Issey Ogata (イッセー尾形, Issei Ogata; born February 22, 1952) is a Japanese actor and comedian. He was interested in plays…
Issey Ogata (イッセー尾形, Issei Ogata; born February 22, 1952) is a Japanese actor and comedian. He was interested in plays since childhood. After he graduated from Toyotama High School in Japan, he joined a theatrical company and appeared on the stage. Later, he jumped at the opportunity to be an entertainer when he took the gold medal at the audition called "Birth of Comedians". Then, he started garnering roles on Japanese TV. Shows he appeared on include Fuji TV's Evil Grandmother and NHK's RinRinto. He performs in Life Never Stops by himself at GyanGyan Theater in Shibuya. Furthermore, he has had starring roles in major art-house films, including Ota in Edward Yang's Yi Yi, the title character in Jun Ichikawa's Tony Takitani (an adaptation of the Haruki Murakami short story), the role of Japanese Emperor Hirohito in Aleksandr Sokurov's The Sun, and Inoue Masashige in Martin Scorsese's Silence.
Famous People from Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture
Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture: 143 people
Tōru Yasunaga (安永 徹, Yasunaga Tōru; born November 14, 1951, in Fukuoka Prefecture) is a Japanese violinist. Yasunaga is…
Tōru Yasunaga (安永 徹, Yasunaga Tōru; born November 14, 1951, in Fukuoka Prefecture) is a Japanese violinist. Yasunaga is an active chamber musician and soloist, and was a member of the Berlin Philharmonic from 1977, serving as concertmaster from 1983 until his retirement from the orchestra in March 2009.
Takashi Gojobori (五條堀 孝, Gojobori Takashi; born October 24, 1951, Fukuoka) is a Japanese molecular biologist who is…
Takashi Gojobori (五條堀 孝, Gojobori Takashi; born October 24, 1951, Fukuoka) is a Japanese molecular biologist who is vice director of the National Institute of Genetics (NIG) and the DNA Data Bank of Japan (DDBJ) at NIG in Mishima, Japan. Gojobori is a distinguished professor at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia. He is a professor of bioscience and acting director at the Computational Bioscience Research Center at KAUST. He has also been co-appointed as the special research consultant of the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), and acts as a visiting professor at Keio University, University of Tokyo, and Tokyo Institute of Technology. He is an associate member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO), a member of Academia Europea and an academician member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, Vatican.
Tetsuya Takeda (武田 鉄矢, Takeda Tetsuya; born April 11, 1949) is a Japanese folk singer and actor. Takeda is perhaps most…
Tetsuya Takeda (武田 鉄矢, Takeda Tetsuya; born April 11, 1949) is a Japanese folk singer and actor. Takeda is perhaps most known in Japan for his starring role in the Tokyo Broadcasting System's long-running, highly rated television drama Mr. Kinpachi of the Third-Year B Class. The program, targeted at junior high and high school-aged adolescents, ran on TBS with Takeda at various times from 1979 until 2011. Takeda wrote and performed several well-known songs, including "Childhood", the theme song for the 1985 animated film Doraemon: Nobita's Little Star Wars. Takeda's 1980 song, "The Word I Give to You", is often performed at junior high school and high school graduation ceremonies in Japan. Previous to his appearance on Kinpachi, Takeda studied to be a teacher at Fukuoka University of Education. He later formed a folk music group called Kaientai. The song "Okuru Kotoba", which Takeda wrote and performed with Kaientai, actually had nothing to do with schooling, but is reportedly associated with education because of Takeda's role in Kinpachi.
Kiyoshi Ueda (上田 清司, Ueda Kiyoshi; born 15 May 1948) is a Japanese politician currently serving as a member of the…
Kiyoshi Ueda (上田 清司, Ueda Kiyoshi; born 15 May 1948) is a Japanese politician currently serving as a member of the Senate for the Saitama at-large district after winning a by-election in 2019. He has signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, signaling his opposition to any and all tax increases. He previously served as governor of Saitama Prefecture from 2003 to 2019, when he subsequently retired.
