Norihiko Akagi (赤城 徳彦, Akagi Norihiko; born 18 April 1959) is a Japanese former politician of the Liberal Democratic…
Norihiko Akagi (赤城 徳彦, Akagi Norihiko; born 18 April 1959) is a Japanese former politician of the Liberal Democratic Party who served as a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Makabe District, Ibaraki and graduate of the University of Tokyo, he worked at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries from 1983 to 1988. He was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 1990. Akagi took office as Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries after the suicide of his predecessor, Toshikatsu Matsuoka, in May 2007. Not even two months after being inaugurated, Akagi found himself indicted in a political funding scandal not entirely different from the one his predecessor had been embroiled in as he was alleged to have registered multi-million yen expenditures on an office which did not exist. Akagi was asked to make receipts official but refused. On 17 July he appeared at a press conference with two adhesive plasters on his face, puzzling reporters but still refusing to make receipts official. Akagi resigned as Minister on 1 August 2007, after the upper house election. Minister of the Environment, Masatoshi Wakabayashi, became concurrent Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and stayed until 27 August 2007, when Shinzō Abe announced a new cabinet. Akagi's virtual successor was Takehiko Endo appointed on 27 August.
Famous People Born on April 18
April 18: 82 people
Junichi Ihara (伊原 純一, Ihara Jun'ichi, born 18 April 1956) is a Japanese diplomat who served as Grand Master of…
Junichi Ihara (伊原 純一, Ihara Jun'ichi, born 18 April 1956) is a Japanese diplomat who served as Grand Master of Ceremonies for the Imperial Household from 2023 to 2026. He previously served as Ambassador to France and as Permanent Representative to the International Organizations in Geneva.
Katsuhito Nakazato (中里 和人, Nakazato Katsuhito; born 1956) is a Japanese photographer of the man-made environment…
Katsuhito Nakazato (中里 和人, Nakazato Katsuhito; born 1956) is a Japanese photographer of the man-made environment, particularly sheds, alleys and night scenes.
Ōzutsu Takeshi (born 18 April 1956 as Takatoshi Matsumoto) is a former sumo wrestler from Mie, Japan. Beginning his…
Ōzutsu Takeshi (born 18 April 1956 as Takatoshi Matsumoto) is a former sumo wrestler from Mie, Japan. Beginning his professional career in May 1971, he was ranked in the top makuuchi division continuously from March 1979 to January 1992, and his record of 1170 consecutive bouts there is the second best in history after Takamiyama. His highest rank was sekiwake. He was runner-up in one tournament and earned ten kinboshi or gold stars for defeating yokozuna. He also won four sanshō or special prizes. He wrestled for Taihō stable and after his retirement in May 1992 he worked there as a coach before leaving the Japan Sumo Association in 2008.
Isshō Fujita (藤田 一照, Fujita Isshō; b. 18 April 1954) was born in Niihama, Ehime, Japan and was head teacher at Valley…
Isshō Fujita (藤田 一照, Fujita Isshō; b. 18 April 1954) was born in Niihama, Ehime, Japan and was head teacher at Valley Zendo, a Sōtō Zen practice center in Charlemont, Massachusetts, USA. Fujita had done studies in child psychology at Tokyo University Graduate School, but abandoned them and became a Zen monk. At the age of twenty-nine, on 8 December, Fujita was ordained a Zen priest, along with Ryōdō Yamashita, by Kōhō Watanabe at Antai-ji temple. In 1987, Fujita assumed the role of abbot at Valley Zendo, where he lived until his return to Japan in 2005. From 2010 to 2018, he was the Director of the Soto Zen International Center.
Haruhiko Kataoka (片岡晴彦, Haruhiko Kataoka; born April 1952) was the 32nd Chief of Staff of the Japan Air Self-Defense…
Haruhiko Kataoka (片岡晴彦, Haruhiko Kataoka; born April 1952) was the 32nd Chief of Staff of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, the de facto air force of Japan.
Fumio Hayashi (林 文夫, Hayashi Fumio; born 18 April 1952) is a Japanese economist. He is a professor at the National…
Fumio Hayashi (林 文夫, Hayashi Fumio; born 18 April 1952) is a Japanese economist. He is a professor at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) in Tokyo. Hayashi received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Tokyo and his PhD from Harvard University in 1980. He has taught at Northwestern University, the University of Tokyo, the University of Tsukuba, Osaka University, the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University, Hitotsubashi University, and the University of Chicago. Hayashi is the author of a standard graduate-level textbook on econometrics (Hayashi 2000). He was a Fellow of the Econometric Society since 1988. He was awarded the inaugural Nakahara Prize in 1995. He was elected as foreign honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2005 and the American Economic Association in 2020.
