Hidanohana Shigeyoshi (born 13 December 1953 as Osamu Hirabayashi) is a former sumo wrestler from Asahi, Gifu, Japan.…Hidanohana Shigeyoshi (born 13 December 1953 as Osamu Hirabayashi) is a former sumo wrestler from Asahi, Gifu, Japan. He made his professional debut in March 1969 and reached the top division in September 1980. His highest rank was maegashira 1. Upon retirement from active competition he became an elder in the Japan Sumo Association under the name Onoe. He left the Sumo Association in March 1994.
Osao Chosei Funahara (born December 10, 1953) is a musician and film director and producer. Born in Hyōgo Prefecture of…Osao Chosei Funahara (born December 10, 1953) is a musician and film director and producer. Born in Hyōgo Prefecture of Japan, Chosei Funahara was educated in both the United States and Japan. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts at the Nihon University College of Art's Cinema department in Tokyo. While pursuing New York University's NYU Graduate School of Arts and Science (Cinema Studies), he performed as bassist and founding member of the cult punk rock group the Plasmatics.
Keiko Nagaoka (永岡 桂子, Nagaoka Keiko; born 8 December 1953) is a Japanese politician serving in the House of…Keiko Nagaoka (永岡 桂子, Nagaoka Keiko; born 8 December 1953) is a Japanese politician serving in the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature) as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. A native of Tokyo and graduate of Gakushuin University she was elected for the first time in 2005. Her husband was politician Yoji Nagaoka, who committed suicide on 1 August 2005.
Shigeru Mukai (向井 茂, Mukai Shigeru; born 1953) is a Japanese mathematician at Kyoto University specializing in…Shigeru Mukai (向井 茂, Mukai Shigeru; born 1953) is a Japanese mathematician at Kyoto University specializing in algebraic geometry.
Naka Bokunen (名嘉 睦稔; born 1953) is an artist from Okinawa, Japan, famous for his brightly coloured prints of Okinawan…Naka Bokunen (名嘉 睦稔; born 1953) is an artist from Okinawa, Japan, famous for his brightly coloured prints of Okinawan landscapes. Many of these prints are of, or inspired by, the island of Izena in the north of Okinawa, where he was born. Naka Bokunen has been involved in collaborations with, among others, the novelist Banana Yoshimoto and the biologist James Lovelock.
Masami Kurumada (車田 正美, Kurumada Masami; born December 6, 1953) is a Japanese manga artist and writer, known for…Masami Kurumada (車田 正美, Kurumada Masami; born December 6, 1953) is a Japanese manga artist and writer, known for specializing in fighting manga featuring bishōnen and magical boys. He is the founder of the manga studio Kurumada Productions or Kurumadapro for short. He achieved fame as the creator of popular manga, such as Ring ni Kakero, Fūma no Kojirō, Saint Seiya and B't X. The male characters in his works often display very masculine qualities and traits, and display courage through sacrifice, selflessness and true heroism. He has won the Best Success award with Saint Seiya and the Best Inspiration award with Ring ni Kakero.
Sachiko Kobayashi (小林 幸子, Kobayashi Sachiko; born December 5, 1953) is a female Japanese enka singer and occasional…Sachiko Kobayashi (小林 幸子, Kobayashi Sachiko; born December 5, 1953) is a female Japanese enka singer and occasional voice actress and voice provider of VOCALOID 4 Sachiko developed by YAMAHA co. She previously worked alongside the Pokémon Company, under the alias "Garura Kobayashi".
Yoshikazu Sugata (菅田 順和, Sugata Yoshikazu; 4 December 1953) is a Japanese former track cyclist who won a silver medal…Yoshikazu Sugata (菅田 順和, Sugata Yoshikazu; 4 December 1953) is a Japanese former track cyclist who won a silver medal in the sprint competition at the 1977 UCI Track Cycling World Championships and a bronze medal in the same event in 1976. He was also a professional keirin cyclist with over 500 wins.
