Toshihiko Seko (瀬古 利彦, Seko Toshihiko; born July 15, 1956) is a Japanese former long-distance runner. He was a…
Toshihiko Seko (瀬古 利彦, Seko Toshihiko; born July 15, 1956) is a Japanese former long-distance runner. He was a world-class marathon competitor in the 1980s. He represented his native country at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles and the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. Seko's notable marathon wins include Fukuoka Marathon (1978–1980, 1983), Boston Marathon (1981, 1987), London Marathon (1986) and Chicago Marathon (1986). On March 22, 1981, Seko set world records at 25,000 m (1:13:55.8) and 30,000 m (1:29:18.8). The records stood for 30 years until they were broken by Moses Mosop in June 2011. On April 20, 1981, Seko shaved one second off Bill Rodgers's course record at the Boston Marathon. Seko was a coach at the S & B Foods Track Team until the team was disbanded in 2012. He also was a member of the Tokyo 2016 Olympics Advisory Panel. He serves on the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Board of Education from December 21, 2007. He was devoted to the sport above other interests and once remarked "The marathon is my only girlfriend. I give her everything I have."
Famous People Born on July 15
July 15: 80 people
Midori Matsushima (Japanese: 松島 みどり, Hepburn: Matsushima Midori; born 15 July 1956) also known by her legal name Midori…
Midori Matsushima (Japanese: 松島 みどり, Hepburn: Matsushima Midori; born 15 July 1956) also known by her legal name Midori Baba (馬場 みどり, Baba Midori) is a Japanese politician. She served as Japan's Minister of Justice in 2014, later resigning in the same year after an allegation of violating electoral laws by distributing paper fans to voters.
Hatsuyuki Hamada (濱田 初幸, Hamada Hatsuyuki; born 1 July 1955) is a retired Japanese judoka. Hamada is from Tsushima…
Hatsuyuki Hamada (濱田 初幸, Hamada Hatsuyuki; born 1 July 1955) is a retired Japanese judoka. Hamada is from Tsushima, Ehime. He belonged to Ehime Prefectural Police after graduation from Matsuyama University in 1978. Hamada was good at Seoi nage, Kouchi gari and Newaza. He participated Asian Championships held in Jakarta, Indonesia in 1981 and won a gold medal. He also won a gold medal at Pacific Rim Championships in 1983. In 1985, Hamada entered Nippon Sport Science University to be a teacher. After graduation in 1987, he coached judo at high-school in Ehime Prefecture and his old school, Matsuyama University. As of 2010, Hamada has coachede judo at National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Kanoya since 2002.
Yuriko Koike (Japanese: 小池 百合子, Hepburn: Koike Yuriko; born 15 July 1952) is a Japanese politician who has served as…
Yuriko Koike (Japanese: 小池 百合子, Hepburn: Koike Yuriko; born 15 July 1952) is a Japanese politician who has served as the Governor of Tokyo since 2016. Previously, she also served as a member of the House of Councillors from 1992 to 1993, a member of the House of Representatives from 1993 to 2016, Minister of the Environment under Junichiro Koizumi from 2003 to 2006, and Minister of Defense under Shinzo Abe between July and August 2007. Born and raised in Ashiya, a wealthy, small, and popular city near Kobe in Hyōgo Prefecture, Koike graduated from Cairo University in Cairo, Egypt in 1976, and served as a member of the House of Representatives of Japan from 1993 until 2016, when she resigned to run for Governor of Tokyo. Previously, she also served as the Minister of the Environment under Junichiro Koizumi's cabinet from 2003 to 2006 and briefly as Minister of Defense under the first cabinet of Shinzo Abe in between July and August 2007. Koike was elected Governor of Tokyo in 2016, becoming the metropolis' first female governor. Koike was re-elected in 2020 and 2024, winning 59.7% and 42.8% of the popular vote respectively. Considered one of the most high-profile and well-known Japanese politicians, Koike has been frequently mentioned as holding Prime Ministerial ambitions. She ran in the 2008 Liberal Democratic Party leadership election, becoming the first woman to run for the leadership of a major Japanese political party, however she came in third place losing to Tarō Asō. In 2017, Koike left the LDP amid much media attention and launched two parties: the national party, Kibō no Tō (希望の党/Party of Hope) and the regional party Tomin First no Kai (都民ファーストの会/Tokyoites First Party). Kibō no Tō contested the 2017 general election with Koike as a leader, however the party underperformed expectations and mostly disappeared after merging with the Democratic Party for the People in 2018. The same year, Koike stepped down as leader of Tomin First and officially became independent. However, Koike continues to endorse and campaign for Tomin First candidates in Tokyo and the party still makes frequent use of her image and policies. Koike has come under some scrutiny from Japanese liberals and Koreans in both Japan and Korea for her refusal to acknowledge the occurrence of 1923 Kantō Massacre, which mainly targeted ethnic Koreans, as well as her association with groups that are often labeled anti-Korean.
