Katsuaki Watanabe (渡辺 捷昭, Watanabe Katsuaki; born February 13, 1943) is senior advisor at Toyota Motor Corporation. He…
Katsuaki Watanabe (渡辺 捷昭, Watanabe Katsuaki; born February 13, 1943) is senior advisor at Toyota Motor Corporation. He was president and CEO of the company before Akio Toyoda assumed those positions on June 23, 2009. Watanabe, who earned a degree in economics from Tokyo's Keio University, joined Toyota upon graduating from that university in 1964. He has gained experience in a broad range of activities at Toyota, primarily in corporate planning and administrative affairs. Watanabe became the general manager of the secretarial division in 1988 and moved to the Corporate Planning division as general manager in 1989. In his work as general manager of the Corporate Planning division, Watanabe participated in charting and articulating a common, long-term vision for Toyota operations around the world. Named to the Board of Directors in 1992, he continued to supervise work in production control, including supervising Toyota's Motomachi Plant, which makes passenger cars. In 1999, Watanabe was appointed senior managing director, after which he assumed the position of executive vice-president in 2001. In June 2005 he became president and CEO of TMC, succeeding Fujio Cho. Watanabe is regarded as having made the key decision to build a manufacturing plant in San Antonio, Texas U.S.A to build full-size pick-up trucks. Watanabe was born in 1942 in Mie Prefecture, Japan, and now lives in Toyota City. He was married and has three daughters. An amateur musician, he sings in a men's choir, and he also likes to play golf and tennis. He was listed as one of TIME magazine's 100 most influential people of 2005 and again in 2007.
Famous Japanese People: Company President・Entrepreneur
Company President・Entrepreneur: 834 people
Toshitada Doi (土井 利忠, Doi Toshitada; born February 2, 1943) is a Japanese electrical engineer, who played a significant…
Toshitada Doi (土井 利忠, Doi Toshitada; born February 2, 1943) is a Japanese electrical engineer, who played a significant role in the digital audio revolution. He received a degree in electrical engineering from the Tokyo Institute of Technology in 1964, and a PhD from Tohoku University in 1972. He joined Sony Japan in 1964 and started the first digital audio project within Sony. He was the driving force behind the PCM adaptor, and was a prominent member of the Sony/Philips taskforce responsible for the design of the Compact Disc. He created, among others, the CIRC error correction system. He, with Kees Immink, refutes the myth that the Compact Disc's playing time was determined by Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. He was the lead engineer of the DASH multi-track digital audio tape recorder. In the 1990s, he headed Sony's Digital Creatures Laboratory, where he was responsible for the Aibo, Sony's robotic dog. In 2003, Doi created the Qrio, a running humanoid robot.
Hajime Satomi (里見 治, Satomi Hajime; born January 16, 1942) is a Japanese businessman. Satomi is known as the founder of…
Hajime Satomi (里見 治, Satomi Hajime; born January 16, 1942) is a Japanese businessman. Satomi is known as the founder of Sammy Corporation, which merged with the Japan-based video game and arcade game producer Sega to form the holding company Sega Sammy Holdings. He is among the 50 richest people in Japan, and is a top-ranked owner of Thoroughbred horses, such as Satono Diamond.
Haruki Kadokawa (角川 春樹, Kadokawa Haruki; born January 8, 1942, in Tokyo) is a Japanese entrepreneur and filmmaker. He…
Haruki Kadokawa (角川 春樹, Kadokawa Haruki; born January 8, 1942, in Tokyo) is a Japanese entrepreneur and filmmaker. He is the son of Genyoshi Kadokawa, the founder of the publishing company Kadokawa Shoten. He took over as president of the company in 1975 after his father's death. He entered the film industry as a producer and introduced a technique called media mix, which involved mass promotion and talent scouting for new artists in publishing, film, and television. In 1993, he was arrested for drug smuggling. He resigned as president of Kadokawa Shoten, founding Kadokawa Haruki Corporation instead.
Kunitake Andō (安藤 国威, Andō Kunitake; born January 1, 1942) is a Japanese businessman. As of 2026, he serves as the…
Kunitake Andō (安藤 国威, Andō Kunitake; born January 1, 1942) is a Japanese businessman. As of 2026, he serves as the honorable chairman of BJIT Group and served as the president & COO of Sony Corporation from 2000 to 2005. Andō is from Aichi Prefecture and graduated from University of Tokyo. Having been a Sony employee since 1969, he first served on the board from 1994 to 1997, when he was removed as part of the massive reduction in the size of the board initiated by Sony president Nobuyuki Idei. He did not return to the board until he succeeded Idei as president, even though he was named Executive Deputy President and Chief Operating Officer in April, 2000. His secondary title was altered to Group Chief Operating Officer in 2003 and to Global Hub President in 2004. On March 7, 2005, it was announced that he would step down to become an adviser, with Ryōji Chūbachi succeeding him as president. He also served as Chairman of The University of Nagano in Nagano, Japan.
