Kei Akagi (ケイ 赤城/赤城 恵, Akagi Kei; born March 16, 1953) is a Japanese American jazz pianist. In particular, he is known…
Kei Akagi (ケイ 赤城/赤城 恵, Akagi Kei; born March 16, 1953) is a Japanese American jazz pianist. In particular, he is known for his work with the Airto Moreira/Flora Purim group and in Miles Davis's band in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He was born in Japan, but lived in Cleveland, Ohio, for part of his childhood, until he moved back to Japan at the age of 12. He later returned to the United States at 22. He is associated with the Californian jazz scene at present. He is the Chancellor Professor of Music at the University of California, Irvine.
Famous People from Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture
Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture: 151 people
Masahiro Koishikawa (小石川 正弘, Koishikawa Masahiro; 1952 – 26 August 2020) was a Japanese astronomer. He studied both…
Masahiro Koishikawa (小石川 正弘, Koishikawa Masahiro; 1952 – 26 August 2020) was a Japanese astronomer. He studied both major and minor planets, and discovered multiple asteroids. Koishikawa was a staff member of the Sendai Astronomical Observatory frin 1972. His research was based out of the Sendai's Ayashi (391) station. The main-belt asteroid 6097 Koishikawa, discovered by Kin Endate and Kazuro Watanabe at Kitami in 1991, was named in his honor. He died on 26 August 2020 from lung cancer.
Masayuki Ikegami (Ikegami Masayuki; born August 29, 1951) is a Japanese jurist who served as an associate Justice of…
Masayuki Ikegami (Ikegami Masayuki; born August 29, 1951) is a Japanese jurist who served as an associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Japan from 2014 to 2021.
Kazutoki Umezu (梅津和時, Umezu Kazutoki; born October 17, 1949 in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture) is a Japanese jazz…
Kazutoki Umezu (梅津和時, Umezu Kazutoki; born October 17, 1949 in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture) is a Japanese jazz saxophonist. He has performed with Tom Cora, Samm Bennett, Ruins, Michiyo Yagi and Susumu Hirasawa.
Masayoshi Esashi (江刺 正喜, Esashi Masayoshi; born January 30, 1949 Sendai, Miyagi) is an engineer. He is a global…
Masayoshi Esashi (江刺 正喜, Esashi Masayoshi; born January 30, 1949 Sendai, Miyagi) is an engineer. He is a global authority of Microelectromechanical systems and serves as the professor of the Tohoku University graduate school engineering graduate course.
Aobajō Yukio (Japanese: 青葉城 幸雄; born 14 November 1948 as Yukio Shōji (庄司 幸雄)) is a Japanese former professional sumo…
Aobajō Yukio (Japanese: 青葉城 幸雄; born 14 November 1948 as Yukio Shōji (庄司 幸雄)) is a Japanese former professional sumo wrestler from Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture. He did not miss a single bout in his 22-year professional career, and held the record for the most consecutive matches fought, at 1,630, until September 10, 2024, when Tamawashi Ichirō broke the record. After his retirement from active competition, he served as an elder of the Japan Sumo Association and worked as a coach.
Haruo Wakō (和光 晴生, Wakō Haruo; June 12, 1948 – November 4, 2023) was a Japanese communist militant, member of the…
Haruo Wakō (和光 晴生, Wakō Haruo; June 12, 1948 – November 4, 2023) was a Japanese communist militant, member of the Japanese Red Army (JRA). Wakō attended Keio University, but dropped out in 1970. Later he worked for a time as an assistant for Kōji Wakamatsu's Wakamatsu Productions, a producer of leftist movies.
Reiko Kuroda (黒田 玲子, Kuroda Reiko; born October 7, 1947) is a Japanese chemist who is a professor at the Department of…
Reiko Kuroda (黒田 玲子, Kuroda Reiko; born October 7, 1947) is a Japanese chemist who is a professor at the Department of Life Sciences at the University of Tokyo.
