Keiko Kishi (岸 惠子, Kishi Keiko; 11 August 1932 – 7 August 2026) was a Japanese actress, writer and UNFPA Goodwill…Keiko Kishi (岸 惠子, Kishi Keiko; 11 August 1932 – 7 August 2026) was a Japanese actress, writer and UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador. She was a Japan Academy Film Prize winner, out of three total nominations.
Asei Kobayashi (小林 亜星, Kobayashi Asei; 11 August 1932 – 30 May 2021) was a Japanese composer. He was also a lyricist…Asei Kobayashi (小林 亜星, Kobayashi Asei; 11 August 1932 – 30 May 2021) was a Japanese composer. He was also a lyricist, actor, and multi-tarento. He could also sing songs and advertisement songs. Kobayashi was represented by Astro Music. He was the director of the Japan Songwriters Association (J-scat). Kobayashi served as the first president of the Dai Nihon Piman-sha Renmei (Dai Pi Ren). His songs are used in advertisements and television themes. Asei also composed the music for the 1991 Famicom video game Niji no Silkroad. A soundtrack CD was later released titled Rainbow Silkroad Image Album WINDY ROAD. He also composed The TV Asahi song in 1977 when the television station changed its name to its current name.
Noboru Ishiguro (石黒昇, Ishiguro Noboru; 2 August 1932 – 11 February 2021) was a Japanese racewalker. He competed in the…Noboru Ishiguro (石黒昇, Ishiguro Noboru; 2 August 1932 – 11 February 2021) was a Japanese racewalker. He competed in the men's 20 kilometres walk at the 1964 Summer Olympics. Ishiguro died on 11 February 2021 of esophageal cancer. He had been scheduled to serve as the Olympic torch carrier for Saitama Prefecture during the 2020 Summer Olympics.
Kazumi Takahashi (高橋 和巳, Takahashi Kazumi; 31 August 1931—3 May 1971) was a Japanese novelist and scholar of Chinese…Kazumi Takahashi (高橋 和巳, Takahashi Kazumi; 31 August 1931—3 May 1971) was a Japanese novelist and scholar of Chinese literature in Shōwa-era Japan. His wife was fellow writer Takako Takahashi.
Jōji Yanami (八奈見 乗児, Yanami Jōji; born Shigemitsu Shirato (白土 繁満, Shirato Shigemitsu), August 30, 1931 – December 3…Jōji Yanami (八奈見 乗児, Yanami Jōji; born Shigemitsu Shirato (白土 繁満, Shirato Shigemitsu), August 30, 1931 – December 3, 2021) was a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator who was affiliated with Aoni Production. Some of his most prominent voice roles included the narrator, Dr. Briefs, Kaiō-sama (a.k.a. King Kai or North Kaio), and Bobbidi in the Dragon Ball anime series. Other major roles included Dr. Isaac Gilmore in Cyborg 009, Gennai in Digimon, Ittan Momen in GeGeGe no Kitarō, Dr. Yumi in Mazinger Z, and numerous characters in the Time Bokan series. On September 25, 2015, Toei Animation announced that Yanami would be taking medical leave from working on the Dragon Ball Super television anime series for an indefinite amount of time, with his roles as the narrator and Kaiō-sama being taken over by Naoki Tatsuta.
