Kaito Kawabata (川端 魁人, Kawabata Kaitō, born 17 August 1998) is a Japanese athlete who specializes in the 400 metres. He…Kaito Kawabata (川端 魁人, Kawabata Kaitō, born 17 August 1998) is a Japanese athlete who specializes in the 400 metres. He competed in the men's 4 × 400 metres relay event at the 2020 Summer Olympics, equalling the national record.
Keitaro Kumehara (粂原 圭太郎; born 13 June 1991) is a Japanese author, competitive karuta player, and teacher. He was the…Keitaro Kumehara (粂原 圭太郎; born 13 June 1991) is a Japanese author, competitive karuta player, and teacher. He was the karuta meijin for 2019 to 2021 after taking the title on 5 January 2019 at Omi Jingu. He is a graduate from Kyoto University from the Faculty of Economics and goes on lectures across Japan. He is currently crowdfunding an online English learning tool.
Yutaka Arai (荒井 優, Arai Yutaka; 28 February 1975) is a Japanese politician of the CDP and a member of the House of…Yutaka Arai (荒井 優, Arai Yutaka; 28 February 1975) is a Japanese politician of the CDP and a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet from 2021 to 2026.
Shinzo "Shin" Yamada (born August 9, 1973) is a Japanese former professional American football player who was a…Shinzo "Shin" Yamada (born August 9, 1973) is a Japanese former professional American football player who was a linebacker for the Memphis Maniax of the XFL and the Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europe. He played college football at Kwansei Gakuin University. He also played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the 2003 NFL preseason. Yamada was believed to be the first Japanese person to play professional American football in the United States.
Hiroyuki Yoshiie (義家 弘介, Yoshiie Hiroyuki; born March 31, 1971) is a former Japanese politician of the Liberal…Hiroyuki Yoshiie (義家 弘介, Yoshiie Hiroyuki; born March 31, 1971) is a former Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, who served as a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). He has also held a professorship at Shoin University. A native of Nagano Prefecture and graduate of Meiji Gakuin University, he was elected to his first term in 2012. In 2021, he was the Chairman of the Judicial Affairs Committee.
Fumiko Ishioka (Japanese: 石岡史子; Hepburn: Ishioka Fumiko, born 1970) is a Japanese educator, translator., and Director…Fumiko Ishioka (Japanese: 石岡史子; Hepburn: Ishioka Fumiko, born 1970) is a Japanese educator, translator., and Director of Tokyo Holocaust Education Resource Center(Kokoro).
Taro Yamada (山田 太郎, Yamada Tarō; born May 12, 1967) is a Japanese politician and a member of the House of Councillors…Taro Yamada (山田 太郎, Yamada Tarō; born May 12, 1967) is a Japanese politician and a member of the House of Councillors for the Liberal Democratic Party. He is known as a defender of freedom of expression in manga and anime, and has promoted policies to exempt sexual depictions of fictional characters from legal restrictions. He is an honorary advisor at Association for Freedom of Entertainment Expression. Taro Yamada was born in Ōta, Tokyo, and began his career as a businessman. After becoming a politician as a member of the Diet for the Your Party in 2012, he lost an election. In 2019 he became a member of the House of Councillors for the Liberal Democratic Party. In the first and second Kishida Cabinets, he served as Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Digital Affairs and Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. During his tenure, he pushed for the inclusion of paragraph 3 in Article 14 of the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime to decriminalize manga and anime, and visited Visa headquarters to end financial censorship.
Yuji Shimada (島田 裕二, Shimada Yūji; born November 24, 1966 in Fukuyama, Hiroshima) is a Japanese mixed martial arts and…Yuji Shimada (島田 裕二, Shimada Yūji; born November 24, 1966 in Fukuyama, Hiroshima) is a Japanese mixed martial arts and professional wrestling referee, as well as professional wrestling booker, authority figure and occasional wrestler. He has refereed more than 1,000 contests in major MMA promotions including Pride Fighting Championships, Strikeforce, One, M-1 Global, Dream, Deep, Super Fight League and Rizin Fighting Federation. He was formerly the head referee and head of the rules committee for Icon Sport.