Jirō Akagawa (赤川 次郎, Akagawa Jirō; born February 29, 1948) is a Japanese novelist born in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture…
Jirō Akagawa (赤川 次郎, Akagawa Jirō; born February 29, 1948) is a Japanese novelist born in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan.
Kazuhiro Ninomiya (二宮 和弘, Ninomiya Kazuhiro; 28 November 1946 – 4 May 2026) was a Japanese judoka who competed in the…
Kazuhiro Ninomiya (二宮 和弘, Ninomiya Kazuhiro; 28 November 1946 – 4 May 2026) was a Japanese judoka who competed in the 1976 Summer Olympics.
Kazuaki Kimura (木村 一信, Kimura Kazuaki; 24 April 1946 – 26 September 2015) was a Japanese scholar of modern Japanese…
Kazuaki Kimura (木村 一信, Kimura Kazuaki; 24 April 1946 – 26 September 2015) was a Japanese scholar of modern Japanese literature. He was a professor at Ritsumeikan University and held senior administrative roles at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University and Poole Gakuin University. His research focused on the writer Atsushi Nakajima, a writer at the beginning of the Shōwa period.
Seiichi Ota (太田 誠一, Ōta Seiichi; 31 October 1945 – 4 December 2024) was a Japanese politician who served as a member of…
Seiichi Ota (太田 誠一, Ōta Seiichi; 31 October 1945 – 4 December 2024) was a Japanese politician who served as a member of the House of Representatives. He was a member of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in the Koga faction. He was the cousin of Kiyoko Fukuda, who married Prime Minister of Japan Yasuo Fukuda.
Masayuki Minami (南 将之, Minami Masayuki; July 8, 1941 – April 7, 2000) was a Japanese volleyball player born in Fukuoka…
Masayuki Minami (南 将之, Minami Masayuki; July 8, 1941 – April 7, 2000) was a Japanese volleyball player born in Fukuoka, Japan. He was a member of the Japanese Men's National Volleyball Team in the 1960s and early 1970s. He won three Olympic medals during his career.
Masakane Yonekura (Japanese: 米倉 斉加年; 7 October 1934 – 26 August 2014) was a Japanese stage director, actor, author, and…
Masakane Yonekura (Japanese: 米倉 斉加年; 7 October 1934 – 26 August 2014) was a Japanese stage director, actor, author, and illustrator who was one of the central members of the Gekidan Mingei theatre company.
Kazuo Okamatsu (岡松和夫, Okamatsu Kazuo; June 23, 1931 – January 21, 2012) was a Japanese philologist and novelist.
Tappei Shimokawa (下川 辰平, Tappei Shimokawa; December 11, 1928 – March 25, 2004) was a Japanese actor. He attended…
Tappei Shimokawa (下川 辰平, Tappei Shimokawa; December 11, 1928 – March 25, 2004) was a Japanese actor. He attended Musashino Art University, but withdrew before completing his degree. In 1964, he joined Bungakuza Theatre Company but left in 1977. He is well known for his role as Chōsan (Detective Tarō Nozaki) in the detective drama television series Taiyō ni Hoero!. His notable films are The Sands of Kurobe (1968), Akira Kurosawas film Dodes'ka-den (1970) and Kimi yo Fundo no Kawa o Watare (1976).
Reiko Mori (森禮子; July 7, 1928 – March 28, 2014) was a Japanese novelist and playwright. She was awarded the Akutagawa…
Reiko Mori (森禮子; July 7, 1928 – March 28, 2014) was a Japanese novelist and playwright. She was awarded the Akutagawa Award for her book Mokkingubado no iru machi (モッキングバードのいる町) in 1979.
Teiko Kihira (Japanese: 紀平 悌子, Hepburn: Kihira Teiko; February 2, 1928 – July 19, 2015) was a Japanese politician and…
Teiko Kihira (Japanese: 紀平 悌子, Hepburn: Kihira Teiko; February 2, 1928 – July 19, 2015) was a Japanese politician and activist. Kihira was a member of the House of Councilors in Japan. She was involved in the League of Women Voters of Japan where she served in different capacities including vice chair and president of the group.
