Tomio Aoki (青木 富夫, Aoki Tomio; October 7, 1923 – January 24, 2004) aka Tokkan Kozō (突貫小僧) was a Japanese film actor.…
Tomio Aoki (青木 富夫, Aoki Tomio; October 7, 1923 – January 24, 2004) aka Tokkan Kozō (突貫小僧) was a Japanese film actor. Aoki became famous as a child actor after debuting at the age of six in silent films directed by Yasujirō Ozu. His leading role in Ozu's 1929 short comedy Tokkan kozo gave Aoki his nickname. I Was Born, But... (1932), Passing Fancy (1933) and An Inn in Tokyo (1935) were three other Ozu films in which Aoki had notable roles. Aoki disappeared from Japanese cinema in 1940, at the age of 16, but returned to film acting in Kon Ichikawa's The Burmese Harp (1956). During the 1960s he appeared in films for directors Seijun Suzuki and Teruo Ishii before retiring again in 1972. He again returned to the screen in 1995 in Makoto Shinozaki's Okaeri, and appeared in Suzuki's Pistol Opera (2001). He continued appearing in films, and in short comedies by Shinozaki until his death in 2004. He shared the Best Actor award at the French Three Continents Festival with two of his co-stars for Shinozaki's Not Forgotten (2000). By the time of his death, at the age of 80, Aoki had performed in over 300 films.
Famous People Born in October
October: 1,957 people
Tetsu Yano (Japanese 矢野徹 Yano Tetsu; October 5, 1923 – October 13, 2004) was a Japanese translator and writer of…
Tetsu Yano (Japanese 矢野徹 Yano Tetsu; October 5, 1923 – October 13, 2004) was a Japanese translator and writer of science fiction, fantasy, adventure stories and young adult novels. He was a founder and promoter of the Japanese science fiction at the dawn of this genre in Japan. Yano introduced the works of British and American science fiction writers to Japanese readers through almost half centuries from the late 1940s. He was also the first Japanese writer of the genre to visit the United States, in 1953. He took part in founding Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of Japan (SFWJ, 日本SF作家クラブ) in 1963, and served as its president from 1978 to 1979.
Kiyoshi Ogawa (小川 清, Ogawa Kiyoshi; October 23, 1922 – May 11, 1945) was a Japanese naval aviator ensign (少尉) of the…
Kiyoshi Ogawa (小川 清, Ogawa Kiyoshi; October 23, 1922 – May 11, 1945) was a Japanese naval aviator ensign (少尉) of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. As a kamikaze pilot, Ensign Ogawa's final action took place on May 11, 1945, during the Battle of Okinawa. Piloting a bomb-laden Mitsubishi Zero fighter during Operation Kikusui No. 6, Ogawa flew through American anti-aircraft fire and struck the aircraft carrier USS Bunker Hill, less than one minute after his flight leader, sub-lieutenant Seizō Yasunori, crashed into the ship. Ogawa dropped a 250-kilogram (551 lb) bomb, never pulled out of the dive, and crashed deliberately into the flight deck near the control tower of the aircraft carrier. The bomb penetrated Bunker Hill's flight deck and exploded. Gasoline fires flamed up and several explosions took place when re-armed and re-fueled planes on deck exploded and caught fire. 393 American sailors died with Yasunori and Ogawa, 264 were wounded, while the carrier was under repair for the remainder of the war.
Yasuo Komamiya (駒宮 安男, Komamiya Yasuo, October 14, 1922 – March 11, 1993) was a Japanese electrical engineer. Komamiya…
Yasuo Komamiya (駒宮 安男, Komamiya Yasuo, October 14, 1922 – March 11, 1993) was a Japanese electrical engineer. Komamiya graduated from the Department of Electrical Engineering, School of Engineering, Tokyo Imperial University (now University of Tokyo) in 1944. He joined the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry's Electrical Testing Laboratory (ETL, now the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology). In 1952, together with Suekane Ryota, he completed the ETL Mark I, a relay-based automatic computer, which was Japan's first digital automatic computer. He proved the Singleton-Joshi-Komamiya bound in 1953 on the size of an arbitrary block code. In 1980, he was appointed professor of Kyushu University. In 1986, he retired from Kyushu University and was appointed professor at Meiji University.