Tomida Yukimitsu (冨田幸光) (born 1950) is a Japanese vertebrate palaeontologist. A student of Shikama Tokio, he did his…
Tomida Yukimitsu (冨田幸光) (born 1950) is a Japanese vertebrate palaeontologist. A student of Shikama Tokio, he did his graduate work at the University of Arizona under Everett H. Lindsay, with mentorship also from George Gaylord Simpson. The curator of Mammalian Palaeontology at the National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo, from 1981 until his retirement in 2015, he has published on a wide range of terrestrial and marine mammals, dinosaurs, pterosaurs, crocodilians, and bird tracks, with a special focus on smaller mammals — lagomorphs and rodents — and on the fossil record of Japan. His descriptions and studies of Pliopentalagus spp. have shown their closeness to the Amami rabbit (Pentalagus furnessi). Upon his retirement, Tomida was the honorand of a Festschrift in the journal Historical Biology.
Tina Chow (born Bettina Louise Lutz, April 18, 1950 – January 24, 1992) was an American model and jewelry designer who…
Tina Chow (born Bettina Louise Lutz, April 18, 1950 – January 24, 1992) was an American model and jewelry designer who was considered an influential fashion icon of the 1970s and 1980s. She was the second wife of restaurateur Michael Chow, the founder and owner of the Mr Chow restaurant chain.
Takayoshi Taniguchi (谷口 隆義, Taniguchi Takayoshi; born 18 April 1949) is a former Japanese politician who served in the…
Takayoshi Taniguchi (谷口 隆義, Taniguchi Takayoshi; born 18 April 1949) is a former Japanese politician who served in the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature) as a member of the New Komeito Party. A native of Osaka, Osaka and graduate of Osaka Prefecture University he was elected for the first time in 1993.
Jitsuko Yoshimura (吉村実子, Yoshimura Jitsuko; born 18 April 1943) is a Japanese film and television actress. She was…
Jitsuko Yoshimura (吉村実子, Yoshimura Jitsuko; born 18 April 1943) is a Japanese film and television actress. She was discovered by Shōhei Imamura as a newcomer and cast in the film Pigs and Battleships. She went on to appear in films like Imamura's The Insect Woman, Kaneto Shindō's Onibaba, for which she received the Blue Ribbon Award for Best Supporting Actress, and Akira Kurosawa's Dodes'ka-den. She retired from acting in 1970, but returned in 1980 and continues to work to this day. Yoshimura was married to actor Tetsuo Ishidate from 1968 to 1999. Her sister is actress Mari Yoshimura (1935–).
Tadao Onishi (大西 忠生, Ōnishi Tadao; April 18, 1943 – June 29, 2006) was a Japanese football player and manager. He…
Tadao Onishi (大西 忠生, Ōnishi Tadao; April 18, 1943 – June 29, 2006) was a Japanese football player and manager. He played for the Japan national team.
Yasuko Ikenobō (池坊 保子, Ikenobō Yasuko; born 18 April 1942) (née Umetani) is a Japanese politician.
Sōju Nosaka II (二代目 野坂 操壽, Nidaime Nosaka Sōju; May 6, 1938 – August 27, 2019) was a prominent Japanese koto player…
Sōju Nosaka II (二代目 野坂 操壽, Nidaime Nosaka Sōju; May 6, 1938 – August 27, 2019) was a prominent Japanese koto player, specializing in contemporary music. Her real name was Keiko Nosaka (野坂 恵子, Nosaka Keiko).
Masatoshi Naitō (内藤 正敏, Naitō Masatoshi; 18 April 1938 – 9 July 2025) was a Japanese photographer. His work is held in…
Masatoshi Naitō (内藤 正敏, Naitō Masatoshi; 18 April 1938 – 9 July 2025) was a Japanese photographer. His work is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Keiko Abe (安倍 圭子, Abe Keiko; born April 18, 1937) is a Japanese composer and marimba player. She has been a primary…
Keiko Abe (安倍 圭子, Abe Keiko; born April 18, 1937) is a Japanese composer and marimba player. She has been a primary figure in the development of the marimba, in terms of expanding both technique and repertoire, and through her collaboration with the Yamaha Corporation, developed the modern five-octave concert marimba.
Shoji Hashimoto (橋本 昌二, Hashimoto Shōji; April 18, 1935 – December 2, 2009) was a professional Go player.
Nobuo Kawai (川合伸旺, Kawai Nobuo; 18 April 1932 – 24 June 2006) was a Japanese actor. He is most famous for playing…
Nobuo Kawai (川合伸旺, Kawai Nobuo; 18 April 1932 – 24 June 2006) was a Japanese actor. He is most famous for playing villains and appeared in many jidaigeki and detective television dramas as a guest. He was a member of Yukio Mishima's Roman Gekijo Theatre Company. He died of cerebral infarction at the age of 74.
Mikio Sato (Japanese: 佐藤 幹夫, Hepburn: Satō Mikio; 18 April 1928 – 9 January 2023) was a Japanese mathematician known…
Mikio Sato (Japanese: 佐藤 幹夫, Hepburn: Satō Mikio; 18 April 1928 – 9 January 2023) was a Japanese mathematician known for founding the fields of algebraic analysis, hyperfunctions, and holonomic quantum fields. He was a professor at the Research Institute for Mathematical Sciences in Kyoto.
