Fumiko Hayashi (林 文子, Hayashi Fumiko; born May 5, 1946) is a Japanese politician and the former mayor of Yokohama, the…
Fumiko Hayashi (林 文子, Hayashi Fumiko; born May 5, 1946) is a Japanese politician and the former mayor of Yokohama, the capital of Kanagawa Prefecture in Japan. She is the first female mayor of the city. Her previous roles have included president of BMW Tokyo, president of Tokyo Nissan Auto Sales, and chairperson and CEO of the Japanese supermarket chain Daiei. On taking the chief executive role at Daiei, all of whose executives are men, Hayashi told the Nikkei Weekly: "I thought I would be able to create an example of a success in male-female collaboration." In 2006, Forbes named her the 39th most powerful woman in the world, the highest rank for a Japanese woman. She was elected as mayor of Yokohama in 2009 following the sudden resignation of the former mayor, Hiroshi Nakada, until her defeat at the 2021 Yokohama mayoral election. In July 2022, she was awarded as Honorary Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), for services to the British Olympic and Paralympic Teams.
Famous Japanese People: Company President・Entrepreneur
Company President・Entrepreneur: 834 people
Hiroaki Nakanishi (中西 宏明, Nakanishi Hiroaki; March 14, 1946 – June 27, 2021) was a Japanese businessman and chairman of…
Hiroaki Nakanishi (中西 宏明, Nakanishi Hiroaki; March 14, 1946 – June 27, 2021) was a Japanese businessman and chairman of Hitachi. He became the 10th president of Hitachi in 2010, and in 2014, assumed the position of chairman and CEO. He was also chairman of the compensation committee and general manager of the post-earthquake reconstruction & redevelopment division. Nakanishi acted as head of the Japan Business Federation from 2018 until his resignation less than a month before his death.
Kunihiro Fujioka (藤岡 邦弘, Fujioka Kunihiro; born February 19, 1946 in Kuma, Ehime (now Kumakōgen, Ehime)), better known…
Kunihiro Fujioka (藤岡 邦弘, Fujioka Kunihiro; born February 19, 1946 in Kuma, Ehime (now Kumakōgen, Ehime)), better known by his stage name Hiroshi Fujioka, (藤岡 弘、, Fujioka Hiroshi,), is a Japanese actor.
Soichiro Fukutake (福武 總一郎, Fukutake Sōichirō; born 1945) is a Japanese billionaire, and the former chairman of the…
Soichiro Fukutake (福武 總一郎, Fukutake Sōichirō; born 1945) is a Japanese billionaire, and the former chairman of the Benesse Corporation, a publishing firm and juku company known for its patronage of the arts.
Nobutada Saji (佐治 信忠, Saji Nobutada; born November 25, 1945) is a Japanese businessman. He is the chairman and…
Nobutada Saji (佐治 信忠, Saji Nobutada; born November 25, 1945) is a Japanese businessman. He is the chairman and Representative Director of Suntory Ltd, and Chairman of Ad Council Japan. He is also a trustee and director of Keio University. He was ranked 4th on Forbes 2026 list of Japan's richest people, with a net worth of US $9.3 billion (¥1.02 trillion).
Yukio Okamoto (Japanese: 岡本 行夫, Okamoto Yukio; 23 November 1945 – 24 April 2020) was a Japanese diplomat, diplomatic…
Yukio Okamoto (Japanese: 岡本 行夫, Okamoto Yukio; 23 November 1945 – 24 April 2020) was a Japanese diplomat, diplomatic analyst, and proponent of strong economic and political Japan–United States relations. Okamoto guided Japanese and American diplomatic relations throughout the 1980s, during an era when both countries simultaneously competed for economic influence on the global stage. He served as a diplomatic advisor and analyst for several Japanese prime ministers, including Ryutaro Hashimoto from 1996 to 1998 and Junichiro Koizumi from 2003 until 2004.
Harunori Takahashi (高橋 治則, Takahashi Harunori; 1945/46 - 18 July 2005) was a Japanese billionaire property developer…
Harunori Takahashi (高橋 治則, Takahashi Harunori; 1945/46 - 18 July 2005) was a Japanese billionaire property developer and the head of EIE International Corp.