Tetsuya Watari (渡 哲也, Watari Tetsuya) born Michihiko Watase (渡瀬 道彦, Watase Michihiko) (December 28, 1941 – August 10…
Tetsuya Watari (渡 哲也, Watari Tetsuya) born Michihiko Watase (渡瀬 道彦, Watase Michihiko) (December 28, 1941 – August 10, 2020) was a Japanese film, stage, and television actor.
Teruo Higa (比嘉 照夫, Higa Teruo; born December 28, 1941) is a professor at the University of the Ryukyus in Okinawa, to…
Teruo Higa (比嘉 照夫, Higa Teruo; born December 28, 1941) is a professor at the University of the Ryukyus in Okinawa, to the south of the main Japanese archipelago, and grew up there. Following his graduation from the Department of Agriculture, University of the Ryukyus, he took his doctorate from the Agricultural Research Department of Kyushu University Graduate School, eventually returning to join the teaching staff of the University of the Ryukyus as lecturer in 1970, becoming assistant professor two years later. He became Professor of Horticulture in 1982. He pioneered the development of "effective microorganism" products. He is a Master of Health and Nutrition with The Beijing DeTao Masters Academy (DTMA), a high-level, multi-discipline, application-oriented higher education institution in Shanghai, China.
Tomiaki Fukuda (福田 富昭, Fukuda Tomiaki; born December 19, 1941) is a Japanese sports official and retired freestyle…
Tomiaki Fukuda (福田 富昭, Fukuda Tomiaki; born December 19, 1941) is a Japanese sports official and retired freestyle wrestler who won the world bantamweight title in 1965. He is vice president of the Japanese Olympic Committee, where he heads the National Training Center Commission. He is also president of Japan Wrestling Federation and vice president of the International Federation of Associated Wrestling (FILA). He served as chef de mission for the Japanese teams at the 2008 Summer Olympics and 2005 East Asian Games.
Tadaharu Goto (後藤 忠治, Gotō Tadaharu; born 4 December 1941) is a retired Japanese swimmer who won three medals at the…
Tadaharu Goto (後藤 忠治, Gotō Tadaharu; born 4 December 1941) is a retired Japanese swimmer who won three medals at the 1962 Asian Games. He competed in the 100 m freestyle and 4 × 100 m freestyle relay events at the 1964 Summer Olympics and finished fourth in the relay.
Toru Takahashi (Japanese: 高橋徹 Takahashi Tōru; January 1941 – 20 December 2022) was a Japanese computer network…
Toru Takahashi (Japanese: 高橋徹 Takahashi Tōru; January 1941 – 20 December 2022) was a Japanese computer network researcher and businessman. He was credited with contributing to the spread of the Internet into Japan and the rest of Asia in the 1990s and was a pivotal figure in the early commercial development of the Internet. For this reason, he was often called the "Father of the Internet" in Japan. Takahashi was born in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture in 1941. After graduating from the Faculty of Arts at Tohoku University in 1964, he worked as a contributing editor and writer. Since 1982, he has been involved in marketing of Videotex. Since 1986, he has worked on a high-speed LAN construction project using UNIX workstations and routers. Since 1987, he began researching the Internet and assumed office as a member of the Japan Unix Users Association. In 1993, he became secretary general at the time of establishing the Japan Internet Association and became its chairman in 1997. In 1994, he established the Tokyo Internet ISP and became its president. In 2001, when the Japan Internet Association merged with the Electronic Network Council and became the Foundation Internet Association, he became the deputy chief of Foundation Internet Association, and in 2002 became the chairperson of the Asia Pacific Internet Association, and later became a director. In 2002, Takahashi received the Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications Minister's Award for Information and Communication. In 2012, he was chosen as the only Japanese person among the 33 members of the Internet Society's Internet Hall of Fame in the Global Connectors category for his contributions in spreading the Internet into Japan and the rest of Asia. Takahashi died on 20 December 2022, at the age of 81.
