Toshio Kuroda (黒田 俊雄, Kuroda Toshio; January 21, 1926 – January 26, 1993) was a Japanese academic, historian and…Toshio Kuroda (黒田 俊雄, Kuroda Toshio; January 21, 1926 – January 26, 1993) was a Japanese academic, historian and university professor. A specialist in medieval Japanese history and in the history of Japanese thought, he greatly influenced Japanese historiography with several innovative and controversial theories. His ideas were the opposite of what mainstream academics at the time believed, and for this reason his name is often at the center of controversies. His work has been called "seminal", "epochal" and "revolutionary".
Kōichirō Tomita (冨田 弘一郎, Tomita Kōichirō; 16 February 1925 – 22 May 2006) was a Japanese astronomer, discoverer of…Kōichirō Tomita (冨田 弘一郎, Tomita Kōichirō; 16 February 1925 – 22 May 2006) was a Japanese astronomer, discoverer of minor planets and comets. The fireball passed over west Japan and was recorded by photos and a sketch. Kōichirō Tomita identified that it was the Kosmos 133 spacecraft (30 November 1966). He is credited by the Minor Planet Center with the discovery of 9 numbered minor planets during 1978–1982, such as 2252 CERGA, 3056 INAG, 3765 Texereau, 4051 Hatanaka. He is the author of at least one astronomy book (in Japanese) about comets (which was translated and published in Russian in 1982). The Nysa asteroid 2391 Tomita is named after him.
Hajime Katō (加藤一, Katō Hajime) (1925–2000) was a Japanese painter and designer. He was born in Kanda, Tokyo. Before…Hajime Katō (加藤一, Katō Hajime) (1925–2000) was a Japanese painter and designer. He was born in Kanda, Tokyo. Before becoming a painter, he was a professional keirin cyclist. In 1958 he emigrated to France. He died in Paris and was laid to rest in the Montparnasse Cemetery.
Masashige Narusawa (Japanese: 成沢昌茂, Narusawa Masashige; 29 January 1925 – 13 February 2021) was a Japanese screenwriter…Masashige Narusawa (Japanese: 成沢昌茂, Narusawa Masashige; 29 January 1925 – 13 February 2021) was a Japanese screenwriter and director.
Yasuji Mori (森康二, Mori Yasuji; January 28, 1925 – September 5, 1992) was an animator who worked with Toei Animation…Yasuji Mori (森康二, Mori Yasuji; January 28, 1925 – September 5, 1992) was an animator who worked with Toei Animation, while it was still known as Toei Doga. He was also a famous illustrator of children's books. Mori was responsible for one of the major animation styles within Toei Animation. In The Little Prince and the Eight-Headed Dragon Mori was the first to be credited as animation director in Japan, although Akira Daikubara had the same post on The Tale of the White Serpent but was not credited as that. As a senior animator he formed many of the great animators of the next generation (including Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, Yasuo Ōtsuka, and Yoichi Kotabe). He later left Toei Animation to work with Nippon Animation.
Buichi Saitō (斎藤武市, Saitō Buichi; 27 January 1925 – January 2011) was a Japanese film director from Saitama Prefecture.…Buichi Saitō (斎藤武市, Saitō Buichi; 27 January 1925 – January 2011) was a Japanese film director from Saitama Prefecture. His representative works included Wataridori series starring Akira Kobayashi, Farewell to Southern Tosa(1959) and Gazing at Love and Death(1964). Saitō often worked with Akira Kobayashi, Joe Shishido and Sayuri Yoshinaga. After graduating Waseda University, he joined Shochiku Film and started working as an assistant director under Yasujirō Ozu and Kōzaburō Yoshimura etc. In 1954, he transferred to Nikkatsu Film and made his director debut in the 1956 film Anesan no Oyomeiri.
