Koyuki Higashi (東 小雪, Higashi Koyuki; born 1 February 1985) is a Japanese LGBT activist, stage actress and writer. From…Koyuki Higashi (東 小雪, Higashi Koyuki; born 1 February 1985) is a Japanese LGBT activist, stage actress and writer. From 2005 to 2006, she was an otokoyaku member of the Takarazuka Revue Hana-gumi under the name Aura Maki (あうら真輝). In the fall of 2010, she became involved in LGBT issues.
Tsunehira Furuya (古谷 経衡 Furuya Tsunehira; born November 10, 1982 Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan) is a Japanese critic…Tsunehira Furuya (古谷 経衡 Furuya Tsunehira; born November 10, 1982 Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan) is a Japanese critic, writer, and political activist. Since November 2014, he has been the president of the non-profit Koto Video Promotion Agency.
Gen Hoshino (星野 源, Hoshino Gen; born January 28, 1981) (Japanese pronunciation: [hoɕino ɡeɴ]) is a Japanese…Gen Hoshino (星野 源, Hoshino Gen; born January 28, 1981) (Japanese pronunciation: [hoɕino ɡeɴ]) is a Japanese singer-songwriter, musician, actor, and writer.
Hiromi Toshikawa (利川 裕美, Toshikawa Hiromi; born 1976), better known as Hiromix (ヒロミックス, Hiromikkusu), is a Japanese…Hiromi Toshikawa (利川 裕美, Toshikawa Hiromi; born 1976), better known as Hiromix (ヒロミックス, Hiromikkusu), is a Japanese photographer and artist.
Koichi Toyama (Japanese: 外山 恒一, Hepburn: Toyama Kōichi; born July 26, 1970) is a Japanese street musician and a fringe…Koichi Toyama (Japanese: 外山 恒一, Hepburn: Toyama Kōichi; born July 26, 1970) is a Japanese street musician and a fringe political activist who was a candidate for the governor of Tokyo in the year 2007. He was born in Kagoshima Prefecture and lives in Fukuoka. He gained notoriety with his provocative 2007 Tokyo gubernatorial election speech.
Kiyotaka Tsurisaki (釣崎 清隆, born 1966 in Toyama Prefecture) is a Japanese photographer who specializes in photographing…Kiyotaka Tsurisaki (釣崎 清隆, born 1966 in Toyama Prefecture) is a Japanese photographer who specializes in photographing dead bodies. After graduation from Keio University, he worked as an adult video director and became a dead body photographer in 1994. He has taken pictures in Thailand, Colombia, Russia, Palestine, India, Mexico, Ukraine, Japan, Brazil, Philippines, Israel, France and elsewhere.
Hikari Ōta (太田 光, Ōta Hikari; born May 13, 1965) is a Japanese television comedian. He is best known as one half of the…Hikari Ōta (太田 光, Ōta Hikari; born May 13, 1965) is a Japanese television comedian. He is best known as one half of the owarai duo Bakushō Mondai alongside Yūji Tanaka, where he performs the role of boke. He was born in Kamifukuoka, Saitama.
Miki Miura (三浦美紀, Miura Miki), known professionally as Momoko Sakura (さくら ももこ, Sakura Momoko) (May 8, 1965 – August 15…Miki Miura (三浦美紀, Miura Miki), known professionally as Momoko Sakura (さくら ももこ, Sakura Momoko) (May 8, 1965 – August 15, 2018) was a Japanese manga artist and writer. She was best known as the creator of the long-running manga Chibi Maruko-chan.
Chihiro Minato (港 千尋, Minato Chihiro; born 1960) is a Japanese photographer, filmmaker, arts curator and art theorist.…Chihiro Minato (港 千尋, Minato Chihiro; born 1960) is a Japanese photographer, filmmaker, arts curator and art theorist. He is also Professor at the Tama Art University since 1995. In 2000, Minato served as curator of the arts exhibition Serendipity: Photography, Video, Experimental Film and Multimedia Installation from Asia. Among his other major curatorial works is the Japanese Pavilion at the Venezia Biennale (Venice, Italy) in 2007.
