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.
Yanosuke Otsuka (大塚弥之助) (11 July 1903 – 7 August 1950) was a Japanese geologist and professor. Yanosuke Otsuka was born…Yanosuke Otsuka (大塚弥之助) (11 July 1903 – 7 August 1950) was a Japanese geologist and professor. Yanosuke Otsuka was born in Nihonbashi, Tokyo on 11 July 1903. He went to the Junior High School attached to Tokyo Higher Normal School (東京高等師範学校付属中学校), and after that to Shizuoka High School (静岡高校). For his undergraduate studies, he entered the Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, Imperial University of Tokyo, where he graduated in 1929. While he was student, he learned the methods of historical geology from Yoshiaki Ozawa, topography from Taro Tsujimura (辻村太郎), and Cenozoic biological stratigraphy from Shigeyasu Tokunaga. After graduation, he entered the Earthquake Research Institute as an assistant in 1930, becoming an associate professor in 1939 and a professor in 1943. He made significant contributions in characterizing the surface faults in the circum-Pacific area, effects of tsunamis, tectonics of crustal movements, taxonomy of molluscs, paleoclimatology, mapping of Cenozoic strata, and the Tertiary history of the Japanese islands. He died prematurely from pulmonary tuberculosis on 7 August 1950, at the age of 47, because effective antimicrobial therapy was not yet available in Japan at the time. In biology, he is known for the Otsuka similarity coefficient (also known as Otsuka-Ochiai or Ochiai coefficient), which can be represented as: K = | A ∩ B | | A | × | B | {\displaystyle K={\frac {|A\cap B|}{\sqrt {|A|\times |B|}}}} Here, A {\displaystyle A} and B {\displaystyle B} are sets, and | A | {\displaystyle |A|} is the number of elements in A {\displaystyle A} . If sets are represented as bit vectors, the Otsuka similarity coefficient can be seen to be the same as the cosine similarity. In a recent book, the Otsuka similarity coefficient is misattributed to another Japanese researcher with the family name Otsuka. The confusion arises because in 1957 Akira Ochiai attributes the coefficient only to Otsuka (no first name mentioned) by citing an article by Ikuso Hamai (Japanese: 浜井 生三), who in turn cites the original 1936 article by Yanosuke Otsuka.
Kanematsu Yamada (山田 兼松, September 16, 1903 – August 27, 1977) was a Japanese long-distance runner. He competed in the…Kanematsu Yamada (山田 兼松, September 16, 1903 – August 27, 1977) was a Japanese long-distance runner. He competed in the 1928 Olympics marathon, finishing in fourth place.
Nobutake Ōkōchi (大河内 信威, Ōkōchi Nobutake; 24 July 1902 – 12 July 1990) was a Japanese art historian, critic and…Nobutake Ōkōchi (大河内 信威, Ōkōchi Nobutake; 24 July 1902 – 12 July 1990) was a Japanese art historian, critic and businessman who served as the fifth president of the Japan Ceramics Association from 1984 to 1990. Before that, he was also a sympathiser for the cause of the Japanese Communist Party.
Yoshitora Kawai (Japanese: 川合 義虎; 1902–1923) was a Japanese communist activist involved with many Tokyo-based political…Yoshitora Kawai (Japanese: 川合 義虎; 1902–1923) was a Japanese communist activist involved with many Tokyo-based political groups. Kawai attended Honzan hospital's nurse training school, but moved to Tokyo's Kameido district in September 1920 after being exposed to socialism by a professor, Oka-sensei. He was a member of Gyōminkai (Enlightened People's Society), a communist study group, and joined the Nankatsu Labor Union alongside Tanno Setsu. In March 1923, Kawai created the Tokyo Communist Youth League, the first instance of a Japanese group openly labeling themselves as communists. During the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake, Kawai was reported as having rescued three children who had been trapped under a collapsed house. Amidst the chaos of the earthquake's aftermath, he was captured on 2 September 1923, and a few days later, was killed by police in prison during the Kameido Incident.
Colonel Baron Takeichi Nishi (西 竹一, Nishi Takeichi; July 12, 1902 – c. March 22, 1945) was an Imperial Japanese Army…Colonel Baron Takeichi Nishi (西 竹一, Nishi Takeichi; July 12, 1902 – c. March 22, 1945) was an Imperial Japanese Army officer, equestrian show jumper, and Olympic Gold Medalist at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics. Near the end of the Second World War he commanded the 26th Tank Regiment during the Battle of Iwo Jima and died during the defense of the island.