Keiichi Ishizaka (石坂 敬一, Ishizaka Keiichi; August 25, 1945 – December 31, 2016) was a Japanese music industry executive…
Keiichi Ishizaka (石坂 敬一, Ishizaka Keiichi; August 25, 1945 – December 31, 2016) was a Japanese music industry executive who was the chairman of Recording Industry Association of Japan.
Takemitsu Takizaki (born 10 June 1945) is a Japanese billionaire businessman, honorary chairman and founder of Keyence…
Takemitsu Takizaki (born 10 June 1945) is a Japanese billionaire businessman, honorary chairman and founder of Keyence, a Japanese manufacturer of automation sensors, vision systems, barcode readers, laser markers, measuring instruments, and digital microscopes. As of September 29, 2022, Takizaki has a net worth of US$18.6 billion.
Makoto Kaneko (金子真人, Kaneko Makoto; born March 15, 1945 in Tokyo) is the founder, President, CEO and Representative…
Makoto Kaneko (金子真人, Kaneko Makoto; born March 15, 1945 in Tokyo) is the founder, President, CEO and Representative Director of Zuken Inc., a public listed multinational corporation in the Tokyo Stock Exchange. He also owns the exclusive King Kamehameha Golf Club in Hawaii. Makoto Kaneko is better known as a prominent horse owner in Japan. He was the owner of Deep Impact, one of the most famous racehorses in Japanese history. Kaneko has also become the first racehorse owner to win all of the 8 major races of Japan as well as the Japan Cup.
Akiyoshi Matsuoka (松岡 昭義, Matsuoka Akiyoshi; 3 March 1945 – 4 September 2017) was a Japanese cross-country skier. He…
Akiyoshi Matsuoka (松岡 昭義, Matsuoka Akiyoshi; 3 March 1945 – 4 September 2017) was a Japanese cross-country skier. He competed at the 1968 Winter Olympics and the 1972 Winter Olympics.
Eiji Hosoya (細谷 英二, Hosoya Eiji; c. 1945 – 4 November 2012) was a Japanese businessman who served as the chairman of…
Eiji Hosoya (細谷 英二, Hosoya Eiji; c. 1945 – 4 November 2012) was a Japanese businessman who served as the chairman of Resona Holdings, Japan's fifth largest bank by market share, from 2003 until his death in 2012. Hosoya was appointed Chairman of Resona in May 2003, is credited with leading Resona's revitalization in the wake of a 2003 taxpayer-funded bailout from the government for 1.96 trillion yen ($24 billion US dollars). Hosoya graduated from the University of Tokyo in 1968. He joined the staff of the former Japanese National Railways, the state-owned railway network company, after college. The Japanese National Railway is the predecessor of the East Japan Railway Company and the other six members of the Japan Railways Group. Hosoya worked on the privatization of the East Japan Railway Company.
Takashi Yamanouchi (山内孝, Yamanouchi Takashi; 10 January 1945) is a Japanese businessman. Yamanouchi has been the…
Takashi Yamanouchi (山内孝, Yamanouchi Takashi; 10 January 1945) is a Japanese businessman. Yamanouchi has been the chairman of Mazda. Yamanouchi previously served as President, Representative Director, and chief executive officer until 2013, he was replaced by Masamichi Kogai. Already perceived as the company's driving automobile, some time, Takashi has form becoming the first man to serve on its board. In 2012, he was named in Time 100, an annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world assembled by Time..
Takeo Fukui (福井 威夫, Fukui Takeo; born November 28, 1944) is the former president and CEO of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. He is…
Takeo Fukui (福井 威夫, Fukui Takeo; born November 28, 1944) is the former president and CEO of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. He is from Tokyo, Japan, though his mother gave birth to him in Hiroshima to escape intensifying air raids during World War II. He graduated from Waseda University with a bachelor's degree in Applied Chemistry. He began working at Honda in April 1969.
