Eri Kawai (河井 英里, Kawai Eri; May 8, 1965 – August 4, 2008) was a Japanese singer from Tokyo, Japan. She graduated from…Eri Kawai (河井 英里, Kawai Eri; May 8, 1965 – August 4, 2008) was a Japanese singer from Tokyo, Japan. She graduated from the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music and both composed and sang not only classic but also pop and world music. She was also friends with well-known video game composer Yasunori Mitsuda and had collaborated with him on some of his works. She died on August 4, 2008, at age 43 after being hospitalized as the result of liver cancer.
Akira Taue (田上 明, Taue Akira; born May 8, 1961) is a Japanese retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his…Akira Taue (田上 明, Taue Akira; born May 8, 1961) is a Japanese retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his runs in All Japan Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling Noah, where he worked for all of his career in both promotions. A former sumo wrestler who went under the name Tamakirin Yasumasa (玉麒麟 安正, Tamakirin Yasumasa), he retired from sumo to make his debut in pro-wrestling, where he went under his real name. He is a former Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion, a former GHC Heavyweight Champion. He is one-half of the Holy Demon Army (聖鬼軍, Sei Ki Gun), alongside Toshiaki Kawada, where they won six World Tag Team Championships and two World's Strongest Tag Determination Leagues. In 1993, he was officially dubbed as one of the members of the Four Heavenly Kings (プロレスの四天王, Puroresu no shiten'nō; also called the Four Pillars of Heaven) of AJPW, alongside Kawada, Mitsuharu Misawa, and Kenta Kobashi.
Meiko Obara (小原 明子, Obara Meiko), known publicly as Meiko Nakahara (中原 めいこ, Nakahara Meiko), (born May 8, 1959), is a…Meiko Obara (小原 明子, Obara Meiko), known publicly as Meiko Nakahara (中原 めいこ, Nakahara Meiko), (born May 8, 1959), is a Japanese former singer and composer. Active from 1982 to 1992, she was known for her music in the city pop genre. She also created the opening and closing songs for the Dirty Pair and Kimagure Orange Road anime television series.
Rino Katase (かたせ梨乃, Katase Rino; born 8 May 1957) is a Japanese actress. She won the Award for Best Supporting Actress…Rino Katase (かたせ梨乃, Katase Rino; born 8 May 1957) is a Japanese actress. She won the Award for Best Supporting Actress at the 11th Japan Academy Prize for Yakuza Wives II and Yoshiwara Enjō.
Tadashi Yamashina (born 8 May 1951) is the former Team Principal of the Toyota Racing Formula One team, responsible for…Tadashi Yamashina (born 8 May 1951) is the former Team Principal of the Toyota Racing Formula One team, responsible for conducting Toyota's Formula One operations, having taken over from Tsutomu Tomita in June 2007.
Tsutomu Yamazaki 山崎 力 (May 8, 1947 – June 2, 2021) was a Japanese politician. He was a member of the House of…Tsutomu Yamazaki 山崎 力 (May 8, 1947 – June 2, 2021) was a Japanese politician. He was a member of the House of Councillors from 1995 until 2007 and again from 2010 until 2016. Yamazaki was born in Aomori, Japan. Yamazaki died from COVID-19 at a hospital in Aomori on June 2, 2021, at age 74.
Katsuhiko Sugita (杉田 勝彦, Sugita Katsuhiko; born 8 May 1946) is a Japanese basketball player. He competed in the men's…Katsuhiko Sugita (杉田 勝彦, Sugita Katsuhiko; born 8 May 1946) is a Japanese basketball player. He competed in the men's tournament at the 1972 Summer Olympics.
Genjirō Kaneko (金子 原二郎, Kaneko Genjirō; born 8 May 1944) is a Japanese politician and member of the Liberal Democratic…Genjirō Kaneko (金子 原二郎, Kaneko Genjirō; born 8 May 1944) is a Japanese politician and member of the Liberal Democratic Party. Kaneko served as Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries from October 2021 to August 2022. He has also represented the Nagasaki At-large district in the House of Councillors since his election in the July 2010 Councillors election. Kaneko is a native of Ikitsuki, Nagasaki and graduate of Keio University.
Tsuneyuki Mitamura (三田村 統之), known as Toji Mitamura (May 8, 1944 – September 16, 2026), was a Japanese politician. He…Tsuneyuki Mitamura (三田村 統之), known as Toji Mitamura (May 8, 1944 – September 16, 2026), was a Japanese politician. He served five terms as a member of the Fukuoka Prefectural Assembly from 1991 until 2008, including a tenure as Vice Speaker of the Fukuoka Prefectural Assembly from May 2005 to June 2006. Mitamura was then elected Mayor of the city of Yame, Fukuoka Prefecture, for four consecutive terms from November 16, 2008, until November 15, 2024. In 2026, Mitamura was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, 3rd Class, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon, for his service. Mitamura died from complications of cirrhosis at a hospital in Yame city, on September 16, 2026, at the age of 82. He was survived by his wife, Ritsuko. His funeral was held at Koyeksha Ceremony Hall Kourin in Yame on September 19.