Yasuhiro Oe (大江 康弘, Ōe Yasuhiro; born December 4, 1950) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a…Yasuhiro Oe (大江 康弘, Ōe Yasuhiro; born December 4, 1950) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature).
Chieno Shibata (柴田 智恵野, Shibata Chieno; born 30 November 1953) is a Japanese former swimmer. She competed at the 1968…Chieno Shibata (柴田 智恵野, Shibata Chieno; born 30 November 1953) is a Japanese former swimmer. She competed at the 1968 Summer Olympics and the 1972 Summer Olympics.
Asami Kobayashi (Japanese: 小林麻美; born 29 November 1953), which is the stage name for Toshiko Tanabe (Japanese: 田邉 稔子)…Asami Kobayashi (Japanese: 小林麻美; born 29 November 1953), which is the stage name for Toshiko Tanabe (Japanese: 田邉 稔子), is a Japanese singer, actress and model.
Mariko Suga (菅 真理子, Suga Mariko; born 28 November 1953) is the wife of the former Prime Minister of Japan, Yoshihide…Mariko Suga (菅 真理子, Suga Mariko; born 28 November 1953) is the wife of the former Prime Minister of Japan, Yoshihide Suga.
Ken Matsudaira (松平 健, Matsudaira Ken; familiarly shortened as Matsuken, born November 28, 1953) is a Japanese actor and…Ken Matsudaira (松平 健, Matsudaira Ken; familiarly shortened as Matsuken, born November 28, 1953) is a Japanese actor and musician from Toyohashi, Aichi, Japan. His real name is Sueshichi Suzuki (鈴木 末七, Suzuki Sueshichi).
Taeko Ōnuki (大貫 妙子, Ōnuki Taeko; born November 28, 1953) is a Japanese singer-songwriter and musician who achieved…Taeko Ōnuki (大貫 妙子, Ōnuki Taeko; born November 28, 1953) is a Japanese singer-songwriter and musician who achieved success and popularity during the 1970s and 80s in the city pop music scene.
Masahiro Sayama (佐山 雅弘, Sayama Masahiro; November 26, 1953 – November 14, 2018) was a Japanese pianist, active in jazz…Masahiro Sayama (佐山 雅弘, Sayama Masahiro; November 26, 1953 – November 14, 2018) was a Japanese pianist, active in jazz and video game soundtracks. Sayama began playing piano as a child and became interested in jazz after seeing the film The Glenn Miller Story. He studied music at Kunitachi College of Music and began playing jazz professionally in the early 1970s, working with Toshiyuki Honda, Shigeharu Mukai, and Kazunori Takeda. He was a member of Shuichi Murakami's trio Ponta Box and also led his own ensembles. In 1991 he began playing with Masahiko Osaka. Sayama also played for video game soundtracks, including Final Fantasy X-2. Sayama died on November 14, 2018, at the age of 64.
Hiroyuki Shimatani (Japanese: 島谷 弘幸, Shimatani Hiroyuki; born November 26, 1953) is a Japanese scholar of antique art.…Hiroyuki Shimatani (Japanese: 島谷 弘幸, Shimatani Hiroyuki; born November 26, 1953) is a Japanese scholar of antique art. After serving as the director of the Kyushu National Museum, he became the president of the National Institutes for Cultural Heritage. He is from Okayama Prefecture.
Masahiro Maehara is a Japanese former international table tennis player. He won a silver medal at the 1977 World Table…Masahiro Maehara is a Japanese former international table tennis player. He won a silver medal at the 1977 World Table Tennis Championships in the Swaythling Cup (men's team event) with Tetsuo Inoue, Mitsuru Kono, Norio Takashima and Tokio Tasaka for Japan. He then won two bronze medals at the 1979 World Table Tennis Championships and 1981 World Table Tennis Championships. He was later the Director of the Japanese Table Tennis Association.
Mamoru Fukuyama (福山 守, Fukuyama Mamoru; born 19 December 1952) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic…Mamoru Fukuyama (福山 守, Fukuyama Mamoru; born 19 December 1952) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, who serves as a member of the Senate.
