Sandi A. Hohn (born 鈴木 あや, Suzuki Aya, renamed in the U.S. as Sandra O'Neale, born December 27, 1952), professionally…Sandi A. Hohn (born 鈴木 あや, Suzuki Aya, renamed in the U.S. as Sandra O'Neale, born December 27, 1952), professionally known as Sandii, is a Japanese singer and vocalist who was a member of the Japanese band Sandii & the Sunsetz. Hohn is also notable for her work on the Japanese animated television series Lupin III Part II.
Shigeru Suzuki (Japanese: 鈴木 茂, Hepburn: Suzuki Shigeru; born December 20, 1951) is a Japanese musician, songwriter and…Shigeru Suzuki (Japanese: 鈴木 茂, Hepburn: Suzuki Shigeru; born December 20, 1951) is a Japanese musician, songwriter and guitarist. He first became known as a member of the influential rock band Happy End in the early 1970s, before starting a solo career and becoming a prolific session musician. As of 2006, Suzuki had contributed to 588 recordings. In 2019, Suzuki's high school band Skye reunited and released their first album.
Kōjirō Iwato (岩戸 康次郎, Iwato Kōjirō; born December 13, 1951), known by his pen name Jirō Asada (浅田 次郎, Asada Jirō), is a…Kōjirō Iwato (岩戸 康次郎, Iwato Kōjirō; born December 13, 1951), known by his pen name Jirō Asada (浅田 次郎, Asada Jirō), is a Japanese writer. In 1991, his novel Torarete tamaruka! (とられてたまるか!) started his literary career. After writing several picaresque novels, his novel Metro ni notte (地下鉄に乗って) was awarded the Eiji Yoshikawa Prize for New Writers and made into a 2006 film; a short story collection The Stationmaster and other stories (Poppoya (鉄道員)) was also awarded the Naoki Prize. He writes also historical and Chinese historical novels such as The Firmament of the Pleiades (Sōkyū no subaru, 蒼穹の昴). He writes in the traditional style of Japanese popular fiction.
Keizo Takemi (武見 敬三, Takemi Keizō; born 5 November 1951) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party who…Keizo Takemi (武見 敬三, Takemi Keizō; born 5 November 1951) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party who served as a member of the House of Councillors of Japan.
Ai Nagai (永井愛, Nagai Ai; born on 16 October 1951) is a Japanese playwright, stage director, and the co-founder and…Ai Nagai (永井愛, Nagai Ai; born on 16 October 1951) is a Japanese playwright, stage director, and the co-founder and leader of the theater company Nitosha. She is known for adopting realism as her primary writing style. Two of her major works, The Three Hagi Sisters (萩家の三姉妹, Hagi-ke no san shimai) and Time's Storeroom (時の物置, Toki no mono oki), both exemplify her utilization of realism. According to The Japan Foundation's Performing Arts Network, Nagai is currently regarded as one of the most sought-after playwrights in Japan because of her "well-made plays," in which social issues are treated from a critical perspective.
Keiichi Suzuki (鈴木 慶一, Suzuki Keiichi; born August 28, 1951) is a Japanese composer, singer, and record producer. He…Keiichi Suzuki (鈴木 慶一, Suzuki Keiichi; born August 28, 1951) is a Japanese composer, singer, and record producer. He co-founded the rock band Moonriders and is best known known outside of Japan for his musical contributions to the video games Mother (1989) and EarthBound (1994), both of which have been released on several soundtracks. More recently, he has composed film scores including The Blind Swordsman: Zatōichi (2003), Tokyo Godfathers (2003), Uzumaki (2000), Chicken Heart (2009), as well as Takeshi Kitano's Outrage trilogy.
Shunri Oda from the Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan was named Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and…Shunri Oda from the Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan was named Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in 2012 for contributions to silicon quantum dot devices.
Tsunemi Kubodera (窪寺 恒己, Kubodera Tsunemi; born 1951 in Nakano, Tokyo) is a Japanese zoologist with the National Museum…Tsunemi Kubodera (窪寺 恒己, Kubodera Tsunemi; born 1951 in Nakano, Tokyo) is a Japanese zoologist with the National Museum of Nature and Science. On September 30, 2004, Kubodera and his team became the first people to photograph a live giant squid in its natural habitat. Two years later, on December 4, 2006, he also managed to successfully film a live adult giant squid for the first time ever. On July 10, 2012, Kubodera, together with Steve O'Shea and Edith Widder, became the first to film a live giant squid in its natural habitat from a submersible off the Bonin Islands. In addition to these firsts involving the giant squid, in 2005, Kubodera also became the first to film the Dana octopus squid (Taningia danae) in its natural habitat.
