Kōji Gushiken (具志堅 幸司, Gushiken Kōji) (born November 12, 1956, in Ōsaka) is an Olympic gymnast for Japan at the 1984…Kōji Gushiken (具志堅 幸司, Gushiken Kōji) (born November 12, 1956, in Ōsaka) is an Olympic gymnast for Japan at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California, where he won a total number of five medals, including two gold. He broke an ankle in May 1985 which prevented him from training for 3 months and hindered his performances at the 1985 World Championships. Gushiken announced his retirement at the 1985 Chūnichi Cup. He currently coaches other Olympic contenders, including two-time Olympic individual all-around gold medallist Kōhei Uchimura.
Akira Mitake (見岳 章; born November 11, 1956) is a Japanese composer from Tokyo. He is known for his collaborations with…Akira Mitake (見岳 章; born November 11, 1956) is a Japanese composer from Tokyo. He is known for his collaborations with director Yukihiko Tsutsumi, including such films as Chinese Dinner (2001), 2LDK (2003), EGG (2005) and Taitei no Ken (2007). Mitake composed "Kawa no nagare no yō ni" (川の流れのように), Like the Flow of the River, a song recorded by Japanese enka singer Hibari Misora.
Anna Ogino (荻野 アンナ, Ogino Anna; born November 7, 1956) is a Japanese author and emeritus professor of literature at…Anna Ogino (荻野 アンナ, Ogino Anna; born November 7, 1956) is a Japanese author and emeritus professor of literature at Keio University. She has won the Akutagawa Prize, the Yomiuri Prize, and the Itō Sei Literature Prize.
Toshikazu Kawasaki (川崎敏和, Kawasaki Toshikazu; November 26, 1955 – March 4, 2026) was a Japanese paperfolder and origami…Toshikazu Kawasaki (川崎敏和, Kawasaki Toshikazu; November 26, 1955 – March 4, 2026) was a Japanese paperfolder and origami theorist who was known for his geometrically innovative models. He was particularly famous for his series of fourfold symmetry "roses", all based on a twisting maneuver that allows the petals to seem to curl out from the center of the flower. Kawasaki also taught mathematics at Sasebo Technical Junior College.
Nobuto Hosaka (保坂 展人, Hosaka Nobuto) (born 26 November 1955) is a Japanese politician and the current mayor of Setagaya…Nobuto Hosaka (保坂 展人, Hosaka Nobuto) (born 26 November 1955) is a Japanese politician and the current mayor of Setagaya in Tokyo. In addition, he was a member of the House of Representatives for the Social Democratic Party until 21 July 2009. Hosaka campaigned and won the mayor's job on an anti-nuclear platform in April 2011, just over a month after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. According to The Wall Street Journal, Hosaka "is determined to turn this city ward of 840,000 people, the largest in Tokyo, into the front-runner of a movement that will put an end to Japan's reliance on atomic power and accelerate the use of renewable energy". Hosaka opposes the death penalty, and held the position of secretary general of the Parliamentary League for the Abolition of the Death Penalty. He is also highly critical of continued Japanese moral panic against the Otaku subculture in the nation, with one notable case of criticism displayed against public and media related assumptions and gossip surrounding the incidents of 17 November 2004, when Kaoru Kobayashi murdered a 7-year-old girl. In 2006 and 2007, Hosaka joined the gay parade in Tokyo. Mizuho Fukushima, then-leader of the Social Democratic Party, also joined the event with him in 2007.
Takashi Yuasa (湯浅 卓, Yuasa Takashi, born on November 24, 1955 in Tokyo) is a Japanese lawyer (admitted in Washington…Takashi Yuasa (湯浅 卓, Yuasa Takashi, born on November 24, 1955 in Tokyo) is a Japanese lawyer (admitted in Washington D.C., but not in Japan) and television personality. He belongs to the Horipro (Hori Productions) talent agency.
Reizo Kato (Japanese: 加藤 礼三, born 23 November 1955) is a Japanese chemist specializing in the development and physical…Reizo Kato (Japanese: 加藤 礼三, born 23 November 1955) is a Japanese chemist specializing in the development and physical characterization of molecular conductors and superconductors which is a field of materials science.
