Kazumi Saeki (佐伯 一麦, Saeki Kazumi; born July 21, 1959 in Sendai) is a Japanese novelist from Sendai in Miyagi…
Kazumi Saeki (佐伯 一麦, Saeki Kazumi; born July 21, 1959 in Sendai) is a Japanese novelist from Sendai in Miyagi prefecture. Kazumi (meaning one wheat) is his pen name, adopted because of his fondness for Van Gogh's paintings of wheat fields. His experiences in the 2011 Great Tohoku Kanto earthquake were recounted in an op-ed piece in the New York Times under the title, "In Japan, No Time Yet for Grief" translated by Seiji M. Lippit. After graduating from high school he moved to Tokyo and worked various jobs including in magazines and as an electrician for 10 years. In the op-ed he writes: "Before I became a writer, I worked for 10 years as an electrician, until I suffered asbestos poisoning. My main job was to travel around Tokyo, repairing lights, including street lamps and the hallway and stairway lights in apartment buildings." His 1990 novel Short Circuit was based on those experiences working as an electrician. The following year, 1991, he returned with his wife to his hometown of Sendai, where he has lived since. In 1997 he spent a year in Norway, writing about those experiences in the novel Norge, for which he received the 2007 Noma Literary Prize.
Famous People Born in July
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Kiyotaka Sugiyama (杉山 清貴, Sugiyama Kiyotaka; born July 17, 1959) is a Japanese singer-songwriter known for being the…
Kiyotaka Sugiyama (杉山 清貴, Sugiyama Kiyotaka; born July 17, 1959) is a Japanese singer-songwriter known for being the lead vocalist of S. Kiyotaka & Omega Tribe. Debuting in 1983 with the band, Sugiyama began his solo career in 1986 after the band's disbandment the previous year. As the lead singer of S. Kiyotaka & Omega Tribe, he was the lead voice on songs such as "Summer Suspicion" and "Futari no Natsu Monogatari", while as a solo artist he has had multiple hit songs including "Sayonara Ocean", "Saigo no Holy Night", and "Mizu no Naka no Answer". Sugiyama has currently released a total of 27 albums throughout his solo career, with his debut album Beyond… (1986) reaching 1st place on the Oricon charts, with subsequent albums in the 80s also being in the top ten of the album charts. Sugiyama has been described as one of the artists who shaped city pop's image, utilizing newer synths and his vocals.
Yves Lafontaine (born 16 July 1959), is a Canadian musician, luthier and writer.
Yūko Kotegawa (古手川祐子, Kotegawa Yūko; born July 16, 1959) is a Japanese actress from the city of Ōita.
Nagisa Katahira (片平 なぎさ, Katahira Nagisa), born 12 July 1959) is a Japanese film and television actress, and singer.
Takashi Taniguchi (谷口尚, Taniguchi Takashi; born July 11, 1959) is a Japanese material scientist. He is a fellow and the…
Takashi Taniguchi (谷口尚, Taniguchi Takashi; born July 11, 1959) is a Japanese material scientist. He is a fellow and the Director of the International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics at the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS). He is also a former President of the High Pressure Science Society of Japan. Taniguchi is an expert in crystal growth and has published numerous co-authored papers with Kenji Watanabe and others. Their laboratory is the primary source of high-quality hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) crystals, used widely as a substrate for various two-dimensional materials, such as graphene and transition metal dichalcogenide monolayers. He was featured in Nature as one of the “most prolific researchers.”.
Kazuhisa Kawaguchi (川口 和久, Kawaguchi Kazuhisa; born July 8, 1959) is a Japanese former Nippon Professional Baseball…
Kazuhisa Kawaguchi (川口 和久, Kawaguchi Kazuhisa; born July 8, 1959) is a Japanese former Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher. In February 2023, he was hired by his former school of Tottori Jōhoku High School, to train its baseball team.
Yuji Kasama (born 2 July 1959) is a Japanese former volleyball player. Kasama competed in the men's tournament at the…
Yuji Kasama (born 2 July 1959) is a Japanese former volleyball player. Kasama competed in the men's tournament at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, where he finished in tenth place. He competed at the 1986 Goodwill Games in Moscow and won a bronze medal.
