Eiko Kadono (角野 栄子, Kadono Eiko), real name Eiko Watanabe (渡辺英子, Watanabe Eiko), born January 1, 1935, is a Japanese…Eiko Kadono (角野 栄子, Kadono Eiko), real name Eiko Watanabe (渡辺英子, Watanabe Eiko), born January 1, 1935, is a Japanese author of children's literature, picture books, non-fiction, and essays. Her most famous work Kiki's Delivery Service, released in 1985, was made into an anime film by Hayao Miyazaki, and spawned a series of sequel novels. In 2018, she won the Hans Christian Andersen Award. Currently, she serves as a guest professor at the Nihon Fukushi University in Aichi Prefecture.
Kaoru Yamaya (山谷 馨; December 21, 1934 – September 18, 2026), better known by his pen name Sō Kuramoto (倉本 聰), was a…Kaoru Yamaya (山谷 馨; December 21, 1934 – September 18, 2026), better known by his pen name Sō Kuramoto (倉本 聰), was a Japanese playwright and screenwriter.
Yūjirō Ishihara (石原 裕次郎, Ishihara Yūjirō; December 28, 1934 – July 17, 1987) was a Japanese actor and singer born in…Yūjirō Ishihara (石原 裕次郎, Ishihara Yūjirō; December 28, 1934 – July 17, 1987) was a Japanese actor and singer born in Kobe. His elder brother was Shintaro Ishihara, an author, politician, and the Governor of Tokyo between 1999 and 2012. Yujiro's film debut was the 1956 film Season of the Sun, based on a novel written by his brother. He was beloved by many fans as a representative youth star in the films of postwar Japan and subsequently as a macho movie hero. His early death from liver cancer was a major public event in Japan.
Seiji Ogawa (Japanese: 小川 誠二, Hepburn: Ogawa Seiji; born January 19, 1934) is a Japanese biophysicist and…Seiji Ogawa (Japanese: 小川 誠二, Hepburn: Ogawa Seiji; born January 19, 1934) is a Japanese biophysicist and neuroscientist known for discovering the technique that underlies Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). He is regarded as the father of modern functional brain imaging. He determined that the changes in blood oxygen levels cause its magnetic resonance imaging properties to change, allowing a map of blood, and hence, functional, activity in the brain to be created. This map reflected which neurons of the brain responded with electrochemical signals to mental processes. He was the first scientist who demonstrated that the functional brain imaging is dependent on the oxygenation status of the blood, the BOLD effect. The technique was therefore called blood oxygenation level-dependent or BOLD contrast. Functional MRI (fMRI) has been used to map the visual, auditory, and sensory regions and moving toward higher brain functions such as cognitive functions in the brain. In 2020, Ogawa was appointed as Osaka University Distinguished Honorary Professor. He is the second scholar to receive this title after Nobel Prize winner Yoichiro Nambu.
Kentarō Ogawa (January 12, 1934 – October 8, 1995) was a Japanese professional baseball player. A right-handed…Kentarō Ogawa (January 12, 1934 – October 8, 1995) was a Japanese professional baseball player. A right-handed submarine-style pitcher, he played in Japan for the Chunichi Dragons. Ogawa was one of the top pitchers in Nippon Professional Baseball before a scandal derailed his career. During his prime years from 1965–1969, Ogawa won 93 games, including winning 20 games or more twice.
Hiroyuki Nagato (長門裕之, Nagato Hiroyuki; 10 January 1934 – 21 May 2011), stage name of Akio Kato (加藤晃夫), was a Japanese…Hiroyuki Nagato (長門裕之, Nagato Hiroyuki; 10 January 1934 – 21 May 2011), stage name of Akio Kato (加藤晃夫), was a Japanese actor. He starred in Season of the Sun, Endless Desire, My Second Brother, Stolen Desire, and Sukeban Deka, and Yo-Yo Girl Cop.
Kōjirō Akagi (赤木 曠児郎, Akagi Kōjirō) (3 January 1934 – 15 February 2021) was a Japanese painter. He was born in Okayama…Kōjirō Akagi (赤木 曠児郎, Akagi Kōjirō) (3 January 1934 – 15 February 2021) was a Japanese painter. He was born in Okayama, Japan, but was based in France.