Ichikawa Raizō VIII (八代目 市川 雷蔵, Hachidaime Ichikawa Raizō; August 29, 1931 – July 17, 1969) was a Japanese film and…Ichikawa Raizō VIII (八代目 市川 雷蔵, Hachidaime Ichikawa Raizō; August 29, 1931 – July 17, 1969) was a Japanese film and kabuki actor. His birth name was Akio Kamezaki (亀崎 章雄, Kamezaki Akio), and his name was legally changed several times, first to Yoshio Takeuchi (武内 嘉男, Takeuchi Yoshio), and later to Yoshiya Ōta (太田 吉哉, Ōta Yoshiya), separate from his performing name. Six months after his birth in Kyoto he became the adopted son of Ichikawa Kudanji III (三代目 市川 九團次, Sandaime Ichikawa Kudanji). He made his kabuki acting debut at the age of 15 under the name Ichikawa Enzō (市川延蔵, Ichikawa Enzō). In 1951 he was adopted by Ichikawa Jūkai III (三代目 市川 壽海, Sandaime Ichikawa Jūkai) and was renamed as Ichikawa Raizō VIII. In 1954 he began a career as a film actor. He received breakout acclaim for his performance in Enjō and received several awards for the performance including the Blue Ribbon Award and the Kinema Junpo Award, both for the category of Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role. Among his fans he was referred to lovingly as "Rai-sama." In June 1968 he was diagnosed with and underwent surgery for rectal cancer, but it metastasized to his liver and he died the following year. Ichikawa Raizō appeared mostly in period dramas (jidaigeki). He is best known for the Sleepy Eyes of Death (Nemuri Kyoshirō) series, Ninja (Shinobi no Mono) series and Nakano Spy School (Rikugun Nakano Gakkō) series (based on the Nakano School). Raizō worked many times with director Kenji Misumi. Their collaborations include The Sword (Ken) (from a book by Yukio Mishima) and Destiny's Son, originally released as 斬る (Kiru). The actor's other notable works include An Actor's Revenge (Yukinojo henge). He was so admired for his gracefulness that in his lifetime he was called "the genius who thinks with his body."
Shunichiro Okano (岡野 俊一郎, Okano Shunichiro; 28 August 1931 – 2 February 2017) was a Japanese football player and…Shunichiro Okano (岡野 俊一郎, Okano Shunichiro; 28 August 1931 – 2 February 2017) was a Japanese football player and manager. He played for Japan national team as a forward. He also managed Japan's national team.
Misa Yamamura (山村 美紗, Yamamura Misa; née Kimura (木村); August 25, 1934 – September 5, 1996) was a Japanese novelist and…Misa Yamamura (山村 美紗, Yamamura Misa; née Kimura (木村); August 25, 1934 – September 5, 1996) was a Japanese novelist and a mystery writer favored as the queen of both mystery novels and tricks in Japan, often compared to Agatha Christie.
Yusuke Nakahara (August 22, 1931 – March 3, 2011) was a Japanese art critic, curator, scholar, lecturer, university…Yusuke Nakahara (August 22, 1931 – March 3, 2011) was a Japanese art critic, curator, scholar, lecturer, university president, art festival organizer, and cultural administrator. He is perhaps best known as the figure who spearheaded the influential 1970 Tokyo Biennale, Between Man and Matter at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum. The exhibition was a watershed moment in Post-1945 Japanese art for its promotion of avant-garde Japanese and international art practices as demonstrated by disparate artists who worked in varying mediums within the then-underrepresented movements of Arte Povera, Conceptual Art, Minimalism, and Mono-ha. The exhibition is seen as a reaction against the concurrent Expo ‘70 in Osaka for embodying the attributes of Japan's Post-World War II economic resurgence and ascension to major world status. Nakahara was a prolific writer in the Japanese art world as he published innumerable exhibition reviews, books, academic essays, magazine articles, and chapters. His writings have appeared in journals such as Bijutsu Techo, Mizue, and Geijutsu Shincho. Originally trained as a physicist, Nakahara's approach to art criticism and curation was grounded more in scientific methodologies than art historical pedagogy based on his frequent incorporation of references to human perception, physical spatiality, and kinetics, among other theoretical ideas. Since his passing in 2011, contemporary Art historians and critics consider Nakahara a significant figure in Post-1945 Japanese art history and is likened to other critics of his generation, including Ichiro Haryu, Yoshiaki Tono, and Shinichi Segi.
Kakuichi Mimura (三村 恪一, Mimura Kakuichi; 16 August 1931 – 19 February 2022) was a Japanese football player and manager.…Kakuichi Mimura (三村 恪一, Mimura Kakuichi; 16 August 1931 – 19 February 2022) was a Japanese football player and manager. He played for the Japan national team.