Shohei Mishina (三品彰英, Mishina Shōhei; 5 July 1902 – 19 December 1971) was a Japanese historian and mythologist…Shohei Mishina (三品彰英, Mishina Shōhei; 5 July 1902 – 19 December 1971) was a Japanese historian and mythologist specializing in the history of Korea and Japan. In 1928, Mishina graduated from the Faculty of History of Literature at Kyoto University. Before World War II he was a professor at Kyoto University and the Imperial Japanese Navy. In 1945, he retired as a professor from the Imperial Navy and began teaching at Ōtani University, where he was appointed professor in 1946. Later he was a professor at Dōshisha University between 1955 and 1960, and after that, he was director of the Osaka City Museum and professor at Bukkyo University. Mishina was a teacher of the historian Hideo Inoue, and since 1960, he maintained in Kansai a Study Group composed of several researchers, about ancient Japanese history.
Takahiko Yamanouchi (山内 恭彦, Yamanouchi Takahiko; July 2, 1902 – October 14, 1986) was a Japanese theoretical physicist…Takahiko Yamanouchi (山内 恭彦, Yamanouchi Takahiko; July 2, 1902 – October 14, 1986) was a Japanese theoretical physicist, known for group theory in quantum mechanics first proposed by Yamanouchi in Japan. Yamanouchi was born in Kanagawa, graduated in physics from the Imperial University of Tokyo in 1926. From 1926 to 1927 he was a research associate at the Imperial University of Tokyo. From 1927 to 1931 he was a professor at the Tokyo Higher School. He joined the faculty of the Imperial University of Tokyo in 1929 as a lecturer of engineering and became a full professor in 1942. He was a professor of physics at the University of Tokyo from 1949 to his retirement in 1963. During 1959–1961 he was the dean of the faculty of science. In 1956 he was awarded the Japan Academy Prize for "application of group theory to the theory of atomic spectra".
Nakamura Kusatao (中村 草田男; July 27, 1901 – August 5, 1983) was a Japanese haiku poet. Nakamura was born on July 27…Nakamura Kusatao (中村 草田男; July 27, 1901 – August 5, 1983) was a Japanese haiku poet. Nakamura was born on July 27, 1901, in Amoy, Fujian Province, China, the son of a Japanese diplomat. A few years later his mother brought him to Japan, where he was educated in various schools in Matsuyama and Tokyo. One of those schools was Seinan Elementary School (港区立青南小学校) in Tokyo. When returning to that school twenty years later, he wrote perhaps his most famous haiku, reflecting on the falling snow and the passing of the Meiji era: In 1977, the haiku was inscribed on a stone monument at the school unveiled by Nakamura. In 1925, he attended Tokyo University to study German literature, compelled by the works of Nietzsche, Hölderlin, Chekhov, Dostoevsky, and Strindberg. Following his father's death, he suffered a nervous breakdown in 1927 and turned to poetry, particularly the tanka of Saitō Mokichi. Eventually, he returned to Tokyo University, changing his major to Japanese literature and writing his bachelor's thesis on the poet Shiki Masakoa. He finally graduated in 1933. Following graduation, he taught at the Seiki Gakuen until 1967. At Tokyo University, he joined the Tokyo University Haiku Society. In 1929, he met Kyoshi Takahama, the doyen of the conservative haiku school centered on the magazine Hototogisu. He joined the school and met other leading poets like Takashi Matsumoto and Kawabata Bōsha. He submitted haiku to Hototogisu and published his first collection, Chōshi (長子; "The Eldest Son"), in 1936. Like many other poets, he eventually broke with Hototogisu and started his own magazine, Banryoku (萬緑; "Myriad Green Leaves"), in 1946. He was the first president of the Association of Haiku Poets. Nakamura was a leading figure in a humanist approach to poetry referred to as ningen tankyūha (人間探求派). His verse was also noted for its ambiguity and obscurity. He went on to write over a half dozen haiku collections, several volumes of essays and criticism, and short stories he referred to as märchen.
Sōjō Hino (日野 草城; July 18, 1901 – January 29, 1956) was a Japanese poet. His haiku involved subjects then considered…Sōjō Hino (日野 草城; July 18, 1901 – January 29, 1956) was a Japanese poet. His haiku involved subjects then considered controversial for the form, including erotic sexuality, fictionalized scenarios, and mundane topics outside of nature.