Hiroaki Suga (菅 裕明, born February 21, 1963) is a Japanese biochemist and businessman. He is best known for his work on…Hiroaki Suga (菅 裕明, born February 21, 1963) is a Japanese biochemist and businessman. He is best known for his work on artificial ribozymes (flexizymes) and their application in mRNA display (RaPID, random nonstandard peptide integrated discovery). Suga was awarded the 2023 Wolf Prize in Chemistry, jointly with Chuan He and Jeffery W. Kelly, "for pioneering discoveries that illuminate the functions and pathological dysfunctions of RNA and proteins and for creating strategies to harness the capabilities of these biopolymers in new ways to ameliorate human diseases."
Atsushi Oyagi (大八木淳史, Ōyagi Atsushi) (born August 15, 1961, in Ukyō) is a former rugby union player who played as lock…Atsushi Oyagi (大八木淳史, Ōyagi Atsushi) (born August 15, 1961, in Ukyō) is a former rugby union player who played as lock, rugby commentator, tarento, educator and school corporate president. He is 190 cm tall. He is affiliated to Shochiku Geino.
Masaaki Akaike (赤池 誠章, Akaike Masaaki; born 19 July 1961) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, who…Masaaki Akaike (赤池 誠章, Akaike Masaaki; born 19 July 1961) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, who served as a member of the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature).
Tatsu Aoki (青木 達幸, Aoki Tatsuyuki) (born September 19, 1957) is a multi-instrumentalist trained in traditional Japanese…Tatsu Aoki (青木 達幸, Aoki Tatsuyuki) (born September 19, 1957) is a multi-instrumentalist trained in traditional Japanese music (i.e.: taiko and shamisen), educator and experimental filmmaker. In his career as Chicago's Jazz and creative improvisor, he is mostly known as a long-standing bassist for Fred Anderson and he has also worked with George Freeman, and Von Freeman in the 90s. Aoki also has curious recording projects with Malachi Favors, Roscoe Mitchell, Don Moye, Wu Man, and other internationally renowned artists. Aoki also directs cultural events that promote the history of Japanese artistic traditions and contemporary Asian influences in jazz. As the founder and artistic director of Asian Improv Arts Midwest, he hosts events such as the annual Chicago Asian American Jazz Festival and the Japanese American Service Committee's Tsukasa Taiko Legacy arts residency program.
Satoko Shinohara (born September 3, 1958) is a Japanese architect, architectural educator, and architectural…Satoko Shinohara (born September 3, 1958) is a Japanese architect, architectural educator, and architectural researcher. She became the president of Japan Women's University in 2020. She presides over Spatial Design Studio and is a published author and editor. In a career that has addressed daily life, housing, and relationships, one of Shinohara's key design tenets is that housing is inherently a social space—one that can cultivate relationships among people, place, and the environment.
Makoto Katamine (March 30, 1956 – September 25, 2023) was a Japanese politician and educator. He served two terms as…Makoto Katamine (March 30, 1956 – September 25, 2023) was a Japanese politician and educator. He served two terms as mayor of Iizuka, Fukuoka Prefecture.
Kazuhiko "Kay" Nishi (西 和彦, Nishi Kazuhiko; born February 10, 1956 in Kobe, Japan) is a Japanese businessman and…Kazuhiko "Kay" Nishi (西 和彦, Nishi Kazuhiko; born February 10, 1956 in Kobe, Japan) is a Japanese businessman and personal computer pioneer.
Masato Wakayama (Japanese: 若山 正人, romanized: Wakayama Masato; born November 1955) is a Japanese mathematician…Masato Wakayama (Japanese: 若山 正人, romanized: Wakayama Masato; born November 1955) is a Japanese mathematician specializing in representation theory, number theory, and mathematical physics. He is the Research Principal of the NTT Institute of Fundamental Mathematics, President of ZEN University and Professor Emeritus at Kyushu University. He worked to improve research collaboration in mathematics between academia and industry and the development of mathematics among young people in Japan.
Kuniko Tanioka (谷岡 郁子, Tanioka Kuniko; born 1954) is a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, a member…Kuniko Tanioka (谷岡 郁子, Tanioka Kuniko; born 1954) is a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Osaka Prefecture, she graduated from the University of Toronto in Ontario, Canada and gained a bachelor's degree in developmental biology. She was elected to the House of Councillors for the first time in 2007. She is president of Shigakkan University.
