Noriko Ohara (大原永子, Ōhara Noriko; born December 8, 1943) is a Japanese artistic director and retired ballet dancer. She…Noriko Ohara (大原永子, Ōhara Noriko; born December 8, 1943) is a Japanese artistic director and retired ballet dancer. She was a principal dancer with the Scottish Ballet from 1976 to 1995. Since 2014, she has been the artistic director of the National Ballet of Japan at the New National Theatre, Tokyo. Ohara was awarded an honorary Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1997 and was named to Japan's Order of the Rising Sun in 2014.
Masahiro Doi (土井 正博, Doi Masahiro) (born December 8, 1943) is a Japanese former professional baseball outfielder in…Masahiro Doi (土井 正博, Doi Masahiro) (born December 8, 1943) is a Japanese former professional baseball outfielder in Nippon Professional Baseball. He played for the Kintetsu Buffaloes from 1962 to 1974 and the Taiheiyo Club / Crown Lighter / Seibu Lions from 1975 to 1981. In a career that spanned 20 years, the slugger was selected to 15 All-Star games and was named to the Best Nine Award three times (1967, 1968, 1978). Over four decades after his retirement, Doi ranks 10th all-time in hits in Japanese baseball history with 2,452. He last served as the batting coach for the Chunichi Dragons.
Takehisa Kato (加藤武久, Katō Takehisa; born 8 December 1941) is a former Japanese cyclist. He competed in the team time…Takehisa Kato (加藤武久, Katō Takehisa; born 8 December 1941) is a former Japanese cyclist. He competed in the team time trial at the 1964 Summer Olympics.
Isami Ishii (Japanese: 石井いさみ Ishii Isami; 8 December 1941 – 17 September 2022) was a Japanese manga artist. He was…Isami Ishii (Japanese: 石井いさみ Ishii Isami; 8 December 1941 – 17 September 2022) was a Japanese manga artist. He was mainly known for writing the manga 750 Rider and Kutabare!! Namida-kun.
Tensuiyama Masanori (born 8 December 1940 as Masanori Ikeda) is a former sumo wrestler from Tensui, Kumamoto, Japan. He…Tensuiyama Masanori (born 8 December 1940 as Masanori Ikeda) is a former sumo wrestler from Tensui, Kumamoto, Japan. He made his professional debut in May 1956, and reached the top division in May 1965. His highest rank was maegashira 10. He left the sumo world upon retirement in September 1968.
Kanda Nissho (神田 日勝; 1937–1970) was a Japanese artist and farmer. He is known mostly for his oil paintings. Nissho…Kanda Nissho (神田 日勝; 1937–1970) was a Japanese artist and farmer. He is known mostly for his oil paintings. Nissho Kanda was born in 1937 in the Nerima district of Tokyo. When he was seven, his family moved to the Tokachi district in Hokkaidō to work the farmland there. Raised in the hard, unfamiliar life of a settler’s family, he eventually became a farmer himself. At the same time, he came to put his heart into painting. His powerful works depicting scenes of daily life, each brushstroke imbued with his soul, gradually gained acclaim in the art world. However, in 1970, just when he was beginning to develop new modes of expression, he died of illness at the age of 32. His last painting of a horse was incomplete, with its body half finished. In 1993, Kanda Nissho Memorial Museum of Art was established in Tokachi, Hokkaidō. Kanda’s unfinished last work, Horse serves as the symbol of the museum. Since his death, other works such as Interiors have been in the collection of the Hokkaidō Museum of Modern Art in Sapporo and the Hokkaidō Obihiro Museum of Art in Obihiro.
Shunji Fujimura (藤村 俊二, Fujimura Shunji; December 8, 1934 – January 25, 2017) was a Japanese actor from Kamakura…Shunji Fujimura (藤村 俊二, Fujimura Shunji; December 8, 1934 – January 25, 2017) was a Japanese actor from Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan. He appeared in the second series of Monkey as the horse. He appeared in the Death Note live-action movie as Quillsh Wammy A.K.A. Watari.