Tōichirō Kinoshita (木下東一郎, Kinoshita Tōichirō ; January 23, 1925 – March 23, 2023) was a Japanese-born American…Tōichirō Kinoshita (木下東一郎, Kinoshita Tōichirō ; January 23, 1925 – March 23, 2023) was a Japanese-born American theoretical physicist. Kinoshita was born in Tokyo on January 23, 1925. He studied physics at the University of Tokyo, earning his bachelor's degree in 1947 and then his PhD in 1952. Afterwards he spent two years as a postdoctoral researcher of the Institute of Advanced Study, Princeton, New Jersey, and then one year at Columbia University. His research interests included quantum field theory, and the Standard Model. Kinoshita worked at the Newman Laboratory of Nuclear Studies at Cornell University from 1955. He was at first a research associate. In 1958 he became assistant professor, and in 1960 associate professor. He became a full professor in 1963, and in 1992 he was appointed Goldwin Smith professor. In 1995 he retired from Cornell as professor emeritus. In 1962–63 he was a Ford Fellow at CERN. He was a guest professor at the University of Tokyo, at CERN, at the national laboratory for high-energy physics KEK in Japan, and at RIKEN in Japan. Kinoshita was known for his extensive and detailed calculations of quantum electrodynamics (QED), the theory of the interaction of light and matter, on which physicist Abraham Pais called him the "expert among experts". QED is often described as the most accurate physical theory in existence. Among the best-known examples are Kinoshita's calculations of the anomalous magnetic moments of the electron and the muon.
Fubuki Koshiji (越路 吹雪; 18 February 1924 – 7 November 1980), real name Mihoko Kouno (内藤 美保子), was a Japanese singer and…Fubuki Koshiji (越路 吹雪; 18 February 1924 – 7 November 1980), real name Mihoko Kouno (内藤 美保子), was a Japanese singer and actress. She joined the Takarazuka Revue in 1939. Though she was recognized as a star at Takarazuka, she left in 1951. When she chose to leave the troupe, Koshiji's friend, Tokiko Iwatani, also quit to manage Koshiji's budding career in film, made possible by the liberalization that took place during and after the occupation of Japan. Throughout the 1950s, Koshiji appeared in productions that merged the arts of shinpa, shingeki, and kabuki. Known as the "Queen of Chanson" (シャンソンの女王, Shanson no Joō), Koshiji was influenced by French singer Édith Piaf. She released Japanese-language covers of Piaf's "Hymne à l'amour" in 1951, "Tombe la neige" by Salvatore Adamo, and "C'est si bon". Koshiji was married to composer Tsunemi Naitō. She died in Tokyo of stomach cancer at the age of 56. Koshiji's final words, addressed to her husband, were "Tsunemi-san, black coffee and milk." She is the subject of "Koshiji Fubuki Monogatari", a television production of TV Asahi in Japan with Takimoto Miori playing the role of Fubuki Koshiji.
Chin Shunshin or Chen Shunchen (陳 舜臣) (18 February 1924 – 21 January 2015) was a Taiwanese-Japanese novelist…Chin Shunshin or Chen Shunchen (陳 舜臣) (18 February 1924 – 21 January 2015) was a Taiwanese-Japanese novelist, translator and cultural critic. He is best known for his historical fictions and mystery novels based on Chinese and Asian history, including First Opium War, Chinese History, Ryukyu Wind. He won numerous literary awards, including the Yoshikawa Eiji Prize for Literature and the Naoki Prize.
Kihachi Okamoto (岡本 喜八, Okamoto Kihachi; February 17, 1924 – February 19, 2005) was a Japanese film director who worked…Kihachi Okamoto (岡本 喜八, Okamoto Kihachi; February 17, 1924 – February 19, 2005) was a Japanese film director who worked in several different genres.
Etsuko Inada (稲田 悦子, Inada Etsuko; Hiragana: いなだ えつこ; February 8, 1924 – July 8, 2003) was a Japanese figure skater who…Etsuko Inada (稲田 悦子, Inada Etsuko; Hiragana: いなだ えつこ; February 8, 1924 – July 8, 2003) was a Japanese figure skater who mostly competed in singles. She was the first female athlete to represent Japan at the Winter Olympics.