Yasunori Imamura (今村 泰典, Imamura Yasunori; born 19 October 1953 in Sakai, Osaka) is a Japanese lutenist. Imamura has…Yasunori Imamura (今村 泰典, Imamura Yasunori; born 19 October 1953 in Sakai, Osaka) is a Japanese lutenist. Imamura has appeared on more than 150 CDs, both as a soloist and as a member of ensembles. His solo recordings include the complete lute works by Johann Sebastian Bach (two versions : for Naxos in 2018 and for Etcetera in 1991), three volumes of lute sonatas by Silvius Leopold Weiss (for Claves and Capriccio), pièces pour théorbe by Robert de Visée, Spanish music for vihuela from the time of Charles V (Querstand) and the complete lute fantasies by Simone Molinario (Deutsche Harmonia Mundi). His teachers included lute with Eugen Müller-Dombois and Hopkinson Smith at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, where, in 1981, he received his soloist's diploma. In addition, he studied interpretation and basso continuo with Ton Koopman and Johann Sonnleitner and composition with Wolfgang Neininger. Imamura has collaborated with such artists as Cecilia Bartoli, Teresa Berganza, Gérard Lesne, Marc Minkowski, Michael Schneider, Martin Gester, Maurice Steger, Masaaki Suzuki, Alan Curtis and Paul Goodwin. Mr. Imamura is a member of La Stagione Frankfurt, Les Musiciens du Louvre, Camerata Köln, Le Parlement de Musique and Il Complesso Barocco. Imamura created the ensemble "Fons Musicae" in 1997. They have released five recordings - "Airs de cour" (Michel Lambert), and recording dedicated exclusively to works by Giovanni Bononcini, Agostino Steffani, Antonio Caldara, Francesco Gasparini and Barbara Strozzi. These recordings have received awards including "Classica" (France) and "Star of the Month" (Germany). Imamura teaches lute at the Conservatoire National de Région, Strasbourg since 1984. In 1989, he began teaching at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst, Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts. He gives master-classes in Europe and throughout the Far East.
Mikiko Shiroma (城間 幹子, Shiroma Mikiko; born 20 January 1951) is a Ryukyuan politician and former mayor of Naha, the…Mikiko Shiroma (城間 幹子, Shiroma Mikiko; born 20 January 1951) is a Ryukyuan politician and former mayor of Naha, the capital city of Okinawa Prefecture.
Susumu Yanase (簗瀬 進, Yanase Susumu; born 23 April 1950) is a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, a…Susumu Yanase (簗瀬 進, Yanase Susumu; born 23 April 1950) is a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature).
Nozomu Suzuki (Japanese: 鈴木望; 20 April 1949 – 7 June 2024) was a Japanese politician. A member of the Japan Restoration…Nozomu Suzuki (Japanese: 鈴木望; 20 April 1949 – 7 June 2024) was a Japanese politician. A member of the Japan Restoration Party, he served in the House of Representatives from 2012 to 2014. Suzuki died in Hamamatsu on 7 June 2024, at the age of 75.
Keiko Katsukata (born 1947) is an Okinawan researcher. She was a professor at Waseda University, and the former…Keiko Katsukata (born 1947) is an Okinawan researcher. She was a professor at Waseda University, and the former director of the institute for Ryukyuan and Okinawan studies. Katsukata was born in Uruma City in Okinawa Prefecture. Katsukata received the 24th the Okinawa Bunka Kyokai Award (Zenchu Nakahara Award) in 2002. She specializes in Contemporary American Literature, Gender studies, Okinawan Studies and Ethnicity Studies.
Nobuko Iwaki (井脇 ノブ子, Iwaki Nobuko; born 11 February 1946) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party…Nobuko Iwaki (井脇 ノブ子, Iwaki Nobuko; born 11 February 1946) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, was a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature) until 2009. A native of Minamiamabe District, Ōita, she attended Beppu University as an undergraduate and received a master's degree from Takushoku University. She was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 2005 after running unsuccessfully for the House of Councillors in the Diet in 2003.
