Takayoshi Kano (加納 隆至, Kanō Takayoshi) is a Japanese primatologist, known for his pioneering work on the bonobo (Pan…
Takayoshi Kano (加納 隆至, Kanō Takayoshi) is a Japanese primatologist, known for his pioneering work on the bonobo (Pan paniscus). He highlighted their peaceful communal lifestyle and the high frequency of sexual interactions. A student of Junichiro Itani, he was a professor at Ryukyu University and at the Primate Research Institute of Kyoto University. In 1973, he founded the first bonobo study center, at Wamba, Luo Reserve. It is the oldest bonobo research area and has survived a number of political upheavals in the region. Initially in his career, he assisted Toshisada Nishida in his work on the chimpanzees of the Mahale mountains in Tanzania. In 1971, Nishida conducted a brief survey looking for the bonobo (or the "pygmy chimpanzee"), and encountered several abandoned chimpanzee nests. In the conclusion of his report, he suggests that: "Before we can begin to make an intensive study, we must first make an extensive preliminary survey covering the vast area of the Central Congo Basin". In 1973, Takayoshi Kano conducted this survey, covering a large area of several hundred kilometers on bicycle, when he visited a number of remote villages unaccustomed to non-Africans, some of which were hostile. He eventually came upon the village of Wamba, where the villagers were more welcoming, and he could hear bonobo calls from the forest. Unlike the area near Lake Tumba visited by Nishida, there was no tradition of hunting chimpanzees for bushmeat here. It took over a year of effort by Kano and his assistant, Suehisa Kuroda, before they could habituate the first group of bonobos in the area, provisioning them via a sugarcane patch. The chimpanzees in the area have little fear of humans, because of a local legend, that humans and bonobos were cousins. "According to this belief, an older brother in a family of bonobos held to their traditional lifestyle and his descendants thus remained in the forest as bonobos. However, his younger brother was tired of eating raw foods. Once upon a time, he was roaming in the forest, crying, a spirit of the forest taught him to make fire, after which he left the forest and began eating cooked food. His descendants became humans. Therefore, the village people consider the bonobos akin to distant brothers and do not kill or eat them". In the local language of the Bongando, one of the words for the bonobo is elia, or "missed" - the bonobos are thought to have "missed" becoming human, or have been "blocked" on this path. Kano was among the first to comment extensively on the sexual practices among the bonobo, particularly the use of sex as a mechanism for reducing tensions within the group. Kano's work motivated a large group of researchers to work at Wamba, many of them from Kyoto and other institutions in Japan. He was among the movers in the founding of the Luo Scientific Reserve in 1990. The group was forced to pause its work several times - during the anti-Mobutu outbreak in 1991-92, and a major disruption after the Tutsi rebellion and war from 1996 to 2002. Kano's main work, The Last Ape: Pygmy Chimpanzee Behavior and Ecology, was translated from Japanese into English in 1992.
Famous People Born under Pisces
Pisces: 1,872 people
Hirotaka Sugawara (菅原 寛孝, Sugawara Hirotaka; born March 15, 1938) is a Japanese physicist, specializing in the…
Hirotaka Sugawara (菅原 寛孝, Sugawara Hirotaka; born March 15, 1938) is a Japanese physicist, specializing in the theoretical study of particle physics. He is known for the "Lee-Sugawara relation" and "A Field Theory of Currents" aka "Sugawara Construction" of the energy-momentum tensor.
Yoshio Nakagawa (中川 義雄, Nakagawa Yoshio; born 14 March 1938) is a Japanese politician of the Sunrise Party of Japan…
Yoshio Nakagawa (中川 義雄, Nakagawa Yoshio; born 14 March 1938) is a Japanese politician of the Sunrise Party of Japan, and a previous member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature).
Tochinoumi Teruyoshi (Japanese: 栃ノ海 晃嘉; born Shigehiro Hanada (花田 茂廣, Hanada Shigehiro); 13 March 1938 – 29 January…
Tochinoumi Teruyoshi (Japanese: 栃ノ海 晃嘉; born Shigehiro Hanada (花田 茂廣, Hanada Shigehiro); 13 March 1938 – 29 January 2021) was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Aomori. He was the sport's 49th yokozuna, earning promotion in 1964. He was somewhat overshadowed by his yokozuna contemporaries Taihō and Kashiwado, but he was a noted technician and earlier in his career won six special prizes for Technique. He was one of the lightest yokozuna ever at just 110 kg. After his retirement from active competition in 1966 he was a coach at Kasugano stable, and was head coach from 1990 until his retirement in 2003.
