Michizō Tachihara (立原 道造, Tachihara Michizō; 30 July 1914 – 29 March 1939) was a Japanese poet and architect. He died…
Michizō Tachihara (立原 道造, Tachihara Michizō; 30 July 1914 – 29 March 1939) was a Japanese poet and architect. He died at age 24 from tuberculosis, before either career could seriously get under way. Michizō struggled to find a way for an urban poet to root himself in traditional customs and still be "modern." Though a citizen of Tokyo, Michizō would rarely mention modern urban scenes in his work. Aside from several references to cars, Michizō chose to describe a vegetable, not a mineral realm. He described trains as vehicles of escape, rescuing him from being cooped up in his architectural office. The natural landscapes of the Shinano Highlands provided an endless parade of conventional imagery that Michizō would use in his work; such as birds, clouds, flowers, grasses, mountains, skies, trees, and wind. A sizable part of his poetry used poetic impulse, often causing his work to be labelled as "sentimental". He wrote openly about his feelings and expressed what was in his heart, allowing his verse to be both uncontaminated and genuine. His Dharma name was Onkyōin Shiundō Norikiyo Shinshi (温恭院紫雲道範清信士).
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Nankichi Niimi (新美 南吉, Niimi Nankichi; July 30, 1913 – March 22, 1943) was a Japanese author, sometimes known as the…
Nankichi Niimi (新美 南吉, Niimi Nankichi; July 30, 1913 – March 22, 1943) was a Japanese author, sometimes known as the Hans Christian Andersen of Japan. Niimi was born Shōhachi Watanabe (渡邊 正八, Watanabe Shōhachi) in Yanabe, in the city of Handa, Aichi prefecture, on July 30, 1913. He lost his mother when he was four years old. His literary skill was noticeable at an early age. During his elementary school graduation ceremony, he presented a haiku that impressed most people at the ceremony. The Dandelion So Many Days Trampled Today’s Flower At age 18, Niimi moved to Tokyo to enter the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. He fell sick with tuberculosis while in Tokyo shortly after graduating, and returned to his hometown. He worked there, first as an elementary school teacher, then as a women's high school teacher. He died at age 29. Although not prolific, he shows great talent in all of his writings. His works are known for their accuracy and lively depictions of humans. He is also often compared to Kenji Miyazawa. There is a Niimi Nankichi Memorial Museum in his birthplace, Handa.
Tokuro Irie (入江徳郎, Irie Tokurō; July 15, 1913 – September 5, 1989) was a Japanese journalist, newscaster and essayist.
Kanichi Kashimura (樫村 寛一, Kashimura Kan'ichi; July 5, 1913 – March 6, 1943) was an Imperial Japanese Navy Naval Ace of…
Kanichi Kashimura (樫村 寛一, Kashimura Kan'ichi; July 5, 1913 – March 6, 1943) was an Imperial Japanese Navy Naval Ace of the Second Sino-Japanese and Second World War. On December 9, 1937, Kashimura fought Hawk III over Nan- chang, destroying one and then colliding with another aircraft (an unknown type that could have been either Japanese or Chinese), tearing off a third of his left wing. Through superb piloting, the calm aviator brought his crippled Claude' back to base, and after four landing attempts, the aircraft somersaulted on touching the ground on its fourth approach and lost its tail in the subsequent crash. Astoundingly, the pilot walked away from the wreckage unharmed. Local news reporters quickly sent the story back to Japan, where Kashimura gained instant fame. On March 6, 1943 he was shot down and killed by a US aircraft near the Russell Islands.
Ayako Sano (佐野禮子, Sano Ayako; July 4, 1913 – September 3, 2003), formerly Princess Ayako Takeda (禮子女王, Ayako Joō), was…
Ayako Sano (佐野禮子, Sano Ayako; July 4, 1913 – September 3, 2003), formerly Princess Ayako Takeda (禮子女王, Ayako Joō), was the daughter of Prince Tsunehisa Takeda and Princess Masako Takeda, and was thus the granddaughter of Emperor Meiji through her mother's side. She married Tsunemitsu Sano in March 1934, and had four children. She lost her status as a member of the Imperial Family in October 1947 with the abolition of collateral imperial houses by the American Occupation Authorities. She died on September 3, 2003.