Akira Kume (久米 明, Kume Akira; February 8, 1924 – April 23, 2020) was a Japanese actor, voice actor, and narrator. As of…Akira Kume (久米 明, Kume Akira; February 8, 1924 – April 23, 2020) was a Japanese actor, voice actor, and narrator. As of 2019, with his role as the narrator of the NHK show Tsurube's Salute to Families, he was the world's oldest active voice actor.
Ryōhei Uchida (内田良平, Uchida Ryōhei; 5 February 1924 – 15 June 1984) was a Japanese actor. Uchida appeared in nearly 300…Ryōhei Uchida (内田良平, Uchida Ryōhei; 5 February 1924 – 15 June 1984) was a Japanese actor. Uchida appeared in nearly 300 films between 1950 and 1984. He specialized in playing villains and yakuza roles. He got acquainted with film director Masaki Kobayashi through a friend's introduction. He was able to sign his contract with Shochiku film company with the help of Kobayashi. In 1953, he made his film debut with Kabe Atsukiheya directed by Masaki Kobayashi. His first starring role in a film was playing Kazama in League of Gangsters (1963) directed by Kinji Fukasaku. He died of myocardial infarction on 15 June 1984 at the age of 60.
Jun-ichi Igusa (井草 凖一, Igusa Jun’ichi; 30 January 1924 – 24 November 2013) was a Japanese mathematician who for over…Jun-ichi Igusa (井草 凖一, Igusa Jun’ichi; 30 January 1924 – 24 November 2013) was a Japanese mathematician who for over three decades was on the faculty at Johns Hopkins University. He is known for his contributions to algebraic geometry and number theory. The Igusa zeta-function, the Igusa quartic, Igusa subgroups, Igusa curves, and Igusa varieties are named after him. He was an invited speaker for the 1962 International Congress of Mathematicians in Stockholm. He was awarded Japan's Order of the Sacred Treasure. In 2012 he became a fellow of the American Mathematical Society.
Ong Iok-tek (Ikutoku Ō; 王育德/王育徳; POJ: Ông Io̍k-tek; Hepburn:Ō Ikutoku: pinyin: Wáng Yùdé; Wade–Giles: Wang Yü-te; 30…Ong Iok-tek (Ikutoku Ō; 王育德/王育徳; POJ: Ông Io̍k-tek; Hepburn:Ō Ikutoku: pinyin: Wáng Yùdé; Wade–Giles: Wang Yü-te; 30 January 1924–9 September 1985) was a Taiwanese scholar and early leader of the Taiwan independence movement. He is considered to be an authority on the Southern Min language family and the Taiwanese language. He was born in Tainan Prefecture (modern-day Tainan), during Japanese rule, of a prominent family. He attended Tokyo Imperial University in 1943 but the ongoing World War II compelled him to return to Taiwan after a year. Following the war and handover of Taiwan he took a critical attitude toward the Kuomintang, one accentuated by the killing of his brother, Wang Yu-lin, a Tokyo-educated prosecutor, in the February 28 Incident. His own life threatened by the new regime, he fled to Japan in 1949 and spent the rest of his life there in addition to various other places. He resumed his studies in May 1950, and after completing his Ph.D. in 1969 at the University of Tokyo, he later taught Taiwanese at Meiji University in 1974. He also played a leading role in garnering support for the Taiwan independence movement within Japan. As a student he had joined Thomas Liao's Republic of Taiwan Provisional Government but became dissatisfied with it after two years. He established the Taiwan Youth Association in 1960 and published the organization's influential monthly Taiwan Seinen in Japanese (later for a time in Chinese) and Formosan Quarterly in English. The Taiwan Youth Association later changed its name to the Taiwan Youth Independence League. In the 1970s he was a leader in the campaign to secure compensation for the 200,000 Taiwanese who had served as soldiers under the Imperial Japanese military. In 1982 he served as a committee member of the Formosan Association for Public Affairs. Ong argued that Han people were a folk, and not a nation, and that Hakka and Hoklos are smaller folks within the Han. Ong further argued that after Japan modernized Taiwan, the Taiwanese nation was established with Taiwan being pre-national as the Japanese ruled it, and that modern capitalism creates a nation. Ong argued that Taiwanese people can become a nation within the state container if Taiwan becomes an independent state. Shaojin Chai, author of Taiwanese Nationalism: Situation Dependency and Elite Games, said that Ong's view of a nation is that it is "the modern construction of state" and that his concept "responded to the modernity of nationalism". Chai added that "Ong's Taiwanese nationalism theory indicates that nationalism precedes nation, and without a state, there could be no nation." Chai added that Ong and Thomas Liao were both perceived as Mainlanders in Taiwan and Chinese people in Mainland China, and hence were viewed as oppressors of Taiwanese people and non-Taiwanese. Chai explained that Ong placed emphasis on the "political construction" while Liao placed emphasis on "primordial criteria". In regards to reception to Ong's ideas, Chai said that Taiwanese people at the time of Ong's active period did believe they were a folk of Han people, even though they did have a strong provincial identity. Chai added that "Ong's argument was especially convincing to Holos [sic], but it is problematic when applied to indigenous peoples. Following his rationale, the different indigenous tribes also have to [sic] right to build their state to form their own nations."
