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.
Famous People from Hiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture
Hiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture: 134 people
Yoshinori Shigematsu (重松 良典, Shigematsu Yoshinori; April 2, 1930 – 2018) was a Japanese football player. He played for…
Yoshinori Shigematsu (重松 良典, Shigematsu Yoshinori; April 2, 1930 – 2018) was a Japanese football player. He played for Japan national team.
Shimako Murai (村井 志摩子, Murai Shimako; 12 July 1928 – 9 May 2018) was a Japanese playwright. She was born in Hiroshima…
Shimako Murai (村井 志摩子, Murai Shimako; 12 July 1928 – 9 May 2018) was a Japanese playwright. She was born in Hiroshima, but was not in the city on the day of the atomic bombings. She lost many friends in the bombing, and her profound sense of guilt led her to devote most of her life to producing plays connected with the Hiroshima bombings. She felt a strong affinity with the architect Jan Letzel, who had designed the Hiroshima Prefectural Commercial Exhibition building, which — by a stroke of luck — somehow survived the atomic bomb's blast, and thereby became the famous A-bomb dome. Letzel was Czech, and Murai decided to study in Prague. She translated various works between Czech and Japanese, including the first Japanese renditions of plays by Josef Topol, Václav Havel and Milan Kundera, and opera by Smetana and Janáček. For this work she won the 1968 Kinokuniya Theatre Award. Later her own plays were performed and won awards throughout Japan, as well as in Maui (Hawaii), the Avignon Festival and the Edinburgh Fringe, starring actresses such as Mahō Shibuki (ex Takarazuka), Takajō Miki (ex SKD=Shochiku Kageki Dan) and Kurihara Chieko (JMDB). She was married to Kuzui Kinshirō (ja:葛井欣士郎), a film producer and manager of the alternative Art Theatre Shinjuku Bunka during the 1960s and early 1970s. She died on 9 May 2018, at her home in Shinjuku.
Hiroo Inokuchi (23 Feb 1927 – 20 March 2014) was a Japanese chemist who did pioneering work in electronic processes in…
Hiroo Inokuchi (23 Feb 1927 – 20 March 2014) was a Japanese chemist who did pioneering work in electronic processes in organic materials, for which he received the 2007 Kyoto Prize in Advanced Technology. Since 2006, he was the chairman of the Japan Space Forum.
Hidemaro Watanabe (渡部 英麿, Watanabe Hidemaro; September 24, 1924 – October 12, 2011) was a Japanese football player. He…
Hidemaro Watanabe (渡部 英麿, Watanabe Hidemaro; September 24, 1924 – October 12, 2011) was a Japanese football player. He played for Japan national team.
Isao Kimura (木村 功, Kimura Isao; 22 June 1923 – 4 July 1981), sometimes credited as Kō Kimura, was a Japanese stage and…
Isao Kimura (木村 功, Kimura Isao; 22 June 1923 – 4 July 1981), sometimes credited as Kō Kimura, was a Japanese stage and film actor who appeared in more than one hundred films of directors such as Akira Kurosawa, Mikio Naruse, Tadashi Imai and Yoshishige Yoshida.
Kazuyoshi Kino (紀野一義, Kino Kazuyoshi; August 9, 1922 – December 28, 2013) was a Japanese Buddhist scholar. Together…
Kazuyoshi Kino (紀野一義, Kino Kazuyoshi; August 9, 1922 – December 28, 2013) was a Japanese Buddhist scholar. Together with Hajime Nakamura and others, he translated the Heart Sutra, the Prajnaparamita sutras, and the three main sutras of the Jodo sect.
Masaaki Fujita (藤田 正明, Fujita Masaaki; January 3, 1922 – May 27, 1996) was a Japanese politician who served as a member…
Masaaki Fujita (藤田 正明, Fujita Masaaki; January 3, 1922 – May 27, 1996) was a Japanese politician who served as a member of the House of Councillors. Fujita was born and brought up in Hiroshima City and he graduated from Waseda University in 1944. During his 30-year political career, he served in some important posts such as the Director General of Okinawa Development Agency (1976-1977) and the President of the House of Councillors (1986-1988). He received the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun in 1992.