Itoko Koyama (小山 いと子) (born Ito Ikemoto; July 13, 1901 – July 25, 1989) was a Japanese writer. She is best known for…Itoko Koyama (小山 いと子) (born Ito Ikemoto; July 13, 1901 – July 25, 1989) was a Japanese writer. She is best known for her 1956 biography of Empress Kōjun. She was a recipient of both the Fujin Kōron Prize and the Naoki Prize.
Eiji Tsuburaya (Japanese: 円谷 英二, Hepburn: Tsuburaya Eiji; July 7, 1901 – January 25, 1970) was a Japanese special…Eiji Tsuburaya (Japanese: 円谷 英二, Hepburn: Tsuburaya Eiji; July 7, 1901 – January 25, 1970) was a Japanese special effects director, filmmaker, and cinematographer. A co-creator of the Godzilla and Ultraman franchises, he is considered one of the most important and influential figures in the history of cinema. Tsuburaya is known as the "Father of Tokusatsu", having pioneered Japan's special effects industry and introduced several technological developments in film productions. In a career spanning five decades, Tsuburaya worked on approximately 250 films—including globally renowned features directed by Ishirō Honda, Hiroshi Inagaki, and Akira Kurosawa—and earned six Japan Technical Awards. Following a brief stint as an inventor, Tsuburaya was employed by Japanese cinema pioneer Yoshirō Edamasa in 1919 and began his career working as an assistant cinematographer on Edamasa's A Tune of Pity. Thereafter, he worked as an assistant cinematographer on several films, including Teinosuke Kinugasa's A Page of Madness (1926). At the age of thirty-two, Tsuburaya watched King Kong, which greatly influenced him to work in special effects. Tsuburaya completed the first iron shooting crane in October 1934, and an adaptation of the crane is still in use across the globe today. After filming his directorial debut on the cruiser Asama in the Pacific Ocean, he worked on Princess Kaguya (1935), one of Japan's first major films to incorporate special effects. His first majorly successful film in effects, The Daughter of the Samurai (1937), remarkably featured the first full-scale rear projection. In 1937, Tsuburaya was employed by Toho and established the company's effects department. Tsuburaya directed the effects for The War at Sea from Hawaii to Malaya in 1942, which became the highest-grossing Japanese film in history upon its release. His elaborate effects were believed to be behind the film's major success, and he won an award for his work from the Japan Motion Picture Cinematographers Association. In 1948, however, Tsuburaya was purged from Toho by the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers because of his involvement in propaganda films during World War II. Thus, he founded Tsuburaya Special Technology Laboratory with his eldest son Hajime and worked without credit at major Japanese studios outside Toho, creating effects for films such as Daiei's The Invisible Man Appears (1949), widely regarded as the first Japanese science fiction film. In 1950, Tsuburaya returned to Toho alongside his effects crew from Tsuburaya Special Technology Laboratory. At age fifty-three, he gained international recognition and won his first Japan Technical Award for Special Skill for directing the effects in Ishirō Honda's kaiju film Godzilla (1954). He served as the effects director for Toho's string of financially successful tokusatsu films that followed, including, Rodan (1956), The Mysterians (1957), The Three Treasures (1959), Mothra, The Last War (both 1961), and King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962). In April 1963, Tsuburaya founded Tsuburaya Special Effects Productions; his company would go onto produce the television shows Ultra Q, Ultraman (both 1966), Ultraseven (1967–1968), and Mighty Jack (1968). Ultra Q and Ultraman were extremely successful upon their 1966 broadcast, with Ultra Q making him a household name in Japan and gaining him more attention from the media who dubbed him the "God of Tokusatsu". While he spent his late years working on several Toho films and operating his company, Tsuburaya's health began to decline, and he died in 1970.
Kaijin Akashi (Japanese: 明石 海人) was the pen name of Shōtarō Noda (野田勝太郎, 5 July 1901 – 9 June 1939), a Japanese poet…Kaijin Akashi (Japanese: 明石 海人) was the pen name of Shōtarō Noda (野田勝太郎, 5 July 1901 – 9 June 1939), a Japanese poet whose writing was inspired by his diagnosis of leprosy and confinement to a leper colony.