Takashi Inoue (井之上 喬, Inoue Takashi; born 20 November 1944) is a public relations practitioner, scholar, and theorist.…
Takashi Inoue (井之上 喬, Inoue Takashi; born 20 November 1944) is a public relations practitioner, scholar, and theorist. His theories include the "three forces of hyper-globalization", the "Self-Correction Model of Public Relations", and the "Japan model". He was the first to teach public relations courses at a major university in post-war Japan and is the Chairman and CEO of Inoue Public Relations, which he founded in 1970. He is a visiting professor at the Graduate School of Management, Kyoto University and at Kobe Institute of Computing. He was quoted in foreign press reports on the East Japan Earthquake and the 2018 arrest in Japan of Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn. He has written about modern Japan's lack of PR skills and has described the resulting "Deficiency of Japanese diplomacy", and in 2010 he wrote that corporate Japan's scandals have created "A culture of apologies: Communicating crises in Japan"
Yoshiaki Harada (原田 義昭, Harada Yoshiaki; born 1 October 1944) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party…
Yoshiaki Harada (原田 義昭, Harada Yoshiaki; born 1 October 1944) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). Harada represents the 2nd District of Kanagawa prefecture, which includes the cities of Kawasaki, Yokosuka, and Kamakura.
Shigenobu Nagamori (born 1944) is a Japanese billionaire businessman, and the chairman and CEO of Nidec, the world's…
Shigenobu Nagamori (born 1944) is a Japanese billionaire businessman, and the chairman and CEO of Nidec, the world's largest manufacturer of micromotors for hard disks and optical drives.
Tsuneharu Takeda (竹田 恒治, Takeda Tsuneharu; born August 3, 1944) is a Japanese diplomat, and former imperial prince. He…
Tsuneharu Takeda (竹田 恒治, Takeda Tsuneharu; born August 3, 1944) is a Japanese diplomat, and former imperial prince. He was born in Shinkyo, then the capital of Manchukuo.
Masataka Shimizu (清水 政孝, Shimizu Masataka; born June 23, 1944) is a director of Fuji Oil Company, and was the president…
Masataka Shimizu (清水 政孝, Shimizu Masataka; born June 23, 1944) is a director of Fuji Oil Company, and was the president and chief executive officer of Japanese electric utility Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) from 2008 to 2011. He was also a vice-chairman of Keidanren, the employers' federation of the companies of Japan, until he stepped down after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. On July 25, 2012, he became an outside director of Fuji Oil.
Kenji Otsubo (Japanese: 大坪 賢次, Hepburn: Kenji Otsubo; born May 25, 1944) is a Japanese businessman.
Kakutaro Kitashiro (北城 恪太郎, Kitashiro Kakutaro; born April 21, 1944) is a Japanese systems engineer and business…
Kakutaro Kitashiro (北城 恪太郎, Kitashiro Kakutaro; born April 21, 1944) is a Japanese systems engineer and business executive. He was the president of IBM Japan, Ltd., IBM's Japanese subsidiary, in 1993–1999, and of IBM Asia Pacific Corporation in 1999–2003, and contributed to the development of the IT business in Japan and Asia-Pacific. He was also the chairperson of Japan Association of Corporate Executives in 2003–2006, and the chair of the Board of Trustees of International Christian University, Tokyo, in 2010–2019. He earned a BS degree from Keio University in 1967 and an MS degree from the University of California at Berkeley in 1972.
Kunishige Kamamoto (釜本 邦茂, Kamamoto Kunishige; 15 April 1944 – 10 August 2025) was a Japanese football player, manager…
Kunishige Kamamoto (釜本 邦茂, Kamamoto Kunishige; 15 April 1944 – 10 August 2025) was a Japanese football player, manager, and politician. He won the bronze medal with the Japan national team at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, finishing as the tournament's top scorer with seven goals, and is the all-time leading goalscorer for Japan. Kamamoto served as the Vice-President of the Japan Football Association from July 1998 to July 2008. In 2005, he was inducted in the Japan Football Hall of Fame. He also served as a member of the House of Councillors between 1995 and 2001.
Yasumasa Furo (不老 安正, Furō Yasumasa; born 26 January 1944) is a Japanese sport shooter who competed in the 1988 Summer…
Yasumasa Furo (不老 安正, Furō Yasumasa; born 26 January 1944) is a Japanese sport shooter who competed in the 1988 Summer Olympics.