Fujio Masuoka (舛岡 富士雄, Masuoka Fujio; born May 8, 1943) is a Japanese engineer, who has worked for Toshiba and Tohoku…Fujio Masuoka (舛岡 富士雄, Masuoka Fujio; born May 8, 1943) is a Japanese engineer, who has worked for Toshiba and Tohoku University, and is currently chief technical officer (CTO) of Unisantis Electronics. He is best known as the inventor of flash memory, including the development of both the NOR flash and NAND flash types in the 1980s. He also invented the first gate-all-around (GAA) MOSFET (GAAFET) transistor, an early non-planar 3D transistor, in 1988.
Norio Niikawa (新川 詔夫, Niikawa Norio; 8 May 1942 – 11 April 2020) was a Japanese physician and medical geneticist who…Norio Niikawa (新川 詔夫, Niikawa Norio; 8 May 1942 – 11 April 2020) was a Japanese physician and medical geneticist who discovered an autosomal dominant disorder, Kabuki syndrome, also known as Niikawa-Kuroki syndrome.
Tadateru Konoe (近衛 忠煇, Konoe Tadateru; 8 May 1939 – 23 May 2026) was a Japanese humanitarian who was president of the…Tadateru Konoe (近衛 忠煇, Konoe Tadateru; 8 May 1939 – 23 May 2026) was a Japanese humanitarian who was president of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). Konoe was the 32nd Head of the Konoe family. President of the Japanese Red Cross Society from 2005, he dedicated his entire professional career to domestic and international Red Cross Red Crescent activities. In 2009 and again in 2013, Konoe was elected President of the IFRC, serving until he was replaced by Francesco Rocca on 6 November 2017.
Keiichirō Akagi (赤木 圭一郎, Akagi Keiichirō), born Chikahiro Akatsuka (赤塚 親弘, Akatsuka Chikahiro) was a Japanese actor.…Keiichirō Akagi (赤木 圭一郎, Akagi Keiichirō), born Chikahiro Akatsuka (赤塚 親弘, Akatsuka Chikahiro) was a Japanese actor. Akagi appeared in over 26 films in his short three-year career. Kenju burai-chō series and The Call of the Foghorn are Akagi's notable films. Akagi was one of the box office hitter of Nikkatsu company alongside Yujiro Ishihara and Akira Kobayashi.
Kazuo Koike (Japanese: 小池 一夫, Hepburn: Koike Kazuo; May 8, 1936 – April 17, 2019) was a Japanese manga writer…Kazuo Koike (Japanese: 小池 一夫, Hepburn: Koike Kazuo; May 8, 1936 – April 17, 2019) was a Japanese manga writer (gensakusha), novelist, screenwriter, lyricist and entrepreneur. He is best known for his violent, artful seinen manga, notably Lone Wolf and Cub (with Goseki Kojima, 1970–6), Lady Snowblood (with Kazuo Kamimura, 1972–3) and Crying Freeman (with Ryoichi Ikegami, 1986–8), which – along with their numerous media adaptations − have been credited for their influence on the international growth of Japanese popular culture.
Takeo Sugiyama (杉山 武雄, Sugiyama Takeo; born 8 May 1933) is a Japanese basketball player. He competed in the men's…Takeo Sugiyama (杉山 武雄, Sugiyama Takeo; born 8 May 1933) is a Japanese basketball player. He competed in the men's tournament at the 1956 Summer Olympics and the 1960 Summer Olympics.
Kazuo Kasahara (笠原 和夫, Kasahara Kazuo; 8 May 1927 – 12 December 2002) was a Japanese screenwriter particularly known…Kazuo Kasahara (笠原 和夫, Kasahara Kazuo; 8 May 1927 – 12 December 2002) was a Japanese screenwriter particularly known for his work in the yakuza film genre. He was born in the Nihonbashi area of Tokyo and dropped out of Nippon University.
Yoshio Sakurauchi (櫻内 義雄, Sakurauchi Yoshio; 8 May 1912 – 5 July 2003) was a Japanese politician and a significant…Yoshio Sakurauchi (櫻内 義雄, Sakurauchi Yoshio; 8 May 1912 – 5 July 2003) was a Japanese politician and a significant member of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). He was speaker of the House of Representatives of which he was a member for 53 years.
Song Jin-woo (Korean: 송진우, 8 May 1889 – 30 December 1945) was a Korean independence activist, journalist, and…Song Jin-woo (Korean: 송진우, 8 May 1889 – 30 December 1945) was a Korean independence activist, journalist, and politician. His art name was Goha (고하; 古下). He was the 3rd, 6th and 8th CEO of the Dong-a Ilbo and the founding leader of the Korea Democratic Party. In 1945, he was assassinated by Han Hyeon-woo, a member of the far-right terrorist group the White Shirts Society.
Cent Chihiro Chittiii (Japanese: セントチヒロ・チッチ, Hepburn: Sento Chihiro Chitchi), also known as Cent (stylized in all caps)…Cent Chihiro Chittiii (Japanese: セントチヒロ・チッチ, Hepburn: Sento Chihiro Chitchi), also known as Cent (stylized in all caps) and Chihiro Katō (加藤千尋), is a Japanese singer, idol and actor. She is a former member of the idol group Bish. She released her debut solo album, Per→cent→age, in August 2023.