Noriaki Yuasa (湯浅 憲明, Yuasa Noriaki) (28 September 1933 – 14 June 2004) was a Japanese director. Yuasa was the main…
Noriaki Yuasa (湯浅 憲明, Yuasa Noriaki) (28 September 1933 – 14 June 2004) was a Japanese director. Yuasa was the main director of the Japanese film series Gamera; he directed seven of the first eight films in the series while also providing special effects for one of them, and became known as the "Father of Gamera" (Japanese: ガメラの父, Hepburn: Gamera no Chichi). The series was created by Daiei Film Studios after the box office success of the Toho Godzilla series. Yuasa's post-Daiei career for television dramas marks him as one of the best hitmakers among the domestic television industry during the 1970s.
Famous People Born under Libra
Libra: 1,973 people
Misako Watanabe (渡辺 美佐子, Watanabe Misako; born 23 October 1932) is a Japanese stage, film and television actress.
Goro Hasegawa (19 October 1932 – 20 June 2016) was a Japanese game designer known for creating the board game Othello.
Mototaka Kohama (小浜元孝, Kohama Mototaka) was a Japanese basketball Head coach for the Akita Isuzu Motors, Isuzu Motors…
Mototaka Kohama (小浜元孝, Kohama Mototaka) was a Japanese basketball Head coach for the Akita Isuzu Motors, Isuzu Motors Lynx/Giga Cats and Yokohama Giga Cats. He was known as the “Godfather of Japanese basketball,” and served as head coach of the Japan national basketball team three times. Growing up in Akita during WWII as a young boy, he was told to stop playing basketball because it was an American sport. The pioneer studied basketball coaching at the University of Kentucky.
Yasuo Kitamura (北村 康雄, Kitamura Yasuo; born 14 October 1932) is a Japanese former swimmer. He competed in the men's…
Yasuo Kitamura (北村 康雄, Kitamura Yasuo; born 14 October 1932) is a Japanese former swimmer. He competed in the men's 1500 metre freestyle at the 1952 Summer Olympics.
Yūichirō Miura (Japanese: 三浦 雄一郎, Hepburn: Miura Yūichirō; born October 12, 1932) is a Japanese speed skier and…
Yūichirō Miura (Japanese: 三浦 雄一郎, Hepburn: Miura Yūichirō; born October 12, 1932) is a Japanese speed skier and alpinist. In 1970, he became the first person to ski on Mount Everest. Forty-three years later, in 2013, he became the oldest person to summit Everest, at the age of 80. He was born in Aomori Prefecture and graduated from Hokkaido University. He was introduced to alpine sports by his father when he was in second grade. Peaks he has skied down include all the Seven Summits. The government of Japan named an award after him and he was recognized by Guinness World Records. He has made many public appearances and has worked with several companies and organizations.
Masanobu Deme (出目昌伸, Deme Masanobu; 2 October 1932 – 13 March 2016) was a Japanese film director.
Shigeharu Shiba (斯波 重治, Shiba Shigeharu; born October 1 1932 in Tokyo, Japan) is an anime audio director and producer.…
Shigeharu Shiba (斯波 重治, Shiba Shigeharu; born October 1 1932 in Tokyo, Japan) is an anime audio director and producer. He graduated from Mie Prefecture and went on to form the Jiyū Theatre Troupe. Shiba then joined Omnibus Promotion, where he worked on anime television series, OVAs, and movies. To the sound director Shigeru Chiba Lecturer introduction Advance Promotion Representative Akiko Takamura
Hiroyuki Itsuki (Japanese: 五木 寛之, born September 30, 1932) is a Japanese novelist, essayist and lyricist, best known in…
Hiroyuki Itsuki (Japanese: 五木 寛之, born September 30, 1932) is a Japanese novelist, essayist and lyricist, best known in Japan by his novel The Gate of Youth and in the English-speaking world by Tariki: Embracing Despair, Discovering Peace.