Sen Yamanaka (山中泉, Yamanaka Sen; born 7 August 1958) is a Japanese businessman, author, and politician. He is a member…Sen Yamanaka (山中泉, Yamanaka Sen; born 7 August 1958) is a Japanese businessman, author, and politician. He is a member of the House of Councillors, elected in 2025 as a candidate of Sanseito, a right-wing party that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Seiichi Yamamoto (山本 精一, Yamamoto Seiichi; born July 16, 1958) is a Japanese musician. He is the guitarist of…Seiichi Yamamoto (山本 精一, Yamamoto Seiichi; born July 16, 1958) is a Japanese musician. He is the guitarist of psychedelic rock band Rovo as well as a former guitarist for the noise rock band Boredoms, and has also released records as a solo artist. He has also composed the soundtracks to several films, as well as collaborating with various other musicians and bands.
Kaoru Hasuike (蓮池 薫, Hasuike Kaoru; born September 29, 1957) is a Japanese citizen who was abducted by North Korean…Kaoru Hasuike (蓮池 薫, Hasuike Kaoru; born September 29, 1957) is a Japanese citizen who was abducted by North Korean spies along with his girlfriend Yukiko Okudo. They were abducted from their hometown of Kashiwazaki in Niigata prefecture on July 19, 1978. Hasuike was a law student at the time. During their captivity, in May 1980, Hasuike and Okudo were married. They had two children: a daughter, Shigeyo, and a son, Katsuya. On October 15, 2002, the North Korean government allowed Hasuike, Okudo and other victims to leave North Korea to visit Japan. Once there, Hasuike and Okudo decided to remain in Japan and to plead for the release of their children, which was eventually allowed in 2004. After his escape, Hasuike wrote a book, Abduction and My Decision, about his experiences in North Korea. In April 2013, Hasuike was appointed Associate Professor of economics at the Kashiwazaki-based Niigata Sangyo University, where he has taught Japanese and Korean languages since 2008. In addition, Hasuike runs a translation business. His story and that of his brother Toru were adapted for a manga.
Yasuo Baba is a Japanese film director. He has produced programs for Japanese television and has directed six feature…Yasuo Baba is a Japanese film director. He has produced programs for Japanese television and has directed six feature films, including Bubble Fiction: Boom or Bust (2007), which was selected for inclusion in the 31st annual Hong Kong International Film Festival, Messengers (1999), Embrace Me as Many Times as There Are Waves (1991), and Take Me Out to the Snowland (1987).
Yukihiro Takahashi (Japanese: 高橋 幸宏, Hepburn: Takahashi Yukihiro; June 6, 1952 – January 11, 2023) was a Japanese…Yukihiro Takahashi (Japanese: 高橋 幸宏, Hepburn: Takahashi Yukihiro; June 6, 1952 – January 11, 2023) was a Japanese musician, singer, record producer, fashion designer, and actor, who was best known internationally as the drummer, lead vocalist, & co-composer of Yellow Magic Orchestra, as the former drummer of the Sadistic Mika Band, and as the drummer and backing vocalist of the Sadistics. He was also a member of the groups: the Beatniks (with Keiichi Suzuki), Sketch Show (with Haruomi Hosono), & Metafive (with Towa Tei etc.).
Eriko Yamatani (山谷 えり子, Yamatani Eriko; born September 19, 1950) is a Japanese politician. Her name in official…Eriko Yamatani (山谷 えり子, Yamatani Eriko; born September 19, 1950) is a Japanese politician. Her name in official documents is Eriko Ogawa (小川恵里子, Ogawa Eriko).