Yoshio Kojima (7 August 1931 – 3 March 1993) was a Japanese hammer thrower who competed in the 1956 Summer Olympics. He…Yoshio Kojima (7 August 1931 – 3 March 1993) was a Japanese hammer thrower who competed in the 1956 Summer Olympics. He also won the hammer throw at the Japan Championships in Athletics in 1953, 1954, 1955, and 1956. He died in 1993 in Kobe at the age of 61. The cause of death was suicide.
Motoshi Fujita (藤田 元司, Fujita Motoshi; (August 7, 1931 – February 9, 2006) was a Japanese professional baseball pitcher…Motoshi Fujita (藤田 元司, Fujita Motoshi; (August 7, 1931 – February 9, 2006) was a Japanese professional baseball pitcher and manager. He spent his entire career with the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball, winning two Japan Series titles as a player and two more as manager.
Takashi Takabayashi (高林 隆, Takabayashi Takashi; August 2, 1931 – December 27, 2009) was a Japanese football player. He…Takashi Takabayashi (高林 隆, Takabayashi Takashi; August 2, 1931 – December 27, 2009) was a Japanese football player. He played for Japan national team.
Tsuneo Nakahara (中原 恒雄, Nakahara Tsuneo; 1930 in Tokushima Prefecture – January 2016) was a Japanese communications…Tsuneo Nakahara (中原 恒雄, Nakahara Tsuneo; 1930 in Tokushima Prefecture – January 2016) was a Japanese communications engineer, executive advisor to the CEO of Sumitomo Electric. He was one of the main researchers contributing to the development of optical fiber technology. He earned his B.E. in 1953 and his Ph.D. in 1961, both in electrical engineering, from the University of Tokyo. He did his post-doc at Polytechnic Institute of New York University. He was a foreign associate of the US National Academy of Engineering and a member of the Board of Trustees of Polytechnic Institute of New York University. In 1983, Tsuneo Nakahara became fellow of the IEEE for contributions to the development of microwave transmission lines, traffic control systems, and fiber optics. Nakahara was an IEEE Life Fellow and served in a number of positions. In 2002, he received the IEEE Alexander Graham Bell Medal.
Kyōko Hayashi (林 京子, Hayashi Kyōko; 28 August 1930 – 19 February 2017) was a Japanese writer associated with the Atomic…Kyōko Hayashi (林 京子, Hayashi Kyōko; 28 August 1930 – 19 February 2017) was a Japanese writer associated with the Atomic Bomb Literature genre.
Kōshirō Ishida (Japanese: 石田 幸四郎, Ishida Kōshirō; 22 August 1930 – 18 September 2006) was a Japanese politician who…Kōshirō Ishida (Japanese: 石田 幸四郎, Ishida Kōshirō; 22 August 1930 – 18 September 2006) was a Japanese politician who served as the fifth chairman of Komeito from 1989 to 1994, and also served as the leader of the New Komei breakaway party for its brief history.
Jun Ashida (芦田 淳) (21 August 1930 – 20 October 2018) was a Japanese fashion designer. Born in Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do…Jun Ashida (芦田 淳) (21 August 1930 – 20 October 2018) was a Japanese fashion designer. Born in Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do, Chosen, he began studying under illustrator Jun'ichi Nakahara. After gaining experience as a consulting designer, Ashida created his first fashion label in 1963, which would later be named after him. From 1966 to 1976, he served as the personal designer for Empress Michiko. Throughout his career, Ashida designed for royalty, sports teams, and companies. His daughter, Tae Ashida, also became a fashion designer. For his contributions to fashion, Ashida received Japan's Purple Ribbon Medal in 1991. He died from pneumonia on 20 October 2018.
Jun Ashida (芦田 淳) (21 August 1930 – 20 October 2018) was a Japanese fashion designer. Born in Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do…Jun Ashida (芦田 淳) (21 August 1930 – 20 October 2018) was a Japanese fashion designer. Born in Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do, Chosen, he began studying under illustrator Jun'ichi Nakahara. After gaining experience as a consulting designer, Ashida created his first fashion label in 1963, which would later be named after him. From 1966 to 1976, he served as the personal designer for Empress Michiko. Throughout his career, Ashida designed for royalty, sports teams, and companies. His daughter, Tae Ashida, also became a fashion designer. For his contributions to fashion, Ashida received Japan's Purple Ribbon Medal in 1991. He died from pneumonia on 20 October 2018.
