Daijiro Oishi (大石 大二郎, Ōishi Daijirō; born October 20, 1958) is a professional Japanese baseball player. He was an…Daijiro Oishi (大石 大二郎, Ōishi Daijirō; born October 20, 1958) is a professional Japanese baseball player. He was an infielder for the Kintetsu Buffaloes for 16 seasons. He served as a coach for the Buffaloes from 2003 to 2008 before managing the Orix Buffaloes in 2008, managing two seasons.
Hiromi Hara (原 博実, Hara Hiromi; born October 19, 1958) is a former Japanese football player and manager. He played for…Hiromi Hara (原 博実, Hara Hiromi; born October 19, 1958) is a former Japanese football player and manager. He played for Japan national team. He also managed Japan national team as caretaker.
Yoko Ishii (石井 葉子, Ishii Yōko; born October 18, 1958, in Chōfu, Tokyo, Japan), better known as Megumi Ishii (石井 めぐみ…Yoko Ishii (石井 葉子, Ishii Yōko; born October 18, 1958, in Chōfu, Tokyo, Japan), better known as Megumi Ishii (石井 めぐみ, Ishii Megumi) is a Japanese actress and politician who is represented by the talent agency, Wonder Production. In 2015, she was elected to the Kunitachi Municipal Assembly.
Tsukasa Kobiki (木挽 司, Kobiki Tsukasa; born 18 October 1958) is a former Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic…Tsukasa Kobiki (木挽 司, Kobiki Tsukasa; born 18 October 1958) 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 Nishinomiya, Hyogo and graduate of Kansai University, he was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 2005 after serving in the city assembly of Itami, Hyogo.
Masachi Osawa (大澤 真幸, Ōsawa Masachi; born October 15, 1958 in Nagano, Japan) is a Japanese sociologist and philosopher.…Masachi Osawa (大澤 真幸, Ōsawa Masachi; born October 15, 1958 in Nagano, Japan) is a Japanese sociologist and philosopher. Outside Japan, he is best known as a social scientist, often mentioned in reference to sociological and philosophical research on otaku culture and popular Japanese animation series such as Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex.
Kazuya Terashima (Japanese: 寺嶋 一弥, Hepburn: Terashima Kazuya; 13 October 1958 – 6 October 2020), known by his pen name…Kazuya Terashima (Japanese: 寺嶋 一弥, Hepburn: Terashima Kazuya; 13 October 1958 – 6 October 2020), known by his pen name Izumi Matsumoto (まつもと 泉, Matsumoto Izumi), was a Japanese manga artist best known for Kimagure Orange Road. His career started in 1982, publishing his comic Milk Report in the manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump. But real success came in 1984, publishing Kimagure Orange Road in the same magazine. In 2005, he revealed that he was afflicted with a cerebrospinal fluid disease (possibly stemming from a car accident when he was three years old) that had forced him to take six years off work, and he hoped to bring attention to this disorder through a new manga. On 3 November 2019, Matsumoto revealed that he had been diagnosed with spinal stenosis. Matsumoto died at 61 on October 6, 2020.
Kazushito Manabe (真鍋和人, Manabe Kazushito; born October 12, 1958) is a retired Japanese weightlifter. He won a bronze…Kazushito Manabe (真鍋和人, Manabe Kazushito; born October 12, 1958) is a retired Japanese weightlifter. He won a bronze medal in the flyweight category at the 1984 Summer Olympics, as well as two bronze medals at world championships in 1981 and 1984; weightlifting at the latter championships was combined with the 1984 Olympics. He finished eighth at the 1988 Games. He graduated from the Niihama Technical High School and later worked at the Izumi Chemical company.
Motome Takisawa (滝沢 求, Takisawa Motome; born 11 October 1958) is a Japanese politician from the Liberal Democratic…Motome Takisawa (滝沢 求, Takisawa Motome; born 11 October 1958) is a Japanese politician from the Liberal Democratic Party. He served as member of the House of Councillors for Aomori at-large district.
Mai Yamane (山根 麻以, Yamane Mai; born 9 October 1958) is a Japanese singer, known for her work on the soundtracks of…Mai Yamane (山根 麻以, Yamane Mai; born 9 October 1958) is a Japanese singer, known for her work on the soundtracks of Cowboy Bebop and other anime with Yoko Kanno and for her 1980s and 90s music, including Tasogare.
