Cancer: 1,921 people
Kazuya Kamiya (神谷 和也, Kamiya Kazuya; born 20 July 1957) is a Japanese economist. He is a professor at Kobe University.
Shinobu Otake (大竹 しのぶ, Ōtake Shinobu; born July 17, 1957) is a Japanese actress. She has won three Japanese Academy…
Shinobu Otake (大竹 しのぶ, Ōtake Shinobu; born July 17, 1957) is a Japanese actress. She has won three Japanese Academy Awards: the 2000 Best Actress award for Railroad Man, and the 1979 awards for both Best Actress for The Incident, and Best Supporting Actress for Seishoku no ishibumi. She also won the award for best actress at the 12th Hochi Film Award for Eien no 1/2. At the 25th Moscow International Film Festival she won the award for Best Actress for her role in Owl. She has received a total of twelve nominations. She was the favoured lead actress of director Kaneto Shindo after his previous lead actress, Nobuko Otowa, died in 1994, and featured in four of his films from Will to Live (1999) and Postcard (2011). Otake has also acted on the stage. She performed during the last segment of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Closing Ceremony along Tokyo’s Suginami Children Chorus, singing the song "Hoshimeguri no Uta" (Star Tour Song) composed by Kenji Miyazawa, as the Olympic flame was extinguished. Otake had a leading role of Dr. Ruth Wolff in a Japanese stage adaptation of The Doctor (2021).
Kazunori "Toshio" Shinozuka (篠塚 和典, Shinozuka Kazunori; born July 16, 1957) is a former professional Japanese baseball…
Kazunori "Toshio" Shinozuka (篠塚 和典, Shinozuka Kazunori; born July 16, 1957) is a former professional Japanese baseball player. As a boy, Ichiro Suzuki learned to pattern his original swinging pendulum leg kick after Shinozuka's.
Kaizo Hayashi (林 海象, Hayashi Kaizō; born July 15, 1957) is a Japanese film director and screenwriter. He made his…
Kaizo Hayashi (林 海象, Hayashi Kaizō; born July 15, 1957) is a Japanese film director and screenwriter. He made his directorial debut with To Sleep so as to Dream (1986). He is best known for his neo-noir Maiku Hama trilogy, The Most Terrible Time in My Life (1994), Stairway to the Distant Past (1995) and The Trap (1996). In addition to film, Hayashi served as creative director on the 2000 Konami video game 7 Blades for the PlayStation 2, and was director for two episodes of Power Rangers: Time Force.
Manabu Kitabeppu (北別府 学, Kitabeppu Manabu; July 12, 1957 – June 16, 2023) was a Japanese professional baseball pitcher…
Manabu Kitabeppu (北別府 学, Kitabeppu Manabu; July 12, 1957 – June 16, 2023) was a Japanese professional baseball pitcher, the first-round draft pick of the Hiroshima Toyo Carp in 1975, and one of the most famous Japanese right-handed pitchers. He was known as the "Precision Machine" (精密機械, Seimitsu-Kikai) because of his perfect control pitching, and his nickname was Pei-San (ペイさん). Kitabeppu struggled his first few seasons, then went 17–11 with a 3.58 ERA to make his first All-Star team in 1979. It was the first of five consecutive All-Star picks for Kitabeppu, who helped the team to a Japan Series title in 1980. In 1982 Kitabeppu went 20–8 with a 2.43 ERA, easily his best year up to that point in his pitching career. He led the Central League with 267.3 innings, won the most games on the mound, and was fourth in ERA. He won his first Eiji Sawamura Award that season and also was named to the Best Nine. His streak of All-Star selections ended in 1984, though he continued to pitch well in '84 and '85. In 1986 Kitabeppu had his best season, going 18–4 with a 2.43 ERA. He led the circuit once again in victories, won his only ERA crown, led in complete games (17) and shutouts (4), won his only Gold Glove, and in addition to the Best Nine and Sawamura, won his only MVP award as the Carp returned to the Japan Series, but failed to win. Kitabeppu again was an All-Star in '88 but posted losing records from '87 through '89, once with an ERA of 5.48. The former star allowed the most runs in 1988 (87) and the most homers (22). The next season, he again surrendered the most home runs, also 22. In 1989 he was in the minor leagues for the first time in his career. Kitabeppu emerged resurgent from his trials and after a decent season in 1990, in 1991 he went 11–4 with a 3.38 ERA. He made his seventh All-Star team in 1992, with 14 wins in 22 decisions, and a 2.58 ERA. It was his lowest ERA and most victories since his MVP season of '86. The Carp made their third Japan Series of the Kitabeppu era, but lost to the Seibu Lions. Still just 34, Kitabeppu reached 200 career wins. It was his last good season – he would pitch 24 more games, going 9-9, with ERAs over 5 each time, before retiring. His career line with Hiroshima was 213–141 with a 3.67 ERA. Since Kitabeppu, only one pitcher in Nippon Pro Baseball (Kimiyasu Kudoh) has reached 200 victories. Kitabeppu ranks 17th all-time in wins, 20th in innings (3,113), 26th in strikeouts (1,757), 9th in hits allowed (3,225), and 4th in homers surrendered (380, the Central League record). After retiring, Kitabeppu became an announcer and then the pitching coach for the Carp. Shortly after midnight on June 16, 2023, he died in a hospital in the city of Hiroshima. He was 65. In 2020 he announced that he had been battling leukemia for a long time.