Tatsuo Umemiya (梅宮 辰夫, Umemiya Tatsuo; 11 March 1938 – 12 December 2019) was a Japanese actor, tarento, and…
Tatsuo Umemiya (梅宮 辰夫, Umemiya Tatsuo; 11 March 1938 – 12 December 2019) was a Japanese actor, tarento, and businessman. He was represented by the agency Pickles. His daughter is model and tarento Anna Umemiya. The son of a doctor, Umemiya gave up a medical career to debut as a Toei New Face at the Toei Studios. As an actor, he appeared in films and television dramas and also in restaurant variety shows. Umemiya died of kidney failure on 12 December 2019. He was 81 years old.
Joh Mizuki (水木 襄, Mizuki Jō; 11 March 1938 – 1991) was a Japanese actor. His birth name was Ishikawa Yoshiaki. He was…
Joh Mizuki (水木 襄, Mizuki Jō; 11 March 1938 – 1991) was a Japanese actor. His birth name was Ishikawa Yoshiaki. He was born in Tokyo. Mizuki made his acting debut in 1958, in Futeki naru hanko which was directed by Makino Masahiro. He played a number of juvenile delinquent-type roles in TV series in the late fifties and early sixties. In 1964, he appeared in the internationally released Fuji TV action television series Ninja butai gekkô, known as Phantom Agents in the English language release. Joh Mizuki played the lead role of Phantar, who was the leader of a band of ninja-skilled government agents. Phantom Agents was shown in Australia, Venezuela, Brazil and other countries, including a limited airing in America in the New York area.
Masashi Omiya (大宮 政志, Ōmiya Masashi; born 10 March 1938) is a former Japanese cyclist. He competed at the 1960 Summer…
Masashi Omiya (大宮 政志, Ōmiya Masashi; born 10 March 1938) is a former Japanese cyclist. He competed at the 1960 Summer Olympics and the 1964 Summer Olympics.
Bun'yō Ishikawa (石川 文洋, Ishikawa Bun'yō; March 10, 1938 – August 23, 2026) was a Japanese photographer. Ishikawa was…
Bun'yō Ishikawa (石川 文洋, Ishikawa Bun'yō; March 10, 1938 – August 23, 2026) was a Japanese photographer. Ishikawa was stationed in Saigon and covered the Vietnam War as a photojournalist from 1964 to 1968. He worked as a staff photographer for Asahi Shimbun from 1969 to 1984. After 1984 he worked as a freelance photographer. After 1984, Ishikawa continued to photograph in conflict zones around the world but also is known for photographs of daily life, portraits, and Ryukyu Dance. In 1998, Ishikawa donated about 250 photographs with a focus on the Vietnam War to become part of a permanent exhibition at the Vietnam War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City. Ishikawa donated about 270 photographs to the Okinawa City "Material Culture after World War II" exhibition room to become a permanent exhibition. Ishikawa died from lymphoma in Nagano Prefecture on August 23, 2026, at the age of 88.
Takanori Hayashi (Japanese: 林 孝矩 Hayashi Takanori; 8 March 1938 – 3 September 2022) was a Japanese politician. A member…
Takanori Hayashi (Japanese: 林 孝矩 Hayashi Takanori; 8 March 1938 – 3 September 2022) was a Japanese politician. A member of Kōmeitō, he served in the House of Representatives from 1969 to 1980. Hayashi died of heart failure in Ikoma, on 3 September 2022, at the age of 84.
Ito Ken'ichi (伊藤 憲一, Itō Ken'ichi; 7 March 1938 – 14 March 2022) was a Japanese diplomat and political scientist who…
Ito Ken'ichi (伊藤 憲一, Itō Ken'ichi; 7 March 1938 – 14 March 2022) was a Japanese diplomat and political scientist who was engaged in international politics and strategic studies. He was president and CEO of the Japan Forum on International Relations (JFIR) since it was founded in 1987, and served as chairman of the Global Forum of Japan (GFJ), chairman of the Council on East Asian Community (CEAC), and vice president of the Worldwide Support for Development (WSD). He was professor emeritus of Aoyama Gakuin University and held an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Cambodia.
