William Marvin Bodiford (born December 3, 1955) is an American professor and author. He teaches Buddhist Studies and…William Marvin Bodiford (born December 3, 1955) is an American professor and author. He teaches Buddhist Studies and religion in the cultures of Japan and East Asia at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Reizo Kato (Japanese: 加藤 礼三, born 23 November 1955) is a Japanese chemist specializing in the development and physical…Reizo Kato (Japanese: 加藤 礼三, born 23 November 1955) is a Japanese chemist specializing in the development and physical characterization of molecular conductors and superconductors which is a field of materials science.
Yoshihiro Kawaoka (河岡 義裕, Kawaoka Yoshihiro; born November 14, 1955) is a virologist specializing in the study of the…Yoshihiro Kawaoka (河岡 義裕, Kawaoka Yoshihiro; born November 14, 1955) is a virologist specializing in the study of the influenza and Ebola viruses. He holds a professorship in virology in the Department of Pathobiological Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA, and at the University of Tokyo, Japan. Following the West African Ebola virus epidemic of 2014, Kawaoka attempted to develop an Ebola vaccine working in close coordination with Alhaji N'jai, a toxicologist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and his non-profit organization Project 1808, Inc.
Katsuya Uga (born July 21, 1955) is a Japanese jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of Japan…Katsuya Uga (born July 21, 1955) is a Japanese jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of Japan from 2019 to 2025.
Masaru Kitsuregawa (喜連川 優, Kitsuregawa Masaru; born 13 July 1955) is a Japanese computer scientist. Currently he is a…Masaru Kitsuregawa (喜連川 優, Kitsuregawa Masaru; born 13 July 1955) is a Japanese computer scientist. Currently he is a professor at the University of Tokyo.
Kazuhito Hashimoto (橋本和仁, Hashimoto Kazuhito; born June 23, 1955) is a Japanese chemist. Between 2004 and 2007 he…Kazuhito Hashimoto (橋本和仁, Hashimoto Kazuhito; born June 23, 1955) is a Japanese chemist. Between 2004 and 2007 he headed the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Tokyo. In 2016–2022 he served as President of the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) and as the editor-in-chief of the journal Science and Technology of Advanced Materials. On April 1, 2022 he assumed the position of President of Japan Science and Technology Agency. In 2006 Hashimoto received the Yamazaki-Teiichi Prize for his research on titanium dioxide photocatalyst.
Nobuyuki Kajitani (梶谷 信之, Kajitani Nobuyuki; born May 3, 1955 in Saito City, Miyazaki) is a Japanese former gymnast who…Nobuyuki Kajitani (梶谷 信之, Kajitani Nobuyuki; born May 3, 1955 in Saito City, Miyazaki) is a Japanese former gymnast who competed in the 1984 Summer Olympics. Kajitani is a graduate of the Nippon College of Physical Education.
Jun Murai (村井 純, Murai Jun; born March 29, 1955 in Tokyo) is a Japanese researcher known for being the founder of…Jun Murai (村井 純, Murai Jun; born March 29, 1955 in Tokyo) is a Japanese researcher known for being the founder of influential computer network projects in Japan such as the JUNET and founder of the WIDE Project. He is called by some the "Father of Internet in Japan" and "Internet Samurai." Murai is currently a professor and Dean of the Faculty of Environment and Information Studies at Keio University, as well as President of the Japan Network Information Center. Murai has received domestic and international awards and recognitions such as the 2011 IEEE Internet Award and entry to the Internet Hall of Fame in 2013.
Hiroshi Nishihara (西原寛, Nishihara Hiroshi), born 21 March 1955, is a Japanese chemist and Professor of Chemistry at The…Hiroshi Nishihara (西原寛, Nishihara Hiroshi), born 21 March 1955, is a Japanese chemist and Professor of Chemistry at The University of Tokyo in Japan. Currently heading the department of Chemistry and Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory in The University of Tokyo, he is a distinguished professor, researcher and pioneer in the field of synthesis and electrochemistry of conductive metal complex polymers. His research is focused on creation of new electro- and photo-functional materials comprising both transition metals and π-conjugated chains, and invention of unidirectional electron transfer systems utilizing molecular layer interfaces. He is presently a Vice President of The Electrochemical Society of Japan, and the regional representative of Japan for International Society of Electrochemistry (ISE).