Takashi Ishii (石井隆, Ishii Takashi; 11 July 1946 – 22 May 2022) was a Japanese film director, screenwriter and manga…
Takashi Ishii (石井隆, Ishii Takashi; 11 July 1946 – 22 May 2022) was a Japanese film director, screenwriter and manga artist. He directed several pinku eiga erotic films, but his most notable feature was the 1995 crime thriller Gonin starring Takeshi Kitano.
Masamitsu Oishi (大石 正光, Ōishi Masamitsu; born 28 January 1945) is a former Japanese politician of the Democratic Party…
Masamitsu Oishi (大石 正光, Ōishi Masamitsu; born 28 January 1945) is a former Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, who served in both houses of the National Diet (national legislature). A native of Sendai, Miyagi, he graduated from Rikkyo University and attended Whitworth University in Washington, United States. After having served in the House of Representatives for five terms, he lost his seat in 1996 as a member of the New Frontier Party. He was re-elected in 2000 but lost the seat again in 2003. In 2004 he ran for the House of Councillors and was elected for the first time.
Kenichi Ara (阿羅 健一, Ara Kenichi; born February 9, 1944) is a Japanese political commentator and researcher on modern…
Kenichi Ara (阿羅 健一, Ara Kenichi; born February 9, 1944) is a Japanese political commentator and researcher on modern history. Until the 1980s, he used the pen name Hideo Hatakenaka. He is associated with the far-right and has participated in a number of organizations to promote far-right causes. Currently he is chairman of the Chūgoku no Kōnichi Kinenkan no Futō na Shashin no Tekkyo o Motomeru Kokumin no Kai, which seeks the removal of "inappropriate photographs" from war museums in China, and is advisor to both the Tamogami Ronbun to Jieikan no Meiyo o Kangaeru Kai, which supports Toshio Tamogami, and the ultranationalist Shuken Kaifuku o Mezasu Kai. He was born in Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture and is a graduate of Sendai Niko High School and the Faculty of Literature at Tohoku University. He worked at King Records from the spring of 1966 but retired around the age of 40.
Katsuo Haga (芳賀 勝男, Haga Katsuo; born 4 December 1938) is a Japanese boxer. He competed in the men's bantamweight event…
Katsuo Haga (芳賀 勝男, Haga Katsuo; born 4 December 1938) is a Japanese boxer. He competed in the men's bantamweight event at the 1960 Summer Olympics.
Shigemi Tamura (born 20 July 1938) is a Japanese rower. He competed in the men's eight event at the 1960 Summer…
Shigemi Tamura (born 20 July 1938) is a Japanese rower. He competed in the men's eight event at the 1960 Summer Olympics.
Akio Kaminaga (神永 昭夫, Kaminaga Akio; December 22, 1936 – March 21, 1993) was a Japanese judoka who won a silver medal…
Akio Kaminaga (神永 昭夫, Kaminaga Akio; December 22, 1936 – March 21, 1993) was a Japanese judoka who won a silver medal in the open weight category at the 1964 Summer Olympics.
Reiko Okuyama (奥山 玲子, Okuyama Reiko; 26 October 1936 – 6 May 2007), née, was a Japanese animator, notable for being one…
Reiko Okuyama (奥山 玲子, Okuyama Reiko; 26 October 1936 – 6 May 2007), née, was a Japanese animator, notable for being one of the first female Japanese animators. She has also been credited as Reiko Kotabe (小田部 玲子, Kotabe Reiko; on Hustle Punch episode 19) and Reiko Kitagawa (北川 玲子, Kitagawa Reiko; on Belladonna). The 2019 asadora Natsuzora is loosely based on her life and career.