Yorihiko Kojima (小島 順彦, Kojima Yorihiko; born 15 October 1941), is the chairman of the board of Mitsubishi Corporation…
Yorihiko Kojima (小島 順彦, Kojima Yorihiko; born 15 October 1941), is the chairman of the board of Mitsubishi Corporation, and its former president and chief executive officer (CEO). Kojima was born in Tokyo during World War II, the son of Kazuo and Sakae Kojima. He graduated from Tokyo Metropolitan Hibiya High School. In 1965, he received his bachelor's degree from the University of Tokyo in mechanical engineering. He joined the Mitsusbishi Corporation that same year and continued with them his entire career. Kojima held various positions in the corporation in Tokyo, in Saudi Arabia and the United States. In 1995 he was appointed to Mitsubishi's Board of Directors as an inside director (取締役). In 2001, he went from being managing director of the corporation's merchant banking group to vice president; and in 2004 he moved up to president and CEO, when then president Mikio Sasaki replaced the out-going Minoru Makihara as chairman of the board. In 2010, Kojima himself left the position of president and CEO to become chairman of the board of directors. He is a member of the Japan Association of Corporate Executives (Keizai Doyukai), and was vice-chairman of that organization in 2003, and a board member from 2003 to 2008.
Shigeo Maruyama (丸山 茂雄) (born August 8, 1941 in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese businessman. He is best known for being the…
Shigeo Maruyama (丸山 茂雄) (born August 8, 1941 in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese businessman. He is best known for being the founder of Epic/Sony Records, former chairman of Sony Computer Entertainment and former CEO of Sony Music Entertainment. He is known for discovering artists such as Motoharu Sano and Tetsuya Komuro. He is Chisato Maruyama's eldest son.
Yaichi Tanigawa (谷川 弥一, Tanigawa Yaichi; born 12 August 1941) is a Japanese politician who served in the House of…
Yaichi Tanigawa (谷川 弥一, Tanigawa Yaichi; born 12 August 1941) is a Japanese politician who served in the House of Representatives between 2003 and 2024. He served as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party until 2024. In January 2024, amidst a slush fund scandal involving LDP politicians, he was summarily indicted on charges of failing to disclose political kickbacks. He resigned from the LDP and the House of Representatives following the indictment.
Philip Murray Condit (born August 2, 1941) is an American engineer and businessman who was Chair and Chief executive…
Philip Murray Condit (born August 2, 1941) is an American engineer and businessman who was Chair and Chief executive officer (CEO) of the Boeing company from 1996 to 2003. He dramatically reshaped the company by its merger with McDonnell Douglas and relocating Boeing's headquarters from Seattle to Chicago. He resigned to take symbolic responsibility for a military procurement scandal, although he was not accused of any ethical breaches.
Yoshimasa Sugawara (菅原 義正, Sugawara Yoshimasa; born 31 May 1941) is a retired Japanese rally driver, having been on the…
Yoshimasa Sugawara (菅原 義正, Sugawara Yoshimasa; born 31 May 1941) is a retired Japanese rally driver, having been on the podium seven times at the Dakar Rally in the trucks category. He has competed in 36 Dakar Rally competitions as of the 2019 edition, which he participated in at the age of 77. In 2017 he was mentioned in Guinness World Records for racing the most consecutive Dakar Rallies. His entry has since been updated to reflect his current record of 36.
Masao Tachiki (Japanese: 立木 正夫, Hepburn: Tachiki Masao, March 31, 1941 – August 6, 2018) was a Japanese business…
Masao Tachiki (Japanese: 立木 正夫, Hepburn: Tachiki Masao, March 31, 1941 – August 6, 2018) was a Japanese business executive. After serving as a director at Suntory, he became the 7th president of the Japan Volleyball Association. He also served as a municipal advisor in his hometown. He was a native of Takahashi, Okayama Prefecture.
Hiroshi Hoketsu (法華津 寛, Hoketsu Hiroshi; born March 28, 1941) is a Japanese equestrian rider. His 44 years in between…
Hiroshi Hoketsu (法華津 寛, Hoketsu Hiroshi; born March 28, 1941) is a Japanese equestrian rider. His 44 years in between Olympics appearances is the longest ever
A number of individuals whose backgrounds are important to the understanding of the Olympus scandal, which was…
A number of individuals whose backgrounds are important to the understanding of the Olympus scandal, which was precipitated on 14 October 2011 when the company's British-born chief executive, Michael Woodford, was suddenly ousted as chief executive of Olympus Corporation. He had been only two weeks into the job when he exposed "one of the biggest and longest-running loss-hiding arrangements in Japanese corporate history", according to The Wall Street Journal. The US$2.2 billion deal in 2008 to acquire British medical equipment maker Gyrus Group, and the US$687 million paid to a middle-man, were questioned. After initial denials, the company admitted that prior acquisitions had been used to cover investment losses. As regulators and police on three continents begin to investigate and trace the movement of the money, there was speculation that organised crime was involved in the missing millions. Olympus defended itself against allegations of impropriety, citing its audit board's view that "no dishonesty or illegality is found in the transaction itself, nor any breach of the obligation to good management or any systematic errors by the directors recognised."