Hitoshi Konno (紺野 仁, Konno Hitoshi; born 3 January 1934) is a Japanese basketball player. He competed in the men's…Hitoshi Konno (紺野 仁, Konno Hitoshi; born 3 January 1934) is a Japanese basketball player. He competed in the men's tournament at the 1956 Summer Olympics.
Kiyoshi Kodama (児玉 清, Kodama Kiyoshi; real name: Kiyoshi Kitagawa (北川 清), born as Kiyoshi Kodama (小玉 清), 1 January 1934…Kiyoshi Kodama (児玉 清, Kodama Kiyoshi; real name: Kiyoshi Kitagawa (北川 清), born as Kiyoshi Kodama (小玉 清), 1 January 1934 – 16 May 2011) was a Japanese TV personality and actor. He hosted the Asahi Broadcasting Corporation quiz show Panel Quiz Attack 25 continuously for thirty-six years from its start in April 1975 until he was forced to step down due to poor health at the end of March 2011. His signature catchphrase on the show is "Attack Chance!" An avid reader, Kodama hosted a TV book review show. He also published his own books. He was a voice actor for the voice of Robert Stephenson in the Japanese version of the 2004 animated movie Steamboy. Kodama died of stomach cancer at a hospital in Chuo, Tokyo on 16 May 2011.
Keisuke Tsunoda (角田 啓輔, Tsunoda Keisuke; 19 January 1933 – 1 September 2024) was a Japanese international table tennis…Keisuke Tsunoda (角田 啓輔, Tsunoda Keisuke; 19 January 1933 – 1 September 2024) was a Japanese international table tennis player.
Takanao Sato (佐藤 孝尚, Satō Takanao; born 19 January 1933) is a Japanese water polo player. He competed in the men's…Takanao Sato (佐藤 孝尚, Satō Takanao; born 19 January 1933) is a Japanese water polo player. He competed in the men's tournament at the 1960 Summer Olympics.
Shundo Aoyama Rōshi is a Japanese Buddhist nun and abbess. She is the first nun to be appointed to the rank of…Shundo Aoyama Rōshi is a Japanese Buddhist nun and abbess. She is the first nun to be appointed to the rank of Daikyoshi (Great Teacher) in the Soto Zen school.
Sakae Saitō (斉藤栄, Saitō Sakae; 14 January 1933 – 15 June 2024) was a Japanese author of popular fiction active during…Sakae Saitō (斉藤栄, Saitō Sakae; 14 January 1933 – 15 June 2024) was a Japanese author of popular fiction active during the Shōwa and Heisei periods of Japan.
Mariko Okada (岡田 茉莉子, Okada Mariko; born 11 January 1933) is a Japanese stage and film actress who starred in films of…Mariko Okada (岡田 茉莉子, Okada Mariko; born 11 January 1933) is a Japanese stage and film actress who starred in films of directors Mikio Naruse, Yasujirō Ozu, Keisuke Kinoshita and others. She was married to film director Yoshishige Yoshida.
Kiyoshi Kobayashi (小林 清志, Kobayashi Kiyoshi; January 11, 1933 – July 30, 2022) was a Japanese actor, voice actor and…Kiyoshi Kobayashi (小林 清志, Kobayashi Kiyoshi; January 11, 1933 – July 30, 2022) was a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator from Tokyo. He was attached to the Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society. He was a graduate of the arts department of Nihon University. He was best known for his role as Daisuke Jigen in the Lupin the Third series, voicing the character for over 50 years. He also voiced roles in Humanoid Monster Bem (as Bem), the Droopy cartoons (as the Wolf) and Shazzan (as Shazzan); Kobayashi was the official dub-over voice of James Coburn and Lee Marvin for Japan.
Yōko Mihara (三原 葉子, Mihara Yōko) was an actress of Japanese exploitation cinema, erotic dancer and pin-up model who was…Yōko Mihara (三原 葉子, Mihara Yōko) was an actress of Japanese exploitation cinema, erotic dancer and pin-up model who was active from the 1950s to 1970s.