Bunta Sugawara (Japanese: 菅原 文太, Hepburn: Sugawara Bunta; August 16, 1933 – November 28, 2014) was a Japanese actor who…
Bunta Sugawara (Japanese: 菅原 文太, Hepburn: Sugawara Bunta; August 16, 1933 – November 28, 2014) was a Japanese actor who appeared in almost 200 feature films. Dropping out of Waseda University, he worked as a model before entering the film industry in 1956. After years of work, Sugawara finally established himself as a famous actor at the age of 39, with the lead role of Shozo Hirono in the Battles Without Honor and Humanity series (1973–1976) of yakuza films. He quickly found additional success starring as the truck driver Momojiro Hoshi in the comedic Torakku Yarō series (1975–1979). In 1980, Sugawara won the Japan Academy Prize for Best Supporting Actor for his role as a detective in the satirical Taiyō o Nusunda Otoko (1979).
Yasuaki Ninomiya is a Japanese aircraft designer. He is the creator of the "WhiteWings" line of paperboard aircraft…
Yasuaki Ninomiya is a Japanese aircraft designer. He is the creator of the "WhiteWings" line of paperboard aircraft, described as "the Ferraris of paper airplanes" by a curator of the National Air and Space Museum.
Seiichi Niikuni (新国誠一, Niikuni Seiichi; December 7, 1925 – August 23, 1977) was a Japanese poet and painter. He was one…
Seiichi Niikuni (新国誠一, Niikuni Seiichi; December 7, 1925 – August 23, 1977) was a Japanese poet and painter. He was one of the foremost pioneers of the international avant-garde concrete poetry movement, creating works of calligraphic, visual and aural poetry. He is recognized as one of the most important poets of recent times in Japanese and German textbooks. It is said that during his later years, he started to prefer the old kanji orthography form of his name, 新國誠一.
Ichirō Hariu (針生 一郎, Hariu Ichirō; December 1, 1925–May 26, 2010), was a Japanese art critic and literary critic…
Ichirō Hariu (針生 一郎, Hariu Ichirō; December 1, 1925–May 26, 2010), was a Japanese art critic and literary critic, remembered as one of the "Big Three" art critics of postwar Japan (alongside Yoshiaki Tōno and Yūsuke Nakahara).
Fumio Hayasaka (早坂 文雄, Hayasaka Fumio; August 19, 1914 – October 15, 1955) was a Japanese composer of classical music…
Fumio Hayasaka (早坂 文雄, Hayasaka Fumio; August 19, 1914 – October 15, 1955) was a Japanese composer of classical music and film scores.
Kiichi Aichi (愛知 揆一, Aichi Kiichi; 10 October 1907 – 23 November 1973) was a Japanese politician and cabinet minister…
Kiichi Aichi (愛知 揆一, Aichi Kiichi; 10 October 1907 – 23 November 1973) was a Japanese politician and cabinet minister in post-war Japan. He held several cabinet-level positions throughout his career, including Minister for Foreign Affairs, Minister of Finance and Minister of Education. He notably negotiated and signed the Okinawa Reversion Agreement with the United States on behalf of then Japanese prime minister Eisaku Satō in 1971.
Tadashi Sasaki (佐々木 直, Sasaki Tadashi; 5 May 1907 – 7 July 1988) was a Japanese central banker, and 22nd Governor of…
Tadashi Sasaki (佐々木 直, Sasaki Tadashi; 5 May 1907 – 7 July 1988) was a Japanese central banker, and 22nd Governor of the Bank of Japan (BOJ).
Noboru Niida (仁井田陞, Niida Noboru; January 1, 1904 - June 22, 1966) was a Japanese academic, historian of Chinese legal…
Noboru Niida (仁井田陞, Niida Noboru; January 1, 1904 - June 22, 1966) was a Japanese academic, historian of Chinese legal history and Professor Emeritus of Oriental Laws at the University of Tokyo (Todai).
Sensui Shoji (Japanese: 庄司 浅水, Hepburn: Shōji Sensui; 10 November 1903 – 7 September 1991) was a Japanese bibliophile…
Sensui Shoji (Japanese: 庄司 浅水, Hepburn: Shōji Sensui; 10 November 1903 – 7 September 1991) was a Japanese bibliophile and author. He wrote and translated over 100 books and articles, mainly on the history of Japanese and Western literature, but also in the area of the supernatural.