Park Tong-jin (Korean: 박동진; 1922– 11 November 2013) was a South Korean politician. Much of his efforts involved…
Park Tong-jin (Korean: 박동진; 1922– 11 November 2013) was a South Korean politician. Much of his efforts involved building trade routes between the Soviet Union and non-Soviet countries through South Korea. From 19 December 1975 to 2 September 1980, he served as Minister of Foreign Affairs. From 1988 to 1991, he served as South Korean Ambassador to the United States. He also served as Minister of Unification.
Takehiko Bessho (別所 毅彦, Bessho Takehiko; October 1, 1922 – June 24, 1999), born Akira Bessho (別所 昭, Bessho Akira), was…
Takehiko Bessho (別所 毅彦, Bessho Takehiko; October 1, 1922 – June 24, 1999), born Akira Bessho (別所 昭, Bessho Akira), was a Japanese baseball player whose professional career as a player lasted from 1942 until 1960. Bessho first achieved fame as a pitcher in Japanese professional baseball; later, he served as a Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) manager. Bessho spent his first five seasons in the Japanese Baseball League (the predecessor of NPB) with the Nankai franchise (1942–43, 1946–48) and his final 12 seasons with the Yomiuri Giants (1949–1960). He quickly established himself as a top pitcher and went on to earn two Sawamura Awards, the Japanese equivalent of the Cy Young Award, and six Best Nine Awards. In 1947, Bessho set the JBL record for most complete games in a single season (47). In addition, Bessho earned the NPB Most Valuable Player Award in 1952 and 1956. Bessho retired after the 1960 season with 310 wins, a 2.18 earned run average, and 1,932 strikeouts. Up until 2019, he was also the only Hawk to ever throw a no-hitter. After he retired from the sport as a player and a manager, Bessho became a sports broadcaster. In recognition of his accomplishments, the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame inducted Bessho in 1979.
Azumafuji Kin'ichi (Japanese: 東富士 欽壹; October 28, 1921 – July 31, 1973) was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from…
Azumafuji Kin'ichi (Japanese: 東富士 欽壹; October 28, 1921 – July 31, 1973) was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Taitō, Tokyo. He was the sport's 40th yokozuna, and later a professional wrestler.
Shinji Kawasaki (川崎 真治, Kawasaki Shinji) (1921-2007) was a Japanese archaeologist. An expert in petroglyphs and ancient…
Shinji Kawasaki (川崎 真治, Kawasaki Shinji) (1921-2007) was a Japanese archaeologist. An expert in petroglyphs and ancient Japanese languages and characters, he has authored a number of books on the origin of the Japanese people and proposed a number of theories. In 1976 he authored a book on the Imperial Family of the Japanese, and another three years later, The Wajin Hozuma Legend of the Silk Road (1979). His 1980 book explored the ancient links of the Japanese with the Jōmon people.
Otis Cary (October 20, 1921 – April 14, 2006) was an American Japanologist.
Kamikaze Shoichi (born Shoichi Akazawa; October 19, 1921 – May 15, 1990) was a sumo wrestler from Higashikagawa, Kagawa…
Kamikaze Shoichi (born Shoichi Akazawa; October 19, 1921 – May 15, 1990) was a sumo wrestler from Higashikagawa, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. He made his professional debut in May 1937 and reached the top division in May 1942. His highest rank was sekiwake. He won six gold stars against grand champion yokozuna in the course of his career. Upon retirement from active competition he became an elder in the Japan Sumo Association under the name Kataonami. He left the Sumo Association in September 1952.
Tadao Uesako (上迫 忠夫, Uesako Tadao; 14 October 1921 – 20 October 1986) was a Japanese gymnast who competed in the 1952…
Tadao Uesako (上迫 忠夫, Uesako Tadao; 14 October 1921 – 20 October 1986) was a Japanese gymnast who competed in the 1952 Summer Olympics.
Yumeji Tsukioka (月丘夢路, Tsukioka Yumeji; born Akiko Hinotsume, 14 October 1922 – 3 May 2017) was a Japanese film…
Yumeji Tsukioka (月丘夢路, Tsukioka Yumeji; born Akiko Hinotsume, 14 October 1922 – 3 May 2017) was a Japanese film actress. She appeared in more than 150 films between 1940 and 1994, including works by Yasujirō Ozu, Keisuke Kinoshita, Kinuyo Tanaka and others. She was married to the director Umetsugu Inoue from 1957 until his death in 2010.