Katsunobu Katō (加藤 勝信, Katō Katsunobu; born 22 November 1955) is a Japanese politician who served as the Minister of…Katsunobu Katō (加藤 勝信, Katō Katsunobu; born 22 November 1955) is a Japanese politician who served as the Minister of Finance under Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba from 2024 to 2025. Previously, he was served as the three-time Minister of Health, Labour, and Welfare under Shinzo Abe from 2017 to 2018 and from 2019 to 2020, and under Fumio Kishida from 2022 to 2023, and as the Chief Cabinet Secretary under Yoshihide Suga from 2020 to 2021. Belonging to the Liberal Democratic Party, he has been a member of the House of Representatives since 2003. Born and raised in Tokyo and a graduate of the University of Tokyo, Kato had a bureaucratic career in the Ministry of Finance before going into politics.
Kazuhiko Takemoto (竹本 一彦, Takemoto Kazuhiko; born November 22, 1955) is a former Japanese football player and manager.…Kazuhiko Takemoto (竹本 一彦, Takemoto Kazuhiko; born November 22, 1955) is a former Japanese football player and manager. His wife is former footballer Asako Takakura.
Satoshio Matsuura (松浦 敏夫, Matsuura Satoshio; born November 20, 1955) is a former Japanese football player and manager.…Satoshio Matsuura (松浦 敏夫, Matsuura Satoshio; born November 20, 1955) is a former Japanese football player and manager. He played for Japan national team.
Jun Kunimura (國村 隼, Kunimura Jun; born Yoshihiro Yonemura (米村 喜洋, Yonemura Yoshihiro); November 15, 1955) is a Japanese…Jun Kunimura (國村 隼, Kunimura Jun; born Yoshihiro Yonemura (米村 喜洋, Yonemura Yoshihiro); November 15, 1955) is a Japanese actor who has acted in Japan, the United States, Hong Kong, and South Korea. He won Best Supporting Actor and the Popular Star Award at the 37th Blue Dragon Film Awards for his performance in the South Korean horror film The Wailing, directed by Na Hong-jin.
Yoshihiro Kawaoka (河岡 義裕, Kawaoka Yoshihiro; born November 14, 1955) is a virologist specializing in the study of the…Yoshihiro Kawaoka (河岡 義裕, Kawaoka Yoshihiro; born November 14, 1955) is a virologist specializing in the study of the influenza and Ebola viruses. He holds a professorship in virology in the Department of Pathobiological Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA, and at the University of Tokyo, Japan. Following the West African Ebola virus epidemic of 2014, Kawaoka attempted to develop an Ebola vaccine working in close coordination with Alhaji N'jai, a toxicologist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and his non-profit organization Project 1808, Inc.
Koichi Nakano (中野 浩一, Nakano Kōichi) (born November 14, 1955) of Japan is a former professional track cyclist and…Koichi Nakano (中野 浩一, Nakano Kōichi) (born November 14, 1955) of Japan is a former professional track cyclist and ten-consecutive-time world champion in track cycling sprint. He is among the best track sprinters of modern times. From 1977 to 1986, he won an unprecedented 10 consecutive gold medals in professional sprint events at the UCI Track World Championships. He was one of the most successful competitors of all-time on the Japanese professional keirin circuit.
Yasushi Ueta (植田 恭史, Ueta Yasushi; born 13 November 1955) is a Japanese track and field athlete. He competed in the…Yasushi Ueta (植田 恭史, Ueta Yasushi; born 13 November 1955) is a Japanese track and field athlete. He competed in the men's triple jump at the 1984 Summer Olympics. He is currently a professor of sports science at Tokai University.