Jun Fukuda (Japanese: 福田 純, Hepburn: Fukuda Jun; February 17, 1923 – December 3, 2000) was a Japanese film director…Jun Fukuda (Japanese: 福田 純, Hepburn: Fukuda Jun; February 17, 1923 – December 3, 2000) was a Japanese film director, screenwriter, and producer. He is best known for directing five entries in the Godzilla series for Toho starting with Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (1966) as well as the spy films Ironfinger (1965) and Golden Eyes (1968) starring Akira Takarada. Son of Godzilla (1967) has received particular attention from Godzilla fans. His next features with Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972) and Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973) were constrained with the extensive use of stock footage. His last Godzilla film Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974) was the first of numerous ones to feature the character of Mechagodzilla, which he co-wrote the screenplay for. While he did not particularly enjoy the five Godzilla films he made for Toho, he understood the appreciation the films had in some circles, particularly among children.
Sen Fujimoto (藤本泉; born February 15, 1923) was a Japanese novelist. She was best known for her Edogawa Rampo…Sen Fujimoto (藤本泉; born February 15, 1923) was a Japanese novelist. She was best known for her Edogawa Rampo Prize-winning work Toki wo Kizamu Ushio (時を刻む潮).
Hōji Shimanaka (嶋中 鵬二, Shimanaka Hōji; February 7, 1923 – April 3, 1997) was a Japanese magazine publisher who was the…Hōji Shimanaka (嶋中 鵬二, Shimanaka Hōji; February 7, 1923 – April 3, 1997) was a Japanese magazine publisher who was the president and publisher of the prominent monthly magazine Chūō Kōron for nearly five decades. According to Shimanaka's longtime friend and sometime rival Kengo Tanaka, the publisher of competing Bungei Shunjū magazine, "Shimanaka was a virtual synonym for Chūō Kōron." Under Shimanaka's leadership, Chūō Kōron became one of the best known and most widely read magazines in Japan, but in his final years as president he sunk the magazine deep into debt, causing it to be taken over by a rival publishing company. Shimanaka is also known for an attempt by a right-wing youth to assassinate him in February 1960, in what became known as the "Shimanaka Incident". Shimanaka was a close friend and the primary publisher of famed Japanese author Junichirō Tanizaki, and was a close friend to renowned American scholar of Japanese literature Donald Keene. Shimanaka's wife, Masako (1925–2004), was the daughter of the well-known political scientist Masamichi Rōyama.
Kitanonada Noboru (February 1, 1923 – January 8, 2002), born Noboru Ogata, was a sumo wrestler from Abashiri, Hokkaido…Kitanonada Noboru (February 1, 1923 – January 8, 2002), born Noboru Ogata, was a sumo wrestler from Abashiri, Hokkaido, Japan. His highest rank was sekiwake. He was ranked in the top makuuchi division from 1950 until 1962 and earned ten gold stars for defeating yokozuna. After his retirement from active competition he was an elder of the Japan Sumo Association and worked as a coach at Tatsunami stable until his mandatory retirement in 1988 upon reaching 65 years of age. He then became a sumo TV commentator.