Mumon Yamada (山田 無文, Yamada Mumon; July 16, 1900 – December 24, 1988) was a Rinzai roshi, calligrapher, and former…Mumon Yamada (山田 無文, Yamada Mumon; July 16, 1900 – December 24, 1988) was a Rinzai roshi, calligrapher, and former abbot of Shōfuku-ji in Kobe, Japan. Mumon was also the former head of the Myōshin-ji branch of the Rinzai school of Japan. His most prominent student (and Dharma heir) is Shodo Harada of Sōgen-ji, an influential master in both Japan and the United States.
Baron Takaharu Mitsui (三井 高陽, Mitsui Takaharu; 10 July 1900 – 19 May 1983) was a Japanese businessman, scholar and…Baron Takaharu Mitsui (三井 高陽, Mitsui Takaharu; 10 July 1900 – 19 May 1983) was a Japanese businessman, scholar and philatelist. He is considered the "dean of Japanese philately" by many in the philatelic world. He headed one of six main branches of the Mitsui family, of the Mitsui zaibatsu.
Marquis Yoshimaro Yamashina (山階 芳麿, Yamashina Yoshimaro; July 5, 1900 – January 28, 1989) was a Japanese ornithologist.…Marquis Yoshimaro Yamashina (山階 芳麿, Yamashina Yoshimaro; July 5, 1900 – January 28, 1989) was a Japanese ornithologist. He was the founder of the Yamashina Institute for Ornithology.
Ukichiro Nakaya (中谷 宇吉郎, Nakaya Ukichirō; July 4, 1900 – April 11, 1962) was a Japanese physicist and science essayist…Ukichiro Nakaya (中谷 宇吉郎, Nakaya Ukichirō; July 4, 1900 – April 11, 1962) was a Japanese physicist and science essayist known for his work in glaciology and low-temperature sciences. He is credited with making the first artificial snowflakes.
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.
Kazuzo Kudo (1898–1970) is a former Judo instructor and author. Kudo was born in 1898. Kudo reached the 9th dan in…Kazuzo Kudo (1898–1970) is a former Judo instructor and author. Kudo was born in 1898. Kudo reached the 9th dan in 1967. Kudo was the author of Judo books, Judo in Action Throwing Techniques, and Judo in Action Grappling Techniques. He was also the author of Dynamic Judo. By 1970, he was the sole living person to have studied under Kanō Jigorō. In the same year he served as the director of the Kodokan Judo Institute. He died in 1970.
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.
Yun Sim-deok (Korean: 윤심덕; Hanja: 尹心悳; 25 July 1897 – 4 August 1926) was a Korean singer. She was the country's first…Yun Sim-deok (Korean: 윤심덕; Hanja: 尹心悳; 25 July 1897 – 4 August 1926) was a Korean singer. She was the country's first professional soprano.
Katsuo Okazaki (岡崎 勝男, Okazaki Katsuo; 10 July 1897 – 10 October 1965) was a Japanese diplomat, politician and…Katsuo Okazaki (岡崎 勝男, Okazaki Katsuo; 10 July 1897 – 10 October 1965) was a Japanese diplomat, politician and sportsman. He served as the Japanese foreign minister in the 1950s. He was also the final – and only Japanese – chairman of the Shanghai Municipal Council.
Luke (Lucas) Hasegawa (9 July 1897 – 3 July 1967) was a Japanese artist and convert to Catholicism who was commissioned…Luke (Lucas) Hasegawa (9 July 1897 – 3 July 1967) was a Japanese artist and convert to Catholicism who was commissioned to paint murals remembering the 26 Martyrs of Nagasaki for the Church of the Holy Japanese Martyrs in Civitavecchia, Italy. He is a graduate of Morning Star (Gyosei) International School in Tokyo. His work is documented in a book titled Each with His Own Brush: Contemporary Christian Art in Asia and Africa by Daniel Johnson Fleming, published by Friendship Press in 1938.
Kaoru Shima (島薫, Shima Kaoru; 2 July 1897 – 16 May 1977) was a Japanese physician. He was the first director of the…Kaoru Shima (島薫, Shima Kaoru; 2 July 1897 – 16 May 1977) was a Japanese physician. He was the first director of the rebuilt Shima Hospital, located at the hypocenter of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. He is known as the "father of the Hiroshima Surgical Society".
