Ichiro Maruyama (22 May 1928 – 27 April 2013), who wrote under the pen name You Sano, was a Japanese mystery writer and…Ichiro Maruyama (22 May 1928 – 27 April 2013), who wrote under the pen name You Sano, was a Japanese mystery writer and critic.
Yoshiro Hayashi (林 義郎, Hayashi Yoshirō; 16 June 1927 – 3 February 2017) was a Japanese politician who was Minister of…Yoshiro Hayashi (林 義郎, Hayashi Yoshirō; 16 June 1927 – 3 February 2017) was a Japanese politician who was Minister of Finance from 1992 to 1993 and Minister of Health and Welfare from 1982 to 1983. He was elected ten times as a member of the House of Representatives since 1969.
Aoki Yayoi (June 13, 1927 – November 25, 2009) was a Japanese scholar and eco-feminist critic. She wrote extensively on…Aoki Yayoi (June 13, 1927 – November 25, 2009) was a Japanese scholar and eco-feminist critic. She wrote extensively on sexuality, abortion rights, reproductive technologies, and women in the workplace. While she accepted short-term positions at various universities and community colleges, Aoki maintained a non-institutional status.
Koji Nanbara (南原 宏治, Nanbara Kōji; June 7, 1927 – December 20, 2001) was a Japanese actor. He was born in Yokohama…Koji Nanbara (南原 宏治, Nanbara Kōji; June 7, 1927 – December 20, 2001) was a Japanese actor. He was born in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. In 1951, he signed with Daiei film company. and made his film debut with Kamikaze Tokkotai. Mostly famous later in his career for playing villains, he began acting in the 1950s under the name Shinji Nanbara. He died of a myocardial infarction in Chōfu, Tokyo at age 74.
Madoka Kanai (金井 圓; Shinjitai: 金井 円, Kanai Madoka; 5 June 1927 – 7 July 2001) was a Japanese historian at the…Madoka Kanai (金井 圓; Shinjitai: 金井 円, Kanai Madoka; 5 June 1927 – 7 July 2001) was a Japanese historian at the University of Tokyo who specialized in modern Japanese history, with a special interest in the history of Japanese foreign relations. He was formerly Director of the Japan-Netherlands Institute and President of the Historiographical Institute of the University of Tokyo. Kanai was born in Nagano Prefecture and educated at the University of Tokyo.
Koreyoshi Kurahara (蔵原惟繕, Kurahara Koreyoshi) (31 May 1927 – 28 December 2002) was a Japanese screenwriter and…Koreyoshi Kurahara (蔵原惟繕, Kurahara Koreyoshi) (31 May 1927 – 28 December 2002) was a Japanese screenwriter and director. He is perhaps best known for directing Antarctica (1983), which won several awards and was entered into the 34th Berlin International Film Festival. He also co-directed Hiroshima (1995) with Roger Spottiswoode, which was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Miniseries.
Noboru Iwamura (岩村 昇, Iwamura Noboru; May 26, 1927 – November 27, 2005) was a Japanese biologist, medical doctor and…Noboru Iwamura (岩村 昇, Iwamura Noboru; May 26, 1927 – November 27, 2005) was a Japanese biologist, medical doctor and professor of medicine. He was the only survivor, amongst eighty high school classmates, of the 1945 Hiroshima bombing. This experience led him to resolve to live his life for others. Under the UMN program, Iwamura was the first Japanese volunteer to arrive in Nepal, a nation struck with a pandemic of tuberculosis. He spent 22 years helping those living in deprivation and his efforts laid the foundation for the establishment of multiple medical facilities around the area. Back in Japan, Iwamura founded the Peace, Health, and Human Development Foundation in 1980, in an effort to provide technical training to grassroots leaders from Nepal and Southeast Asia. He went on to establish the International Human Resources Institute in 1985, as a means of sponsorship for rural workers to earn master's degrees in Community Development. Dr. Iwamura was awarded the 1993 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Peace and International Understanding in recognition of his life's calling. Iwamura died from leukemia in 2005. In 1998, the Dr. Iwamura Memorial Hospital and Research Center was established to carry on his name in Bhaktapur.