Shigekazu Nakamura (中村 重和, Nakamura Shigekazu; born July 30, 1958) is a former Japanese football player and manager.
Yuko Mitsuya (三屋 裕子 Mitsuya Yūko, born 29 July 1958) is a Japanese former volleyball player who was a member of the…
Yuko Mitsuya (三屋 裕子 Mitsuya Yūko, born 29 July 1958) is a Japanese former volleyball player who was a member of the Japanese women's national volleyball team that won the bronze medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Yoshinobu Miyake (jp:三宅善信 Miyake Yoshinobu, born July 27, 1958) is a Japanese Shinto priest and scholar. Rev. Miyake…
Yoshinobu Miyake (jp:三宅善信 Miyake Yoshinobu, born July 27, 1958) is a Japanese Shinto priest and scholar. Rev. Miyake was appointed the Superior General of Konko Church of Izuo in 2006 and appointed chair of the Board of International Shinto Studies Association in 2013.
Tatsunori Hara (原 辰徳, Hara Tatsunori; born July 22, 1958) is a Japanese former professional baseball infielder and…
Tatsunori Hara (原 辰徳, Hara Tatsunori; born July 22, 1958) is a Japanese former professional baseball infielder and manager. He played 15 seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Yomiuri Giants, and also spent 17 seasons as the club's manager.
Kazushi Kimura (木村 和司, Kimura Kazushi; born July 19, 1958) is a former Japanese football player and manager. He played…
Kazushi Kimura (木村 和司, Kimura Kazushi; born July 19, 1958) is a former Japanese football player and manager. He played for Japan national team.
Tomoki Hasegawa (Japanese: 長谷川 智樹, Hepburn: Hasegawa Tomoki; born 19 July 1957) is a Japanese composer and arranger of…
Tomoki Hasegawa (Japanese: 長谷川 智樹, Hepburn: Hasegawa Tomoki; born 19 July 1957) is a Japanese composer and arranger of music from Osaka Prefecture, Japan, best known for his work on anime soundtracks. He has also done sound production work on albums for Mayumi Iizuka.
Toru Sakai (born July 17, 1958) is a Japanese jurist who has served as an associate Justice of the Supreme Court of…
Toru Sakai (born July 17, 1958) is a Japanese jurist who has served as an associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Japan since 2021.
Seiichi Yamamoto (山本 精一, Yamamoto Seiichi; born July 16, 1958) is a Japanese musician. He is the guitarist of…
Seiichi Yamamoto (山本 精一, Yamamoto Seiichi; born July 16, 1958) is a Japanese musician. He is the guitarist of psychedelic rock band Rovo as well as a former guitarist for the noise rock band Boredoms, and has also released records as a solo artist. He has also composed the soundtracks to several films, as well as collaborating with various other musicians and bands.
Yasushi Furukawa (古川 康, Furukawa Yasushi; born 15 July 1958) is a Japanese politician and current member of the House…
Yasushi Furukawa (古川 康, Furukawa Yasushi; born 15 July 1958) is a Japanese politician and current member of the House of Representatives. He was previously the governor of Saga Prefecture from 2003 to 2014. A native of Karatsu, Saga, he graduated from the University of Tokyo in 1982 and entered the Ministry of Home Affairs upon graduation.
Mari Kotani (小谷 真理, Kotani Mari; born in Toyama Prefecture on July 11, 1958) is a Japanese science fiction critic, best…
Mari Kotani (小谷 真理, Kotani Mari; born in Toyama Prefecture on July 11, 1958) is a Japanese science fiction critic, best known as the author of Evangelion as the Immaculate Virgin (analysis of the anime serie Neon Genesis Evangelion), Tokyo: Magazine House, 1997 and of Joseijou muishiki: techno-gynesis josei SF-ron josetsu, Tokyo: Keiso shobo, 1994 (Techno-Gynesis: The Political Unconscious of Feminist Science Fiction), which won the 15th Nihon SF Taisho Award. Kotani is one of the founders of the Japanese Sense of Gender Award (equivalent to the Tiptree Award) in 2001, and of The Japanese Association of Feminist Science Fiction and Fantasy. She is now the chair of the Japan PEN Women Writers Committee and a member of the Science Fiction Writers of Japan.
