Makiko Kinoshita (木下 牧子, Kinoshita Makiko; born 1956) is a Japanese composer. She was born in Tokyo, and studied…Makiko Kinoshita (木下 牧子, Kinoshita Makiko; born 1956) is a Japanese composer. She was born in Tokyo, and studied composition at Tokyo University of the Arts.
Kazuharu Sonoda (薗田 一治, Sonoda Kazuharu; September 16, 1956 – November 28, 1987) also known under the ring names Haru…Kazuharu Sonoda (薗田 一治, Sonoda Kazuharu; September 16, 1956 – November 28, 1987) also known under the ring names Haru Sonoda (ハル 薗田) and Magic Dragon (マジック・ドラゴン, Majikku Doragon), was a Japanese professional wrestler. He was a former NWA Western States Tag Team Champion, NWA/WWC North American Tag Team Champion with Mitsu Ishikawa and the WCCW All Asia Tag Team Championship with the Great Kabuki in 1982.
O Sonfa (Japanese: 呉 善花; オ・ソンファ, born 15 September 1956), also known by her Korean name Oh Seon-hwa (Korean: 오선화), is a…O Sonfa (Japanese: 呉 善花; オ・ソンファ, born 15 September 1956), also known by her Korean name Oh Seon-hwa (Korean: 오선화), is a former professor in the School of International Relations at Takushoku University in Tokyo. She is currently a professor of International Relations at Tokyo International University. She is also active as an author and journalist in Japan. She is a critic in many fields such as current issues, history, and culture, particularly in East Asian Countries. Originally from Jeju Island, South Korea, she left for Japan in 1983. She received a BA degree from Daito Bunka University and an MA degree from the Graduate School of North American Studies at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. She went on to naturalise as a Japanese citizen. In 1998, she lost her South Korean nationality as she had acquired Japanese nationality in 1991. In 2007 and 2013, she was refused entry to South Korea. She has since been a source of controversy in Korea due to her open criticism of not only the South Korean government, but Korean culture as a whole. After the 2014 sinking of MV Sewol disaster, she described Koreans as "having no patriotism and completely selfish", and argued that Japan should not try to reconcile its differences with South Korea. O denies that "comfort women", a euphemism for Korean women who are considered by international consensus to have been forced prostitutes during World War II, were forced to work at all.
Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi (長渕 剛, Nagabuchi Tsuyoshi; born September 7, 1956) is a Japanese singer-songwriter, actor, poet, and…Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi (長渕 剛, Nagabuchi Tsuyoshi; born September 7, 1956) is a Japanese singer-songwriter, actor, poet, and human-rights advocate, who is a prominent figure in Japanese popular music. He has sold more than 20 million records worldwide and has appeared in movies and television dramas. His wife Etsuko Shihomi is an actress.
Yoshiko Ishiba (née Nakamura; born 26 August 1956) is the wife of Shigeru Ishiba, the former prime minister of Japan.…Yoshiko Ishiba (née Nakamura; born 26 August 1956) is the wife of Shigeru Ishiba, the former prime minister of Japan. She previously worked for Marubeni.
Takeshi Okada (岡田 武史, Okada Takeshi; born August 25, 1956) is a Japanese football manager and former player who played…Takeshi Okada (岡田 武史, Okada Takeshi; born August 25, 1956) is a Japanese football manager and former player who played as a defender. He is currently the owner of FC Imabari.
Kumiko Owada (大和田 久美子, Ōwada Kumiko; 23 August 1956 – 23 April 2020), née Okae (岡江), was a Japanese actress, voice…Kumiko Owada (大和田 久美子, Ōwada Kumiko; 23 August 1956 – 23 April 2020), née Okae (岡江), was a Japanese actress, voice actress, and television presenter. She was known for her work on television dramas, as well as hosting entertainment and variety shows, such as Renso Game on NHK. Okae also hosted the morning show Hanamaru Market on Tokyo Broadcasting System Television from 1996 to 2014.
Atsuko Tokuda (徳田 敦子, Tokuda Atsuko; born 15 September 1955) is a retired badminton player of Japan who won Japanese…Atsuko Tokuda (徳田 敦子, Tokuda Atsuko; born 15 September 1955) is a retired badminton player of Japan who won Japanese national and international titles in the late 1970s and the 1980s. Her international victories included the All-England women's doubles with Mikiko Takada in 1978 and the Danish Open women's doubles in 1978 and 1987 with Takada and Yoshiko Yonekura Tago respectively. Though most of Tokuda's international success came in doubles, she won the Japanese national singles title in 1978. She earned a bronze medal at the 1980 IBF World Championships in women's doubles with Yonekura. Tokuda helped Japan win world team titles in the Uber Cup competitions of 1978 and 1981 with a strong winning record in her individual matches. Tokuda and Takada were the first ever women's doubles world number ones in the first IBF world rankings released in 1978.