Ryoichi Fujisawa (藤沢 良一, Fujisawa Ryōichi) (born 25 May 1927) was a Japanese Nordic skier who competed in the early…Ryoichi Fujisawa (藤沢 良一, Fujisawa Ryōichi) (born 25 May 1927) was a Japanese Nordic skier who competed in the early 1950s. At the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, he finished 14th in the Nordic combined event, 34th in the ski jumping individual large hill event, and tied for 61st in the 18 km cross-country skiing event. He was born in Otaru.
Tadahiro Aizawa (相沢 忠洋, Aizawa Tadahiro; June 21, 1926 – May 22, 1989) was a Japanese archaeologist. Aizawa, an amateur…Tadahiro Aizawa (相沢 忠洋, Aizawa Tadahiro; June 21, 1926 – May 22, 1989) was a Japanese archaeologist. Aizawa, an amateur stone tool collector who had been peddling nattō, discovered a microlith in Iwajuku, Gunma in 1946, which was recognized in 1949 as a Paleolithic site that had previously been thought not to exist in Japan.
Ōuchiyama Heikichi (大内山 平吉; 19 June 1926 – 1 November 1985; born Heikichi Ōuchi) was a sumo wrestler from Hitachinaka…Ōuchiyama Heikichi (大内山 平吉; 19 June 1926 – 1 November 1985; born Heikichi Ōuchi) was a sumo wrestler from Hitachinaka, Ibaraki, Japan. He made his professional debut in 1944, and reached the top makuuchi division in 1949. He reached the second highest rank of ōzeki in 1955, and was a runner-up in two tournaments. He was well known for his extraordinary size – at 2.02 m (6 ft 7+1⁄2 in) tall he was the tallest modern era ōzeki until Akebono in 1992. After his retirement in 1959 he worked as a coach at Tokitsukaze stable and Tatsutagawa stable until his death in 1985.
Taketoshi Naito (内藤 武敏, Naitō Taketoshi; 16 June 1926 – 21 August 2012) was a Japanese actor. He appeared in more than…Taketoshi Naito (内藤 武敏, Naitō Taketoshi; 16 June 1926 – 21 August 2012) was a Japanese actor. He appeared in more than 70 films between 1953 and 2003. He died of lymphoma on 21 August 2012.
Kayano Shigeru (萱野 茂, Kayano Shigeru; 15 June 1926 – 6 May 2006) was a Japanese politician and a leading figure in the…Kayano Shigeru (萱野 茂, Kayano Shigeru; 15 June 1926 – 6 May 2006) was a Japanese politician and a leading figure in the Ainu ethnic movement in Japan. He was one of the last speakers of the Ainu language.
Noriko Ibaragi (茨木 のり子, Ibaragi Noriko) was a Japanese poet, playwright, essayist, children's literature writer, and…Noriko Ibaragi (茨木 のり子, Ibaragi Noriko) was a Japanese poet, playwright, essayist, children's literature writer, and translator. She is most well known for her poem, Watashi ga ichiban kirei datta toki (わたしが一番きれいだったとき, "When my beauty shone"), written twelve years after the Japanese defeat in WWII. In 1953, she co-founded the literary journal Kai ("Oars"). She began to learn Korean as a second language at the age of fifty, going on to publish her own translations of poetry by her Korean contemporaries.
Noboru Kikuta (菊田昇) (May 31, 1926 – August 21, 1991) was a Japanese gynecologist. He is best known for circumventing…Noboru Kikuta (菊田昇) (May 31, 1926 – August 21, 1991) was a Japanese gynecologist. He is best known for circumventing Japanese adoption law in the 1970's by falsifying birth certificates so that children could be adopted anonymously.
Tsuneo Watanabe (渡邉 恒雄, Watanabe Tsuneo; May 30, 1926 – December 19, 2024) was a Japanese journalist, businessman, and…Tsuneo Watanabe (渡邉 恒雄, Watanabe Tsuneo; May 30, 1926 – December 19, 2024) was a Japanese journalist, businessman, and newspaper editor and executive, who served as a Managing Editor of Yomiuri Shimbun from January 1985 until his death in December 2024. He also served as a Representative Director and Managing Editor of Yomiuri Shimbun Holdings, which published a largest Japanese daily newspaper, Yomiuri Shimbun, and substantially controls the largest Japanese television commercial network Nippon Television Network, and as well as his owner, director, and chief advisor of Yomiuri Giants baseball team, his owner of Japanese amusement park Yomiuriland, and the chairman of Japan Newspaper Publishers and Editors Association. He was best known by his two nicknames Nabetane and Watatsune by those connected to Yomiuri Shimbun. Watanabe played a prominent role in Japanese political, cultural, and professional sports arenas. At the time of his death, his legacy was surrounded by many numerous Japanese politicians, celebrities, sport players including professional baseball players, such as Shigeo Nagashima, film and television directors, producers, and stars, video game developers, and among others.