Ryu Ota (Japanese: 太田 龍 / 太田 竜, Hepburn: Ōta Ryū; also Ryu Ohta; 16 August 1930 – 19 May 2009) was a Japanese political…Ryu Ota (Japanese: 太田 龍 / 太田 竜, Hepburn: Ōta Ryū; also Ryu Ohta; 16 August 1930 – 19 May 2009) was a Japanese political activist and writer. Initially a supporter of the Japanese New Left, he later turned to green politics before becoming an antisemitic conspiracy theorist.
Hiroshi Arakawa (荒川 博, Arakawa Hiroshi; August 6, 1930 – December 4, 2016) was a Japanese professional baseball player.…Hiroshi Arakawa (荒川 博, Arakawa Hiroshi; August 6, 1930 – December 4, 2016) was a Japanese professional baseball player. From 1953 to 1961, he played in the Pacific League as an outfielder for the Mainichi Orions (later renamed the Daimai Orions), batting .251 with 503 hits, 16 home runs and 172 RBIs. After retiring as a player, he was a batting coach for the Yomiuri Giants and, later, a manager of the Yakult Swallows in the early 1970s. Arakawa died on December 4, 2016, after suffering a cardiac arrest.
Kyozi Kawasaki (川崎 恭治, Kawasaki Kyōji; 4 August 1930 — 12 November 2021) was a Japanese physicist. His research…Kyozi Kawasaki (川崎 恭治, Kawasaki Kyōji; 4 August 1930 — 12 November 2021) was a Japanese physicist. His research interests include chemical physics and statistical mechanics. In 2001, Kawasaki was awarded the Boltzmann Medal for "his contribution to our understanding of dynamic phenomena in condensed matter systems, in particular the mode-coupling theory of fluids near criticality, and nonlinear problems, such as critical phenomena in sheared fluids and phase separations".
Kyoji Watanabe (Japanese: 渡辺京二; 1 August 1930 – 25 December 2022) was a Japanese historian, literary critic and…Kyoji Watanabe (Japanese: 渡辺京二; 1 August 1930 – 25 December 2022) was a Japanese historian, literary critic and essayist.
Osamu Yamaji (山路 修, Yamaji Osamu; 31 August 1929 – 26 January 2021) was a Japanese football player. He played for Japan…Osamu Yamaji (山路 修, Yamaji Osamu; 31 August 1929 – 26 January 2021) was a Japanese football player. He played for Japan national team.
Ryōko Akamatsu (Japanese: 赤松 良子, Hepburn: Akamatsu Ryōko; 24 August 1929 – 7 February 2024) was a Japanese politician.…Ryōko Akamatsu (Japanese: 赤松 良子, Hepburn: Akamatsu Ryōko; 24 August 1929 – 7 February 2024) was a Japanese politician. She was Minister of Education in the Hata Cabinet and Hosokawa Cabinet. She was ambassador of Japan to Uruguay from 1986 to 1989. Akamatsu died on 7 February 2024, at the age of 94.
Satoko Kitahara (北原 怜子, Kitahara Satoko; 22 August 1929 – 23 January 1958) – later known as Elisabeth Maria Kitahara –…Satoko Kitahara (北原 怜子, Kitahara Satoko; 22 August 1929 – 23 January 1958) – later known as Elisabeth Maria Kitahara – was a Japanese Roman Catholic. Kitahara was descended from aristocrats and samurai warriors; she worked in an airplane warehouse during World War II and became disillusioned after she and others learnt of Japanese atrocities during the conflict. She discovered Roman Catholicism and after a period of being exposed to churches decided to learn catechism so she could be baptized. Upon her baptism she selected the name Elisabeth and upon her Confirmation added the name "Maria". Kitahara made it her goal to tend to the impoverished and orphaned as well as the sick and poor who were suffering as a result of the damage inflicted during the war. In 1950 she first met the Conventual Franciscan friar Zenon Żebrowski and the two worked together to care for destitute people and children in the riverside Ants Village. This work became the focus for Kitahara's life until she died from tuberculosis in 1958. The beatification process had been proposed since the 1970s and had opened in 1981 which made Kitahara known as a Servant of God. In 2015 she was named as venerable after Pope Francis confirmed her life of heroic virtue.
