Kiyoshi Nishimura (西村 潔, September 7, 1932 – November 17, 1993) was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. He was…Kiyoshi Nishimura (西村 潔, September 7, 1932 – November 17, 1993) was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. He was best known for working as an assistant director for filmmakers such as Akira Kurosawa and Ishiro Honda, and for directing numerous films under Toho.
Toshihiro Iijima (Japanese: 飯島 敏宏, Hepburn: Toshihiro Iijima; September 3, 1932 – October 17, 2021), also known by the…Toshihiro Iijima (Japanese: 飯島 敏宏, Hepburn: Toshihiro Iijima; September 3, 1932 – October 17, 2021), also known by the names Kitao Senzoku (千束 北男, Senzoku Kitao), and Jōtarō Jitōin (持統院丈太郎, Jitōin Jōtarō), was a Japanese film and television director, producer, and screenwriter.
Tomohiko Ikoma (生駒 友彦, Ikoma Tomohiko; August 25, 1932 – April 27, 2009) was a Japanese football player and manager. He…Tomohiko Ikoma (生駒 友彦, Ikoma Tomohiko; August 25, 1932 – April 27, 2009) was a Japanese football player and manager. He played for Japan national team.
Koichi Sato (佐藤 耕一, Satō Kōichi; born 21 September 1931) is a Japanese ski jumper. He competed at the 1956 Winter…Koichi Sato (佐藤 耕一, Satō Kōichi; born 21 September 1931) is a Japanese ski jumper. He competed at the 1956 Winter Olympics and the 1960 Winter Olympics.
Syukuro "Suki" Manabe (真鍋 淑郎, Manabe Shukurō; born 21 September 1931) is a Japanese–American physicist, meteorologist…Syukuro "Suki" Manabe (真鍋 淑郎, Manabe Shukurō; born 21 September 1931) is a Japanese–American physicist, meteorologist, and climatologist, who pioneered the use of computers to simulate global climate change and natural climate variations. He was awarded the 2021 Nobel Prize in Physics jointly with Klaus Hasselmann and Giorgio Parisi, for his contributions to the physical modeling of Earth's climate, quantifying its variability, and predictions of climate change.
Hiroto Muraoka (村岡 博人, Muraoka Hiroto; September 19, 1931 – March 13, 2017) was a Japanese footballer. He played for…Hiroto Muraoka (村岡 博人, Muraoka Hiroto; September 19, 1931 – March 13, 2017) was a Japanese footballer. He played for the Japan national team.
Ayako Sono (曽野 綾子, Sono Ayako; September 17, 1931 – February 28, 2025) was a Japanese writer. She published numerous…Ayako Sono (曽野 綾子, Sono Ayako; September 17, 1931 – February 28, 2025) was a Japanese writer. She published numerous novels, essays and articles between the 1950s and the early 2020s. Sono was also considered to be nationalist and conservative. She provoked controversy for advocating a system similar to South Africa's apartheid for Japan's immigrants. She also advocated for women to quit their jobs after becoming pregnant.
Yoji Yamada (山田 洋次, Yamada Yōji; born 13 September 1931) is a Japanese filmmaker best known for his film series Otoko…Yoji Yamada (山田 洋次, Yamada Yōji; born 13 September 1931) is a Japanese filmmaker best known for his film series Otoko wa Tsurai yo and the Samurai Trilogy (The Twilight Samurai, The Hidden Blade, and Love and Honor). He has directed 91 films, and is well regarded by critics around the world. His Tora-san series holds the Guinness World Record for the longest-running film series starring the same actor.
Osamu Ochiai (落合 治, Ochiai Osamu; born 8 September 1931) is a Japanese former sports shooter. He competed at the 1960…Osamu Ochiai (落合 治, Ochiai Osamu; born 8 September 1931) is a Japanese former sports shooter. He competed at the 1960 Summer Olympics and the 1964 Summer Olympics.