Katsuhiko Iwata (岩田 克彦, Katsuhiko Iwata; 10 January 1933 – 27 January 2026), also known as Kei Taguchi (田口 計, Kei…Katsuhiko Iwata (岩田 克彦, Katsuhiko Iwata; 10 January 1933 – 27 January 2026), also known as Kei Taguchi (田口 計, Kei Taguchi), was a Japanese actor. He is most famous for playing villains and appeared in many jidaigeki and detective television dramas as a guest. He is also known as voice actor. Taguchi graduated from University of Tokyo.His career as a screen actor started in 1955. His first film appearance was in the 1955 film Aisureba Koso directed by Satsuo Yamamoto. His son Kazuki Iwata is also actor. Taguchi died on 27 January 2026, at the age of 93.
Yoshihisa Maitani (January 8, 1933 – July 30, 2009) was a designer of cameras for the Japan-based camera manufacturer…Yoshihisa Maitani (January 8, 1933 – July 30, 2009) was a designer of cameras for the Japan-based camera manufacturer Olympus Corporation. After studying mechanical engineering at university, he joined Olympus Optical Co., Ltd. (now Olympus Corporation) in 1956. Maitani went on to work for them for 40 years. He was involved with the design of many of the company's most well-known cameras, including the Pen and the Pen F half frame cameras, the OM System, and the XA.
Keiichi Ozawa (小澤 啓一, Ozawa Keiichi; born January 5, 1933 in Kagoshima) is a Japanese film director. He joined Nikkatsu…Keiichi Ozawa (小澤 啓一, Ozawa Keiichi; born January 5, 1933 in Kagoshima) is a Japanese film director. He joined Nikkatsu studio and worked as an assistant director under Toshio Masuda. He made his director debut in 1968 with Outlaw: Gangster VIP 2. Including the Outlaw series, Tetsuya Watari appeared in most of the films he directed when he was a director of Nikkatsu company.
Masashi Ishibashi (石橋雅史, Ishibashi Masashi; January 4, 1933 – December 19, 2018), was a Japanese karateka and actor. A…Masashi Ishibashi (石橋雅史, Ishibashi Masashi; January 4, 1933 – December 19, 2018), was a Japanese karateka and actor. A 7th dan black belt in Kyokushin Karate, he was an early instructor of the style under Mas Oyama, with notable students including Sonny Chiba and Terutomo Yamazaki. As an actor, Ishibashi had an extensive career in Japanese television, where was famous as portraying villains in historical dramas. He had significant presence in television productions like NHK's Taiga drama series, The Unfettered Shogun, and the Hissatsu series. He also had frequent roles in various 1970s and 1980s tokusatsu series, most notably in Super Sentai series. His movie career was mostly specialized in martial arts movies and crime dramas, including many with his longtime student Chiba.
Seiichi Morimura (森村 誠一, Morimura Seiichi; January 2, 1933 – July 24, 2023) was a Japanese novelist and author, born in…Seiichi Morimura (森村 誠一, Morimura Seiichi; January 2, 1933 – July 24, 2023) was a Japanese novelist and author, born in Kumagaya. He is best known for the controversial The Devil's Gluttony (悪魔の飽食) (1981), which revealed the atrocities committed by Unit 731 of the Imperial Japanese Army during the Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945).
Kyoko Kubota (久保田 恭子, Kubota Kyōko; born 2 January 1933) is a Japanese gymnast. She competed in seven events at the…Kyoko Kubota (久保田 恭子, Kubota Kyōko; born 2 January 1933) is a Japanese gymnast. She competed in seven events at the 1956 Summer Olympics.
Kikuji Kawada (川田 喜久治, Kawada Kikuji; born 1933) is a Japanese photographer. He co-founded the Vivo photographic…Kikuji Kawada (川田 喜久治, Kawada Kikuji; born 1933) is a Japanese photographer. He co-founded the Vivo photographic collective in 1959. Kawada's books include Chizu (The Map; 1965) and The Last Cosmology (1995). He was included in the New Japanese Photography exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, New York in 1974 and was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Photographic Society of Japan in 2011.