Genzō Wakayama (若山 弦蔵, Wakayama Genzō; September 27, 1932 — May 18, 2021) was a Japanese actor, voice actor and DJ. He…
Genzō Wakayama (若山 弦蔵, Wakayama Genzō; September 27, 1932 — May 18, 2021) was a Japanese actor, voice actor and DJ. He moved to Sapporo, Hokkaido as a youth and graduated from Sapporo South High School. Due to his low bass voice, Wakayama often voiced villainous or calm characters. He is the official Japanese dub-over artist of actors Sean Connery, Gene Barry, Raymond Burr, Hugh O'Brian and John Bromfield. Also, He was the first dub-over artist of Lee Marvin in his early days. As a disc jockey, Wakayama hosted a program on TBS Radio from 1973 to 1995 that ran for 5,700 installments. Wakayama also narrated over 800 episodes of the television jidaigeki The Unfettered Shogun from 1978 to 2003. He died due to heart failure on May 18, 2021. A private service was held by his family.
Tadao Nagahama (長浜 忠夫, Nagahama Tadao; September 26, 1932 – November 4, 1980 in Kagoshima) was a Japanese director of…
Tadao Nagahama (長浜 忠夫, Nagahama Tadao; September 26, 1932 – November 4, 1980 in Kagoshima) was a Japanese director of anime and puppet shows. He also wrote the lyrics for the anime's theme song under the name Akira Aoi (あおい あきら, Aoi Akira). Nagahama has produced hits in a wide variety of genres, including super robot, sports, and comedy. He is best known as the director of Sunrise and Toei's Robot Romance Trilogy, which added human drama to the Super Robot genre. He is also known as the director of several popular anime series that are still well known among Japanese viewers. His most famous work is the national hit, Star of the Giants, which contributed to the popularity of baseball in Japan.
Yoshiyuki Fukuda (福田 善之, Fukuda Yoshiyuki; Kōnosu Taizō (鴻巣 泰三), 21 October 1931 – 21 August 2025) was a Japanese…
Yoshiyuki Fukuda (福田 善之, Fukuda Yoshiyuki; Kōnosu Taizō (鴻巣 泰三), 21 October 1931 – 21 August 2025) was a Japanese playwright, screenwriter and director. Remembered as one of the founding figures of the Angura ("underground") theatre movement in Japan, Fukuda also served as chairman of the Japan Directors Association from 2003 to 2007.
Atsushi Miyagi (宮城淳, Miyagi Atsushi; 19 October 1931 – 24 February 2021) was a Japanese tennis player.
Ryuzo Hiraki (平木 隆三, Hiraki Ryūzō; October 7, 1931 – January 2, 2009) was a Japanese football player and manager. He…
Ryuzo Hiraki (平木 隆三, Hiraki Ryūzō; October 7, 1931 – January 2, 2009) was a Japanese football player and manager. He played for Japan national team.
Shōsuke Nakawa (奈河彰輔, Nakawa Shōsuke; October 6, 1931 – October 13, 2014) was a Japanese playwright and theater…
Shōsuke Nakawa (奈河彰輔, Nakawa Shōsuke; October 6, 1931 – October 13, 2014) was a Japanese playwright and theater director. Under the name Yoshizō Nakagawa (中川芳三, Nakagawa Yoshizō), he serves as an advisor to the Shōchiku Corporation which produces kabuki, and is heavily involved in reviving Kamigata kabuki traditions. He is also head of the Kamigata Kabuki-juku (school) and actively works with actor Ichikawa Ennosuke III on reviving old kabuki plays Nakawa has been described as a walking dictionary of Kamigata kabuki information.
Shirō Moritani (森谷 司郎, Moritani Shirō; September 28, 1931 – December 2, 1984) was a film director and screenwriter from…
Shirō Moritani (森谷 司郎, Moritani Shirō; September 28, 1931 – December 2, 1984) was a film director and screenwriter from Japan. Born in Tokyo, he debuted as an assistant director in Akira Kurosawa's 1961 film Yojimbo. His film Mount Hakkoda won the Mainichi Film Award for Excellence Film in 1978.
Yoshinobu Shiba (斯波義信, Shiba Yoshinobu) (born 20 October 1930) is a retired Japanese historian of China and professor…
Yoshinobu Shiba (斯波義信, Shiba Yoshinobu) (born 20 October 1930) is a retired Japanese historian of China and professor emeritus of Osaka University, who specializes in Song dynasty history. A member of the Japan Academy, he has received the Order of Culture, Order of the Sacred Treasure, and Person of Cultural Merit in Japan. In 2018, he jointly received the Tang Prize in Sinology with Stephen Owen, "for his mastery and depth of insight in Chinese social-economic history achieved through his original theoretical lens that fuses the distinctive fortes of Chinese, Japanese, and Western scholarship."