Hidenori Hasegawa (Japanese: 長谷川英憲 Hasegawa Hidenori; March 6, 1938 – May 8, 2022) was a Japanese politician. An…
Hidenori Hasegawa (Japanese: 長谷川英憲 Hasegawa Hidenori; March 6, 1938 – May 8, 2022) was a Japanese politician. An independent, he served in the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly from 1989 to 1993. He died on 8 May 2022 at the age of 84.
Keishu Tanaka (田中 慶秋, Tanaka Keishū; 6 March 1938 – 4 January 2022) was a Japanese politician, who served in the House…
Keishu Tanaka (田中 慶秋, Tanaka Keishū; 6 March 1938 – 4 January 2022) was a Japanese politician, who served in the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature) as a member of the Democratic Party. He was Minister of Justice under Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda from 1 to 23 October 2012 before resigning due to scandals over financial donations and links to organized crime.
Tetsuya Yoneda (Japanese: 米田 哲也, born March 3, 1938) is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher who spent most…
Tetsuya Yoneda (Japanese: 米田 哲也, born March 3, 1938) is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher who spent most of his career with the Hankyu Braves in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball. He was so tough that he was known as Gasoline Tank and also Human Tank. Yoneda was inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000.
Huisheng (26 February 1938 – 4 December 1957), or Eisei, was a Manchu-Japanese noblewoman. She was born in the Aisin…
Huisheng (26 February 1938 – 4 December 1957), or Eisei, was a Manchu-Japanese noblewoman. She was born in the Aisin Gioro clan, the imperial clan of the Qing dynasty. She was the elder daughter of Pujie, the younger brother of Puyi, the last emperor of China. Her mother was Hiro Saga, a Japanese noblewoman who married Pujie in 1937.
Ryuji Matsumura (松村 龍二, Matsumura Ryūji; February 25, 1938 – September 19, 2025) was a Japanese politician of the…
Ryuji Matsumura (松村 龍二, Matsumura Ryūji; February 25, 1938 – September 19, 2025) was a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature).
Ginko Abukawa-Chiba (虻川-千葉 吟子, born Abukawa; February 25, 1938) is a retired Japanese gymnast. She competed in all…
Ginko Abukawa-Chiba (虻川-千葉 吟子, born Abukawa; February 25, 1938) is a retired Japanese gymnast. She competed in all artistic gymnastics events at the 1960 and 1964 Olympics and won a team bronze medal in 1964. Her best individual achievement was tenth place on the vault in 1964.
Izumi Yukimura (雪村 いづみ, Yukimura Izumi; born March 20, 1937) is a Japanese popular singer and actress. Yukimura made…
Izumi Yukimura (雪村 いづみ, Yukimura Izumi; born March 20, 1937) is a Japanese popular singer and actress. Yukimura made her debut with the song "Omoide no Warutsu" (想い出のワルツ, "Till I Waltz Again with You") in 1953. Her style of singing varied from jazz to rock and roll. She became one of the three most popular female singers in the early postwar Japan, known as the “Sannin Musume (three daughters), along with Chiemi Eri and Hibari Misora. On her 1974 album Super Generation, she sang Ryoichi Hattori's songs along with four popular musicians: Masataka Matsutoya, Shigeru Suzuki, Tatsuo Hayashi and Haruomi Hosono. Eri, who died in 1982, and Misora, who died in 1989, also recorded songs with Yukimura as a group in the 1950s, but those recordings had not been released for about 50 years because they each belonged to separate record labels. In 2004, their album including those songs was finally released for the first time. Her daughter is singer, actress, and painter Maria Asahina.
Sadao Fuchigami (渕上 貞雄, Fuchigami Sadao; 19 March 1937 – 13 October 2023) was a Japanese politician and member of the…
Sadao Fuchigami (渕上 貞雄, Fuchigami Sadao; 19 March 1937 – 13 October 2023) was a Japanese politician and member of the House of Councillors for the Social Democratic Party. He died from ureteral cancer on 13 October 2023, at the age of 86.