Tetsuo Nozoe (野副 鉄男, 16 May 1902 – 4 April 1996) was a Japanese organic chemist. He is known for the discovery of…
Tetsuo Nozoe (野副 鉄男, 16 May 1902 – 4 April 1996) was a Japanese organic chemist. He is known for the discovery of hinokitiol, a seven-membered aromatic compound, and studying non-benzenoid aromatic compounds.
Maki Yūkō (槇 有恒, Maki Yūkō; 5 February 1894 – 2 May 1989), also known as Maki Aritsune (using the native Japanese…
Maki Yūkō (槇 有恒, Maki Yūkō; 5 February 1894 – 2 May 1989), also known as Maki Aritsune (using the native Japanese reading of the characters of his given name;Yūkō is the Sino-Japanese reading), was a Japanese mountain climber. He was born in Sendai and died in Tokyo.
Peter Tatsuo Doi (土井 辰雄 Doi Tatsuo) (22 December 1892 – 21 February 1970) was a Japanese prelate of the Catholic…
Peter Tatsuo Doi (土井 辰雄 Doi Tatsuo) (22 December 1892 – 21 February 1970) was a Japanese prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Tokyo from 1937 until his death in 1970, and was made a cardinal in 1960.
Masahiko Amakasu (甘粕 正彦, Amakasu Masahiko; January 26, 1891 – August 20, 1945) was an officer in the Imperial Japanese…
Masahiko Amakasu (甘粕 正彦, Amakasu Masahiko; January 26, 1891 – August 20, 1945) was an officer in the Imperial Japanese Army who was imprisoned for his involvement in the Amakasu Incident, the extrajudicial execution of anarchists after the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake. He later became head of the Manchukuo Film Association.
Saburō Aizawa (相沢 三郎, Aizawa Saburō; September 6, 1889 – July 3, 1936) was a Japanese military officer of the Imperial…
Saburō Aizawa (相沢 三郎, Aizawa Saburō; September 6, 1889 – July 3, 1936) was a Japanese military officer of the Imperial Japanese Army who assassinated Tetsuzan Nagata in the Aizawa Incident in August 1935. Aizawa was later court-martialed and executed for this murder.
Hitoshi Imamura (今村 均, Imamura Hitoshi; 28 June 1886 – 4 October 1968) was a Japanese general who served in the…
Hitoshi Imamura (今村 均, Imamura Hitoshi; 28 June 1886 – 4 October 1968) was a Japanese general who served in the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II, and was subsequently convicted of war crimes. Finding his punishment to be too light, Imamura built a replica of his prison in his garden and confined himself there until his death.
Shinpei Ogura (小倉進平, Ogura Shinpei; June 4, 1882 – February 8, 1944) was a Japanese linguist who studied the Korean…
Shinpei Ogura (小倉進平, Ogura Shinpei; June 4, 1882 – February 8, 1944) was a Japanese linguist who studied the Korean language. Ogura is well-known in Korea for his contributions to Korean linguistics, with much of his field work and studies considered invaluable resources even in recent years. Ogura made a number of landmark firsts in the field; he was the first person to decipher hyangga poetry documents. He is also considered the first modern researcher of Korean dialects, and traveled throughout the peninsula doing field research. The data he collected on dialects are still widely referred to, especially because the division of Korea in 1945 has made it difficult to study dialects on opposite ends of the peninsula. In Korean, he is sometimes called Soch'ang Chinp'yŏng (Korean: 소창진평), the Korean Hanja reading of his name.
Kiyoshi Oshikawa (Oshikawa Kiyoshi, 押川清, 1 January 1881 – 18 March 1944) was a Japanese baseball player, executive and…
Kiyoshi Oshikawa (Oshikawa Kiyoshi, 押川清, 1 January 1881 – 18 March 1944) was a Japanese baseball player, executive and the founder of the first Japanese professional baseball team.