Ren Sato (佐藤 錬, Satō Ren; born 15 July 1951) is a Japanese politician belonging to the Liberal Democratic Party, and a…
Ren Sato (佐藤 錬, Satō Ren; born 15 July 1951) is a Japanese politician belonging to the Liberal Democratic Party, and a former member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature).
Shigekazu Nagata (長田 重一, Nagata Shigekazu; born 1949) is a Japanese biochemist, best known for research on apoptosis…
Shigekazu Nagata (長田 重一, Nagata Shigekazu; born 1949) is a Japanese biochemist, best known for research on apoptosis, the process of programmed cell death occurring in multi-cellular organisms.
Eiki Matayoshi (又吉 栄喜, Matayoshi Eiki; born 15 July 1947) is a contemporary Japanese writer. His novels are always set…
Eiki Matayoshi (又吉 栄喜, Matayoshi Eiki; born 15 July 1947) is a contemporary Japanese writer. His novels are always set in the Okinawa archipelago, and he is considered one of the most important contemporary novelists from Okinawa. One of his earliest novels, Jōji ga shasatsu shita inoshishi (ジョージが射殺した猪 - "The Wild Boar that George Shot"), published in 1978, became very famous for being inspired by a true, controversial story. A soldier of the US occupation forces in Okinawa shot a local man, and during the trial he declared that he mistakenly took him for a wild boar. The US soldier was declared innocent, arousing a big debate among the locals. Matayoshi became known outside Okinawa thanks to the prestigious Akutagawa Prize, which he won in 1995 for his novel Buta no mukui (豚の報い The Pig's Retribution).
Fujio Kobayashi (小林 富士夫, Kobayashi Fujio; born 15 July 1944) is a Japanese professional golfer.
Saburo Kawamoto (川本 三郎, Kawamoto Saburō; born 15 July 1944) is a Japanese film and literary critic, as well as a…
Saburo Kawamoto (川本 三郎, Kawamoto Saburō; born 15 July 1944) is a Japanese film and literary critic, as well as a professor at Rikkyo University. After graduation from the University of Tokyo, he worked for the Asahi Newspaper company before leaving in 1972 to become a critic. He was one critic who helped to discover the talents of Haruki Murakami. He won the Suntory Prize for his book Taishū Genei in 1991, the Yomiuri Literature Award for Kafū and Tokyo in 1997, and the Itō Sei Literature Award for Hakushu Bōkei in 2012. Around 1970 he became close to a student radical when covering him as a journalist. When that student attacked an officer of the Japanese Self-Defence Force in Asaka, Saitama, killing him, Kawamoto was arrested for spoliation of evidence. He was convicted and given a sentence of probation. He was fired from the Asahi Newspaper company. Thereafter, he became a freelance writer. Nobuhiro Yamashita's film, My Back Page, is based on Kawamoto's essay about this affair.