Emi Wada (和田 惠美, Wada Emi, 18 March 1937 – 13 November 2021) was a Japanese costume designer who worked extensively in…
Emi Wada (和田 惠美, Wada Emi, 18 March 1937 – 13 November 2021) was a Japanese costume designer who worked extensively in stage, screen, and ballet productions. She was born in Kyoto, and attended Kyoto City University of Arts before she married Tsutomu (Ben) Wada at age 20. She was nominated for 13 awards and won six, most notably the Academy Award for Best Costume Design for her work on Akira Kurosawa's film Ran (1985). Wada died on 13 November 2021, at the age of 84.
Masayuki Akehi (明比 正行, Akehi Masayuki; Born March 17, 1937) is a Japanese anime director.
Toshinobu Nakasato (仲里 利信, Nakasato Toshinobu; born 16 March 1937) is a former Japanese politician who served as a…
Toshinobu Nakasato (仲里 利信, Nakasato Toshinobu; born 16 March 1937) is a former Japanese politician who served as a member of the House of Representatives representing Okinawa 4th district (southern Okinawa Island and the Sakishima Islands). Before he entered national politics, Nakasato was a member of the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly for 16 years. He served as the Speaker of the Assembly from 2006 until his retirement from prefectural politics in 2008. He is opposed against the construction of a US base in Yonaguni and the relocation of the Futenma air base within Okinawa Prefecture.
Takeo Mizoo (born 11 March 1937) is a Japanese speed skater. He competed in four events at the 1960 Winter Olympics.
Hitomi Jinno (神野 眸, Jinno Hitomi; born 8 March 1937) is a Japanese former freestyle swimmer. She competed at the 1956…
Hitomi Jinno (神野 眸, Jinno Hitomi; born 8 March 1937) is a Japanese former freestyle swimmer. She competed at the 1956 Summer Olympics and the 1960 Summer Olympics.
Naganori Ito (伊藤 修令, Itō Naganori; born 1937) is a Japanese automotive engineer, and was responsible for the…
Naganori Ito (伊藤 修令, Itō Naganori; born 1937) is a Japanese automotive engineer, and was responsible for the development of the eighth generation R32 Nissan Skyline including the BNR32 Skyline GT-R.
Tsukasa Hosaka (保坂 司, Hosaka Tsukasa; March 3, 1937 – January 21, 2018) was a former Japanese football player and…
Tsukasa Hosaka (保坂 司, Hosaka Tsukasa; March 3, 1937 – January 21, 2018) was a former Japanese football player and manager. He played for Japan national team.
Fumio Nagakubo (born 23 February 1937) is a Japanese speed skater. He competed at the 1960 Winter Olympics and the 1964…
Fumio Nagakubo (born 23 February 1937) is a Japanese speed skater. He competed at the 1960 Winter Olympics and the 1964 Winter Olympics.
Mari Shiraki (白木 万理, Shiraki Mari; 22 February 1937 – 12 July 2023) was a Japanese actress. She joined the Nikkatsu…
Mari Shiraki (白木 万理, Shiraki Mari; 22 February 1937 – 12 July 2023) was a Japanese actress. She joined the Nikkatsu studio and appeared in about 100 films at Nikkatsu. Shiraki is well known for her role of Ritsu Nakamura on the jidaigeki television series Hissatsu. Shiraki died on 12 July 2023, at the age of 86. Her death was reported on September 2026, three years later.
Takahiko Iimura (Japanese: 飯村隆彦, Hepburn: Iimura Takahiko; 20 February 1937 – 31 July 2022) was a post-war Japanese…
Takahiko Iimura (Japanese: 飯村隆彦, Hepburn: Iimura Takahiko; 20 February 1937 – 31 July 2022) was a post-war Japanese avant-garde filmmaker and fine art artist. He is considered one of the pioneers of experimental and independent filmmaking in Japan. He focused on the sexuality of human bodies, film construction in Japanese culture. Iimura was born in Tokyo and was a graduate of Keio University. He began experimenting the combination of human body and contemporary Japanese art subject in his early stage. In his film A Dance Party in the Kingdom of Lillput (1964) focuses on the movement and the intimate body parts - oral cavity and bare feet. The film Onan (1963) has gained him success and earn a global reputation by winning the Special Prize at the Brussels International Independent Film Festival in 1964. Later after his success from his first international solo exhibition in the 70s, he switched his attention from human sexuality to exploring the new forms of film structure. Cosmic Buddha (1960-1971), Iimura re-shot from the screen introducing the infinite space within the footage, questioning the issue of space and time. The film concerns the philosophical and religious aspects of Japanese culture. He published a seminal work on experimental filmmaking in 1970, Geijutsu to higeijutsu no aida, and a biography of Yoko Ono, Ono Yōko hito to sakuhin, in 1985. Iimura made much of his film in New York City, but became a professor at the Nagoya Zokei University of Art & Design in 1992.