Kokkō Sōma (相馬黒光, Sōma Kokkō; September 12, 1876 – March 2, 1955) was an entrepreneur, philanthropist, patron of…
Kokkō Sōma (相馬黒光, Sōma Kokkō; September 12, 1876 – March 2, 1955) was an entrepreneur, philanthropist, patron of artists and patron of Pan-Asian politics during the pre-war Empire of Japan. She was the wife of Aizō Sōma, the founder of Nakamura-ya, a noted bakery in Tokyo.
Kiyotsugu Hirayama (平山 清次, Hirayama Kiyotsugu; October 3, 1874 – April 8, 1943) was a Japanese astronomer, best known…
Kiyotsugu Hirayama (平山 清次, Hirayama Kiyotsugu; October 3, 1874 – April 8, 1943) was a Japanese astronomer, best known for his discovery that many asteroid orbits were more similar to one another than chance would allow, leading to the concept of asteroid families, now called "Hirayama families" in his honour.
Kiyoshi Shiga (志賀 潔, Shiga Kiyoshi; February 7, 1871 – January 25, 1957) was a Japanese physician and bacteriologist.…
Kiyoshi Shiga (志賀 潔, Shiga Kiyoshi; February 7, 1871 – January 25, 1957) was a Japanese physician and bacteriologist. He had a well-rounded education and career that led to many scientific discoveries. In 1897, Shiga was credited with the discovery and identification of the Shigella dysenteriae microorganism which causes dysentery, and the Shiga toxin which is produced by the bacteria. He conducted research on other diseases such as tuberculosis and trypanosomiasis, and made many advancements in bacteriology and immunology.
Takuji Iwasaki (岩崎 卓爾, Iwasaki Takuji; November 17, 1869 – May 2, 1937) was a Japanese meteorologist, biologist…
Takuji Iwasaki (岩崎 卓爾, Iwasaki Takuji; November 17, 1869 – May 2, 1937) was a Japanese meteorologist, biologist, ethnologist historian. He was a meteorologist at the Ishigaki Weather Station, Ishigaki, Okinawa Prefecture. Initially, when weather forecasting was in its infancy, he had been badly criticized by local people when his forecast of a typhoon was incorrect. Nevertheless, his work as a meteorologist was better understood by locals later in his career, which endeared him to people.
Arai Ōsui (新井奥邃) (1846–1922) was a prominent Japanese disciple of the 19th century cult leader, Thomas Lake Harris. He…
Arai Ōsui (新井奥邃) (1846–1922) was a prominent Japanese disciple of the 19th century cult leader, Thomas Lake Harris. He was originally a samurai in the service of one of the northern clans who fought in the Boshin War. He saw service before and during the Tokugawa shogunate's final battle at Hakodate.
Akitoshi Saito (斎藤 彰俊, Saitō Akitoshi; born August 8, 1965) is a Japanese retired professional wrestler primarily known…
Akitoshi Saito (斎藤 彰俊, Saitō Akitoshi; born August 8, 1965) is a Japanese retired professional wrestler primarily known for his tenures with Pro Wrestling Noah (Noah) where he is a former five-time GHC Tag Team Champion and a former two-time Global Tag League winner in 2008 and 2011. Saito is also known for a seven-year stint with New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW).
Gō Ikeyamada (池山田 剛, Ikeyamada Gō; born May 25) is a Japanese manga artist. She made her debut in 2002 with Get Love!!…
Gō Ikeyamada (池山田 剛, Ikeyamada Gō; born May 25) is a Japanese manga artist. She made her debut in 2002 with Get Love!!, which was serialized in Shōjo Comic.
Sayuri Date (伊達 さゆり, Date Sayuri; DAH-tay; born September 30, 2002) is a Japanese voice actress who is affiliated with…
Sayuri Date (伊達 さゆり, Date Sayuri; DAH-tay; born September 30, 2002) is a Japanese voice actress who is affiliated with Apollo Bay. She began her voice acting activities in 2021 after winning an open audition to voice Kanon Shibuya, the protagonist of the anime series Love Live! Superstar!!. She is also a member of the series' idol group Liella!.