Ichirō Nakatani (Japanese: 中谷 一郎, Hepburn: Nakatani Ichirō; born April 1, 1930) was a Japanese actor. He attended…
Ichirō Nakatani (Japanese: 中谷 一郎, Hepburn: Nakatani Ichirō; born April 1, 1930) was a Japanese actor. He attended Waseda University, but withdrew before completing his degree and joined the Haiyuza Theatre Company. In 1959, Nakatani won Elan d'or Award for Newcomer of the Year. Nakatani was well known for his role as Ninja Kazaguruma no Yahichi in the jidaigeki drama Mito Kōmon.
Shōichi Watanabe (渡部 昇一, Watanabe Shōichi; 15 September 1930 – 17 April 2017) was a Japanese scholar of English and one…
Shōichi Watanabe (渡部 昇一, Watanabe Shōichi; 15 September 1930 – 17 April 2017) was a Japanese scholar of English and one of Japan's cultural critics. He is known for ultranationalist historical negationism. He was born in Tsuruoka, Yamagata Prefecture. A graduate of Sophia University, where he obtained his Master's degree, he completed his doctorate at University of Münster in 1958. Two volumes of autobiography on his years in Germany narrate his varied experiences during this period. Returning to his alma mater, he became successively lecturer, assistant professor and full professor, until his retirement. He served as emeritus professor at the same university until his death. A passionate book-collector, he was chairman of the Japan Bibliophile Society. His personal collection of books on English philology (see Bibliography) was perhaps his most important contribution to the field of English philology in Japan, containing many rare items.
Akiyuki Nosaka (野坂 昭如, Nosaka Akiyuki; October 10, 1930 – December 9, 2015) was a Japanese novelist, journalist…
Akiyuki Nosaka (野坂 昭如, Nosaka Akiyuki; October 10, 1930 – December 9, 2015) was a Japanese novelist, journalist, singer, lyricist, and member of the House of Councillors. As a broadcasting writer he used the name Yukio Aki (阿木 由紀夫, Aki Yukio) and his alias as a chanson singer was Claude Nosaka (クロード 野坂, Kurōdo Nosaka). He wrote the short story "Grave of the Fireflies" based on his experiences in the wake of American bombing during the Second World War; the short story has been adapted into both an animated film and a live-action film.
Tōru Takemitsu (武満 徹; pronounced [takeꜜmitsɯ̥ toːɾɯ]; 8 October 1930 – 20 February 1996) was a Japanese composer of…
Tōru Takemitsu (武満 徹; pronounced [takeꜜmitsɯ̥ toːɾɯ]; 8 October 1930 – 20 February 1996) was a Japanese composer of contemporary classical music and writer on music. Largely self-taught, Takemitsu was admired for his subtle manipulation of instrumental and orchestral timbre. In his early years, Takemitsu was also a founding member of the Jikken Kōbō (実験工房, experimental workshop) in Japan, a group of avant-garde artists who distanced themselves from academia and whose collaborative work is often regarded among the most influential of the 20th century. His 1957 Requiem for string orchestra attracted international attention, led to several commissions from across the world and established his reputation as the leading 20th-century Japanese composer. He was the recipient of numerous awards and honours and founded the Toru Takemitsu Composition Award.
Reiji Okazaki (岡崎 令治, Okazaki Reiji; October 8, 1930 – August 1, 1975) was a pioneer Japanese molecular biologist…
Reiji Okazaki (岡崎 令治, Okazaki Reiji; October 8, 1930 – August 1, 1975) was a pioneer Japanese molecular biologist, known for his research on DNA replication and especially for describing the role of Okazaki fragments along with his wife Tsuneko. Okazaki was born in Hiroshima, Japan. He graduated in 1953 from Nagoya University, and worked as a professor there after 1963. He died of leukemia in Japan in 1975 at the age of 44 after traveling to the United States and Canada; he had been heavily irradiated in Hiroshima when the first atomic bomb was dropped.
Tadao Satō (Japanese: 佐藤 忠男, Hepburn: Satō Tadao; 6 October 1930 – 17 March 2022) was a Japanese film critic, theorist…
Tadao Satō (Japanese: 佐藤 忠男, Hepburn: Satō Tadao; 6 October 1930 – 17 March 2022) was a Japanese film critic, theorist and historian. His real name was Tadao Iiri (飯利 忠男, Iiri Tadao).