Tomio Imamura (Imamura Tomio; 7 October 1958) is a Japanese master of Shotokan karate. He has won the JKA's version of…Tomio Imamura (Imamura Tomio; 7 October 1958) is a Japanese master of Shotokan karate. He has won the JKA's version of the world championships for kumite on 2 occasions. He has also won the JKA All-Japan championships for kumite on 2 occasions. He is currently an instructor of the Japan Karate Association.
Hiroshi Kataoka (ja: 片岡 宏誌) is a Japanese entomologist and a professor emeritus at the University of Tokyo, Japan. He…Hiroshi Kataoka (ja: 片岡 宏誌) is a Japanese entomologist and a professor emeritus at the University of Tokyo, Japan. He has conducted research on insect hormones and the prothoracic gland, which secretes ecdysteroids. His achievements garnered international attention, with several commentary articles published in leading journals like Science and several covers in prestigious journals such as the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. His research has also been widely covered by both Japanese and international media. He was exceptionally skilled in experimental techniques. Before joining the faculty at the University of Tokyo, he managed to purify and identify most of the insect peptide hormones known at the time, including prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH), allatotropin, allatostatin, eclosion hormone, and diuretic hormone. Notably, his two mentors received the prestigious Japanese Academy Prize (日本学士院賞) for their work on the purification and identification of PTTH, a milestone that had eluded many predecessors. Around October 2001, he established the Laboratory of Molecular Recognition at the University of Tokyo's new Kashiwa campus as a professor. He supported the young associate professor Kazushige Touhara while an article in Nature reviewed the hiring of young faculty members. As a result, he established a highly productive environment. Of the 20 initial members at the Kashiwa Campus start-up, three were awarded the Japan Academy Medal—Kazushige Touhara, Yuki Oka, and Naoki Yamanaka—Japan's highest honor for young researchers to date. He also played a crucial role as a head of the graduate school system and in the establishment of the Kashiwa campus. His research was conducted in collaboration with numerous researchers from Japanese and international institutions, including Nagoya University, the National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Zhejiang University, the Slovak Academy of Sciences, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of Washington, and Paris Diderot University.
Masato Nakamura (中村 正人, Nakamura Masato; born October 1, 1958) is a Japanese musician, bass guitarist, and record…Masato Nakamura (中村 正人, Nakamura Masato; born October 1, 1958) is a Japanese musician, bass guitarist, and record producer. He is a member of the J-pop band Dreams Come True, which was formed in 1988 and went on to sell over 50 million CDs. He also composed the soundtracks for the video games Sonic the Hedgehog (1991) and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992).
Yasuhiro Ozato (小里 泰弘, Ozato Yasuhiro; born 29 September 1958) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party…Yasuhiro Ozato (小里 泰弘, Ozato Yasuhiro; born 29 September 1958) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party and a former member of the House of Representatives in the Diet. A native of the former town of Kirishima, Kagoshima and graduate of Keio University, he was elected for the first time in 2005. He is affiliated to the revisionist lobby Nippon Kaigi.
Hirotaka Izumi (和泉宏隆, Izumi Hirotaka; September 28, 1958 – April 26, 2021) was a Japanese keyboardist, pianist, and…Hirotaka Izumi (和泉宏隆, Izumi Hirotaka; September 28, 1958 – April 26, 2021) was a Japanese keyboardist, pianist, and composer who was a former member of the jazz fusion band T-Square. Besides T-Square, he was also active in the bands Pyramid (ピラミッド) and Voyage (ヴォヤージュ).
Masahiro Morioka (森岡 正博, Morioka Masahiro; born September 25, 1958) is a Japanese philosopher, who has contributed to…Masahiro Morioka (森岡 正博, Morioka Masahiro; born September 25, 1958) is a Japanese philosopher, who has contributed to the fields of philosophy of life, bioethics, gender studies, media theory, and civilization studies. He is a professor of philosophy and ethics at Waseda University, Japan. He coined the term "life studies" for an integrated approach to the issues of life, death, and nature in contemporary society. Since 2006 he has proposed a new philosophical discipline he calls "philosophy of life". He has published numerous academic books and articles, mainly in Japanese, and has regularly contributed commentaries and book reviews to major Japanese newspapers and magazines. His books include Painless Civilization, which criticizes the incessant attempts to escape from pain and suffering in modern civilization, Confessions of a Frigid Man: A Philosopher's Journey into the Hidden Layers of Men's Sexuality, which illuminates some of the darker sides of male sexuality such as the "Lolita complex" and male frigidity, and Lessons in Love for Herbivore Men, one of the books that helped popularize the term "herbivore men". He is the editor-in-chief of Journal of Philosophy of Life, an associate editor of Eubios Journal of Asian and International Bioethics, and a steering committee member of the International Conference on Philosophy and Meaning in Life.