Seiji Nakamura (仲村 正治, Nakamura Seiji; 6 September 1931 – 15 November 2018) was a Japanese politician who served in the…Seiji Nakamura (仲村 正治, Nakamura Seiji; 6 September 1931 – 15 November 2018) was a Japanese politician who served in the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature) as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party.
Kazumi Takahashi (高橋 和巳, Takahashi Kazumi; 31 August 1931—3 May 1971) was a Japanese novelist and scholar of Chinese…Kazumi Takahashi (高橋 和巳, Takahashi Kazumi; 31 August 1931—3 May 1971) was a Japanese novelist and scholar of Chinese literature in Shōwa-era Japan. His wife was fellow writer Takako Takahashi.
Jōji Yanami (八奈見 乗児, Yanami Jōji; born Shigemitsu Shirato (白土 繁満, Shirato Shigemitsu), August 30, 1931 – December 3…Jōji Yanami (八奈見 乗児, Yanami Jōji; born Shigemitsu Shirato (白土 繁満, Shirato Shigemitsu), August 30, 1931 – December 3, 2021) was a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator who was affiliated with Aoni Production. Some of his most prominent voice roles included the narrator, Dr. Briefs, Kaiō-sama (a.k.a. King Kai or North Kaio), and Bobbidi in the Dragon Ball anime series. Other major roles included Dr. Isaac Gilmore in Cyborg 009, Gennai in Digimon, Ittan Momen in GeGeGe no Kitarō, Dr. Yumi in Mazinger Z, and numerous characters in the Time Bokan series. On September 25, 2015, Toei Animation announced that Yanami would be taking medical leave from working on the Dragon Ball Super television anime series for an indefinite amount of time, with his roles as the narrator and Kaiō-sama being taken over by Naoki Tatsuta.
Ichikawa Raizō VIII (八代目 市川 雷蔵, Hachidaime Ichikawa Raizō; August 29, 1931 – July 17, 1969) was a Japanese film and…Ichikawa Raizō VIII (八代目 市川 雷蔵, Hachidaime Ichikawa Raizō; August 29, 1931 – July 17, 1969) was a Japanese film and kabuki actor. His birth name was Akio Kamezaki (亀崎 章雄, Kamezaki Akio), and his name was legally changed several times, first to Yoshio Takeuchi (武内 嘉男, Takeuchi Yoshio), and later to Yoshiya Ōta (太田 吉哉, Ōta Yoshiya), separate from his performing name. Six months after his birth in Kyoto he became the adopted son of Ichikawa Kudanji III (三代目 市川 九團次, Sandaime Ichikawa Kudanji). He made his kabuki acting debut at the age of 15 under the name Ichikawa Enzō (市川延蔵, Ichikawa Enzō). In 1951 he was adopted by Ichikawa Jūkai III (三代目 市川 壽海, Sandaime Ichikawa Jūkai) and was renamed as Ichikawa Raizō VIII. In 1954 he began a career as a film actor. He received breakout acclaim for his performance in Enjō and received several awards for the performance including the Blue Ribbon Award and the Kinema Junpo Award, both for the category of Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role. Among his fans he was referred to lovingly as "Rai-sama." In June 1968 he was diagnosed with and underwent surgery for rectal cancer, but it metastasized to his liver and he died the following year. Ichikawa Raizō appeared mostly in period dramas (jidaigeki). He is best known for the Sleepy Eyes of Death (Nemuri Kyoshirō) series, Ninja (Shinobi no Mono) series and Nakano Spy School (Rikugun Nakano Gakkō) series (based on the Nakano School). Raizō worked many times with director Kenji Misumi. Their collaborations include The Sword (Ken) (from a book by Yukio Mishima) and Destiny's Son, originally released as 斬る (Kiru). The actor's other notable works include An Actor's Revenge (Yukinojo henge). He was so admired for his gracefulness that in his lifetime he was called "the genius who thinks with his body."
