Kazuo Inamori, (稲盛 和夫, Inamori Kazuo; 30 January 1932 – 24 August 2022) was a Japanese philanthropist, entrepreneur…
Kazuo Inamori, (稲盛 和夫, Inamori Kazuo; 30 January 1932 – 24 August 2022) was a Japanese philanthropist, entrepreneur, Zen Buddhist priest, and the founder of Kyocera and KDDI. He was the chairman of Japan Airlines. Inamori was elected as a member of the National Academy of Engineering in 2000 for innovation in ceramic materials and solar cell development/manufacturing, entrepreneurship of advanced technologies, and for being a role model for relating science to society. In 2011, he received the Othmer Gold Medal for outstanding contributions to progress in science and chemistry.
Famous People from Kagoshima, Kagoshima Prefecture
Kagoshima, Kagoshima Prefecture: 86 people
Frankie Sakai (フランキー堺, Furankī Sakai) (13 February 1929 – 10 June 1996) was a Japanese comedian, actor, and musician.
Akira Arimura (有村 章, Arimura Akira; December 26, 1923 – December 10, 2007) was a Japanese-American professor of…
Akira Arimura (有村 章, Arimura Akira; December 26, 1923 – December 10, 2007) was a Japanese-American professor of medicine at Tulane University, and the founding Director of the university's Hébert Research Center, working on neuroendocrinology and biochemistry research. He died in 2007 of multiple myeloma. His books have been collected by libraries worldwide.
Yoshihiko Yoshimatsu (吉松 義彦, Yoshimatsu Yoshihiko; November 16, 1920 – July 5, 1988) was a Japanese judoka. Born in…
Yoshihiko Yoshimatsu (吉松 義彦, Yoshimatsu Yoshihiko; November 16, 1920 – July 5, 1988) was a Japanese judoka. Born in Kagoshima, Japan, he received a silver medal at the 1956 World Judo Championships in Tokyo, behind winner Shokichi Natsui. He won the All-Japan Judo Championships three times.
Kawatarō Nakajima (中島 河太郎, Nakajima Kawatarō; June 5, 1917 – May 5, 1999) was a Japanese researcher of Japanese popular…
Kawatarō Nakajima (中島 河太郎, Nakajima Kawatarō; June 5, 1917 – May 5, 1999) was a Japanese researcher of Japanese popular culture.
Satsuo Yamamoto (山本 薩夫, Yamamoto Satsuo; 10 July 1910 – 11 August 1983) was a Japanese film director.
Jitsumi Gōgen Yamaguchi (山口剛玄; January 20, 1909 – May 20, 1989), also known as Gōgen Yamaguchi, was a Japanese martial…
Jitsumi Gōgen Yamaguchi (山口剛玄; January 20, 1909 – May 20, 1989), also known as Gōgen Yamaguchi, was a Japanese martial artist and student of Gōjū-ryū Karate under Chōjun Miyagi. He was one of the most well-known karate-dō masters from Japan and he founded the International Karate-dō Gōjū Kai Association. Prior to his death, Yamaguchi was decorated by the Emperor of Japan in 1968 with the Ranjū-Hōshō, らんじゅほうしょう(藍綬褒章), the Blue Ribbon Medal of the fifth order of merit, for his enormous contribution to the spread worldwide of the Japanese martial arts. For many years he was listed in the Guinness Book of Records regarding his rank and achievements. According to an obituary: His name was a household word in Karate circles, and he appeared in all the major Martial Arts magazines and publications, both in Japan and the western world.
Kinosuke Ebihara (海老原 喜之助, Ebihara Kinosuke; 13 September 1904 – 19 September 1970) was a Japanese painter. His work…
Kinosuke Ebihara (海老原 喜之助, Ebihara Kinosuke; 13 September 1904 – 19 September 1970) was a Japanese painter. His work was part of the painting event in the art competition at the 1936 Summer Olympics.