Mitsutoshi Tanaka (田中光敏; born 24 September 1958 in Urakawa, Hokkaido) is a Japanese film and commercial director. He is…Mitsutoshi Tanaka (田中光敏; born 24 September 1958 in Urakawa, Hokkaido) is a Japanese film and commercial director. He is president and CEO of Osaka-based film production firm Creators' Union and widely known for award-winning feature films such as Godai - The Wunderkind (2020), 125 Years Memory (2015), Blossoms Bloom (2014) and Ask This of Rikyu (2013). He has received numerous awards, including the Kinema Junpo Best Ten Readers' Choice Award for Best Japanese Director for his period drama Godai - The Wunderkind and the Japan Academy Film Prize as Excellent Director for the Japanese-Turkish co-production 125 Years Memory.
Tatsu Aoki (青木 達幸, Aoki Tatsuyuki) (born September 19, 1957) is a multi-instrumentalist trained in traditional Japanese…Tatsu Aoki (青木 達幸, Aoki Tatsuyuki) (born September 19, 1957) is a multi-instrumentalist trained in traditional Japanese music (i.e.: taiko and shamisen), educator and experimental filmmaker. In his career as Chicago's Jazz and creative improvisor, he is mostly known as a long-standing bassist for Fred Anderson and he has also worked with George Freeman, and Von Freeman in the 90s. Aoki also has curious recording projects with Malachi Favors, Roscoe Mitchell, Don Moye, Wu Man, and other internationally renowned artists. Aoki also directs cultural events that promote the history of Japanese artistic traditions and contemporary Asian influences in jazz. As the founder and artistic director of Asian Improv Arts Midwest, he hosts events such as the annual Chicago Asian American Jazz Festival and the Japanese American Service Committee's Tsukasa Taiko Legacy arts residency program.
Shoji Nishida (西田 昌司, Nishida Shōji; born September 19, 1958) is a conservative Japanese politician of the Liberal…Shoji Nishida (西田 昌司, Nishida Shōji; born September 19, 1958) is a conservative Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature).
Kōji Tamaki (玉置 浩二, Tamaki Kōji; born September 13, 1958) is a Japanese singer-songwriter and actor. He has been well…Kōji Tamaki (玉置 浩二, Tamaki Kōji; born September 13, 1958) is a Japanese singer-songwriter and actor. He has been well known as frontman of the rock band Anzen Chitai that debuted in 1982 and enjoyed a successful career, particularly during the 1980s. In the 1990s, he also began his career as a solo artist. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest Japanese vocalists. In 2014, he was ranked first by a panel of 200 experts for the best ever singing voice in Japan. Moreover, in 2021 Koji was voted as the greatest active male Japanese singer, with 190 experts agreeing that he is a "living national treasure of music" and that he portrays an "unparalleled mass of expressiveness and emotion which only seems to get better with age".
Reiko Terashima (寺島令子, Terashima Reiko) is a Japanese yonkoma manga artist and illustrator born on 8 September 1958 in…Reiko Terashima (寺島令子, Terashima Reiko) is a Japanese yonkoma manga artist and illustrator born on 8 September 1958 in Kyoto, Japan. She graduated from Ritsumeikan University with a degree in psychology, and was a member of the manga club while there. Terashima made her professional debut in 1979 with Children Play (チルドレンプレイ, Chirudoren Purei), published in the manga magazine Young Magazine. She has illustrated multiple cards for the Japanese edition of Magic: The Gathering. Terashima is divorced. She has a close friendship with manga artist and illustrator Naoko Kanazawa, and her younger sister is manga artist Yoshiko Terakawa.
Nisshinbo Holdings Inc. (日清紡ホールディングス株式会社, Nisshinbō Hōrudingusu Kabushiki-gaisha) is a Japanese company formerly listed…Nisshinbo Holdings Inc. (日清紡ホールディングス株式会社, Nisshinbō Hōrudingusu Kabushiki-gaisha) is a Japanese company formerly listed on the Nikkei 225. It has a diverse line of businesses that include electronics, automobile brakes, mechatronics, chemicals, textiles, papers and real estate.