Noboru Ando (Japanese: 安藤 昇, Hepburn: Andō Noboru; 24 May 1926 – 16 December 2015) was a Japanese actor, writer, singer…Noboru Ando (Japanese: 安藤 昇, Hepburn: Andō Noboru; 24 May 1926 – 16 December 2015) was a Japanese actor, writer, singer and former yakuza. He is known for utilizing his experiences as a criminal in his many roles in yakuza films. He had a large knife scar on his left cheek, the result of a brawl with a Korean gangster as a young man.
Masaru Urata (Japanese: 浦田勝 Urata Masaru; 20 June 1925 – 5 March 2026) was a Japanese politician. A member of the…Masaru Urata (Japanese: 浦田勝 Urata Masaru; 20 June 1925 – 5 March 2026) was a Japanese politician. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party, he served in the House of Councillors from 1983 to 1989 and again from 1992 to 1998. Urata died in Tamana on 5 March 2026, at the age of 100.
Masahide Ōta (大田 昌秀, Ōta Masahide; 12 June 1925 – 12 June 2017) was a Japanese academic and politician who served as…Masahide Ōta (大田 昌秀, Ōta Masahide; 12 June 1925 – 12 June 2017) was a Japanese academic and politician who served as the governor of Okinawa Prefecture from 1990 until 1998. After starting his career as a professor at the University of the Ryūkyūs, he wrote books in English and Japanese, mostly about the Battle of Okinawa and Japan–United States bilateral relations following World War II. After his retirement as professor he was elected as governor and was best known for his strong stand against occupation of prefectural lands by military bases of United States, going against the Japanese central government at the time.
Hideji Ōtaki (大滝 秀治, Ōtaki Hideji; June 6, 1925 – October 2, 2012) was a Japanese actor. He served as President of the…Hideji Ōtaki (大滝 秀治, Ōtaki Hideji; June 6, 1925 – October 2, 2012) was a Japanese actor. He served as President of the Mingei Theatre Company.
Yasuo Yuasa (湯浅 泰雄, Yuasa Yasuo; 1925–2005) was a Japanese philosopher of religion. Yuasa is known for his works on the…Yasuo Yuasa (湯浅 泰雄, Yuasa Yasuo; 1925–2005) was a Japanese philosopher of religion. Yuasa is known for his works on the theory of the body in Western and Asian philosophy and for his teaching. He has been referred to as "one of the most provocative and far-reaching" among Japan's contemporary philosophers.
Yasuo Mizui (水井 康雄, Mizui Yasuo; 30 May 1925 – 3 September 2008) was a Japanese stone sculptor who lived in France. He…Yasuo Mizui (水井 康雄, Mizui Yasuo; 30 May 1925 – 3 September 2008) was a Japanese stone sculptor who lived in France. He specialized in abstract art forms for public sculpture, often within architectural contexts, and participated in several sculpture symposia across Europe, the United States, Israel, and Japan.
Kunio Makino (27 May 1925 (Taisho 14) – 1 October 1986 (Showa 61)) was a Japanese painter, born in Hatagaya…Kunio Makino (27 May 1925 (Taisho 14) – 1 October 1986 (Showa 61)) was a Japanese painter, born in Hatagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo.
Kazutoshi Sasayama (笹山 幸俊, Sasayama Kazutoshi) is a Japanese politician who served as mayor of Kobe, the capital city…Kazutoshi Sasayama (笹山 幸俊, Sasayama Kazutoshi) is a Japanese politician who served as mayor of Kobe, the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. He served as the mayor of the city from 1989 until 2001. He was also the mayor when the Great Hanshin earthquake struck Kobe in 1995.