Susumu Nakanishi (中西進, Nakanishi Susumu; born 21 August 1929 in Tokyo) is a scholar of Japanese literature…Susumu Nakanishi (中西進, Nakanishi Susumu; born 21 August 1929 in Tokyo) is a scholar of Japanese literature, particularly of the Man'yōshū. He earned his Doctor of Literature degree from the University of Tokyo (UTokyo) in 1962. He is widely believed to have conceived the name of the current era of the official calendar of Japan, Reiwa (令和, 2019-). However, it is a custom not to reveal the conceiver of the name of an era, and he has said, 'Era names are not for secular individuals like Susumu Nakanishi to decide, but are determined by divine inspiration. There is no such person as the inventor of the name "Reiwa"'.
Seiichi Ikehata (池端 清一, Ikehata Seiichi; August 20, 1929 – February 28, 2007) was a Japanese politician from Kushiro…Seiichi Ikehata (池端 清一, Ikehata Seiichi; August 20, 1929 – February 28, 2007) was a Japanese politician from Kushiro, Hokkaido.
Hidenobu Takahide (高秀 秀信, Takahide Hidenobu; 18 August 1929 – 29 August 2002) was a Japanese bureaucrat and politician…Hidenobu Takahide (高秀 秀信, Takahide Hidenobu; 18 August 1929 – 29 August 2002) was a Japanese bureaucrat and politician from Yūbari, Hokkaidō. After graduating from Hokkaido University, Takahide joined the Ministry of Construction in 1952 and was appointed as the ministry's administrative vice minister in June 1984. In March 1990, Takahide ran for the Yokohama mayoral election to succeed Michikazu Saigō, who died during his mayoralty the previous month. Backed by the Liberal Democratic Party, he was elected mayor and served for 12 years. He was installed president of Japan Association of City Mayors in June 2001. Takahide lost to Hiroshi Nakada in the mayoral election held on 31 March 2002, despite the backing from four major political parties, the local office of the Democratic Party of Japan, and industrial and labor organizations. Five months later, he died of esophageal hemorrhage at age 73.
Tetsutaro Murano (村野 鉄太郎, Murano Tetsutarō; August 18, 1929 – July 8, 2020) was a Japanese film director. In 1953, he…Tetsutaro Murano (村野 鉄太郎, Murano Tetsutarō; August 18, 1929 – July 8, 2020) was a Japanese film director. In 1953, he joined the Daiei studio and started working as an assistant director. He made his director debut with Aoi Tsubasa in 1960. Murano was born in Kagoshima on August 18, 1929, and died on July 8, 2020, at the age of 90.
Tetsuo Kondo (近藤 鉄雄, Kondō Tetsuo; 11 August 1929 – 4 March 2010) was a Japanese politician who served as Japan's…Tetsuo Kondo (近藤 鉄雄, Kondō Tetsuo; 11 August 1929 – 4 March 2010) was a Japanese politician who served as Japan's Minister of Labour from 1991 until 1992. Kondo, who was from Yamagata Prefecture, began his career as an employee of the Japanese Ministry of Finance. Kondo, a member of the Liberal Democratic Party, served as a member of the House of Representatives of Japan for nine terms from 1972 until 1996. He also served as chief of the now defunct Economic Planning Agency during his career as a lawmaker. Kondo was appointed as Labour Minister within the administration of Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa from 1991 until 1992. He retired from active politics after a failed re-election bid in the 1996 general election. Tetsuo Kondo died in Tokyo of pancreatic cancer on 4 March 2010, at the age of 80.