Mitsuo Hashimoto (はしもと みつお or 橋本 光男, Hashimoto Mitsuo; born 5 November 1955 in Sayama, Saitama Prefecture, Japan) is a…Mitsuo Hashimoto (はしもと みつお or 橋本 光男, Hashimoto Mitsuo; born 5 November 1955 in Sayama, Saitama Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese manga artist. After winning an honorable mention at the 11th Tezuka Awards in 1976 for his work Mīnya no Negai, he made his professional debut the following year in a special issue of Weekly Shōnen Jump with his work The Two Are Rivals (二人はライバル, Futari wa Raibaru). Since that time, he has published works in a variety of Shogakukan shōnen and seinen manga magazines. His definitive works include Tsukiji Uogashi Sandaime (art) and Itsumo Hōkago. Manga artist Hidenori Hara was his assistant for a time. Hashimoto was the assistant for Motoka Murakami for a time.
Yukihiko Tsutsumi (堤幸彦, Tsutsumi Yukihiko; born November 3, 1955 in Yokkaichi, Mie) is a Japanese television and film…Yukihiko Tsutsumi (堤幸彦, Tsutsumi Yukihiko; born November 3, 1955 in Yokkaichi, Mie) is a Japanese television and film director. He began directing commercials and music promotion videos as an employee of Nippon Television. After spending time abroad, he returned and started his own production company, Office Crescendo, from which he works independently. His first television drama on Nippon Television was called Kora! Tonneruzu and ran from 1985 to 1989. He directed Taitei no Ken, an original work by Baku Yumemakura, in 2007.
Koji Tanaka (田中 孝司, Tanaka Kōji; November 2, 1955 – May 26, 2026) was a Japanese football player and manager. He played…Koji Tanaka (田中 孝司, Tanaka Kōji; November 2, 1955 – May 26, 2026) was a Japanese football player and manager. He played for the Japan national team.
Masato Wakayama (Japanese: 若山 正人, romanized: Wakayama Masato; born November 1955) is a Japanese mathematician…Masato Wakayama (Japanese: 若山 正人, romanized: Wakayama Masato; born November 1955) is a Japanese mathematician specializing in representation theory, number theory, and mathematical physics. He is the Research Principal of the NTT Institute of Fundamental Mathematics, President of ZEN University and Professor Emeritus at Kyushu University. He worked to improve research collaboration in mathematics between academia and industry and the development of mathematics among young people in Japan.
Yasutaka Okayama (岡山恭崇, Okayama Yasutaka; born November 29, 1954) is a Japanese former professional basketball player…Yasutaka Okayama (岡山恭崇, Okayama Yasutaka; born November 29, 1954) is a Japanese former professional basketball player and coach. He was selected by the Golden State Warriors as the 171st pick of the eighth round of the 1981 NBA draft, although he did not sign with them. At 7 ft 8 in (2.34 m), he is the tallest player to be drafted in National Basketball Association (NBA) history. Okayama was the only player from Japan drafted into the NBA until Rui Hachimura was selected in the 2019 NBA draft. Okayama practiced judo at junior high and high school, and obtained a second degree black belt. He started playing basketball at Osaka University of Commerce when he was eighteen. In 1975, when his height was about 2.08 metres (6 ft 10 in), he was recruited by the University of Portland; he spent two years there, but a medical check revealed gigantism and he never played for the varsity team. After graduation, he joined the Sumitomo Metal Sparks basketball club. He represented Japan between 1979 and 1986 before retiring in 1996. After being selected in the 1981 NBA draft, Okayama opted to stay in Japan. As of 2005, he worked for Sumitomo Metal Industries and was active as a basketball coach. Okayama wrote a book for young basketball players in 1989.
Katsutoshi Kawano (河野 克俊, Kawano Katsutoshi; born 28 November 1954) is a retired Japanese admiral who served as the 5th…Katsutoshi Kawano (河野 克俊, Kawano Katsutoshi; born 28 November 1954) is a retired Japanese admiral who served as the 5th Chief of Staff, Joint Staff of the Japan Self-Defense Forces from 2014 to 2019 — the longest tenure of anyone who has held that specific post since its creation. Prior to his appointment, he was Chief of Staff of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), Japan's maritime military service.