Yumeji Tsukioka (月丘夢路, Tsukioka Yumeji; born Akiko Hinotsume, 14 October 1922 – 3 May 2017) was a Japanese film…
Yumeji Tsukioka (月丘夢路, Tsukioka Yumeji; born Akiko Hinotsume, 14 October 1922 – 3 May 2017) was a Japanese film actress. She appeared in more than 150 films between 1940 and 1994, including works by Yasujirō Ozu, Keisuke Kinoshita, Kinuyo Tanaka and others. She was married to the director Umetsugu Inoue from 1957 until his death in 2010.
Hiroyuki Agawa (阿川 弘之, Agawa Hiroyuki; December 24, 1920 – August 3, 2015) was a Japanese author. He was known for his…
Hiroyuki Agawa (阿川 弘之, Agawa Hiroyuki; December 24, 1920 – August 3, 2015) was a Japanese author. He was known for his fiction centered on World War II, as well as his biographies and essays.
Kentaro Kawatsu (河津憲太郎, Kawatsu Kentarō; September 26, 1914 – March 23, 1970) was a Japanese swimmer who competed at…
Kentaro Kawatsu (河津憲太郎, Kawatsu Kentarō; September 26, 1914 – March 23, 1970) was a Japanese swimmer who competed at the 1932 Summer Olympics. Kawatsu was a native of Hiroshima City, where his father, a physical education instructor at the predecessor of Hiroshima University, became known as the "Father of Hiroshima Sports". In 1930, while still in middle school, Kawatsu set a new Japan record of 33.2 seconds for the 50-meter backstroke. In 1932, while a student at Meiji University, he was selected for the Japanese Olympic team to the Los Angeles Olympics. The Japanese swimming team had significant success that year. The team took the gold, silver and bronze medals in the 100 meter backstroke event, with Kawatsu winning the bronze medal. He subsequently participated in the 1934 Far Eastern Games held in Manila. Kawatsu killed himself on March 23, 1970.
Akinoumi Setsuo (Japanese: 安藝ノ海 節男, Hepburn: Akinoumi Setsuo; May 30, 1914 – March 25, 1979), born Nagata Setsuo (永田…
Akinoumi Setsuo (Japanese: 安藝ノ海 節男, Hepburn: Akinoumi Setsuo; May 30, 1914 – March 25, 1979), born Nagata Setsuo (永田 節男), was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Hiroshima. He was the sport's 37th yokozuna.
Sadako Kurihara (栗原 貞子, Kurihara Sadako; March 4, 1913 – March 6, 2005) was a Japanese poet who lived in Hiroshima and…
Sadako Kurihara (栗原 貞子, Kurihara Sadako; March 4, 1913 – March 6, 2005) was a Japanese poet who lived in Hiroshima and survived the atomic bombing during World War II. She is best known for her poem Umashimenkana (Bringing Forth New Life).
Shuji Doi (土井 修爾, Doi Shūji; 1 October 1909 – 7 July 1938) was a Japanese water polo player. He competed in the men's…
Shuji Doi (土井 修爾, Doi Shūji; 1 October 1909 – 7 July 1938) was a Japanese water polo player. He competed in the men's tournament at the 1932 Summer Olympics. He died of wounds suffered in the Second Sino-Japanese War.
Shizuo Takada (高田 静雄, Takada Shizuo; 5 March 1909 – 10 December 1963) was a Japanese track and field athlete. He…
Shizuo Takada (高田 静雄, Takada Shizuo; 5 March 1909 – 10 December 1963) was a Japanese track and field athlete. He competed in the men's shot put at the 1936 Summer Olympics. He later made a name for himself as a photographer.
Akira Fujita (藤田 明, 1 January 1908 - 29 May 2001) was a Japanese male water polo player. He was a member of the Japan…
Akira Fujita (藤田 明, 1 January 1908 - 29 May 2001) was a Japanese male water polo player. He was a member of the Japan men's national water polo team. He competed with the team at the 1932 Summer Olympics.