Noboru Okamoto (岡本 登, Okamoto Noboru; born 19 February 1937) is a Japanese former hammer thrower who competed in the…
Noboru Okamoto (岡本 登, Okamoto Noboru; born 19 February 1937) is a Japanese former hammer thrower who competed in the 1960 Summer Olympics and in the 1964 Summer Olympics. Okamoto won the British AAA Championships title in the hammer throw event at the 1962 AAA Championships.
Shōichi Ueno (上野 尚一, Ueno Shōichi; 1936 – February 29, 2016) was a Japanese newspaper publisher, philanthropist and…
Shōichi Ueno (上野 尚一, Ueno Shōichi; 1936 – February 29, 2016) was a Japanese newspaper publisher, philanthropist and co-owner of the Asahi Shimbun, Japan's second largest daily newspaper in terms of circulation. Ueno served as the co-owner of Asahi Shimbun from 1997 until his death in February 2016. Ueno was the great-grandson of the co-founder of Asahi Shimbun, Riichi Ueno (1848-1919). In 1879, Ueno and his business partner, Ryuhei Murayama (1850-1933), established Asahi Shimbun in Osaka. Riichi Ueno became the newspaper's co-owner in 1881. Shōichi Ueno earned a law degree from Keio University in 1958. He first joined the staff of the Asahi Shimbun Company in 1962. An executive at the newspaper's Tokyo offices, Ueno held positions within Asahi Shimbun's advertising, sales and international departments. In 1997, Ueno became the Asahi Shimbun's co-owner upon the death of his father, Junichi Ueno. Shōichi Ueno remained the newspaper's co-owner until his own death in February 2016. He served on the board of directors of the Ueno Memorial Foundation for the Study of Buddhist Art, which was founded by the Ueno family in 1970 to research Buddhist art and culture. He was also a councilor for the Kyoto National Museum. Shōichi Ueno died from lung cancer at a hospital in the Shinjuku ward of Tokyo on February 29, 2016, at the age of 79.
Kunihiko Fukushima (Japanese: 福島 邦彦, born 16 March 1936) is a Japanese computer scientist, most noted for his work on…
Kunihiko Fukushima (Japanese: 福島 邦彦, born 16 March 1936) is a Japanese computer scientist, most noted for his work on artificial neural networks and deep learning. He is currently working part-time as a senior research scientist at the Fuzzy Logic Systems Institute in Fukuoka, Japan.
Hitoshi Nakazato (Japanese: 中里斉; 1936 – 2010) was a Japanese-born American painter, printmaker, muralist, and educator.
Manabu Murakami (shinjitai 村上 学, kyūjitai 村上 學, Murakami Manabu; born 1936) is a Japanese scholar specializing in…
Manabu Murakami (shinjitai 村上 学, kyūjitai 村上 學, Murakami Manabu; born 1936) is a Japanese scholar specializing in medieval Japanese literature.
Tadashi Yamamoto CBE (March 11, 1936 – April 15, 2012) was one of Japan's leading internationalists and a pioneering…
Tadashi Yamamoto CBE (March 11, 1936 – April 15, 2012) was one of Japan's leading internationalists and a pioneering proponent of efforts to strengthen nongovernmental ties between Japan and the United States as well as between Japan and other countries. Yamamoto championed the view that civilian diplomacy and person-to-person exchanges conducted by nongovernmental organizations had a critical role to play in international relations. He was the founder and longtime president of the Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE) a foreign policy think tank established in 1970 which promotes bilateral relations and exchanges between nongovernmental organizations. Yamamoto also helped to found the Shimoda Conference in 1967, a private sector forum for the discussion of bilateral issues between American and Japanese policymakers and policy experts. The Wall Street Journal has called him "an ardent champion of the U.S.-Japan alliance." Yamamoto served as the President of the Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE) from 1970 until his death in 2012. As head of the JCIE, Yamamoto simultaneously served as director for a number of forums, including the German-Japan Forum, the UK-Japan 21st Century Group, the Korea-Japan Forum, the Trilateral Commission Pacific Asia Group, and the Friends of the Global Fund, Japan, which works to promote the goals of The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria throughout Asia. In addition to the Shimoda Conference and the JCIE, Yamamoto also founded the Korea-Japan Forum, the U.S.-Japan Parliamentary Exchange Program, and the Trilateral Commission.