Hideo Shiraki (白木秀雄; 1 January 1933 in Tokyo – 31 August 1972) was a Japanese jazz drummer and bandleader, best known…Hideo Shiraki (白木秀雄; 1 January 1933 in Tokyo – 31 August 1972) was a Japanese jazz drummer and bandleader, best known for his work in the 1950s and 1960s. Famed earlier on for hard bop, he later explored world music and became a pioneer of fusing traditional music forms with jazz structuring. He emerged in the new Japanese jazz scene of the 1950s that grew out of the influence of the US occupying forces. He studied percussion at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts and, during this period, played with Masashi Nagao's Blue Coats. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, his quintet was popular in Japan and was associated with the "funky boom" craze for hard bop. Hidehiko "Sleepy" Matsumoto, Terumasa Hino and Yuzuru Sera all passed through his quintet. Notable albums include 1961's In Fiesta (Teichiku Japan), which included a version of Benny Golson's "Five Spot After Dark". Performers on the album included Hidehiko Matsumoto on tenor and flute and Yuzuru Sera on piano. 1965's Sakura Sakura united the quintet (including Terumasa Hino on trumpet) with three female koto players as Shiraki moved into a world jazz approach. An invited November 1965 performance at the Berlin Jazz Festival, organised by Joachim-Ernst Berendt, saw the quintet work with a koto quartet and was feted for mixing jazz with traditional Japanese music. He also played with Toshiko Akiyoshi, including two tracks on her 1961 album Toshiko Meets Her Old Pals. On July 22, 1966, he played with the John Coltrane quintet in Tokyo while the group was touring Japan.
Waichiro Omura (大村 和市郎, Ōmura Waichirō; January 1, 1933 – ?) was a Japanese football player. He played for Japan…Waichiro Omura (大村 和市郎, Ōmura Waichirō; January 1, 1933 – ?) was a Japanese football player. He played for Japan national team.
Hiroshi Okuda (奥田 碩 Okuda Hiroshi; 29 December 1932 – 8 August 2026) was a Japanese businessman who served as president…Hiroshi Okuda (奥田 碩 Okuda Hiroshi; 29 December 1932 – 8 August 2026) was a Japanese businessman who served as president of the Toyota Motor Corporation from 1995 to 1999 and as its chairman from 1999 to 2006.
Michihiro Ozawa (小沢 通宏, Ozawa Michihiro; born December 25, 1932) is a former Japanese football player. He played for…Michihiro Ozawa (小沢 通宏, Ozawa Michihiro; born December 25, 1932) is a former Japanese football player. He played for Japan national team.
Atsuo Egashira (江頭 淳夫, Egashira Atsuo; 25 December 1932 – 21 July 1999), known by his pen name Jun Etō (江藤 淳, Etō Jun)…Atsuo Egashira (江頭 淳夫, Egashira Atsuo; 25 December 1932 – 21 July 1999), known by his pen name Jun Etō (江藤 淳, Etō Jun), was a Japanese writer and literary critic active in the Shōwa and early Heisei periods.
On Kawara (河原温, Kawara On; January 2, 1933 – July 10, 2014) was a Japanese conceptual artist who lived in SoHo, New…On Kawara (河原温, Kawara On; January 2, 1933 – July 10, 2014) was a Japanese conceptual artist who lived in SoHo, New York City, from 1965 until his death. He took part in many solo and group exhibitions, including the Venice Biennale in 1976.
Toshiya Fujita (藤田 敏八, Fujita Toshiya; January 16, 1932 – August 30, 1997), also known as Shigeya Fujita (藤田繁矢, Fujita…Toshiya Fujita (藤田 敏八, Fujita Toshiya; January 16, 1932 – August 30, 1997), also known as Shigeya Fujita (藤田繁矢, Fujita Shigeya), was a Japanese film director, film actor, and screenwriter. He is well-regarded in Japan for his youth films but is best known abroad for Lady Snowblood and Lady Snowblood 2: Love Song of Vengeance, films not typical of his usual style.