Makiko Tanaka (田中 眞紀子, Tanaka Makiko; born on 14 January 1944) is a Japanese politician. She is the daughter of former…
Makiko Tanaka (田中 眞紀子, Tanaka Makiko; born on 14 January 1944) is a Japanese politician. She is the daughter of former Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka and his official wife Hana.
Atsutoshi Nishida (西田 厚聰, Nishida Atsutoshi; 29 December 1943 – 8 December 2017) was a Japanese business executive.
Yasuo Nishiguchi (西口 泰夫, Nishiguchi Yasuo; born 9 October 1943) is a Japanese businessman and former CEO of Kyocera…
Yasuo Nishiguchi (西口 泰夫, Nishiguchi Yasuo; born 9 October 1943) is a Japanese businessman and former CEO of Kyocera Corporation. Originally from Sakai city, Osaka Prefecture, he earned a master's degree from Osaka Kyoiku University in 1972. He began work at Kyocera in 1975. In September 2009, he received his PhD from the Graduate School of Policy and Management, Doshisha University. He is currently a visiting professor at the Graduate School of Business, Doshisha University and part-time lecturer at Kyoto University. He also runs his own business.
Kazuo Tsukuda (佃 和夫, Tsukuda Kazuo) is the chairman of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, one of the core companies of the…
Kazuo Tsukuda (佃 和夫, Tsukuda Kazuo) is the chairman of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, one of the core companies of the Mitsubishi Group. Born in 1943. Tsukuda graduated from the School of Engineering of the University of Tokyo in 1968 with an advanced degree in marine mechanical engineering and joined Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) immediately after graduation. After years with the company he eventually became deputy general manager of Takasago Machinery Works and, later, general manager of Nagoya Machinery Works. Tsukuda became a member of the board of directors of MHI in June 1999. In April 2002 he was appointed a managing director and the general manager for the Global Strategic Planning & Operations Headquarters. In June 2003, Tsukuda became president of MHI. Tsukuda became a director and an advisor of MHI in April 2013 and an advisor of MHI in June 2013.
Masato Sagawa (佐川眞人; born August 3, 1943, in Tokushima, Japan) is a Japanese scientist and entrepreneur, and the…
Masato Sagawa (佐川眞人; born August 3, 1943, in Tokushima, Japan) is a Japanese scientist and entrepreneur, and the inventor of the sintered permanent neodymium magnet (NdFeB). Sagawa was awarded the Japan Prize and IEEE Medal for Environmental and Safety Technologies for his efforts.
Masaru Emoto (Japanese: 江本 勝, Hepburn: Emoto Masaru; July 22, 1943 – October 17, 2014) was a Japanese businessman…
Masaru Emoto (Japanese: 江本 勝, Hepburn: Emoto Masaru; July 22, 1943 – October 17, 2014) was a Japanese businessman, author and pseudoscientist who claimed that human consciousness could affect the molecular structure of water. His 2004 book The Hidden Messages in Water was a New York Times best seller. His ideas had evolved over the years, and his early work revolved around pseudoscientific hypotheses that water could react to positive thoughts and words and that polluted water could be cleaned through prayer and positive visualization. Starting in 1999, Emoto published several volumes of a work entitled Messages from Water, containing photographs of ice crystals and accompanying experiments such as that of the "rice in water 30 day experiment."
Toshirō Mutō (武藤 敏郎, Mutō Toshirō; born July 2, 1943) is the former Deputy Governor of the Bank of Japan.
Toshio Motoya (元谷 外志雄, Motoya Toshio; 3 June 1943 – 11 February 2026) was a Japanese far-right essayist, publisher and…
Toshio Motoya (元谷 外志雄, Motoya Toshio; 3 June 1943 – 11 February 2026) was a Japanese far-right essayist, publisher and real estate businessman. He was the president of APA Group, which includes APA Hotels & Resorts, one of Japan's largest hotel chains. Motoya was a supporter of revisionist historical views aligned with those of Japan's far right.