Mikio Sato (Japanese: 佐藤 幹夫, Hepburn: Satō Mikio; 18 April 1928 – 9 January 2023) was a Japanese mathematician known…
Mikio Sato (Japanese: 佐藤 幹夫, Hepburn: Satō Mikio; 18 April 1928 – 9 January 2023) was a Japanese mathematician known for founding the fields of algebraic analysis, hyperfunctions, and holonomic quantum fields. He was a professor at the Research Institute for Mathematical Sciences in Kyoto.
Shozo Awazu (粟津 正蔵, Awazu Shōzō; April 18, 1923 – March 17, 2016) was a Japanese master of judo who achieved the rank…
Shozo Awazu (粟津 正蔵, Awazu Shōzō; April 18, 1923 – March 17, 2016) was a Japanese master of judo who achieved the rank of Kōdōkan 9th Dan. He led the development of judo in France.
Shōtarō Yasuoka (安岡 章太郎, Yasuoka Shōtarō; May 30, 1920 – January 26, 2013) was a Japanese writer.
Toshio Shimao (島尾 敏雄, Shimao Toshio; April 18, 1917 – November 12, 1986) was a Japanese novelist. He has been called a…
Toshio Shimao (島尾 敏雄, Shimao Toshio; April 18, 1917 – November 12, 1986) was a Japanese novelist. He has been called a "writer's writer", which is used as both a compliment and criticism.
Shoichi Nishimura (西邑 昌一, Nishimura Shōichi; 1912 – March 22, 1998) was a Japanese football player and manager. He…
Shoichi Nishimura (西邑 昌一, Nishimura Shōichi; 1912 – March 22, 1998) was a Japanese football player and manager. He played for Japan national team.
Nobuo Nakagawa (中川 信夫, Nakagawa Nobuo; April 18, 1905 – June 17, 1984) was a Japanese film director, most famous for…
Nobuo Nakagawa (中川 信夫, Nakagawa Nobuo; April 18, 1905 – June 17, 1984) was a Japanese film director, most famous for the stylized, folk tale-influenced horror films he made in the 1950s and 1960s.
Migishi Kōtarō (Japanese:三岸 好太郎; 18 April 1903, Sapporo - 1 July 1934, Nagoya) was a Japanese painter in the yōga style.
Kitsuju Ayabe (綾部 橘樹, Ayabe Kitsuju; 18 April 1894 – 14 February 1980) was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army…
Kitsuju Ayabe (綾部 橘樹, Ayabe Kitsuju; 18 April 1894 – 14 February 1980) was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II.
Shiro Makino (牧野 四郎, Makino Shirō; April 18, 1893 – August 10, 1945) was a Japanese general, who commanded the 16th…
Shiro Makino (牧野 四郎, Makino Shirō; April 18, 1893 – August 10, 1945) was a Japanese general, who commanded the 16th Division, an infantry division, in the Battle of Leyte. With only 620 men of the division surviving, he took responsibility for the annihilation of the division and committed suicide after the battle.
Hidemitsu Nakano (中野英光, Nakano Hidemitsu; April 18, 1890 – March 19, 1982) was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army…
Hidemitsu Nakano (中野英光, Nakano Hidemitsu; April 18, 1890 – March 19, 1982) was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army, commanding Japanese ground forces in the Southwest Pacific during the closing months of the war.
Naruhisa, Prince Kitashirakawa (北白川宮成久王, Kitashirakawa-no-miya Naruhisa-ō; 18 April 1887 – 1 April 1923), was the 3rd…
Naruhisa, Prince Kitashirakawa (北白川宮成久王, Kitashirakawa-no-miya Naruhisa-ō; 18 April 1887 – 1 April 1923), was the 3rd head of a collateral branch of the Japanese Imperial Family and the husband of Fusako, Princess Kane, daughter of Emperor Meiji and Concubine Sono Sachiko.
Keita Gotō (五島 慶太, Gotō Keita; 18 April 1882 – 14 August 1959) was a Japanese businessman, politician and educator, who…
Keita Gotō (五島 慶太, Gotō Keita; 18 April 1882 – 14 August 1959) was a Japanese businessman, politician and educator, who built the Tokyu Group into one of the leading corporate groups in Japan. He briefly served as Minister of Transportation and Communications in 1944. Prior to his business career, he worked as a government official in the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Transport. He founded the Tōyoko Commercial Girls' School and the Gotō Ikueikai. He is also the founder of Toei.
Araiwa Kamenosuke (荒岩 亀之助, March 1, 1871 – September 3, 1920) was a Japanese sumo wrestler from Tottori Prefecture. His…
Araiwa Kamenosuke (荒岩 亀之助, March 1, 1871 – September 3, 1920) was a Japanese sumo wrestler from Tottori Prefecture. His highest rank was ōzeki.