Takao Ogawa (小川隆夫, born August 7, 1950, in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese novelist, music journalist, music producer…Takao Ogawa (小川隆夫, born August 7, 1950, in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese novelist, music journalist, music producer, composer, guitarist, and orthopedic surgeon. He is known for his work in various music fields, particularly jazz, and as a complete collector of Blue Note. Ogawa learned classical guitar at a young age and formed a band in high school. He later pursued a career in medicine while playing jazz guitar in a band. Over the next forty years, Ogawa has written liner notes for more than 3,000 records and CDs of American/European/Japanese jazz musicians and produced CDs. He interviewed more than 1,000 musicians and related people among whom Miles Davis (1985-1990), Art Blakey (1982-1991), Sonny Rollins (1986-2001), Oscar Peterson (1987), Dexter Gordon (1982-1984), Herbie Hancock (1985-2019), Keith Jarrett (2001), Charlie Watts (1989,1990), Toshiko Akiyoshi (1984-2016), Sadao Watanabe (1985-2021), Terumasa Hino(1983-2021), Alfred Lion (1985,1986), Bob Weinstock (1999), Orrin Keepnews (2000), and Creed Taylor. (2009) Ogawa befriended Miles Davis in 1985 and wrote seven books about him. He has written many articles and books mainly about jazz and formed Selim Slive Elementz, an electric free jazz rock band in 2016, in homage to Miles Davis. In 1992, Ogawa produced albums by Kenny Werner, Dennis Chambers, Marc Copland, the keyboardist Adam Holzman who played with Miles Davis, Bob Mintzer, Curtis Fuller, and other artists at Flatout productions. Ogawa is Director of Orthopedics at Central Clinic in Tokyo, Japan.
Yoshiyuki Kōno (河野 義行, born February 3, 1950) is a survivor of the Matsumoto incident, a sarin attack that killed eight…Yoshiyuki Kōno (河野 義行, born February 3, 1950) is a survivor of the Matsumoto incident, a sarin attack that killed eight people and sickened many more in Matsumoto, Japan, on the evening of June 27, 1994 and the following morning.
Mieko Chikappu (チカップ 美恵子 Chikappu Mieko, also rendered as Chikkap or Cikap Mieko, September 9, 1948 – February 5…Mieko Chikappu (チカップ 美恵子 Chikappu Mieko, also rendered as Chikkap or Cikap Mieko, September 9, 1948 – February 5, 2010), born Mieko Iga (伊賀 美恵子 Iga Mieko), was a Japanese Ainu embroiderer, artist, poet, essayist, and Indigenous activist. "Chikappu" is a rendering of the Ainu language word "cikap" (チカㇷ゚) meaning "bird".
Koji Orita (織田紘二, Orita Kōji, born March 1, 1945) is a Japanese performing arts producer, director, playwright, and…Koji Orita (織田紘二, Orita Kōji, born March 1, 1945) is a Japanese performing arts producer, director, playwright, and author. He spent 43 years at the National Theatre of Japan (now the Japan Arts Council), primarily involved in the production and direction of kabuki. In 2006, he was appointed director of the Japan Arts Council.
Kenichi Ara (阿羅 健一, Ara Kenichi; born February 9, 1944) is a Japanese political commentator and researcher on modern…Kenichi Ara (阿羅 健一, Ara Kenichi; born February 9, 1944) is a Japanese political commentator and researcher on modern history. Until the 1980s, he used the pen name Hideo Hatakenaka. He is associated with the far-right and has participated in a number of organizations to promote far-right causes. Currently he is chairman of the Chūgoku no Kōnichi Kinenkan no Futō na Shashin no Tekkyo o Motomeru Kokumin no Kai, which seeks the removal of "inappropriate photographs" from war museums in China, and is advisor to both the Tamogami Ronbun to Jieikan no Meiyo o Kangaeru Kai, which supports Toshio Tamogami, and the ultranationalist Shuken Kaifuku o Mezasu Kai. He was born in Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture and is a graduate of Sendai Niko High School and the Faculty of Literature at Tohoku University. He worked at King Records from the spring of 1966 but retired around the age of 40.
Sōiku Shigematsu (重松 宗育, Shigematsu Sōiku; born October 13, 1943) is a Japanese priest of Myoshin-ji branch of Rinzai…Sōiku Shigematsu (重松 宗育, Shigematsu Sōiku; born October 13, 1943) is a Japanese priest of Myoshin-ji branch of Rinzai School of Zen Buddhism, abbot of Shōgen-ji Temple in Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka, author and translator of books and essays on Zen that were instrumental in spreading interest in Zen literary tradition to the West in the latter half of the 20th century. Shigematsu taught English literature at Shizuoka University also visiting the United States on several occasions, most notably in 1985-6 as a Fulbright scholar. He won the Jerome J. Shestack Poetry Prize from The American Poetry Review in 1987.