Tamon Hasegawa (長谷川 大紋, Hasegawa Tamon; born 1943) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member…
Tamon Hasegawa (長谷川 大紋, Hasegawa Tamon; born 1943) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature). He was elected to the House of Councillors for the first time in 2007 after serving in the assembly of Ibaraki Prefecture.
Hirotake Yano (矢野 博丈; April 19, 1943 – February 12, 2024) was a Japanese businessman who was the founder of the Daiso…
Hirotake Yano (矢野 博丈; April 19, 1943 – February 12, 2024) was a Japanese businessman who was the founder of the Daiso discount retail chain.
Sadahiko Hirose (廣瀬 禎彦; born April 4, 1943 in Shimane Prefecture) is the president of Columbia Music Entertainment. He…
Sadahiko Hirose (廣瀬 禎彦; born April 4, 1943 in Shimane Prefecture) is the president of Columbia Music Entertainment. He received both undergraduate and master's degrees from Keio University. Mr. Hirose, who was formerly CEO and President of NetHome, became the CEO of Columbia as of January 1, 2004. Sadahiko Hirose started out his career with IBM in a computer business. He was then engaged in publishing with a venture business named ASCII and later in the video game business with Sega. Not long before accepting the job at Columbia, he had been running a broadband Internet business.
Sadayuki Sakakibara (榊原定征, Sakakibara Sadayuki; born 22 March 1943) is a Japanese businessman who served as chairman of…
Sadayuki Sakakibara (榊原定征, Sakakibara Sadayuki; born 22 March 1943) is a Japanese businessman who served as chairman of Toray Industries from 2010 to 2015 and chairman of the Japan Business Federation from 2014 to 2018. He is currently Commissioner of Nippon Professional Baseball and chairman of the Kansai Electric Power Company.
Katsuto Momii (籾井 勝人, Momii Katsuto; born 4 March 1943) is a Japanese businessman who was elected as NHK's 21st…
Katsuto Momii (籾井 勝人, Momii Katsuto; born 4 March 1943) is a Japanese businessman who was elected as NHK's 21st Director-General on 20 December 2013. He worked for Mitsui & Co. from 1965 until 2005. From 2005 until 2011, he worked as President and representative director of Unisys Japan.
Akiko Nagashima (長嶋亜希子, Akiko Nagashima; née Nishimura; January 5, 1943 – September 18, 2007) was a Japanese…
Akiko Nagashima (長嶋亜希子, Akiko Nagashima; née Nishimura; January 5, 1943 – September 18, 2007) was a Japanese businesswoman and the wife of former Yomiuri Giants star Shigeo Nagashima. She served as the representative director of Nagashima's personal office, Office N Co., Ltd.
Wakio Mitsui (三井 辨雄, Mitsui Wakio; 24 November 1942 – 1 April 2021) was a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party…
Wakio Mitsui (三井 辨雄, Mitsui Wakio; 24 November 1942 – 1 April 2021) was a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Sapporo, Hokkaido and graduate of Showa Pharmaceutical University, he was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 2000 after an unsuccessful run in 1996.
Hisao Katō (加藤 久雄, Katou Hisao) (born November 8, 1942) is a Japanese politician, and the current mayor of the city of…
Hisao Katō (加藤 久雄, Katou Hisao) (born November 8, 1942) is a Japanese politician, and the current mayor of the city of Nagano, the capital of Nagano Prefecture, in central Japan. Katō won his first mayoral election, as an independent, on October 27, 2013, winning 56,424 votes compared to 34,656 for the second-place finisher. On October 29, 2017, Katō was reelected to a second term, winning 69,778 votes. In his second election, he was backed by the LDP, Komeito, and the DP. Katō graduated from Nagano Prefectural Nagano Senior High School in 1961. He then graduated from the Department of Political Economy and Economics at Waseda University in 1965. He worked for several corporations before becoming Chairman of the Nagano Chamber of Commerce and Industry in 2007. In 2009, he became director of Shinano Railway. As mayor, Katō led the city government in providing a one billion yen investment in the University of Nagano, a prefectural university that opened in the city of Nagano in 2018. One of Kato's stated reasons for supporting the prefectural university is to encourage university young people to remain in the prefecture after graduating. Katō, as Mayor of Nagano, and his counterpart in the nearby City of Matsumoto, supported a proposal from the Japan Gerontological Society to redefine the age of senior citizens from 65 years to 75 years or older. Katō stated that senior citizens "have more physical and mental stamina than before".