Shōtarō Ikenami (池波 正太郎, Ikenami Shōtarō; January 25, 1923 – May 3, 1990) was a Japanese author. He wrote a number of…Shōtarō Ikenami (池波 正太郎, Ikenami Shōtarō; January 25, 1923 – May 3, 1990) was a Japanese author. He wrote a number of historical novels. He won the Naoki Award for popular literature in 1960. Many of his historical novels were adapted for TV and cinema.
Chang Do-yong (Korean: 장도영; 23 January 1923 – 3 August 2012) was a South Korean general, politician and professor who…Chang Do-yong (Korean: 장도영; 23 January 1923 – 3 August 2012) was a South Korean general, politician and professor who, as the Army Chief of Staff, played a decisive role in the May 16 coup and was the first chairman of the interim Supreme Council for National Reconstruction for a short time until his imprisonment.
Rentarō Mikuni (Japanese: 三國連太郎, Hepburn: Mikuni Rentarō; 20 January 1923 – 14 April 2013) was a Japanese actor and…Rentarō Mikuni (Japanese: 三國連太郎, Hepburn: Mikuni Rentarō; 20 January 1923 – 14 April 2013) was a Japanese actor and film director. He starred in several films of Keisuke Kinoshita, Mikio Naruse, Tadashi Imai, Shōhei Imamura, Tomu Uchida and many others. Mikuni received numerous awards for his performances and was awarded the Jury Prize at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival for his film Shinran: Path to Purity, which he wrote and directed.
Yutaka Matsuzawa (松澤宥, Matsuzawa Yutaka; February 2, 1922 – October 15, 2006) was a pioneer conceptual artist. He was…Yutaka Matsuzawa (松澤宥, Matsuzawa Yutaka; February 2, 1922 – October 15, 2006) was a pioneer conceptual artist. He was active from the 1950s until his death in central Japan.
Tarō Naka (Japanese: 那珂太郎, Hepburn: Naka Tarō; 23 January 1922 – 1 June 2014) was a prize-winning Japanese poet. He was…Tarō Naka (Japanese: 那珂太郎, Hepburn: Naka Tarō; 23 January 1922 – 1 June 2014) was a prize-winning Japanese poet. He was born Shōjirō Fukuda in Hakata, now Fukuoka, on the island of Kyushu in western Japan. At school he read, among others, Sakutarō Hagiwara, Friedrich Nietzsche, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Charles Baudelaire, and the Kyoto School philosopher Kitarō Nishida. In April 1941, he entered Tokyo Imperial University to study Japanese Literature. Some of his earliest poems dealing with the war and its immediate aftermath appeared in his debut collection, Etudes, in 1950, published by his high-school classmate Tokuo Date's Eureka Press. Between 1957 and 1964, Naka worked on what the critic Shōbin Hirai, among many others, considered his magnum opus, his 1965 collection Ongaku ('Music'). It was published by Shichōsha, Japan's foremost poetry publisher, in a limited edition of four hundred copies. It received widespread critical praise and was awarded the Yomiuri Prize and the Saisei Murō Prize. The collection is characterized by its high degree of attention to the interplay between the visual, phonetic and semantic aspects of words. In 2003, he composed a nō play, Shikōtei ('The First Emperor'), which was performed at the National Noh Theatre on 20 March 2014, a few months before Naka died from pneumonia in June 2014. An English translation of his work, Music: Selected Poems, was published by Isobar Press in July 2018.
Hirofumi Daimatsu (大松 博文, Daimatsu Hirofumi; 12 February 1921 – 24 November 1978) was a Japanese volleyball coach and a…Hirofumi Daimatsu (大松 博文, Daimatsu Hirofumi; 12 February 1921 – 24 November 1978) was a Japanese volleyball coach and a Japanese politician. He led Oriental Witches, nickname of "Nichibo Kaizuka", a factory volleyball team of Dai Nippon Spinning Co., Ltd. (later, Nichibo, thereafter, Unitika) in Kaizuka, Osaka given by the reports of European media when they achieved 24 consecutive victories against other national teams on the expedition to Europe, to world champion.