Satoshi Tezuka (手塚 聡, Tezuka Satoshi; born September 4, 1958) is a former Japanese football player and manager. He…Satoshi Tezuka (手塚 聡, Tezuka Satoshi; born September 4, 1958) is a former Japanese football player and manager. He played for Japan national team.
Shiro Koshinaka (越中 詩郎, Koshinaka Shirō; born September 3, 1958) is a Japanese professional wrestler who has competed…Shiro Koshinaka (越中 詩郎, Koshinaka Shirō; born September 3, 1958) is a Japanese professional wrestler who has competed in All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and Wrestle Association "R" (WAR) during the 1980s and 1990s. He was also the first IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion.
Satoko Shinohara (born September 3, 1958) is a Japanese architect, architectural educator, and architectural…Satoko Shinohara (born September 3, 1958) is a Japanese architect, architectural educator, and architectural researcher. She became the president of Japan Women's University in 2020. She presides over Spatial Design Studio and is a published author and editor. In a career that has addressed daily life, housing, and relationships, one of Shinohara's key design tenets is that housing is inherently a social space—one that can cultivate relationships among people, place, and the environment.
Akira Ojima (born September 1, 1958) is a Japanese jurist who has served as an associate Justice of the Supreme Court…Akira Ojima (born September 1, 1958) is a Japanese jurist who has served as an associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Japan since 2022.
Eiji Ōtsuka (大塚 英志, Ōtsuka Eiji; born 28 August 1958 in the former Tanashi, Tokyo) is a Japanese social critic…Eiji Ōtsuka (大塚 英志, Ōtsuka Eiji; born 28 August 1958 in the former Tanashi, Tokyo) is a Japanese social critic, folklorist, media theorist, and novelist. He is currently a professor at International Research Center for Japanese Studies, Kyoto. He graduated from University of Tsukuba with a degree in anthropology, women's folklore, human sacrifice and post-war manga. In addition to his work with manga, Ōtsuka is a critic, essayist, and author of several successful non-fiction books on Japanese popular and otaku subcultures. He has written the Multiple Personality Detective Psycho and The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service manga series. One of his first animation script works was Mahō no Rouge Lipstick, an adult lolicon OVA. Ōtsuka was the editor for the bishōjo lolicon manga series Petit Apple Pie. In the 1980s, Ōtsuka was editor-in-chief of Manga Burikko, a leading manga magazine where he pioneered research on otaku subcultures in modern Japan. He has published a host of books and articles about the manga industry. In July 2007, he received a doctorate in artistic engineering from Kobe Design University. His doctoral dissertation is "From Mickey's format to Proposition of Atom: the origin of postwar manga methodology in wartime years and its development".
Hachiro Nitta (新田 八朗, Nitta Hachirō; born 27 August 1958) is a Japanese politician who has served as governor of Toyama…Hachiro Nitta (新田 八朗, Nitta Hachirō; born 27 August 1958) is a Japanese politician who has served as governor of Toyama Prefecture since 2020.
Kaoruko Himeno (姫野 カオルコ, Himeno Kaoruko) is a Japanese writer. She has been nominated five times for the Naoki Prize…Kaoruko Himeno (姫野 カオルコ, Himeno Kaoruko) is a Japanese writer. She has been nominated five times for the Naoki Prize and won the 150th Naoki Prize for her novel Showa Dog (昭和の犬, Showa no inu). Two of her novels have been adapted for film.
Kazufumi Shiraishi (白石 一文, Shiraishi Kazufumi) is a Japanese novelist and the son of novelist Ichirō Shiraishi. The two…Kazufumi Shiraishi (白石 一文, Shiraishi Kazufumi) is a Japanese novelist and the son of novelist Ichirō Shiraishi. The two are the only father-son pair to have both received the Naoki Prize, the father on his eighth nomination after numerous disappointments and the son on his second, for the 2009 Hokanaranu hito e (To an Incomparable Other). At his prize press conference, the son joked that he had always “hated” the Naoki because of the grief it had put his father through. Shiraishi debuted in 2000 to great critical acclaim with Isshun no hikari (A Ray of Light). His novel Boku no naka no kowareteinai bubun (The Part of Me That Isn’t Broken Inside), published in 2002, became a national best-seller and is forthcoming in translation from Dalkey Archive Press, who is also publishing Shiraishi's 2008 novel, Kono yo no zenbu o tekini mawashite (Me Against the World). In addition to winning the Naoki Prize, Shiraishi has also won the prestigious Yamamoto Shūgorō Prize for his 2009 novel, Kono mune ni fukabuka to tsukisasaru ya o nuke (Remove That Arrow from Deep in My Heart). He is a member of Red Circle Authors.