Masajuro Shiokawa (塩川 正十郎, Shiokawa Masajūrō; 13 October 1921 – 19 September 2015) was a Japanese economist and…
Masajuro Shiokawa (塩川 正十郎, Shiokawa Masajūrō; 13 October 1921 – 19 September 2015) was a Japanese economist and politician.
Takao Umemoto was a Japanese psychologist whose specific interest was music psychology; he was also an academic, and…
Takao Umemoto was a Japanese psychologist whose specific interest was music psychology; he was also an academic, and pianist.
Professor Nobuo Kanda (神田 信夫, Kanda Nobuo; October 2, 1921 – December 30, 2003) was a Japanese historian who…
Professor Nobuo Kanda (神田 信夫, Kanda Nobuo; October 2, 1921 – December 30, 2003) was a Japanese historian who specialized in early Manchu history.
Nobuo Oshima (大島 信雄, Ōshima Nobuo; October 2, 1921 – January 8, 2005) was a Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher for…
Nobuo Oshima (大島 信雄, Ōshima Nobuo; October 2, 1921 – January 8, 2005) was a Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher for Shochiku Robins and the Chunchi Dragons. His professional career record was 64 wins and 41 losses. In 1940, he pitched shutouts in all 4 games at the Senbatsu Baseball Tournament, helping Gifu Prefectural Commercial High School win. He attended Keio University.
Goro Takeda (竹田 五郎) (24 October 1921 – 12 February 2020) was a Japanese military officer and military commentator who…
Goro Takeda (竹田 五郎) (24 October 1921 – 12 February 2020) was a Japanese military officer and military commentator who served in the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service during the Second World War reaching the rank of captain. In 1951 Takeda joined the newly formed National Police Reserve staying on when it was reorganized into the paramilitary National Safety Force in 1952 and again in 1954 when the NSF was absorbed into the new Japan Self-Defense Force, with Takeda joining the Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF). Over the course of his career in the JASDF Takeda held various command and staff positions including Chief of the Air Staff and Chairman of the Joint Staff Council of the Japan Self-Defense Force until his retirement in 1981.
Takashi Kano (加納 孝, Kano Takashi; October 31, 1920 – June 4, 2000) was a Japanese football player. He played for Japan…
Takashi Kano (加納 孝, Kano Takashi; October 31, 1920 – June 4, 2000) was a Japanese football player. He played for Japan national team.
Akiho Miyashiro (都城 秋穂, Miyashiro Akiho; 30 October 1920 – 22 July 2008) was a Japanese geologist.
Chang Sung-hwan (Korean: 장성환; Hanja: 張盛煥; October 27, 1920 – January 4, 2015) was a South Korean air force lieutenant…
Chang Sung-hwan (Korean: 장성환; Hanja: 張盛煥; October 27, 1920 – January 4, 2015) was a South Korean air force lieutenant general, government minister and diplomat.
Masao Sugiuchi (杉内雅男, Sugiuchi Masao; October 20, 1920 – November 21, 2017) was a professional Go player.
Lin Tuan-chiu (Chinese: 林摶秋; October 6, 1920 - April 4, 1998) was a playwright, theater director, film producer, and…
Lin Tuan-chiu (Chinese: 林摶秋; October 6, 1920 - April 4, 1998) was a playwright, theater director, film producer, and film director from Taoyuan, Taiwan. During the Japanese rule and the early post-war years, he concentrated mainly on writing and directing plays, earning praise from the Tokyo Shimbun (東京新聞) as "Taiwan's first native playwright". After the war, he devoted himself to the film industry, founding the Yufeng Film Company and the Hushan Film Studio. The plays he wrote include The Tribe in the Deep Mountains (奧山の社), Castrated Chicken (閹雞), Takasago Inn (高砂館), Geothermal (地熱), and Lights of the Marketplace from the Mountain (從山上看街市的燈火). He also directed films such as The Election Campaign of Brother Ah San (阿三哥出馬), Sigh for Fireworks 1 and 2 (嘆煙花), Wrong Love (錯戀), and May 13 Heartbreaking Night (五月十三傷心夜).