Tomoko Sasaki (佐々木 知子, Sasaki Tomoko; born 2 March 1955) is a Japanese lawyer, politician, novelist and former…Tomoko Sasaki (佐々木 知子, Sasaki Tomoko; born 2 March 1955) is a Japanese lawyer, politician, novelist and former prosecutor. She became a prosecutor in 1983, and worked at the United Nations Asia and Far East Institute for the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders from 1993 to 1996. Elected to the House of Councillors in 1998, Sasaki was engaged in introducing the Stalker Regulation Law of 2000. She served as the director of the Women's Affairs Division of the Liberal Democratic Party. She did not run for the election in 2004, but remains a member of the Party Ethics Committee of the LDP. She is a leading advocate of capital punishment in the party. She set up a law firm in 2004 and became a professor of law at Teikyo University in 2005.
Yuko Hasegawa (長谷川祐子, Hasegawa Yuko, born 1957) is the director of the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art…Yuko Hasegawa (長谷川祐子, Hasegawa Yuko, born 1957) is the director of the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa and professor of curatorial and art theory at Tokyo University of the Arts.
Hitoshi Kawakatsu is a Japanese seismologist and University of Tokyo professor. He won a Beno Gutenberg Medal from the…Hitoshi Kawakatsu is a Japanese seismologist and University of Tokyo professor. He won a Beno Gutenberg Medal from the European Geosciences Union in 2017 and a Inge Lehmann Medal in 2025. He is a fellow of the American Geophysical Union.
Seiji Nishino is a Japanese neuroscientist and writer. He is a professor emeritus of psychiatry and behavioral sciences…Seiji Nishino is a Japanese neuroscientist and writer. He is a professor emeritus of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Stanford University. He is also the director of Stanford Center for Sleep Sciences and Medicine. Nishino, a well-known sleep researcher, he researches sleep disorders, sleep and circadian physiology using animal models. Since 2016, he has been director of Good Quality Sleep Research Organization. He is also the author of a best-selling Japanese book on sleep.
Masayoshi Watanabe (渡邉 正義, Watanabe Masayoshi; born December 20, 1954) is a Japanese chemist and professor of Yokohama…Masayoshi Watanabe (渡邉 正義, Watanabe Masayoshi; born December 20, 1954) is a Japanese chemist and professor of Yokohama National University.
Hideo Ohno (Japanese: 大野 英男; Hideo Ōno; born 18 December 1954, Tokyo) is a Japanese physicist. He is the 22nd president…Hideo Ohno (Japanese: 大野 英男; Hideo Ōno; born 18 December 1954, Tokyo) is a Japanese physicist. He is the 22nd president of Tohoku University, succeeding Susumu Satomi in April 2018.
Satoru Miyano (宮野 悟, Miyano Satoru; born December 5, 1954) is a professor and the director of the M&D Data Science…Satoru Miyano (宮野 悟, Miyano Satoru; born December 5, 1954) is a professor and the director of the M&D Data Science Center at Tokyo Medical and Dental University. He was awarded fellowship of the International Society for Computational Biology (ISCB) in 2013 for outstanding contributions to the fields of computational biology and bioinformatics.
Hideshi Ishikawa (石川 日出志, Ishikawa Hideshi; born 1954) is a Japanese archaeologist. Since 1978 he has been on the…Hideshi Ishikawa (石川 日出志, Ishikawa Hideshi; born 1954) is a Japanese archaeologist. Since 1978 he has been on the faculty of Meiji University, in the Archaeology Department. He is considered an expert in the Yayoi period and the Bronze-Iron Age history and culture of the Korean peninsula, and Jōmon culture and pottery. He has published several books and papers, including books about ruins of the Yayoi era (2008) and on agrarian society in ancient Japanese history (2010).