Kōichi Iiboshi (also Koichi or Kohichi) (飯干晃一, Iiboshi Kōichi 2 June 1927, in Osaka – 2 March 1996, in Tokyo) was a…Kōichi Iiboshi (also Koichi or Kohichi) (飯干晃一, Iiboshi Kōichi 2 June 1927, in Osaka – 2 March 1996, in Tokyo) was a Japanese journalist for Yomiuri Shimbun and author.
Madokoro Akutagawa Saori (芥川 (間所) 紗織, Akutagawa (Madokoro) Saori; 1924–31 January 1966) was a Japanese painter whose…Madokoro Akutagawa Saori (芥川 (間所) 紗織, Akutagawa (Madokoro) Saori; 1924–31 January 1966) was a Japanese painter whose works were often associated with primitivism, folkloric and mythological subjects, as well as unique dyeing techniques. Her paintings from the 1950s manifest various themes from distorted and dramatic portrayal of women to divine narratives based on traditional Japanese folklore. After briefly studying and living in the US, Akutagawa shifted her artistic exploration towards abstraction before her death at a young age in 1966.
Yoshiaki Arata (荒田 吉明, Arata Yoshiaki; 22 May 1924 – 5 June 2018) was a Japanese physicist. Arata was one of the…Yoshiaki Arata (荒田 吉明, Arata Yoshiaki; 22 May 1924 – 5 June 2018) was a Japanese physicist. Arata was one of the pioneering researchers into nuclear fusion in Japan and a former professor at Osaka University. He was reported to be a strong nationalist, speaking only Japanese in public. He received the Order of Culture in 2006. Arata started researching and publishing in the field of cold fusion around 1998, together with his colleague Yue Chang Zhang.
Hideo Den (田 英夫 Den Hideo, June 9, 1923 - November 13, 2009) was a Japanese news presenter, politician, and for 34 of…Hideo Den (田 英夫 Den Hideo, June 9, 1923 - November 13, 2009) was a Japanese news presenter, politician, and for 34 of the years between 1971 and 2007, a member of the House of Councillors for the Social Democratic Party. From 1978 to 1985, he was also the president of the Socialist Democratic Federation. In 1947 he joined the Kyodo News company as a reporter. In 1962 he became a news presenter for TBS 's television news program. He was the grandson of Den Kenjiro.
Kinuko Emi (江見絹子, Emi Kinuko; born Ogino Kinuko, 荻野絹子, on June 7, 1923, died on January 13, 2015) was a Japanese…Kinuko Emi (江見絹子, Emi Kinuko; born Ogino Kinuko, 荻野絹子, on June 7, 1923, died on January 13, 2015) was a Japanese painter. Emi is best known for her abstract painting in bold colors featuring the motif of four classical elements (fire, air, water, and earth). At the 31st Venice Biennale in 1962, Emi's work was exhibited in the Japan Pavilion alongside that of four male artists, making her the first Japanese woman artist to be shown at the country's Pavilion. She had retrospective exhibitions at the Yokohama Civic Art Gallery in 1996, the Museum of Modern Art, Kamakura in 2004 and Himeji City Museum of Art in 2010. Emi's works are in the collection of the National Museum of Art, Osaka, the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, the Museum of Modern Art, Kamakura & Hayama, Yokohama Museum of Art, and Takamatsu Art Museum, among others. Emi's daughter, Anna Ogino, is an Akutagawa Prize-winning novelist and emeritus professor of French literature at Keio University, Tokyo, who serves as the custodian of her mother's works and legacy.
Yuriko, Princess Mikasa (崇仁親王妃百合子, Takahito Shinnōhi Yuriko) (born Yuriko Takagi (高木百合子, Takagi Yuriko), 4 June 1923 –…Yuriko, Princess Mikasa (崇仁親王妃百合子, Takahito Shinnōhi Yuriko) (born Yuriko Takagi (高木百合子, Takagi Yuriko), 4 June 1923 – 15 November 2024) was a member of the Imperial House of Japan as the wife of Takahito, Prince Mikasa, the fourth son of Emperor Taishō and Empress Teimei. The Princess was the last surviving paternal great-aunt by marriage of Emperor Naruhito and, before her death, was the oldest member of the imperial family, and the final living member who was born in the Taishō era.
Masutatsu Ōyama (born Choi Yeong-eui; 27 July 1923 – 26 April 1994), commonly known outside Japan as Mas Oyama, was a…Masutatsu Ōyama (born Choi Yeong-eui; 27 July 1923 – 26 April 1994), commonly known outside Japan as Mas Oyama, was a Korean-Japanese karateka. He was the founder of Kyokushin Karate, considered the first and most influential style of full contact karate.