Tatsuzō Shimaoka (島岡 達三, Shimaoka Tatsuzō; 27 October 1919 – 11 December 2007) was a Japanese mingei inspired potter…
Tatsuzō Shimaoka (島岡 達三, Shimaoka Tatsuzō; 27 October 1919 – 11 December 2007) was a Japanese mingei inspired potter who studied under Shōji Hamada and later became the second Living National Treasure of Mashiko, Japan. He was best known for his unique Jōmon zogan style of pottery, and was a master of many slip decorating and firing techniques for pottery. Throughout his career, Shimaoka worked collaboratively with a group of workers, students, and apprentices from Japan and abroad. After supervising the loading of what would become his last noborigama firing in late 2007, Shimaoka collapsed, and died several weeks later in late 2007 from acute liver failure at Mashiko in Tochigi Prefecture.
Kiichi Miyazawa (宮澤 喜一, Miyazawa Kiichi; 8 October 1919 – 28 June 2007) was a Japanese politician who served as prime…
Kiichi Miyazawa (宮澤 喜一, Miyazawa Kiichi; 8 October 1919 – 28 June 2007) was a Japanese politician who served as prime minister of Japan from 1991 to 1993. Born in Tokyo, Miyazawa graduated from Tokyo Imperial University with a law degree, and in 1942 joined the Ministry of Finance. He was first elected to the National Diet in 1953 and held a number of prominent posts, including international trade and industry minister under Eisaku Sato, foreign minister under Takeo Miki, director of the Economic Planning Agency under Takeo Fukuda, chief cabinet secretary under Yasuhiro Nakasone, and finance minister under Noboru Takeshita. Miyazawa became prime minister in 1991, but was forced to resign after the 1993 election after a failure to pass political reforms caused his Liberal Democratic Party to face its first defeat in a national election since its formation in 1955. Miyazawa later returned as finance minister from 1999 to 2001 in the cabinets of Keizō Obuchi and Yoshirō Mori.
Kikuji Yamashita (山下 菊二, Yamashita Kikuji; October 8, 1919 – November 23, 1986) was a Japanese Surrealist painter…
Kikuji Yamashita (山下 菊二, Yamashita Kikuji; October 8, 1919 – November 23, 1986) was a Japanese Surrealist painter associated with the postwar avant-garde art movement in Japan. His artworks were featured prominently in the 2010 documentary film ANPO: Art X War by American documentary filmmaker Linda Hoaglund.
Tokuo Yamashita (山下 徳夫, Yamashita Tokuo; 7 October 1919 – 1 January 2014) was a Japanese politician.
Kin’ichi Sawaki (Japanese: 沢木 欣一; October 6, 1919 – November 5, 2001) was a Japanese haiku poet and essayist. Sawaki…
Kin’ichi Sawaki (Japanese: 沢木 欣一; October 6, 1919 – November 5, 2001) was a Japanese haiku poet and essayist. Sawaki was born in Toyama. Since his father worked as a teacher in Korea, he spent his childhood in Korea until he graduated from junior high school. He studied at the University of Tokyo. In 1946, he founded the magazine Kaze ("Wind"). He advocated for the idea of "social haiku" in the magazine. In 1966, he was appointed Professor at the Tokyo University of the Arts. From 1987 to 1993, he was president of the Association of Haiku Poets. In 1993, he was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, 3rd class. He also won the Dakotsu Prize in 1996. He was married to the poet Ayako Hosomi.
Tōru Shōriki (正力 亨, Shōriki Tōru; 24 October 1918 – 15 August 2011) was a Japanese businessman and the owner of The…
Tōru Shōriki (正力 亨, Shōriki Tōru; 24 October 1918 – 15 August 2011) was a Japanese businessman and the owner of The Yomiuri Group, the parent of Yomiuri Shimbun Holdings. He was the eldest son of its previous owner, Matsutarō Shōriki. In 1942, he received his degree from the Faculty of Economics at Keio University. Shōriki was also owner of the Yomiuri Giants baseball team from 1964 until 1996, again in succession to his father. He retained the title of "honorary owner" until his death in a hospital in Tokyo on 15 August 2011, aged 92.