Noriteru Jaime Fukushima Ichimori (Japanese: 福嶌教輝; born June 3, 1959) is a Mexican-Japanese diplomat who has served as…Noriteru Jaime Fukushima Ichimori (Japanese: 福嶌教輝; born June 3, 1959) is a Mexican-Japanese diplomat who has served as Japanese Ambassador to Mexico since 2021. Born in Mexico to parents from Japan, Fukushima holds dual citizenship. He previously served as Japanese Ambassador to Argentina.
Mieko Kobayashi (小林 美恵子 Kobayashi Mieko) is a Japanese politician and member of the House of Councillors for the…Mieko Kobayashi (小林 美恵子 Kobayashi Mieko) is a Japanese politician and member of the House of Councillors for the Japanese Communist Party.
Tatsuya Maeda (前田 達也, Maeda Tatsuya; was born 22 August 1958 in Naha, Okinawa, USCAR) is a Japanese musician and singer…Tatsuya Maeda (前田 達也, Maeda Tatsuya; was born 22 August 1958 in Naha, Okinawa, USCAR) is a Japanese musician and singer from Japan. Maeda is best known as the singer and guitarist of the theme songs of Ultraman Dyna and Blue SWAT.
Hiroaki Nagasawa (長沢 広明, Nagasawa Hiroaki; born 19 August 1958) is a Japanese politician and member of the Komeito…Hiroaki Nagasawa (長沢 広明, Nagasawa Hiroaki; born 19 August 1958) is a Japanese politician and member of the Komeito Party of Japan and former Senior Vice Minister for the Reconstruction Agency. He resigned in September 2017 after letting a female acquaintance use a housing complex reserved for lawmakers.
Minoru Kawasaki (河崎実), born 15 August 1958, is a Japanese filmmaker, best known for low-budget parody films featuring…Minoru Kawasaki (河崎実), born 15 August 1958, is a Japanese filmmaker, best known for low-budget parody films featuring surreal humour and traditional practical effects. Kawasaki began his career with mostly self-financed work, including the Den-Ace short films, featuring a parody of kyodai-style Japanese superheroes, before working on Tsuburaya Production's Ultraman Tiga (1996-1997). He had his first hit with The Calamari Wrestler (2004), about a wrestler who inexplicably becomes a giant squid. He followed this up with Executive Koala (2005), about an anthropomorphic koala salaryman who may or may not have murdered his wife, and Kabuto-O Beetle (also 2005), another wrestling-themed movie, this time with a giant stag beetle. In 2006, he released The World Sinks Except Japan, a spoof of Shinji Higuchi's remake of Japan Sinks, and Crab Goalkeeper (also 2006), a film Kawasaki describes as being his Forrest Gump (1994). Kawasaki has also directed 2008's Monster X Strikes Back: Attack the G8 Summit, a sequel to the 1967 Shochiku kaiju film The X from Outer Space. While the original, made during the height of Japan's "Kaiju Boom" (1966–1967), is "played straight", the sequel is another parody. Kawasaki has since directed two more kaiju films: Kaiju Mono (2016) and Monster Seafood Wars (2020).
Yuji Abe (阿部 祐二, Abe Yūji; born 14 August 1958) is a Japanese television reporter and actor. He is represented by…Yuji Abe (阿部 祐二, Abe Yūji; born 14 August 1958) is a Japanese television reporter and actor. He is represented by Tender Pro.
Tōru Doi (土井 亨, Doi Tōru; born 12 August 1958) is a Japanese politician who is serving as a member of the House of…Tōru Doi (土井 亨, Doi Tōru; born 12 August 1958) is a Japanese politician who is serving as a member of the House of Representatives. He has served as State Minister of Reconstruction (Third Abe Cabinet (Third Reshuffle) and Fourth Abe Cabinet), State Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (Third Abe Cabinet (First Reshuffle)), Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (Second Abe Cabinet), Chairman of the House of Representatives Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Committee, and Chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party's Finance and Banking Committee.
