Ken Kuronuma (Japanese: 黒沼健, Hepburn: Kuronuma Ken; 1 May 1902 – 5 July 1985) was the pen-name of novelist, science…
Ken Kuronuma (Japanese: 黒沼健, Hepburn: Kuronuma Ken; 1 May 1902 – 5 July 1985) was the pen-name of novelist, science fiction, and mystery writer in Shōwa period Japan. His real name was Michio Soda (左右田道雄, Sōda Michio). His father, Sōda Kiichirō (左右田喜一郎), was an economist and a banker. Kuronuma was the writer of the Kaiju classic Giant Monster of the Sky: Rodan (known in Japan as Sora no Daikaijū: Radon (空の大怪獣 ラドン, Sora no Daikaijū Radon)), a 1956 tokusatsu film produced by Tōhō Studios. The film followed in the footsteps of Godzilla and was also popular in the United States. He followed on the success of Rodan with Varan the Unbelievable in 1958. It proved to be one of the least popular of the Tōhō movies of all time, and nearly destroyed his career. Kuronuma turned his attention to television drama, writing scripts for one of Japan's first science fiction series, Undersea Man 8823 (海底人8823, Kaiteijin 8823), which ran for 26 episodes: from 3 January 1960 to 28 June 1960. In addition to writing for the series, he also helped to compose the music.
Famous People Born in 1902
1902: 81 people
Yoshiko Okada (岡田嘉子, Okada Yoshiko; 21 April 1902 – 10 February 1992) was a Japanese stage and film actress who…
Yoshiko Okada (岡田嘉子, Okada Yoshiko; 21 April 1902 – 10 February 1992) was a Japanese stage and film actress who defected to the Soviet Union in the 1930s.
Tomotaka Tasaka (田坂 具隆, Tasaka Tomotaka; 14 April 1902 – 17 October 1974) was a Japanese film director.
Hideo Kobayashi (小林 秀雄, Kobayashi Hideo; April 11, 1902 – March 1, 1983) was a Japanese author, who established…
Hideo Kobayashi (小林 秀雄, Kobayashi Hideo; April 11, 1902 – March 1, 1983) was a Japanese author, who established literary criticism as an independent art form in Japan.
Hideo Kobayashi (小林 秀雄, Kobayashi Hideo; April 11, 1902 – March 1, 1983) was a Japanese author, who established…
Hideo Kobayashi (小林 秀雄, Kobayashi Hideo; April 11, 1902 – March 1, 1983) was a Japanese author, who established literary criticism as an independent art form in Japan.
Jiro Nakano (中野 二郎 = Nakano Jirō) (10 April 1902 – 10 June 2000) was a Japanese composer, conductor and arranger from…
Jiro Nakano (中野 二郎 = Nakano Jirō) (10 April 1902 – 10 June 2000) was a Japanese composer, conductor and arranger from Aichi Prefecture. He composed works for solo guitar, solo mandolin and Mandolin orchestra.
Jūran Hisao (久生 十蘭, Hisao Jūran; 6 April 1902 – 6 October 1957) was the pen-name of a Japanese author of popular…
Jūran Hisao (久生 十蘭, Hisao Jūran; 6 April 1902 – 6 October 1957) was the pen-name of a Japanese author of popular fiction in Shōwa period Japan. Hisao Jūran was a pioneer in the use of black humor in Japanese literature. His works reflect his extensive knowledge of a wide range of subjects, and displayed extraordinary skills, and range from mystery tales to humor, and both historical and contemporary settings. His real name was Masao Abe (阿部 正雄, Abe Masao).
Kenzo Yashima (八島健三, Yashima Kenzō; 6 April 1902 – 17 October 1979) was a Japanese long-distance runner. He competed in…
Kenzo Yashima (八島健三, Yashima Kenzō; 6 April 1902 – 17 October 1979) was a Japanese long-distance runner. He competed in the marathon at the 1920 Summer Olympics.