Matsuyoshi Takahashi (高橋 松吉, Takahashi Matsuyoshi; born 3 September 1955) is a Japanese former cyclist. He competed in…Matsuyoshi Takahashi (高橋 松吉, Takahashi Matsuyoshi; born 3 September 1955) is a Japanese former cyclist. He competed in the individual road race event at the 1984 Summer Olympics. He also competed at the 1982 and 1986 Asian Games. He served as one of the coaches for the Japanese cycling team at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Hiromi Itō (伊藤 比呂美, Itō Hiromi; born September 13, 1955) is a Japanese poet, novelist and essayist. Having won two…Hiromi Itō (伊藤 比呂美, Itō Hiromi; born September 13, 1955) is a Japanese poet, novelist and essayist. Having won two Akutagawa Prizes and a Mishima Yukio Prize, she is considered one of the most prominent women writers of contemporary Japan. She is currently teaching at School of Culture, Media and Society in Waseda University.
Yoshitami Kameoka (亀岡 偉民, Kameoka Yoshitami; born 10 September 1955) is a former Japanese politician of the Liberal…Yoshitami Kameoka (亀岡 偉民, Kameoka Yoshitami; born 10 September 1955) 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 Tochigi Prefecture and graduate of Waseda University, he was elected for the first time in 2005 after unsuccessful runs in 2000 and 2003.
Hiromi Mitsubayashi (三ッ林 裕巳, Mitsubayashi Hiromi; born 7 September 1955) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal…Hiromi Mitsubayashi (三ッ林 裕巳, Mitsubayashi Hiromi; born 7 September 1955) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, who serves as a member of the House of Representatives.
Mayumi Asaka (朝加 真由美 or あさか まゆみ, Asaka Mayumi) (born September 6, 1955) is a Japanese actress. One of her television…Mayumi Asaka (朝加 真由美 or あさか まゆみ, Asaka Mayumi) (born September 6, 1955) is a Japanese actress. One of her television roles was as the ninja Sagiri in the jidaigeki Abarenbo Shogun. As of 2005, she is still active in television commercials. On August 31, 2006, she played a guest-star role in the prime-time series Shin Kasōken no Onna File 8 on TV Asahi. She also guest-starred in the episode of Mito Komon for broadcast on August 20, 2007 (season 37, episode 20). A year later, Mayumi appeared in a TV Tokyo Wednesday night mystery show, Ryokō Sakka Chaya Jirō #8.
Yoshinori Oguchi (大口 善徳, Ōguchi Yoshinori; born 5 September 1955) is a former Japanese politician who served as a…Yoshinori Oguchi (大口 善徳, Ōguchi Yoshinori; born 5 September 1955) is a former Japanese politician who served as a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet for the Komeito Party. A native of Osaka and graduate of Soka University, he was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 1993.
Kazuhiro Yamakura (山倉 和博, born September 2, 1955) is a Japanese former professional baseball catcher. He spent his…Kazuhiro Yamakura (山倉 和博, born September 2, 1955) is a Japanese former professional baseball catcher. He spent his entire 13-year playing career with the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball. He was the 1987 Central League MVP.
Kang Man-Soo (born 24 August 1955) is a South Korean former volleyball player who competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics…Kang Man-Soo (born 24 August 1955) is a South Korean former volleyball player who competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics, in the 1976 Summer Olympics, and in the 1984 Summer Olympics.