Naoki Tanemura (種村 直樹, Tanemura Naoki; March 7, 1936 – November 6, 2014) was a Japanese writer, essayist and critic. He…
Naoki Tanemura (種村 直樹, Tanemura Naoki; March 7, 1936 – November 6, 2014) was a Japanese writer, essayist and critic. He called himself a "railway writer". He had published commentaries on railways and travel writings including mysteries. He came from Ōtsu, Shiga Prefecture. He graduated from Shiga Prefectural Zeze High School and then the Department of Law of Kyoto University. He became a journalist of the Mainichi Shimbun, and became independent afterwards. Tanemura was well informed about the railways in Japan. His travel style in his book called "Kimagure Ressha" (capricious train) influenced a lot of young people. Tanemura had a fan club. Writers in Japan who have their own fan club is considerably few. He traveled with the members of the fan club and he often wrote about them in his works. Tanemura was an authority of a hobby named "travel savings" (旅行貯金, ryokō chokin), where participants around the country deposit a small amount of money at post offices (and Japan Post Bank) to collect the rubber stamps of the post offices.
Nobuhiko Kawamoto (川本 信彦, Kawamoto Nobuhiko; born March 3, 1936) is a Japanese businessman and the CEO of Honda Motor…
Nobuhiko Kawamoto (川本 信彦, Kawamoto Nobuhiko; born March 3, 1936) is a Japanese businessman and the CEO of Honda Motor from 1990 to 1998.
Tasuku Tsukada (塚田 佐, Tsukada Tasuku; March 3, 1936 – February 22, 2023) was a Japanese politician, and past mayor of…
Tasuku Tsukada (塚田 佐, Tsukada Tasuku; March 3, 1936 – February 22, 2023) was a Japanese politician, and past mayor of the city of Nagano, the capital of Nagano Prefecture, in central Japan. Tsukada won his first mayoral contest in 1985. He served four full 4-year terms, until November 10, 2001. In 1997, Tsukada served as the Vice President of the Japan Association of City Mayors. Tsukada graduated from Nagano Prefectural Nagano Senior High School (長野県長野高等学校, Nagano ken Nagano kōtō gakkō) (which was called Nagano North High School (長野北高校, Nagano kita kōkō) at the time). He then graduated from the School of Commerce at Waseda University in 1958. From 1967, he served on the Nagano City Council, and from 1975 until 1985, he served in the Nagano Prefectural Assembly. He was elected mayor in 1985 in his first candidacy. In addition, he served as chairman of the Nagano City-Hokuriku Shinkansen Liaison Council. Tsukada retired from municipal politics in 2001. Following retirement from politics, Tsukada served as an auditor at Nagano Jidosha Center, and from 2007 an external auditor at Moriya Corporation in Nagano. Tsukada died on February 22, 2023, at the age of 86.
Yosuke Natsuki (Japanese: 夏木陽介, Hepburn: Natsuki Yōsuke; February 27, 1936 – January 14, 2018) was a Japanese actor. He…
Yosuke Natsuki (Japanese: 夏木陽介, Hepburn: Natsuki Yōsuke; February 27, 1936 – January 14, 2018) was a Japanese actor. He participated twice in the Dakar Rally as a racing driver. He did a lot of work for the Toho Company and made his debut in the film The H-Man. He appeared in Akira Kurosawa's Yojimbo in 1961. In the same year, he received the Elan d'or Award for Newcomer of the Year. In the 1970s, he left Toho and joined Toshiro Mifune's production company. He was famous for his role in the police TV drama G-Men '75 as well as Toho Studios monster movies.