Haruko Sugimura (杉村 春子, Sugimura Haruko; January 6, 1909 – April 4, 1997) was a Japanese stage and film actress, best…
Haruko Sugimura (杉村 春子, Sugimura Haruko; January 6, 1909 – April 4, 1997) was a Japanese stage and film actress, best known for her appearances in the films of Yasujirō Ozu and Mikio Naruse from the late 1940s to the early 1960s.
Shinzo Hamai (浜井 信三, Hamai Shinzō; 28 May 1905 – 26 February 1968) was a Japanese politician who served as the first…
Shinzo Hamai (浜井 信三, Hamai Shinzō; 28 May 1905 – 26 February 1968) was a Japanese politician who served as the first popularly elected Mayor of Hiroshima from 1947 to 1955 and again from 1959 to 1967. He created Hiroshima's image as a city of peace. He was the second mayor of Hiroshima to serve several non-consecutive terms, the first being Sukeyuki Ban.
Yoshiko Okada (岡田嘉子, Okada Yoshiko; 21 April 1902 – 10 February 1992) was a Japanese stage and film actress who…
Yoshiko Okada (岡田嘉子, Okada Yoshiko; 21 April 1902 – 10 February 1992) was a Japanese stage and film actress who defected to the Soviet Union in the 1930s.
Yuzuru Nozu (野津謙, Nozu Yuzuru; 12 March 1899 – 27 August 1983) was a Japanese footballer who made two appearances for…
Yuzuru Nozu (野津謙, Nozu Yuzuru; 12 March 1899 – 27 August 1983) was a Japanese footballer who made two appearances for Japan at the 1921 Far Eastern Championship Games.
Seigo Minami (皆見 省吾, Minami Seigo; November 1, 1893 – September 6, 1975) was a Japanese dermatologist. In 1923, he…
Seigo Minami (皆見 省吾, Minami Seigo; November 1, 1893 – September 6, 1975) was a Japanese dermatologist. In 1923, he first reported crush syndrome while he was studying in Germany. He worked as professor of dermatology at Okayama University and Kyushu University. To stimulate dermatological research among young Japanese dermatologists, he created the Minami Awards.
Okinori Kaya (賀屋 興宣, Kaya Okinori; 30 January 1889 – 9 May 1977) was a Japanese bureaucrat and politician who served as…
Okinori Kaya (賀屋 興宣, Kaya Okinori; 30 January 1889 – 9 May 1977) was a Japanese bureaucrat and politician who served as Minister of Finance from 1937 to 1938 and 1941 to 1944, and as Minister of Justice from 1963 to 1964. Born in Hiroshima, Kaya graduated from Tokyo Imperial University and joined the Ministry of Finance. After a successful career he became Minister of Finance in the first cabinet of Fumimaro Konoe and again in the wartime cabinet of Hideki Tojo. After the Japanese surrender he was sentenced to life in prison by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East. Paroled in 1955, Kaya was rehabilitated and served in the House of Representatives for the Liberal Democratic Party, and as Minister of Justice under Hayato Ikeda.
Vice-Admiral Masaichi Niimi (新見 政一, Niimi Masaichi; 4 February 1887 – 2 April 1993) was an admiral in the Imperial…
Vice-Admiral Masaichi Niimi (新見 政一, Niimi Masaichi; 4 February 1887 – 2 April 1993) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.
Miekichi Suzuki (鈴木 三重吉, Suzuki Miekichi; September 29, 1882 – June 27, 1936) was a Japanese novelist and author of…
Miekichi Suzuki (鈴木 三重吉, Suzuki Miekichi; September 29, 1882 – June 27, 1936) was a Japanese novelist and author of children's stories from Hiroshima.
Kaoru Osanai (小山内 薫, Osanai Kaoru; July 26, 1881 – December 25, 1928), was a Japanese theater director, playwright, and…
Kaoru Osanai (小山内 薫, Osanai Kaoru; July 26, 1881 – December 25, 1928), was a Japanese theater director, playwright, and actor central in the development of modern Japanese theater.