Takuro Morinaga (森永卓郎, Morinaga Takurō; 12 July 1957 – 28 January 2025) was a Japanese economist and academic at Dokkyo…
Takuro Morinaga (森永卓郎, Morinaga Takurō; 12 July 1957 – 28 January 2025) was a Japanese economist and academic at Dokkyo University, Saitama, a suburb to Tokyo. He was also a television program editor. As an economist he was highly publicized, expressing his views in television and radio on an array of subjects, from politics to manga to video games. His ideas elicited a large number of reactions on the internet and in media.
Tsutomu Okabori (岡堀 勉, Okabori Tsutomu; born 10 July 1957) is a Japanese former cyclist. He competed in the team…
Tsutomu Okabori (岡堀 勉, Okabori Tsutomu; born 10 July 1957) is a Japanese former cyclist. He competed in the team pursuit event at the 1976 Summer Olympics and 1978 Asian Games. He was also a professional keirin cyclist.
Ikue Mori is a Japanese scientist. She is known for her work on molecular, cellular and neural circuit analyses of…
Ikue Mori is a Japanese scientist. She is known for her work on molecular, cellular and neural circuit analyses of thermotaxis behavior in C. elegans. She is Director of Neuroscience Institute and Professor of Molecular Neurobiology of the Graduate School of Science in Nagoya University, Japan. In 2013, she became the first woman to receive Tokizane Award, the most prestigious neuroscience award in Japan, and in 2017, was awarded Medal of Honor with Purple Ribbon.
Kazuyo Matsui (松居 一代, Matsui Kazuyo; born 25 June 1957 in Ōmihachiman, Shiga Prefecture) is a Japanese actress…
Kazuyo Matsui (松居 一代, Matsui Kazuyo; born 25 June 1957 in Ōmihachiman, Shiga Prefecture) is a Japanese actress, investor, businesswoman, essayist, university professor (special appointment), and lifestyle (household chores) adviser. Her married name was Kazuyo Funakoshi (船越 一代, Funakoshi Kazuyo). She divorced her husband Eiichiro Funakoshi in December 2017. She is represented by the Kazuyo Matsui Jimusho agency.
Tsuyoshi Fukui (福井 烈, Fukui Tsuyoshi; born 22 June 1957) is a retired tour and Japan Davis Cup team tennis player.…
Tsuyoshi Fukui (福井 烈, Fukui Tsuyoshi; born 22 June 1957) is a retired tour and Japan Davis Cup team tennis player. Fukui holds the record for the most singles win for the Japanese in Davis Cup, with 26. On tour, he won two Challenger tennis events in singles and earned a career-high singles ranking of World No. 177, in January 1983.
Kozo Nagayama (永山耕三, Nagayama Kozo; born on July 22, 1956, in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese television and film director.
Fukumi Kuroda (黒田 福美, Kuroda Fukumi; born July 21, 1956 in Tokyo) is a Japanese actress.
Akira Hagiwara (萩原 光, Hagiwara Akira; 21 July 1956 – 7 April 1986) was a Japanese racing driver.