Sadao Yamahana (山花 貞夫, Yamahana Sadao; 26 February 1936 – 14 July 1999) was a Japanese politician who served as…
Sadao Yamahana (山花 貞夫, Yamahana Sadao; 26 February 1936 – 14 July 1999) was a Japanese politician who served as chairman of the Japan Socialist Party from January 1993 to September 1993. Yamahana led his party into coalition with other opposition parties to form the first non-LDP cabinet since 1955, led by Prime Minister Morihiro Hosokawa. Yamahana served as Minister in charge of political reform in the same cabinet. Yamahana later left the Socialists and became a founding member of the Democratic Party.
Kyōichi Sawada (沢田 教一, Sawada Kyōichi; February 22, 1936 – October 28, 1970) was a Japanese photographer with United…
Kyōichi Sawada (沢田 教一, Sawada Kyōichi; February 22, 1936 – October 28, 1970) was a Japanese photographer with United Press International who received a Pulitzer Prize for war photography.
Shigeo Nagashima (長嶋 茂雄 or 長島 茂雄, Nagashima Shigeo; February 20, 1936 – June 3, 2025) was a Japanese professional…
Shigeo Nagashima (長嶋 茂雄 or 長島 茂雄, Nagashima Shigeo; February 20, 1936 – June 3, 2025) was a Japanese professional baseball player and manager. Nagashima first began playing baseball in elementary school, before playing at his high school in Chiba Prefecture, part of Kanto Region, just before he played as a third baseman for Rikkyo University. After winning the batting title for two straight years in Tokyo Big6 Baseball League, Nagashima made his professional debut in 1958 with the Yomiuri Giants. In his rookie season, he led the Central League in home runs and runs batted in, with 29 and 92 respectively and ultimately received Rookie of the Year honors. With the arrival of Sadaharu Oh in 1959, the two would both become a dual force in being the best hitters in the game that earned the nickname "O-N Cannon" for one of the most dominant dynasties in NPB history, and Nagashima won league MVP five times while being named to the Best Nine Award in every season he played; his four Japan Series MVP award wins is still the most in NPB history. After retiring in 1974, he became as a manager of the Giants from 1975 to 1980, and again from 1993 to 2001; during this time, he won the Japan Series twice. His nicknames includes "Mr. Pro Baseball", "Mr. Giants", and "Hot Man" of Japan. Nagashima is regarded as a beloved national figure of postwar Japan, on par with Hibari Misora and Yujiro Ishihara.
Masateru Nagatani, known professionally as Charlie Nagatani, is a Japanese country music singer-songwriter. He started…
Masateru Nagatani, known professionally as Charlie Nagatani, is a Japanese country music singer-songwriter. He started performing music with his band Charlie and the Cannonballs in 1961, which is one of the longest-running music groups in Japanese history. He opened a honky tonk in his hometown of Kumamoto called Good Time Charlie, and started the Country Gold music festival at Mount Aso in 1989. His first studio album in 1992 Charlie Nagatani Sings Country Gold featured Emmylou Harris, Bill Monroe, the Osborne Brothers, and Porter Wagoner.
Jirō Takamatsu (高松 次郎, Takamatsu Jirō; 20 February 1936 – 25 June 1998) was one of the most important postwar Japanese…
Jirō Takamatsu (高松 次郎, Takamatsu Jirō; 20 February 1936 – 25 June 1998) was one of the most important postwar Japanese artists. Takamatsu used photography, sculpture, painting, drawing, and performance to fundamentally investigate the philosophical and material conditions of art. Takamatsu's practice was dedicated to the critique of cognition and perception, through the rendering and variation of morphological devices, such as shadow, tautology, appropriation, perceptual and perspective distortion and representation. Takamatsu's conceptual work can be understood through his notions of the Zero Dimension, which renders an object or form to observe its fundamental geometrical components. Takamatsu isolated these smallest constituent elements, asserting that these elements produce reality, or existence. For Takamatsu the elementary particle represents “the ultimate of division” and also “emptiness itself,” like the a line within a painting—there appears to be nothing more beyond the line itself. Yet, Takamatsu's end goal was not to just prove the presence or object-ness of these elements, but rather to use them as a way to challenge and prove the limits of human perception, leading to his fixation on “absence” or the things that are unobservable. The impact of Takamatsu's practice also has to be considered in terms of his contributions to the avant garde art scenes through his individual practice and work with collectives, as well as the legibility of his work in the discourse of conceptual art and thus the broader international art world.