Yozo Matsushima (松島 与三, Matsushima Yozō; February 11, 1921 – April 9, 1983) was a Japanese mathematician, who made…Yozo Matsushima (松島 与三, Matsushima Yozō; February 11, 1921 – April 9, 1983) was a Japanese mathematician, who made important contributions to Differential Geometry and the theory of Lie Groups.
Junzō Shōno (庄野 潤三, Shōno Junzō; 9 February 1921 – 21 September 2009) was a Japanese novelist. A native of Osaka, he…Junzō Shōno (庄野 潤三, Shōno Junzō; 9 February 1921 – 21 September 2009) was a Japanese novelist. A native of Osaka, he began writing novels after World War II. He won the 1954 Akutagawa Prize for his book Purusaido Shokei (Poolside Scene). Shōno's other award-winning books include Seibutsu (Still Life), for which he won the Shinchosha literary prize, Yube no Kumo (Evening Clouds), which was awarded the 1965 Yomiuri Prize, and Eawase (Picture Cards) which took the Noma literary prize.
Akio Morita (盛田 昭夫, Morita Akio; January 26, 1921 – October 3, 1999) was a Japanese entrepreneur and co-founder of Sony…Akio Morita (盛田 昭夫, Morita Akio; January 26, 1921 – October 3, 1999) was a Japanese entrepreneur and co-founder of Sony along with Masaru Ibuka.
Masamine Sumitani (隅谷正峯; born Sumitani Yoichiro; 14 January 1921 – 12 December 1998) was a Japanese swordsmith.…Masamine Sumitani (隅谷正峯; born Sumitani Yoichiro; 14 January 1921 – 12 December 1998) was a Japanese swordsmith. Sumitani's family ran a soy-sauce manufacturing business, but rather than entering the family trade, Masamine opted to study at Ritsumeikan University, with a view to becoming a swordsmith, graduating in 1941 with a degree in mechanical engineering. After his graduation, Sumitani remained at Kyoto, studying (alongside Masayuki Nagare) under Sakurai Masayuki. When the University's sword studio was destroyed in a fire in 1942, Sumitani moved to Onomichi to continue his education at the Foundation of National Japanese Sword Studies and the Kokoku Japanese Sword Temper Workshop there. Sumitani settled in Mattō, Ishikawa. He worked in the Bizen tradition, and was noted for his choji midare or "clove patterns" along the hamon of his blades. As well as swords, Sumitani also specialised in the forging of tosu knives and was a practitioner of bachiru. In 1975 he co-founded the Zen Nihon Toshokai ("Japanese Swordsmith's Association"), and served as the group's Vice-Secretary.
Ryogo Kubo (久保 亮五, Kubo Ryōgo; February 15, 1920 – March 31, 1995) was a Japanese mathematical physicist, best known…Ryogo Kubo (久保 亮五, Kubo Ryōgo; February 15, 1920 – March 31, 1995) was a Japanese mathematical physicist, best known for his works in statistical physics and non-equilibrium statistical mechanics.
Toyoko Yoshino (吉野トヨ子, Yoshino Toyoko; 23 April 1920 – 24 January 2015) was a Japanese discus thrower. She competed at…Toyoko Yoshino (吉野トヨ子, Yoshino Toyoko; 23 April 1920 – 24 January 2015) was a Japanese discus thrower. She competed at the 1952, placing fourth, and the 1956 Summer Olympics. From 1949 until 1956 she became Japanese champion eight times in a row.
Kenzō Okuzaki (Japanese: 奥崎 謙三, Hepburn: Okuzaki Kenzō; 1 February 1920 – 16 June 2005) was a former Imperial Japanese…Kenzō Okuzaki (Japanese: 奥崎 謙三, Hepburn: Okuzaki Kenzō; 1 February 1920 – 16 June 2005) was a former Imperial Japanese Army soldier, writer, actor, anti-monarchist and anarchist. He was known for an attempted assault on Emperor Shōwa, and his starring role in the documentary The Emperor's Naked Army Marches On (1987).