Hideshi Ishikawa (石川 日出志, Ishikawa Hideshi; born 1954) is a Japanese archaeologist. Since 1978 he has been on the…Hideshi Ishikawa (石川 日出志, Ishikawa Hideshi; born 1954) is a Japanese archaeologist. Since 1978 he has been on the faculty of Meiji University, in the Archaeology Department. He is considered an expert in the Yayoi period and the Bronze-Iron Age history and culture of the Korean peninsula, and Jōmon culture and pottery. He has published several books and papers, including books about ruins of the Yayoi era (2008) and on agrarian society in ancient Japanese history (2010).
Mitsuru Miura (三浦 みつる, Miura Mitsuru; born 25 November 1954) is a Japanese manga artist from Yokohama. He is best known…Mitsuru Miura (三浦 みつる, Miura Mitsuru; born 25 November 1954) is a Japanese manga artist from Yokohama. He is best known for the series The Kabocha Wine, which was adapted as an anime television series, and for which he received the 1983 Kodansha Manga Award for shōnen.
Shigekazu Mori (森 繁和, born November 18, 1954, in Chosei, Chiba Prefecture) is a former Japanese professional baseball…Shigekazu Mori (森 繁和, born November 18, 1954, in Chosei, Chiba Prefecture) is a former Japanese professional baseball pitcher who played for the Seibu Lions in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball. He has held coaching positions at 4 different teams most notably including a 10 years stint at the Seibu Lions and 10 years at current employers, the Chunichi Dragons. On 9 August 2016 it was announced that Mori would become the interim manager of the Dragons following the dismissal of Motonobu Tanishige. On 29 September 2016, following the end of the 2016 NPB season where the Dragons finished last in the Central League, Mori was announced as permanent full-time manager for the 2017 season.
Kiyoko Nomura (17 November 1954 – 17 February 2016) was a Japanese former professional tennis player. Nomura, a…Kiyoko Nomura (17 November 1954 – 17 February 2016) was a Japanese former professional tennis player. Nomura, a multiple medalist at the 1978 Asian Games, represented the Japan Federation Cup team from 1978 to 1981. She was the singles winner at the All Japan Championships in 1979 and 1981, as well as a five-time national champion in doubles. While competing on the international tour she featured in the main draw of the Australian Open.
Mari Matsunaga (born 13 November 1954) is a Japanese editor, author, and businesswoman. She is also the representative…Mari Matsunaga (born 13 November 1954) is a Japanese editor, author, and businesswoman. She is also the representative of the Matsunaga Mari Office. After working at Japan Recruit Center Co., Ltd. and Recruit Co., Ltd., she served as head of the planning office in the Gateway Business Division at NTT Mobile Communications Network Corporation.
Sir Kazuo Ishiguro (Japanese: 石黒 一雄, Hepburn: Ishiguro Kazuo; ; born 8 November 1954) is a Japanese-British novelist…Sir Kazuo Ishiguro (Japanese: 石黒 一雄, Hepburn: Ishiguro Kazuo; ; born 8 November 1954) is a Japanese-British novelist, screenwriter, musician, and short-story writer. He is one of the most critically acclaimed contemporary fiction authors writing in English, having been awarded several major literary prizes, including the 2017 Nobel Prize in Literature. In its citation, the Swedish Academy described Ishiguro as a writer "who, in novels of great emotional force, has uncovered the abyss beneath our illusory sense of connection with the world". Ishiguro was born in Nagasaki, Japan, and moved to Britain in 1960 with his parents when he was five. His first two novels, A Pale View of Hills and An Artist of the Floating World, were noted for their explorations of Japanese identity and their mournful tone. He has since explored themes more typically associated with science fiction and historical fiction, while continuing a focus on the outsider's perspective, the search for an unattainable truth, and the sense of recent history as a spider's web in which humans vainly struggle. He has been nominated for the Booker Prize four times, winning in 1989 for The Remains of the Day, which was adapted into a film of the same name in 1993. Salman Rushdie praised the novel as Ishiguro's masterpiece, in which he "turned away from the Japanese settings of his first two novels and revealed that his sensibility was not rooted in any one place, but capable of travel and metamorphosis". Time named Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go as the best novel of 2005 and one of the 100 best English-language novels published between 1923 and 2005. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for the 2022 film Living.
