Shusuke Kaneko (金子 修介, Kaneko Shūsuke; born June 8, 1955) is a Japanese filmmaker. He is best known for revitalizing…
Shusuke Kaneko (金子 修介, Kaneko Shūsuke; born June 8, 1955) is a Japanese filmmaker. He is best known for revitalizing the kaiju genre with the critically acclaimed Heisei Gamera film trilogy (Gamera: Guardian of the Universe in 1995, Gamera 2: Attack of Legion in 1996, and Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris in 1999) and Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001). Kaneko has also worked across a wide range of genres throughout his career. He began directing in the early 1980s at Nikkatsu, with several entries in the studio's Roman Porno (pink film) series before transitioning to mainstream cinema. His other notable credits include Summer Vacation 1999 (1988), Necronomicon (1993), Pyrokinesis (2000), the action manga adaptation Azumi 2: Death or Love (2005), and the live-action adaptations of Death Note and its sequel Death Note 2: The Last Name (both 2006).
Famous People Born in 1955
1955: 187 people
Minoru Sano (佐野 稔, Sano Minoru) (born June 3, 1955) is a Japanese former competitive figure skater. He is the 1977…
Minoru Sano (佐野 稔, Sano Minoru) (born June 3, 1955) is a Japanese former competitive figure skater. He is the 1977 World bronze medalist and a five-time Japanese national champion (1972–76).
Chiyonofuji Mitsugu (Japanese: 千代の富士 貢; June 1, 1955 – July 31, 2016), born Mitsugu Akimoto (秋元 貢, Akimoto Mitsugu)…
Chiyonofuji Mitsugu (Japanese: 千代の富士 貢; June 1, 1955 – July 31, 2016), born Mitsugu Akimoto (秋元 貢, Akimoto Mitsugu), was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler and the 58th yokozuna of the sport. Chiyonofuji is considered one of the greatest yokozunas in sumo's history, winning 31 tournament championships (yūshō) at the top division (makuuchi). This was second only to Taihō at the time of Chiyonofuji's retirement. He was particularly remarkable for his longevity in sumo's top rank, which he held for a period of ten years from 1981 to 1991. Promoted at the age of twenty-six after winning his second championship, his performance improved with age, winning more tournaments in his thirties than any other wrestler and dominating the sport in the second half of the 1980s. He finally retired in May 1991, just short of his thirty-sixth birthday. Following his retirement as a wrestler, he became an elder (oyakata) of the Japan Sumo Association and became the Kokonoe-oyakata the following year in 1992, serving as the stable master of Kokonoe stable until his death. During his 21-year professional career, Chiyonofuji set records for most career victories (1045) and most wins in the top makuuchi division (807), earning an entry in the Guinness World Records, although both of these records were later broken by Kaiō. He won the November Kyushu tournament, one of the six annual honbasho, a record eight consecutive years from 1981 until 1988, and also set the record for the longest postwar run of consecutive wins (53 bouts in 1988). That record stood for 22 years until Hakuhō broke it with his 54th straight win in September 2010. In a sport where weight is often regarded as vital, Chiyonofuji was comparatively light at around 120 kg (260 lb), making him the lightest yokozuna since Tochinoumi during the 1950s and 60s; he primarily relied on his muscle and superior technique to defeat his opponents. Chiyonofuji was a popular sumo wrestler who also went by his nickname "The Wolf" (ウルフ, Urufu) due to his muscular build atypical of most other sumo wrestlers, his competitive ferocity, and his appeal as a sex symbol owing to his body and his masculine facial features.
Naomi Munakata (宗像 直美, Munakata Naomi; 31 May 1955 – 26 March 2020) was a Japanese-born Brazilian choral conductor and…
Naomi Munakata (宗像 直美, Munakata Naomi; 31 May 1955 – 26 March 2020) was a Japanese-born Brazilian choral conductor and academic teacher based in the city of São Paulo. She was conductor of Coro da OSESP, the choir of the Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo, from 1995 to 2013, and then principal conductor of Coral Paulistano Mário de Andrade at the Municipal Theatre. She was among the choral conductors in South America who "have contributed to the strengthening and stimulation of choral music", according to The Cambridge Companion to Choral Music.