Machiko Hasegawa (長谷川町子, Hasegawa Machiko; January 30, 1920 – May 27, 1992) was a Japanese manga artist and one of the…Machiko Hasegawa (長谷川町子, Hasegawa Machiko; January 30, 1920 – May 27, 1992) was a Japanese manga artist and one of the first female manga artists. She started her own comic strip, Sazae-san, in 1946. It reached national circulation via the Asahi Shimbun in 1949, and ran daily until Hasegawa decided to retire in February 1974. All of her comics were printed in Japan in digest comics; by the mid-1990s, Hasegawa's estate had sold over 60 million copies in Japan alone.
Kanzen Teruya (1920–2004) was an Okinawan physician who contributed much to the Okinawan medical world in post-World…Kanzen Teruya (1920–2004) was an Okinawan physician who contributed much to the Okinawan medical world in post-World War II days. He reported a mass Cycas revoluta (sago palm) poisoning in people living on Miyako-jima island in 1956. He later became a professor at the University of the Ryukyus (1978–1985).
Koichi Tohei (藤平光一, Tōhei Kōichi) (20 January 1920 – 19 May 2011) was a 10th Dan aikidoka and founder of the Ki Society…Koichi Tohei (藤平光一, Tōhei Kōichi) (20 January 1920 – 19 May 2011) was a 10th Dan aikidoka and founder of the Ki Society and its style of aikido, officially Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido (literally "aikido with mind and body unified"), but commonly known as Ki-Aikido.
Toru Nakagawa (February 14, 1919 – September 24, 2002), known by his pen name Tetsuya Ayukawa (鮎川 哲也, Ayukawa Tetsuya)…Toru Nakagawa (February 14, 1919 – September 24, 2002), known by his pen name Tetsuya Ayukawa (鮎川 哲也, Ayukawa Tetsuya), was a Japanese literary critic and novelist. He is noted for his Detective Onitsura Series of mystery stories.
Ken Harada (原田 憲, Harada Ken; 12 February 1919 – 29 January 1997) was a member of the Diet of Japan from the Liberal…Ken Harada (原田 憲, Harada Ken; 12 February 1919 – 29 January 1997) was a member of the Diet of Japan from the Liberal Democratic Party until resigning his office on 24 January 1989 following alleged involvement in the Recruit scandal, where Harada admitted Recruit had given him donations, in the form of seasonal summer gifts, for ten years. While the donations were not illegal, they raised questions of political ethics which eventually led Harada to resign. As a member of the Diet, Harada served as Director-General of the Economic Planning Agency, and earned the close trust of Prime Minister Noboru Takeshita. He was the third minister to resign over the scandal. Harada had been appointed to direct the Economic Planning Agency only one month before his resignation. After party officials had already placed him as the chair of a committee in charge of investigating the Recruit stock scandal, where he had concluded that nothing illegal had taken place. In 1992, Harada backed Keizō Obuchi as new leader of the Liberal Democratic Party. Kōichirō Aino replaced Harada as Minister of Economic Planning.
Kazuo Iwama (岩間 和夫, Iwama Kazuo; 1919–1982) was a Japanese engineer who became the president of Sony. Iwama was born in…Kazuo Iwama (岩間 和夫, Iwama Kazuo; 1919–1982) was a Japanese engineer who became the president of Sony. Iwama was born in Nagoya and studied geophysics. He worked in a seismology laboratory at the University of Tokyo until 1946, when Akio Morita hired him to work at a predecessor of Sony. By 1950, he was a director of the company. At Sony, he helped introduce the first Japanese transistor radio in 1954, and the first transistor television set in 1960. He headed the Sony Corporation of America from 1971 to 1973, and became president of Sony from 1976 until his death of colon cancer on August 25, 1982.