Takahiro Tamura (田村高廣, Tamura Takahiro; 31 August 1928 – 16 May 2006) was a Japanese film actor. He appeared in 100…Takahiro Tamura (田村高廣, Tamura Takahiro; 31 August 1928 – 16 May 2006) was a Japanese film actor. He appeared in 100 films between 1954 and 2005. He and his younger brothers Masakazu and Ryō were known as the three Tamura brothers. They were sons of actor Tsumasaburo Bando.
Osamu Shimomura (下村 脩, Shimomura Osamu; August 27, 1928 – October 19, 2018) was a Japanese organic chemist and marine…Osamu Shimomura (下村 脩, Shimomura Osamu; August 27, 1928 – October 19, 2018) was a Japanese organic chemist and marine biologist, and professor emeritus at Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) in Woods Hole, Massachusetts and Boston University School of Medicine. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2008 for the discovery and development of green fluorescent protein (GFP) with two American scientists: Martin Chalfie of Columbia University and Roger Tsien of the University of California-San Diego.
Ryuzo Yanagimachi (柳町 隆造, Yanagimachi Ryūzō; August 27, 1928 – September 27, 2023) was a Japanese-born, American-based…Ryuzo Yanagimachi (柳町 隆造, Yanagimachi Ryūzō; August 27, 1928 – September 27, 2023) was a Japanese-born, American-based scientist. He made numerous key contributions to the study of mammalian fertilization, and he was also a pioneer in the cloning field. Accordingly, he assisted in fertilization technologies such as in vitro fertilization and direct sperm injection into the egg (commonly called intracytoplasmic sperm injection or ICSI), which are widely used today in human infertility clinics throughout the world. In 1997, his laboratory at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa successfully cloned mice using the Honolulu technique.
Huang Hsin-chieh (Chinese: 黃信介; 20 August 1928 – 30 November 1999) was a Taiwanese politician, Taipei city council…Huang Hsin-chieh (Chinese: 黃信介; 20 August 1928 – 30 November 1999) was a Taiwanese politician, Taipei city council member, National Assembly representative, Legislative Yuan legislator, publisher of Formosa Magazine and Taiwan Political Theory magazine (台灣政論), senior Dangwai Leader, third chairperson of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), and senior adviser to the president of the Republic of China. He was born on August 20, 1928, during the period when Taiwan was under Japanese governance also known to the Japanese as the Japan governance period of Taiwan and was fluent in Japanese and Taiwanese. He married Chang Yueh-ching (張月卿) in 1954 and had four children and adopted sons. They lived in a modest residence on Chongqing N. Rd in Datong District, Taipei City for over three decades. On November 30, 1999, he died of a heart attack in Taipei at the age of 71. He was buried in Bali District, President Lee Teng-hui on January 18, 2000, awarded Huang Hsin-chieh the posthumous citation for activities to promote political reform, nation building, and democracy advancement. Lee's successor Chen Shui-bian established a memorial lecture at the Ketagalan Institute in Huang Hsin-chieh's memory to promote deeper democracy through lectures ranging from constitutional reform to China-Taiwan-US relations.
Shōji Yasui (安井 昌二, Yasui Shōji; 16 August 1928 – 3 March 2014) was a Japanese actor. He was best known for playing the…Shōji Yasui (安井 昌二, Yasui Shōji; 16 August 1928 – 3 March 2014) was a Japanese actor. He was best known for playing the central role of Private Mizushima in Kon Ichikawa's The Burmese Harp.
Toshio Inamura (稲村 稔夫, Inamura Toshio, 16 August 1928 – 12 March 2000) was a Japanese educator and politician. He…Toshio Inamura (稲村 稔夫, Inamura Toshio, 16 August 1928 – 12 March 2000) was a Japanese educator and politician. He served as a member of the House of Councillors and as mayor of Sanjō in Niigata Prefecture.