Takashi Shirozu (白水 隆, Shirōzu Takashi; 14 September 1917 in Fukuoka – 2 April 2004) was a Japanese entomologist who…
Takashi Shirozu (白水 隆, Shirōzu Takashi; 14 September 1917 in Fukuoka – 2 April 2004) was a Japanese entomologist who specialised in Lepidoptera. He wrote Butterflies of Formosa in Colour Osaka, Hoikusha (1960), Early Stages of Japanese Butterflies in Colour Hoikusha (with Akira Hara, 1960) and Butterflies of Japan Illustrated in Colour Tokyo, Hokuryu-kan (1964) all of which took advantage of Japanese advanced (optical) and colour printing technologies. He also published many scientific papers describing new species of butterflies. Dr. Takashi Shirozu was a professor emeritus of Kyushu University and president emeritus of The Lepidopterological Society of Japan.
Tetsuo Hamuro (葉室 鐵夫, Hamuro Tetsuo; 7 September 1917 – 30 October 2005) was a Japanese breaststroke swimmer. In 1935…
Tetsuo Hamuro (葉室 鐵夫, Hamuro Tetsuo; 7 September 1917 – 30 October 2005) was a Japanese breaststroke swimmer. In 1935 he set a world record in the 200 m. Next year he won the gold medal in this event at the 1936 Olympics, setting a new Olympic record at 2:41.5. Hamuro swam the traditional breaststroke, while some of his competitors used the butterfly stroke, which was allowed at the time. Between 1935 and 1940 Hamuro never lost a race and won ten national breaststroke titles. After World War II he worked for the Mainichi newspaper as a sports journalist. In 1990, he was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame. Hamuro's wife was also a swimmer and a world champion in the masters category.
Kyojin Onishi (大西 巨人, Ōnishi Kyojin; 1916–2014) was a Japanese novelist and critic. He was born in 1916 in Fukuoka…
Kyojin Onishi (大西 巨人, Ōnishi Kyojin; 1916–2014) was a Japanese novelist and critic. He was born in 1916 in Fukuoka Prefecture and dropped out of Kyushu University. He was a Marxist throughout his life.
Kenji Okabe (岡部 健二, Okabe Kenji; 1915–September 1943) was an ace fighter pilot in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN)…
Kenji Okabe (岡部 健二, Okabe Kenji; 1915–September 1943) was an ace fighter pilot in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War II. Participating in many of the Pacific War battles and campaigns as a member of several units, Okabe was officially credited with destroying 15 enemy aircraft. Okabe was credited with shooting down eight enemy aircraft on 8 May 1942 during the Battle of the Coral Sea, the IJN's official record for the number of aircraft destroyed in a single encounter. He is famous for his strong opposition to the kamikaze attacks, rare in IJN at the time. Okabe was killed in action in September 1943 over Bougainville, Papua New Guinea.
Eitarō Shindō (進藤 英太郎, Shindō Eitarō; 10 November 1899 – 18 February 1977) was a Japanese film actor. He appeared in…
Eitarō Shindō (進藤 英太郎, Shindō Eitarō; 10 November 1899 – 18 February 1977) was a Japanese film actor. He appeared in more than 300 films between 1936 and 1975. He is most closely associated with the work of Kenji Mizoguchi, with whom he made twelve films.
Itō Noe (伊藤 野枝; January 21, 1895 – September 16, 1923) was a Japanese anarchist, social critic, author, and feminist.…
Itō Noe (伊藤 野枝; January 21, 1895 – September 16, 1923) was a Japanese anarchist, social critic, author, and feminist. She was the editor-in-chief of the feminist magazine Seitō (Bluestocking). Her progressive anarcha-feminist ideology challenged the norms of the Meiji and Taishō periods in which she lived. She drew praise from critics for her ability to weave her personal and political ideas into her writings. The Japanese government, however, condemned her for challenging the constructs of the time. She became a martyr of the anarchist ideology in which she believed during the Amakasu Incident, when she was murdered along with her lover, anarchist author Ōsugi Sakae, and his nephew.