Takashi Yanase (やなせ たかし, Yanase Takashi, February 6, 1919 – October 13, 2013) was a Japanese manga artist and writer…Takashi Yanase (やなせ たかし, Yanase Takashi, February 6, 1919 – October 13, 2013) was a Japanese manga artist and writer, poet, illustrator and lyricist. He is known as the creator of the picture book and animated series Anpanman. Yanase was chairman of the Japan Cartoonists Association from May 2000 to 2012.
Miyoko Mitsui (三井 美代子, Mitsui Miyoko; 23 January 1919 – 28 April 2007) was a Japanese hurdler. She competed in the…Miyoko Mitsui (三井 美代子, Mitsui Miyoko; 23 January 1919 – 28 April 2007) was a Japanese hurdler. She competed in the women's 80 metres hurdles at the 1936 Summer Olympics.
Tenkōkō Sonoda (園田 天光光, Sonoda Tenkōkō; 23 January 1919 – 29 January 2015) was a Japanese politician who was a member…Tenkōkō Sonoda (園田 天光光, Sonoda Tenkōkō; 23 January 1919 – 29 January 2015) was a Japanese politician who was a member of the Japanese Diet from 1946–1952. In 1950, she became the first woman in Japanese political history to have a baby while in office.
Yasuhiko Kuroe (黒江 保彦, Kuroe Yasuhiko; 17 February 1918 – 5 December 1965) was a fighter ace in the Imperial Japanese…Yasuhiko Kuroe (黒江 保彦, Kuroe Yasuhiko; 17 February 1918 – 5 December 1965) was a fighter ace in the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) during World War II. He participated in various campaigns in Southeast Asia. He was officially credited with destroying 30 enemy aircraft. After the war he served in the new Japanese Self Defence Force (JSDF).
Lieutenant Commander Junichi Sasai (笹井 醇一, Sasai Jun'ichi; February 13, 1918 – August 26, 1942) was a Japanese naval…Lieutenant Commander Junichi Sasai (笹井 醇一, Sasai Jun'ichi; February 13, 1918 – August 26, 1942) was a Japanese naval aviator and fighter ace of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. Sasai was killed leading his fighter squadron during an attack on Henderson Field during the Battle of Guadalcanal.
Ryō Ikebe (池部 良, Ikebe Ryō; 11 February 1918 – 8 October 2010) was a Japanese actor. He graduated from Rikkyō…Ryō Ikebe (池部 良, Ikebe Ryō; 11 February 1918 – 8 October 2010) was a Japanese actor. He graduated from Rikkyō University and originally wanted to be a director, but ended up debuting as an actor at Tōhō in 1941. He did not achieve popularity until starring in a series of youth films in the late 1940s. He expanded his acting range in the 1950s, while still frequently appearing in genre films, such as Tōhō tokusatsu films and yakuza films at Tōei. One key role of his was in the 1964 film noir Pale Flower. Apparently, he was cast by Masahiro Shinoda despite saying that he was a "ham actor". Shinoda stated that he cast him because of his sleek features present in films such as Early Spring (1956) and wanted to feel the "quality of a man down on his luck." (at the time of production, Ikebe happened to be at home because of a bad experience he had acting in a play where he couldn't remember his lines). He was also known as an essayist. On 8 October 2010, he died of blood poisoning. He was 92 years old.
Yūzō Kawashima (川島雄三, Kawashima Yūzō; 4 February 1918 – 11 June 1963) was a Japanese film director and screenwriter…Yūzō Kawashima (川島雄三, Kawashima Yūzō; 4 February 1918 – 11 June 1963) was a Japanese film director and screenwriter known for his lively comedies.
Michiyo Kogure (木暮実千代, Kogure Michiyo) (31 January 1918 – 13 June 1990) was a Japanese film actress. She appeared in…Michiyo Kogure (木暮実千代, Kogure Michiyo) (31 January 1918 – 13 June 1990) was a Japanese film actress. She appeared in nearly 200 films in a career which spanned 45 years, starring in works by Akira Kurosawa, Kenji Mizoguchi, Yasujirō Ozu, Mikio Naruse, and others. Film historian Donald Richie once called her "[o]ne of Japan's most versatile actresses, and perhaps the most intellectual of all in her approach to acting."