Hisatsune Sakomizu (迫水 久常, Sakomizu Hisatsune; 5 August 1902 – 25 July 1977) was a Japanese government official and…
Hisatsune Sakomizu (迫水 久常, Sakomizu Hisatsune; 5 August 1902 – 25 July 1977) was a Japanese government official and politician before, during and after World War II.
Seiji Togo (東郷 青児, Tōgō Seiji; 1897–1978) was a Japanese painter and artist known for his depiction of the female form.…
Seiji Togo (東郷 青児, Tōgō Seiji; 1897–1978) was a Japanese painter and artist known for his depiction of the female form. Born in Kagoshima Prefecture Japan, he graduated from middle school at Aoyama Gakuin University and displayed his first one-man show at Hibiya Art Museum at the age of 18. He later participated in the Futurist movement while studying in France. In 1928, he returned to Japan and was awarded the 1st Showa Western Art Promotion Award. In discussions of early Surrealism in Japan, a Sompo Museum of Art collection entry for Tōgō's 1929 painting Surrealistic Stroll (exhibited at the 16th Nika Exhibition as Déclaration (超現実派風の散歩)) notes that it was discussed as a "new tendency" alongside works by Harue Koga and Kongō Abe and that Atorie published a Surrealism special issue in January 1930. Stojkovic describes that January 1930 issue as Japan's first magazine issue dedicated to Surrealist visual art. In 1957, Togo received the Japan Art Academy Award, and in 1961 became a member of the Japan Art Academy. In 1969, was declared an Officier d'ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government and in 1976 was decorated with the Order of the Rising Sun, Second Class, with Rays. Togo died in 1978 in Kumamoto at the age of 80. Later that year, he was posthumously named a Person of Cultural Merit of the fourth court rank by the Japanese government. His works can be seen at the Seiji Togo Memorial SOMPO Japan Museum of art in Tokyo, where more than 200 of his most prominent works are kept.
Hisajo Sugita (杉田 久女, Sugita Hisajo; May 30, 1890 – January 21, 1946) was a Japanese poet specializing in haiku.…
Hisajo Sugita (杉田 久女, Sugita Hisajo; May 30, 1890 – January 21, 1946) was a Japanese poet specializing in haiku. Alongside Kana Hasegawa and Shizunojo Takeshita, she was one of the first women to produce modern haiku. She is held as an equal to her male contemporaries, and her work is known for its gorgeous phrasing. She had a difficult home life and a turbulent relationship with her mentor, the poet Kyoshi Takahama. Her tragic life often became the source material for her work.
Mitsuru Ushijima (牛島 満, Ushijima Mitsuru; 31 July 1887 – 22 June 1945) was a Japanese general who served during the…
Mitsuru Ushijima (牛島 満, Ushijima Mitsuru; 31 July 1887 – 22 June 1945) was a Japanese general who served during the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II. He was the commanding general of the 32nd Army, which fought in the Battle of Okinawa during the final stages of the war. Ushijima's troops were defeated, and at the end of the battle he committed suicide.
Kōjirō Matsukata (松方 幸次郎, Matsukata Kōjirō; January 17, 1865 – June 24, 1950) was a Japanese businessman who, in…
Kōjirō Matsukata (松方 幸次郎, Matsukata Kōjirō; January 17, 1865 – June 24, 1950) was a Japanese businessman who, in parallel to his professional activities, devoted his life and fortune to amassing a collection of Western art which, he hoped, would become the nucleus of a Japanese national museum focused particularly on masterworks of the Western art tradition. Although his plans were not realized in his lifetime, his vision is partly realized in Japan's National Museum of Western Art (NMWA) in Ueno Park, central Tokyo. where part of his collection is exhibited.