Shunichiro Okano (岡野 俊一郎, Okano Shunichiro; 28 August 1931 – 2 February 2017) was a Japanese football player and…Shunichiro Okano (岡野 俊一郎, Okano Shunichiro; 28 August 1931 – 2 February 2017) was a Japanese football player and manager. He played for Japan national team as a forward. He also managed Japan's national team.
Misa Yamamura (山村 美紗, Yamamura Misa; née Kimura (木村); August 25, 1934 – September 5, 1996) was a Japanese novelist and…Misa Yamamura (山村 美紗, Yamamura Misa; née Kimura (木村); August 25, 1934 – September 5, 1996) was a Japanese novelist and a mystery writer favored as the queen of both mystery novels and tricks in Japan, often compared to Agatha Christie.
Akito Arima, KBE (有馬 朗人, Arima Akito; 13 September 1930 – 7 December 2020) was a Japanese nuclear physicist…Akito Arima, KBE (有馬 朗人, Arima Akito; 13 September 1930 – 7 December 2020) was a Japanese nuclear physicist, politician, and haiku poet, known for the interacting boson model.
Akira Suzuki (鈴木 章, Suzuki Akira; born September 12, 1930) is a Japanese chemist and Nobel Prize Laureate (2010), who…Akira Suzuki (鈴木 章, Suzuki Akira; born September 12, 1930) is a Japanese chemist and Nobel Prize Laureate (2010), who first published the Suzuki reaction, the organic reaction of an aryl- or vinyl-boronic acid with an aryl- or vinyl-halide catalyzed by a palladium(0) complex, in 1979.
Fumiko Ikawa-Smith is a Japanese Canadian archaeologist. She is an emeritus professor in the department of anthropology…Fumiko Ikawa-Smith is a Japanese Canadian archaeologist. She is an emeritus professor in the department of anthropology at McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She trained as an anthropologist and prehistorian and specialises in the Early Palaeolithic cultures in East Asia, specifically Japan). She is married to Philip E. L. Smith, also an archaeologist, with one son.
Kiyohiro Miura (三浦清宏, Miura Kiyohiro; born 1930 in Muroran, Hokkaido) is a Japanese writer. After attending the…Kiyohiro Miura (三浦清宏, Miura Kiyohiro; born 1930 in Muroran, Hokkaido) is a Japanese writer. After attending the University of Tokyo he went to the United States for further education. He received his B.A. from San Jose State University in 1955 and his MFA from University of Iowa in 1958. His novel Chōnan no shukke (長男の出家) or My Young Son Becomes a Zen Monk won the Akutagawa Prize in 1988.
Minoru Hara (原 實, Hara Minoru; 9 September 1930 – 1 November 2021) was a Japanese writer, Indologist, philologist, and…Minoru Hara (原 實, Hara Minoru; 9 September 1930 – 1 November 2021) was a Japanese writer, Indologist, philologist, and a scholar of Sanskrit and Buddhist literature and philosophy.
Kyotaro Nishimura (西村 京太郎, Nishimura Kyōtarō; 6 September 1930 – 3 March 2022) was a Japanese novelist in the police…Kyotaro Nishimura (西村 京太郎, Nishimura Kyōtarō; 6 September 1930 – 3 March 2022) was a Japanese novelist in the police procedural genre.
Ken Naganuma (長沼 健, Naganuma Ken; 5 September 1930 – 2 June 2008) was a Japanese football player and manager. A…Ken Naganuma (長沼 健, Naganuma Ken; 5 September 1930 – 2 June 2008) was a Japanese football player and manager. A forward, he earned four caps for the Japan national team between 1954 and 1961 and later also served as the team's manager. He was also the president of the Japan Football Association from 1994 to 1998.
Takuya Fujioka (藤岡琢也, Fujioka Takuya; 4 September 1930 – 20 October 2006) was a Japanese actor. He is most famous for…Takuya Fujioka (藤岡琢也, Fujioka Takuya; 4 September 1930 – 20 October 2006) was a Japanese actor. He is most famous for playing the role of Daikichi Okakura on the television drama series Wataru Seken wa Oni Bakari. Fujioka attended Kwansei Gakuin University but dropped out because of illness. His first starring role in the film was in the Gambare Nihondanji. He died of chronic kidney disease on 20 October 2006 at the age of 76. His final film appearance was in The Blooming Again, released in 2004.