Keiko Ai (阿井景子, Ai Keiko; born Junko Ura on January 16, 1932 in Nagasaki, Japan) is a Japanese writer. Born in Nagasaki…Keiko Ai (阿井景子, Ai Keiko; born Junko Ura on January 16, 1932 in Nagasaki, Japan) is a Japanese writer. Born in Nagasaki in Nagasaki Prefecture, Ai graduated from Saga University with a major in education. She then became a high school teacher. Ai soon quit and moved to Tokyo, where she took dictation for Kitaoji Rosanjin. After working as an editor and a reporter for Josei Jishin, she married and divorced in 1974, during which time she also worked on Matsumoto Seicho. Ai published her first book as Junko Ura in 1971 and made her debut as a writer in 1979 with Ryoma's Wife. Ai portrays the women around Japanese historical figures, particularly those related to Ryoma Sakamoto. Since 1991 she has often written in conjunction with historical dramas.
Toshiyasu Ishige (石下 年安, Ishige Toshiyasu; 16 January 1932 – 27 December 2000) was a Japanese sport shooter who…Toshiyasu Ishige (石下 年安, Ishige Toshiyasu; 16 January 1932 – 27 December 2000) was a Japanese sport shooter who competed in the 1964 Summer Olympics and in the 1976 Summer Olympics.
Tadanari Okamoto (岡本 忠成, Okamoto Tadanari; January 11, 1932 – February 16, 1990) was a Japanese independent animator.…Tadanari Okamoto (岡本 忠成, Okamoto Tadanari; January 11, 1932 – February 16, 1990) was a Japanese independent animator. From 1965 until his death he completed at least 37 short subject films in a wide variety of mediums, many of them winning award-winning, his honorific nicknamed "Sheldon Cohen and Hans Fischerkoesen of Japan".
Daikichi Ishibashi (Japanese: 石橋 大吉 Ishibashi Daikichi; 7 January 1932 – 26 August 2022) was a Japanese politician. A…Daikichi Ishibashi (Japanese: 石橋 大吉 Ishibashi Daikichi; 7 January 1932 – 26 August 2022) was a Japanese politician. A member of the Japan Socialist Party, the Social Democratic Party, and later the Democratic Party of Japan, he served in the House of Representatives from 1986 to 2000. Ishibashi died in Matsue on 26 August 2022, at the age of 90.
Kihei Tomioka (富岡 喜平, Tomioka Kihei; 6 January 1932 – 14 August 2007) was a Japanese cyclist. He competed in five…Kihei Tomioka (富岡 喜平, Tomioka Kihei; 6 January 1932 – 14 August 2007) was a Japanese cyclist. He competed in five events at the 1952 Summer Olympics. He won the gold medal in the team pursuit and in the road race at the 1951 Asian Games.
Kazutami Watanabe (渡邊一民, Watanabe Kazutami; January 5, 1932 – December 21, 2013) was a Japanese scholar and translator…Kazutami Watanabe (渡邊一民, Watanabe Kazutami; January 5, 1932 – December 21, 2013) was a Japanese scholar and translator of French literature. Watanabe, who was born in Tokyo, graduated from the Literature Department, School of French Studies of the University of Tokyo in 1955. After getting his Ph.D at the same university, he became a lecturer at Rikkyo University's General Education Department in 1960, and an assistant professor in 1963. In 1965, he became an assistant professor at the School of French Literature of the same university and in 1970 a full professor. From 1981 to 1983, he was the dean of the Literature Department. After his retirement in 1997, he was named professor emeritus. His wife, Hitomi, is the eldest daughter of Shūichi Sakō, a diplomat. Watanabe died at the age of 81 from sepsis in December 2013.
Shoshichi Kobayashi (小林 昭七, Kobayashi Shōshichi; 4 January 1932 – 29 August 2012) was a Japanese mathematician. He was…Shoshichi Kobayashi (小林 昭七, Kobayashi Shōshichi; 4 January 1932 – 29 August 2012) was a Japanese mathematician. He was the eldest brother of electrical engineer and computer scientist Hisashi Kobayashi. His research interests were in Riemannian and complex manifolds, transformation groups of geometric structures, and Lie algebras.
Setsuko Thurlow (サーロー 節子, Sārō Setsuko; born 3 January 1932), born Setsuko Nakamura (中村 節子, Nakamura Setsuko), is a…Setsuko Thurlow (サーロー 節子, Sārō Setsuko; born 3 January 1932), born Setsuko Nakamura (中村 節子, Nakamura Setsuko), is a Japanese–Canadian nuclear disarmament campaigner and Hibakusha who survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on 6 August 1945. She is mostly known throughout the world for being a leading figure of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear weapons (ICAN) and to have given the acceptance speech for its reception of the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize.