Akira Isogai (磯貝 明, Isogai Akira; born October 19, 1954) is a Japanese academician, wood scientist and senior…Akira Isogai (磯貝 明, Isogai Akira; born October 19, 1954) is a Japanese academician, wood scientist and senior biomaterials researcher, who is an elected fellow (FIAWS) of the International Academy of Wood Science and also an elected fellow of the Japan Academy. He has been a chaired professor at the University of Tokyo, making several contributions to sustainable material science through his research work on plant cellulose and bio-nanofibers.
Houkin Kiyohiro (寳金 清博, 24 September 1954 – ) is a Japanese medical scientist and neurosurgeon. He has served as the…Houkin Kiyohiro (寳金 清博, 24 September 1954 – ) is a Japanese medical scientist and neurosurgeon. He has served as the President of Hokkaido University since 2020, where he is also Professor Emeritus. He holds a Doctor of Medicine degree from Hokkaido University, specializing in neurosurgery, and is one of the pioneers in the research of moyamoya disease.
Junichi Iijima (born August 28, 1954), Japanese, Enterprise Engineer and Professor of the Department of Industrial…Junichi Iijima (born August 28, 1954), Japanese, Enterprise Engineer and Professor of the Department of Industrial Management and Engineering at the Tokyo Institute of Technology in Japan.
Lin Mun-lee (Chinese: 林曼麗; born 8 August 1954) is a Taiwanese scholar and writer. She served as Deputy Director of…Lin Mun-lee (Chinese: 林曼麗; born 8 August 1954) is a Taiwanese scholar and writer. She served as Deputy Director of National Palace Museum from 2004 to 2006, and its Director between 2006 and 2008.
Chikashi Toyoshima (Japanese: 豊島 近, Hepburn: Toyoshima Chikashi; born July 17, 1954) is a Japanese biophysicist, a…Chikashi Toyoshima (Japanese: 豊島 近, Hepburn: Toyoshima Chikashi; born July 17, 1954) is a Japanese biophysicist, a professor at the University of Tokyo and a Foreign Associate of the National Academy of Sciences in the United States. His research focuses on two proteins: the Ca2+ ATPase, and the Na+/ K+-ATPase. Toyoshima's research about Ca2+ ATPase started in 1989. He and his colleagues obtained the world's first series of images of Ca2+ ATPase at the atomic level. He has determined the crystal structures of ten intermediates of Ca2+ ATPase via X-ray crystallography, cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM), among other methods. Toyoshima and Poul Nissen were awarded the Gregori Aminoff Prize in 2016 by The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for their fundamental contributions to understanding the structural basis for ATP-driven translocation of ions across membranes.
Yuji Iwasawa (岩沢雄司; born 4 June 1954) is a Japanese jurist and professor. He has been a member of the International…Yuji Iwasawa (岩沢雄司; born 4 June 1954) is a Japanese jurist and professor. He has been a member of the International Court of Justice since 22 June 2018, following the resignation of Judge Hisashi Owada. Before he was elected a judge, he was a professor of international law at the University of Tokyo. He was re-elected on 12 November 2020. He formerly chaired the United Nations Human Rights Committee. Following the resignation of former president Nawaf Salam on 14 January 2025, he was elected as President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on 3 March 2025. He is expected to fulfill the rest of Salam's term until 5 February 2027.
Shuichi Toyama (外山 秀一, Toyama Shūichi; born June 1954) is a Japanese archaeologist and historian, Professor in the…Shuichi Toyama (外山 秀一, Toyama Shūichi; born June 1954) is a Japanese archaeologist and historian, Professor in the Faculty of Letters at Kogakkan University. He specializes in archaeological geography, environment archeology, geomorphology, and the history of geography, and is an expert in ancient Japanese farming practices and the history of the Yamanashi Prefecture. He has conducted much research into rice cultivation in ancient Japan in particular, which has been quoted in numerous publications. In his work related to the environment and archaeology, he has examined the relationship history between nature and human beings, which was the subject of a 2008 book. In 2009 he was a co-author of a book on archaeology of the Jōmon period.