Junko Mitsuhashi (三橋 順子, Mitsuhashi Junko; born May 23, 1955) is a Japanese social and cultural historian. She…
Junko Mitsuhashi (三橋 順子, Mitsuhashi Junko; born May 23, 1955) is a Japanese social and cultural historian. She specializes in the history of gender and sexuality, with a particular focus on the social and cultural history of transgender people in Japan. Mitsuhashi is recognized as the first transgender lecturer at a Japanese university.
Ichirō Kanke (菅家 一郎, Kanke Ichirō; born 20 May 1955) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, who…
Ichirō Kanke (菅家 一郎, Kanke Ichirō; born 20 May 1955) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, who serves as a member of the House of Representatives.
Fusako Kuramochi (くらもち ふさこ, Kuramochi Fusako; real name 倉持房子 Kuramochi Fusako, born 14 May 1955 in Shibuya, Tokyo) is a…
Fusako Kuramochi (くらもち ふさこ, Kuramochi Fusako; real name 倉持房子 Kuramochi Fusako, born 14 May 1955 in Shibuya, Tokyo) is a Japanese shōjo manga artist. While still in high school, she made her professional debut with Megane-chan no Hitorigoto, published in the Autumn 1972 issue of Bessatsu Margaret. She won the magazine's gold medal for amateur manga artists. Afterwards, Kuramochi studied Japanese painting at Musashino Art University, but left before graduation to pursue her career full-time. Her manga Tennen Kokekkō received the 1996 Kodansha Manga Award for shōjo manga, and was adapted as a live-action movie in 2007. Her series A-Girl was adapted as an anime OVA in 1993. Her manga Hana ni Somu won the Grand Prize category of the 21st Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in 2017.
Masayuki Kakefu (掛布 雅之, Kakefu Masayuki) (born May 9, 1955) is a Japanese former professional baseball third baseman.…
Masayuki Kakefu (掛布 雅之, Kakefu Masayuki) (born May 9, 1955) is a Japanese former professional baseball third baseman. He played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Hanshin Tigers from 1974 to 1988. Known as “Mr. Tigers”, the popular slugger batted .292 lifetime for the Tigers in his career while hitting over 300 home runs and driving 1,019 runs batted in to go along with three home run titles and seven selections to the Best Nine Award. In 1985, he hit 40 home runs and batted .300 as the Tigers went all the way to the Japan Series and won it for the first time in team history. Kakefu took part in what has been called one of the most famous moments in Tiger history on the game played on April 17, 1985 when he hit the second of three consecutive home runs (Randy Bass hit the first while Akinobu Okada hit the third) against the Yomiuri Giants. He was inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 2025.
Iemitsu Arai (新井 家光, Arai Iemitsu; born 5 May 1955) is a Japanese politician from Fukaya, Saitama. After graduating…
Iemitsu Arai (新井 家光, Arai Iemitsu; born 5 May 1955) is a Japanese politician from Fukaya, Saitama. After graduating from Teikyo University, Arai became an orthopedic surgeon. He was elected mayor of Fukaya with the backing of Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and New Komeito Party (NKP) in 1999. His younger brother Etsuji served as a LDP member of the Diet of Japan.
Seishirō Nishida (西田 聖志郎, Nishida Seishirō; born May 3, 1955, in Kagoshima, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese…
Seishirō Nishida (西田 聖志郎, Nishida Seishirō; born May 3, 1955, in Kagoshima, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese actor.
Nobuyuki Kajitani (梶谷 信之, Kajitani Nobuyuki; born May 3, 1955 in Saito City, Miyazaki) is a Japanese former gymnast who…
Nobuyuki Kajitani (梶谷 信之, Kajitani Nobuyuki; born May 3, 1955 in Saito City, Miyazaki) is a Japanese former gymnast who competed in the 1984 Summer Olympics. Kajitani is a graduate of the Nippon College of Physical Education.