Kōji Uno (宇野 浩二, Uno Kōji; July 26, 1891 - September 21, 1961) was a noted Japanese novelist and short story writer.…
Kōji Uno (宇野 浩二, Uno Kōji; July 26, 1891 - September 21, 1961) was a noted Japanese novelist and short story writer. Uno was born in Fukuoka to parents of Samurai origin. His grandfather was a police captain and his father a teacher. After his father's death when Uno was four, his family lost all their savings speculating in the stock market. When Uno was eight, he was sent to live with his grandmother and an uncle in Sōemonchō as his mother became a waitress. There he lived, beside the Dōtonbori entertainment district, among geisha, prostitutes, wig-makers, and gamblers, as he attended Rikugun elementary school from 1899 to 1901. He attended Tennōji middle school, where he learned to read English and acquired a taste for Nikolai Gogol's fiction. In 1910 he moved to Tokyo to study English literature at Waseda University, where he read Symbolist poetry and Russian modernists including Leonid Andreyev, Mikhail Artsybashev, Konstantin Balmont, Aleksandr Kuprin, Fyodor Sologub, and Boris Konstantinovich Zaytsev. At age 28, Uno published his first major work, "In the Storehouse", whose colloquial and ironic style was criticized as "flippant" and "popular". After seven years (1927–1933) of mental illness and silence, his publications became more conventional and Uno participated in the literary life of the day. During World War II, he wrote essays on literary life in the Taishō period (1912–1926). He received the Yomiuri Prize in 1950 for his 1948 novel Omoigawa (思ひ川, River of Thought), and highly praised for his 1951 critical biography of author Ryūnosuke Akutagawa. In 1953 he campaigned for the release of twenty Communist factory workers accused of sabotaging a Japan National Railways freight train, publishing two novels on their behalf, and touring China in 1956 on a personal invitation from Zhou Enlai. Uno died of pulmonary tuberculosis.
Isuke Shinmen (23 October 1889 – 8 September 1967) was a Japanese judoka and wrestler. He competed in the men's…
Isuke Shinmen (23 October 1889 – 8 September 1967) was a Japanese judoka and wrestler. He competed in the men's freestyle lightweight at the 1928 Summer Olympics.
Yumeno Kyūsaku (夢野 久作; 4 January 1889 – 11 March 1936) was the pen name of Sugiyama Yasumichi (杉山 泰道), an early Shōwa…
Yumeno Kyūsaku (夢野 久作; 4 January 1889 – 11 March 1936) was the pen name of Sugiyama Yasumichi (杉山 泰道), an early Shōwa period Japanese author, Zen priest, post office director and sub-lieutenant. The pen name roughly means "a person who always dreams". His Dharma name was Goshin-in Gin'en Taidō-koji (悟真院吟園泰道居士). He wrote detective novels and is known for his avant-gardism and his surrealistic, wildly imaginative and fantastic, even bizarre narratives.
Seigō Nakano (中野 正剛, Nakano Seigō; 12 February 1886 – 27 October 1943) was a journalist and politician in the Empire of…
Seigō Nakano (中野 正剛, Nakano Seigō; 12 February 1886 – 27 October 1943) was a journalist and politician in the Empire of Japan, known primarily for his involvement in far-right politics through his leadership of the Tōhōkai ("Far East Society") party, as well as his opposition to Hideki Tojo and eventual suicide under murky circumstances. Born in the city of Fukuoka, Nakano went on to attend Waseda University for four years, writing a number of articles for the journal Nihon oyobi Nihonjin (Japan and the Japanese) before graduating in July 1909. In these and in other speeches and articles he would produce, he expressed his political views. Nakano maintained an opposition to Japan's establishment throughout his life, criticizing in turn oligarchs such as Katsura Tarō, the Seiyūkai cabinet of Baron Tanaka Giichi, and eventually Hideki Tojo, the last of which ultimately cost him his life. Despite this opposition, however, Nakano would remain committed to working within political parties and the diet, rejecting the violent coups and putsches of young officers. Of great influence on his political thought was the Ōyōmei tradition. Embracing an intuitionist, autonomist view of the individual, Ōyōmei thought emphasized the following of what one identifies as "good" or "just", over wealth and obedience to corrupt authorities. In the case of Saigō Takamori, who Nakano held as a hero far greater than himself, Ōyōmei sanctified his rebellion against the Meiji Government as heroic. In his views of the Meiji Restoration, Nakano viewed the event as the result of popular discontent at the Shogunate's despotic rule. But though the leaders of the restoration had been united in a heroic effort against despotic government, a split occurred in which men valuing liberty such as Saigō were sidelined and instead, the Meiji oligarchy allowed Western ideas to flood into the country, eroding Japan's unique spirit and creating a system of oligarchic-bureaucratic