Masami Hisamoto (Japanese: 久本雅美, Hepburn: Hisamoto Masami; born July 9, 1958) is a Japanese comedian, actress, singer…
Masami Hisamoto (Japanese: 久本雅美, Hepburn: Hisamoto Masami; born July 9, 1958) is a Japanese comedian, actress, singer and tarento from Kami, Osaka. She belongs to the Wahaha-Hompo talent agency, appearing on variety shows like Waratte Iitomo! and Hirunandesu!. She has also been a notable adherent to Soka Gakkai since 1984 and became an internet meme for it.
Kazutoshi Mori (森 和俊, Mori Kazutoshi; born 1958) is a Japanese molecular biologist known for research on unfolded…
Kazutoshi Mori (森 和俊, Mori Kazutoshi; born 1958) is a Japanese molecular biologist known for research on unfolded protein response. He was a professor of Biophysics at the Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, and shared the 2014 Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award with Peter Walter for discoveries concerning the unfolded protein response — an intracellular quality control system that detects harmful misfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum and signals the nucleus to carry out corrective measures. After retirement, he became a distinguished professor at Institute for Advanced Study, Kyoto University, in 2024. He is a professor at Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University since April, 2026.
Crea-Tech (Japanese: 有限会社クレアテック) was a Japanese video game developer based in Koto, Tokyo, Japan, which was founded by…
Crea-Tech (Japanese: 有限会社クレアテック) was a Japanese video game developer based in Koto, Tokyo, Japan, which was founded by Hiroshi Miyaoka in 1988. The company was best known for developing the role-playing video game series Metal Max. They also developed many board games. The company developed console games mainly, but also had some computer games and mobile games.
Konami Kanata (こなみ かなた) is a Japanese manga artist best known for her cat manga Chi's Sweet Home. Her first manga…
Konami Kanata (こなみ かなた) is a Japanese manga artist best known for her cat manga Chi's Sweet Home. Her first manga Buchineko JamJam (ブチねこジャムジャム) was published in the magazine Nakayoshi in 1982. Chi's Sweet Home, FukuFuku: Kitten Tales (ふくふくふにゃ～ん子猫だにゃん, Fuku Fuku Funyan Koneko Da Nyan), and Sue & Tai-chan (スーと鯛ちゃん, Suu to Taichan) have been published in English by Vertical Inc. Manga artist Risa Itō and Kanata are from the same small town and Kanata's father was Itō's homeroom teacher in elementary school. Kanata has a blood type of O.
Shigeru Sugimura (杉村 繁, Sugimura Shigeru; born July 31, 1957) is a Japanese former Nippon Professional Baseball…
Shigeru Sugimura (杉村 繁, Sugimura Shigeru; born July 31, 1957) is a Japanese former Nippon Professional Baseball infielder.
Keiko Tobe (戸部 けいこ, Tobe Keiko; 30 July 1957 – 28 January 2010) was a Japanese manga artist who wrote primarily josei…
Keiko Tobe (戸部 けいこ, Tobe Keiko; 30 July 1957 – 28 January 2010) was a Japanese manga artist who wrote primarily josei manga. She was best known for creating With the Light, which won an Excellence Prize in the Japan Media Arts Festival Awards in 2004 from the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs and inspired a television drama.