Kazuro Watanabe (渡辺 和郎, Watanabe Kazurō; born May 1, 1955) is a Japanese amateur astronomer and prolific discoverer of…
Kazuro Watanabe (渡辺 和郎, Watanabe Kazurō; born May 1, 1955) is a Japanese amateur astronomer and prolific discoverer of minor planets. He was born in Hokkaidō, Japan and is a member of the Astronomical Society of Japan as well as of the Oriental Astronomical Association. Through publications and the direction of junior associates, this asteroid hunter has been responsible for the discovery of nearly 700 asteroids, many of them in association with Kin Endate. He is the author or co-author of the Japanese publications Asteroid Hunter (小惑星ハンター), Celestial Body Photography Manual (天体写真マニュアル), The Celestial Sky of Our Dreams (僕らの夢の星空), as well as others. He is also a frequent contributor to the Japanese periodical Monthly Astronomical Guide (月刊天文ガイド). The minor planet 4155 Watanabe has been named in his honor.
Yūko Tanaka (田中 裕子, Tanaka Yūko; born April 29, 1955) is a Japanese actress from Osaka Prefecture, Japan. She has won…
Yūko Tanaka (田中 裕子, Tanaka Yūko; born April 29, 1955) is a Japanese actress from Osaka Prefecture, Japan. She has won several acting awards during a long career working in both film and television, after she graduated from Meiji University.
Shinya Ono (小野 晋也; born 28 April 1955) is a former Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, who was a…
Shinya Ono (小野 晋也; born 28 April 1955) is a former Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, who was a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet.
Hiroyuki Togashi (冨樫 博之, Togashi Hiroyuki; born 27 April 1955) is a Japanese politician from the Liberal Democratic…
Hiroyuki Togashi (冨樫 博之, Togashi Hiroyuki; born 27 April 1955) is a Japanese politician from the Liberal Democratic Party who served as the State Minister for Reconstruction in 2021.
Katsuyuki Kawachi (河内 勝幸, Kawachi Katsuyuki; born April 27, 1955) is a former Japanese football player. He played for…
Katsuyuki Kawachi (河内 勝幸, Kawachi Katsuyuki; born April 27, 1955) is a former Japanese football player. He played for Japan national team.
Yukari Takemoto (竹本 ゆかり, Takemoto Yukari; born 27 April 1955) is a retired Japanese swimmer. She had just turned 13…
Yukari Takemoto (竹本 ゆかり, Takemoto Yukari; born 27 April 1955) is a retired Japanese swimmer. She had just turned 13 when she qualified for the 1968 Olympics, where she competed in the 100 m and 200 m breaststroke. At her next Olympics in 1972 she took part in the 4 × 100 m freestyle and 200 m and 400 m medley events, but was also eliminated in the preliminaries.
Toshihiro Kaiwa (海和俊宏, Kaiwa Toshihiro; born 24 April 1955) is a Japanese former alpine skier who competed in the 1980…
Toshihiro Kaiwa (海和俊宏, Kaiwa Toshihiro; born 24 April 1955) is a Japanese former alpine skier who competed in the 1980 Winter Olympics and 1984 Winter Olympics.
Kyusaku Shimada (嶋田 久作, Shimada Kyūsaku; born April 24, 1955) is a Japanese actor.
Sakae Kunieda (国枝栄; born 14 April 1955, in Kitagata, Gifu) is a retired Japanese horse trainer. Dubbed "the Kunieda of…
Sakae Kunieda (国枝栄; born 14 April 1955, in Kitagata, Gifu) is a retired Japanese horse trainer. Dubbed "the Kunieda of fillies", he is most known for winning 12 Grade I races for fillies and mares, as well as training two Triple Tiara winners; Apapane in 2010 and Almond Eye in 2018.