Kazuo Tsunoda (角田 和男, Tsunoda Kazuo; October 11, 1918 – February 14, 2013) was an officer and ace fighter pilot in the…
Kazuo Tsunoda (角田 和男, Tsunoda Kazuo; October 11, 1918 – February 14, 2013) was an officer and ace fighter pilot in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during the Second Sino-Japanese War and Pacific Campaign of World War II. In his combat career, Tsunoda was officially credited with destroying nine enemy aircraft. From May 1942 to May 1943, Tsunoda participated in the New Guinea Campaign, Solomon Islands and Guadalcanal Campaigns as a member of the 2nd Air Group and 582 Air Group. During the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal on 14 November 1942, Tsunoda was shot down near the Russell Islands while covering an army transport convoy delivering troops to Guadalcanal. Tsunoda was rescued by the destroyer Amagiri. In November 1944, while stationed at Cebu in the Philippines, Tsunoda volunteered as a kamikaze pilot. He was unable, however, to find any enemy ships to attack. Later, he escaped the Philippines to Japanese-occupied Taiwan after the American landings and survived the war. He was a farmer in Ibaraki prefecture after the war. He died on February 14, 2013.
Sanae Takasugi (高杉 早苗, Takasugi Sanae; 8 October 1918 – 26 November 1995) was a Japanese film and television actress.…
Sanae Takasugi (高杉 早苗, Takasugi Sanae; 8 October 1918 – 26 November 1995) was a Japanese film and television actress. She starred in over 80 films, directed by notable filmmakers like Kenji Mizoguchi, Yasujirō Ozu, Mikio Naruse, and Keisuke Kinoshita.
Kenichi Fukui (福井 謙一, Fukui Ken'ichi; October 4, 1918 – January 9, 1998) was a Japanese chemist. He became the first…
Kenichi Fukui (福井 謙一, Fukui Ken'ichi; October 4, 1918 – January 9, 1998) was a Japanese chemist. He became the first person of East Asian ancestry to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry when he won the 1981 prize with Roald Hoffmann, for their independent investigations into the mechanisms of chemical reactions. Fukui's prize-winning work focused on the role of frontier orbitals in chemical reactions: specifically that molecules share loosely bonded electrons which occupy the frontier orbitals, that is, the Highest Occupied Molecular Orbital (HOMO) and the Lowest Unoccupied Molecular Orbital (LUMO).
Shizue Yamaguchi (Japanese: 山口シヅエ; 31 October 1917 – 3 April 2012) was a Japanese physician and politician. She was one…
Shizue Yamaguchi (Japanese: 山口シヅエ; 31 October 1917 – 3 April 2012) was a Japanese physician and politician. She was one of the first group of women elected to the House of Representatives in 1946.
Chang Ri-jin (Korean: 장이진; Hanja: 張利鎭, born 28 October 1917, date of death unknown) was a Korean basketball player. He…
Chang Ri-jin (Korean: 장이진; Hanja: 張利鎭, born 28 October 1917, date of death unknown) was a Korean basketball player. He competed at the 1936 Summer Olympics, representing Japan, and at the 1948 Summer Olympics, representing South Korea. Chang is deceased.
Morikazu Toda (戸田 盛和, Toda Morikazu; 20 October 1917 – 6 October 2010) was a Japanese physicist, best known for the…
Morikazu Toda (戸田 盛和, Toda Morikazu; 20 October 1917 – 6 October 2010) was a Japanese physicist, best known for the discovery of the Toda lattice. His main interests were in statistical mechanics and condensed matter physics.
Teisuke Chiba (千葉 禎介, Chiba Teisuke; 1917–1965) was a Japanese amateur photographer of rural life around the area where…
Teisuke Chiba (千葉 禎介, Chiba Teisuke; 1917–1965) was a Japanese amateur photographer of rural life around the area where he lived in Akita, Japan.
Tony Tani (トニー谷) (14 October 1917 – 16 July 1987) was a popular Japanese entertainer of the 1950s. His flamboyant stage…
Tony Tani (トニー谷) (14 October 1917 – 16 July 1987) was a popular Japanese entertainer of the 1950s. His flamboyant stage persona satirized American stereotypes of the Japanese as well as the influence of the U.S. occupation on Japanese culture.
Genyoshi Kadokawa (Japanese: 角川 源義, 9 October 1917 – 27 October 1975) was a Japanese businessman who was the founder of…
Genyoshi Kadokawa (Japanese: 角川 源義, 9 October 1917 – 27 October 1975) was a Japanese businessman who was the founder of Kadokawa Shoten. Several academic prizes have been named in his honor.