Takeru Inukai (犬養 健, Inukai Takeru; 28 July 1896 – 28 August 1960) was a Japanese politician and novelist active in…Takeru Inukai (犬養 健, Inukai Takeru; 28 July 1896 – 28 August 1960) was a Japanese politician and novelist active in Shōwa period Japan. Also known as "Inukai Ken", he was the third son of Prime Minister of Japan Inukai Tsuyoshi.
Keizō Komura (古村 啓蔵, Komura Keizō; 20 July 1896 – 7 February 1978) was a Rear Admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy…Keizō Komura (古村 啓蔵, Komura Keizō; 20 July 1896 – 7 February 1978) was a Rear Admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.
Tokuro Konishi (小西 得郎) (July 10, 1894 – June 9, 1977) was a Japanese baseball manager. Konishi played for Nihon…Tokuro Konishi (小西 得郎) (July 10, 1894 – June 9, 1977) was a Japanese baseball manager. Konishi played for Nihon University and Meiji University. He had three stints as manager for the franchise eventually known as the Shochiku Robins, first from 1936 to 1938, when the team was known as Dai Tokyo and then the Lion Baseball Club; then in 1950; and again for part of 1952 when it was known as the Robins. After his first stint as manager with Dai Tokyo/Lion, he managed the Nagoya Baseball Club from 1939 to 1941. Konishi returned to managing in 1950, the first year of the Nippon Professional Baseball. His Robins won 98 games, first in the Central League. They lost the inaugural Japan Series to the Mainichi Orions. He was inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 1971.
Tomi Kōra (Japanese: 高良 とみ, Hepburn: Kōra Tomi; July 1, 1896 – January 17, 1993) was a Japanese psychologist, peace…Tomi Kōra (Japanese: 高良 とみ, Hepburn: Kōra Tomi; July 1, 1896 – January 17, 1993) was a Japanese psychologist, peace activist, and politician. She published under the name Tomiko Kōra (高良 とみ, Kōra Tomiko).
Takeo Kurusu (栗栖赳夫; 1895–1966) was a politician in Japan's Democratic Party. He served in various political and…Takeo Kurusu (栗栖赳夫; 1895–1966) was a politician in Japan's Democratic Party. He served in various political and government offices, including the minister of finance in the cabinet led by Prime Minister Tetsu Katayama.
Asano Nagatake (7 May 1895 – 3 January 1969) was the 29th family head of the Asano clan, which ruled over Hiroshima…Asano Nagatake (7 May 1895 – 3 January 1969) was the 29th family head of the Asano clan, which ruled over Hiroshima Domain before 1871.
Huang Tu-shui (Chinese: 黃土水; pinyin: Huáng Tǔshuǐ; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: N̂g Thô͘-chúi; 1895–1930) was a pioneer of modern…Huang Tu-shui (Chinese: 黃土水; pinyin: Huáng Tǔshuǐ; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: N̂g Thô͘-chúi; 1895–1930) was a pioneer of modern sculpture in Taiwan. From his youth, Huang was familiar with the traditional carving of Taiwan, and was influenced by modern Western styles during his studies in Tokyo.
Masaji Kitano (北野 政次, Kitano Masaji; July 14, 1894 – May 17, 1986) was a Japanese doctor, medical physician…Masaji Kitano (北野 政次, Kitano Masaji; July 14, 1894 – May 17, 1986) was a Japanese doctor, medical physician, microbiologist and a lieutenant general in the Imperial Japanese Army. He was the second commander of Unit 731, a covert biological and chemical warfare research and development unit responsible for some of the most notorious war crimes carried out by Japanese personnel.
Hide Kawanishi (川西 英, Kawanishi Hide; 9 July 1894 – 20 February 1965) was a Japanese painter. His work was part of the…Hide Kawanishi (川西 英, Kawanishi Hide; 9 July 1894 – 20 February 1965) was a Japanese painter. His work was part of the painting event in the art competition at the 1932 Summer Olympics.
