Akira Kanayama (金山明 Kanayama Akira; 1924–2006) was a Japanese avant-garde artist and an early member of The Gutai Art…Akira Kanayama (金山明 Kanayama Akira; 1924–2006) was a Japanese avant-garde artist and an early member of The Gutai Art Association. An active contributor to Gutai's exhibitions and performance events, Kanayama was one of the pivotal figures of the group. His artworks were characterised by witty experiments with unconventional materials such as toy cars and signal lights for level crossing. He left Gutai in 1965 with Atsuko Tanaka, whom he married later in the same year.
Tetsurō Tamba (Japanese: 丹波 哲郎, Hepburn: Tanba Tetsurō), born Shozaburo Tanba (丹波 正三郎, Tanba Shōzaburō; July 17, 1922 –…Tetsurō Tamba (Japanese: 丹波 哲郎, Hepburn: Tanba Tetsurō), born Shozaburo Tanba (丹波 正三郎, Tanba Shōzaburō; July 17, 1922 – September 24, 2006), was a Japanese actor with a career spanning five decades. He appeared in nearly 300 film and television productions, both in leading and supporting roles, and was the winner of the 1981 Japan Academy Film Prize for Best Supporting Actor. At the height of his career, he was one of Japan's most esteemed and prolific leading men, and worked with many significant directors including Kinji Fukasaku, Shōhei Imamura, Masaki Kobayashi, Masahiro Shinoda and Takashi Miike. Several of his films were identified with the Japanese New Wave movement. He also appeared in several international films, notably as Japanese secret service chief Tiger Tanaka in the 1967 James Bond film You Only Live Twice. Later in his life, Tamba became known for his well-publicized interest in psychic phenomena, publishing several books on the subject and acting as a spokesperson for the Risshō Kōsei Kai new religious movement. He continued acting until 2006, when he died of pneumonia.
Michio Takeyama (竹山 道雄, Takeyama Michio; 17 July 1903 – 15 June 1984) was a Japanese writer, literary critic and…Michio Takeyama (竹山 道雄, Takeyama Michio; 17 July 1903 – 15 June 1984) was a Japanese writer, literary critic and scholar of German literature, active in Shōwa period Japan.
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.
Shomu Nobori (昇 曙夢, Nobori Shomu; 17 July 1878 – 22 November 1958) was the pen-name of a noted translator and educator…Shomu Nobori (昇 曙夢, Nobori Shomu; 17 July 1878 – 22 November 1958) was the pen-name of a noted translator and educator of Russian literature in Taishō and Shōwa period Japan. His real name was Naotaka Nobori (昇 直隆, Nobori Naotaka). He also served as a special advisor to the Japanese cabinet on Russian and Soviet issues.
Mitsutarō Shirai (白井 光太郎; also styled 'Kōtarō' Shirai, 1863-1932) was a Japanese plant pathologist, mycologist, and…Mitsutarō Shirai (白井 光太郎; also styled 'Kōtarō' Shirai, 1863-1932) was a Japanese plant pathologist, mycologist, and herbalist. He was the first president of the Phytopathology Society of Japan and emeritus professor of plant pathology, College of Agriculture, The University of Tokyo. He worked closely together with the German mycologist P. Hennings in the identification of fungi. In commemoration of his contribution, two fungi genera were named after his family name, i.e. Shiraia P. Henn. and Shiraiella Hara and more than a dozen of species were named after him. He also published about 50 fungi species, either by himself or in cooperation with other mycologists. Shirai made great contributions to Japanese mycology and plant pathology at his time. He is also known for his contributions to the history of natural studies in Japan using his private collection of traditional Japanese and Chinese manuscripts and books. His Li Shizhen's Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) is now part of the Omori Collection of the Kyoto Botanical Garden.