Yuko Moriguchi (Japanese: 森口祐子, born 13 April 1955) is a Japanese professional golfer who played on the LPGA of Japan…
Yuko Moriguchi (Japanese: 森口祐子, born 13 April 1955) is a Japanese professional golfer who played on the LPGA of Japan Tour and the LPGA Tour. Moriguchi won 41 times on the LPGA of Japan Tour between 1978 and 1994 and one of those events, the 1987 Mazda Japan Classic, was an LPGA Tour co-sanctioned tournament. Moriguchi won the LPGA qualifying school tournament in January 1981 and played sparingly on the LPGA Tour from 1981 to 1983. Her 1987 win was as a non-member.
Hideki Saijō (西城 秀樹, Saijō Hideki; originally Tatsuo Kimoto (木本 龍雄, Kimoto Tatsuo); April 13, 1955 – May 16, 2018) was…
Hideki Saijō (西城 秀樹, Saijō Hideki; originally Tatsuo Kimoto (木本 龍雄, Kimoto Tatsuo); April 13, 1955 – May 16, 2018) was a Japanese singer, composer, actor, drummer, voice actor, and television and radio show host. Due to his numerous pioneering achievements throughout Asia in the 1970s and 1980s, he is considered an icon amongst Shōwa era idols. With on-stage vivacity and highly acclaimed vocals as his defining trademarks, Saijō quickly came to dominate the Japanese charts of the 1970s. He was consistently promoted as part of the Shin-Gosanke (新御三家, "New Big Three") idol trio alongside two other soloists who debuted around the same time: Goro Noguchi and Hiromi Go. Almost seven years into his career, his 28th single "YOUNG MAN (Y.M.C.A.)" (a Japanese cover of the Village People song of the same name) became a social phenomenon in Japan, selling over 1.8 million copies.
Emiko Kaminuma (上沼 恵美子, Kaminuma Emiko; born 13 April 1955, in Fukura (now Minamiawaji), Mihara District, Hyōgo) is a…
Emiko Kaminuma (上沼 恵美子, Kaminuma Emiko; born 13 April 1955, in Fukura (now Minamiawaji), Mihara District, Hyōgo) is a Japanese comedian, singer, television presenter, YouTuber, and radio personality. Her maiden name is Hashimoto (橋本). Kaminuma is one of the leading broadcast personalities in the Kansai region. She has often appeared in Kansai local programs, and has garnered high ratings since the late 1990s. She is married with two children. Kaminuma's husband is Shinpei Kaminuma, a Kansai Telecasting Corporation (KTV) television director, producer, executive director, and production director, as well as Media Pulpo (KTV's subsidiary) representative director and chairman. Kaminuma is represented by her agency, Kaminuma Jimusho. She dropped out of Empire Girls High School Owada School (now Osaka International Waseda High School).
Princess Tomohito of Mikasa (寛仁親王妃信子, Tomohito Shinnōhi Nobuko) (born Nobuko Asō (麻生信子, Asō Nobuko); 9 April 1955) is a…
Princess Tomohito of Mikasa (寛仁親王妃信子, Tomohito Shinnōhi Nobuko) (born Nobuko Asō (麻生信子, Asō Nobuko); 9 April 1955) is a member of the Japanese imperial family as the widow of Prince Tomohito of Mikasa.
Kazuyoshi Nakamura (中村 一義, Nakamura Kazuyoshi; born April 8, 1955) is a former Japanese football player. He played for…
Kazuyoshi Nakamura (中村 一義, Nakamura Kazuyoshi; born April 8, 1955) is a former Japanese football player. He played for Japan national team.
Akira Nishino (西野 朗, Nishino Akira; born 7 April 1955) is a Japanese football manager and former player.
Hirofumi Hayashi (林 博史, Hayashi Hirofumi; born April 6, 1955) is a historian, an authority on modern Japanese history…
Hirofumi Hayashi (林 博史, Hayashi Hirofumi; born April 6, 1955) is a historian, an authority on modern Japanese history, and is a professor of politics at the Kanto Gakuin University. He has been conducting research on the Japanese occupation of Southeast Asia, Japanese war crimes, and war crimes trials including the subject of comfort women.