Ryo Ishibashi (石橋 凌, Ishibashi Ryō; born Hideki Ishibashi; July 20, 1956) is a Japanese actor and singer. He is known…
Ryo Ishibashi (石橋 凌, Ishibashi Ryō; born Hideki Ishibashi; July 20, 1956) is a Japanese actor and singer. He is known internationally for his starring roles in the horror films Audition (1999), Suicide Club (2001), The Grudge (2004) and its sequel The Grudge 2 (2006). He is also the lead singer of the Japanese rock band ARB.
Yoshiaki Yatsu (谷津嘉章 Yatsu Yoshiaki, born July 19, 1956) is a Japanese semi-retired professional wrestler and amateur…
Yoshiaki Yatsu (谷津嘉章 Yatsu Yoshiaki, born July 19, 1956) is a Japanese semi-retired professional wrestler and amateur wrestler and former mixed martial artist. He is known for being one-half of the first-ever All Japan Pro Wrestling World Tag Team Champions with Jumbo Tsuruta, having won the NWA International Tag Team Championship and the PWF Tag Team Championship, and unifying the two titles.
Emi Akimoto (Japanese: 秋元恵美; born 19 July 1956) is a Japanese former track and field athlete who specialised in the 100…
Emi Akimoto (Japanese: 秋元恵美; born 19 July 1956) is a Japanese former track and field athlete who specialised in the 100 metres hurdles. She was the gold medallist in the event at the Asian Athletics Championships three times consecutively from 1979 to 1983, breaking the championship record each time. She won two gold medals at the Asian Games in 1982, running in the hurdles and 4×100 metres relay. Akimoto was a six-time champion at the Japan Championships in Athletics. She represented her country at the 1983 World Championships in Athletics and ran for Asia at the IAAF World Cup in 1979 and 1981. She was also a two-time medallist at the Pacific Conference Games. In her later career she ran under her married name: Emi Sasaki (Japanese: 佐々木恵美).
Sadanoumi Kōji (佐田の海 鴻嗣) (born 19 July 1956 as Kōji Matsumara (松村 宏司, Matsumura Kōji)) is a former sumo wrestler from…
Sadanoumi Kōji (佐田の海 鴻嗣) (born 19 July 1956 as Kōji Matsumara (松村 宏司, Matsumura Kōji)) is a former sumo wrestler from Sakai, Osaka, Japan. He made his professional debut in March 1972, and reached the top division in November 1980. His highest rank was komusubi. He retired in July 1988 and became an elder in the Japan Sumo Association under the name Tagonoura. He left the Sumo Association in August 1999. He is the father of the current sekitori wrestler of the same name, Sadanoumi Takashi.
Toshio Toyota (豊田 敏夫, Toyota Toshio; born 19 July 1956) is a Japanese retired sprinter. He qualified for the 1980 Japan…
Toshio Toyota (豊田 敏夫, Toyota Toshio; born 19 July 1956) is a Japanese retired sprinter. He qualified for the 1980 Japan Olympic team but did not compete due to the 1980 Summer Olympics boycott. He was the gold medallist in the 200 metres and 4 × 100 metres relay at the 1981 Asian Championships and the first Japanese to run under 21 seconds with electronic timing in the 200 metres.
Toshihiko Seko (瀬古 利彦, Seko Toshihiko; born July 15, 1956) is a Japanese former long-distance runner. He was a…
Toshihiko Seko (瀬古 利彦, Seko Toshihiko; born July 15, 1956) is a Japanese former long-distance runner. He was a world-class marathon competitor in the 1980s. He represented his native country at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles and the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. Seko's notable marathon wins include Fukuoka Marathon (1978–1980, 1983), Boston Marathon (1981, 1987), London Marathon (1986) and Chicago Marathon (1986). On March 22, 1981, Seko set world records at 25,000 m (1:13:55.8) and 30,000 m (1:29:18.8). The records stood for 30 years until they were broken by Moses Mosop in June 2011. On April 20, 1981, Seko shaved one second off Bill Rodgers's course record at the Boston Marathon. Seko was a coach at the S & B Foods Track Team until the team was disbanded in 2012. He also was a member of the Tokyo 2016 Olympics Advisory Panel. He serves on the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Board of Education from December 21, 2007. He was devoted to the sport above other interests and once remarked "The marathon is my only girlfriend. I give her everything I have."