Yukio Hattori (服部 幸應, Hattori Yukio; 16 December 1945 – 4 October 2024) was a Japanese television personality who was…Yukio Hattori (服部 幸應, Hattori Yukio; 16 December 1945 – 4 October 2024) was a Japanese television personality who was best known as an expert commentator on the television show Iron Chef. Hattori was also the fifth president of the Hattori Nutrition College; the Iron Chef end credits mention that the program is "produced in cooperation with" the College. Hattori received a PhD from Showa University.
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"
Masaharu Udō (Japanese: 有働正治 Udō Masaharu; 28 October 1944 – 19 November 2025) was a Japanese politician. A member of…Masaharu Udō (Japanese: 有働正治 Udō Masaharu; 28 October 1944 – 19 November 2025) was a Japanese politician. A member of the Japanese Communist Party, he served in the House of Councillors from 1992 to 1998. Udō died on 19 November 2025, at the age of 81.
Mitsuo Matayoshi (又吉 光雄, Matayoshi Mitsuo; February 5, 1944 – July 20, 2018), also known as Jesus Matayoshi (又吉 イエス…Mitsuo Matayoshi (又吉 光雄, Matayoshi Mitsuo; February 5, 1944 – July 20, 2018), also known as Jesus Matayoshi (又吉 イエス, Matayoshi Iesu) or The Only God Matayoshi Jesus Christ (唯一神又吉光雄・イエス・キリスト, Yui'itsu-shin Matayoshi Mitsuo Iesu Kirisuto), was a Japanese political activist and perennial candidate. He was the leader and founder of the World Economic Community Party (Sekai Keizai Kyōdōtai-tō (世界経済共同体党)). He was born in Ginowan, Okinawa on February 5, 1944. After graduating from Chuo University in Tokyo in 1968, he moved back to Okinawa and ran a juku, a private school. Matayoshi was trained as a Protestant preacher, and through his religious studies developed a particular concept of Christianity strongly influenced by eschatology. In 1997, he established the World Economic Community Party, a political party based on his conviction that he was God. His concept was both religious and political, a mix of Christian eschatology like Augustine's De civitate Dei ("City of God") and conservative collectivism. He died from kidney cancer on 20 July 2018 in Tokyo, aged 74.
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.
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.
Keizō Takagi (高木 桂蔵, Takagi Keizō; born August 1941) is a Japanese writer, journalist, educator, cultural…Keizō Takagi (高木 桂蔵, Takagi Keizō; born August 1941) is a Japanese writer, journalist, educator, cultural anthropologist, folklorist, and sociologist whose research focuses on expatriate Chinese communities. As Professor of International Relations at Shizuoka Prefectural University, Takagi regularly appeared on TV programs such as Shizuoka Daiichi Television, and served as Assistant Scoutmaster of Shizuoka Scout Group 42.
Kazuo Imanishi (今西 和男, Imanishi Kazuo; January 12, 1941 – April 16, 2026) was a Japanese football player and manager. A…Kazuo Imanishi (今西 和男, Imanishi Kazuo; January 12, 1941 – April 16, 2026) was a Japanese football player and manager. A defender, he played for Toyo Industries and made three appearances for the Japan national team.
Noriaki Kano (狩野紀昭 Kanō Noriaki, pronounced [kanoː noɾiaki]) is a Japanese educator, lecturer, writer, and consultant…Noriaki Kano (狩野紀昭 Kanō Noriaki, pronounced [kanoː noɾiaki]) is a Japanese educator, lecturer, writer, and consultant in the field of quality management. He is the developer of a customer satisfaction model (now known as the Kano model) whose simple ranking scheme distinguishes between essential and differentiating attributes related to concepts of customer quality. He is a professor emeritus of the Tokyo University of Science. He was Visiting Professor at the University of Rome III during the academic year 2010-2011.