Umetsugu Inoue (井上 梅次, Inoue Umetsugu; May 31, 1923 – February 11, 2010) was a Japanese film director and scriptwriter.…Umetsugu Inoue (井上 梅次, Inoue Umetsugu; May 31, 1923 – February 11, 2010) was a Japanese film director and scriptwriter. He directed 115 movies, wrote 101 screenplays, and is credited with the original story for five films. In addition, he worked with all six major Japanese film production companies. His film work extended to Hong Kong, and he provided technical guidance for movies there from 1966 to 1970. He was married to the actress Yumeji Tsukioka from 1957 until his death. On 11 February 2010, Inoue died from a cerebral hemorrhage at a hospital in Minato, Tokyo.
Juzo Sanada (真田 重蔵, Sanada Jūzō; May 27, 1923 – May 30, 1994) was a Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher. From 1948 to…Juzo Sanada (真田 重蔵, Sanada Jūzō; May 27, 1923 – May 30, 1994) was a Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher. From 1948 to 1954 he went by the name of Shigeo Sanada.
Seijun Suzuki (鈴木 清順, Suzuki Seijun), born Seitaro Suzuki (鈴木 清太郎, Suzuki Seitarō) (24 May 1923 – 13 February 2017)…Seijun Suzuki (鈴木 清順, Suzuki Seijun), born Seitaro Suzuki (鈴木 清太郎, Suzuki Seitarō) (24 May 1923 – 13 February 2017), was a Japanese filmmaker, actor, and screenwriter. His films are known for their florid visual style, absurd humour, and a playful rejection of traditional film grammar. He made 40 predominately B-movies for the Nikkatsu Company between 1956 and 1967, working most prolifically in the yakuza genre. His increasingly surreal style began to draw the ire of the studio in 1963 and culminated in his ultimate dismissal for what is now regarded as his magnum opus, Branded to Kill (1967), starring notable collaborator Joe Shishido. Suzuki successfully sued the studio for wrongful dismissal, but he was blacklisted for 10 years after that. As an independent filmmaker, he won critical acclaim and a Japanese Academy Award for his Taishō trilogy, Zigeunerweisen (1980), Kagero-za (1981) and Yumeji (1991). His films remained widely unknown outside Japan until a series of theatrical retrospectives beginning in the mid-1980s, home video releases of key films such as Branded to Kill and Tokyo Drifter in the late 1990s and tributes by such acclaimed filmmakers as Jim Jarmusch, Takeshi Kitano, Wong Kar-wai and Quentin Tarantino signaled his international discovery. Suzuki continued making films, albeit sporadically, until the early 2000s.
Murasaki Fujima (藤間紫, Fujima Murasaki; 24 May 1923 – 27 March 2009) was a Japanese actress and dancer who appeared in…Murasaki Fujima (藤間紫, Fujima Murasaki; 24 May 1923 – 27 March 2009) was a Japanese actress and dancer who appeared in more than 75 films.
Shinzo Maeda (前田真三, Maeda Shinzō; 1922–1998) was a Japanese photographer famous for landscape photographs and movies.…Shinzo Maeda (前田真三, Maeda Shinzō; 1922–1998) was a Japanese photographer famous for landscape photographs and movies. He published 46 photography books in Japan, and founded the Tankei Photo Agency Co. The Shinzo Maeda Photo Art Gallery in Biei, Hokkaidō, opened in 1987, and exhibits a number of his Hokkaidō photographs. One of his movies, Tower on the Hill of Japan's Biei region, is often shown in HDTV format.
Reiko Miyagi (27 May 1922 – 1 June 2008) was a Japanese tennis player of the 1950s and 1960s. She was the elder sister…Reiko Miyagi (27 May 1922 – 1 June 2008) was a Japanese tennis player of the 1950s and 1960s. She was the elder sister of grand slam doubles champion Atsushi Miyagi. Miyagi was born in Ōta City, near the grounds of the Denen Coliseum where she trained. A four-time Asian Games gold medalist, Miyagi won a record thirty titles at the All Japan Championships across singles and doubles. Ten of those national titles were in singles, including eight that Miyagi won consecutively from 1956 to 1963. In 1964 she was a member of Japan's first ever Federation Cup team and made the singles second round of that year's U.S. National Championships, losing to Billie Jean Moffitt. Miyagi was the Japanese Federation Cup coach from 1978 to 1982.