Minoru Yanagida (柳田 稔, Yanagida Minoru; born 6 November 1954) is a former Japanese politician of the Democratic Party…Minoru Yanagida (柳田 稔, Yanagida Minoru; born 6 November 1954) is a former Japanese politician of the Democratic Party For the People who served as member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Kagoshima, Kagoshima and graduate of the University of Tokyo, he was elected to the House of Councillors for the first time in 1998 after serving in the House of Representatives for two terms since 1990.
Chieno Shibata (柴田 智恵野, Shibata Chieno; born 30 November 1953) is a Japanese former swimmer. She competed at the 1968…Chieno Shibata (柴田 智恵野, Shibata Chieno; born 30 November 1953) is a Japanese former swimmer. She competed at the 1968 Summer Olympics and the 1972 Summer Olympics.
Asami Kobayashi (Japanese: 小林麻美; born 29 November 1953), which is the stage name for Toshiko Tanabe (Japanese: 田邉 稔子)…Asami Kobayashi (Japanese: 小林麻美; born 29 November 1953), which is the stage name for Toshiko Tanabe (Japanese: 田邉 稔子), is a Japanese singer, actress and model.
Mariko Suga (菅 真理子, Suga Mariko; born 28 November 1953) is the wife of the former Prime Minister of Japan, Yoshihide…Mariko Suga (菅 真理子, Suga Mariko; born 28 November 1953) is the wife of the former Prime Minister of Japan, Yoshihide Suga.
Ken Matsudaira (松平 健, Matsudaira Ken; familiarly shortened as Matsuken, born November 28, 1953) is a Japanese actor and…Ken Matsudaira (松平 健, Matsudaira Ken; familiarly shortened as Matsuken, born November 28, 1953) is a Japanese actor and musician from Toyohashi, Aichi, Japan. His real name is Sueshichi Suzuki (鈴木 末七, Suzuki Sueshichi).
Taeko Ōnuki (大貫 妙子, Ōnuki Taeko; born November 28, 1953) is a Japanese singer-songwriter and musician who achieved…Taeko Ōnuki (大貫 妙子, Ōnuki Taeko; born November 28, 1953) is a Japanese singer-songwriter and musician who achieved success and popularity during the 1970s and 80s in the city pop music scene.
Masahiro Sayama (佐山 雅弘, Sayama Masahiro; November 26, 1953 – November 14, 2018) was a Japanese pianist, active in jazz…Masahiro Sayama (佐山 雅弘, Sayama Masahiro; November 26, 1953 – November 14, 2018) was a Japanese pianist, active in jazz and video game soundtracks. Sayama began playing piano as a child and became interested in jazz after seeing the film The Glenn Miller Story. He studied music at Kunitachi College of Music and began playing jazz professionally in the early 1970s, working with Toshiyuki Honda, Shigeharu Mukai, and Kazunori Takeda. He was a member of Shuichi Murakami's trio Ponta Box and also led his own ensembles. In 1991 he began playing with Masahiko Osaka. Sayama also played for video game soundtracks, including Final Fantasy X-2. Sayama died on November 14, 2018, at the age of 64.
Hiroyuki Shimatani (Japanese: 島谷 弘幸, Shimatani Hiroyuki; born November 26, 1953) is a Japanese scholar of antique art.…Hiroyuki Shimatani (Japanese: 島谷 弘幸, Shimatani Hiroyuki; born November 26, 1953) is a Japanese scholar of antique art. After serving as the director of the Kyushu National Museum, he became the president of the National Institutes for Cultural Heritage. He is from Okayama Prefecture.
Masahiro Maehara is a Japanese former international table tennis player. He won a silver medal at the 1977 World Table…Masahiro Maehara is a Japanese former international table tennis player. He won a silver medal at the 1977 World Table Tennis Championships in the Swaythling Cup (men's team event) with Tetsuo Inoue, Mitsuru Kono, Norio Takashima and Tokio Tasaka for Japan. He then won two bronze medals at the 1979 World Table Tennis Championships and 1981 World Table Tennis Championships. He was later the Director of the Japanese Table Tennis Association.