Midori Matsushima (Japanese: 松島 みどり, Hepburn: Matsushima Midori; born 15 July 1956) also known by her legal name Midori…
Midori Matsushima (Japanese: 松島 みどり, Hepburn: Matsushima Midori; born 15 July 1956) also known by her legal name Midori Baba (馬場 みどり, Baba Midori) is a Japanese politician. She served as Japan's Minister of Justice in 2014, later resigning in the same year after an allegation of violating electoral laws by distributing paper fans to voters.
Shūhei Kishimoto (岸本周平, Kishimoto Shūhei; 12 July 1956 – 15 April 2025) was a Japanese politician who served as…
Shūhei Kishimoto (岸本周平, Kishimoto Shūhei; 12 July 1956 – 15 April 2025) was a Japanese politician who served as governor of Wakayama Prefecture from 2022 until his death in 2025. He was previously a member of House of Representatives from 2009 and 2022, being elected five times from Wakayama 1st district. Born in Wakayama and educated at the University of Tokyo, Kishimoto worked at the Ministry of Finance and Toyota before entering politics in 2009.
Katsuyoshi Yatabe (谷田部 勝義) (born July 11, 1956 in Tokyo) is a Japanese screenwriter, anime director and sound director.…
Katsuyoshi Yatabe (谷田部 勝義) (born July 11, 1956 in Tokyo) is a Japanese screenwriter, anime director and sound director. He is best known for directing the first three entries in Sunrise's Brave series and the first shotacon anime adaptation (Boku no Pico).
Nobutoshi Hikage (日蔭 暢年, Hikage Nobutoshi; born 9 July 1956) is a Japanese judoka. He was two times world champion of…
Nobutoshi Hikage (日蔭 暢年, Hikage Nobutoshi; born 9 July 1956) is a Japanese judoka. He was two times world champion of Half-middleweight category. He is from Miyako, Iwate. He began judo at the age of a 6th grader. After graduation from Kokushikan University, He belonged to Iwate Prefectural Police. He won the gold medal of world championships in 1983 and 1985. He participate All-Japan Championships 6 times and won the bronze medal in 1982. He tried by the supervision of all-Japan women's team at 2005 World Championships and 2008 Summer Olympics.
Pailin Chuchottaworn (Thai: ไพรินทร์ ชูโชติถาวร, RTGS: Phairin Chuchotithawon; born 8 July 1956) is a Thai businessman…
Pailin Chuchottaworn (Thai: ไพรินทร์ ชูโชติถาวร, RTGS: Phairin Chuchotithawon; born 8 July 1956) is a Thai businessman, and from 2011 to 2015 was the chief executive officer (CEO) of PTT Public Company Limited, a Thai state-owned oil and gas company, and a Fortune Global 500 company.
Ryuho Okawa (大川 隆法; Ōkawa Ryūhō; born Takashi Nakagawa (中川 隆; Nakagawa Takashi), 7 July 1956 – 2 March 2023) was a…
Ryuho Okawa (大川 隆法; Ōkawa Ryūhō; born Takashi Nakagawa (中川 隆; Nakagawa Takashi), 7 July 1956 – 2 March 2023) was a Japanese religious and political leader who was the CEO and founder of the Happy Science and the Happiness Realization Party. He was also an author and chairman of two companies affiliated with the organization, New Star Production and ARI Production. His organization has been widely criticised as a cult. Adherents of the religion worship Okawa, who claimed to be the current incarnation of a god called "El Cantare" and a number of other beings, including Hermes and Gautama Buddha.