Kazuyuki Izutsu (井筒 和幸, Izutsu Kazuyuki; born 13 December 1952) is a Japanese film director, screenwriter and film…Kazuyuki Izutsu (井筒 和幸, Izutsu Kazuyuki; born 13 December 1952) is a Japanese film director, screenwriter and film critic.
Hirohide Hamashima (浜島 裕英, Hirohide Hamashima; born 1952 in Tokyo), also known as Hammy, is the former director of the…Hirohide Hamashima (浜島 裕英, Hirohide Hamashima; born 1952 in Tokyo), also known as Hammy, is the former director of the Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team Tyre Development. He previously worked for Bridgestone as the director of its Motorsport Tyre Development until 2011.
Osamu Akimoto (Japanese: 秋本 治, Hepburn: Akimoto Osamu; born December 11, 1952) is a Japanese manga artist from…Osamu Akimoto (Japanese: 秋本 治, Hepburn: Akimoto Osamu; born December 11, 1952) is a Japanese manga artist from Katsushika, Tokyo. He is best known for his long-running comedy series KochiKame: Tokyo Beat Cops, which was continuously published in Weekly Shōnen Jump for 40 years from 1976 to 2016. With 1,960 chapters collected into 201 tankōbon volumes, it held the Guinness World Record for "Most volumes published for a single manga series" from September 2016 to July 2021. The series has sold over 155 million copies, making it one of the best-selling manga series in history. Akimoto's other works include the action comedy Mr. Clice, which has been published irregularly since 1985, and the Western series Black Tiger (2017–2023).
Yusuke Nakamura (中村 祐輔, Nakamura Yūsuke; born 8 December 1952) is a Japanese geneticist and cancer researcher best…Yusuke Nakamura (中村 祐輔, Nakamura Yūsuke; born 8 December 1952) is a Japanese geneticist and cancer researcher best known for developing Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS). He is one of the world's pioneers in applying genetic variations (Variable Number Tandem Repeat (VNTR) and Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) markers) and whole genome sequencing, leading the research field of personalized medicine.
Koji Sekimizu (born 3 December 1952) is a Japanese official who was Secretary General of the International Maritime…Koji Sekimizu (born 3 December 1952) is a Japanese official who was Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization between 2012 and 2015, as well as Chancellor of the World Maritime University.
Eri Kanuma (鹿沼 絵里, 鹿沼えり, Kanuma Eri; real name Toshie Furuoya (古尾谷登志江, Furuoya Toshie; née Suganuma (菅沼)); born 1…Eri Kanuma (鹿沼 絵里, 鹿沼えり, Kanuma Eri; real name Toshie Furuoya (古尾谷登志江, Furuoya Toshie; née Suganuma (菅沼)); born 1 December 1952) is a Japanese actress. Her husband was actor Masato Furuoya.
Yasaburo Sugawara (菅原 弥三郎, Sugawara Yasaburō; born 26 November 1952) is a Japanese former wrestler who competed in the…Yasaburo Sugawara (菅原 弥三郎, Sugawara Yasaburō; born 26 November 1952) is a Japanese former wrestler who competed in the 1976 Summer Olympics.
Yasuhiko Arakawa (Japanese 荒川 泰彦, Arakawa Yasuhiko; born 6 November 1952) is a Japanese physicist. His research focuses…Yasuhiko Arakawa (Japanese 荒川 泰彦, Arakawa Yasuhiko; born 6 November 1952) is a Japanese physicist. His research focuses on semiconductor physics, including growth of nanostructures and their optoelectronic applications. Among his main achievements are the proposal of the concept of quantum dots and their application to quantum dot lasers, the observation of exciton-polariton Rabi-splitting in a semiconductor microcavity, or, recently, the first 3D photonic crystal nanocavity lasers with quantum dot gain.
Midori Takada (Japanese: 高田みどり) (born December 21, 1951) is a Japanese composer and percussionist. She has been…Midori Takada (Japanese: 高田みどり) (born December 21, 1951) is a Japanese composer and percussionist. She has been described as a pioneer of ambient and minimalist music.