Shinzō Ōya (大屋 晋三, Ōya Shinzō; 5 July 1894 – 9 March 1980) was an entrepreneur and politician, who served as Minister…Shinzō Ōya (大屋 晋三, Ōya Shinzō; 5 July 1894 – 9 March 1980) was an entrepreneur and politician, who served as Minister of Commerce and Industry in post-war Japan. Ōya was born in what is now part of the town of Meiwa in Gunma Prefecture, where his father was a high school principal and his grandfather had been a samurai in the service of Kawagoe Domain. He graduated from what later became Hitotsubashi University in 1918. On graduation he joined the zaibatsu Suzuki Shoten, and from 1925 went to work for Teijin, eventually becoming its president in November 1945. In his early career, he was praised as a charismatic manager, who introduced new synthetic fibers which made Teijin a market leader in the fabric industry. However, he later was criticized for over-diversification, and for his refusal to surrender authority over the company despite his obvious mental decline in old age, which led Teijin to the brink of bankruptcy. In 1947, Ōya was elected to a seat in the Diet of Japan in 1947 Upper House election from the Osaka electoral district, and was reelected for a second term, serving until June 1956 under Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) banner. From 19 October 1948 – 16 February 1949, he was Minister of Commerce and Industry under the 2nd Shigeru Yoshida administration, as well as interim Minister of Finance from 14 December 1948 to 16 February 1949. During the 3rd Yoshida administration, Ōya served as Minister of Transport from 16 February 1949 to 28 June 1950. Ōya was married to the singer and writer Masako Ōya.
Fukumoto Kazuo (Japanese: 福本 和夫, Hepburn: Fukumoto Kazuo; 4 July 1894 – 16 November 1983) was a Japanese Marxist and…Fukumoto Kazuo (Japanese: 福本 和夫, Hepburn: Fukumoto Kazuo; 4 July 1894 – 16 November 1983) was a Japanese Marxist and one of the most important theoreticians of the Japanese Communist Party during the 1920s.
Katashi Inoue (Japanese: 井上 硬, Hepburn: Inoue Katashi; July 4, 1894 – October 4, 1969) was a Japanese medical scientist…Katashi Inoue (Japanese: 井上 硬, Hepburn: Inoue Katashi; July 4, 1894 – October 4, 1969) was a Japanese medical scientist from Okayama Prefecture. He served as a professor at the Kyoto Imperial University Faculty of Medicine and, following the postwar educational reforms, at the restructured Faculty of Medicine of Kyoto University. Inoue was appointed director of the Institute for Virus Research and served as the 16th director of the Kyoto University Hospital, concurrently acting as a university councilor. He was later named professor emeritus of Kyoto University.
Tomiji Koyanagi (小柳 富次, Koyanagi Tomiji; 16 July 1893 – 6 August 1978), was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy…Tomiji Koyanagi (小柳 富次, Koyanagi Tomiji; 16 July 1893 – 6 August 1978), was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.
Ryūkichi Tanaka (田中 隆吉, Tanaka Ryūkichi; 9 July 1893 – 5 June 1972) was a major general in the Imperial Japanese Army…Ryūkichi Tanaka (田中 隆吉, Tanaka Ryūkichi; 9 July 1893 – 5 June 1972) was a major general in the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II.
Bunroku Shishi (獅子文六, Shishi Bunroku; 1 July 1893 – 13 December 1969), real name Toyoo Iwata (岩田豊雄, Iwata Toyoo), was a…Bunroku Shishi (獅子文六, Shishi Bunroku; 1 July 1893 – 13 December 1969), real name Toyoo Iwata (岩田豊雄, Iwata Toyoo), was a Japanese novelist, playwright and director of the Bungakuza theatre company. Shishi was born in Yokohama. In 1922 he traveled to France to study modern French theater, and worked in the atelier of Jacques Copeau.
Kōji Uno (宇野 浩二, Uno Kōji; July 26, 1891 - September 21, 1961) was a noted Japanese novelist and short story writer.…Kōji Uno (宇野 浩二, Uno Kōji; July 26, 1891 - September 21, 1961) was a noted Japanese novelist and short story writer. Uno was born in Fukuoka to parents of Samurai origin. His grandfather was a police captain and his father a teacher. After his father's death when Uno was four, his family lost all their savings speculating in the stock market. When Uno was eight, he was sent to live with his grandmother and an uncle in Sōemonchō as his mother became a waitress. There he lived, beside the Dōtonbori entertainment district, among geisha, prostitutes, wig-makers, and gamblers, as he attended Rikugun elementary school from 1899 to 1901. He attended Tennōji middle school, where he learned to read English and acquired a taste for Nikolai Gogol's fiction. In 1910 he moved to Tokyo to study English literature at Waseda University, where he read Symbolist poetry and Russian modernists including Leonid Andreyev, Mikhail Artsybashev, Konstantin Balmont, Aleksandr Kuprin, Fyodor Sologub, and Boris Konstantinovich Zaytsev. At age 28, Uno published his first major work, "In the Storehouse", whose colloquial and ironic style was criticized as "flippant" and "popular". After seven years (1927–1933) of mental illness and silence, his publications became more conventional and Uno participated in the literary life of the day. During World War II, he wrote essays on literary life in the Taishō period (1912–1926). He received the Yomiuri Prize in 1950 for his 1948 novel Omoigawa (思ひ川, River of Thought), and highly praised for his 1951 critical biography of author Ryūnosuke Akutagawa. In 1953 he campaigned for the release of twenty Communist factory workers accused of sabotaging a Japan National Railways freight train, publishing two novels on their behalf, and touring China in 1956 on a personal invitation from Zhou Enlai. Uno died of pulmonary tuberculosis.