Fumio Kishida (born 29 July 1957) is a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the…
Fumio Kishida (born 29 July 1957) is a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) from 2021 until his resignation in 2024. He has represented Hiroshima 1st in the House of Representatives since 1996. Before his premiership, he was the Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2012 to 2017, as acting Minister of Defense in 2017, and he also chaired the LDP Policy Research Council from 2017 to 2020. Born into a political family, Kishida spent part of his childhood in the United States, where he attended elementary school in New York City. After beginning his career in finance, Kishida entered politics and was elected to the House of Representatives at the 1993 general election as a member of the LDP. Kishida was appointed to Minister of State for Special Missions in the premiership of Shinzo Abe and Yasuo Fukuda from 2007 to 2008, and was appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs in 2012 after Abe regained the premiership following the 2012 general election, serving for five years and becoming the longest-serving Foreign Affairs Minister in Japanese history. Kishida resigned from the Abe cabinet in 2017 in order to head the LDP's Policy Research Council. Kishida also assumed leadership of the LDP's more moderate Kōchikai faction in 2012 following the retirement of faction leader Makoto Koga, a position he held until his resignation in 2023. Long considered a potential future prime minister, Kishida ran in the 2020 LDP presidential election, but lost to Yoshihide Suga. He ran again for the party leadership in 2021, this time winning in a second round run-off against opponent Taro Kono. Kishida was confirmed as prime minister by the National Diet four days later on 4 October 2021. Upon assuming office as prime minister, Kishida stated that his administration would pursue a "new model of capitalism" by implementing redistributive policies aimed at raising wages and expanding the middle class. His tenure saw a reversal of decades-long deflationary economic policies, with Japan experiencing its highest wage growth in 30 years, driven by record wage increases achieved through annual wage negotiations. He led the LDP to victory in 2021 general election and 2022 House of Councillors election, albeit at a slightly reduced majority. He oversaw the dissolution of the Unification Church (UC) in Japan following the assassination of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe in July 2022 and the disbandment of his faction Kōchikai, along with Seiwakai and Shisuikai following a party-wide slush fund corruption scandal. His tenure also oversaw the release of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean in August 2023, less than 12 years since the Great East Japan earthquake in March 2011. He reshuffled his cabinet twice, in August 2022 to remove cabinet members affiliated with the UC and in September 2023 to remove cabinet members associated with the slush fund scandal. On foreign policy, Kishida continued strengthening the Quad Security Dialogue and close cooperation with NATO in pursuit of the Free and Open Indo-Pacific strategy, signed the American–Japanese–Korean trilateral pact in 2023, formed security pacts with the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Philippines, and took steps to repair ties with South Korea. In 2022 he instructed the cabinet to increase Japan's military budget by 65% by 2027, the most significant defense budget increase in decades. Kishida responded to the Russian invasion of Ukraine by becoming the first Asian country to impose sanctions on Russia and Belarus and authorizing civilian aid to Ukraine. Kishida survived an assassination attempt on 15 April 2023 while delivering a campaign speech. The end of his premiership was marked by a struggle to recover from record-low approval ratings amid fallout from the LDP slush fund scandal. On 14 August 2024, Kishida announced that he would resign from office and step down as LDP party leader, thereby not seeking re-election in September of the same year. In the LDP leadership election, Kishida initially endorsed Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, then, in the second round, whipped votes for Shigeru Ishiba, who defeated Sanae Takaichi to become the next party leader and prime minister.
Makoto Gonokami (五神 真, Gonokami Makoto; born 1957) is a Japanese professor of science and engineering at the University…
Makoto Gonokami (五神 真, Gonokami Makoto; born 1957) is a Japanese professor of science and engineering at the University of Tokyo (UTokyo), mostly in the field of physics. He served as the 30th president of UTokyo, after succeeding Junichi Hamada who retired in 2015, and until March 2021. After his presidency at UTokyo, he has served as the president of Riken since 2022. He works in the graduate school of science, school of engineering in the institution before being dean in graduate school of science and vice president of the university. He holds a PhD in optical physics at University of Tokyo and most of his research based on Quantum physics and participate in Center for Quantum Materials. He served as the chair of IARU for two years (2018–2020).
Tatsuharu Mawatari (馬渡 龍治, Mawatari Tatsuharu; born July 26, 1957) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic…
Tatsuharu Mawatari (馬渡 龍治, Mawatari Tatsuharu; born July 26, 1957) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Tokyo and graduate of Sophia University, he was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 2005. He is an assenter of "The Truth about Nanjing(movie)."
Hitoshi Goto (後藤 斎, Gotō Hitoshi; born 22 July 1957) is a Japanese politician who served as the governor of Yamanashi…
Hitoshi Goto (後藤 斎, Gotō Hitoshi; born 22 July 1957) is a Japanese politician who served as the governor of Yamanashi Prefecture. He was formerly a Democratic Party member in the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). He resigned from the Democratic Party and the Diet in November 2014 so that he could contest the January 2015 Yamanashi Gubernatorial election as an independent. A native of Kōfu and graduate of Tohoku University with a Bachelor of Economics, he worked at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries from 1980 to 1995.