Akira Toriyama (Japanese: 鳥山明, Hepburn: Toriyama Akira; April 5, 1955 – March 1, 2024) was a Japanese manga artist and…
Akira Toriyama (Japanese: 鳥山明, Hepburn: Toriyama Akira; April 5, 1955 – March 1, 2024) was a Japanese manga artist and character designer. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most influential authors in the history of manga and created numerous highly influential and popular series, with his most famous and successful project being the Dragon Ball franchise. Toriyama first achieved mainstream recognition for creating the manga series Dr. Slump, which was serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine. He earned the 1981 Shogakukan Manga Award for best shōnen series. Dr. Slump went on to sell over 35 million copies in Japan. It was adapted into an anime, with a second series created in 1997, 13 years after the manga ended. Toriyama wrote and illustrated the Dragon Ball manga from 1984 to 1995. It became one of the best-selling manga series of all time, with 260 million copies sold worldwide, and is considered a key work in increasing manga circulation to its peak in the mid-1980s and mid-1990s. Overseas, Dragon Ball's anime adaptations have been credited with boosting anime's international popularity. Beside his manga works, Toriyama acted as a character designer for numerous video games such as Square Enix's Dragon Quest series and Chrono Trigger, in addition to Blue Dragon. In 2019, Toriyama was decorated a Chevalier of the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres for his contributions to the arts. In October 2024, Toriyama was posthumously inducted into the Harvey Awards Hall of Fame.
Takayoshi Yamano (山野 孝義, Yamano Takayoshi; born April 5, 1955) is a former Japanese football player. He played for…
Takayoshi Yamano (山野 孝義, Yamano Takayoshi; born April 5, 1955) is a former Japanese football player. He played for Japan national team.
Akemi Takada (高田明美, Takada Akemi; born March 31, 1955) is a Japanese manga artist and anime character designer born in…
Akemi Takada (高田明美, Takada Akemi; born March 31, 1955) is a Japanese manga artist and anime character designer born in Tokyo, Japan. Her character-design work is one of the more recognizable styles of the 1980s, when she worked on series like Creamy Mami and Kimagure Orange Road. She is also noted for her long collaboration with director Mamoru Oshii. She graduated from Tama Art University, after which she worked for Tatsunoko Pro. She is currently a freelance manga artist with her own studio, though she is also a member of the creative group Headgear. She also has her own designer jewelry store called Diakosmos. Takada began working for Tatsunoko productions after visiting the production office as a fan during the broadcast of Gatchaman.
Buichi Terasawa (Japanese: 寺沢 武一, Hepburn: Terasawa Buichi; March 30, 1955 – September 8, 2023) was a Japanese manga…
Buichi Terasawa (Japanese: 寺沢 武一, Hepburn: Terasawa Buichi; March 30, 1955 – September 8, 2023) was a Japanese manga artist. His most famous works include Goku Midnight Eye and Cobra.
Tadashi Mihara (三原 正, Mihara Tadashi; born 30 March 1955) is a Japanese former professional boxer who competed as a…
Tadashi Mihara (三原 正, Mihara Tadashi; born 30 March 1955) is a Japanese former professional boxer who competed as a light middleweight throughout his career. Mihara began his boxing career when he was a third grader of the high school. He won the title of the All-Japan Amateur Boxing Championships in the light middleweight division in 1977. He also got the group title of the university league as a captain of the Nihon University boxing club. He experienced 38 matches during his amateur career; winning 28 (15 by knockout) and losing 10. After that, as a professional, Mihara fought 25 times between 1978 and 1985; winning 24 (15 by knockout) and losing 1. He won his first title in his fifth contest as a professional, beating Jae-Keum Lim for the OPBF title, a belt that he defended six times until he returned it. In June 1981, he won via a fifth-round knockout, in the undercard of Ayub Kalule vs. Sugar Ray Leonard, at the Reliant Astrodome, Houston. Since Leonard vacated the title after this, Mihara fought against Rocky Fratto for the vacant WBA world junior middleweight title in Rochester, New York on November 7, 1981. Mihara knocked him down by his right cross in the fourth round, and won the title via a majority decision. Judge Harold Lederman scored the fight a draw. Afterwards he said of Mihara, "There's no doubt that he's got a good jaw. He really got tagged a couple of times. I thought Fratto was going to knock him out." He lost his title after suffering a knockout during his first defence, against Davey Moore at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium on February 2, 1982. His lumbago became chronic from these days. Following this loss, Mihara won the Japanese junior middleweight title and defended it six times until June 1984, then returned it. He fought for a final time in March 1985, beating Tricky Kawaguchi by a unanimous decision.