Kenzo Tsujimoto (辻本憲三, Tsujimoto Kenzō; born December 15, 1940) is a Japanese businessman who founded the video game…
Kenzo Tsujimoto (辻本憲三, Tsujimoto Kenzō; born December 15, 1940) is a Japanese businessman who founded the video game companies Capcom and Irem. He has also served as president of the Computer Software Copyright Association since 1997, and was president of Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association from 2002 to 2006.
Konami Group Corporation (Japanese: コナミグループ株式会社, Hepburn: Konami Gurūpu kabushiki-gaisha), commonly known as Konami…
Konami Group Corporation (Japanese: コナミグループ株式会社, Hepburn: Konami Gurūpu kabushiki-gaisha), commonly known as Konami (コナミ; stylized in all caps), is a Japanese multinational entertainment company, video game developer and publisher headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo. The company also produces and distributes trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, pachinko machines, slot machines, and arcade cabinets; It has casinos around the world, and operates health and physical fitness clubs across Japan. The company founded in 1969 as a jukebox rental and repair business in Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan, founded by Kagemasa Kōzuki, who remains the company's chairman. On top of its flagship development subsidiary, Konami also owns Bemani, known for Dance Dance Revolution and Beatmania, as well as the assets of former game developer Hudson Soft, known for Bomberman, Adventure Island, Bonk, Bloody Roar, and Star Soldier. Konami is the sixteenth-largest game company in the world by revenue. The company also publishes the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game, one of the best-selling TCGs in history. Konami's video game franchises include Metal Gear, Silent Hill, Power Pros, Bomberman, Castlevania, Contra, Frogger, Tokimeki Memorial, Gradius, Parodius, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Suikoden, and eFootball (including its predecessors International Superstar Soccer and Pro Evolution Soccer).
Akio Mimura (三村明夫, Mimura Akio; born 2 November 1940) AC is a prominent Japanese businessman notable for his positions…
Akio Mimura (三村明夫, Mimura Akio; born 2 November 1940) AC is a prominent Japanese businessman notable for his positions at the head of Nippon Steel and Sumitomo Metal Corporation, and as Chairman of the Japan-Australia Business Cooperation Committee, for which the Australian government awarded him their highest civilian award for a foreigner, Honorary Companion of the Order of Australia. Mimura is 19th Chairman of Japan Chamber of Commerce of Industry(JCCI) since 2013, which is the largest small and medium business association with 1,250,000 corporate members in Japan.
Tarō Asō (麻生 太郎, Asō Tarō; born 20 September 1940) is a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from…
Tarō Asō (麻生 太郎, Asō Tarō; born 20 September 1940) is a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 2008 to 2009. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), he also served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance from 2012 to 2021. He was the longest-serving Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance in Japanese history, having previously served as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2005 to 2007 and as Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications from 2003 to 2005. He leads the Shikōkai faction within the LDP. Asō was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1979. He served in numerous ministerial roles before becoming Secretary-General of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in 2008, having also held that role temporarily in 2007. He was later elected LDP President in September 2008, becoming prime minister the same month. He led the LDP to the worst election result in its history a year later, marking only the second time in post-war Japan that a governing party had lost re-election, and resigned as the President of the party immediately afterwards. After the LDP returned to government following the 2012 election under Shinzo Abe, Asō was appointed to the Cabinet as Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, retaining those roles when Yoshihide Suga replaced Abe in 2020. After leaving cabinet, he's served as vice president of the LDP under Fumio Kishida and as senior advisor to the LDP under Shigeru Ishiba. He is a noted power broker inside the party, leading the Shikōkai. Asō has been attached to a number of controversies in his career. He conceded in 2008 that his family had benefitted from forced labor during World War II, although he has refused to apologize for it. Asō also had a reputation for political gaffes and controversial remarks.
Naoki Tanaka (田中 直紀, Tanaka Naoki; born 19 June 1940 as Naoki Suzuki) is a former Japanese politician of the Democratic…
Naoki Tanaka (田中 直紀, Tanaka Naoki; born 19 June 1940 as Naoki Suzuki) is a former Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, who served as a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature), from Niigata Prefectural electorate. He is a native of Kanazawa, Ishikawa and a graduate of Keio University. When he married Makiko Tanaka he changed his family name to hers. In 1983, he entered the House of Representatives as a Liberal Democratic Party candidate, beginning his political career. He later served three terms in the House of Councillors.
Tatsumi (Tom) Yoda (依田 巽, Yoda Tatsumi; born May 27, 1940) is a Japanese business magnate.