Kusuo Kitamura (北村 久寿雄, Kitamura Kusuo; October 9, 1917 – June 6, 1996) was a Japanese swimmer who competed at the 1932…
Kusuo Kitamura (北村 久寿雄, Kitamura Kusuo; October 9, 1917 – June 6, 1996) was a Japanese swimmer who competed at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California. Kitamura was born in Kōchi, Japan. Selected as one of the youngest members of the Japanese swimming team in the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, he won the gold medal in the Men's 1500 meter freestyle swimming event. He was 14 years and 309 days old at the time, setting a record for youngest ever swimmer to win a gold medal at the Olympic Games. This record lasted until the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, Korea, when Hungarian swimmer Krisztina Egerszegi won the gold in the Women's 200-meter backstroke event. However, Kitamaura still holds the record for the youngest male swimmer. After the 1932 Olympics, Kitamura retired from competitive sports, and eventually graduated from Tokyo Imperial University, and obtained a job at the Japanese Ministry of Labor. He rose through the bureaucratic ranks, eventually becoming a department head, before retiring in 1984 to become a director at Sumitomo Cement.
Osamu Matsubara (松原 治, Matsubara Osamu; October 7, 1917 – January 3, 2012) was a Japanese businessman, business…
Osamu Matsubara (松原 治, Matsubara Osamu; October 7, 1917 – January 3, 2012) was a Japanese businessman, business executive, and former chairman and CEO of Books Kinokuniya. Matsubara was President of Kinokuniya Company Ltd., the parent company of Books Kinokuniya, from October 1980 to November 2002. In November 2002, he became the Chief Executive Office and board chairman for Kinokuniya Company Ltd. Outside Japan, Matsubara oversaw the 2007 relocation of Books Kinokuniya's New York City location from Rockefeller Center to a new, 23,800 sq. feet, three-floor store across from Bryant Park. The store, with its 250,000 items, is considered the largest Japanese bookstore in the United States. The inventory of the New York location includes an equal amount of Japanese and English books, which is in line with the company's goal to offer a wide assortment of titles in both Japanese and English. Osamu Matsubara died from heart failure on January 3, 2012, at the age of 94.
Katsura Ōyama (大山 桂, Ōyama Katsura; October 6, 1917 – December 30, 1995) was a Japanese paleontologist and zoologist…
Katsura Ōyama (大山 桂, Ōyama Katsura; October 6, 1917 – December 30, 1995) was a Japanese paleontologist and zoologist, best known for his work on the Tertiary and Recent Mollusca of Japan.
Kazue Kojima (小島 一枝, Kojima Kazue; October 30, 1916 – 1992) was a Japanese freestyle swimmer who competed in the 1932…
Kazue Kojima (小島 一枝, Kojima Kazue; October 30, 1916 – 1992) was a Japanese freestyle swimmer who competed in the 1932 and 1936 Summer Olympics. In 1932 she was a member of the Japanese relay team that finished fifth in the 4×100 mm freestyle relay. In the 100 m freestyle competition she was eliminated in the first round. Four years later she finished sixth in the 400 m freestyle. In the 100 m freestyle competition she was eliminated in the semi-finals, and as part of the Japanese 4 × 100 m relay team she was eliminated in the first round.
Ken Yuasa (湯浅 謙; October 23, 1916 – November 2, 2010) was a surgeon for the Japanese army who had been a member of the…
Ken Yuasa (湯浅 謙; October 23, 1916 – November 2, 2010) was a surgeon for the Japanese army who had been a member of the infamous Unit 731 during the Second Sino-Japanese War. During his service in Japanese-occupied China, he (along with at least 1000 other doctors and nurses) conducted vivisections on Chinese prisoners and civilians, and provided typhoid and dysentery bacilli to the Japanese army for use in biological warfare. Years after the war, he began to realize the extent of the atrocities he and others had committed and began writing, and speaking throughout Japan, about his experiences.
Reikichi Nakamura (Japanese: 中村 礼吉; born 16 October 1916, date of death unknown) was a Japanese speed skater who…
Reikichi Nakamura (Japanese: 中村 礼吉; born 16 October 1916, date of death unknown) was a Japanese speed skater who competed in the 1936 Winter Olympics. In 1936 he finished eleventh in the 500 metres competition. Nakamura is deceased.