Rei Kawakubo (川久保 玲, Kawakubo Rei) (born 11 October 1942) is a Japanese fashion designer based in Tokyo and Paris. She…
Rei Kawakubo (川久保 玲, Kawakubo Rei) (born 11 October 1942) is a Japanese fashion designer based in Tokyo and Paris. She is the founder of Comme des Garçons and Dover Street Market. In recognition of the notable design contributions of Kawakubo, an exhibition of her designs entitled Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons, Art of the In-Between opened on 5 May 2017 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan, modeled by Rihanna.
Akio Kanai (金井 昭雄, Kanai Akio) is the CEO of Fuji Optical in Hokkaido, Japan, and the recipient of the 2006 Nansen…
Akio Kanai (金井 昭雄, Kanai Akio) is the CEO of Fuji Optical in Hokkaido, Japan, and the recipient of the 2006 Nansen Refugee Award.
Kazuo Okada (岡田 和生, Okada Kazuo; born 3 October 1942) is a Japanese billionaire businessman and art collector. Okada…
Kazuo Okada (岡田 和生, Okada Kazuo; born 3 October 1942) is a Japanese billionaire businessman and art collector. Okada was formerly an executive at Wynn Resorts, and co-founder and former chairman of the Universal Entertainment Corporation, until his ousting in 2017 after allegations of financial mismanagement.
Tadamasa Goto (後藤 忠政, Gotō Tadamasa; September 16, 1942 – February 8, 2026) was a Japanese yakuza. He was the founding…
Tadamasa Goto (後藤 忠政, Gotō Tadamasa; September 16, 1942 – February 8, 2026) was a Japanese yakuza. He was the founding head of the Goto-gumi, a Fujinomiya-based affiliate of Japan's largest yakuza syndicate, the Yamaguchi-gumi. Goto, who had been convicted at least nine times, was a prominent yakuza and at one point the most powerful crime boss in Tokyo, even being dubbed the "John Gotti of Japan". Goto was once claimed to have been the largest shareholder in Japan Airlines, but this was disputed by stock exchange filings. Goto was barred from entering the United States until 2001, when he got a special visa deal from the FBI for a life-saving liver transplant at a time of pronounced organ scarcity. He allegedly retired from criminal activity in 2008. Nonetheless, the US Treasury department put him on a watchlist in December 2015 and he was still engaged in criminal activities.
Kensei Mizote (溝手 顕正, Mizote Kensei; 13 September 1942 – 14 April 2023) was a Japanese politician of the Liberal…
Kensei Mizote (溝手 顕正, Mizote Kensei; 13 September 1942 – 14 April 2023) was a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature).
Sachio Semmoto (千本 倖生, Senmoto Sachio; born 1942-09-09 in Nara Prefecture) is the current chairman and CEO of eAccess…
Sachio Semmoto (千本 倖生, Senmoto Sachio; born 1942-09-09 in Nara Prefecture) is the current chairman and CEO of eAccess and eMobile, a Japanese telecommunication company. On March 24, 2009, he was also appointed as a director to the Telecom Corporation of New Zealand Limited. Semmoto has also served on the Board of Directors for Softbank and the Sega Corporation. Semmoto received his bachelor's degree from Kyoto University and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Florida.