Shunsuke Mutai (務台 俊介, Mutai Shunsuke; born 3 July 1956) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party who…
Shunsuke Mutai (務台 俊介, Mutai Shunsuke; born 3 July 1956) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party who served in the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). He was first elected in the 2012 general election. He is a former career bureaucrat in the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (briefly serving as Director of the CLAIR London Office) and graduate of University of Tokyo. Having unsuccessfully contested the Nagano 2nd district in the 2009 general election, he then served as a professor of local administration at Kanagawa University. Mutai was Secretary to the Alliance of Legislators who wish to legislate for Mountain Day, which was inaugurated in August 2016. In 2016 Mutai was appointed Parliamentary Vice Minister for Reconstruction and shortly after hit global headlines concerning an incident concerning a ministerial visit to a disaster-hit region. Half year later at a campaign party Mutai joked about the incident only to be criticized by Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga. Mutai resigned from his post on the following day. At the 2017 general election Mutai was defeated in his Nagano constituency but re-elected to the Diet under his party's proportional representation bloc. He was reappointed to government as a State Minister for the Environment in October 2021 but relieved of his position in the August 2022 Kishida reshuffle .
Daisuke Hinata (born July 2, 1956) is a Japanese music producer, composer, keyboardist, synthesist, synthesizer…
Daisuke Hinata (born July 2, 1956) is a Japanese music producer, composer, keyboardist, synthesist, synthesizer programmer, recording engineer, and studio designer. He is the owner/producer of VSA Studio, a recording studio located in California, US. He is also the owner of the record label “Hyperdisc” and "Global Disc". His older brother is Toshifumi Hinata, also a music composer and producer.
Tomoko Akane (Japanese: 赤根智子; born 28 June 1956) is a Japanese jurist and current judge at the International Criminal…
Tomoko Akane (Japanese: 赤根智子; born 28 June 1956) is a Japanese jurist and current judge at the International Criminal Court (ICC) for Japan, as well as the president of the court.
Takashi Nishimoto (西本 聖, Nishimoto Takashi; born June 27, 1956) is a Japanese baseball coach and retired pitcher. He…
Takashi Nishimoto (西本 聖, Nishimoto Takashi; born June 27, 1956) is a Japanese baseball coach and retired pitcher. He played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Yomiuri Giants, Chunichi Dragons, and Orix Blue Wave from 1976 through 1993. In 1981, Nishimoto won the Eiji Sawamura Award. Winning the 1981 Japan Series, he was named the Japan Series Most Valuable Player. Nishimoto won seven straight Gold Glove Awards from 1979 through 1985. He won the Nippon Professional Baseball Comeback Player of the Year Award in 1989. After his retirement as a player, Nishimoto coached for the Hanshin Tigers and the Chiba Lotte Marines. In 2013, he coached the Orix Buffaloes. His brother, Akikazu Nishimoto, played in NPB.
Katsuya Uga (born July 21, 1955) is a Japanese jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of Japan…
Katsuya Uga (born July 21, 1955) is a Japanese jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of Japan from 2019 to 2025.
Kiyoshi Kurosawa (黒沢 清, Kurosawa Kiyoshi; born July 19, 1955) is a Japanese filmmaker, critic, author, actor, and a…
Kiyoshi Kurosawa (黒沢 清, Kurosawa Kiyoshi; born July 19, 1955) is a Japanese filmmaker, critic, author, actor, and a former professor at Tokyo University of the Arts (2005–23). Noted for his psychological films that often focus on ambiguous narratives and on their characters' inner turmoils and quests for meaning and connections, he is best known for his contributions to psychological horror and Japanese horror, notably his acclaimed 1997 film Cure and his 2001 film Pulse, although he has also worked in a variety of other genres. While most of his work has been in Japanese, two of his films, Daguerrotype (2016) and Serpent's Path (2024; a remake of his own 1998 film of the same name), were in French. Kurosawa received the Medal with Purple Ribbon for his contributions to Japanese cinema, in 2021. The New York Times stated that Kurosawa "is to psychological fright what David Cronenberg is to body horror."
Takatoshi Nishiwaki (西脇 隆俊, Nishiwaki Takatoshi; born 15 July 1955) is a Japanese politician and the current Governor…
Takatoshi Nishiwaki (西脇 隆俊, Nishiwaki Takatoshi; born 15 July 1955) is a Japanese politician and the current Governor of Kyoto Prefecture.