Yasuji Miyazaki (宮崎 康二, Miyazaki Yasuji) (October 15, 1916 – December 30, 1989) was a Japanese swimmer who competed at…
Yasuji Miyazaki (宮崎 康二, Miyazaki Yasuji) (October 15, 1916 – December 30, 1989) was a Japanese swimmer who competed at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Miyazaki was born in Kosai, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. He was selected for the Japanese Olympic team for the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics at the age of 15, and was one of the youngest members. In the semi-finals of the 100 m freestyle event, he surpassed the Olympic record previously set by American champion Johnny Weissmuller with a time of 58.2 seconds, and won the gold medal. The following day, as part of the team competing in the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay event, he won a second gold medal, with the team setting a new world record of 8 minutes 58.4 seconds. After his return to Japan, he entered Keio University and retired from competitive sports.
Taka Shibata (10 October 1916 – 1991) was a Japanese sprinter. She competed in the women's 100 metres at the 1932…
Taka Shibata (10 October 1916 – 1991) was a Japanese sprinter. She competed in the women's 100 metres at the 1932 Summer Olympics.
Dogen Handa (半田 道玄, Handa Dōgen; October 25, 1915 – April 13, 1974) also known as Hayami Handa, was a professional Go…
Dogen Handa (半田 道玄, Handa Dōgen; October 25, 1915 – April 13, 1974) also known as Hayami Handa, was a professional Go player.
Taiji Tonoyama (殿山 泰司, Tonoyama Taiji; October 17, 1915 – April 30, 1989) was a Japanese character actor who made many…
Taiji Tonoyama (殿山 泰司, Tonoyama Taiji; October 17, 1915 – April 30, 1989) was a Japanese character actor who made many appearances in films and on television from 1939 to 1989. He was a close friend of Kaneto Shindo and one of his regular cast members. He was also an essayist. In 1950 he helped form the film company Kindai Eiga Kyokai with Shindo and Kōzaburō Yoshimura. He served in the Japanese military in China in the Second Sino-Japanese War and considered himself to have narrowly escaped from death. He was married but also had a mistress and maintained relationships with both women until the end of his life. He was a keen reader of detective stories and a fan of jazz music. He wrote a series of semi-autobiographical essays under the title Sanmon Yakusha (三文役者), meaning "third rate actor". Kaneto Shindo wrote a biography of Tonoyama called Sanmon yakusha no shi, meaning "The death of a third-rate actor", which he also filmed as By Player.
Nobuko Fushimi (伏見 信子, Fushimi Nobuko, born October 10, 1915) is a Japanese actress and singer who was active in the…
Nobuko Fushimi (伏見 信子, Fushimi Nobuko, born October 10, 1915) is a Japanese actress and singer who was active in the 1930s. She was also known by her alias Nobue Fushimi (伏見 延江).
Dokan Sone (曽根道貫, Sone Dōkan; born 30 October 1914 – 1992) was a Japanese gymnast. He competed in eight events at the…
Dokan Sone (曽根道貫, Sone Dōkan; born 30 October 1914 – 1992) was a Japanese gymnast. He competed in eight events at the 1936 Summer Olympics.
Yūji Kinoshita (木下夕爾, Kinoshita Yūji; 27 October 1914 – 4 August 1965) was a Japanese poet, a member of the group…
Yūji Kinoshita (木下夕爾, Kinoshita Yūji; 27 October 1914 – 4 August 1965) was a Japanese poet, a member of the group associated with the journal Shiki, and famous during his lifetime for his pastoral poetry. Many of his haiku appear in English-language anthologies. He was born the second son of Tsuneichi Kinoshita in Miyuki, a village in the eastern part of Hiroshima Prefecture. On 22 July 1920, his father was killed at work; on 3 August 1922, his mother married Tsuneichi's brother, Itsu, a pharmacist. In 1932, Kinoshita began studying French literature at Waseda in Tokyo, but he was forced to switch to pharmacology in Nagoya in order to continue the family business, when his elder brother became a doctor. This unwelcome career change was cemented by the death on 15 September 1935 of his stepfather. Kinoshita disliked working as a pharmacist and is described by his family as a distant man who frequently undercharged his clients for the medicine he provided. He spent all of his spare time on his poems, of which 400 survive. They were published in ten collections. In July 1965, he wrote his last poem, "Gone So Long", commissioned by a newspaper for the 20th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima. He died a month later of colon cancer. His complete works were published in November of the same year. He was the winner of the Yomiuri Prize in 1966.