Yoritake Matsudaira (松平賴武, Matsudaira Yoritake; born August 17, 1938 in Kagawa, Japan) present chairman of Hongō…Yoritake Matsudaira (松平賴武, Matsudaira Yoritake; born August 17, 1938 in Kagawa, Japan) present chairman of Hongō Gakuen, served as the international commissioner and member of the board of directors of the Scout Association of Japan, as well as a member of the Asia-Pacific Regional Scout Committee and a founding member of the World Buddhist Scout Brotherhood. Matsudaira retired from the post of International Commissioner on reaching the retirement age of 65 in 2003, and presently serves as president (Renmei-chō) of the Kagawa Scout Council. In 2012, Matsudaira was awarded the 337th Bronze Wolf, the only distinction of the World Organization of the Scout Movement, awarded by the World Scout Committee for exceptional services to world Scouting. His father Yorihiro Matsudaira received the award in 1981. Matsudaira, whose namesake was a daimyō of the Edo period, the fourth lord of Takamatsu, is the 14th head of the Matsudaira family. As a Scout, he traveled to Texas and New Mexico in the United States and was a guest on a military base. After graduation from Waseda University, he worked for Toshiba. Now he is the president of Hongō Junior and Senior High School in Tokyo (本郷学園, Hongō Gakuen). One of his hobbies is horseback riding, he is an amateur radio aficionado, and he gives lectures about the advantages of Scouting activities.
Masakata Mukai (Japanese: 向井 正剛, Hepburn: Mukai Masakata, born February 11, 1935) is a Japanese educator and former…Masakata Mukai (Japanese: 向井 正剛, Hepburn: Mukai Masakata, born February 11, 1935) is a Japanese educator and former high school baseball manager. He is the only high school baseball manager from Okayama Prefecture to have won a national championship in either the spring or summer Koshien tournaments. While managing Okayama Higashi Commercial High School, he led the team—featuring ace pitcher Masaji Hiramatsu, also from his hometown—to victory in the Spring Koshien. He was born in Takahashi, Okayama Prefecture.
Yoshiomi Tamai (玉井 義臣, Tamai Yoshiomi; 6 February 1935 – 5 July 2025) was a Japanese activist, philanthropist and…Yoshiomi Tamai (玉井 義臣, Tamai Yoshiomi; 6 February 1935 – 5 July 2025) was a Japanese activist, philanthropist and educator who was the founder and president of Ashinaga and the founder and headmaster of Kokorojuku dormitory.
Emiko Iiyama (Japanese: 飯山恵巳子, born 16 April 1934 in Tokyo)is a Japanese soprano. She was in 1968 a singer in Nikolaus…Emiko Iiyama (Japanese: 飯山恵巳子, born 16 April 1934 in Tokyo)is a Japanese soprano. She was in 1968 a singer in Nikolaus Harnoncourt's recording of Bach's Mass in B minor, pioneering historically informed performances in 1968, singing the second soprano part. She recorded Bach cantatas for solo soprano, conducted by Fritz Werner, including Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen, BWV 51, with Maurice André performing the solo trumpet part. She performed contemporary music in a concert in honour of prize winners of an Austrian composition competition. Conducted by one of them, Erich Urbanner, she sang with bravura ("mit Bravour") Bojidar Dimov's Incantationes I, Kurt Schwertsik's Liebesträume, and Sommerpoesie – Winterpoesie by Günter Kahowez.
Keiko Tanaka-Ikeda (田中-池田 敬子, born Keiko Tanaka; November 11, 1933 – May 13, 2023) was the first Japanese female…Keiko Tanaka-Ikeda (田中-池田 敬子, born Keiko Tanaka; November 11, 1933 – May 13, 2023) was the first Japanese female gymnast to win a world title, which she accomplished on the balance beam in 1954 (by becoming the first Asian female gymnast to win a world gold medal). For 63 years, she remained the only Japanese female gymnast who won a world gold medal - until Mai Murakami won the floor exercise at the 2017 World Championships. Tanaka-Ikeda won seven more medals at the world championships from 1958 to 1966. She also competed at the 1956, 1960, and 1964 Olympics in all artistic gymnastics events and won a team bronze medal in 1964; her best individual achievement was a fourth place on the floor in 1956. In retirement she taught at Japan's Sports Science University and served as director of the Japanese Gymnastics Association. In 2002, she became the first Japanese woman to be inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame. Tanaka-Ikeda died from brain cancer at a nursing home in Kawasaki, Kanagawa, on May 13, 2023, at the age of 89.
Yasuharu Suematsu (末松 安晴, Suematsu Yasuharu; born September 22, 1932) is a Japanese electrical engineer who is…Yasuharu Suematsu (末松 安晴, Suematsu Yasuharu; born September 22, 1932) is a Japanese electrical engineer who is recognised for his contributions to developments in fiber-optic communication technology. His research in the field of electromagnetic radiation concerning dynamic single-mode lasers has also been cited in several academic and technical studies. Suematsu is professor emeritus at the Institute of Science Tokyo.