Yojiro Kimura (木村 陽二郎, Kimura Yōjirō; 1912–2006) was a Japanese botanist, known for his classification of…
Yojiro Kimura (木村 陽二郎, Kimura Yōjirō; 1912–2006) was a Japanese botanist, known for his classification of monocotyledons, and of Japanese species of Hypericum.
Rikkō Nakamura (中村 立行, Nakamura Rikkō; 1912–1995) was a renowned Japanese photographer.
Tadashi Nakayama (中山 正, Nakayama Tadashi; July 26, 1912, Tokyo Prefecture – June 5, 1964, Nagoya) was a mathematician…
Tadashi Nakayama (中山 正, Nakayama Tadashi; July 26, 1912, Tokyo Prefecture – June 5, 1964, Nagoya) was a mathematician who made important contributions to representation theory.
Hideo Itokawa (糸川 英夫, Itokawa Hideo; July 20, 1912 – February 21, 1999) was a pioneer of Japanese rocketry, popularly…
Hideo Itokawa (糸川 英夫, Itokawa Hideo; July 20, 1912 – February 21, 1999) was a pioneer of Japanese rocketry, popularly known as "Dr. Rocket," and described in the media as the father of Japan's space development. The near-Earth asteroid 25143 Itokawa was named in honor of Itokawa, and is notable as the target of the Hayabusa mission.
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.
Churyo Sato (Japanese: 佐藤 忠良, Hepburn: Satō Chūryō; 1912 – 2011) was a Japanese sculptor and painter. He was born in…
Churyo Sato (Japanese: 佐藤 忠良, Hepburn: Satō Chūryō; 1912 – 2011) was a Japanese sculptor and painter. He was born in Miyagi Prefecture and grew up in Hokkaido. In 1932 he moved to Tokyo to become a painter. Becoming influenced by Aristide Maillol and Charles Despiau, Sato decided to specialize in sculpture. He graduated from the Tokyo School of Fine Arts. From 1934 on, Sato spent the next seventy years making art works primarily from bronze to much acclaim. He was a dedicated artist working from 8 am until 8 pm every day and died on 30 March 2011 at the age of 98.
Paek Ki-haeng (Korean: 백기행; 1 July 1912 – 7 January 1996), known by his art name Paek Sŏk (백석) was a North Korean poet.…
Paek Ki-haeng (Korean: 백기행; 1 July 1912 – 7 January 1996), known by his art name Paek Sŏk (백석) was a North Korean poet. He was born in Chŏngju in North Pyongan Province, and started his journalist career at The Chosun Ilbo in 1934. He published his first poem "Chŏngju Fortress" (정주성, Jeongjuseong) on 31 August 1935 issue of Chosun Ilbo. On 20 January next year, he published a collection of the poems he had written entitled Deer (사슴, Sasŭm). Even though Deer contained 33 poems, many of which were new, seven of them were already published in magazines or newspapers in slightly different forms. Until 1948, he published about 60 more pieces, but is not believed to have produced another poetry book. In South Korea, the publication of his works was strictly prohibited for a while because he was labelled as a North Korean poet and a communist. However, since 1987 when a collection of his works (poems and essays) were first introduced after the Korean War, he has been widely re-evaluated by scholars and critics. He is now regarded as having opened a new face of Korean socialist modernism with a group of literary writers. In 2007, he was listed by the Korean Poets' Association among the ten most important modern Korean poets.