Hisae Sawachi (Japanese: 澤地久枝, Japanese: さわち ひさえ born 3 September 1930) is a Japanese writer, magazine editor and…Hisae Sawachi (Japanese: 澤地久枝, Japanese: さわち ひさえ born 3 September 1930) is a Japanese writer, magazine editor and anti-nuclear activist. She is known for her non-fiction writing on Japan's Shōwa era and wartime experiences as well as for her autobiographical work. She is a recipient of the Asahi Prize, the Kikuchi Kan Prize and the Japan Women Broadcasters Association Award.
Tsuneo Nakahara (中原 恒雄, Nakahara Tsuneo; 1930 in Tokushima Prefecture – January 2016) was a Japanese communications…Tsuneo Nakahara (中原 恒雄, Nakahara Tsuneo; 1930 in Tokushima Prefecture – January 2016) was a Japanese communications engineer, executive advisor to the CEO of Sumitomo Electric. He was one of the main researchers contributing to the development of optical fiber technology. He earned his B.E. in 1953 and his Ph.D. in 1961, both in electrical engineering, from the University of Tokyo. He did his post-doc at Polytechnic Institute of New York University. He was a foreign associate of the US National Academy of Engineering and a member of the Board of Trustees of Polytechnic Institute of New York University. In 1983, Tsuneo Nakahara became fellow of the IEEE for contributions to the development of microwave transmission lines, traffic control systems, and fiber optics. Nakahara was an IEEE Life Fellow and served in a number of positions. In 2002, he received the IEEE Alexander Graham Bell Medal.
Kyōko Hayashi (林 京子, Hayashi Kyōko; 28 August 1930 – 19 February 2017) was a Japanese writer associated with the Atomic…Kyōko Hayashi (林 京子, Hayashi Kyōko; 28 August 1930 – 19 February 2017) was a Japanese writer associated with the Atomic Bomb Literature genre.
Aiko Miyawaki (宮脇 愛子, Miyawaki Aiko; 20 September 1929 – 20 August 2014) was a Japanese sculptor and painter. She was…Aiko Miyawaki (宮脇 愛子, Miyawaki Aiko; 20 September 1929 – 20 August 2014) was a Japanese sculptor and painter. She was best known for her sculpture series titled Utsurohi, installed at public spaces worldwide.
Tetsuo Kutsukake (沓掛 哲男, Kutsukake Tetsuo; 12 September 1929 – 30 January 2024) was a Japanese politician. He was named…Tetsuo Kutsukake (沓掛 哲男, Kutsukake Tetsuo; 12 September 1929 – 30 January 2024) was a Japanese politician. He was named Minister of State, Chairman of the National Public Safety Commission on 31 October 2005. Kutsukake died on 30 January 2024, at the age of 94.
Sanpei Satō (サトウサンペイ, Satō Sanpei; 11 September 1929 - 31 July 2021) was a Japanese manga artist best known for…Sanpei Satō (サトウサンペイ, Satō Sanpei; 11 September 1929 - 31 July 2021) was a Japanese manga artist best known for salaryman manga such as Fuji Santarō and Dotanba's Manners. He was born as Yukikazu Satō (佐藤 幸一, Satō Yukikazu) in Nagoya, but grew up from a young age in Ōsaka after his father built and managed a clock manufacturing plant there as part of the family business. When Satō was in junior high, he worked at a munitions plant during World War II. After studying dyeing at Kyoto Technical College, he was hired at Daimaru where he started in clothing sales and quickly moved into advertising department. In 1953, he made his manga debut in the Shin Ōsaka newspaper. Only four years later, he quit his job at Daimaru in order to work full time as a manga artist. He moved to Tokyo in 1961. Both Satō and his works have received multiple awards and recognition, including the Bungeishunjū Manga Award in 1966, the Tokyo Metropolitan Cultural Honor Award in 1991, the Medal of Honor from the Emperor of Japan in 1997, the Order of the Rising Sun in 1996, and the Special Award at the Japan Cartoonists Association Awards in 2017. Satō died in 2021 from aspiration pneumonia at age 91.