Yoshinori Tokura (十倉 好紀, Tokura Yoshinori; born March 1, 1954) ForMemRS is a Japanese physicist, Professor at…Yoshinori Tokura (十倉 好紀, Tokura Yoshinori; born March 1, 1954) ForMemRS is a Japanese physicist, Professor at University of Tokyo and Director of Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS) at RIKEN. He is a specialist in physics of strongly correlated electron systems and known for his work in high-temperature superconductivity, Mott transition, colossal magnetoresistance, Multiferroics, and magnetic skyrmions.
Tadahiko Fukuhara (born 1954) is a Japanese academics, professor of civil law, member of the board of INES Corp and…Tadahiko Fukuhara (born 1954) is a Japanese academics, professor of civil law, member of the board of INES Corp and Japan Payment Service Association. In 2011 he became the president and chancellor of Chuo University, prior to that he was dean of the Chuo Graduate Law School at the Chuo University.
Tetsumi Takara (高良 鉄美, Takara Tetsumi; born January 15, 1954) is a Japanese politician currently serving as a member of…Tetsumi Takara (高良 鉄美, Takara Tetsumi; born January 15, 1954) is a Japanese politician currently serving as a member of the National Diet in the House of Councillors. He was elected on July 27, 2019, representing the Okinawa at-large district which encompasses the entirety of Okinawa Prefecture.
Ryūichi Abe (Japanese: 阿部 龍一, Abe Ryūichi; born 1954) is the Reischauer Institute Professor of Japanese Religions at…Ryūichi Abe (Japanese: 阿部 龍一, Abe Ryūichi; born 1954) is the Reischauer Institute Professor of Japanese Religions at Harvard University. Until May 2004, he was professor of Japanese religions in the departments of religion and East Asian languages and culture at Columbia University. Abe, through his teaching and books, has made an important contribution to the Western understanding of Buddhism in Japan. His book on Kūkai, The Weaving of Mantra: Kūkai and the Construction of Esoteric Buddhist Discourse, underscores Kūkai's impact on 9th-century Japanese society. At a time when Confucian discourse dominated Japan, Kūkai developed a “voice” for Buddhism. He has also written about Ryōkan and Saichō. He received his bachelor's degree in economics from Keio University and his master's degree from School of Advanced International Affairs, Johns Hopkins University. He then received his MPhil and PhD in religious studies from Columbia University. In 1991 he began teaching at Columbia, and in 1998 became the Kao Associate Professor of Japanese Religions. He is a recipient of the Philip and Ruth Hettleman Award for distinguished teaching.
Junichiro Ito (伊藤 順一郎, Itō Jun'ichirō; born 1954) is a Japanese medical researcher and a psychiatrist. He is currently…Junichiro Ito (伊藤 順一郎, Itō Jun'ichirō; born 1954) is a Japanese medical researcher and a psychiatrist. He is currently the director of the Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation, National Institute of Mental Health, Japan. Ito's research interests include Assertive Community Treatment and assistance programs for socially withdrawn individuals, called hikikomori.
Mitsuhiro Takemura (武邑 光裕; born 1954-10-25 in Tokyo) is a Japanese scholar specializing in the study of media design…Mitsuhiro Takemura (武邑 光裕; born 1954-10-25 in Tokyo) is a Japanese scholar specializing in the study of media design, professor at Sapporo City University. Takemura graduated from Nihon University in 1976 and received a master's degree from the same school in 1978.