Kōji Tosa (土佐 浩司, Tosa Kōji; March 30, 1955) is a Japanese retired professional shogi player who achieved the rank of…
Kōji Tosa (土佐 浩司, Tosa Kōji; March 30, 1955) is a Japanese retired professional shogi player who achieved the rank of 8-dan.
Jun Murai (村井 純, Murai Jun; born March 29, 1955 in Tokyo) is a Japanese researcher known for being the founder of…
Jun Murai (村井 純, Murai Jun; born March 29, 1955 in Tokyo) is a Japanese researcher known for being the founder of influential computer network projects in Japan such as the JUNET and founder of the WIDE Project. He is called by some the "Father of Internet in Japan" and "Internet Samurai." Murai is currently a professor and Dean of the Faculty of Environment and Information Studies at Keio University, as well as President of the Japan Network Information Center. Murai has received domestic and international awards and recognitions such as the 2011 IEEE Internet Award and entry to the Internet Hall of Fame in 2013.
Ōyutaka Masachika (born 29 March 1955 as Eiji Suzuki) is a former sumo wrestler from Horinouchi, Niigata, Japan. He…
Ōyutaka Masachika (born 29 March 1955 as Eiji Suzuki) is a former sumo wrestler from Horinouchi, Niigata, Japan. He made his professional debut in November 1973, and reached the top division in May 1982. His highest rank was komusubi. He retired in January 1987, and became an elder in the Japan Sumo Association under the name Arashio. He opened Arashio stable in 2002. His son fought for the stable under the shikona Chikarayama, retiring in January 2017. Arashio-oyakata reached the mandatory retirement age of 65 in March 2020, and was replaced as head coach of the stable by his most successful wrestler, maegashira Sōkokurai. Sōkokurai had been expelled from sumo in 2011 for alleged match-fixing, but Arashio always stood by his wrestler, and Sōkokurai was re-admitted to sumo in 2013 after winning a court case.
Nahomi Azuma (Japanese: 東菜穂美), known professionally as Nahomi Edamoto (Japanese: 枝元なほみ; March 22, 1955 – February 27…
Nahomi Azuma (Japanese: 東菜穂美), known professionally as Nahomi Edamoto (Japanese: 枝元なほみ; March 22, 1955 – February 27, 2025), was a Japanese culinary expert. She wrote various cookbooks and frequently appeared on Japanese cooking shows.
Hiroshi Nishihara (西原寛, Nishihara Hiroshi), born 21 March 1955, is a Japanese chemist and Professor of Chemistry at The…
Hiroshi Nishihara (西原寛, Nishihara Hiroshi), born 21 March 1955, is a Japanese chemist and Professor of Chemistry at The University of Tokyo in Japan. Currently heading the department of Chemistry and Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory in The University of Tokyo, he is a distinguished professor, researcher and pioneer in the field of synthesis and electrochemistry of conductive metal complex polymers. His research is focused on creation of new electro- and photo-functional materials comprising both transition metals and π-conjugated chains, and invention of unidirectional electron transfer systems utilizing molecular layer interfaces. He is presently a Vice President of The Electrochemical Society of Japan, and the regional representative of Japan for International Society of Electrochemistry (ISE).