Masako Ogawa (小川 正子, Ogawa Masako; March 26, 1902 – April 29, 1943) was a Japanese medical doctor who worked at the…
Masako Ogawa (小川 正子, Ogawa Masako; March 26, 1902 – April 29, 1943) was a Japanese medical doctor who worked at the Nagashima Aiseien Sanatorium. She wrote a book, "Spring in a small island" in 1938, about her experiences in persuading leprosy patients in remote areas of Japan into hospitalization. It created a sensation in Japan, and was made into a film. She was criticized for accelerating the "No leprosy patients in prefecture" movement and giving an impression that leprosy is to be feared.
Colonel Okikatsu Arao (荒尾 興功, Arao Okikatsu; March 18, 1902 – August 22, 1974) was one of the original plotters in a…
Colonel Okikatsu Arao (荒尾 興功, Arao Okikatsu; March 18, 1902 – August 22, 1974) was one of the original plotters in a scheme to prevent Emperor Hirohito's declaration of surrender at the end of World War II. He was the chief of the War Affairs section of the Military Affairs Bureau of the Imperial Japanese Army.
Ryūnosuke Tsukigata (月形龍之介, Tsukigata Ryūnosuke; 18 March 1902 – 30 August 1970) was a Japanese actor known especially…
Ryūnosuke Tsukigata (月形龍之介, Tsukigata Ryūnosuke; 18 March 1902 – 30 August 1970) was a Japanese actor known especially for his work in jidaigeki in film and television. His real name was Kiyoto Monden.
Kajirō Yamamoto (山本 嘉次郎, Yamamoto Kajirō; 15 March 1902 – 21 September 1974) was a Japanese film director…
Kajirō Yamamoto (山本 嘉次郎, Yamamoto Kajirō; 15 March 1902 – 21 September 1974) was a Japanese film director, screenwriter, and actor who was known for his war films and comedies and as the mentor of the Three Crows (Akira Kurosawa, Ishirō Honda, and Senkichi Taniguchi). The combined list of his efforts as a director for documentaries, silent, and sound films includes over 90 film titles during his lifetime.
Sumiko Kurishima (栗島すみ子, Kurishima Sumiko) (15 March, 1902 – 16 August, 1987) was a Japanese actress and master of…
Sumiko Kurishima (栗島すみ子, Kurishima Sumiko) (15 March, 1902 – 16 August, 1987) was a Japanese actress and master of traditional Japanese dance. She is often considered Japan's first female movie star.
Takakazu Kinashi (木梨 鷹一, Kinashi Takakazu; 7 March 1902 – 26 July 1944) was a Japanese naval officer during World War…
Takakazu Kinashi (木梨 鷹一, Kinashi Takakazu; 7 March 1902 – 26 July 1944) was a Japanese naval officer during World War II. As captain of submarine I-19, he sank the American aircraft carrier USS Wasp and destroyer USS O'Brien and severely damaged the battleship USS North Carolina with a single spread of six torpedoes in 1942. He was the most successful submarine commander of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II, sinking five merchant ships, one carrier and one destroyer, for a total of 39,097 GRT, and damaging a further one battleship and four merchant ships, for 69,542 GRT.
Vice Admiral Hidemi Yoshida (吉田英三, Eizo; 5 March 1902 – 24 April 1978) was a Japanese naval officer who served in the…
Vice Admiral Hidemi Yoshida (吉田英三, Eizo; 5 March 1902 – 24 April 1978) was a Japanese naval officer who served in the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1919 to 1945 and the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) from 1954 to 1958. He was the first Self Defense Fleet commander in 1954 until being succeeded by Vice Admiral Yasumaro Kiguchi.
Tadashi Iijima (飯島 正, Iijima Tadashi; 5 March 1902 – 5 January 1996) was a Japanese film critic and screenwriter. He…
Tadashi Iijima (飯島 正, Iijima Tadashi; 5 March 1902 – 5 January 1996) was a Japanese film critic and screenwriter. He has been called "a leader who established film criticism and film research in Japan".