Senji Yamaguchi (山口 仙二, Yamaguchi Senji; 3 October 1930 – 6 July 2013) was a survivor of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki…
Senji Yamaguchi (山口 仙二, Yamaguchi Senji; 3 October 1930 – 6 July 2013) was a survivor of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki and later an anti-nuclear movement leader. Yamaguchi was born in 1930 to a poor family in Nagasaki. In 1945, he was employed as an under-age weapons maker. On August 9, 1945, he suffered keloid scars while working digging shelters at the weapon factory when the United States dropped a nuclear bomb 1.3km from the hypocenter of the explosion. When working with 5 other co-workers he was the sole survivor of the group . Mr.Yamaguchi suffered severe third degree burns on parts of his face, shoulder and abdomen area. Yamaguchi has served in two anti-nuclear organizations, one being the Anti-nuclear arms movement in 1955 and heading the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations between the years of 1981 and 2010. He even once was granted permission to be involved in the 1982 United Nations meeting. In his last years, he was hospitalized and died of an illness on July 6, 2013 in Unzen, Nagasaki.
Akira Hayami (速水融; 1929–2019) was an emeritus professor of Keio University and the first to introduce historical…
Akira Hayami (速水融; 1929–2019) was an emeritus professor of Keio University and the first to introduce historical demography in Japan. Professor Hayami is also famous for coining the concept called "Industrious Revolution", which points out the socio-economic change from capital-intensive to labor-intensive one.
Yoneo Ishii (石井 米雄, Ishii Yoneo; October 10, 1929 - February 12, 2010) was a Japanese historian who specialized in the…
Yoneo Ishii (石井 米雄, Ishii Yoneo; October 10, 1929 - February 12, 2010) was a Japanese historian who specialized in the study of Thailand.
Takeshi Ito (Japanese: 伊東壮; 5 October 1929 – 3 March 2000) was a Japanese economist and peace activist. He served as…
Takeshi Ito (Japanese: 伊東壮; 5 October 1929 – 3 March 2000) was a Japanese economist and peace activist. He served as the president of the University of Yamanashi, a representative committee member of the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon Hidankyo) that won the Nobel Prize in 2024, and the chairman of the Tokyo Confederation of A-Bomb Sufferers Organizations.
Kazuko Takatsukasa (鷹司 和子, Takatsukasa Kazuko; 30 September 1929 – 26 May 1989), formerly Kazuko, Princess Taka…
Kazuko Takatsukasa (鷹司 和子, Takatsukasa Kazuko; 30 September 1929 – 26 May 1989), formerly Kazuko, Princess Taka (孝宮和子内親王, Taka-no-miya Kazuko Naishinnō), was the third daughter of Emperor Shōwa and Empress Kōjun. She was an elder sister to Emperor Emeritus Akihito, and paternal aunt to Emperor Naruhito. She married Toshimichi Takatsukasa on 21 May 1950. As a result, she gave up her imperial title and left the Japanese Imperial Family, as required by law.
Giuseppe Pittau (20 October 1928 – 26 December 2014) was a Roman Catholic titular archbishop. Born in Villacidro…
Giuseppe Pittau (20 October 1928 – 26 December 2014) was a Roman Catholic titular archbishop. Born in Villacidro, Italy, Pittau was ordained to the priesthood for the Society of Jesus on 18 March 1959. He earned a PhD from Harvard University in 1963. On 28 July 1998 Pope John Paul II appointed Pittau titular archbishop of Castro di Sardegna and secretary of the Congregation for Catholic Education and Pittau was ordained on 26 September 1998. He was also rector of Sophia University in Tokyo, and of the Gregorian University in Rome. On 25 November 2003, Pittau retired. Pittau died on Friday 26 December 2014. Before his service in the Congregation for Catholic Education, he had assisted the Jesuit that Pope John Paul II had chosen in the early 1980s, Cardinal Paolo Dezza, S.J., to govern the order following the incapacitation due to a stroke of their then-superior general, Father Pedro Arrupe, S.J. Pope Francis made reference to the services he had rendered in Tokyo and at the Gregorian University, to the Roman Curia, and to the Society of Jesus in the telegram of condolence he sent to the Jesuit superior general, Father Adolfo Nicolas, S.J., upon learning of his death.