Shihachi Fujimoto (藤本 四八, Fujimoto Shihachi; 1911–2006) was a Japanese photographer. In 1938, he helped found the…
Shihachi Fujimoto (藤本 四八, Fujimoto Shihachi; 1911–2006) was a Japanese photographer. In 1938, he helped found the Seinen Hodo Shashin Kenkyukai (Youth Reportage Photography Research Association), which was formed with the support of Photo Times. Fujimoto's works are in the permanent collection of the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography. Iida City Museum runs a photographic contest, Fujimoto Shihachi Shashin Bunka-shō (藤本四八写真文化賞), in his honour.
Ai Kume (久米 愛, Kume Ai; July 7, 1911 – July 14, 1976) was one of the first three women in Japan to become lawyers.
Shunpei Hashioka (Japanese: 橋岡 俊平; born July 7, 1911, in Osaka, Japan – August 7, 1978) was a Japanese-Chinese boxer…
Shunpei Hashioka (Japanese: 橋岡 俊平; born July 7, 1911, in Osaka, Japan – August 7, 1978) was a Japanese-Chinese boxer who competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics. In 1936 he was eliminated in the quarter-finals of the bantamweight class after losing his fight to Stig Cederberg.
Noguchi Fujio (野口 富士男, Noguchi Fujio; 4 July 1911 - 22 November 1993) was the pen-name of a novelist in Shōwa period…
Noguchi Fujio (野口 富士男, Noguchi Fujio; 4 July 1911 - 22 November 1993) was the pen-name of a novelist in Shōwa period Japan, known primarily for his biographical works and works on literary history. His real name was Fujio Hirai. Noguchi was born in Kōjimachi, Tokyo, and studied at Keio University. His first published work was a novel about the pathos in the lives of common people, Kaze no keifu ("Genealogy of the Wind", 1940). In the post-World War II period, he turned to works biography and literary history, with Tokuda Shusei den ("Biography of Tokuda Shusei", 1965) about the noted author. This was followed by Kurai yoru no watashi ("Myself on a Dark Night", 1969), describing the literary world in Japan during the 1920s and 1930s. His biography of Nagai Kafu Waga Kafu ("My Kafu", 1969), was awarded the Yomiuri Prize. In 1981 he was awarded the Japan Art Academy Prize, and in 1986, he published Kanshokuteki Shōwa bundan shi ("An Impressionistic History of Shōwa Literature").
Sadaaki Akamatsu (赤松 貞明, Akamatsu Sadaaki; 30 July 1910 – 22 February 1980) was an officer and ace fighter pilot in the…
Sadaaki Akamatsu (赤松 貞明, Akamatsu Sadaaki; 30 July 1910 – 22 February 1980) was an officer and ace fighter pilot in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Pacific theater of World War II. In aerial combat over China and the Pacific, he was officially credited with destroying 27 enemy aircraft.
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.
Kinzō Shin (信欣三, Shin Kinzō; 9 July 1910 – 26 December 1988) was a Japanese stage and film actor. Between the early…
Kinzō Shin (信欣三, Shin Kinzō; 9 July 1910 – 26 December 1988) was a Japanese stage and film actor. Between the early 1930s and late 1980s, he appeared in over 80 films by directors such as Masaki Kobayashi, Kon Ichikawa, Kaneto Shindō, Tadashi Imai and Yasuzō Masumura.