Takenori Kanzaki (神崎 武法, Kanzaki Takenori; born 15 July 1943) is a Japanese politician who served in the House of…
Takenori Kanzaki (神崎 武法, Kanzaki Takenori; born 15 July 1943) is a Japanese politician who served in the House of Representatives as a member of the Komeito Party. He was born in Tianjin, China during the time part of China was under Japanese occupation. A graduate of the University of Tokyo, he was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 1983. From August 1993 to April 1994, he served as Minister of Posts and Telecommunications in Morihiro Hosokawa's cabinet. Kanzaki was the Komeito's leader when the party entered into the coalition in October 1999 with the Liberal Democratic Party which it still maintains to this day. Kanzaki was a noted critic of Prime Minister Yoshirō Mori. Around the time some members of the LDP were voicing opposition to a local referendum which expressed opposition to a proposed dam project along the Yoshino River, Kanzaki insisted that the voters' decision should be respected fully. In 2001, he stated his support for allowing married couples to retain separate surnames. He stepped down as party leader in 2006 and became an advisor instead. Although Komeito suffered a heavy blow in the 2009 general election along with its coalition partner, Kanzaki was able to secure a position in the Diet thanks to the Kyushu PR block results. He retired from the Diet in 2010 due to kidney failure, but remained a permanent advisor to his party.
Takeshi Sasaki (佐々木毅; born July 15, 1942) is a Japanese political scientist who served as the 27th president of the…
Takeshi Sasaki (佐々木毅; born July 15, 1942) is a Japanese political scientist who served as the 27th president of the University of Tokyo. He has served as the chairman of the Japan Academy since 2022.
Kōsei Saitō (斎藤 光正, Saitō Kōsei; 17 July 1932 – 25 November 2012) was a Japanese film director. He is known for…
Kōsei Saitō (斎藤 光正, Saitō Kōsei; 17 July 1932 – 25 November 2012) was a Japanese film director. He is known for directing the film G.I. Samurai.
Toshiya Sukegawa (Japanese: 助川 敏弥, romanized: Sukegawa Toshiya; 15 July 1930 – 26 September 2015) was a Japanese…
Toshiya Sukegawa (Japanese: 助川 敏弥, romanized: Sukegawa Toshiya; 15 July 1930 – 26 September 2015) was a Japanese composer, music critic and magazine editor.
Einosuke Akiya (秋谷 栄之助, Akiya Einosuke; born July 15, 1930) is a Japanese Buddhist leader. He was the fifth president…
Einosuke Akiya (秋谷 栄之助, Akiya Einosuke; born July 15, 1930) is a Japanese Buddhist leader. He was the fifth president of Soka Gakkai from 18 July 1981 to 9 November 2006. After his resignation from that position, he became the chairman of the Supreme Leader Meeting of Soka Gakkai in November 2006. He also had responsibilities in many Soka Gakkai's satellites (supreme advisor of Sōka University, honorary director of Tokyo Fuji Art Museum, and president of Soka Gakkai International (SGI).
Kikuo Arakawa (荒川 規矩男, Arakawa Kikuo; July 15, 1929 – January 23, 2026) was a Japanese medical scientist and internist…
Kikuo Arakawa (荒川 規矩男, Arakawa Kikuo; July 15, 1929 – January 23, 2026) was a Japanese medical scientist and internist specializing in hypertension and cardiovascular medicine. He was a Professor Emeritus at Fukuoka University and the 12th President of the International Society of Hypertension.
Syo Kurokawa (黒川 逍, Kurokawa Shō; July 15, 1926–September 16, 2010) was a renowned Japanese lichenologist and 1994…
Syo Kurokawa (黒川 逍, Kurokawa Shō; July 15, 1926–September 16, 2010) was a renowned Japanese lichenologist and 1994 recipient of the Acharius Medal. He studied under Mason Hale and Yasuhiko Asahina.