Susumu Hani (羽仁 進, Hani Susumu; born 10 October 1928) is a Japanese film director, and one of the most prominent…
Susumu Hani (羽仁 進, Hani Susumu; born 10 October 1928) is a Japanese film director, and one of the most prominent representatives of the 1960s Japanese New Wave. Born in Tokyo, he has directed both documentaries and feature films. He won the Directors Guild of Japan New Directors Award for his first fiction film, Bad Boys, in 1961. His 1962 film Mitasareta seikatsu was entered into the 12th Berlin International Film Festival. His 1963 documentary film Children Hand in Hand was entered into the 4th Moscow International Film Festival winning him a Special Diploma. One of his most famous films is Nanami: The Inferno of First Love (初恋・地獄篇 - Hatsukoi Jigokuhen, 1968), which Hani co-scripted with Shūji Terayama.
Shōji Hayashi (林 昌二, Hayashi Shōji) (23 September 1928 – 30 November 2011) was a Japanese architect. As chief architect…
Shōji Hayashi (林 昌二, Hayashi Shōji) (23 September 1928 – 30 November 2011) was a Japanese architect. As chief architect of Nikken Sekkei, Ltd., he designed many notable buildings, including the Palaceside Building in Tokyo, which was selected as one of 20 works of modern Japanese architecture by Docomomo Japan. He was chairman of the Japan Institute of Architects (1990–1992) and an honorary fellow of the American Institute of Architects.
Mizuho Suzuki (鈴木 瑞穂, Suzuki Mizuho; October 23, 1927 – November 19, 2023) was a Japanese actor. He was a drop-out of…
Mizuho Suzuki (鈴木 瑞穂, Suzuki Mizuho; October 23, 1927 – November 19, 2023) was a Japanese actor. He was a drop-out of Kyoto University. He died on November 19, 2023, at the age of 96.
Kan'ichi Kuroda (黒田 寛一, Kuroda Kan'ichi; October 20, 1927 – June 26, 2006) was a self-taught Japanese political…
Kan'ichi Kuroda (黒田 寛一, Kuroda Kan'ichi; October 20, 1927 – June 26, 2006) was a self-taught Japanese political philosopher and social theorist, associated with Trotskyism, who was deeply involved in far-left political movements. Nearly blind, Kuroda was affectionately nicknamed "The Blind Prophet" and "KuroKan" by his followers.
Noboru Baba (馬場のぼる, Baba Noboru; October 18, 1927 – April 7, 2001) was a Japanese manga artist and writer. He is best…
Noboru Baba (馬場のぼる, Baba Noboru; October 18, 1927 – April 7, 2001) was a Japanese manga artist and writer. He is best known for his long-running four-panel newspaper comic Baku-san and for the acclaimed children’s picture book series 11 Piki no Neko (Eleven Cats). Active from the postwar period through the late 20th century, Baba was often referred to as one of the “Three Crows of Children’s Manga,” alongside Osamu Tezuka and Eiichi Fukui.
Kotogahama Sadao (Japanese: 琴ヶ濵貞雄) (10 October 1927 – 7 June 1981) was a sumo wrestler from Kanonji, Kagawa, Japan. He…
Kotogahama Sadao (Japanese: 琴ヶ濵貞雄) (10 October 1927 – 7 June 1981) was a sumo wrestler from Kanonji, Kagawa, Japan. He reached the second highest rank of ōzeki in 1958. He was a tournament runner-up in the top makuuchi division on five occasions and earned seven kinboshi for defeating yokozuna when ranked as a maegashira. After his retirement in 1962 he became an elder in the Japan Sumo Association and worked as a coach at Sadogatake stable. He was offered the chance to take charge of the stable in 1974 but declined, preferring to remain as an assistant coach there until his death in 1981.