Norikichi Oshikawa (押川 則吉, Oshikawa Norikichi; 7 February 1863 – 18 February 1918) was a Japanese politician. He was…
Norikichi Oshikawa (押川 則吉, Oshikawa Norikichi; 7 February 1863 – 18 February 1918) was a Japanese politician. He was born in Kagoshima Prefecture. He was governor of Yamagata Prefecture (1897–1898), Ōita Prefecture (1898–1899), Nagano Prefecture (1899–1902), Iwate Prefecture (1904–1907) and Kumamoto Prefecture (1907–1908). He was a member of the Government-General of Taiwan. He was a recipient of the Order of the Rising Sun and the Order of the Sacred Treasure.
Baron Ijichi Kōsuke (伊地知 幸介, Kōsuke Ijichi; December 25, 1854 – January 23, 1917) was a general in the Imperial…
Baron Ijichi Kōsuke (伊地知 幸介, Kōsuke Ijichi; December 25, 1854 – January 23, 1917) was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army in the First Sino-Japanese War and Chief of Staff of the Japanese Third Army during the Siege of Port Arthur in the Russo-Japanese War. His wife was the niece of Marshal Oyama Iwao.
Baron Kataoka Shichirō (片岡 七郎; 12 January 1854 – 11 January 1920) was an early admiral of the Imperial Japanese Navy.
Tsunamasa Ōyama (大山 綱昌, Ōyama Tsunamasa; 24 December 1853 – 18 October 1934) was a Japanese politician. He was governor…
Tsunamasa Ōyama (大山 綱昌, Ōyama Tsunamasa; 24 December 1853 – 18 October 1934) was a Japanese politician. He was governor of Saga Prefecture (1898–1901), Gunma Prefecture (1901–1902) and Nagano Prefecture (1902–1905).
Baron Ijūin Gorō (伊集院 五郎; 9 November 1852 – 13 January 1921) was a Meiji-period career officer in the Imperial Japanese…
Baron Ijūin Gorō (伊集院 五郎; 9 November 1852 – 13 January 1921) was a Meiji-period career officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy.
Baron Kamimura Hikonojō (上村 彦之丞; 1 May 1849 – 8 August 1916) was an early Japanese admiral of the Imperial Japanese…
Baron Kamimura Hikonojō (上村 彦之丞; 1 May 1849 – 8 August 1916) was an early Japanese admiral of the Imperial Japanese Navy, commanding the IJN 2nd Fleet during the Russo-Japanese War, most notably at the Battle off Ulsan and Tsushima.
Viscount Kawakami Sōroku (川上 操六; 11 November 1848 – 11 May 1899), was a general and one of the chief military…
Viscount Kawakami Sōroku (川上 操六; 11 November 1848 – 11 May 1899), was a general and one of the chief military strategists in the Imperial Japanese Army during the Donghak Peasant Revolution and First Sino-Japanese War.
Orita Heinai (23 January 1847 – 6 May 1905) was a Japanese politician who served as governor of Hiroshima Prefecture…
Orita Heinai (23 January 1847 – 6 May 1905) was a Japanese politician who served as governor of Hiroshima Prefecture from April 1896 to April 1897. He was also governor of Yamagata Prefecture (1882–1883), Fukushima Prefecture (1883–1888), Tochigi Prefecture (1889–1894) and Shiga Prefecture (1897–1899).
Ōdera Yasuzumi (大寺安純; 9 March 1846 – 9 February 1895) was a general in the early Imperial Japanese Army, and the…
Ōdera Yasuzumi (大寺安純; 9 March 1846 – 9 February 1895) was a general in the early Imperial Japanese Army, and the highest ranking casualty on the Japanese side in the First Sino-Japanese War.
Marshal Admiral Viscount Inoue Yoshika (井上 良馨, Yoshika Inoue; 1 December 1845 – 22 March 1929) was a career naval…
Marshal Admiral Viscount Inoue Yoshika (井上 良馨, Yoshika Inoue; 1 December 1845 – 22 March 1929) was a career naval officer and admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during Meiji-period Japan.