Shinzo Abe (21 September 1954 – 8 July 2022) was a Japanese statesman and politician who served as Prime Minister of…Shinzo Abe (21 September 1954 – 8 July 2022) was a Japanese statesman and politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020. He was the longest-serving prime minister in Japanese history, serving for nearly nine years. Born in Tokyo, Abe was a member of the Satō–Kishi–Abe family as the son of LDP politician Shintaro Abe and grandson of prime minister Nobusuke Kishi. He graduated from Seikei University and also has attended the University of Southern California, before working in industry and party posts, and was elected to the House of Representatives in 1993. Abe was LDP secretary-general from 2003 to 2004 and Chief Cabinet Secretary under Junichiro Koizumi from 2005 to 2006, when he replaced Koizumi as prime minister. Abe became Japan's youngest post-war premier, and the first born after World War II. A staunch conservative and member of the ultranationalist organization Nippon Kaigi, which holds negationist views on Japanese history, Abe took right-wing stances including downplaying Japanese atrocities in textbooks, denying government coercion in the recruitment of comfort women during the war, and seeking revision of Article 9 of the Constitution. In 2007, he initiated the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue with the US, Australia, and India, aimed at resisting China's rise as a superpower. He resigned as premier that year due to his government's unpopularity and illness. After recovering, Abe staged a political comeback in 2012, when he was again elected LDP president and led it to a landslide victory in that year's election. He became the first former prime minister to return to office since Shigeru Yoshida in 1948. Abe attempted to counter Japan's economic stagnation with "Abenomics", with mixed results. He was credited with reinstating the Trans-Pacific Partnership with a new agreement in 2018. In 2015, he passed the Legislation for Peace and Security which allowed deployment of the Japan Self-Defense Forces overseas in certain strict conditions, which was controversial and met with protests by Students Emergency Action for Liberal Democracy. Abe led the LDP to victories in the 2014 and 2017 elections, becoming Japan's longest-serving prime minister. In 2020, he again resigned, citing a relapse of his illness, and was succeeded by Yoshihide Suga. In 2022, Abe was assassinated in Nara while delivering a campaign speech for the upper house elections. The killer, Tetsuya Yamagami, confessed he was motivated by Abe's ties with the Unification Church. This was the first assassination of a former Japanese prime minister since 1936. A polarizing figure in Japan, Abe was praised by his supporters for strengthening Japan's security and international stature, while opponents criticized him for nationalistic policies and historical negationism, which they view as threatening Japanese pacifism and damaging relations with China and South Korea.
Yukiko Kai (花郁 悠紀子, Kai Yukiko, 21 September 1954 - 12 December 1980) was a Japanese shōjo manga artist. Her real name…Yukiko Kai (花郁 悠紀子, Kai Yukiko, 21 September 1954 - 12 December 1980) was a Japanese shōjo manga artist. Her real name was Kimiko Kaihatsu (開発 公子, Kaihatsu Kimiko). She is considered a member of the Post Year 24 Group. Although she died young, her works are still analyzed. Manga artist Akiko Hatsu is her younger sister.
Takao Doi (土井 隆雄, Doi Takao; born September 18, 1954) is a Japanese astronaut, engineer and veteran of two NASA Space…Takao Doi (土井 隆雄, Doi Takao; born September 18, 1954) is a Japanese astronaut, engineer and veteran of two NASA Space Shuttle missions.
Masahiro Andō (安藤 正容, Andō Masahiro; born September 16, 1954) is a Japanese composer and guitarist from Chikusa-ku…Masahiro Andō (安藤 正容, Andō Masahiro; born September 16, 1954) is a Japanese composer and guitarist from Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. From 1976 to 2021, he was the guitarist and leader of the Japanese jazz-fusion band T-Square. He was also one-third of Ottottrio, a supergroup led by three Japanese guitarists: himself, Hirokuni Korekata of Rocket Jam and Issei Noro of Casiopea. Andō was also commissioned to create the music for Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits and Gran Turismo. He is one of the performers for the band's composition, "Truth", the theme tune for Fuji Television's Formula One World Championship coverage (which started in use in 1987) and the F-1 Grand Prix video game series. On February 1, 2021, Andō announced that he would leave T-Square following the release of their next album and tour.
Shigeharu Ueki (植木 繁晴, Ueki Shigeharu; September 13, 1954 – April 11, 2024) was a Japanese football player and manager.…Shigeharu Ueki (植木 繁晴, Ueki Shigeharu; September 13, 1954 – April 11, 2024) was a Japanese football player and manager. He played once for the Japan national team.
Shoko Takayanagi (高柳 昌子, Takayanagi Shōko) (born 13 September 1954) is a Japanese volleyball player and Olympic…Shoko Takayanagi (高柳 昌子, Takayanagi Shōko) (born 13 September 1954) is a Japanese volleyball player and Olympic champion. Takayanagi was a member of the Japanese winning team at the 1976 Olympic games.
Yoshinori Sato (佐藤 義則, born September 11, 1954, in Okushiri District, Hokkaido, Japan) is a former Nippon Professional…Yoshinori Sato (佐藤 義則, born September 11, 1954, in Okushiri District, Hokkaido, Japan) is a former Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher.