Shigeru Suzuki (Japanese: 鈴木 茂, Hepburn: Suzuki Shigeru; born December 20, 1951) is a Japanese musician, songwriter and…Shigeru Suzuki (Japanese: 鈴木 茂, Hepburn: Suzuki Shigeru; born December 20, 1951) is a Japanese musician, songwriter and guitarist. He first became known as a member of the influential rock band Happy End in the early 1970s, before starting a solo career and becoming a prolific session musician. As of 2006, Suzuki had contributed to 588 recordings. In 2019, Suzuki's high school band Skye reunited and released their first album.
Hiroya Masuda (増田 寛也, Masuda Hiroya; born 20 December 1951) is a Japanese politician, government official, and business…Hiroya Masuda (増田 寛也, Masuda Hiroya; born 20 December 1951) is a Japanese politician, government official, and business executive. He was Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications from August 2007 to September 2008, and has served as the president and CEO of Japan Post Holdings since January 2020.
Isao Takeuchi (竹内功, 18 December 1951 – 24 September 2026) was a Japanese civil servant and politician. He began his…Isao Takeuchi (竹内功, 18 December 1951 – 24 September 2026) was a Japanese civil servant and politician. He began his career as a bureaucrat in the Ministry of Construction (now known as the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism) beginning in 1974. In 2002, he was elected Mayor of Tottori city, defeating the incumbent mayor. He served three terms consecutive terms as Tottori's mayor for twelve years from 2002 until 2014. During his first term, Mayor Takeuchi oversaw the 2004 merger of Tottori city with six surrounding towns and two villages to establish Tottori's modern city borders. Takeuchi also opened the Tottori Sand Museum, established new facilities at the West Japan Railway Company JR train station, and expanded the Tottori Expressway.
Shinji Yamashita (山下 真司, Yamashita Shinji; born December 16, 1951 in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan) is a…Shinji Yamashita (山下 真司, Yamashita Shinji; born December 16, 1951 in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese actor who is represented by the talent agency From First Production. He graduated from Shimonoseki Commercial High School and dropped out from Chuo University's Faculty of Letters.
Kōjirō Iwato (岩戸 康次郎, Iwato Kōjirō; born December 13, 1951), known by his pen name Jirō Asada (浅田 次郎, Asada Jirō), is a…Kōjirō Iwato (岩戸 康次郎, Iwato Kōjirō; born December 13, 1951), known by his pen name Jirō Asada (浅田 次郎, Asada Jirō), is a Japanese writer. In 1991, his novel Torarete tamaruka! (とられてたまるか!) started his literary career. After writing several picaresque novels, his novel Metro ni notte (地下鉄に乗って) was awarded the Eiji Yoshikawa Prize for New Writers and made into a 2006 film; a short story collection The Stationmaster and other stories (Poppoya (鉄道員)) was also awarded the Naoki Prize. He writes also historical and Chinese historical novels such as The Firmament of the Pleiades (Sōkyū no subaru, 蒼穹の昴). He writes in the traditional style of Japanese popular fiction.
Mitsuyoshi Yoshino (吉野 光義, Yoshino Mitsuyoshi; born 13 December 1951), known professionally as Mickie Yoshino (ミッキー吉野…Mitsuyoshi Yoshino (吉野 光義, Yoshino Mitsuyoshi; born 13 December 1951), known professionally as Mickie Yoshino (ミッキー吉野, Mikkī Yoshino), is a Japanese keyboardist, composer, producer, and arranger. Yoshino is known for leading the rock band Godiego. In 2005, he won a Japan Academy Prize for his music. Yoshino's compositions were used in the film Swing Girls (Altamira Pictures). Yoshino still produces music with groups such as Godiego and EnTRANS.
Mitsuo Sawamoto (澤本 光男 Sawamoto Mitsuo, December 12, 1954) is a Japanese chemist specializing in the field of polymer…Mitsuo Sawamoto (澤本 光男 Sawamoto Mitsuo, December 12, 1954) is a Japanese chemist specializing in the field of polymer chemistry, Emeritus Professor at Kyoto University, professor at Chubu University. He is co-recipient of the Franklin Institute Award in Chemistry in 2017 with Krzysztof Matyjaszewski, for their independent discover of Atom-transfer radical-polymerization (ATRP).