Gen Suwa (born 1954) is a Japanese paleoanthropologist. He is known for his contributions to the understanding of the…Gen Suwa (born 1954) is a Japanese paleoanthropologist. He is known for his contributions to the understanding of the evolution of early hominids, including the discovery of a tooth from a hominid that was more than one million years older than the oldest previously known hominid. The discovery changed scientific opinion regarding the ancestral splits between humans, chimps and gorillas. A professor at The University Museum of the University of Tokyo, Suwa is a foreign associate of the National Academy of Sciences and a recipient of the Asahi Prize.
Atsushi Yamaguchi (born November 6, 1953) is a Japanese lawyer and academic who has served as an associate justice of…Atsushi Yamaguchi (born November 6, 1953) is a Japanese lawyer and academic who has served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of Japan from 2017 to 2023.
Ryosei Kokubun (Japanese: 國分 良成, romanized: Kokubun Ryōsei; November 1, 1953) is a Japanese academic and author. He is…Ryosei Kokubun (Japanese: 國分 良成, romanized: Kokubun Ryōsei; November 1, 1953) is a Japanese academic and author. He is currently professor emeritus at Keio University and served as the President of the National Defense Academy of Japan from April 2012 to March 2021. Kokubun's main interests are Sino-Japanese relations and Chinese politics, and he previously served as Dean of the Faculty of Law and Politics of the Graduate School of Law at Keio University from 2007 to 2012 as well as being President of the Japan Association for Asian Studies from 2008 to 2012 and president of the Japan Association of International Relations. He also served as the director of the Keio University East Asian Institute, Japan from 1999 to 2007 at Keio University.
Kazunari Dōmen (born September 24, 1953) is a Japanese chemist and materials scientist specializing in heterogeneous…Kazunari Dōmen (born September 24, 1953) is a Japanese chemist and materials scientist specializing in heterogeneous catalysis, photocatalysis, and solar-driven water splitting. He is a University Professor in the Office of University Professors at the University of Tokyo and a Distinguished University Professor at the Institute for Aqua Regeneration, Shinshu University.
Seigo Tarucha (born 1953) is a Japanese experimental physicist who is known for his research on gate-defined…Seigo Tarucha (born 1953) is a Japanese experimental physicist who is known for his research on gate-defined semiconductor quantum dots and spin qubits.
Tsutomu Miyasaka (宮坂力, Miyasaka Tsutomu; born September 10, 1953), is a Japanese engineer in electrochemistry best…Tsutomu Miyasaka (宮坂力, Miyasaka Tsutomu; born September 10, 1953), is a Japanese engineer in electrochemistry best known as the inventor of the perovskite solar cell.
Hideo Hosono (細野秀雄, Hosono Hideo; born September 7, 1953) is a Japanese material scientist most known for the discovery…Hideo Hosono (細野秀雄, Hosono Hideo; born September 7, 1953) is a Japanese material scientist most known for the discovery of iron-based superconductors. Hosono, Hideki Shirakawa and Yoshinori Ohsumi are the three keynote speakers at the Institute of Integrated Research (IIR) founding lecture at the Institute of Science Tokyo.
Kiyoshi Kobayashi (小林 潔司, Kobayashi Kiyoshi) is the current (2018–19) president of the Japan Society of Civil…Kiyoshi Kobayashi (小林 潔司, Kobayashi Kiyoshi) is the current (2018–19) president of the Japan Society of Civil Engineers, Director of the Management Research Center of the Graduate School of Management and Professor of Engineering, Infrastructure Economics and Management at the Department of Urban Management of Kyoto University. He was born in 1953 in Himeji, Hyōgo, Japan.