rule which was opposed to popular will. During the 1st Constitutional Protection Movement, he relentlessly attacked the Katsura cabinet and the hanbatsu system of clique government as a writer at the Asahi Shimbun, earning him both a reputation as a liberal and the displeasure of the paper, leading him to launch the Tohojironsha paper in 1916. After election to the diet in 1920, Nakano would join a generation of younger, reformist politicians, eventually aligning with Inukai Tsuyoshi and the Kakushin Kurabu (Reform Club) in 1922, but later believed no serious change could be made outside of one of the two major parties and transfer to the Kenseikai in 1924. Following the Manchurian Incident, Nakano admired the plotters, contrasting their decisive action with the Tanaka cabinet's wavering between hardline policy and capitulation to the United States on China issues. To form a strong government to deal with the climate of crisis in the early 1930s, Nakano first attempted to organize a union of the Seiyukai and Minseito, then organizing the Kokumin Domei (Citizens’ Alliance) political party with Adachi Kenzo when he failed. Due to disagreements between the two personalities, however, Nakano split to form the Tōhōkai in 1936. Eventually, he would join the Taisei Yokusankai, but left in late 1940 in protest over the restraints imposed on it by conservative forces, primarily the zaibatsu and party politicians. He would go on to become a vicious opponent of Tōjō Hideki and his cabinet before committing ritual suicide while under government pressure in 1943.
Baron Akashi Motojiro (明石 元二郎; 1 September 1864 – 26 October 1919) was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army and the…
Baron Akashi Motojiro (明石 元二郎; 1 September 1864 – 26 October 1919) was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army and the 7th Governor-General of Taiwan from 6 June 1918 to 26 October 1919.
Baron Dan Takuma (團 琢磨; September 7, 1858 – March 5, 1932) was a Japanese businessman who was Director-General of…
Baron Dan Takuma (團 琢磨; September 7, 1858 – March 5, 1932) was a Japanese businessman who was Director-General of Mitsui, one of the leading Japanese zaibatsu (family conglomerates). He was a graduate of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and was married to the younger sister of statesman Kaneko Kentarō. During the 1904-1905 Russo-Japanese War, there were some U.S. financiers who wished to profit by lending money to Russia so she could continue her war efforts against Japan. In contrast and in support of ending this war, Frank A. Vanderlip, Jacob Schiff and other U.S. financiers supported President Theodore Roosevelt's successful role as peacemaker between Russia and Japan. Their action was greatly appreciated by many of the leaders of Japan. The early decades of the 1900s were often challenging in terms of U.S. Japan relations. Frank A. Vanderlip and his American and Japanese allies strove to encourage increased business and trade between their nations, which could also enhance the mutual respect and understanding between the U.S. and Japan. The 1908 photo illustration to the right is linked to Frank A. Vanderlip during his U.S. business delegation’s visit to Japan, where they were greeted by Baron Shibusawa Eiichi, Prince Tokugawa Iesato (a.k.a. Prince Iyesato Tokugawa), and Baron Dan Takuma and other Japanese representatives. These statesmen often allied together to promote peace and international commerce. During following year in 1909, in reciprocation for Frank A. Vanderlip’s 1908 business delegation’s visit to Japan, Baron Shibusawa accompanied by his approximately sixty member Japanese business/goodwill delegation toured the United States. During their U.S. visit, the Japanese were greeted by the Vanderlip family and top representatives of American Industry, such as General Electric and Westinghouse. As president of the Japan Society of Manhattan, Frank A. Vanderlip strove to maintain political goodwill and better understanding between the U.S. and Japan. Takuma Dan continued the cultivation of closer relations between Japan and the Western powers. In 1921, he also led a Japanese Businessmen's Mission, in which a group of Japanese business leaders visited the United States, Great Britain, and France to discuss bilateral economic issues and to promote personal ties with businesspeople of those countries. In 1927, Dan bought out Takasago Life Insurance and established Mitsui Life, as a subsidiary of Mitsui Group. On March 5, 1932, Dan was assassinated by right-wing nationalist Gorō Hishinuma for his role in Mitsui's betting against the Japanese economy in favor of Britain, as part of the League of Blood Incident. Hishinuma was sentenced to life in prison for Dan's murder. He was released under an amnesty in 1940, and died in 1990. Dan's son was embryologist Dan Katsuma, and his grandson was composer Dan Ikuma.