Sadao Bekku (別宮貞雄, Bekku Sadao; May 24, 1922, in Tokyo – January 12, 2012, in Mitaka, Tokyo) was a Japanese classical…Sadao Bekku (別宮貞雄, Bekku Sadao; May 24, 1922, in Tokyo – January 12, 2012, in Mitaka, Tokyo) was a Japanese classical composer. His works include five symphonies, film scores, a flute sonata, a piano concerto, choral work and art songs, and the opera, Prince Arima. His work took strong influence from jazz. His best-known works include the film score Matango (1963).
Akira Mikazuki (三ヶ月 章, Mikazuki Akira; 20 June 1921 – 14 November 2010) was a Japanese politician who served as the…Akira Mikazuki (三ヶ月 章, Mikazuki Akira; 20 June 1921 – 14 November 2010) was a Japanese politician who served as the Minister of Justice and Professor Emeritus at the University of Tokyo. He was a leading figure in civil procedure scholarship.
Yasuhiro Ishimoto (石元 泰博, Ishimoto Yasuhiro; June 14, 1921 – February 6, 2012) was a Japanese-American photographer.…Yasuhiro Ishimoto (石元 泰博, Ishimoto Yasuhiro; June 14, 1921 – February 6, 2012) was a Japanese-American photographer. His decades-long career explored expressions of modernist design in traditional architecture, the quiet anxieties of urban life in Tokyo and Chicago, and the camera's capacity to bring out the abstract in the everyday and seemingly concrete fixtures of the world around him. Born in the United States and raised in Japan, Ishimoto returned to the States as a young adult as the Second World War began to escalate, and was soon after sent to the Amache Internment Camp in Colorado after the signing of Executive Order 9066. After the war, he studied photography at the Bauhaus-inspired Institute of Design (ID) at the Illinois Institute of Technology, and established a robust photographic practice between the United States and Japan. As a transnational interlocutor between Japanese and American art and architecture circles, Ishimoto played a prominent role in bringing visions of Japanese architectural modernism to audiences abroad. His photographs of the Katsura Imperial Villa, taken in 1953-54 and published in 1960 as Katsura: Tradition and Creation in Japanese Architecture, were widely celebrated in architecture and design circles for evoking the formal, geometric purity of the villa’s structural details with a deep sensitivity towards the atmospheric qualities of the space. The book, which features accompanying essays by Kenzō Tange and Walter Gropius, was instrumental in stimulating the discourse surrounding modernism’s relationship to tradition in Japanese architecture. Ishimoto’s work was exhibited widely in the United States and Japan during his lifetime, and two of his photographs were featured in the monumental 1955 Museum of Modern Art exhibition The Family of Man. He maintained close ties to Chicago and published a series titled Chicago, Chicago in 1969. In tandem with his architectural photographs, Ishimoto was a prolific recorder of everyday life. His photographs of streetscapes and ordinary people captured the candor, anxiety, paradoxes, and joy of modern urban life through a sensitive and deliberate lens.
Setsuko Hara (原 節子, Hara Setsuko; born Masae Aida (会田 昌江); 17 June 1920 – 5 September 2015) was a Japanese actress. She…Setsuko Hara (原 節子, Hara Setsuko; born Masae Aida (会田 昌江); 17 June 1920 – 5 September 2015) was a Japanese actress. She is best known for her performances in Yasujirō Ozu's films Late Spring (1949), Tokyo Story (1953) and Tokyo Twilight (1957), amongst many others, and for working extensively with director Mikio Naruse. She is widely considered to be one of the greatest Japanese film actresses of all time.
Tadao Umesao (梅棹 忠夫, Umesao Tadao; June 13, 1920 – July 3, 2010) was a Japanese anthropologist. A professor for decades…Tadao Umesao (梅棹 忠夫, Umesao Tadao; June 13, 1920 – July 3, 2010) was a Japanese anthropologist. A professor for decades at Kyoto University, he was also among the founders and the director-general of National Museum of Ethnology in Osaka, Japan. A number of Umesao's theories were influential on anthropologists, and his work was also well known among the general population of Japan.