Daisuke Inoue (井上 大佑, Inoue Daisuke; born May 10, 1940) is a Japanese businessman best known as an inventor of the…
Daisuke Inoue (井上 大佑, Inoue Daisuke; born May 10, 1940) is a Japanese businessman best known as an inventor of the karaoke machine. Inoue, a musician in his youth employed in backing businesspeople who wanted to sing in bars, invented the machine as a means of allowing them to sing without live back-up. He did not patent the machine and so did not directly profit, but he continued to work in the industry it generated, including patenting a protective pesticide for karaoke machines. Named one of Time magazine's "Most Influential Asians of the Century" in 1999, he was awarded the Ig Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 and in 2005 was the subject of the Japanese biographical film Karaoke. Recent studies have revealed the existence of several people who invented and commercialized karaoke machines prior to Inoue.
Ryoun Yamada, a.k.a. Yamada Ryoun or Yamada Masamichi, the son of the late Yamada Koun, is the current Zen master of…
Ryoun Yamada, a.k.a. Yamada Ryoun or Yamada Masamichi, the son of the late Yamada Koun, is the current Zen master of San'un Zendo in Kamakura, Japan and the Abbot of the Sanbo Zen school of Zen Buddhism.
Kyosuke Kinoshita (木下 恭輔, Kinoshita Kyōsuke; born 1941) is the chairman of Acom Co., Ltd., a major consumer loan…
Kyosuke Kinoshita (木下 恭輔, Kinoshita Kyōsuke; born 1941) is the chairman of Acom Co., Ltd., a major consumer loan company in Japan. He is the eldest son of Masao Kinoshita, founder of Acom. He graduated from Ritsumeikan University with a bachelor's degree.
Eiji Bandō (板東 英二, Bandō Eiji; April 5, 1940 – July 22, 2026) was a Japanese television entertainer, baseball player…
Eiji Bandō (板東 英二, Bandō Eiji; April 5, 1940 – July 22, 2026) was a Japanese television entertainer, baseball player and YouTuber. He pitched many innings in his high school career. The Japan High School Baseball Federation was afraid that he would injure his arm, so they set a new rematch rule in 1958. However, he pitched 18 innings in a 1958 quarterfinal game, which resulted in the first rematch in the National High School Baseball Championship. He reached the final, but did not win. His record of 83 strikeouts in the tournament remains unbroken. He joined Chunichi Dragons but it is said that he did not regain his pitching strength. He could not extend his elbow even then. Bandō died from chronic heart failure on July 22, 2026, at the age of 86.
Naotake Okubo (born 16 March 1940) is a Japanese rower. He competed in the men's coxed four event at the 1960 Summer…
Naotake Okubo (born 16 March 1940) is a Japanese rower. He competed in the men's coxed four event at the 1960 Summer Olympics.
Tsunenari Tokugawa (徳川 恒孝, Tokugawa Tsunenari; born 26 February 1940) is the 18th generation head of the Tokugawa clan.…
Tsunenari Tokugawa (徳川 恒孝, Tokugawa Tsunenari; born 26 February 1940) is the 18th generation head of the Tokugawa clan. He is the son of Ichirō Matsudaira and Toyoko Tokugawa. His great-grandfather was the famed Matsudaira Katamori of Aizu and his maternal great-grandfather was Tokugawa Iesato. As a great-grandson of Shimazu Tadayoshi, the last lord of Satsuma Domain, he is also a second cousin of the former Emperor, Akihito. Tsunenari was active for many years in the shipping company Nippon Yūsen, retiring in June, 2002, and is the head of the nonprofit Tokugawa Foundation. The nonprofit aims to preserve the remaining cultural treasures of the Tokugawa family, many of which were lost in the Meiji Restoration and World War II U.S. bombings. In 2007, Tsunenari published a book entitled Edo no idenshi (江戸の遺伝子), released in English in 2009 as The Edo Inheritance, which seeks to counter the common belief among Japanese that the Edo period (throughout which members of his Tokugawa clan ruled Japan as shōguns) was like a Dark Age, when Japan, cut off from the world, fell behind. On the contrary, he argues, the roughly 250 years of peace and relative prosperity saw great economic reforms, the growth of a sophisticated urban culture, and the development of the most urbanized society on the planet. Tokugawa stepped down from being the head of the Tokugawa clan on 1 January 2023. His son, author and translator Iehiro Tokugawa, took over the role.