Hatsuyuki Hamada (濱田 初幸, Hamada Hatsuyuki; born 1 July 1955) is a retired Japanese judoka. Hamada is from Tsushima…
Hatsuyuki Hamada (濱田 初幸, Hamada Hatsuyuki; born 1 July 1955) is a retired Japanese judoka. Hamada is from Tsushima, Ehime. He belonged to Ehime Prefectural Police after graduation from Matsuyama University in 1978. Hamada was good at Seoi nage, Kouchi gari and Newaza. He participated Asian Championships held in Jakarta, Indonesia in 1981 and won a gold medal. He also won a gold medal at Pacific Rim Championships in 1983. In 1985, Hamada entered Nippon Sport Science University to be a teacher. After graduation in 1987, he coached judo at high-school in Ehime Prefecture and his old school, Matsuyama University. As of 2010, Hamada has coachede judo at National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Kanoya since 2002.
Masaru Kitsuregawa (喜連川 優, Kitsuregawa Masaru; born 13 July 1955) is a Japanese computer scientist. Currently he is a…
Masaru Kitsuregawa (喜連川 優, Kitsuregawa Masaru; born 13 July 1955) is a Japanese computer scientist. Currently he is a professor at the University of Tokyo.
Mitsuo Tatsukawa (達川 光男, Tatsukawa Mitsuo; born July 13, 1955 in Hiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan) is a former…
Mitsuo Tatsukawa (達川 光男, Tatsukawa Mitsuo; born July 13, 1955 in Hiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan) is a former Nippon Professional Baseball catcher.
Yasuo "Hasagi" Nashihara (Japanese: 梨原靖夫 (Nashihara Yasuo)), originally Yasuo Ikoma (Japanese: 生駒靖夫 (Ikoma Yasuo); born…
Yasuo "Hasagi" Nashihara (Japanese: 梨原靖夫 (Nashihara Yasuo)), originally Yasuo Ikoma (Japanese: 生駒靖夫 (Ikoma Yasuo); born 12 July 1955) is a retired Japanese handball player who competed in the 1984 Summer Olympics.
Gaku Ishizaki (石崎 岳, Ishizaki Gaku; born 9 July 1955) is a Japanese former politician of the Liberal Democratic Party…
Gaku Ishizaki (石崎 岳, Ishizaki Gaku; born 9 July 1955) is a Japanese former politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, who served as a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Asahikawa, Hokkaido and graduate of Kyoto University, he worked at Hokkaido Broadcasting, a local broadcast network in Hokkaido, from 1979 to 1996. He was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 1996 but lost his seat in 2000. In 2003, he ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Sapporo, Hokkaido but was re-elected to the House of Representatives in the same year.
Hiroshi Sugawara (菅原 浩志; 1955 – 12 November 2025) was a Japanese film director, producer and screenwriter. He died from…
Hiroshi Sugawara (菅原 浩志; 1955 – 12 November 2025) was a Japanese film director, producer and screenwriter. He died from pancreatic cancer on 12 November 2025, at the age of 70.
Sanma Akashiya (明石家 さんま, Akashiya Sanma; born July 1, 1955) is a Japanese comedian, TV presenter, radio personality and…
Sanma Akashiya (明石家 さんま, Akashiya Sanma; born July 1, 1955) is a Japanese comedian, TV presenter, radio personality and actor most commonly known as Sanma-san. His real name is Takafumi Sugimoto (杉本 髙文, Sugimoto Takafumi). His talent agency is Yoshimoto Kogyo and his shishô (master) back when he studied rakugo is Shōfukutei Matsunosuke. Together with Beat Takeshi and Tamori, Sanma is said to be one of the "Big Three" television comedians of Japan. He is known for his ability to endlessly carry a conversation. His protruding front teeth are often ridiculed, even by himself. Akashiya married actress Shinobu Otake in September 1988. They met on the set of the drama series Danjo Shichinin Natsumonogatari. At the time, Otake had one son from her previous marriage with her husband who had died. The marriage lasted 4 years as they divorced in September 1992. The two remained friends after and are sometimes seen on variety television programs together. They have one daughter, Imalu Otake, born in 1989. Imalu went on to become a tarento in 2009 under the name IMALU.