Ichiro Tsuda (June 4, 1953-) is a Japanese mathematical scientist, applied mathematician, physicist, and writer. His…Ichiro Tsuda (June 4, 1953-) is a Japanese mathematical scientist, applied mathematician, physicist, and writer. His research carrier started at an early stage of chaos studies. His research interests cover chaotic dynamical systems, complex systems, brain dynamics and artificial intelligence. He has contributed to the development and promotion of complex systems researches. He found several novel phenomena in chaotic dynamical systems such as Noise-Induced Order and Chaotic Itinerancy. He also proposed a chaotic theory for dynamic behaviors of brain (for example,) within a framework of cerebral hermeneutics. He received academic awards such as 2010 HFSP Program Award for international collaborative research on the neural mechanisms of deliberative decision making in rats (Joint awardees were David Redish, Jan Lauwereyns, Emma Wood, and Paul Dudchenko). He was also awarded as a plenary lecturer in prestigious international conferences such as in the 6th ICIAM 2007, the international conference for industrial and applied mathematics. He is also known as a translator and an editor for the Japanese translation of the highly rated textbook in the field of chaotic dynamical systems
Nishida Shun'ei (西田 俊英; born April 20, 1953, in Ise city, Mie prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese Nihonga painter who…Nishida Shun'ei (西田 俊英; born April 20, 1953, in Ise city, Mie prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese Nihonga painter who specializes in portraits, and later fantastical landscapes, and is an emeritus professor of Japanese painting at Hiroshima City University and Musashino Art University, which he retired from in 2024. He received the 2016 Japan Art Academy award for Japanese painting. As of 2026, he is the chair of the Japan Art Institute.
Shizuo Akira (審良 静男, Akira Shizuo) (born January 27, 1953, in Higashiōsaka) is a professor at the Department of Host…Shizuo Akira (審良 静男, Akira Shizuo) (born January 27, 1953, in Higashiōsaka) is a professor at the Department of Host Defense, Osaka University, Japan. He has made ground-breaking discoveries in the field of immunology, most significantly in the area of innate host defense mechanisms.
Akira Toriumi is an engineer at the University of Tokyo, Japan. He was named a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical…Akira Toriumi is an engineer at the University of Tokyo, Japan. He was named a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in 2016 for his contributions to device physics and materials engineering for advanced CMOS technology. He was recognized on the Asian Scientist 100 in 2017 by Asian Scientist.
Akiya Takahashi (高橋 明也, Takahashi Akiya; born in 1953 in Tokyo) is a Japanese art historian and a founding director of…Akiya Takahashi (高橋 明也, Takahashi Akiya; born in 1953 in Tokyo) is a Japanese art historian and a founding director of the Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum, Tokyo.
Nobukazu Teranishi (寺西 信一, Teranishi Nobukazu; born 1953) is a Japanese engineer who researches image sensors, and is…Nobukazu Teranishi (寺西 信一, Teranishi Nobukazu; born 1953) is a Japanese engineer who researches image sensors, and is known for inventing the pinned photodiode, an important component of modern digital cameras. He was one of four recipients of the 2017 Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering. He worked at NEC Corporation (1978–2000) and Panasonic Corporation (2000–13). As of 2018, he is a professor at the University of Hyogo and at Shizuoka University.
Yusuke Nakamura (中村 祐輔, Nakamura Yūsuke; born 8 December 1952) is a Japanese geneticist and cancer researcher best…Yusuke Nakamura (中村 祐輔, Nakamura Yūsuke; born 8 December 1952) is a Japanese geneticist and cancer researcher best known for developing Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS). He is one of the world's pioneers in applying genetic variations (Variable Number Tandem Repeat (VNTR) and Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) markers) and whole genome sequencing, leading the research field of personalized medicine.
Yasuhiko Arakawa (Japanese 荒川 泰彦, Arakawa Yasuhiko; born 6 November 1952) is a Japanese physicist. His research focuses…Yasuhiko Arakawa (Japanese 荒川 泰彦, Arakawa Yasuhiko; born 6 November 1952) is a Japanese physicist. His research focuses on semiconductor physics, including growth of nanostructures and their optoelectronic applications. Among his main achievements are the proposal of the concept of quantum dots and their application to quantum dot lasers, the observation of exciton-polariton Rabi-splitting in a semiconductor microcavity, or, recently, the first 3D photonic crystal nanocavity lasers with quantum dot gain.