Takanori Jinnai (陣内孝則, Jinnai Takanori; born August 12, 1958 in Okawa, Fukuoka) is a Japanese actor, film director, and…Takanori Jinnai (陣内孝則, Jinnai Takanori; born August 12, 1958 in Okawa, Fukuoka) is a Japanese actor, film director, and singer. He made his directorial debut with Rockers (ロッカーズ or Rokkazu), a 2003 film based on his years as vocalist for the punk rock band The Rockers (ザ・ロッカーズ). He was nominated best actor for a Japanese Academy Award three times, once in 1988 and twice in 1989. He won the award for Best Actor at the 12th Hochi Film Awards for Chōchin.
Akihiro Nishimura (西村 昭宏, Nishimura Akihiro; born August 8, 1958) is a former Japanese football player and manager. He…Akihiro Nishimura (西村 昭宏, Nishimura Akihiro; born August 8, 1958) is a former Japanese football player and manager. He played for Japan national team.
Rieko Matsuura (松浦 理英子, Matsuura Rieko; born August 15, 1958) is a Japanese novelist and short story writer. She is a…Rieko Matsuura (松浦 理英子, Matsuura Rieko; born August 15, 1958) is a Japanese novelist and short story writer. She is a recipient of the Yomiuri Prize.
Sen Yamanaka (山中泉, Yamanaka Sen; born 7 August 1958) is a Japanese businessman, author, and politician. He is a member…Sen Yamanaka (山中泉, Yamanaka Sen; born 7 August 1958) is a Japanese businessman, author, and politician. He is a member of the House of Councillors, elected in 2025 as a candidate of Sanseito, a right-wing party that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Isamu Ueda (上田 勇, Ueda Isamu; born 5 August 1958) is a Japanese politician of the New Komeito Party, who serves as a…Isamu Ueda (上田 勇, Ueda Isamu; born 5 August 1958) is a Japanese politician of the New Komeito Party, who serves as a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Yokohama, Kanagawa and graduate of the University of Tokyo, he worked at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries from 1981 to 1993. He was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 1993.
Satoshi Nakamura (中村 哲, Nakamura Satoshi; born 1958) is a Japanese computer scientist specialising in speech and…Satoshi Nakamura (中村 哲, Nakamura Satoshi; born 1958) is a Japanese computer scientist specialising in speech and language processing. He is a Presidential Chair Professor in the School of Data Science at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen; Professor Emeritus at the Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST); and Honorary professor of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany. He is widely recognised for pioneering work in speech-to-speech translation, having led international initiatives such as C-Star, A-Star and the International Workshop on Spoken Language Translation (IWSLT), and currently chairs the ISCA Special Interest Group on Spoken Language Translation (SIG-SLT). His research covers speech recognition and synthesis, spoken-dialog systems, simultaneous translation, natural-language processing and data-science applications. Earlier in his career he directed the ATR Spoken Language Communication Laboratories (2000–2008), headed Keihanna Research Laboratories at the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) (2009–2010), and founded the Data Science Center at NAIST (2017–2021). He is a Fellow of IEEE, ISCA, IPSJ and ATR, and received the Antonio Zampolli Prize in 2012.
Ichiro Miyashita (宮下 一郎, Miyashita Ichirō; born 1 August 1958) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party…Ichiro Miyashita (宮下 一郎, Miyashita Ichirō; born 1 August 1958) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Nagoya, Aichi and graduate of the University of Tokyo, he worked at The Sumitomo Bank from 1983 to 1991. He was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 2003. His father is former Health minister Sohei Miyashita. Miyashita was appointed minister of agriculture in the Kishida cabinet in September 2023, but resigned in December due to his faction's involvement in a slush fund scandal. In November 2024, he was appointed chairman of the LDP agriculture and forestry policy research council (総合農林政策調査会). In April 2026, he also became executive vice chairman of the Election Strategy Committee under Yasutoshi Nishimura.
Yuko Mitsuya (三屋 裕子 Mitsuya Yūko, born 29 July 1958) is a Japanese former volleyball player who was a member of the…Yuko Mitsuya (三屋 裕子 Mitsuya Yūko, born 29 July 1958) is a Japanese former volleyball player who was a member of the Japanese women's national volleyball team that won the bronze medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.