Shoichiro Irimajiri (入交 昭一郎, Irimajiri Shōichirō; born on January 3, 1940, in Kochi, Japan) is a Japanese engineer and…
Shoichiro Irimajiri (入交 昭一郎, Irimajiri Shōichirō; born on January 3, 1940, in Kochi, Japan) is a Japanese engineer and businessman. He earned an aeronautical engineering degree from the University of Tokyo and worked for Honda Motor Co., Ltd. for 20 years, overseeing the introduction of its CBX motorcycle, design of their F1 racing engines for the RA273 as well as being the president of Honda of America Inc. He resigned in 1992 due to a heart problem, and started a Chinese traditional treatment to restore his condition. During this time, it was said that General Motors recruited Irimajiri for a senior executive position at the company, in light of his success at Honda. While he declined that position and accepted a spot as an outside director, if Irimajiri had accepted the offer, he would have been the first Japanese-born automotive executive of an American automobile manufacturer. After his recovery, Hayao Nakayama, then president of Sega Enterprises, asked him to become vice president of the company. In 1996, he additionally became chairman and CEO of Sega of America. He became president of Sega in 1998, when he laid an ambitious plan using the Dreamcast to restore Sega's lost market share and prestige, which took a severe downfall following the flawed launches of the Sega Saturn and the Sega 32X. After Sega reported its third consecutive loss, Irimajiri resigned and Isao Okawa took his place. While president of Sega he invested $5 million into Nvidia, after the tiny Silicon Valley startup had failed to deliver on its contract to create the graphics chip for the Dreamcast. Jensen Huang has publicly expressed his gratitude to Irimajiri for helping to keep Nvidia alive. Nvidia went public in 1999, and in 2000, after Irimajiri had left, Sega sold its Nvidia stock for $15 million. In 2017, Huang returned the favor by honoring a request from Irimajiri to speak to a small group of business leaders while visiting Japan. Irimajiri's most recent position was as chairman of Asahi Tec, a Japanese manufacturer of aluminum parts and castings for automobiles, owned by Ripplewood Holdings.
Takashi Kawamura (川村隆, Kawamura Takashi; born December 19, 1939) is a director and the chairman of Tokyo Electric Power…
Takashi Kawamura (川村隆, Kawamura Takashi; born December 19, 1939) is a director and the chairman of Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc. (TEPCO), a semi-nationalized electric utility company, and the former chairman and president of Hitachi, Ltd., the Japanese multinational electronics and engineering conglomerate. He had worked at Hitachi for his entire business career and retired as senior adviser to the company in June 2016. On request of the Japanese government, Kawamura has served as chairman of the electric power company since June 2017, after it was found responsible for the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.
Hatsuhiko Mizuki (born 12 August 1939) is a Japanese rower. He competed in the men's coxed four event at the 1960…
Hatsuhiko Mizuki (born 12 August 1939) is a Japanese rower. He competed in the men's coxed four event at the 1960 Summer Olympics.
Hirokazu Nakaima (仲井眞 弘多, Nakaima Hirokazu; born 19 August 1939) is a Japanese bureaucrat, business leader, and…
Hirokazu Nakaima (仲井眞 弘多, Nakaima Hirokazu; born 19 August 1939) is a Japanese bureaucrat, business leader, and politician. He was governor of Okinawa Prefecture from 2006 to 2014.
Kunio Nakamura (中村 邦夫, Nakamura Kunio; 5 July 1939 – 28 November 2022) was a Japanese businessman. He served as the…
Kunio Nakamura (中村 邦夫, Nakamura Kunio; 5 July 1939 – 28 November 2022) was a Japanese businessman. He served as the president of Panasonic from 2000 to 2005 and assumed the position of chairman on 28 June 2006. Even though he is widely regarded as having reformed the company, he created a crisis in the mid-2000s for focusing on plasma display panels (PDPs) instead of medium liquid crystal TVs (LCDs). At the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Panasonic introduced their 152" 2160p 3D plasma. In 2010 Panasonic shipped 19.1 million plasma TV panels. In 2010, shipments of plasma TVs reached 18.2 million units worldwide. Since then shipments have declined substantially; the decline has been attributed to competition from liquid crystal (LCD) televisions, whose prices have fallen more rapidly than those of the plasma TVs. In late 2013, Panasonic announced that they would stop producing plasma TVs in March 2014 onwards. In 2014, LG and Samsung discontinued plasma TV production as well, effectively killing the technology, probably because of falling demand. Nakamura died from pneumonia on 28 November 2022, at the age of 83.