Masatake Okumiya (奥宮 正武, Okumiya Masatake; July 27, 1909 – February 22, 2007) was a historian and lieutenant general in…
Masatake Okumiya (奥宮 正武, Okumiya Masatake; July 27, 1909 – February 22, 2007) was a historian and lieutenant general in the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. Okumiya graduated from the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy in 1930 as a midshipman. He was commissioned an ensign in April 1932, received his wings in November 1933 as a naval aviator, and was promoted to sub-lieutenant in the same month. He entered the Naval Air Corps at Ōmura, receiving promotion to lieutenant in December 1936. In 1937, he participated in the attack on the USS Panay. Promoted to lieutenant-commander in October 1941, Okumiya served throughout World War II, including on the aircraft carrier Ryūjō and with the 2nd Air Fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy. During 1942–1943, he served as chief of staff of the 26th Naval Air Squadron, and was appointed to a staff post in August 1944. He was promoted to his final rank of commander in November 1944. At the end of the war, Okumiya was interrogated by Allied intelligence officers, after which he was demobilized. Following the occupation of Japan, he joined the nascent Japan Air Self-Defense Force in 1954. He returned to active duty in July 1957 with the rank of colonel, and was appointed commander of the air base at Utsunomiya. He was promoted to major general in February 1958 and served as deputy head of Personnel and Training from August 1959 to April 1960. He commanded the 3rd Air Wing from Komaki Air Base in 1961, followed by command of the Ichigaya Air Base in 1962. He was promoted to lieutenant-general in 1963 and ended his career as commander of the ATC and Meteorological Group. He retired the following year. Okumiya wrote extensively on Japan's role in World War II. He co-wrote with Mitsuo Fuchida Midway: The Battle that Doomed Japan; the Japanese Navy's Story, published 1955. His remark that "I am firmly convinced that the Pacific War was started by men who did not understand the sea, and fought by men who did not understand the air." is often quoted. He also co-wrote, with Jiro Horikoshi and Martin Caidin, an historical account of the Mitsubishi A6M Zero, titled Zero! The book was published in 1956.
Motoyoshi Oda (小田 基義, Oda Motoyoshi; 21 July 1909 – 21 October 1973) was a Japanese filmmaker who directed over 50…
Motoyoshi Oda (小田 基義, Oda Motoyoshi; 21 July 1909 – 21 October 1973) was a Japanese filmmaker who directed over 50 films in his career. An English major who graduated from Waseda University in 1935, Motoyoshi Oda was accepted into the directors' program at Tokyo's P.C.L. (Photo Chemical Laboratories, a film company later incorporated into Toho Studios). He studied under director Kajiro Yamamoto, along with future directors Akira Kurosawa, Ishirō Honda, and Senkichi Taniguchi. When the latter two trainees were drafted into WW2, Oda found his career accelerated. He was promoted to director in 1940 with Song of Kunya. Toho kept Oda working as a director of trivial films that had to be made in order to keep product flowing into the theaters, but which offered little time or room for artistic achievement. His most well-known credits are Lady from Hell (1949), Tomei Ningen a 1954 Japanese horror inspired by The Invisible Man, a follow-up to his earlier 1954 film Ghost Man. The only film he made ever to be shown outside Japan was the second Godzilla film, Godzilla Raids Again (1955), released in the United States as Gigantis, the Fire Monster. Toho insisted that Oda direct as many as seven movies a year, knowing that he could be trusted to deliver them on time. He was by all accounts a popular director with his staff, who affectionately called him "Odabutsu-san" (オダブツさん). Over his entire career, Motoyoshi Oda directed fifty movies, in addition to his work as assistant director and second-unit direction on Ishiro Honda's Eagle of the Pacific (1953). After directing the Otora-san series in Toei in 1958, he went on to television drama direction. He died at the age of 64.
Michiko Tanaka (田中 路子, Tanaka Michiko; July 15, 1909 – May 18, 1988) was a Japanese singer and actress.
Motoichi Kumagai (熊谷 元一, Kumagai Motoichi; 12 July 1909 – 6 November 2010) was a Japanese photographer and illustrator…
Motoichi Kumagai (熊谷 元一, Kumagai Motoichi; 12 July 1909 – 6 November 2010) was a Japanese photographer and illustrator of books for children, known for his portrayal of rural and school life. He has illustrated numerous children's books, books containing his photography, and other works. His works have won prizes, beginning with a photography prize from the Mainichi Shimbun in 1955. He is sometimes credited as Motokazu Kumagai or Motoiti Kumagai.