Tatsuo Ikeda (池田 龍雄, Ikeda Tatsuo; August 15, 1928 – 30 November 2020) was a Japanese avant-garde artist. An active…Tatsuo Ikeda (池田 龍雄, Ikeda Tatsuo; August 15, 1928 – 30 November 2020) was a Japanese avant-garde artist. An active figure in the Japanese postwar art scene, Ikeda’s works adopted a surrealist sensibility deeply grounded in social and political critique. Using strategies of distortion, grotesque figures, biomorphic forms, and a satirical tone, Ikeda sharply engaged with a range of contemporary issues including labor politics and class conflict, Japan-United States relations, nuclear disarmament, and legacies of militarism, especially through the proliferation and continued presence of American military bases on Japanese soil after the end of the Occupation era. A leading figure in the Reportage movement of the 1950s and early 60s, Ikeda, along with artists such as Hiroshi Nakamura, Kikuji Yamashita, and Shigeo Ishii, visited sites of protest across the country to document the realities of postwar social unrest through a expressive mode inflected with both surrealist and realist tenors. He was involved in a number of prominent but short-lived artistic societies that emerged after the war, including Tarō Okamoto and Kiyoteru Hanada's Zen'ei Bijutsu-kai (Avant-garde Art Study Group, which had its roots in their earlier Yoru no Kai group), Seiki no Kai (Century Society), Seibiren (Youth Artists' Alliance) and the Seisakusha Kondankai (Producers' Workshop), which he co-founded with film critic Senpei Kasu. Ikeda mostly worked in painting and drawing using earthy monochromatic tones, though later in his career he turned towards mixed-media and sculptural work as well. He is best known for his ink drawing works, which include Anti-Atomic Bomb, Chronicle of Birds and Beasts, and Genealogy of Monsters. His later works, particularly following the Anpo protests in 1960 and their failure to enact social upheaval, turned to more spiritual and cosmological concepts, as evidenced by the biomorphic, embryonic forms expressed in the BRAHMAN series (1973–88).
Yoko Tani (谷洋子, Tani Yōko; 2 August 1928 – 19 April 1999) was a French-born Japanese actress and nightclub entertainer…Yoko Tani (谷洋子, Tani Yōko; 2 August 1928 – 19 April 1999) was a French-born Japanese actress and nightclub entertainer, who had a career in both Japanese and European cinema during the 1950s and 1960s.
Raymond Ken'ichi Tanaka (31 August 1927 – 29 July 2021) was a Japanese Roman Catholic prelate, who served as the Bishop…Raymond Ken'ichi Tanaka (31 August 1927 – 29 July 2021) was a Japanese Roman Catholic prelate, who served as the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kyoto, seated in Kyoto, from 8 July 1976, until 3 March 1997.
Shōbun Inoue (井上 昭文, Inoue Shōbun; 22 August 1927 – 28 January 2013) was a Japanese actor. Inoue started his acting…Shōbun Inoue (井上 昭文, Inoue Shōbun; 22 August 1927 – 28 January 2013) was a Japanese actor. Inoue started his acting career at the Haiyuza Theatre Company. Later, he signed his contract with Nikkatsu film company.
Saburō Shiroyama (城山三郎, b. Eiichi Sugiura; 8 August 1927 – 22 March 2007) was a Japanese novelist. Shiroyama was born…Saburō Shiroyama (城山三郎, b. Eiichi Sugiura; 8 August 1927 – 22 March 2007) was a Japanese novelist. Shiroyama was born in Aichi Prefecture, and studied economics at Hitotsubashi University. He later taught economics at Nagoya Gakuin University. Shiroyama trained as a pilot for the Japanese Navy, but never saw active service. He began his writing career after the end of World War II. Many of his works concern shoshamen, high-level industry executives within Japanese corporate culture. He is known to have used real people, such as Sahashi Shigeru, as the basis for such characters, though he tried to avoid actually meeting or interviewing these subjects. In 1957 he won the Bungakukai New Writers award for Export (Yushutsu), which established the economic novel (keizai shosetsu) as a mainstream literary form in Japan. He also won the Naoki Prize for Sōkaiya Kinjō in 1958.