Tadamichi Kuribayashi (栗林 忠道, Kuribayashi Tadamichi; 7 July 1891 – c. 26 March 1945) was a general in the Imperial…Tadamichi Kuribayashi (栗林 忠道, Kuribayashi Tadamichi; 7 July 1891 – c. 26 March 1945) was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army, diplomat, and commanding officer of the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff. He is best known for having been the commander of the Japanese garrison at the battle of Iwo Jima. Even before the battle, General Kuribayashi insisted upon sharing the hardships of his men. He also refused to permit banzai charges, which he regarded as an unnecessary waste of his men's lives. The United States Marine Corps had expected to capture Iwo Jima in five days, but Kuribayashi and his men held out for 36 days. It is believed that Kuribayashi was killed in action while leading his soldiers in a night-attack on American troops, but his body was never identified by the United States military. U.S. Marine Corps General Holland Smith said of Kuribayashi that "Of all our adversaries in the Pacific, Kuribayashi was the most redoubtable."
Kōshirō Onchi (恩地 孝四郎, 2 July 1891 – 3 June 1955), who is also known as Onchi Kōshirō was Tokyo-born Japanese artist…Kōshirō Onchi (恩地 孝四郎, 2 July 1891 – 3 June 1955), who is also known as Onchi Kōshirō was Tokyo-born Japanese artist who is best known for his prints. He was the father of the sōsaku-hanga movement in twentieth-century Japan, and a photographer. His work was part of the painting event in the art competition at the 1932 Summer Olympics.
Seiichi Itō (伊藤 整一, Itō Seiichi; July 26, 1890 – April 7, 1945) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy and the…Seiichi Itō (伊藤 整一, Itō Seiichi; July 26, 1890 – April 7, 1945) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy and the flag officer of the task force centered around the battleship Yamato on his final mission towards the end of World War II.
Sadatoshi Senda (千田 貞敏, Senda Sadatoshi; 1890 – December 25, 1944) was a rear admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy.…Sadatoshi Senda (千田 貞敏, Senda Sadatoshi; 1890 – December 25, 1944) was a rear admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy. Senda served as an officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy and was stationed on the island of Biak, near New Guinea. Though he was the highest-ranking officer on the island, he was placed under the command of Kuzume Naoyuki, who was only a colonel. He commanded 1,500 troops of the 28th Marine Department, yet only 125 had engaged in combat training. He aided in the defense of Biak against the United States Army, but was killed in the battle for the island after trying to fight off the US landings on 25 December, 1944.
Captain Koreshige Inuzuka (犬塚 惟重, Inuzuka Koreshige; 11 July 1890 – 19 February 1965) was the head of the Japanese…Captain Koreshige Inuzuka (犬塚 惟重, Inuzuka Koreshige; 11 July 1890 – 19 February 1965) was the head of the Japanese Imperial Navy's Advisory Bureau on Jewish Affairs from March 1939 until April 1942. Unlike his Imperial Japanese Army counterpart, Colonel Yasue Norihiro, he believed strongly in the Protocols of the Elders of Zion; these beliefs led him to think that attracting Jews to settle in Japanese-controlled Asia was in the Empire of Japan's best interests.
Gorō Tsuruta (鶴田 吾郎, Tsuruta Gorō; July 8, 1890 – January 1, 1969) was a Japanese painter of the yōga (or…Gorō Tsuruta (鶴田 吾郎, Tsuruta Gorō; July 8, 1890 – January 1, 1969) was a Japanese painter of the yōga (or Western-style) movement and a member of the Japan Fine Arts Exhibition.