Jirō Ishiba (Japanese: 石破 二朗, Hepburn: Ishiba Jirō; 29 July 1908 – 16 September 1981) was a Japanese bureaucrat and…
Jirō Ishiba (Japanese: 石破 二朗, Hepburn: Ishiba Jirō; 29 July 1908 – 16 September 1981) was a Japanese bureaucrat and politician who served as the governor of Tottori and as a member of the House of Councillors. He also held other high-ranking positions, including Minister of Home Affairs and Vice Minister of Construction. His son Shigeru Ishiba, served as the Prime Minister of Japan from 2024 to 2025.
Fuku Akino (秋野 不矩, Akino Fuku; July 25, 1908 - October 11, 2001) was a Japanese painter. She was born in Futamata…
Fuku Akino (秋野 不矩, Akino Fuku; July 25, 1908 - October 11, 2001) was a Japanese painter. She was born in Futamata, Iwata-gun, Shizuoka Prefecture (currently, Nimata Town, Tenryu Ward, Hamamatsu City). She became known by her paintings of Indian themes, landscapes and peoples.
Tanaka Takashi (田中 孝, 22 July 1908 – 11 September 1977), known by his art name Tanaka Isson (田中 一村), was a Japanese…
Tanaka Takashi (田中 孝, 22 July 1908 – 11 September 1977), known by his art name Tanaka Isson (田中 一村), was a Japanese Nihonga painter from the Shōwa period noted for his flower-and-bird paintings of the Amami Islands.
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.
Yu Chi-hwan (Korean: 유치환; 1908–1967), also known by his art name Cheongma (청마), was a leading twentieth-century Korean…
Yu Chi-hwan (Korean: 유치환; 1908–1967), also known by his art name Cheongma (청마), was a leading twentieth-century Korean poet.
Asahina Takashi (朝比奈 隆; 9 July 1908 – 29 December 2001) was a Japanese conductor.
Kaii Higashiyama (東山 魁夷, Higashiyama Kaii; July 8, 1908 – May 6, 1999) was a Japanese writer and artist particularly…
Kaii Higashiyama (東山 魁夷, Higashiyama Kaii; July 8, 1908 – May 6, 1999) was a Japanese writer and artist particularly renowned for his Nihonga style paintings. As one of the most popular artists in post-war Japan, Higashiyama was awarded the Japan Art Academy Prize in 1956 and the Order of Culture in 1969.
Seishichi Inuma (井沼 清七, Inuma Seishichi; 27 July 1907 – 1 October 1973) was a Japanese sprinter. He competed in the…
Seishichi Inuma (井沼 清七, Inuma Seishichi; 27 July 1907 – 1 October 1973) was a Japanese sprinter. He competed in the men's 4 × 100 metres relay at the 1928 Summer Olympics.
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.
Toshiko Matsuo (Japanese: 松尾トシ子; 14 July 1907 – 3 June 1993) was a Japanese politician. She was one of the first group…
Toshiko Matsuo (Japanese: 松尾トシ子; 14 July 1907 – 3 June 1993) was a Japanese politician. She was one of the first group of women elected to the House of Representatives in 1946, serving in parliament until 1960.
Ikutarō Shimizu (清水 幾太郎, Shimizu Ikutarō; 9 July 1907 – 10 August 1988) was a Japanese sociologist, cultural critic…
Ikutarō Shimizu (清水 幾太郎, Shimizu Ikutarō; 9 July 1907 – 10 August 1988) was a Japanese sociologist, cultural critic, and prominent public intellectual. He taught sociology for many years at Gakushūin University.
Seiichiro Tsuda (津田 晴一郎, Tsuda Seiichirō; July 26, 1906 – September 20, 1991) was a Japanese runner who won the 1500…
Seiichiro Tsuda (津田 晴一郎, Tsuda Seiichirō; July 26, 1906 – September 20, 1991) was a Japanese runner who won the 1500 metres event at the 1927 and 1930 Far Eastern Championship Games. He competed at the 1928 and 1932 Olympics in the marathon and finished in fifth and sixth place, respectively.