Toshio Masuda (舛田 利雄, Masuda Toshio; October 5, 1927 – August 26, 2026) was a Japanese film director, screenwriter and…
Toshio Masuda (舛田 利雄, Masuda Toshio; October 5, 1927 – August 26, 2026) was a Japanese film director, screenwriter and cinematographer. He developed a reputation as a consistent box office hit-maker. Over the course of five decades, 16 of his films made the yearly top ten lists at the Japanese box office—a second place record in the industry. Between 1958 and 1968 he directed 52 films for the Nikkatsu Company. Masuda was their top director of action films and worked with the company's top stars, including Yujiro Ishihara with whom he made 25 films. After the breakdown of the studio system, he moved on to a succession of big-budget movies including the American-Japanese co-production Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970) and the disaster epic Prophecies of Nostradamus (1974). He worked on such anime productions as the Space Battleship Yamato series. His corporate drama Company Funeral (1989) earned him a Japanese Academy Award nomination and wins at the Blue Ribbon Awards and Mainichi Film Awards. In Japan, his films are well-remembered by fans and called genre landmarks by critics. He remains little known abroad save for rare exceptions of his post-Nikkatsu work such as Tora! Tora! Tora!. However, a number of his films were screened in a 2005 Nikkatsu Action Cinema retrospective in Italy, and a few have since made their way to the United States. In 2009, he helped produce Space Battleship Yamato: Resurrection.
Shinta Chō (Japanese: 長新太（ちょうしんた）; September 24, 1927 - June 25, 2005) was a Japanese children's author and…
Shinta Chō (Japanese: 長新太（ちょうしんた）; September 24, 1927 - June 25, 2005) was a Japanese children's author and illustrator. He won the Japan Picture Book Awards Grand Prize for Kyabetsu-kun (Cabbage Boy) in 1981.
Matazō Kayama (加山 又造, Kayama Matazō) was a Japanese Nihonga painter of the 20th century, born in Kyoto in 1927.
Ōhikari Sadayuki (September 24, 1927 – January 14, 1996, real name Sadayuki Shibata) was a sumo wrestler and coach from…
Ōhikari Sadayuki (September 24, 1927 – January 14, 1996, real name Sadayuki Shibata) was a sumo wrestler and coach from Kamiiso, Hokkaido, Japan. He made his professional debut in January 1944, reaching the top makuuchi division in 1950. His highest rank was komusubi. He was a runner-up in the May 1956 tournament and earned five kinboshi or gold stars for defeating yokozuna during his career. He retired in 1963 and became an elder of the Japan Sumo Association under the name Ōnomatsu Oyakata, working as a coach at Dewanoumi stable. He died in 1996 at the age of 68.
Nagayoshi Iwahori (岩堀 長慶, Iwahori Nagayoshi; 1926 to 29 May 2011) was a Japanese mathematician who worked on algebraic…
Nagayoshi Iwahori (岩堀 長慶, Iwahori Nagayoshi; 1926 to 29 May 2011) was a Japanese mathematician who worked on algebraic groups over local fields who introduced Iwahori–Hecke algebras and Iwahori subgroups.
Teiji Takahashi (高橋 貞二, Takahashi Teiji; 20 October 1926 – 3 November 1959) was a Japanese film actor. He appeared in…
Teiji Takahashi (高橋 貞二, Takahashi Teiji; 20 October 1926 – 3 November 1959) was a Japanese film actor. He appeared in more than twenty films from 1950 to 1959. Takahashi died in a traffic accident.
Nobutoshi Kihara (木原 信敏 Kihara Nobutoshi, 14 October 1926 – 13 February 2011) was an engineer at Sony, best known for…
Nobutoshi Kihara (木原 信敏 Kihara Nobutoshi, 14 October 1926 – 13 February 2011) was an engineer at Sony, best known for his work on the original Walkman cassette-tape player in the 1970s and was commonly called Mr. Walkman (Nobutoshi Kihara) in the press. Born in Tokyo, Kihara attended Waseda University, then joined Sony's predecessor, Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corporation in 1947 as a new university graduate. He retired from Sony in 2006. While at Sony, he worked on Japan's first magnetic tape recorders, portable tape recorders, music stereo systems, Betamax video, digital cameras, a compact cassette magazine-type recorder and Japan's first transistor radio. In 1964, a team led by Kihara developed the CV-2000, the world's first VTR intended for home usage. He also was instrumental in creating cassette versions of the VTR (Video Tape Recorder), established the basis for the U-matic system. In 1981, was involved in the development of the Mavica digital still camera, which used floppy disks to record images and developed the Mavigraph color video printer in 1982. In 1988, Mr. Kihara jointly established the Sony-Kihara Research Center with Sony, becoming the center's president. His tutoring methods were dubbed the "Kihara School", and turned out many of Sony's future engineers. Masaru Ibuka, a Sony co-founder, referred to Mr. Kihara as "a godlike person", because he would create a prototype of a concept he and Mr. Ibuka had discussed, often within a day. Nobutoshi Kihara died at 5:20 am on 13 February 2011, due to heart failure. He was 84.