Hiroshi Moriya (森屋宏, Moriya Hiroshi; born July 21, 1957) is a Japanese politician who is a former member of the House…
Hiroshi Moriya (森屋宏, Moriya Hiroshi; born July 21, 1957) is a Japanese politician who is a former member of the House of Councillors of Japan.
Kazuya Kamiya (神谷 和也, Kamiya Kazuya; born 20 July 1957) is a Japanese economist. He is a professor at Kobe University.
Shinobu Otake (大竹 しのぶ, Ōtake Shinobu; born July 17, 1957) is a Japanese actress. She has won three Japanese Academy…
Shinobu Otake (大竹 しのぶ, Ōtake Shinobu; born July 17, 1957) is a Japanese actress. She has won three Japanese Academy Awards: the 2000 Best Actress award for Railroad Man, and the 1979 awards for both Best Actress for The Incident, and Best Supporting Actress for Seishoku no ishibumi. She also won the award for best actress at the 12th Hochi Film Award for Eien no 1/2. At the 25th Moscow International Film Festival she won the award for Best Actress for her role in Owl. She has received a total of twelve nominations. She was the favoured lead actress of director Kaneto Shindo after his previous lead actress, Nobuko Otowa, died in 1994, and featured in four of his films from Will to Live (1999) and Postcard (2011). Otake has also acted on the stage. She performed during the last segment of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Closing Ceremony along Tokyo’s Suginami Children Chorus, singing the song "Hoshimeguri no Uta" (Star Tour Song) composed by Kenji Miyazawa, as the Olympic flame was extinguished. Otake had a leading role of Dr. Ruth Wolff in a Japanese stage adaptation of The Doctor (2021).
Kazunori "Toshio" Shinozuka (篠塚 和典, Shinozuka Kazunori; born July 16, 1957) is a former professional Japanese baseball…
Kazunori "Toshio" Shinozuka (篠塚 和典, Shinozuka Kazunori; born July 16, 1957) is a former professional Japanese baseball player. As a boy, Ichiro Suzuki learned to pattern his original swinging pendulum leg kick after Shinozuka's.
Kaizo Hayashi (林 海象, Hayashi Kaizō; born July 15, 1957) is a Japanese film director and screenwriter. He made his…
Kaizo Hayashi (林 海象, Hayashi Kaizō; born July 15, 1957) is a Japanese film director and screenwriter. He made his directorial debut with To Sleep so as to Dream (1986). He is best known for his neo-noir Maiku Hama trilogy, The Most Terrible Time in My Life (1994), Stairway to the Distant Past (1995) and The Trap (1996). In addition to film, Hayashi served as creative director on the 2000 Konami video game 7 Blades for the PlayStation 2, and was director for two episodes of Power Rangers: Time Force.
Manabu Kitabeppu (北別府 学, Kitabeppu Manabu; July 12, 1957 – June 16, 2023) was a Japanese professional baseball pitcher…
Manabu Kitabeppu (北別府 学, Kitabeppu Manabu; July 12, 1957 – June 16, 2023) was a Japanese professional baseball pitcher, the first-round draft pick of the Hiroshima Toyo Carp in 1975, and one of the most famous Japanese right-handed pitchers. He was known as the "Precision Machine" (精密機械, Seimitsu-Kikai) because of his perfect control pitching, and his nickname was Pei-San (ペイさん). Kitabeppu struggled his first few seasons, then went 17–11 with a 3.58 ERA to make his first All-Star team in 1979. It was the first of five consecutive All-Star picks for Kitabeppu, who helped the team to a Japan Series title in 1980. In 1982 Kitabeppu went 20–8 with a 2.43 ERA, easily his best year up to that point in his pitching career. He led the Central League with 267.3 innings, won the most games on the mound, and was fourth in ERA. He won his first Eiji Sawamura Award that season and also was named to the Best Nine. His streak of All-Star selections ended in 1984, though he continued to pitch well in '84 and '85. In 1986 Kitabeppu had his best season, going 18–4 with a 2.43 ERA. He led the circuit once again in victories, won his only ERA crown, led in complete games (17) and shutouts (4), won his only Gold Glove, and in addition to the Best Nine and Sawamura, won his only MVP award as the Carp returned to the Japan