Akio Sato (佐藤 昭夫, Satō Akio; 15 August 1927 – 23 October 2007) was a Japanese politician. He represented the Kyoto…Akio Sato (佐藤 昭夫, Satō Akio; 15 August 1927 – 23 October 2007) was a Japanese politician. He represented the Kyoto at-large district in the House of Councillors of the Diet of Japan, serving two terms from 1977 until 1989 as a member of the Japanese Communist Party. Sato was born in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture and graduated from the Department of Science at the University of Kyoto. He was employed as a high school teacher before entering politics. He died of pneumonia in Uji, Kyoto at the age of 80 on 23 October 2007.
Atsuko Anzai (安西 篤子, Anzai Atsuko; born August 11, 1927) is a Japanese novelist in Shōwa and Heisei period Japan. Anzai…Atsuko Anzai (安西 篤子, Anzai Atsuko; born August 11, 1927) is a Japanese novelist in Shōwa and Heisei period Japan. Anzai has concentrated her efforts on stories set in China with historical themes, or on contemporary stories based on traditional Chinese motifs.
Akitsugu Amata (天田昭次, Amata Akitsugu) (also known as Amata Seiichi (天田 誠一)) (born 1927 – July 5, 2013) was a Japanese…Akitsugu Amata (天田昭次, Amata Akitsugu) (also known as Amata Seiichi (天田 誠一)) (born 1927 – July 5, 2013) was a Japanese swordsmith. Amata followed his father Amata Sadayoshi into the trade of sword-making after the latter died in 1937, moving to Tokyo from his home in Niigata Prefecture in order to enroll in a specialist sword-making school. This school, the Nihonto Tanren Denshu Jo, was run by the noted swordsmith Kurihara Hikosaburo, who originally employed Amata as a masseur before teaching him the basics of sword-making when the boy was thirteen. Amata worked at Kurihara's institute for the next six years. After leaving Tokyo, Amata returned to his home village. He resided there since, claiming that the local water and clay (which contains a large amount of iron oxide) were very suitable for the yaki-ire (hardening process) of sword manufacture. He also smelted his own tamahagane steel at home. After the Second World War the American occupying forces prohibited the manufacture of traditional swords in Japan. When the ban was partially lifted, Amata was awarded an official swordsmith's licence from the Cultural Properties Protection Committee in 1954; that same year he won the Yushu-wo prize at the first National Sword-Forging Competition. An illness at 33 rendered Amata an invalid for eight years. However, after his recovery he went on to win the Masamune Prize (the highest accolade) at the New Katana Sword Exhibition in 1968; he also won the same award at the Sword-Forging Competition in 1977, 1985 and 1996. In 1997 he was named as a Living National Treasure of Japan. Amata was the Chairman of the All Japan Swordsmith's Association and a director of the Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai.
Hiroshi Mitsuzuka (三塚博, Mitsuzuka Hiroshi; 1 August 1927 – 25 April 2004) was a veteran Japanese politician. He was a…Hiroshi Mitsuzuka (三塚博, Mitsuzuka Hiroshi; 1 August 1927 – 25 April 2004) was a veteran Japanese politician. He was a member of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan. He represented his party at the House of Representatives from 1972 to 2003. In addition, he served as transport minister, international trade minister, finance minister and foreign affairs minister.
Fumitake Kishida (Japanese: 岸田 文武, Hepburn: Kishida Fumitake; 19 August 1926 – 4 August 1992) was a Japanese…Fumitake Kishida (Japanese: 岸田 文武, Hepburn: Kishida Fumitake; 19 August 1926 – 4 August 1992) was a Japanese politician. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party, he served as member of the House of Representatives (5 terms). He was also a recipient of the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun. His father was Masaki Kishida, a former member of the House of Representatives of the Liberal Democratic Party and Director-General of the Securities Bureau of the Ministry of Finance. His younger brother was Shunsuke Kishida, Chairman and Advisor of Hiroshima Bank. His wife, Sumiko Iguchi, was the second daughter of Ryoji Iguchi, former president of Nitto Flour Mills. His eldest son was Fumio Kishida, a member of the House of Representatives, the 27th President of the Liberal Democratic Party, and the 100th and 101st Prime Minister of Japan. He belonged to the Kōchikai faction.