Keiji Tachikawa (立川 敬二, Tachikawa Keiji; born May 27, 1939 in Gifu Prefecture) is a Japanese businessman who served as…
Keiji Tachikawa (立川 敬二, Tachikawa Keiji; born May 27, 1939 in Gifu Prefecture) is a Japanese businessman who served as president of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). Keiji Tachikawa was born in Gifu Prefecture on May 27, 1939. He graduated from University of Tokyo, Department of Electrical Engineering School of Engineering, in 1962. In 1978, he earned an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management. In 1982, he earned a Ph.D Engineering degree in University of Tokyo. Tachikawa joined Nippon Telegraph & Telephone (NTT) in 1962 as a young engineering graduate. He later joined NTT's subsidiary, NTT DoCoMo, and served as its president from 1998 to 2004. In 2004, Tachikawa became president of JAXA, to restructure the agency after a 2003 H-IIA rocket launch failure. He served as president until 2013.
Tadateru Konoe (近衛 忠煇, Konoe Tadateru; 8 May 1939 – 23 May 2026) was a Japanese humanitarian who was president of the…
Tadateru Konoe (近衛 忠煇, Konoe Tadateru; 8 May 1939 – 23 May 2026) was a Japanese humanitarian who was president of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). Konoe was the 32nd Head of the Konoe family. President of the Japanese Red Cross Society from 2005, he dedicated his entire professional career to domestic and international Red Cross Red Crescent activities. In 2009 and again in 2013, Konoe was elected President of the IFRC, serving until he was replaced by Francesco Rocca on 6 November 2017.
Uichiro Niwa (丹羽 宇一郎, Niwa Uichirō; January 29, 1939 – December 24, 2025) was a Japanese diplomat and businessman who…
Uichiro Niwa (丹羽 宇一郎, Niwa Uichirō; January 29, 1939 – December 24, 2025) was a Japanese diplomat and businessman who served as the Ambassador of Japan to the People's Republic of China, president and chairman of Itochu Corporation, and chairman of the Society of Global Business (SGB).
Takashi Awamori (Japanese: 粟森喬 Awamori Takashi; 1 January 1939 – 24 March 2023) was a Japanese businessman and…
Takashi Awamori (Japanese: 粟森喬 Awamori Takashi; 1 January 1939 – 24 March 2023) was a Japanese businessman and politician. A member of the Japan Socialist Party, he served in the House of Councillors from 1989 to 1995. Awamori died on 24 March 2023, at the age of 84.
Masaru Kanbe (神戸 勝, Kanbe Masaru; born 30 October 1938) is a Japanese field hockey player. He competed in the men's…
Masaru Kanbe (神戸 勝, Kanbe Masaru; born 30 October 1938) is a Japanese field hockey player. He competed in the men's tournament at the 1960 Summer Olympics.
Hiroaki Aoki (青木 廣彰, Aoki Hiroaki; October 9, 1938 – July 10, 2008), better known as Rocky Aoki, was a…
Hiroaki Aoki (青木 廣彰, Aoki Hiroaki; October 9, 1938 – July 10, 2008), better known as Rocky Aoki, was a Japanese-American restaurateur, professional offshore powerboat racer and amateur wrestler. He was the founder of the Japanese cuisine restaurant chain Benihana and Genesis magazine. He was also the father of musician Steve Aoki and model and actress Devon Aoki.
Tatsuo Umemiya (梅宮 辰夫, Umemiya Tatsuo; 11 March 1938 – 12 December 2019) was a Japanese actor, tarento, and…
Tatsuo Umemiya (梅宮 辰夫, Umemiya Tatsuo; 11 March 1938 – 12 December 2019) was a Japanese actor, tarento, and businessman. He was represented by the agency Pickles. His daughter is model and tarento Anna Umemiya. The son of a doctor, Umemiya gave up a medical career to debut as a Toei New Face at the Toei Studios. As an actor, he appeared in films and television dramas and also in restaurant variety shows. Umemiya died of kidney failure on 12 December 2019. He was 81 years old.
Yoshio Matsumoto (January 6, 1938 – August 29, 2025) was a Japanese businessman and racehorse owner.
Hisashi Hieda (日枝 久, born December 31, 1937) is a Japanese business magnate, media proprietor, television executive…
Hisashi Hieda (日枝 久, born December 31, 1937) is a Japanese business magnate, media proprietor, television executive, film producer and philanthropist who was the Chairperson of Fujisankei Communications Group. He serves as the Chairperson of the Japan Art Association, which operates the Ueno Royal Museum and the Praemium Imperiale, as well as the Director of the Hakone Open-Air Museum and the Director of the Utsukushi-Ga-Hara Open-Air Museum. He transformed the Fujisankei Communications Group into one of the world's leading and Japan's largest media conglomerates and nurtured Fuji Television Network into a comprehensive entertainment entity of Japan.