Tadanobu Tsunoda (角田忠信, Tsunoda Tadanobu; 8 October 1926) is a physician and a Japanese author, most known for his…
Tadanobu Tsunoda (角田忠信, Tsunoda Tadanobu; 8 October 1926) is a physician and a Japanese author, most known for his ideas regarding the "Japanese brain".
Soko Shimabuku (Japanese: 島袋 宗康 Shimabuku Sōkō; 5 October 1926 – 9 December 2022) was a Japanese politician. A member…
Soko Shimabuku (Japanese: 島袋 宗康 Shimabuku Sōkō; 5 October 1926 – 9 December 2022) was a Japanese politician. A member of the Okinawa Social Mass Party, he served in the House of Councillors from 1992 to 2004. Shimabuku died on 9 December 2022, at the age of 96.
Kazuhiko Nishijima (西島 和彦, Nishijima Kazuhiko) (4 October 1926 – 15 February 2009) was a Japanese physicist who made…
Kazuhiko Nishijima (西島 和彦, Nishijima Kazuhiko) (4 October 1926 – 15 February 2009) was a Japanese physicist who made significant contributions to particle physics. He was professor emeritus at the University of Tokyo and Kyoto University until his death in 2009. He was born in Tsuchiura, Japan. He is most well known for his work on the Gell-Mann–Nishijima formula, and the concept of strangeness, which he called the "eta-charge" or "η-charge", after the eta meson (η). He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1960, 1961, 1964, 1966~1970.
Michio Suzuki (鈴木 通夫, Suzuki Michio; October 2, 1926 – May 31, 1998) was a Japanese mathematician who studied group…
Michio Suzuki (鈴木 通夫, Suzuki Michio; October 2, 1926 – May 31, 1998) was a Japanese mathematician who studied group theory.
Teruko "Terry" Ishizaka (石坂 照子, Ishizaka Teruko; 28 September 1926 – 4 June 2019) was a Japanese scientist and…
Teruko "Terry" Ishizaka (石坂 照子, Ishizaka Teruko; 28 September 1926 – 4 June 2019) was a Japanese scientist and immunologist who along with her husband Kimishige Ishizaka discovered the antibody class Immunoglobulin E (IgE) in 1966. Their work was regarded as a major breakthrough in the understanding of allergy, and for this work she received the 1972 Passano Award and the 1973 Gairdner Foundation International Award. She was known in the science world for her generosity and collaborative spirit.
Kozo Kawashima (川島弘三, Kawashima Kōzō) (born 26 September 1926) is a Japanese former ski jumper who competed in the…
Kozo Kawashima (川島弘三, Kawashima Kōzō) (born 26 September 1926) is a Japanese former ski jumper who competed in the early 1950s. He finished 42nd in the individual large hill event at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo. He was born in Otaru.
Hiromu Nonaka (野中 廣務, Nonaka Hiromu; 20 October 1925 – 26 January 2018) was a Japanese politician of the Liberal…
Hiromu Nonaka (野中 廣務, Nonaka Hiromu; 20 October 1925 – 26 January 2018) was a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party. Nonaka served as a local politician in Kyoto Prefecture from 1951 to 1978 and in the House of Representatives from 1983 to 2003, becoming one of its most prominent members in the 1990s. Nonaka served as Minister of Home Affairs and Head of the National Public Safety Commission from 1994 to 1995, as Chief Cabinet Secretary from 1998 to 1999, and as Head of the Okinawa Development Agency in 1999. Nonaka was widely considered as a voice of reason within the Liberal Democratic Party and viewed by some as the most powerful person in Japan during the mid-to-late 1990s.
Shokichi Natsui (夏井 昇吉, Natsui Shōkichi; 10 October 1925 – 13 September 2006) was a Japanese judoka from the Akita…
Shokichi Natsui (夏井 昇吉, Natsui Shōkichi; 10 October 1925 – 13 September 2006) was a Japanese judoka from the Akita Prefecture. He became the first world champion in judo, winning the title at the 1956 World Judo Championships in Tokyo, by beating Yoshihiko Yoshimatsu in the final. As there were no weight classes in the world championships until 1965, Natsui was the only champion in 1956.