Tōyama Mitsuru (頭山 満; 27 May 1855 – 5 October 1944) was a Japanese ultranationalist activist who founded the secret…
Tōyama Mitsuru (頭山 満; 27 May 1855 – 5 October 1944) was a Japanese ultranationalist activist who founded the secret societies Genyosha (Black Ocean Society) and Kokuryukai (Black Dragon Society). Tōyama was an anti-communist and a strong proponent of Pan-Asianism.
Count Kaneko Kentarō (金子 堅太郎, Kentarō Kaneko; 4 February 1853 – 16 May 1942) was a statesman, diplomat, and legal…
Count Kaneko Kentarō (金子 堅太郎, Kentarō Kaneko; 4 February 1853 – 16 May 1942) was a statesman, diplomat, and legal scholar in Meiji period Japan. A graduate of Harvard Law School, he drew on his connections in the American legal community over the course of his long career in Japanese government, particularly in his role helping to draft the new Meiji Constitution (Imperial Japanese Constitution). During the Russo-Japanese War, he engaged in promotion activities in the United States and contributed to Japan's victory. Kaneko was one of the most influential proponents of a Japanese-American alliance in Imperial Japan. In his later years, he opposed and worked to avoid the Pacific War, but his attempts failed. He was the first person to translate Edmund Burke into Japanese and is considered the first Burkean conservative in Japan.
Viscount Shin'ichirō Kurino (栗野 慎一郎, Kurino Shin'ichirō; 29 November 1851 – 15 November 1937) was a Japanese diplomat.…
Viscount Shin'ichirō Kurino (栗野 慎一郎, Kurino Shin'ichirō; 29 November 1851 – 15 November 1937) was a Japanese diplomat. Kurino was born in Fukuoka prefecture. He studied at Harvard University, and then worked in the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He served as Japan's Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the United States of America, an Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Russia, and Ambassador to France. Kurino died in Hayama, Kanagawa.
Uchida Ryōgorō Shigeyoshi (written as Ryōgorō Uchida in the west), (1837 - October 22, 1921), was a Japanese jojutsu…
Uchida Ryōgorō Shigeyoshi (written as Ryōgorō Uchida in the west), (1837 - October 22, 1921), was a Japanese jojutsu practitioner, ranked menkyo in the Japanese martial art of Shintō Musō-ryū. He is the creator of the gendai budo Uchida Ryu Tanjojutsu, originally known as Sutteki jutsu or "stick method". Uchida Ryōgorō Shigeyoshi was born as Hiraoka Ryōgorō in 1837 to father Hiraoka Nisaburo. He was the eldest of six children. After Ryōgorōs 14th birthday he was adopted into the Uchida family and took on the Uchida family name. He was adopted due to a lack of an heir to the Uchida family name. Ryōgorōs biological father held a license to teach (Menkyo) in the Haruyoshi-branch of the "New Just" Muso-ryu tradition. From an early age Ryōgorō showed an aptitude for martial arts and excelled in his studies. He trained in all of the arts a bushi (warrior) was expected to learn which included horsemanship, bowmanship, gunnery, swordsmanship, spear and a multitude of other weapons and skills. Among the arts he learned was Ono-ha Itto-ryu swordsmanship from Ikuoka Heitaro, the art of spear from a retainer of the Takeda family, Kyushin-ryu jujutsu from exponent named Ishikawa and Shinto Muso-ryu Jo from Hirano Kichizo Yoshinobu of the Haruyoshi-branch. Ryōgorō is said to have received the scroll of complete transmission from each of the mentioned ryu. Sometime after the Seinan war of 1877, Ryōgorō moved to Tokyo and started teaching Shintō Musō-ryū, though in a smaller scale than his successor Shimizu Takaji. Two of his known students were Ryōhei Uchida (his son) and Nakayama Hakudo (the founder of Muso Shinden-ryu iaido and a master of kendo). Ryōgorō created a set of tanjo kata based on the teachings of Shintō Musō-ryū and influenced by the walking sticks gentleman of the era carried, which he called "Sutekki" (the Japanese way to pronounce "stick"). After his death, the set of kata were named Uchida Ryu in his honor and are now practiced as one of the heiden bujutsu of Shintō Musō-ryū.