Jun Isezaki (Japanese: 伊勢崎淳 Isezaki Jun; 20 February 1936 – 11 July 2026) was a Japanese ceramic artist and potter. A…
Jun Isezaki (Japanese: 伊勢崎淳 Isezaki Jun; 20 February 1936 – 11 July 2026) was a Japanese ceramic artist and potter. A graduate of Okayama University, his works ranged from traditional tea ceramics to modern sculptures. In 2004, he was designated a National Treasure for his works. Isezaki died on 11 July 2026, at the age of 90.
Seiji Yokoyama (横山 菁児, Yokoyama Seiji; March 17, 1935 – July 8, 2017) was a Japanese incidental music composer from…
Seiji Yokoyama (横山 菁児, Yokoyama Seiji; March 17, 1935 – July 8, 2017) was a Japanese incidental music composer from Hiroshima. He graduated from the Kunitachi College of Music in 1957. Yokoyama is best known for his work on the anime series Saint Seiya and Space Pirate Captain Harlock, and for his symphonic sound for many television programs. In 1992, he won the JASRAC award for his work on Saint Seiya. On July 8, 2017, Yokoyama died from pneumonia at age 82.
Kyoko Matsuoka (March 12, 1935 – January 25, 2022; Japanese: 松岡享子, romanized: Matsuoka Kyōko) was a Japanese librarian…
Kyoko Matsuoka (March 12, 1935 – January 25, 2022; Japanese: 松岡享子, romanized: Matsuoka Kyōko) was a Japanese librarian, translator, and expert in children's literature. She is known for her own children's books, of which she wrote more than 200 in her lifetime, as well as translations of works for young readers, particularly her translation of the classic Paddington Bear series. After working at the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, Maryland, and the Osaka Municipal Central Library, she founded the Matsunomi Bunko, a private children's library. When Matsunomi and three other libraries joined to form the Tokyo Children's Library in 1974, she became founding director of the organization. She remained honorary chair of the library until her death in 2022. In 2021, she was designated a Person of Cultural Merit.
Michie Ogata (纓片 道枝, Ogata Michie; March 11, 1935 – November 6, 2024), known professionally as Michie Kita (喜多 道枝, Kita…
Michie Ogata (纓片 道枝, Ogata Michie; March 11, 1935 – November 6, 2024), known professionally as Michie Kita (喜多 道枝, Kita Michie), was a Japanese actress. She is best known for her anime voice acting roles as Nello Daas in Dog of Flanders, Eru in Doraemon: Nobita and the Castle of the Undersea Devil, Doronpa in Obake no Q-Tarō, Galahad in King Arthur, Franz Charming in Princess Knight, Nobuhiko Ōbayashi in Don Dracula, and Togenicia in Hana no Ko Lunlun.
Shūsei Nakamura (仲村 秀生,, Nakamura Shuusei; born Hideo Nakamura (仲村 秀男,, Nakamura Hideo); March 9, 1935 – July 30, 2014)…
Shūsei Nakamura (仲村 秀生,, Nakamura Shuusei; born Hideo Nakamura (仲村 秀男,, Nakamura Hideo); March 9, 1935 – July 30, 2014) was a Japanese actor and voice actor. Throughout his career he was represented by 81 Produce and later Production Baobab. He has referred to both Tokyo and Nagano Prefecture as his hometown. He was most known for the roles of Tōru Rikiishi (Ashita no Joe) and Daisuke Shima (Space Battleship Yamato). After his retirement, Hideyuki Tanaka took up the role of Daisuke Shima for the PS2 Yamato game series. The role had previously been taken over for the film Final Yamato by Isao Sasaki, but this was before Nakamura's retirement. Nakamura died on July 30, 2014, at a Tokyo hospital.
Akira Kitaguchi (北口 晃, Kitaguchi Akira; born March 8, 1935) is a former Japanese football player. He played for Japan…
Akira Kitaguchi (北口 晃, Kitaguchi Akira; born March 8, 1935) is a former Japanese football player. He played for Japan national team.
Reizo Ohira (born 7 March 1935) is a Japanese basketball player. He competed in the men's tournament at the 1956 Summer…
Reizo Ohira (born 7 March 1935) is a Japanese basketball player. He competed in the men's tournament at the 1956 Summer Olympics.