Kagenori Ueno (上野 景範, Ueno Kagenori; January 8, 1845 – April 11, 1888) was Japanese Consul in Great Britain from 1874…
Kagenori Ueno (上野 景範, Ueno Kagenori; January 8, 1845 – April 11, 1888) was Japanese Consul in Great Britain from 1874 to 1879. He spoke English and Dutch, which he learned in Kagoshima. In 1875 was involved in negotiations with the Ottoman Ambassador to London about the possibility of establishing diplomatic relations between the Turkish and the Japanese governments.
Viscount Ōsako Naoharu (大迫尚敏, Naoharu Ōsako; 24 December 1844 – 20 September 1927), sometimes known as Ōsako Naotoshi…
Viscount Ōsako Naoharu (大迫尚敏, Naoharu Ōsako; 24 December 1844 – 20 September 1927), sometimes known as Ōsako Naotoshi, was a general in the early Imperial Japanese Army. He was the older brother of General Ōsako Naomichi.
Marshal-Admiral Count Itō Sukeyuki (伊東 祐亨, Itō Sukeyuki; also known as Itō Yūkō) (9 June 1843 – 16 January 1914) was a…
Marshal-Admiral Count Itō Sukeyuki (伊東 祐亨, Itō Sukeyuki; also known as Itō Yūkō) (9 June 1843 – 16 January 1914) was a Japanese career officer and admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy in Meiji-period Japan.
Prince Ōyama Iwao (大山 巌; 12 November 1842 – 10 December 1916) was a Japanese field marshal, and one of the founders of…
Prince Ōyama Iwao (大山 巌; 12 November 1842 – 10 December 1916) was a Japanese field marshal, and one of the founders of the Imperial Japanese Army. He was representative of the outstanding military commanders of the late modern period.
Count Kabayama Sukenori (樺山 資紀; 9 December 1837 – 8 February 1922) was a Japanese samurai military leader and…
Count Kabayama Sukenori (樺山 資紀; 9 December 1837 – 8 February 1922) was a Japanese samurai military leader and statesman. He was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army and an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy. He later became the first Governor-General of Taiwan during the island's period as a Japanese colony. He is also sometimes referred to as Kabayama Motonori.
Shōzō Kawasaki (川崎 正蔵; 2 December 1837 – 2 December 1912) was a Japanese industrialist and shipbuilder. He was the…
Shōzō Kawasaki (川崎 正蔵; 2 December 1837 – 2 December 1912) was a Japanese industrialist and shipbuilder. He was the founder of Kawasaki Heavy Industries.
Kawaji Toshiyoshi (川路 利良; 17 June 1834 – 13 October 1879), also known as Kawaji Toshikane, was a Japanese military…
Kawaji Toshiyoshi (川路 利良; 17 June 1834 – 13 October 1879), also known as Kawaji Toshikane, was a Japanese military general, politician, and samurai during the Meiji period. A Satsuma Domain samurai initially tasked to study foreign systems for application in the Japanese military, Kawaji fought against forces loyal to the Tokugawa shogunate during the Boshin War. Later, his work on setting up the Japanese police at the aftermath of the Meiji Restoration, first as rasotsu, and then as keisatsu, earned him the recognition as the founder of Japan's modern police system (日本警察の父; lit. 'Father of Japanese Police'). Besides his police and military work, he was also noted for his contributions to the development of Kendo, a Japanese martial art.