Kenji Ekuan (榮久庵 憲司, Ekuan Kenji; September 11, 1929 – February 8, 2015) was a Japanese industrial designer, best known…Kenji Ekuan (榮久庵 憲司, Ekuan Kenji; September 11, 1929 – February 8, 2015) was a Japanese industrial designer, best known for creating the design of the Kikkoman soy sauce bottle.
Akira Kono (河野昭, Konō Akira; 11 September 1929 – 25 December 1995) was a Japanese gymnast who competed in the 1956…Akira Kono (河野昭, Konō Akira; 11 September 1929 – 25 December 1995) was a Japanese gymnast who competed in the 1956 Summer Olympics.
Tōru "Tohl" Narita (成田 亨, Narita Tōru; pronounced [nəˈriːtə]; September 3, 1929 – February 26, 2002) was a Japanese…Tōru "Tohl" Narita (成田 亨, Narita Tōru; pronounced [nəˈriːtə]; September 3, 1929 – February 26, 2002) was a Japanese visual artist. He is best known for creating the characters and mechanics for the television programs in the Ultra series: Ultra Q, Ultraman, and Ultraseven.
Osamu Yamaji (山路 修, Yamaji Osamu; 31 August 1929 – 26 January 2021) was a Japanese football player. He played for Japan…Osamu Yamaji (山路 修, Yamaji Osamu; 31 August 1929 – 26 January 2021) was a Japanese football player. He played for Japan national team.
Ryōko Akamatsu (Japanese: 赤松 良子, Hepburn: Akamatsu Ryōko; 24 August 1929 – 7 February 2024) was a Japanese politician.…Ryōko Akamatsu (Japanese: 赤松 良子, Hepburn: Akamatsu Ryōko; 24 August 1929 – 7 February 2024) was a Japanese politician. She was Minister of Education in the Hata Cabinet and Hosokawa Cabinet. She was ambassador of Japan to Uruguay from 1986 to 1989. Akamatsu died on 7 February 2024, at the age of 94.
Shiro Hashizume (橋爪四郎, Hashizume Shirō; September 20, 1928 – March 9, 2023) was a Japanese Olympic freestyle swimmer.…Shiro Hashizume (橋爪四郎, Hashizume Shirō; September 20, 1928 – March 9, 2023) was a Japanese Olympic freestyle swimmer. He won the silver medal in the men's 1500m freestyle at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland. He broke the world record in the same event on August 16, 1949, clocking 18:35.7. That time was bettered the same day, however, by compatriot Hironoshin Furuhashi at the American Swimming Championships in Los Angeles, California.
Takahiro Sonoda (Japanese: 園田 高弘, Hepburn: Sonoda Takahiro; September 17, 1928 – October 7, 2004) was a Japanese…Takahiro Sonoda (Japanese: 園田 高弘, Hepburn: Sonoda Takahiro; September 17, 1928 – October 7, 2004) was a Japanese classical pianist.
Hironoshin Furuhashi (古橋 廣之進, Furuhashi Hironoshin; 16 September 1928 – 2 August 2009) was a Japanese Olympic freestyle…Hironoshin Furuhashi (古橋 廣之進, Furuhashi Hironoshin; 16 September 1928 – 2 August 2009) was a Japanese Olympic freestyle swimmer. In 1948, he set world records in the 400 and 1,500 meter freestyles at the Japan national championships. Furuhashi and Japan were not allowed to compete at the 1948 Summer Olympics because of Japan's role in World War II. Because of his achievement at the 1949 U.S. National Championships of Aquatics, in which he set new world records of freestyle swimming in all distance categories, Furuhashi was referred to by the US media as "the flying fish of Fujiyama". Furuhashi competed in the 1952 Summer Olympics, but did not perform well because of the lingering effects of dysentery which he had contracted during a swimming tour of South America in 1950. In total, Furuhashi set 33 world records during his swimming career. After retiring from competitive swimming, he served as president of the Japanese Olympic Committee for five terms until retiring in 1999. On August 2, 2009, he was found dead in his sleep at his hotel room in Rome, where he was staying for the 2009 World Aquatics Championships.