Seitaro Hattori (服部誠太郎, Hattori Seitarō; born 11 September 1954) is a Japanese politician. He currently serves as…Seitaro Hattori (服部誠太郎, Hattori Seitarō; born 11 September 1954) is a Japanese politician. He currently serves as governor of Fukuoka Prefecture since 2021.
Takuya Miyama (深山 卓也, Miyama Takuya; born September 2, 1954) is a Japanese jurist who previously served as an associate…Takuya Miyama (深山 卓也, Miyama Takuya; born September 2, 1954) is a Japanese jurist who previously served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of Japan from 2018 to 2024.
Junichi Iijima (born August 28, 1954), Japanese, Enterprise Engineer and Professor of the Department of Industrial…Junichi Iijima (born August 28, 1954), Japanese, Enterprise Engineer and Professor of the Department of Industrial Management and Engineering at the Tokyo Institute of Technology in Japan.
Seigo Tarucha (born 1953) is a Japanese experimental physicist who is known for his research on gate-defined…Seigo Tarucha (born 1953) is a Japanese experimental physicist who is known for his research on gate-defined semiconductor quantum dots and spin qubits.
Toshio Maeda (前田俊夫, Maeda Toshio; born September 17, 1953) is an erotic manga artist who was prolific in the 1980s and…Toshio Maeda (前田俊夫, Maeda Toshio; born September 17, 1953) is an erotic manga artist who was prolific in the 1980s and '90s. Several of Maeda's works have been used as a basis for original video animations (OVA) including La Blue Girl, Adventure Kid, Demon Beast Invasion, Demon Warrior Koji and his most notorious work, Urotsukidōji (Legend of the Overfiend). An interviewer commented that Urotsukidōji "firmly placed him in the history books—in Japan and abroad—as the pioneer of the genre known as hentai, or "perverted".
Shinji Yamamoto (山本 伸二, Yamamoto Shinji; born 17 September 1953) is a Japanese former handball player who competed in…Shinji Yamamoto (山本 伸二, Yamamoto Shinji; born 17 September 1953) is a Japanese former handball player who competed in the 1984 Summer Olympics.
Toshiyuki Shiga (志賀 俊之, Shiga Toshiyuki; born 16 September 1953) is a Japanese business executive. He served as the…Toshiyuki Shiga (志賀 俊之, Shiga Toshiyuki; born 16 September 1953) is a Japanese business executive. He served as the chief operating officer of Nissan from 2005 to 2013.
Saburo Teshigawara (勅使川原 三郎, Teshigawara Saburō; born 1953) is a Japanese choreographer and dancer who was born in…Saburo Teshigawara (勅使川原 三郎, Teshigawara Saburō; born 1953) is a Japanese choreographer and dancer who was born in Tokyo and became known for founding a company named KARAS along with Kei Miyata in 1985. On September 12, 2013, he performed Mirror and Music at the Kennedy Center which was highly praised by the London Evening Standard. He is teaching at Tama Art University department of Scenography Design, Drama, and Dance as a professor.
Keiko Takeshita (竹下景子 Takeshita Keiko; born on September 15, 1953, in Higashi-ku, Nagoya, Japan) is a Japanese actress.…Keiko Takeshita (竹下景子 Takeshita Keiko; born on September 15, 1953, in Higashi-ku, Nagoya, Japan) is a Japanese actress. She starred in the Japanese version of From Up on Poppy Hill as Hana Matsuzaki.
Ōnishiki Ittetsu (born 11 September 1953 as Morio Obori) is a former sumo wrestler from Sado, Niigata, Japan. He made…Ōnishiki Ittetsu (born 11 September 1953 as Morio Obori) is a former sumo wrestler from Sado, Niigata, Japan. He made his professional debut in May 1968, and reached the top division in September 1973. His highest rank was komusubi. He retired in January 1988 and became an elder in the Japan Sumo Association under the name Yamashina, holding the Special Executive position.
Tsutomu Miyasaka (宮坂力, Miyasaka Tsutomu; born September 10, 1953), is a Japanese engineer in electrochemistry best…Tsutomu Miyasaka (宮坂力, Miyasaka Tsutomu; born September 10, 1953), is a Japanese engineer in electrochemistry best known as the inventor of the perovskite solar cell.
Hiroyuki Namba (難波 弘之, Nanba Hiroyuki; born September 9, 1953) (occasionally credited as Hiroyuki Nanba) is a Japanese…Hiroyuki Namba (難波 弘之, Nanba Hiroyuki; born September 9, 1953) (occasionally credited as Hiroyuki Nanba) is a Japanese musician. He has composed for and arranged songs from Japanese anime, OVA and video games. Notably, Hiroyuki Namba composed for Dallos, the first anime Original video animation. However, in the United States, he is known for composing the soundtrack to the Armitage III film. Namba plays keyboards in Sense of Wonder, a Japanese progressive rock band.