Mariya Takeuchi (竹内 まりや, Takeuchi Mariya; born 20 March 1955) is a Japanese singer-songwriter and record producer.…
Mariya Takeuchi (竹内 まりや, Takeuchi Mariya; born 20 March 1955) is a Japanese singer-songwriter and record producer. Regarded as the "Queen of City Pop", Takeuchi is one of the best-selling music artists in Japan with over 16 million records sold. Internationally, her 1985 song "Plastic Love" became a sleeper hit and the catalyst of the 21st century revival of city pop. Takeuchi was born in Taisha, Hikawa district, now the city of Izumo, Shimane, and attended Keio University. She signed with RCA in 1978, releasing five albums under the label which appeared on the Oricon Charts, including her chart-topping third effort Love Songs (1980). She terminated her contract with RCA in 1981 and announced a temporary hiatus. In 1982, she married singer and songwriter Tatsuro Yamashita. She signed with Moon Records in 1984, and internationally released her sixth studio album Variety that same year to commercial success. She has since released seven more studio albums and one live album. All of her works have continued to appear on the Oricon Charts, and since 2001, each one of her albums have topped it. Takeuchi has stayed with the Moon record label, working with the different branches since signing in 1984; since 1998, she has also been signed with Warner Music Japan. Her single "Inochi no Uta" (いのちの歌; Song of Life), when re-recorded in 2020, made her the oldest Japanese singer to have a single top the Oricon Charts.
Mikiyasu Tanaka (田中幹保, Tanaka Mikiyasu; born 18 March 1955) is a Japanese former volleyball player who competed at the…
Mikiyasu Tanaka (田中幹保, Tanaka Mikiyasu; born 18 March 1955) is a Japanese former volleyball player who competed at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal and 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Tanaka competed at the 1986 Goodwill Games in Moscow and won a bronze medal.
Jiro Watanabe (渡辺二郎, Watanabe Jirō; born 16 March 1955) is a Japanese former boxer. Watanabe, who fought only in Japan…
Jiro Watanabe (渡辺二郎, Watanabe Jirō; born 16 March 1955) is a Japanese former boxer. Watanabe, who fought only in Japan and South Korea, was one of the first World super flyweight champions, as the division was relatively new when he was crowned.
Tsuneo Niijima (新島 恒男, Niijima Tsuneo; born 1955) is a Japanese farmer and amateur astronomer. He is a prolific…
Tsuneo Niijima (新島 恒男, Niijima Tsuneo; born 1955) is a Japanese farmer and amateur astronomer. He is a prolific discoverer of minor planets, credited by the Minor Planet Center with the discovery and co-discovery of 32 numbered minor planets between 1986 and 1996. He also co-discovered 112P/Urata-Niijima, a periodic comet of the Jupiter family in 1986. The main-belt asteroid 5507 Niijima, discovered by Takeshi Urata and Kenzo Suzuki, was named in his honor. Naming citation was published on 1 September 1993 (M.P.C. 22510).
Chieko Kikkawa (吉川 智恵子, Kikkawa Chieko; born 16 March 1955) is a Japanese gymnast. She competed in six events at the…
Chieko Kikkawa (吉川 智恵子, Kikkawa Chieko; born 16 March 1955) is a Japanese gymnast. She competed in six events at the 1976 Summer Olympics.
Yangji Lee (March 15, 1955 – May 22, 1992) was a Japanese-Korean novelist. She won the Akutagawa Prize for her work…
Yangji Lee (March 15, 1955 – May 22, 1992) was a Japanese-Korean novelist. She won the Akutagawa Prize for her work Yuhi, becoming the second Zainichi Korean to win the prize.
Juri Yokoyama (横山 樹理 Yokoyama Juri, born 9 March 1955) is a former volleyball player from Japan, who was a member of…
Juri Yokoyama (横山 樹理 Yokoyama Juri, born 9 March 1955) is a former volleyball player from Japan, who was a member of the Japan Women's National Team that won the gold medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal.