Series, but failed to win. Kitabeppu again was an All-Star in '88 but posted losing records from '87 through '89, once with an ERA of 5.48. The former star allowed the most runs in 1988 (87) and the most homers (22). The next season, he again surrendered the most home runs, also 22. In 1989 he was in the minor leagues for the first time in his career. Kitabeppu emerged resurgent from his trials and after a decent season in 1990, in 1991 he went 11–4 with a 3.38 ERA. He made his seventh All-Star team in 1992, with 14 wins in 22 decisions, and a 2.58 ERA. It was his lowest ERA and most victories since his MVP season of '86. The Carp made their third Japan Series of the Kitabeppu era, but lost to the Seibu Lions. Still just 34, Kitabeppu reached 200 career wins. It was his last good season – he would pitch 24 more games, going 9-9, with ERAs over 5 each time, before retiring. His career line with Hiroshima was 213–141 with a 3.67 ERA. Since Kitabeppu, only one pitcher in Nippon Pro Baseball (Kimiyasu Kudoh) has reached 200 victories. Kitabeppu ranks 17th all-time in wins, 20th in innings (3,113), 26th in strikeouts (1,757), 9th in hits allowed (3,225), and 4th in homers surrendered (380, the Central League record). After retiring, Kitabeppu became an announcer and then the pitching coach for the Carp. Shortly after midnight on June 16, 2023, he died in a hospital in the city of Hiroshima. He was 65. In 2020 he announced that he had been battling leukemia for a long time.
Takuro Morinaga (森永卓郎, Morinaga Takurō; 12 July 1957 – 28 January 2025) was a Japanese economist and academic at Dokkyo…
Takuro Morinaga (森永卓郎, Morinaga Takurō; 12 July 1957 – 28 January 2025) was a Japanese economist and academic at Dokkyo University, Saitama, a suburb to Tokyo. He was also a television program editor. As an economist he was highly publicized, expressing his views in television and radio on an array of subjects, from politics to manga to video games. His ideas elicited a large number of reactions on the internet and in media.
Tsutomu Okabori (岡堀 勉, Okabori Tsutomu; born 10 July 1957) is a Japanese former cyclist. He competed in the team…
Tsutomu Okabori (岡堀 勉, Okabori Tsutomu; born 10 July 1957) is a Japanese former cyclist. He competed in the team pursuit event at the 1976 Summer Olympics and 1978 Asian Games. He was also a professional keirin cyclist.
Ikue Mori is a Japanese scientist. She is known for her work on molecular, cellular and neural circuit analyses of…
Ikue Mori is a Japanese scientist. She is known for her work on molecular, cellular and neural circuit analyses of thermotaxis behavior in C. elegans. She is Director of Neuroscience Institute and Professor of Molecular Neurobiology of the Graduate School of Science in Nagoya University, Japan. In 2013, she became the first woman to receive Tokizane Award, the most prestigious neuroscience award in Japan, and in 2017, was awarded Medal of Honor with Purple Ribbon.
Jin Matsubara (松原 仁, Matsubara Jin; born 31 July 1956) is a Japanese politician who served as a member of the House of…
Jin Matsubara (松原 仁, Matsubara Jin; born 31 July 1956) is a Japanese politician who served as a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). He was appointed Chairman of the National Public Safety Commission, Minister of State for Consumer Affairs and Food Safety and Minister for the Abduction Issue. Matsubara was formerly affiliated with Party of Hope and the Democratic Party (the Democratic Party of Japan).
Ken'ichi Yamamoto (山本兼一, Yamamoto Ken'ichi; July 23, 1956 – February 13, 2014) was a Japanese writer. After first being…
Ken'ichi Yamamoto (山本兼一, Yamamoto Ken'ichi; July 23, 1956 – February 13, 2014) was a Japanese writer. After first being employed by a publisher, Yamamoto, himself, became a full-time writer. In 2004, he won the Seichō Matsumoto Award for Katen no shiro, and in 2009 the Naoki Prize for Rikyū ni Tazune yo. Both books were made into movies. Yamamoto died on February 13, 2014, from lung cancer at the age of 57.