Yoshio Inaba (稲葉 義男, Inaba Yoshio; July 15, 1920 – April 20, 1998) was a Japanese actor best known for his role as…
Yoshio Inaba (稲葉 義男, Inaba Yoshio; July 15, 1920 – April 20, 1998) was a Japanese actor best known for his role as Gorobei in Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai. In addition to his career in film, Inaba was also a prolific theater actor and a member of the prestigious Haiyuza Theatre Company. He died of a heart attack at the age of 77.
Tokuro Irie (入江徳郎, Irie Tokurō; July 15, 1913 – September 5, 1989) was a Japanese journalist, newscaster and essayist.
Kosho Uchiyama (内山 興正, Uchiyama Kōshō; 1912 – March 13, 1998) was a Sōtō Zen monk, origami master, and abbot of…
Kosho Uchiyama (内山 興正, Uchiyama Kōshō; 1912 – March 13, 1998) was a Sōtō Zen monk, origami master, and abbot of Antai-ji near Kyoto, Japan. Uchiyama was author of more than twenty books on Zen Buddhism and origami, of which the best known in the Western World are Opening the Hand of Thought: Foundations of Zen Buddhist Practice and How to Cook Your Life: From the Zen Kitchen to Enlightenment.
Satsuo Yamamoto (山本 薩夫, Yamamoto Satsuo; 10 July 1910 – 11 August 1983) was a Japanese film director.
Sanezumi Fujimoto (藤本 真澄, Fujimoto Sanezumi; July 15, 1910 – May 2, 1979) was a Japanese film producer. He served as…
Sanezumi Fujimoto (藤本 真澄, Fujimoto Sanezumi; July 15, 1910 – May 2, 1979) was a Japanese film producer. He served as the head of production for Toho Studios. He was co-producer of Akira Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress. He also produced many other films, including Yasujirō Ozu's The End of Summer, Kihachi Okamoto's The Sword of Doom and Japan's Longest Day and several films directed by Mikio Naruse. After co-producing The Hidden Fortress, Fujimoto had the task as Toho's head of production of convincing Kurosawa to form his own production company. He had to convince Kurosawa that his own production company would be to his advantage, even though the main reason Toho wanted Kurosawa to form his own production company was to avoid the risk of cost overruns as had happened on The Hidden Fortress. Fujimoto then became a board member of Kurosawa Productions.
Michiko Tanaka (田中 路子, Tanaka Michiko; July 15, 1909 – May 18, 1988) was a Japanese singer and actress.
Hideo Noda (野田 英夫, Noda Hideo; July 15, 1908 – January 12, 1939), also known as Hideo Benjamin Noda and Benjamin Hideo…
Hideo Noda (野田 英夫, Noda Hideo; July 15, 1908 – January 12, 1939), also known as Hideo Benjamin Noda and Benjamin Hideo Noda, was a Japanese-American modernist painter and muralist, member of the Shinseisakuha movement in Japan, student of Arnold Blanch, and uncle of Japanese printmaker Tetsuya Noda, as well as alleged communist spy recruited by Whittaker Chambers.
Shōshin Nagamine (長嶺 将真, Nagamine Shōshin; 15 July 1907 – 2 November 1997) was an Okinawa karate master as well as a…
Shōshin Nagamine (長嶺 将真, Nagamine Shōshin; 15 July 1907 – 2 November 1997) was an Okinawa karate master as well as a soldier, police superintendent, assemblyman of Naha City between 1953 and 1957, play director and author.
Kunio Itō (Japanese: 伊藤圀夫, Hepburn: Itō Kunio; 15 September 1904 – 21 December 1994), known by the stage name Koreya…
Kunio Itō (Japanese: 伊藤圀夫, Hepburn: Itō Kunio; 15 September 1904 – 21 December 1994), known by the stage name Koreya Senda (千田是也, Senda Koreya), was a Japanese theatre director, playwright, translator, and actor. He is known for founding the Haiyuza Theatre Company, and translating and directing the works of Bertolt Brecht in post-World War II Japan. He appeared in more than 50 films between 1936 and 1970.
