川 よしみ, Ashikawa Yoshimi; born 13 December 1958, in Tokyo) is a Japanese actress and singer. She…
Yoshimi Ashikawa (芦川 よしみ, Ashikawa Yoshimi; born 13 December 1958, in Tokyo) is a Japanese actress and singer. She graduated from Ono Gakuen Girls High School. Her real name is Yoshimi Kono (河野 芳美, Kōno Yoshimi). She is currently married (her husband is a doctor). She is represented with Office Mitsui.
Kanako Higuchi (樋口 可南子, Higuchi Kanako) (born December 13, 1958) is a Japanese actress. Her credits include film…
Kanako Higuchi (樋口 可南子, Higuchi Kanako) (born December 13, 1958) is a Japanese actress. Her credits include film, television, and radio dramas, stage, commercials, and voice roles. Born in Kamo, Niigata, she played her first lead at age 20 in the television drama Kōrogi-bashi. Kanako's film credits include Hokusai Manga, Bedtime Eyes, Zatoichi (1989), Casshern, Memories of Tomorrow, and Ashura no Jō Blood Gets In Your Eyes. Among her television roles are Lady Yodo in the 1987 NHK Taiga drama Dokuganryū Masamune and Hanayasha in the 1991 Taiga drama Taiheiki. She has represented the cosmetics firms KOSÉ and Kao. She won the award for Best Supporting Actress at the 15th Hochi Film Awards for Rōningai. She married Shigesato Itoi in 1993 and had a dog named Bouillon.
Yoshihisa Tagami (田上喜久 Tagami Yoshihisa, usually written in hiragana たがみ よしひさ) is a Japanese manga artist. Tagami was…
Yoshihisa Tagami (田上喜久 Tagami Yoshihisa, usually written in hiragana たがみ よしひさ) is a Japanese manga artist. Tagami was born on December 9, 1958, in Komoro, Nagano. He was the older brother of another manga artist, Iku Oyamada, who died in 2016. In 1978, Tagami received an Honorable Mention of the Shogakukan Manga Award in the Newcomer category for his manga Zashikiwarashi, which would become his first published manga in the January 10, 1979 issue of Shogakukan's Big Comic magazine.
Shinkun Haku (白 眞勲, Haku Shinkun; born 8 December 1958) is a Japanese politician of the Constitutional Democratic Party…
Shinkun Haku (白 眞勲, Haku Shinkun; born 8 December 1958) is a Japanese politician of the Constitutional Democratic Party and a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature).
Tomohide Utsumi (内海 知秀, Utsumi Tomohide) is a Japanese basketball coach. He coached the Japanese women's national team…
Tomohide Utsumi (内海 知秀, Utsumi Tomohide) is a Japanese basketball coach. He coached the Japanese women's national team at the 2016 Summer Olympics, where the team finished eighth.
Yuki Waseda (born 6 December 1958) is a Japanese politician who is a member of the House of Representatives of Japan.
Shun'ichi Kuryu (栗生 俊一, Kuryu Shun'ichi; born 6 December 1958) is a Japanese police officer who served as Deputy Chief…
Shun'ichi Kuryu (栗生 俊一, Kuryu Shun'ichi; born 6 December 1958) is a Japanese police officer who served as Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary from 2021 to 2024. He previously served as Commissioner General of the National Police Agency from 2018 to 2020.
Hideo Murai (村井 秀夫 Murai Hideo; December 5, 1958 – April 23, 1995) was a Japanese criminal and member of the Aum…
Hideo Murai (村井 秀夫 Murai Hideo; December 5, 1958 – April 23, 1995) was a Japanese criminal and member of the Aum Shinrikyo cult and one of the perpetrators responsible for the Sakamoto family murder. He also helped plan the Tokyo subway sarin attack. Murai held a doctorate in astrophysics. He was reportedly the number three person in the Aum leadership, after Shoko Asahara and Kiyohide Hayakawa. He headed Aum Shinrikyo's Ministry of Science and Technology.
Shinji Harada (Harada Shinji、原田真二) is a pop music artist in Japan. He was born on December 5, 1958 in Hiroshima. After…
Shinji Harada (Harada Shinji、原田真二) is a pop music artist in Japan. He was born on December 5, 1958 in Hiroshima. After three years of practicing guitar, at the age of fifteen he was ready to play guitar with the band Yamaha. Harada became a musical sensation in Japan when he released his debut single Teens' Blues on October 25, 1977 when he was 18 years old. He released two more singles, Candy in November and Shadow Boxer in December same year. All three singles ranked within the top 20 in the Oricon chart simultaneously, which had never happened before. The debut album Feel Happy was to become number one in the first week of release in Japan in 1978. A documentary film about him, Our Song, was made in 1978. Harada has been prolific, releasing more than 70 singles from 1977 to 2015. Harada as a songwriter, has written or composed for Koji Kikkawa, Junko Yagami, Anri, Hiromi Go, Akina Nakamori, and other artists. His song 'Time Travell' from the album 'Feel Happy' was covered by Spitz. Spitz's 'Time Travel' was used in the famous 2011 Japanese drama Boku to Star no 99 Nichi starring Hidetoshi Nishijima and Kim Tae Hee.
Kiyoshi Kitagawa (Japanese: 北川潔; December 5, 1958 – April 28, 2026) was a Japanese-American jazz double bassist.
Masashi Matsuie (Japanese: 松家仁之, Hepburn: Matsuie Masashi; born 1958) is a Japanese novelist and editor. He worked for…
Masashi Matsuie (Japanese: 松家仁之, Hepburn: Matsuie Masashi; born 1958) is a Japanese novelist and editor. He worked for the publishing house Shinchosha, where he helped launch the translated-fiction imprint Shincho Crest Books and served as founding editor-in-chief of the quarterly magazine Kangaeru hito. His 2012 debut novel Kazan no fumoto de won the 64th Yomiuri Prize for Literature. His 2017 novel Hikari no inu won the Kawai Hayao Story Prize and the Art Encouragement Prize of the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.