Kozo Nagayama (永山耕三, Nagayama Kozo; born on July 22, 1956, in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese television and film director.
Fukumi Kuroda (黒田 福美, Kuroda Fukumi; born July 21, 1956 in Tokyo) is a Japanese actress.
Akira Hagiwara (萩原 光, Hagiwara Akira; 21 July 1956 – 7 April 1986) was a Japanese racing driver.
Ryo Ishibashi (石橋 凌, Ishibashi Ryō; born Hideki Ishibashi; July 20, 1956) is a Japanese actor and singer. He is known…
Ryo Ishibashi (石橋 凌, Ishibashi Ryō; born Hideki Ishibashi; July 20, 1956) is a Japanese actor and singer. He is known internationally for his starring roles in the horror films Audition (1999), Suicide Club (2001), The Grudge (2004) and its sequel The Grudge 2 (2006). He is also the lead singer of the Japanese rock band ARB.
Yoshiaki Yatsu (谷津嘉章 Yatsu Yoshiaki, born July 19, 1956) is a Japanese semi-retired professional wrestler and amateur…
Yoshiaki Yatsu (谷津嘉章 Yatsu Yoshiaki, born July 19, 1956) is a Japanese semi-retired professional wrestler and amateur wrestler and former mixed martial artist. He is known for being one-half of the first-ever All Japan Pro Wrestling World Tag Team Champions with Jumbo Tsuruta, having won the NWA International Tag Team Championship and the PWF Tag Team Championship, and unifying the two titles.
Emi Akimoto (Japanese: 秋元恵美; born 19 July 1956) is a Japanese former track and field athlete who specialised in the 100…
Emi Akimoto (Japanese: 秋元恵美; born 19 July 1956) is a Japanese former track and field athlete who specialised in the 100 metres hurdles. She was the gold medallist in the event at the Asian Athletics Championships three times consecutively from 1979 to 1983, breaking the championship record each time. She won two gold medals at the Asian Games in 1982, running in the hurdles and 4×100 metres relay. Akimoto was a six-time champion at the Japan Championships in Athletics. She represented her country at the 1983 World Championships in Athletics and ran for Asia at the IAAF World Cup in 1979 and 1981. She was also a two-time medallist at the Pacific Conference Games. In her later career she ran under her married name: Emi Sasaki (Japanese: 佐々木恵美).
Sadanoumi Kōji (佐田の海 鴻嗣) (born 19 July 1956 as Kōji Matsumara (松村 宏司, Matsumura Kōji)) is a former sumo wrestler from…
Sadanoumi Kōji (佐田の海 鴻嗣) (born 19 July 1956 as Kōji Matsumara (松村 宏司, Matsumura Kōji)) is a former sumo wrestler from Sakai, Osaka, Japan. He made his professional debut in March 1972, and reached the top division in November 1980. His highest rank was komusubi. He retired in July 1988 and became an elder in the Japan Sumo Association under the name Tagonoura. He left the Sumo Association in August 1999. He is the father of the current sekitori wrestler of the same name, Sadanoumi Takashi.
Toshio Toyota (豊田 敏夫, Toyota Toshio; born 19 July 1956) is a Japanese retired sprinter. He qualified for the 1980 Japan…
Toshio Toyota (豊田 敏夫, Toyota Toshio; born 19 July 1956) is a Japanese retired sprinter. He qualified for the 1980 Japan Olympic team but did not compete due to the 1980 Summer Olympics boycott. He was the gold medallist in the 200 metres and 4 × 100 metres relay at the 1981 Asian Championships and the first Japanese to run under 21 seconds with electronic timing in the 200 metres.
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."
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.
Shūhei Kishimoto (岸本周平, Kishimoto Shūhei; 12 July 1956 – 15 April 2025) was a Japanese politician who served as…
Shūhei Kishimoto (岸本周平, Kishimoto Shūhei; 12 July 1956 – 15 April 2025) was a Japanese politician who served as governor of Wakayama Prefecture from 2022 until his death in 2025. He was previously a member of House of Representatives from 2009 and 2022, being elected five times from Wakayama 1st district. Born in Wakayama and educated at the University of Tokyo, Kishimoto worked at the Ministry of Finance and Toyota before entering politics in 2009.