Nobuyuki Idei (出井 伸之, Idei Nobuyuki; 22 November 1937 – 2 June 2022) was a Japanese businessman. He was chairman and…
Nobuyuki Idei (出井 伸之, Idei Nobuyuki; 22 November 1937 – 2 June 2022) was a Japanese businessman. He was chairman and group chief executive officer of Sony Corporation until 7 March 2005. He was a director of General Motors, Baidu, Yoshimoto Kogyo and Nestlé.
Hirokazu Mizuta (Japanese: 水田 廣和; November 9, 1937 – July 25, 2026) was a Japanese business executive. He served as the…
Hirokazu Mizuta (Japanese: 水田 廣和; November 9, 1937 – July 25, 2026) was a Japanese business executive. He served as the president and chairman of Tokyu Department Store.
Kikuō Hayashiya (Japanese: 林家 木久扇, Hepburn: Hayashiya Kikuō; born October 19, 1937) is a Japanese rakugo performer and…
Kikuō Hayashiya (Japanese: 林家 木久扇, Hepburn: Hayashiya Kikuō; born October 19, 1937) is a Japanese rakugo performer and a featured member of the long-running television comedy show Shōten. His real name is Hiroshi Toyota (豊田 洋, Toyota Hiroshi), although he is most widely known by his previous comedian name Kikuzō Hayashiya (林家 木久蔵), a name he was the first to assume. The new Kikuzō Hayashiya is his son, the former Kikuo Hayashiya (林家 きくお, Hayashiya Kikuo). On Shōten he always wears a yellow kimono. He is known for making commonplace jokes and usually "plays the fool".
Mikio Sasaki (佐々木 幹夫, Sasaki Mikio; born October 8, 1937) is chairman of the board of Mitsubishi Corporation. In 1960…
Mikio Sasaki (佐々木 幹夫, Sasaki Mikio; born October 8, 1937) is chairman of the board of Mitsubishi Corporation. In 1960, Sasaki graduated from Waseda University with a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering and management. In April 1960, he went to work for Mitsubishi Corporation, where he still resides to the present day. From 1993 to 1994, he was president of the American subsidiary Mitsubishi International Corporation in New York City. In 1994, he became a managing director in Japan, and in 1995 became an overall managing director of administration. In 1998, he became president and chief executive officer, and then, in 2004, became chairman of the board. On June 13, 2008, Sasaki was elected to the position of director for the International Chamber of Commerce.
Kunio Egashira (江頭 邦雄, Egashira Kunio; October 1, 1937 – April 7, 2008) was the Japanese chairman of Ajinomoto, a…
Kunio Egashira (江頭 邦雄, Egashira Kunio; October 1, 1937 – April 7, 2008) was the Japanese chairman of Ajinomoto, a Japanese food company which specializes in seasoning and flavorings. Egashira was born in Nagasaki Prefecture and graduated from Hitotsubashi University with a degree in economics. Egashira became president of Ajinomoto in June 1997. He pushed through a very aggressive array of business reforms as president. He realigned Ajinomoto to focus on growth areas within the food industry, with an emphasis on amino acid technology. Egashira became president following a scandal at the company. His predecessor stepped down as president to take over the managerial responsibility at Ajinomoto. Two company officials were indicted for making illegal payments to corporate racketeers. Egashira became chairman of the company in June 2005. Kunio Egashira died on April 7, 2008, of pancreatic cancer at the age of 70.
Hibari Misora (美空 ひばり, Misora Hibari; born Kazue Katō (加藤 和枝, Katō Kazue) May 29, 1937 – June 24, 1989) was a Japanese…
Hibari Misora (美空 ひばり, Misora Hibari; born Kazue Katō (加藤 和枝, Katō Kazue) May 29, 1937 – June 24, 1989) was a Japanese singer and actress. She received a Medal of Honor for her contributions to music and for improving the welfare of the public, and was the first woman to receive the People's Honour Award, which was conferred posthumously for giving the public hope and encouragement after World War II. Misora recorded a total of 1,200 songs and sold 68 million records. After she died, consumer demand for her recordings grew significantly, and, by 2001, she had sold more than 80 million records. By 2019, record sales surpassed 100 million. Her swan-song "Kawa no Nagare no Yō ni" (川の流れのように) is often performed by numerous artists and orchestras as a tribute to her, including notable renditions by The Three Tenors (Spanish/Italian), Teresa Teng (Taiwanese) and Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan (Mexican). Each year there is a special on Japanese television and radio featuring her songs. A memorial concert for Misora was held at the Tokyo Dome on November 11, 2012. It featured numerous musicians such as Ai, Koda Kumi, Ken Hirai, Kiyoshi Hikawa, Exile, AKB48 and Nobuyasu Okabayashi amongst others, paying tribute by singing her most famous songs.