Takashi Shimokawara (July 25, 1906 – March 11, 2011) was a Japanese centenarian from Kamaishi, Iwate. He is the current…
Takashi Shimokawara (July 25, 1906 – March 11, 2011) was a Japanese centenarian from Kamaishi, Iwate. He is the current M100 world record holder in the shot put, discus and javelin throw. He also holds the M95 Japanese national record in the javelin, set when he was at the age of 100. He was killed during the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami at the age of 104. Mr. Shimokawara would have a daily exercise routine that included a jog, press ups, squat thrusts and horizontal leg raises. He took up Masters athletics in 2004, at the age of 98. The most important thing of all is to stay supple and flexible. The moment you will be most stiff is when you die – you never get stiffer than that. So you’ve got to sleep well, eat well and keep moving.
Ichimaru (市丸), born Matsue Goto (後藤 まつゑ, Gotō Matsue; July 16, 1906 – February 17, 1997), was a popular Japanese…
Ichimaru (市丸), born Matsue Goto (後藤 まつゑ, Gotō Matsue; July 16, 1906 – February 17, 1997), was a popular Japanese recording artist and geisha. Her rivalry with another popular geisha singer, Katsutaro Kouta, created the "Katsu-Ichi Era" in Japanese music history.
Nangō Mochifumi (南郷 茂章, Mochifumi Nangō; 1 July 1906 – 18 July 1938) was an officer and ace fighter pilot in the…
Nangō Mochifumi (南郷 茂章, Mochifumi Nangō; 1 July 1906 – 18 July 1938) was an officer and ace fighter pilot in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during the Second Sino-Japanese War. In action in the war, Nangō was officially credited with destroying eight enemy aircraft. Nangō graduated from the Naval Academy Etajima in 1927 and completed flight training in November 1932. After a tour of duty with the aircraft carrier Akagi's fighter group, he spent two years in London as the assistant naval attaché in the Japanese embassy. After returning to Japan, Nangō was posted to the 13th Air Group in October 1937 soon after the outbreak of renewed hostilities with China. In a single engagement over Nanking on 2 December 1937, he was credited with destroying two Chinese aircraft. Later that month, Nangō was assigned as a division commander in the carrier Sōryū's fighter group. In July 1938, Nangō assumed command of the 15th Air Group, based in Anqing. He led his fighter group in air operations supporting ground forces around Hankow and protecting shipping in the Yangtze River. Unsanitary conditions at Anqing contributed to ill health in many of the 15th's pilots, including Nangō, but he refused to be taken off flying duty. On 18 July 1938, he was killed during an aerial battle when his aircraft collided with a Chinese Polikarpov I-15 fighter flown by Soviet volunteer Valentin Dudonov. Nangō's death in battle was widely publicized in Japan and his funeral was attended by the vice minister of the navy, Isoroku Yamamoto.
Japanese supercentenarians are citizens, residents or emigrants from Japan who have attained or surpassed the age of…
Japanese supercentenarians are citizens, residents or emigrants from Japan who have attained or surpassed the age of 110 years. As of January 2015, the Gerontology Research Group (GRG) had validated the longevity claims of 263 Japanese supercentenarians, most of whom are women. As of 18 October 2026, the oldest-known living Japanese person is Fuyo Kishimoto (born in Hamasaka on 20 December 1911), who is aged 114 years, 302 days. The oldest verified Japanese and Asian person ever is Kane Tanaka (1903–2022), who lived to the age of 119 years and 107 days, making her the second-oldest validated person ever as well. Japan was also home to the world's oldest man ever, Jiroemon Kimura (1897–2013), who lived to the age of 116 years and 54 days.