Shirō Sano (佐野 史郎, Sano Shirō; born 4 March 1955) is a Japanese actor.
Atsuko Seta (瀬田 敦子, Seta Atsuko) (born March 4, 1955) is a Japanese classical pianist. She is particularly successful…
Atsuko Seta (瀬田 敦子, Seta Atsuko) (born March 4, 1955) is a Japanese classical pianist. She is particularly successful in Poland, especially in the southwest of the country, regularly performing with the Sudecka Philharmonic orchestra in Wałbrzych and in her native Japan and in Bulgaria. Seta is living in Poland as an Honorable Citizen of Szczawno-Zdroj city. Artistic Director of Chiangmai Ginastera International Music Festival. Honorary Professor of Payap University Thailand. Honorary Chairman of Japan Ginastera Association.
Tomoko Sasaki (佐々木 知子, Sasaki Tomoko; born 2 March 1955) is a Japanese lawyer, politician, novelist and former…
Tomoko Sasaki (佐々木 知子, Sasaki Tomoko; born 2 March 1955) is a Japanese lawyer, politician, novelist and former prosecutor. She became a prosecutor in 1983, and worked at the United Nations Asia and Far East Institute for the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders from 1993 to 1996. Elected to the House of Councillors in 1998, Sasaki was engaged in introducing the Stalker Regulation Law of 2000. She served as the director of the Women's Affairs Division of the Liberal Democratic Party. She did not run for the election in 2004, but remains a member of the Party Ethics Committee of the LDP. She is a leading advocate of capital punishment in the party. She set up a law firm in 2004 and became a professor of law at Teikyo University in 2005.
Shoko Asahara (麻原 彰晃, Asahara Shōkō; March 2, 1955 – July 6, 2018), born as Chizuo Matsumoto (松本 智津夫, Matsumoto…
Shoko Asahara (麻原 彰晃, Asahara Shōkō; March 2, 1955 – July 6, 2018), born as Chizuo Matsumoto (松本 智津夫, Matsumoto Chizuo), was a Japanese cult leader and domestic terrorist who founded and led the doomsday cult known as Aum Shinrikyo. He was convicted of masterminding the 1995 sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway which killed 14 people and injured thousands more, and was also involved in several other assassinations and terrorist attacks. Asahara was sentenced to death in 2004, and his final appeal failed in 2011. In June 2012, his execution was postponed due to further arrests of Aum members. He was executed along with other senior members of Aum Shinrikyo on July 6, 2018.
Yoshikazu Takeuchi (竹内 義和, Takeuchi Yoshikazu; born February 27, 1955 in Wakayama Prefecture) is a Japanese writer of…
Yoshikazu Takeuchi (竹内 義和, Takeuchi Yoshikazu; born February 27, 1955 in Wakayama Prefecture) is a Japanese writer of fan guides and novels, as well as a radio co-host. His work Perfect Blue: Complete Metamorphosis (パーフェクト・ブルー 完全変態, Pāfekuto Burū: Kanzen Hentai) was the basis for the 1997 Satoshi Kon anime film Perfect Blue and a 2002 live-action film titled Perfect Blue: Yume Nara Samete. Takeuchi's book Ultraman Visits the Grave is about a young boy who happens to be a fan of Ultraman. Takeuchi has expressed interest in getting his work translated for an English-speaking audience. Seven Seas Entertainment published English-language versions of his Perfect Blue novels in 2018.
Junki Takegami (武上 純希, Takegami Junki; born February 26, 1955) is a Japanese animation and tokusatsu screenwriter. His…
Junki Takegami (武上 純希, Takegami Junki; born February 26, 1955) is a Japanese animation and tokusatsu screenwriter. His real name is Shōzō Yamazaki (山崎 昌三, Yamazaki Shouzou), he has also used the alias Keiji Tanimoto (谷本 敬次, Tanimoto Keiji) in the past.