Yasumasa Narasaki (楢崎 泰昌, Narasaki Yasumasa; 9 September 1928 – 21 October 2014) was a Japanese politician from the…Yasumasa Narasaki (楢崎 泰昌, Narasaki Yasumasa; 9 September 1928 – 21 October 2014) was a Japanese politician from the Liberal Democratic Party. He served as a member of the House of Councillors from 1992 to 1998.
Fumihiko Maki (槇 文彦, Maki Fumihiko; 6 September 1928 – 6 June 2024) was a Japanese architect. In 1993, he received the…Fumihiko Maki (槇 文彦, Maki Fumihiko; 6 September 1928 – 6 June 2024) was a Japanese architect. In 1993, he received the Pritzker Prize for his work, which often explores pioneering uses of new materials and fuses the cultures of east and west. Maki died on 6 June 2024, at the age of 95.
Kōichi Hamada (浜田 幸一, Hamada Kōichi; 5 September 1928 – 5 August 2012) was a Japanese politician who served in the…Kōichi Hamada (浜田 幸一, Hamada Kōichi; 5 September 1928 – 5 August 2012) was a Japanese politician who served in the House of Representatives from 1969 to 1980 and from 1983 to 1993. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party, he often drew attention for his unrestrained statements and actions. After his retirement from politics he was active as a television personality.
Takahiro Tamura (田村高廣, Tamura Takahiro; 31 August 1928 – 16 May 2006) was a Japanese film actor. He appeared in 100…Takahiro Tamura (田村高廣, Tamura Takahiro; 31 August 1928 – 16 May 2006) was a Japanese film actor. He appeared in 100 films between 1954 and 2005. He and his younger brothers Masakazu and Ryō were known as the three Tamura brothers. They were sons of actor Tsumasaburo Bando.
Osamu Shimomura (下村 脩, Shimomura Osamu; August 27, 1928 – October 19, 2018) was a Japanese organic chemist and marine…Osamu Shimomura (下村 脩, Shimomura Osamu; August 27, 1928 – October 19, 2018) was a Japanese organic chemist and marine biologist, and professor emeritus at Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) in Woods Hole, Massachusetts and Boston University School of Medicine. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2008 for the discovery and development of green fluorescent protein (GFP) with two American scientists: Martin Chalfie of Columbia University and Roger Tsien of the University of California-San Diego.
Ryuzo Yanagimachi (柳町 隆造, Yanagimachi Ryūzō; August 27, 1928 – September 27, 2023) was a Japanese-born, American-based…Ryuzo Yanagimachi (柳町 隆造, Yanagimachi Ryūzō; August 27, 1928 – September 27, 2023) was a Japanese-born, American-based scientist. He made numerous key contributions to the study of mammalian fertilization, and he was also a pioneer in the cloning field. Accordingly, he assisted in fertilization technologies such as in vitro fertilization and direct sperm injection into the egg (commonly called intracytoplasmic sperm injection or ICSI), which are widely used today in human infertility clinics throughout the world. In 1997, his laboratory at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa successfully cloned mice using the Honolulu technique.
Hisako Takahashi (高橋 久子, Takahashi Hisako; September 21, 1927 – December 21, 2013) was a bureaucrat with the Ministry…Hisako Takahashi (高橋 久子, Takahashi Hisako; September 21, 1927 – December 21, 2013) was a bureaucrat with the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare and served as a Supreme Court Justice of Japan. She was awarded an Order of the Sacred Treasure, 1st class.