Wakako Sawara (佐原 若子) (born November 22, 1953) is a Japanese politician and dentist. She is a member of the House of…Wakako Sawara (佐原 若子) (born November 22, 1953) is a Japanese politician and dentist. She is a member of the House of Representatives (1 term) and a director of the Aomori Prefectural Medical Association.
Hajime Funada (船田 元, Funada Hajime; born 22 November 1953) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party…Hajime Funada (船田 元, Funada Hajime; born 22 November 1953) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, who serve as a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature) and a former Minister of Economic Planning. A native of Utsunomiya, Tochigi he attended Keio University both as undergraduate and graduate. He was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 1979.
Atsushi Yamaguchi (born November 6, 1953) is a Japanese lawyer and academic who has served as an associate justice of…Atsushi Yamaguchi (born November 6, 1953) is a Japanese lawyer and academic who has served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of Japan from 2017 to 2023.
Mitsuru Hirata (平田満, Hirata Mitsuru) is a Japanese actor. He won the award for best actor at the 7th Hochi Film Award…Mitsuru Hirata (平田満, Hirata Mitsuru) is a Japanese actor. He won the award for best actor at the 7th Hochi Film Award and the award for best supporting actor at the 4th Yokohama Film Festival for Fall Guy.
Ryosei Kokubun (Japanese: 國分 良成, romanized: Kokubun Ryōsei; November 1, 1953) is a Japanese academic and author. He is…Ryosei Kokubun (Japanese: 國分 良成, romanized: Kokubun Ryōsei; November 1, 1953) is a Japanese academic and author. He is currently professor emeritus at Keio University and served as the President of the National Defense Academy of Japan from April 2012 to March 2021. Kokubun's main interests are Sino-Japanese relations and Chinese politics, and he previously served as Dean of the Faculty of Law and Politics of the Graduate School of Law at Keio University from 2007 to 2012 as well as being President of the Japan Association for Asian Studies from 2008 to 2012 and president of the Japan Association of International Relations. He also served as the director of the Keio University East Asian Institute, Japan from 1999 to 2007 at Keio University.
Kenjirō Ishimaru (石丸 謙二郎, Ishimaru Kenjirō; born 1 November 1953) is a Japanese actor and TV narrator. He is best known…Kenjirō Ishimaru (石丸 謙二郎, Ishimaru Kenjirō; born 1 November 1953) is a Japanese actor and TV narrator. He is best known for his role in Kamen Rider series Kamen Rider Den-O as the owner of the DenLiner. He has also appeared in multiple competitions of Sasuke as a competitor and during that time has become one of only two people to fall off the Rolling Log obstacle in the First Stage and take the log with them. Ishimaru is the narrator in the anime series Toriko. He also narrates TV Asahi's series See the World by Train, which has run since June 1987.
Yasaburo Sugawara (菅原 弥三郎, Sugawara Yasaburō; born 26 November 1952) is a Japanese former wrestler who competed in the…Yasaburo Sugawara (菅原 弥三郎, Sugawara Yasaburō; born 26 November 1952) is a Japanese former wrestler who competed in the 1976 Summer Olympics.
Yasuhiko Arakawa (Japanese 荒川 泰彦, Arakawa Yasuhiko; born 6 November 1952) is a Japanese physicist. His research focuses…Yasuhiko Arakawa (Japanese 荒川 泰彦, Arakawa Yasuhiko; born 6 November 1952) is a Japanese physicist. His research focuses on semiconductor physics, including growth of nanostructures and their optoelectronic applications. Among his main achievements are the proposal of the concept of quantum dots and their application to quantum dot lasers, the observation of exciton-polariton Rabi-splitting in a semiconductor microcavity, or, recently, the first 3D photonic crystal nanocavity lasers with quantum dot gain.
Yasunori Yasuda (保田 靖則, Yasuda Yasunori; born 20 November 1952) is a Japanese volleyball player. He competed in the…Yasunori Yasuda (保田 靖則, Yasuda Yasunori; born 20 November 1952) is a Japanese volleyball player. He competed in the men's tournament at the 1976 Summer Olympics.