Fuji Okamoto (岡本 不二, Okamoto Fuji; July 4, 1905 in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan – January 4, 1984) was a Japanese boxer who…
Fuji Okamoto (岡本 不二, Okamoto Fuji; July 4, 1905 in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan – January 4, 1984) was a Japanese boxer who competed in the 1928 Summer Olympics. In 1928 he was eliminated in the second round of the bantamweight class after losing his fight to Frank Traynor of Ireland.
Tatsuzō Ishikawa (Japanese: 石川 達三, Ishikawa Tatsuzō; July 2, 1905 – January 31, 1985) was a Japanese writer. He was the…
Tatsuzō Ishikawa (Japanese: 石川 達三, Ishikawa Tatsuzō; July 2, 1905 – January 31, 1985) was a Japanese writer. He was the first winner of the Akutagawa Prize.
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.
Hideo Oguni (小国 英雄, Oguni Hideo; 9 July 1904 – 5 February 1996) was a Japanese writer who wrote over 100 screenplays.…
Hideo Oguni (小国 英雄, Oguni Hideo; 9 July 1904 – 5 February 1996) was a Japanese writer who wrote over 100 screenplays. He is best known for co-writing screenplays for a number of films directed by Akira Kurosawa, including Ikiru (1952), Seven Samurai (1954), Throne of Blood (1957), and The Hidden Fortress (1958).
Kōyō Ishikawa (石川 光陽, Ishikawa Kōyō; July 5, 1904 – December 26, 1989) was a Japanese photographer. As an officer of…
Kōyō Ishikawa (石川 光陽, Ishikawa Kōyō; July 5, 1904 – December 26, 1989) was a Japanese photographer. As an officer of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, he was one of the few known photographers of the immediate aftermath of the U.S. bombings of Tokyo in World War II, since strict regulations prohibited civilians from taking pictures of war damage.
Tamaki Tokuyama (徳山 璉, Tokuyama Tamaki; July 27, 1903 – January 28, 1942) was a classically trained baritone and a…
Tamaki Tokuyama (徳山 璉, Tokuyama Tamaki; July 27, 1903 – January 28, 1942) was a classically trained baritone and a famous singer of popular music in early Shōwa era Japan.
Fujisaburō Ono (小野 藤三郎, Ono Fujisaburō; July 27, 1903 – October 8, 1996), better known as Tōzaburō Ono (小野 十三郎, Ono…
Fujisaburō Ono (小野 藤三郎, Ono Fujisaburō; July 27, 1903 – October 8, 1996), better known as Tōzaburō Ono (小野 十三郎, Ono Tōzaburō), was a Japanese poet and anarchist known for his critique of lyric poetry and as an advocate of long, rational poems.
Ryōhei Koiso (小磯 良平, Koiso Ryōhei; Japanese: [koiso ɾʲoːheː]) (July 25, 1903 – December 16, 1988) was a Japanese…
Ryōhei Koiso (小磯 良平, Koiso Ryōhei; Japanese: [koiso ɾʲoːheː]) (July 25, 1903 – December 16, 1988) was a Japanese artist. He graduated from the Tokyo University of the Arts western art department in 1927 and had a successful career from early on. During World War II he was often commissioned paintings depicting Japanese military scenes, such as the signing of the British surrender of Singapore, and Japanese infantrymen making their way through high grass fields in Malaysia. He returned to mainstream painting following the war, and painted until his death. His work was also part of the painting event in the art competition at the 1936 Summer Olympics.
Shinji Maejima (前嶋 信次, Maejima Shinji; July 20, 1903 – June 3, 1983) was a Japanese orientalist.
Hideo Aragaki (荒垣 秀雄, Aragaki Hideo; July 19, 1903 – July 8, 1989) was a Japanese newspaperman and a columnist in the…
Hideo Aragaki (荒垣 秀雄, Aragaki Hideo; July 19, 1903 – July 8, 1989) was a Japanese newspaperman and a columnist in the Showa era. He was known for writing essays in the Tensei Jingo of Asahi Shimbun for 17 years.