Shizuko Sakashita (Japanese: 坂下 千津子, 8 December 1933 – 17 May 1972) was a Japanese gymnast. She competed in seven…Shizuko Sakashita (Japanese: 坂下 千津子, 8 December 1933 – 17 May 1972) was a Japanese gymnast. She competed in seven events at the 1956 Summer Olympics. Sakashita died in 1972 at the age of 38; the cause of death with suicide.
Naoki Sugiura (杉浦直樹, Sugiura Naoki) (8 December 1931 – 21 September 2011) was a Japanese actor. He began his career on…Naoki Sugiura (杉浦直樹, Sugiura Naoki) (8 December 1931 – 21 September 2011) was a Japanese actor. He began his career on stage, beginning his film career in 1957.
Hisato Aikura (相倉久人, 8 December 1931 in Tokyo – 8 July 2015) was a Japanese music critic and jazz presenter. He was…Hisato Aikura (相倉久人, 8 December 1931 in Tokyo – 8 July 2015) was a Japanese music critic and jazz presenter. He was known for critique of musicians such as John Coltrane.
Takafumi Isomura (磯村 隆文, Isomura Takafumi; 8 December 1930 – 26 November 2007) was a Japanese politician. He served as…Takafumi Isomura (磯村 隆文, Isomura Takafumi; 8 December 1930 – 26 November 2007) was a Japanese politician. He served as the former mayor of Osaka from 1995 until 2003 and professor emeritus of Osaka City University.
Kanjūrō Arashi (嵐 寛壽郎, Arashi Kanjūrō; 8 December 1903 – 21 October 1980) was a Japanese film actor. His nickname was…Kanjūrō Arashi (嵐 寛壽郎, Arashi Kanjūrō; 8 December 1903 – 21 October 1980) was a Japanese film actor. His nickname was "Arakan." He is famous for playing the role of Kurama Tengu series. He entered the film industry in 1927 and came to fame playing Kurama Tengu, a character in the Bakumatsu era created by Jirō Osaragi in his novels. In the 1950s he portrayed the Emperor Meiji in several hit films and appeared in yakuza films in the 1960s. He won Mainichi Film Award for Best Supporting Actor award for his role in The Profound Desire of the Gods.
Yonejirō Noguchi (野口 米次郎, Noguchi Yonejirō; December 8, 1875 – July 13, 1947), also known as Yone Noguchi, was a…Yonejirō Noguchi (野口 米次郎, Noguchi Yonejirō; December 8, 1875 – July 13, 1947), also known as Yone Noguchi, was a Japanese writer, poet, essayist and literary critic in both English and Japanese. He was the father of sculptor Isamu Noguchi.
Kumataro Honda (Japanese: 本多 熊太郎) (1874–1948) was a Japanese diplomat. He served as the Japanese ambassador to Germany…Kumataro Honda (Japanese: 本多 熊太郎) (1874–1948) was a Japanese diplomat. He served as the Japanese ambassador to Germany, with inaugural date of February 6, 1924. He later replaced Nobuyuki Abe, serving as the Japanese ambassador in Nanjing from 1940 to 1941 for the Wang Jingwei regime within the Republic of China. He resigned in December 1941 because of health issues and was succeeded by Mamoru Shigemitsu.
Hajime Isogai (磯貝 一, Isogai Hajime; October 26, 1871 – April 19, 1947) was an early student of judo and the second…Hajime Isogai (磯貝 一, Isogai Hajime; October 26, 1871 – April 19, 1947) was an early student of judo and the second person to be promoted to 10th dan. He was considered to be a newaza expert, although was also famed by his tachiwaza as well. He was an early promoter of the kosen judo circuit.
Takatoshi Iwamura (8 December 1845 – 4 January 1906) was a Japanese politician who served as governor of Hiroshima…Takatoshi Iwamura (8 December 1845 – 4 January 1906) was a Japanese politician who served as governor of Hiroshima Prefecture from May to July 1898. He was governor of Saga Prefecture (1874), Ehime Prefecture (1874–1880), Ishikawa Prefecture (1883–1890), Aichi Prefecture (1890–1892) and Fukuoka Prefecture (1895–1898).