Masami Uno (宇野 正美, Uno Masami; born 1942) is a Japanese writer. Many of his works have been described as antisemitic…Masami Uno (宇野 正美, Uno Masami; born 1942) is a Japanese writer. Many of his works have been described as antisemitic, and related to Holocaust denial.
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.
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.
Yuko Tojo (東條 由布子, Tōjō Yūko; 20 May 1939 – 13 February 2013) was a Japanese ultra-nationalist politician, Imperial…Yuko Tojo (東條 由布子, Tōjō Yūko; 20 May 1939 – 13 February 2013) was a Japanese ultra-nationalist politician, Imperial Japanese apologist, and brief political aspirant. She was the granddaughter of convicted war criminal Hideki Tojo.
Keiko Kishi (岸 惠子, Kishi Keiko; 11 August 1932 – 7 August 2026) was a Japanese actress, writer and UNFPA Goodwill…Keiko Kishi (岸 惠子, Kishi Keiko; 11 August 1932 – 7 August 2026) was a Japanese actress, writer and UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador. She was a Japan Academy Film Prize winner, out of three total nominations.
Nagisa Ōshima (大島 渚, Ōshima Nagisa; March 31, 1932 – January 15, 2013) was a Japanese film director, writer, and…Nagisa Ōshima (大島 渚, Ōshima Nagisa; March 31, 1932 – January 15, 2013) was a Japanese film director, writer, and left-wing activist who is best known for his fiction films, of which he directed 23 features in a career spanning from 1959 to 1999. He is regarded as one of the greatest Japanese directors of all time, and as one of the most important figures of the Japanese New Wave (Nūberu bāgu), alongside Shōhei Imamura. His film style was bold, innovative and provocative. Common themes in his work include youthful rebellion, class and racial discrimination and taboo sexuality. His first major film was his second feature, Cruel Story of Youth (1960), one of the first Japanese New Wave films, a youth-oriented film with an earnest portrayal of the sexual lives and criminal activities of its young protagonists. He came to greater international renown after Death By Hanging (1968), a film on the theme of capital punishment and anti-Korean sentiment, was shown at the Cannes Film Festival in 1968. His most controversial film is In the Realm of the Senses (1976), a sexually explicit film set in 1930s Japan.
Kenzō Okuzaki (Japanese: 奥崎 謙三, Hepburn: Okuzaki Kenzō; 1 February 1920 – 16 June 2005) was a former Imperial Japanese…Kenzō Okuzaki (Japanese: 奥崎 謙三, Hepburn: Okuzaki Kenzō; 1 February 1920 – 16 June 2005) was a former Imperial Japanese Army soldier, writer, actor, anti-monarchist and anarchist. He was known for an attempted assault on Emperor Shōwa, and his starring role in the documentary The Emperor's Naked Army Marches On (1987).
Shiro Azuma (東 史郎, Azuma Shirō; April 27, 1912 – January 3, 2006) was a Japanese soldier who openly admitted his…Shiro Azuma (東 史郎, Azuma Shirō; April 27, 1912 – January 3, 2006) was a Japanese soldier who openly admitted his participation in Japanese war crimes against the Chinese during World War II. He was one of the few former soldiers of the Empire of Japan to admit to his participation in the 1937 Nanjing Massacre. After his confession, he visited China seven times to apologize and help Chinese scholars find more evidence of the Japanese soldiers' brutality. He prepared an eighth trip to Nanjing but died of cancer on January 3, 2006 in Kyoto.