Kazuyoshi Morita (森田 一義, Morita Kazuyoshi; born 22 August 1945 in Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture), known by his stage…
Kazuyoshi Morita (森田 一義, Morita Kazuyoshi; born 22 August 1945 in Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture), known by his stage name Tamori (タモリ) (an anagram of his surname), is a Japanese comedian and television presenter. Known for his trademark dark sunglasses, Tamori is one of the "big three" television comedians in Japan along with Takeshi Kitano (a.k.a. Beat Takeshi) and Sanma Akashiya. Since taking over the role in April 1987, Tamori has hosted the weekly music television program Music Station for over 34 years. For 32 years he hosted Waratte Iitomo!, a nationally televised live show broadcast every weekday at noon from October 1982 until March 2014. Waratte Iitomo! earned Tamori the Guinness World Record for "Longest continued hosting of a live television program", while Music Station earned him the world record for "Longest running live TV music show hosted by the same presenter" in 2021. His likeness is the basis for the Piranha Plant in All Night Nippon Super Mario Bros..
Tsuru Aoki (青木 鶴, Aoki Tsuru; September 9, 1892 – October 18, 1961) was a Japanese stage and screen actress whose…
Tsuru Aoki (青木 鶴, Aoki Tsuru; September 9, 1892 – October 18, 1961) was a Japanese stage and screen actress whose career was most prolific in the United States during the silent film era of the 1910s through the 1920s. Aoki may have been the first Asian actress to garner top billing in American motion pictures.
Van Vert Jack (ヴァンヴェール・ジャック, Vu~an vu~āto jakku) is a masked Japanese professional wrestler best known for his tenure…
Van Vert Jack (ヴァンヴェール・ジャック, Vu~an vu~āto jakku) is a masked Japanese professional wrestler best known for his tenure with tenures with the Japanese promotions Pro Wrestling Zero1, Gleat and Real Lucha Libre.
Mariya Nishiuchi (西内 まりや, Nishiuchi Mariya; born December 24, 1993) is a retired Japanese model, actress, and…
Mariya Nishiuchi (西内 まりや, Nishiuchi Mariya; born December 24, 1993) is a retired Japanese model, actress, and singer-songwriter who was affiliated with Rising Production. She is the younger sister of model, actress, and BeForU member Hiromi Nishiuchi.
Yoko Wanibuchi (鰐淵 洋子, Wanibuchi Yōko; born 10 April 1972) is a Japanese politician who served in the House of…
Yoko Wanibuchi (鰐淵 洋子, Wanibuchi Yōko; born 10 April 1972) is a Japanese politician who served in the House of Representatives from 2017 to 2026 as a member of the Komeito Party. She was previously served in the House of Councillors from 2004 to 2010.
Ai Nonaka (野中 藍, Nonaka Ai; born June 8, 1981) is a Japanese voice actress and singer. She works for Aoni Production…
Ai Nonaka (野中 藍, Nonaka Ai; born June 8, 1981) is a Japanese voice actress and singer. She works for Aoni Production and was formerly a member of the voice actor unit Drops, which included fellow voice actor Akemi Kanda, Tomoko Kaneda, Mariko Kōda, and Ryōko Shiraishi. In high school in Fukuoka, she was head of the drama club and her ambition was to play male roles in the famous all-female Takarazuka Revue.