Ai Akimoto (秋本 愛, Akimoto Ai; née Ōtomo (大友); born March 24, 1982) is a Japanese retired volleyball player. She…
Ai Akimoto (秋本 愛, Akimoto Ai; née Ōtomo (大友); born March 24, 1982) is a Japanese retired volleyball player. She competed at the 2004 and 2012 Summer Olympics.
Yoshitaka Yamaya (山谷 祥生, Yamaya Yoshitaka; born February 15, 1992) is a Japanese voice actor. He was previously…
Yoshitaka Yamaya (山谷 祥生, Yamaya Yoshitaka; born February 15, 1992) is a Japanese voice actor. He was previously represented by With Line, but is now currently affiliated with freelancer.
Kōdai Umetsu (梅津晃大, Umetsu Kōdai; born October 24, 1996) is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher for the Chunichi…
Kōdai Umetsu (梅津晃大, Umetsu Kōdai; born October 24, 1996) is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher for the Chunichi Dragons of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
Satomi Satō (佐藤 聡美, Satō Satomi; born May 8, 1986) is a Japanese voice actress and singer.
Miho Arakawa (荒川 美穂, Arakawa Miho; born December 4, 1987) is a Japanese voice actress affiliated with Tokyo Actor's…
Miho Arakawa (荒川 美穂, Arakawa Miho; born December 4, 1987) is a Japanese voice actress affiliated with Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society.
Ai Fukuhara (福原 愛, Fukuhara Ai; born 1 November 1988) is a retired Japanese table tennis player and Olympic medalist…
Ai Fukuhara (福原 愛, Fukuhara Ai; born 1 November 1988) is a retired Japanese table tennis player and Olympic medalist, winning silver at the 2012 Summer Olympics and bronze at the 2016 Summer Olympics with the Japanese women's team. She is sponsored by All Nippon Airways.
Katsuhiko Umehara (梅原 克彦, Umehara Katsuhiko; born 29 March 1954) is a Japanese politician who served as the mayor of…
Katsuhiko Umehara (梅原 克彦, Umehara Katsuhiko; born 29 March 1954) is a Japanese politician who served as the mayor of Sendai, Miyagi. Upon graduation from the University of Tokyo in 1978, he joined the Ministry of International Trade and Industry. After leaving the ministry in 2005, he was elected mayor of Sendai in the same year.
Kentaro Okamoto (born c.1982), better known as DJ Kentaro, is a Japanese musician and DJ. He won third place in the…
Kentaro Okamoto (born c.1982), better known as DJ Kentaro, is a Japanese musician and DJ. He won third place in the Technics category of the DMC World DJ Final in 2001 and won it in 2002 at the age of 20. In doing so, he became one of the first persons of Asian descent to win the DMC World DJ Final, receiving the highest score in DMC history in the process. He was signed to independent record label Ninja Tune and released a Solid Steel DJ mix album in September 2005, entitled On The Wheels of Solid Steel. The tracks on the album come exclusively from Ninja Tune's back catalogue. His first album of entirely original material, Enter, was released on April 30, 2007. Kentaro recently supported hip-hop artists The Roots and The Pharcyde. Kentaro is well known for having remixed various songs of Japanese megastar Ayumi Hamasaki. Kentaro was featured by Soil & "Pimp" Sessions on their 2013 album "Circles".
Sayuri Kamata (鎌田 さゆり) (born January 8, 1965) is a Japanese politician. She is a member of the House of Representatives…
Sayuri Kamata (鎌田 さゆり) (born January 8, 1965) is a Japanese politician. She is a member of the House of Representatives (four terms) and the acting representative of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP) of Japan's Miyagi Prefectural Chapter. She also served as a member of the Miyagi Prefectural Assembly (one term) and a member of the Sendai City Assembly (one term).
Mika Doi (土井 美加, Doi Mika; born August 4, 1956) is a Japanese actress, voice actress, and narrator who was born in…
Mika Doi (土井 美加, Doi Mika; born August 4, 1956) is a Japanese actress, voice actress, and narrator who was born in Sendai.