Eitaro Itoyama (糸山 英太郎, Itoyama Eitarō; born 4 June 1942 in Tokyo, Japan) is one of Japan's wealthiest citizens with a…
Eitaro Itoyama (糸山 英太郎, Itoyama Eitarō; born 4 June 1942 in Tokyo, Japan) is one of Japan's wealthiest citizens with a fortune estimated to exceed $500 million. He is a controversial figure in Japanese political and commercial life. Itoyama has served four terms as a member of the Diet, the Japanese Parliament with nearly twenty years of active involvement in the ruling party, the Liberal Democratic Party. He was a principal figure in a 1974 bribery scandal that resulted in the arrests of more than 90 people, including a senior vice president of Itoyama's company, and Peter Herzog characterized Itoyama as "one of the worst offenders" in having a "cavalier attitude" toward Japanese election laws. In 1989, he was ranked 10th on Forbes' list of the world's richest billionaires, but had fallen off by 1991. Itoyama became the single largest shareholder in Japan Airlines in February 1998 and publicly called for significant changes to management and business structures. He traveled to the United States and began negotiating the sale of JAL hotel properties such as the Ihilani Resort & Spa in Honolulu and the Essex House in New York, despite having no actual authority to do so. JAL management moved to compromise with Itoyama by appointing him Special Adviser to the Chief Executive Officer in exchange for Itoyama's giving up the right to object to management decisions at shareholder meetings. He sold half of his JAL stake on the open market in 2006 after the company failed to pay dividends for two years in a row. He is a best-selling author, with books on political and business subjects, and is the chairman and benefactor of an eponymous educational institution.
Hirotoshi Honda (本田 博俊, Honda Hirotoshi; born 11 April 1942) is a Japanese businessman, engineer and the founder of…
Hirotoshi Honda (本田 博俊, Honda Hirotoshi; born 11 April 1942) is a Japanese businessman, engineer and the founder of Mugen Motorsports. He is the son of Soichiro Honda, founder of the Honda Motor Company.
Hiroyuki Sakai (坂井 宏行, Sakai Hiroyuki; born April 2, 1942) is a French-Japanese chef who specializes in French cuisine.…
Hiroyuki Sakai (坂井 宏行, Sakai Hiroyuki; born April 2, 1942) is a French-Japanese chef who specializes in French cuisine. Sakai is best known as the second, final, and longest-serving Iron Chef French on the Japanese television show Iron Chef, first appearing at the beginning of 1994 (after Yutaka Ishinabe retired) and continuing to appear over the show's nine further seasons. Sakai has the third best winning percentage of the Iron Chefs, trailing only his Iron Chef French predecessor, Yutaka Ishinabe and the first Iron Chef Japanese Rokusaburo Michiba. He was named the "King of Iron Chefs" after emerging victorious from the show's grand finale, a tournament involving all the active Iron Chefs. He went on to defeat the top chef in the world, Alain Passard, in the final Long-Gang Chicken battle. His record on Iron Chef is 70–15–1. His television trademark is a red French chef's costume; he rises into Kitchen Stadium holding a yonashi ("Western Pear") in his hand. He is often described as the "Delacroix of French cuisine" because of the presentation of his dishes. His formidable record in fish challenges led to fans of the show giving him the nickname, "Seafood Sakai".
Katsuhiro Nakagawa (中川 勝弘, Nakagawa Katsuhiro; March 11, 1942 – July 8, 2016) is the former vice chairman of Toyota…
Katsuhiro Nakagawa (中川 勝弘, Nakagawa Katsuhiro; March 11, 1942 – July 8, 2016) is the former vice chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation. Vice-Minister for International Affairs, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in 1997–1998. Former president and CEO Katsuaki Watanabe replaced him as the new vice chairman of the company and Watanabe's spot being replaced by Akio Toyoda. Other corporate position held by Nakagawa: Chairman of Tokio Marine Capital Co., Ltd Auditor of Shochiku Co., Ltd. (2001–2014) Corporate Auditor of Aichi Steel Corp. (2006–present) President and Director of MX Mobiling Co., Ltd. (2008–?) Director of Mikuni Corporation (2013–present)
Seiji Sakaguchi (坂口征二, Sakaguchi Seiji; born February 17, 1942) is a Japanese retired professional wrestler and judoka…
Seiji Sakaguchi (坂口征二, Sakaguchi Seiji; born February 17, 1942) is a Japanese retired professional wrestler and judoka, Sakaguchi holds a 7th dan red and white belt in judo. Sakaguchi was a mainstay of New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and also competed for the World Wide Wrestling Federation and the National Wrestling Alliance. His sons are professional wrestler and mixed martial arts fighter Yukio Sakaguchi and television actor Kenji Sakaguchi. Sakaguchi currently works for New Japan as an advisor.