Akira Inoue (井上鑑) (born 8 September 1953), is a Japanese keyboard player, composer, arranger and producer. He was the…Akira Inoue (井上鑑) (born 8 September 1953), is a Japanese keyboard player, composer, arranger and producer. He was the recipient of the 23rd Japan Record Awards arranger award.
Kenji Uchida (内田 健二, Uchida Kenji) is a Japanese anime producer. He is a noted anime studio Sunrise's president.…Kenji Uchida (内田 健二, Uchida Kenji) is a Japanese anime producer. He is a noted anime studio Sunrise's president. Debuting in 1980, with Muteki Robo Trider G7, among Sunrise's first works in the 1980s, Uchida has gone on to produce numerous of Sunrise's works, such as various iterations of the Gundam universe and other Sunrise anime productions. In April 2008, Uchida was promoted to being Sunrise's president, previously having been the studio's managing director.
Kenji Fukui (福井 謙二, Fukui Kenji; born September 8, 1953, in Hiroshima) is a Japanese television announcer. He began his…Kenji Fukui (福井 謙二, Fukui Kenji; born September 8, 1953, in Hiroshima) is a Japanese television announcer. He began his broadcasting career in 1976 with Fuji Television, and was one of the three longest-serving television presenters on the Fuji network, before he quit the station in 2013. Fukui has hosted numerous television news and variety programs, but is best known as the "play by play" announcer of Iron Chef. He is known for his frequent jokes towards actors and guests on the show, and has a comical attitude on the show. He is the almost constant narrator on the show and talks about the food being used, the chefs, and explains the finished dishes to the home audience before they are judged. He is also known for making frequent analogies to baseball while commentating. Fukui is the host of the television variety show Tamori's Japonica Logos, starring Japanese TV personality Tamori.
Hideo Hosono (細野秀雄, Hosono Hideo; born September 7, 1953) is a Japanese material scientist most known for the discovery…Hideo Hosono (細野秀雄, Hosono Hideo; born September 7, 1953) is a Japanese material scientist most known for the discovery of iron-based superconductors. Hosono, Hideki Shirakawa and Yoshinori Ohsumi are the three keynote speakers at the Institute of Integrated Research (IIR) founding lecture at the Institute of Science Tokyo.
Kenji Sugimura (杉村 憲司, Sugimura Kenji; born 4 September 1953) is a Japanese architect and patent attorney. He is…Kenji Sugimura (杉村 憲司, Sugimura Kenji; born 4 September 1953) is a Japanese architect and patent attorney. He is Principal Patent Attorney of Sugimura & Partners.
Seiei Kimura (木村 聖裔, Kimura Seiei; born September 4, 1953) is a Japanese retired professional wrestler, best known…Seiei Kimura (木村 聖裔, Kimura Seiei; born September 4, 1953) is a Japanese retired professional wrestler, best known under the ring name Kengo Kimura (木村 健悟, Kimura Kengo) and for his many years working for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) in Japan.
Naoyuki Ii (伊井 直行, Ii Naoyuki; born September 1, 1953) is a noted Japanese author and professor of creative writing at…Naoyuki Ii (伊井 直行, Ii Naoyuki; born September 1, 1953) is a noted Japanese author and professor of creative writing at Tokai University's Shonan campus.
Yoshinori Kobayashi (Japanese: 小林 よしのり or 小林 善範, Hepburn: Kobayashi Yoshinori; born August 31, 1953) is a Japanese…Yoshinori Kobayashi (Japanese: 小林 よしのり or 小林 善範, Hepburn: Kobayashi Yoshinori; born August 31, 1953) is a Japanese manga artist known for his far-right political commentary manga Gōmanism Sengen. In particular, the three volumes On War (Sensōron) of this series made him famous in Japan, together selling more than 1.5 million volumes since first appearing in 1998.
Yūki Mizuhara (水原ゆう紀) is a Japanese actress from Minoh, Osaka. She won the award for best actress at the 1st Yokohama…Yūki Mizuhara (水原ゆう紀) is a Japanese actress from Minoh, Osaka. She won the award for best actress at the 1st Yokohama Film Festival for the Nikkatsu Roman Porno film Angel Guts: Red Classroom. She also appeared in Nikkatsu's 1982 production Red Scandal: Affair, a "thinly-veiled replica of Luis Buñuel's Belle de Jour."