Masaaki Tanaka (田中 正明, Tanaka Masaaki) (February 11, 1911 – January 8, 2006) was a Japanese author notable for his book…Masaaki Tanaka (田中 正明, Tanaka Masaaki) (February 11, 1911 – January 8, 2006) was a Japanese author notable for his book What Really Happened in Nanking: The Refutation of a Common Myth, which denies that the Nanjing Massacre as traditionally understood took place. Originally written in Japanese in 1987, an English version was published in 2000 in response to Iris Chang's book, The Rape of Nanking.
Kaii Higashiyama (東山 魁夷, Higashiyama Kaii; July 8, 1908 – May 6, 1999) was a Japanese writer and artist particularly…Kaii Higashiyama (東山 魁夷, Higashiyama Kaii; July 8, 1908 – May 6, 1999) was a Japanese writer and artist particularly renowned for his Nihonga style paintings. As one of the most popular artists in post-war Japan, Higashiyama was awarded the Japan Art Academy Prize in 1956 and the Order of Culture in 1969.
Ayame Mizushima (水島 あやめ, Mizushima Ayame; 17 June 1903 – 31 December 1990) was a Japanese novelist and screenwriter…Ayame Mizushima (水島 あやめ, Mizushima Ayame; 17 June 1903 – 31 December 1990) was a Japanese novelist and screenwriter, commonly referred to as the first woman to have received on screen credit in Japan.
Hideji Hōjō (北条 秀司, Hōjō Hideji; November 7, 1902 – May 19, 1996) was the pen name of a Japanese author, novelist, and…Hideji Hōjō (北条 秀司, Hōjō Hideji; November 7, 1902 – May 19, 1996) was the pen name of a Japanese author, novelist, and playwright in Shōwa period Japan. His real name was Iino Hideji (飯野 秀二).
Kōnosuke Matsushita (松下 幸之助, Matsushita Kōnosuke; 27 November 1894 – 27 April 1989) was a Japanese industrialist who…Kōnosuke Matsushita (松下 幸之助, Matsushita Kōnosuke; 27 November 1894 – 27 April 1989) was a Japanese industrialist who founded Panasonic, the largest Japanese consumer electronics company. Matsushita is referred to as the "God of Management" in Japan.
Takakura Teru (Japanese: 高倉 輝, Hepburn: Takakura Teru; born Takakura Terutaka, Japanese: 高倉 輝豊; 14 April 1891 – 2 April…Takakura Teru (Japanese: 高倉 輝, Hepburn: Takakura Teru; born Takakura Terutaka, Japanese: 高倉 輝豊; 14 April 1891 – 2 April 1986) was a Japanese novelist, playwright, politician and central committee member of the Japanese Communist Party from 1950 to 1951. Takakura graduated from Kyoto Imperial University and was a left-wing thinker of the Kyoto School. He was arrested several times under the Public Security Preservation Laws prior to the Allied occupation of Japan. In 1945 he fled parole to attend a funeral and was arrested along with Miki Kiyoshi, who he had gone to for clothes and money. This would inevitably lead to Miki's death in prison. Takakura however, following his release at the hands of the Allied Occupation, went on to become a politician for the Japanese Communist Party in 1946.
Kiichi Matsuda (松田 喜一, Matsuda Kiichi; December 1, 1887 – July 30, 1968) was a Japanese professor of agriculture who…Kiichi Matsuda (松田 喜一, Matsuda Kiichi; December 1, 1887 – July 30, 1968) was a Japanese professor of agriculture who lived in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto, during the Taishō and Shōwa periods. Over 48 years, he taught farming techniques to 3,600 students at Matsuda Farm, his private school, and forty thousand people attended his lectures during that time.
Sakai Toshihiko (堺 利彦; November 25, 1871 – January 23, 1933) was a Japanese socialist. He advocated opposition to the…Sakai Toshihiko (堺 利彦; November 25, 1871 – January 23, 1933) was a Japanese socialist. He advocated opposition to the Russo-Japanese War, founded the Heiminsha and published the newspaper Heimin Shimbun. He formed the Japan Socialist Party and the Japanese Communist Party, and became the first general secretary of the Japanese Communist Party. His pen name is Saka Kosen (堺枯川). He is also known for his translation with Kōtoku Shūsui.