Tatsuya Futakami (二上 達也, Futakami Tatsuya; January 2, 1932 – November 1, 2016) was a Japanese professional shogi player…Tatsuya Futakami (二上 達也, Futakami Tatsuya; January 2, 1932 – November 1, 2016) was a Japanese professional shogi player who achieved the rank of 9-dan. He is a former president of the Japan Shogi Association as well as a former Kisei and Ōshō title holder.
Tadashi Kume (久米 是志, Kume Tadashi; 2 January 1931 – 11 September 2022) was a Japanese businessman who was the president…Tadashi Kume (久米 是志, Kume Tadashi; 2 January 1931 – 11 September 2022) was a Japanese businessman who was the president and CEO of the Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
Sakata Tōjūrō IV (四代目坂田藤十郎, Yondaime Sakata Tōjūrō; born Hirotarō Hayashi (林 宏太郎, Hayashi Hirotarō), 31 December 1931 –…Sakata Tōjūrō IV (四代目坂田藤十郎, Yondaime Sakata Tōjūrō; born Hirotarō Hayashi (林 宏太郎, Hayashi Hirotarō), 31 December 1931 – 12 November 2020) was a Japanese kabuki actor in the Kamigata style and was officially designated a Living National Treasure. Unlike most kabuki actors, he performed both male and female roles, and was renowned as both a skilled wagotoshi (actor of male roles in the wagoto tradition) and onnagata (actor of female roles). He was the fourth in the line of Sakata Tōjūrō, having revived the name after a lapse of over 230 years.
Yi Ku (Korean: 이구; December 29, 1931 – July 16, 2005) was a Korean prince who was head of the House of Yi from 1970…Yi Ku (Korean: 이구; December 29, 1931 – July 16, 2005) was a Korean prince who was head of the House of Yi from 1970 until 2005. He was a grandson of Emperor Gojong of the Joseon dynasty. Through Kuni Asahiko his maternal great-grandfather, Ku was a second-cousin to Emperor Emeritus Akihito of Japan.
Tatsuya Takahashi (高橋 達也, Takahashi Tatsuya; December 24, 1931 in Tsuruoka, Yamagata – February 29, 2008 in Tokyo) was…Tatsuya Takahashi (高橋 達也, Takahashi Tatsuya; December 24, 1931 in Tsuruoka, Yamagata – February 29, 2008 in Tokyo) was a Japanese jazz saxophonist. Takahashi played on US military bases in the early 1950s, and later in the decade moved to Tokyo. He worked with Keiichiro Ebihara from 1961, and by 1966 was leading his own ensemble, Tokyo Union, which remained active until 1989. In the 1970s he played at the Monterey and Montreux Jazz Festivals. After leaving Tokyo Union, Takahashi worked in jazz education, and in 1996 founded a new ensemble, Jazz Groovys.
Yasushi Akashi (明石 康 Akashi Yasushi, born January 19, 1931) is a Japanese senior diplomat and United Nations…Yasushi Akashi (明石 康 Akashi Yasushi, born January 19, 1931) is a Japanese senior diplomat and United Nations administrator.
Masaaki Hirano (平野 雅章, Hirano Masaaki; January 15, 1931 – November 22, 2008) was a Japanese food historian from the…Masaaki Hirano (平野 雅章, Hirano Masaaki; January 15, 1931 – November 22, 2008) was a Japanese food historian from the city of Futtsu, Chiba. He was a courtesy member of the Cultural Academic Society. He wrote under the pen name Masaaki.
Noriyuki Sekine (Japanese: 関根則之 Sekine Noriyuki; 13 January 1931 – 19 June 2022) was a Japanese politician. A member of…Noriyuki Sekine (Japanese: 関根則之 Sekine Noriyuki; 13 January 1931 – 19 June 2022) was a Japanese politician. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party, he served in the House of Councillors from 1991 to 1998. Sekine died in Kawagoe, Saitama on 19 June 2022 at the age of 91.