Inada Syūichi (稲田 周一, Inada Shūichi; 26 February 1902 – 5 February 1973) was a Japanese Home Ministry government…
Inada Syūichi (稲田 周一, Inada Shūichi; 26 February 1902 – 5 February 1973) was a Japanese Home Ministry government official and politician. He was born in Niigata Prefecture. He was a graduate of Tokyo Imperial University. He was governor of Shiga Prefecture (1945–1946). He was Grand Chamberlain of Japan (1965–1969).
Kenjiro Shoda (Japanese: 正田 建次郎 Shōda Kenjirō; February 25, 1902 – March 20, 1977) was a Japanese mathematician.
Jirō Shirasu (白洲 次郎, Shirasu Jirō; 17 February 1902 – 28 November 1985) was a Japanese businessman and official. He was…
Jirō Shirasu (白洲 次郎, Shirasu Jirō; 17 February 1902 – 28 November 1985) was a Japanese businessman and official. He was a confidant of Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida and served as a liaison between Japanese cabinet and the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers during the American occupation of Japan.
Tadaichi Hirakawa (平川 唯一, February 13, 1902 – August 25, 1993) was a broadcaster and radio instructor of English…
Tadaichi Hirakawa (平川 唯一, February 13, 1902 – August 25, 1993) was a broadcaster and radio instructor of English conversation courses for the NHK. Nicknamed "Uncle Come Come," he was in charge of the popular radio program "English Conversation (Eikaiwa 英会話)" from 1946 to 1951. The program is also known as "Come Come English". He came from Takahashi City, Okayama Prefecture, Japan and studied in the United States before World War II. In 2021, NHK produced a TV drama, Come Come Everybody, featured Hirakawa and his life and family.
Kaoru Iwamoto (岩本薫, Iwamoto Kaoru; February 5, 1902 – November 29, 1999), also known as Honinbo Kunwa, was a Japanese…
Kaoru Iwamoto (岩本薫, Iwamoto Kaoru; February 5, 1902 – November 29, 1999), also known as Honinbo Kunwa, was a Japanese professional Go player and writer who achieved the rank of 9-dan.
Junyu Kitayama (北山 淳友, Kitayama Junyu) (January 29, 1902 – January 19, 1962) was a Japanese Buddhist philosopher…
Junyu Kitayama (北山 淳友, Kitayama Junyu) (January 29, 1902 – January 19, 1962) was a Japanese Buddhist philosopher, metaphysical humanist, writer, religious scholar, translator, and university teacher. He was director of the Japan Institute Berlin and also a judo teacher.
Hirotada, Prince Kachō (華頂宮博忠王, Kachō-no-miya Hirotada-ō; 26 January 1902 – 24 March 1924) of Japan, was a member of a…
Hirotada, Prince Kachō (華頂宮博忠王, Kachō-no-miya Hirotada-ō; 26 January 1902 – 24 March 1924) of Japan, was a member of a collateral branch of the Japanese imperial family.
These are lists of the 100 known verified oldest people sorted in descending order by age in years and days. The oldest…
These are lists of the 100 known verified oldest people sorted in descending order by age in years and days. The oldest person ever whose age has been independently verified is Jeanne Calment (1875–1997) of France, who lived to the age of 122 years and 164 days. The oldest verified man ever is Jiroemon Kimura (1897–2013) of Japan, who lived to the age of 116 years and 54 days. The oldest known living person is Ethel Caterham of the United Kingdom, aged 117 years, 57 days. The oldest known living man is João Marinho Neto of Brazil, aged 114 years, 12 days. The 100 oldest women have, on average, lived several years longer than the 100 oldest men.
Korehito Kurahara (蔵原 惟人; January 26, 1902 – January 25, 1991) was a Japanese Marxist literary critic. He wrote under…
Korehito Kurahara (蔵原 惟人; January 26, 1902 – January 25, 1991) was a Japanese Marxist literary critic. He wrote under the name Soichiro Furukawa.