Kiyoko Tanaka (田中 希代子; February 5, 1932 [Shōwa 7] – February 26, 1996 [Heisei 8]) was a Japanese pianist and teacher.…Kiyoko Tanaka (田中 希代子; February 5, 1932 [Shōwa 7] – February 26, 1996 [Heisei 8]) was a Japanese pianist and teacher. She was the first Japanese musician to take a leading prize at a major international competition, sharing second prize with Ingrid Haebler at the Geneva International Music Competition in 1952. She went on to become the first Japanese prizewinner at both the Long-Thibaud Competition in 1953 and the International Chopin Piano Competition in 1955. Based successively in Paris and Vienna, Tanaka toured Europe, Japan and South America through the 1950s and 1960s. Her career was cut short in her late thirties by the onset of a connective tissue disease, forcing her to withdraw from public performances. Tanaka made her final orchestral appearance in 1968 and her last recital in 1970, at the age of 38. Afterwards, she taught piano in Tokyo by means of a wheelchair. She left very few commercial studio recordings, and her posthumous reputation rests largely on concert and broadcast tapes reissued from the late 1980s onward.
Ikuo Hirayama (平山 郁夫; 15 June 1930 – 2 December 2009) was a Japanese Nihonga painter and educator. Born in Setoda-chō…Ikuo Hirayama (平山 郁夫; 15 June 1930 – 2 December 2009) was a Japanese Nihonga painter and educator. Born in Setoda-chō, Hiroshima Prefecture, he was famous in Japan for Silk Road paintings of dreamy desert landscapes in Iran, Iraq, and China.
Susumu Nakanishi (中西進, Nakanishi Susumu; born 21 August 1929 in Tokyo) is a scholar of Japanese literature…Susumu Nakanishi (中西進, Nakanishi Susumu; born 21 August 1929 in Tokyo) is a scholar of Japanese literature, particularly of the Man'yōshū. He earned his Doctor of Literature degree from the University of Tokyo (UTokyo) in 1962. He is widely believed to have conceived the name of the current era of the official calendar of Japan, Reiwa (令和, 2019-). However, it is a custom not to reveal the conceiver of the name of an era, and he has said, 'Era names are not for secular individuals like Susumu Nakanishi to decide, but are determined by divine inspiration. There is no such person as the inventor of the name "Reiwa"'.
Giuseppe Pittau (20 October 1928 – 26 December 2014) was a Roman Catholic titular archbishop. Born in Villacidro…Giuseppe Pittau (20 October 1928 – 26 December 2014) was a Roman Catholic titular archbishop. Born in Villacidro, Italy, Pittau was ordained to the priesthood for the Society of Jesus on 18 March 1959. He earned a PhD from Harvard University in 1963. On 28 July 1998 Pope John Paul II appointed Pittau titular archbishop of Castro di Sardegna and secretary of the Congregation for Catholic Education and Pittau was ordained on 26 September 1998. He was also rector of Sophia University in Tokyo, and of the Gregorian University in Rome. On 25 November 2003, Pittau retired. Pittau died on Friday 26 December 2014. Before his service in the Congregation for Catholic Education, he had assisted the Jesuit that Pope John Paul II had chosen in the early 1980s, Cardinal Paolo Dezza, S.J., to govern the order following the incapacitation due to a stroke of their then-superior general, Father Pedro Arrupe, S.J. Pope Francis made reference to the services he had rendered in Tokyo and at the Gregorian University, to the Roman Curia, and to the Society of Jesus in the telegram of condolence he sent to the Jesuit superior general, Father Adolfo Nicolas, S.J., upon learning of his death.
Toshio Inamura (稲村 稔夫, Inamura Toshio, 16 August 1928 – 12 March 2000) was a Japanese educator and politician. He…Toshio Inamura (稲村 稔夫, Inamura Toshio, 16 August 1928 – 12 March 2000) was a Japanese educator and politician. He served as a member of the House of Councillors and as mayor of Sanjō in Niigata Prefecture.