Keiko Namai (生井 けい子, Namai Keiko; born 9 December 1951) is a Japanese basketball player. She competed in the women's…Keiko Namai (生井 けい子, Namai Keiko; born 9 December 1951) is a Japanese basketball player. She competed in the women's tournament at the 1976 Summer Olympics.
Ryōko Tateishi (立石 涼子, Tateishi Ryōko; 4 December 1951 – 2 August 2020), real name 立石凉子 (pronounced the same, but the…Ryōko Tateishi (立石 涼子, Tateishi Ryōko; 4 December 1951 – 2 August 2020), real name 立石凉子 (pronounced the same, but the third kanji is slightly different) was a Japanese stage, movie, television, and voice-over actress from Nagasaki, the capital city of Nagasaki Prefecture. She appeared in many theatrical works directed by Yukio Ninagawa. She appeared in the Japanese television dramas Third Year Class B Mr. Kinpachi, From the North Country, and Downtown Rocket. She joined the Engeki Shūdan En troupe in 1976, staying with them until 2015, when she moved to Sis Company. She won an individual award at the 39th Kinokuniya Awards in 2004. Her final stage appearance was in a 2019 adaptation of Crime and Punishment. After being diagnosed with lung cancer in September 2019, Tateishi's health became worse in June 2020, and she died of lung cancer on 2 August 2020 in Tokyo at age 68.
Mitsuo Yoshida (Japanese: 吉田 光雄, romanized: Yoshida Mitsuo, born Kwak Kwang-Woong [Korean: 곽광웅]; December 3, 1951)…Mitsuo Yoshida (Japanese: 吉田 光雄, romanized: Yoshida Mitsuo, born Kwak Kwang-Woong [Korean: 곽광웅]; December 3, 1951), better known by his ring name Riki Choshu (長州 力, Chōshū Riki), is a Japanese retired professional wrestler and amateur wrestler, who is best known for his longtime work in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) as both a performer and a booker. He is considered one of Japan’s most influential wrestlers for his work in the 1980s and 1990s and is known as the first wrestler to popularize the Sasori-Gatame, better known in English as the Scorpion Deathlock or Sharpshooter. A second-generation Zainichi Korean from Yamaguchi Prefecture, Choshu won titles in Freestyle wrestling at the National Sports Festival of Japan, before (under his birth name) representing South Korea at the 1972 Summer Olympics. He also won collegiate titles in Freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling as captain of the Senshu University team. He made his professional wrestling debut for NJPW in 1974, becoming a major star as a heel during the following decade. After leaving NJPW in 2002, he formed Fighting World of Japan Pro Wrestling (WJ), but eventually returned to New Japan in October 2005 as a site foreman, booker and part-time wrestler. Choshu once again left NJPW in 2010 and primarily worked in Tatsumi Fujinami’s Dradition, as well as his own self-produced Power Hall events as a freelancer.
Jiro Kondo (近藤 二郎, Kondō Jirō; born 2 December 1951) is a Japanese Egyptologist, and has worked in tombs KVA and KV22…Jiro Kondo (近藤 二郎, Kondō Jirō; born 2 December 1951) is a Japanese Egyptologist, and has worked in tombs KVA and KV22 in the Valley of the Kings and with ARTP. He is a Professor of Archaeology at Waseda University, Tokyo.
Michio Jimbo (神保 道夫, Jimbō Michio; born November 28, 1951) is a Japanese mathematician working in mathematical physics.…Michio Jimbo (神保 道夫, Jimbō Michio; born November 28, 1951) is a Japanese mathematician working in mathematical physics. He is known for his introduction of quantum groups (independently of Vladimir Drinfeld), his contributions to the theory of integrable systems and their correlation functions, and his work with Mikio Sato and Tetsuji Miwa on holonomic quantum fields and isomonodromic deformation theory.