Shigeharu Nakano (中野 重治, Nakano Shigeharu; 25 January 1902 – 24 August 1979) was a Japanese writer and Japanese…
Shigeharu Nakano (中野 重治, Nakano Shigeharu; 25 January 1902 – 24 August 1979) was a Japanese writer and Japanese Communist Party (JCP) politician. Nakano was born in Maruoka, now part of Sakai, Fukui. In 1914, he enrolled in middle school in Fukui, Fukui, and attended high school in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa and Kanazawa, Ishikawa. In 1924, he entered the German literature department of the University of Tokyo. In 1931, he joined the Japanese Communist Party, for which he was arrested in 1934. Immediately after World War II, he rejoined the party and played a leading role in founding the JCP-affiliated literary society New Japanese Literature Association (Shin Nihon Bungakkai). In 1947, Nakano began a three-year term as elected representative to the government. In 1958, he was elected to the party's Central Committee, but in 1964 was expelled due to political conflicts. Nakano was one of the most prominent figures in the proletarian literary movement that dominated the Japanese literary field from mid 1920's to early 1930's. His autobiographical novels include Nami no aima (Between the Waves, 1930), Muragimo (In the Depths of the Heart, 1954), and Kō otsu hei tei (ABCD, 1965-1969). Nakano received the 1959 Yomiuri Prize for Nashi no hana. Following his arrest, he published a novella titled Shōsetsuka no kakenu shōsetsuka (The Novelist Who Can't Write a Novel, 1977) in which he offers glimpses of the authoritarian concerns surrounding deletion marks in writing. Three more of his other works, translated by Brett de Bary, include Mura no ie (The House in the Village, 1979), Goshaku no sake (Five Cups of Sake), and Hagi no monkakiya (The Crest-painter of Hagi).
Heinosuke Gosho (五所平之助, Gosho Heinosuke; 24 January 1902 – 1 May 1981) was a Japanese film director and screenwriter…
Heinosuke Gosho (五所平之助, Gosho Heinosuke; 24 January 1902 – 1 May 1981) was a Japanese film director and screenwriter who directed Japan's first successful sound film, The Neighbor's Wife and Mine, in 1931. His films are mostly associated with the shōshimin-eiga (lit. "common people drama") genre. Among his most noted works are Where Chimneys Are Seen, An Inn at Osaka, Takekurabe and Yellow Crow.
Tokushige Noto (納戸 徳重, Noto Tokushige; 24 January 1902 – 4 January 1991) was a Japanese sprinter who competed in the…
Tokushige Noto (納戸 徳重, Noto Tokushige; 24 January 1902 – 4 January 1991) was a Japanese sprinter who competed in the men's 400 metres, men's 800 metres, and the men's decathlon at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.
Shinobu Tabata (田畑 忍, Tabata Shinobu, January 22, 1902 – March 14, 1994) was a Japanese legal scholar specializing in…
Shinobu Tabata (田畑 忍, Tabata Shinobu, January 22, 1902 – March 14, 1994) was a Japanese legal scholar specializing in constitutional law. He was a professor and president of Doshisha University and a prominent pacifist who advocated for the defense of the post-war Japanese Constitution, especially Article 9.
Kinji Imanishi (今西 錦司, Imanishi Kinji; January 6, 1902 – June 15, 1992) was a Japanese ecologist and anthropologist. He…
Kinji Imanishi (今西 錦司, Imanishi Kinji; January 6, 1902 – June 15, 1992) was a Japanese ecologist and anthropologist. He was the founder of Kyoto University's Primate Research Institute and, together with Junichiro Itani, is considered one of the founders of Japanese primatology.
Minoru Sakata (坂田 稔, Sakata Minoru; 1902–1974) was a Japanese photographer active in the prewar avant-garde photography…
Minoru Sakata (坂田 稔, Sakata Minoru; 1902–1974) was a Japanese photographer active in the prewar avant-garde photography networks of Nagoya. While living in Osaka he was a member of the Naniwa Photography Club, and after moving to Nagoya he led the formation of Nagoya Photo Gruppe in 1934. He later participated in the Nagoya Avant-Garde Club and the Nagoya Photo Avant-Garde. He was also described as a leading organizer and polemicist in Nagoya's prewar avant-garde photography circles.