Admiral Seizō Kobayashi (Japanese: 小林 躋造, Hepburn: Kobayashi Seizō; 1 October 1877 – 4 July 1962) was a Japanese naval…
Admiral Seizō Kobayashi (Japanese: 小林 躋造, Hepburn: Kobayashi Seizō; 1 October 1877 – 4 July 1962) was a Japanese naval commander, commander of the Combined Fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy (1931–1933) and the 17th Governor-General of Taiwan (1936–1940).
Hayami Seiji (Japanese: 早速 整爾) was a Japanese politician during the Taishō era.
Nakamura Yoshikoto (中村 是公, , also Nakamura Korekimi; 20 December 1867 – 1 March 1927) was a government bureaucrat…
Nakamura Yoshikoto (中村 是公, , also Nakamura Korekimi; 20 December 1867 – 1 March 1927) was a government bureaucrat, entrepreneur, and politician in late Meiji period Japan. He served as second Chairman of the South Manchurian Railway Company, Mayor of Tokyo, Railroad Minister, and was a member of the House of Peers. He was also known as Nakamura Zekō.
Marshal-Admiral Viscount Katō Tomosaburō (加藤 友三郎; 22 February 1861 – 24 August 1923) was a career officer in the…
Marshal-Admiral Viscount Katō Tomosaburō (加藤 友三郎; 22 February 1861 – 24 August 1923) was a career officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy, cabinet minister, and Prime Minister of Japan from 1922 to 1923.
Tadashi Satō (佐藤 正, Satō Tadashi; 20 July 1849 – 27 April 1920) was a Japanese Army officer and politician. As a…
Tadashi Satō (佐藤 正, Satō Tadashi; 20 July 1849 – 27 April 1920) was a Japanese Army officer and politician. As a lieutenant colonel in the Imperial Japanese Army, he was given command of the 18th Infantry Regiment on 29 October 1891. He was later promoted to colonel, and wounded in battle on 4 March 1895 during the First Sino-Japanese War. As a politician, he was Mayor of Hiroshima from 10 January to 20 April 1896.
Sora Izumikawa (イズミカワ ソラ, Izumikawa Sora; born February 14, 1971), is a Japanese artist, singer-songwriter, voice…
Sora Izumikawa (イズミカワ ソラ, Izumikawa Sora; born February 14, 1971), is a Japanese artist, singer-songwriter, voice actress, composer and producer currently based on Japan. Also Ex-CEO for Dog-Rights Co., Ltd.
Aya Tademaru (Japanese: 蓼丸 綾, Hepburn: Tademaru Aya; born March 24, 1985) better known by the stage name Haruka Ayase…
Aya Tademaru (Japanese: 蓼丸 綾, Hepburn: Tademaru Aya; born March 24, 1985) better known by the stage name Haruka Ayase (綾瀬 はるか), is a Japanese actress who started her career as a model in the year 2000. She has since become a leading actress in television and film. The Japan Times has referred to Ayase as "the Japanese version of Anne Hathaway". In 2018, she was named the most beautiful face in Japan.
Momoko Sayama (born 19 February 1992) is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a defender for WE League club…
Momoko Sayama (born 19 February 1992) is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a defender for WE League club Sanfrecce Hiroshima Regina.
Kanae Yamamoto (山本 香苗, Yamamoto Kanae; born 1971) is a Japanese politician of the Komeito who served as a member of the…
Kanae Yamamoto (山本 香苗, Yamamoto Kanae; born 1971) is a Japanese politician of the Komeito who served as a member of the House of Councillors from 2001 to 2024. A native of Hiroshima Prefecture and graduate of Kyoto University, she joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1995, attending Istanbul University while in the ministry. In 2001, after leaving the ministry, she was elected to the House of Councillors for the first time. Yamamoto left the House of Councillors to run from Osaka 16th district, in the 2024 House of Representatives election, to replace the retiring Kazuo Kitagawa, but was defeated by Masaki Kuroda of the Japan Innovation Party.