Teiso Esaki (江崎 梯三, Esaki Teizō; 15 July 1899 – 14 December 1957) was a Japanese entomologist. He authored numerous…
Teiso Esaki (江崎 梯三, Esaki Teizō; 15 July 1899 – 14 December 1957) was a Japanese entomologist. He authored numerous texts and was one of the founders of entomology in Japan, responsible for training a generation of Japanese entomologists, and founding the journal Zephyrus. He published numerous papers on the insects of Micronesia and was especially interested in aquatic insects and erected the family Helotrephidae along with W.E. China. Esaki was born in Tokyo and grew up in Osaka. He went to Seventh Higher School Zoshikan (now Kagoshima University) and went to Tokyo Imperial University (now University of Tokyo) in 1920 and received a Ph.D. in 1930. He worked extensively on the heteroptera and focused on the Micronesian region. From 1923 he taught at the College of Agriculture, Kyushu Imperial University, Fukuoka. He left the next year and lived in Europe for about four and half years during which time he learned to speak German, Hungarian, Italian, French and Esperanto. He worked with Geza Horvath on hemiptera at Budapest; in 1926, he worked at the Zoological Museum of Academy of Sciences of USSR in Leningrad. He married Charlotte Johanna Hermine Witte in Germany in 1928. They moved back to Japan in 1929 and he became a professor of entomology in 1930 at Kyushu University. In 1936 he became director of the Hikosan Biological Laboratory, established by baron Takachiho Nobumaro. His major contribution to entomology was the series Insects of Micronesia. He also founded the Japanese journal Zephyrus. A journal named Esakia was established in his name.
Tadao Watanabe (渡辺 忠雄, Watanabe Tadao; 15 July 1898 – 6 May 1980) was a Japanese politician who served as the Mayor of…
Tadao Watanabe (渡辺 忠雄, Watanabe Tadao; 15 July 1898 – 6 May 1980) was a Japanese politician who served as the Mayor of Hiroshima from 1955 to 1959. Watanabe was elected to the House of Representatives in April 1946, but soon after lost his seat due to the purge of Japanese officials by the US occupation authorities. He was able to return to political activity only following the end of the Allied occupation in 1952.
Chiyo Sakakibara (Japanese: 榊原千代; 15 July 1898 – 28 April 1987) was a Japanese journalist, educator and politician. She…
Chiyo Sakakibara (Japanese: 榊原千代; 15 July 1898 – 28 April 1987) was a Japanese journalist, educator and politician. She was one of the first group of women elected to the House of Representatives in 1946. In 1948 she was appointed Deputy Secretary of Justice, also becoming the first woman appointed to a cabinet post.
Nobuko Matsudaira (松平信子, 15 July 1886 – 8 May 1969), also known as Madame Matsudaira, was a Japanese socialite. As the…
Nobuko Matsudaira (松平信子, 15 July 1886 – 8 May 1969), also known as Madame Matsudaira, was a Japanese socialite. As the wife of a Japanese ambassador based in Washington, D.C. and London, she was well known as a political hostess in the West in the 1920s and 1930s.
Kwanichi Terazawa (寺沢 寛一, Terazawa Kan'ichi; July 15, 1882 – February 5, 1969) was a Japanese mathematician and…
Kwanichi Terazawa (寺沢 寛一, Terazawa Kan'ichi; July 15, 1882 – February 5, 1969) was a Japanese mathematician and administrator. Terazawa was born in Yonezawa, graduated from the Imperial University of Tokyo in 1908 following the study of physics, and earned his D.Sc. degree in 1917. His career at the Imperial University of Tokyo lasted from 1918 to his retirement in 1949 where he was professor of physics, while having served as professor at the Aeronautical Research Institute for nineteen of those years. He served as the director of that institution in 1942–1943 and as professor at the Earthquake Research Institute from 1936 to 1942 (and as director in 1938–1942). For the period 1938-1943 he was employed as dean of the Faculty of Science and in 1951 he was received at the Japan Academy.