Ōkubo Toshimichi (Japanese: 大久保 利通; 26 September 1830 – 14 May 1878) was a Japanese statesman and samurai of the…
Ōkubo Toshimichi (Japanese: 大久保 利通; 26 September 1830 – 14 May 1878) was a Japanese statesman and samurai of the Satsuma Domain. Regarded as one of the main founders of modern Japan, he was one of the "Three Great Nobles" who led the Meiji Restoration in 1868, alongside Kido Takayoshi and Saigō Takamori. His policies, often characterized by realism and a focus on national strength (fukoku kyōhei), has led some historians to compare his role in Japan to that of Otto von Bismarck in Prussia. Beginning his career as a low-ranking retainer in Satsuma, Ōkubo became a central figure in the movement to overthrow the Tokugawa shogunate, and following the restoration of imperial rule became a prominent leader in the new Meiji government. As a junior councilor and later in key ministerial posts, he was a principal architect of the new state, driving reforms that dismantled the old feudal structure. His most significant achievement in this period was the abolition of the han system in 1871, which centralized the country under the Tokyo government. Ōkubo served as a vice-ambassador on the Iwakura Mission (1871–1873), touring the United States and Europe. The experience reinforced his belief that Japan must prioritize internal modernization before engaging in foreign ventures. Following his return, he successfully opposed a proposed invasion of Korea (Seikanron) in October 1873, thereby leading to a political split with his former ally Takamori. Upon being named Home Minister in November 1873, Ōkubo consolidated power to become the dominant figure within the Meiji oligarchy. Ōkubo then focused on a state-led industrialization drive and suppressed several samurai uprisings that challenged the central government, including the Saga and Satsuma Rebellions. In 1878, Ōkubo was assassinated by a group of disaffected samurai who accused him of tyranny. While controversial for his authoritarian methods, Ōkubo is remembered for his political shrewdness and unwavering vision. His leadership during the turbulent early Meiji period was instrumental in transforming Japan from a feudal country into a modern, industrialised nation-state.
Ijichi Ryū'emon Masaharu (Japanese: 伊地知 龍右衛門 正治; August 7, 1828 – May 23, 1886) was a Japanese samurai retainer of the…
Ijichi Ryū'emon Masaharu (Japanese: 伊地知 龍右衛門 正治; August 7, 1828 – May 23, 1886) was a Japanese samurai retainer of the Shimazu clan, military strategist, and aristocrat. His imina was Sueyasu (季靖).
Yuki Kashiwagi (柏木 由紀, Kashiwagi Yuki; born July 15, 1991) is a Japanese gravure idol, model, actress, and former…
Yuki Kashiwagi (柏木 由紀, Kashiwagi Yuki; born July 15, 1991) is a Japanese gravure idol, model, actress, and former singer. Kashiwagi began her career as a member of the girl group AKB48 and, later, their sister groups NMB48 and NGT48. Notable for spending 17 years with the group, she is recognized as the longest-serving member of AKB48 with the moniker "Eternal Idol". She is represented by Watanabe Productions. Kashiwagi joined AKB48 on December 3, 2006, and was a member and captain of the group's Team B. She was also a member of AKB48 subgroup French Kiss, which released singles as a separate unit, and has released solo singles of her own. In the annual AKB48 Group General Elections, Kashiwagi has consistently ranked among the group's top members. She placed ninth in 2009, eighth in 2010, third in 2011 and 2012, fourth in 2013, third in 2014, second in 2015 and fifth in 2016.
Emi Hashino (はしの えみ, Hashino Emi) is a Japanese comedian and stage actress. She is usually starring in TBS's long-term…
Emi Hashino (はしの えみ, Hashino Emi) is a Japanese comedian and stage actress. She is usually starring in TBS's long-term program, King's brunch, where she is a popular regular. She is perhaps most recognizable from her "Kaimono Suki-na-Hime-sama" ("The Shopping-Loving Princess") character, and is affectionately called "Emi chan" by other TV tarentos or announcers.
Rosa Kato (加藤 ローサ, Katō Rōsa; born 22 June 1985) is a Japanese actress and commercial model.
Saori Sakoda (迫田さおり Sakoda Saori, born December 18, 1987) is a Japanese volleyball player who played for Toray Arrows.…
Saori Sakoda (迫田さおり Sakoda Saori, born December 18, 1987) is a Japanese volleyball player who played for Toray Arrows. She also played for the All-Japan women's volleyball team.