Maria Mori (森マリア; born June 29, 1956) is a former singer and actress from Sapporo, Japan. She was also known as Maria…
Maria Mori (森マリア; born June 29, 1956) is a former singer and actress from Sapporo, Japan. She was also known as Maria Elizabeth. The daughter of an American FBI agent and a Japanese mother, she was a member of the Golden Half singing group, whose other members all had Japanese mothers and fathers from other countries. The group was active from 1970 to 1974 and appeared as regulars on the Tokyo Broadcasting System Saturday prime-time variety show Hachiji da yo! Zen'in shūgō which also featured the comedy group The Drifters and idol singers The Candies. Individually, Maria appeared in the television jidaigeki series Edo o Kiru and Yuki-hime Onmitsu Dōchūki and from 1988 to 1993 as Oryū in the TBS television series in Ōoka Echizen. She made guest appearances on Abarenbō Shōgun as well as in contemporary dramas including G-men 75, and co-hosted Chibikko Avec Utagassen.
Yasuhiko Nishimura (Japanese: 西村 泰彦, Hepburn: Nishimura Yasuhiko; born 29 June 1955) is a Japanese official who served…
Yasuhiko Nishimura (Japanese: 西村 泰彦, Hepburn: Nishimura Yasuhiko; born 29 June 1955) is a Japanese official who served as the Grand Steward of the Imperial Household from 2019 until 2025.
Nobuhiro Kiyotaki FBA (清滝 信宏, Kiyotaki Nobuhiro) (born June 24, 1955) is a Japanese economist and the Harold H. Helms…
Nobuhiro Kiyotaki FBA (清滝 信宏, Kiyotaki Nobuhiro) (born June 24, 1955) is a Japanese economist and the Harold H. Helms '20 Professor of Economics and Banking at Princeton University. He is especially known for proposing several models that provide deeper microeconomic foundations for macroeconomics, some of which play a prominent role in New Keynesian macroeconomics.
Yoshiaki Watanabe (渡辺好明, Watanabe Yoshiaki) (June 24, 1955 - November 4, 2009) was a Japanese artist, born in Hyōgo…
Yoshiaki Watanabe (渡辺好明, Watanabe Yoshiaki) (June 24, 1955 - November 4, 2009) was a Japanese artist, born in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan and best known for his installation work involving candles. He graduated from the undergraduate program at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music (now known as Tokyo University of the Arts) in 1980 with a degree in oil painting, and completed a graduate program in mural work in 1982. From 1985 to 1989 he lived and worked in Germany at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf on a Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst Dienst (German Academic Exchange Service) grant. He returned to Japan in 1989 and began working at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music as an assistant, eventually matriculating to a full professorship. In 1999 he was one of the founding professors of the university's Inter-Media Arts program. He was also one of the main organisers of the Toride Art Project, a community arts project based in Toride City in Ibaraki, Japan. More recently he had done extensive work founding the Ino Artists Village. As an artist, Watanabe had exhibited extensively around the world, completing exhibitions in Turkey and Germany shortly before his death. He died from sudden heart failure on November 4, 2009.
Kazuhito Hashimoto (橋本和仁, Hashimoto Kazuhito; born June 23, 1955) is a Japanese chemist. Between 2004 and 2007 he…
Kazuhito Hashimoto (橋本和仁, Hashimoto Kazuhito; born June 23, 1955) is a Japanese chemist. Between 2004 and 2007 he headed the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Tokyo. In 2016–2022 he served as President of the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) and as the editor-in-chief of the journal Science and Technology of Advanced Materials. On April 1, 2022 he assumed the position of President of Japan Science and Technology Agency. In 2006 Hashimoto received the Yamazaki-Teiichi Prize for his research on titanium dioxide photocatalyst.
Tamaryū Daizō (born 22 July 1954 as Daizō Nagata) is a former sumo wrestler from Nagasaki, Japan. He made his debut in…
Tamaryū Daizō (born 22 July 1954 as Daizō Nagata) is a former sumo wrestler from Nagasaki, Japan. He made his debut in 1970, retiring in 1992. He was one of the lighter sekitori wrestlers. His highest rank was komusubi. He was a member of Kataonami stable.