Toru Matsuoka (松岡 徹, Matsuoka Tōru; born November 26, 1951) is a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan…Toru Matsuoka (松岡 徹, Matsuoka Tōru; born November 26, 1951) is a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Osaka, Osaka and high school graduate, he was elected to the House of Councillors for the first time in 2004 after serving in the assembly of Osaka Prefecture for three terms since 1991.
Tōru Toida (戸井田 徹, Toida Tōru; born 25 November 1951) is a former Japanese politician who served in the House of…Tōru Toida (戸井田 徹, Toida Tōru; born 25 November 1951) is a former Japanese politician who served in the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature) as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party.
Yasuo Daichi (大地 康雄, Daichi Yasuo; born 25 November 1951) is a Japanese actor. He has appeared in more than 50 films…Yasuo Daichi (大地 康雄, Daichi Yasuo; born 25 November 1951) is a Japanese actor. He has appeared in more than 50 films since 1979.
Masaki Kanda (Japanese: 神田 正輝, Hepburn: Kanda Masaki; born December 21, 1950) is a Japanese actor. He is well known for…Masaki Kanda (Japanese: 神田 正輝, Hepburn: Kanda Masaki; born December 21, 1950) is a Japanese actor. He is well known for his role as Doc (Akira Saijō in Taiyō ni Hoero!). His ex-wife is singer Seiko Matsuda and their daughter was actress Sayaka Kanda.
Mitsuhiro Miyakoshi (宮腰 光寛, Miyakoshi Mitsuhiro; born 21 December 1950) is a former Japanese politician of the Liberal…Mitsuhiro Miyakoshi (宮腰 光寛, Miyakoshi Mitsuhiro; born 21 December 1950) is a former Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), who served as a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature) and Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs. A native of Kurobe, Toyama and dropout of Kyoto University, he was elected to the first of his four terms in the assembly of Toyama Prefecture in 1983 and then to the House of Representatives for the first time in 1998. Miyakoshi likes Awamori, an alcoholic beverage in Okinawa, very much.
Yutaka Fujimoto (藤本 裕, Fujimoto Yutaka; 21 December 1950 – 31 October 2001) was a Japanese basketball player. He…Yutaka Fujimoto (藤本 裕, Fujimoto Yutaka; 21 December 1950 – 31 October 2001) was a Japanese basketball player. He competed in the men's tournament at the 1976 Summer Olympics.
Yōko Maekawa (前川 陽子, Maekawa Yōko) is a Japanese singer and jazz singer born in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. She graduated…Yōko Maekawa (前川 陽子, Maekawa Yōko) is a Japanese singer and jazz singer born in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. She graduated from the Faculty of Letters at Atomi University. She is best known for performing various anison songs, particularly the opening for Cutie Honey. In 2008, she rerecorded the openings for Cutie Honey and Megu the Little Witch, titling them "21st century" versions. The Cutie Honey opening was originally intended to be performed by Linda Yamamoto. At NHK, she is known as one of the "Four Heavenly Kings of Anime Songs" along with Mitsuko Horie, Isao Sasaki and Ichirou Mizuki. She is also widely hailed as "the Goddess of Magical Girl Songs".
Tetsuo Nishimoto (西本 哲雄, Nishimoto Tetsuo; born December 16, 1950) is a Japanese former volleyball player who competed…Tetsuo Nishimoto (西本 哲雄, Nishimoto Tetsuo; born December 16, 1950) is a Japanese former volleyball player who competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics and in the 1976 Summer Olympics. He was born in Hiroshima. In 1972, he was part of the Japanese team which won the gold medal in the Olympic tournament. He played four matches. Four years later, in 1976, he finished fourth with the Japanese team in the 1976 Olympic tournament. He played all five matches.
Norio Mitsuya (三ッ矢 憲生, Mitsuya Norio; born 13 December 1950) is a Japanese former politician, belonging to the Liberal…Norio Mitsuya (三ッ矢 憲生, Mitsuya Norio; born 13 December 1950) is a Japanese former politician, belonging to the Liberal Democratic Party. He is a former member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature).