Ai Kawashima (川嶋 あい, Kawashima Ai; born February 21, 1986) is a Japanese pop singer-songwriter and pianist. After…
Ai Kawashima (川嶋 あい, Kawashima Ai; born February 21, 1986) is a Japanese pop singer-songwriter and pianist. After overcoming her tragic childhood, she released her debut single Asueno tobira (Door to Tomorrow) as the duo I Wish in 2003. She is well known for her numerous street performances. She is also known for her devotion to help children under circumstances similar to hers in Japan and rest of the world.
Yukiko Ueno (上野 由岐子, Ueno Yukiko; born July 22, 1982) is a Japanese professional softball pitcher for Bic Camera…
Yukiko Ueno (上野 由岐子, Ueno Yukiko; born July 22, 1982) is a Japanese professional softball pitcher for Bic Camera Takasaki Bee Queen and Japan women's national softball team. She won a bronze and two gold medals from the 2004, 2008 and 2020 Summer Olympics, respectively. She became the first pitcher ever to throw a perfect game at the Olympics, against China in Athens. With a fastball that tops out at 128 km/h (80 mph), she is widely recognized as the fastest pitcher in women's softball, although her signature pitch is her change-up, which is often cited as the best in the world.
Riho Makise (牧瀬 里穂, Makise Riho; born December 17, 1971) is a Japanese actress. She debuted at the Takeda Hi-C contest…
Riho Makise (牧瀬 里穂, Makise Riho; born December 17, 1971) is a Japanese actress. She debuted at the Takeda Hi-C contest in 1989, which she won. She is represented by the Blooming Agency.
Naoko Hayashiba (林葉 直子, Hayashiba Naoko; born on January 24, 1968), also known by her pen name Masaru Katori (かとり まさる…
Naoko Hayashiba (林葉 直子, Hayashiba Naoko; born on January 24, 1968), also known by her pen name Masaru Katori (かとり まさる, Katori Masaru), is a writer, manga artist and former women's professional shogi player who won several women's professional titles during her career. She has written two novel series, Tondemo Police and Kiss Dakeja Iya, and the manga Shion no Ō.
Yuko Kuroki (黒木優子, Kuroki Yuko; born 28 March 1991) is a Japanese professional boxer. She has been a world champion in…
Yuko Kuroki (黒木優子, Kuroki Yuko; born 28 March 1991) is a Japanese professional boxer. She has been a world champion in two-weight classes having held the WBA female minimumweight title from January 2025 to October 2025, the WBC female minimumweight title from 2014 to 2017 and the unified WBO and WBA female atomweight titles from 2022 to 2024.
Erina Ikuta (生田 衣梨奈, Ikuta Erina; born 7 July 1997) is a Japanese pop singer, dancer, actress and former model. She is…
Erina Ikuta (生田 衣梨奈, Ikuta Erina; born 7 July 1997) is a Japanese pop singer, dancer, actress and former model. She is a former ninth generation member of J-pop group Morning Musume. She joined Morning Musume in 2011 along with Riho Sayashi, Kanon Suzuki and Mizuki Fukumura. On 26 November 2014, she became Sub-Leader of Morning Musume along with member Haruna Ikubo and later on with Ayumi Ishida. On 30 November 2023, She became the new Leader of Morning Musume and Hello! Project after Mizuki Fukumura graduated from Morning Musume and Hello! Project. On January 2 2025, Erina Ikuta announced at the opening concert of the Hello! Project 2025 Winter Fes. tour that she will be graduating from Morning Musume '25 and Hello! Project following the group's upcoming spring concert tour. On the same day, she became the first member to have reached a tenure of 14 years in the group. She also said she intends to go solo after her graduation. On July 8 2025, Erina Ikuta graduated at the Morning Musume '25 Concert Tour Haru Mighty Magic DX ~Ikuta Erina wo Miokutte~.