Jun Watanabe (渡辺 純, Watanabe Jun; born 20 July 1954, in Tokyo) is a Japanese architect and a former professor at Chubu…
Jun Watanabe (渡辺 純, Watanabe Jun; born 20 July 1954, in Tokyo) is a Japanese architect and a former professor at Chubu University (until 2009). After studying at the University of Tokyo, Jun finished the master's degree of Architecture in Urban Design from Harvard University in 1983. His work experiences include Kenzo Tange & URTEC (1978–81), I.M.Pei & Partners (1983–85), and Maki and Associates (1985–90). After completing the award-winning Makuhari Messe as a project architect with Maki & Associates, he was appointed as an assistant professor of architecture at the University of Texas at Austin in 1990, where he received the tenure professorship in 1996. He moved to Chubu University as a professor in 1996, and was honorably appointed as a visiting professor at Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2014. He founded Jun Watanabe & Associates in 1990. He received 2 local AIA Awards in 1993 and 1995 in Austin. In 2003 he received the gold medal, Residential/ Interior category of Bienal Miami + Beach 2003, with his work of Villa Gamagori. In 2011 he received the Good Design Award, with his work of Hiroo Flat. In 2012,2014,2015,2016,2017,2018,2020 & 2021, the received the Good Design Awards, as well.
Takashi Amano (天野尚, Amano Takashi; 18 July 1954 – 4 August 2015) was a professional Japanese track cyclist…
Takashi Amano (天野尚, Amano Takashi; 18 July 1954 – 4 August 2015) was a professional Japanese track cyclist, photographer, designer, and aquarist. He founded Aqua Design Amano (ADA), a Japanese company that specializes in the design of aquariums and their production. Amano was the author of Nature Aquarium World (TFH Publications, 1994), a three-book series on aquascaping, freshwater aquarium plants, and fish. He also published the book Aquarium Plant Paradise (TFH Publications, 1997). A species of freshwater shrimp, the "Amano shrimp" or "Yamato shrimp" (Caridina multidentata; previously Caridina japonica), was named after him. Amano discovered the species' ability to eat large quantities of algae. Amano ordered several thousand of them from a local distributor. They have since become widely used in freshwater planted aquariums. Amano also developed a line of aquarium products under the Aqua Design Amano (ADA) brand. His aquarium column, "Nature Aquarium," appeared in the monthly magazines Practical Fishkeeping and Tropical Fish Hobbyist. He died of pneumonia in 2015 at the age of 61.
Chikashi Toyoshima (Japanese: 豊島 近, Hepburn: Toyoshima Chikashi; born July 17, 1954) is a Japanese biophysicist, a…
Chikashi Toyoshima (Japanese: 豊島 近, Hepburn: Toyoshima Chikashi; born July 17, 1954) is a Japanese biophysicist, a professor at the University of Tokyo and a Foreign Associate of the National Academy of Sciences in the United States. His research focuses on two proteins: the Ca2+ ATPase, and the Na+/ K+-ATPase. Toyoshima's research about Ca2+ ATPase started in 1989. He and his colleagues obtained the world's first series of images of Ca2+ ATPase at the atomic level. He has determined the crystal structures of ten intermediates of Ca2+ ATPase via X-ray crystallography, cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM), among other methods. Toyoshima and Poul Nissen were awarded the Gregori Aminoff Prize in 2016 by The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for their fundamental contributions to understanding the structural basis for ATP-driven translocation of ions across membranes.
Tomio Tashiro (田代 富雄, Tashiro Tomio; born July 9, 1954 in Odawara, Kanagawa) is a Japanese former Nippon Professional…
Tomio Tashiro (田代 富雄, Tashiro Tomio; born July 9, 1954 in Odawara, Kanagawa) is a Japanese former Nippon Professional Baseball player and coach who is currently a hitting coach for Yokohama DeNA BayStars of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
Feng Zhenghu (born 1 July 1954) is a Chinese economist and scholar based in Shanghai. Citing Amnesty International, The…
Feng Zhenghu (born 1 July 1954) is a Chinese economist and scholar based in Shanghai. Citing Amnesty International, The Guardian said that Feng was "a prominent human rights defender" in mainland China. In 2001 he was sent to prison for three years ostensibly for "illegal business activity". He was released in 2004 and has since written critical pieces highlighting alleged malpractice by local governments and forced evictions. Outside mainland China, Feng is best known for having been refused re-entry into mainland China eight times in 2009, despite being a Chinese citizen. He protested and remained in the immigration hall of Narita International Airport for 92 days, attracted concern from Asian activists, and received worldwide media attention.