Eiji Okada (岡田 英次, Okada Eiji; 13 June 1920 – 14 September 1995) was a Japanese film actor from Chōshi, Chiba. Okada…Eiji Okada (岡田 英次, Okada Eiji; 13 June 1920 – 14 September 1995) was a Japanese film actor from Chōshi, Chiba. Okada served in the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II and was a miner and traveling salesman before becoming an actor. Internationally, his best-remembered roles include Lui ("him" in French) in the 1959 film Hiroshima mon amour, directed by Alain Resnais. In this film, Eiji Okada had to learn the screenplay phonetically because he did not speak French. He is also known for playing the entomologist Niki Junpei in Hiroshi Teshigahara's 1964 film Woman in the Dunes, an adaptation of Kōbō Abe's novel. He was also second billed under Marlon Brando in the 1963 political thriller The Ugly American. Okada was married to Aiko Wasa, with whom he ran a theatre company in Japan. He died on 14 September 1995 of heart failure, at the age of 75.
Shōtarō Akiyama (秋山 庄太郎, Akiyama Shōtarō; June 8, 1920 – January 16, 2003) was a renowned Japanese photographer. Over a…Shōtarō Akiyama (秋山 庄太郎, Akiyama Shōtarō; June 8, 1920 – January 16, 2003) was a renowned Japanese photographer. Over a career spanning more than half a century he became one of Japan's most popular photographers, known for his portraits of actresses and magazine models, his nude and glamour photography, and photographs of flowers, which he took up as a life's work from his mid-forties onward.
Gengo Matsui ( 松井源吾, Matsui Gengo, 1920-1996) was a prominent Japanese structural engineer and professor at Waseda…Gengo Matsui ( 松井源吾, Matsui Gengo, 1920-1996) was a prominent Japanese structural engineer and professor at Waseda University. Throughout his career, he collaborated with several renowned Japanese architects including Kiyonori Kikutake (1928–2011), Kisho Kurokawa (1934–2007), Toyo Ito (born 1941), and Shigeru Ban (born 1957). Gengo Matsui was active both in academia and in practice through his research lab at Waseda University and through his structural design office O.R.S., namely. He is best known for the structural design of several iconic buildings of Japanese metabolism like the Nakagin Capsule Tower (1972), the Osaka Expo Tower (1970), and the Miyakonojo Civic Center (1966). The ability to work at different scales and using different materials allowed Matsui creating a dense network of interdisciplinary collaborations and a wide range of different projects. In the early 1960s, his experiments with reinforced concrete also in collaboration with the architect Kikutake led to the patenting of the void slab system in Japan, a novel cast-in-situ slab system still largely used today in Japan. Towards the end of his career, Matsui engaged with Shigeru Ban's paper architecture series, developing design solutions in such a way to activate cardboard elements as actual load-bearing elements. Matsui also engaged in research related to wood joinery and modular steel structures, such as Toyo Ito's Silver Hut or Kikutake's Osaka Expo Tower. Among architects and collaborators, Matsui was known for consistently using photoelasticity to understand and explain the behavior of structures. He used photoelastic experiments both as a visual tool to investigate force flows within structural members as well as a tool to communicate structural design ideas to architects. After Matsui retired from Waseda University, the Matsui Gengo Prize for structural design was established. A total of 15 honorable contributions to the field of structural design were awarded with the Matsui Gengo Prize between 1991 and 2005. Among the winners were the Irish structural engineer Peter Rice for his work on the Kansai International Airport (awarded in 1995) and the British Sri Lankan engineer Cecil Balmond for his work on the Ito-Balmond Serpentine Pavilion (awarded in 2003).
Enju Kato (Japanese: 加藤 円住 Kato Enju; 10 June 1919 – 9 December 2021) was a Japanese bhikkhu and politician. An…Enju Kato (Japanese: 加藤 円住 Kato Enju; 10 June 1919 – 9 December 2021) was a Japanese bhikkhu and politician. An Independent, he served on the Okazaki City Council from 1967 to 1984.
Yasuo Hisamatsu (6 June 1919 – 15 June 1982) was a Japanese actor, voice actor, television executive, and educator. In…Yasuo Hisamatsu (6 June 1919 – 15 June 1982) was a Japanese actor, voice actor, television executive, and educator. In 1959 he was made director of the Pacific Television Corporation. He was the first president of the Seiji Juku; a school for actors in Tokyo that was founded by Aoni Production. Some of his credits include the roles of Antares in Galaxy Express 999 and its film adaptation, Quincy Harker in The Tomb of Dracula, Narrator in Arrow Emblem: Hawk of the Grand Prix, Genzo Umon in Uchu Enban Daisenso, Merlin in King Arthur, Mihara in Lady from Hell, and Kajiwara's messenger in The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail.
Akeo Watanabe (渡邉 暁雄, Watanabe Akeo; 1919–1990) was a Japanese symphonic conductor, known for his recordings of the…Akeo Watanabe (渡邉 暁雄, Watanabe Akeo; 1919–1990) was a Japanese symphonic conductor, known for his recordings of the works of Jean Sibelius. Watanabe was born in 1919 to a Japanese father and Finnish mother. He studied violin and conducted at the Tokyo Music School and the Juilliard School of Music in New York City, USA. His conducting premiere was with the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra in 1945. He was music director of the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra from 1948 to 1954 (Kennedy 2006). In 1956, Watanabe founded the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra and continued as its resident conductor until 1968. In 1970, he became music director of the Kyoto Symphony Orchestra, and remained so until 1972. From 1972 to 1978, he was the music director of the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra. In 1978, he once again became resident conductor of the newly reformed Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, with whom he stayed until 1983. In 1988, he became the music director of the Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra, and remained there until 1990. He was also a professor of conducting at the Tokyo University of the Arts from 1962 to 1967 (Kennedy 2006). Watanabe was a regular guest conductor with orchestras in the United States and Europe (Kennedy 2006). Watanabe made the first complete set of recordings of Sibelius' symphonies in stereophonic sound with the Japan Philharmonic from 1960 to 1962 for the Nippon Columbia Company (these were released on Columbia's Epic label in the United States). He re-recorded the Sibelius symphony cycle in digital sound with the same orchestra in 1981 for Denon. Watanabe died in 1990. Japan Philharmonic Orchestra records note that he remained as music director of the orchestra, which he founded, until his death.
Kōichi Sako (1918-2010) was a Japanese photographer. Sako was born in Yoshiura-cho, Kure City, Hiroshima Prefecture.…Kōichi Sako (1918-2010) was a Japanese photographer. Sako was born in Yoshiura-cho, Kure City, Hiroshima Prefecture. When the atomic bomb fell on Hiroshima, he was 27 years old and working in Kure City. Although the bombing did not directly harm him, he was exposed to radiation when he entered Hiroshima city a few days later. He died in Hiroshima when he was 92 years old in 2010. In 1952, Asahi Camera Yearbook published his Rural Family, and he began to contribute his photographs to various photography magazines and annuals actively. He also received instruction from Masaoka Kunio, a Chugoku Photographers Group member, and Akita Heihachiro, who had formed the Koyo Camera Club. In 1954, the newly established Nikakai Association of Photographers selected his work for the first time. He exhibited with them for 18 consecutive years until 1972. He also regularly contributed photographs to the avant-garde poetry coterie magazine VOU, which was presided over by the poet Katsué Kitasono. Sako also wrote poetry. In his youth, he dreamt of becoming a poet but was inspired by the camera boom of the time, so he thought to use poetic imagery for his photographic expression. However, Sako realized later that photography and poetry are essentially two different forms of expression and began to search for an expression unique to photography. Based on the premise that merely realistically capturing the subject is not all there is to photography, he sought the realm of abstract expression. In 1954, the subjektive fotografie 2 exhibition exhibited his Fushin. It was held in Saarbrücken, Germany, and Paris, France. Yusaku Kamekura first introduced the Subjective photography movement, first coined by German photographer Otto Steinert, to Japan in the May 1954 issue of Camera. Two years later, Shuzo Takiguchi and others founded the Japan Subjectivist Photography League, and the movement flourished. It was not limited to abstract, documentary, experimental techniques, or straight photography. It was based on individual subjectivity. At the time, Japan had been liberated from wartime repression of avant-garde artistic expression and found international support. Sako was one of the beneficiaries of the momentum of the Subjective photography movement. Five of his works were included in international exhibitions such as The Sense of Abstraction at the Museum of Modern Art in New York (1960).