Ken Sakamura (坂村 健, Sakamura Ken; born 25 July 1951 in Tokyo, Japan), as of April 2017, is a Japanese professor and…Ken Sakamura (坂村 健, Sakamura Ken; born 25 July 1951 in Tokyo, Japan), as of April 2017, is a Japanese professor and dean of the Faculty of Information Networking for Innovation and Design at Toyo University, Japan. He is a former professor in information science at the University of Tokyo (through March 2017). He is the creator of the real-time operating system (RTOS) architecture TRON. In 2001, he shared the Takeda Award for Social/Economic Well-Being with Richard Stallman and Linus Torvalds.
Kumiko Ōsugi (大杉久美子, Ōsugi Kumiko; born July 10, 1951) is a J-pop artist from Tokyo. In 1964, she recorded a song with…Kumiko Ōsugi (大杉久美子, Ōsugi Kumiko; born July 10, 1951) is a J-pop artist from Tokyo. In 1964, she recorded a song with Crown Records using the pseudonym Momoko Shibayama (柴山モモコ, Shibayama Momoko). The first song to be released under her real name was "Attack No. 1" (アタックNo.1, Atakku Nanbā Wan), the opening theme for the Attack No. 1 anime. She went on to perform theme songs for many other anime, including Doraemon, Aim for the Ace!, Araiguma Rascal, Flanders no Inu, and Oz no Mahōtsukai. She is referred to by fans and the Japanese press as the "Queen of Anime Song" and is considered to be one of the "Four Heavenly Kings and Queens of Anison" (アニソン四天王) alongside Ichirou Mizuki, Isao Sasaki, and Mitsuko Horie. The opening theme to Heidi, Girl of the Alps is often mis-attributed to Ōsugi when it was actually performed by Kayo Ishū, a studio singer. Ōsugi did, however, perform the series' ending theme.
Yuko Miyazaki is a lawyer and former justice of the Supreme Court of Japan, serving from 2018 to 2021. She was born on…Yuko Miyazaki is a lawyer and former justice of the Supreme Court of Japan, serving from 2018 to 2021. She was born on 9 July 1951. Miyazaki earned her legal education respectively from the University of Tokyo (Faculty of Law; 1976) and Harvard Law School (1984). In 1979, after having worked as a legal apprentice, Miyazaki registered with the Daiichi Tokyo Bar Association and began practicing as a taxation attorney. In 1979, she was hired as a permanent attorney at the law firm Nagashima & Ohno. She became legal counsel for the World Bank in 1984. Miyazaki also taught as a visiting professor at Tokyo University and Kyoto University. In January 2018, she became the sixth female appointed as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Japan. Miyazaki is noted as forgoing tradition and becoming the first justice to issue rulings under her maiden name. Members of the Supreme Court have a mandatory retirement age of 70, so Miyazaki retired in 2021. She is appointed as International Judge of the Singapore International Commercial Court for the period of 5 January 2022 to 4 January 2024.
Hiroshi Yoshikawa (吉川 洋, Yanaihara Hiroshi; born June 30, 1951) is a Japanese economist and professor of Rissho…Hiroshi Yoshikawa (吉川 洋, Yanaihara Hiroshi; born June 30, 1951) is a Japanese economist and professor of Rissho University. Yoshikawa was born in Tokyo. He won the Nikkei Economic Book Award and the Suntory Award (1984), the Economist Award (1993) and the Yomiuri-Yoshino Sakuzo Award (2000).
Motoka Murakami (Japanese: 村上 もとか, Hepburn: Murakami Motoka; born June 3, 1951, in Setagaya, Tokyo) is a Japanese manga…Motoka Murakami (Japanese: 村上 もとか, Hepburn: Murakami Motoka; born June 3, 1951, in Setagaya, Tokyo) is a Japanese manga artist. He won the Kodansha Manga Award for shōnen manga for Gakuto Retsuden 1982 and the Shogakukan Manga Award twice, for shōnen manga for Musashi no Ken in 1984 and for general manga in 1996 for Ron, serialized in Big Comic Original from 1991 to 2006. In 1998, he received an Excellence Prize at the Japan Media Arts Festival for Ron. Jin won the Grand Prize at the 2011 Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize. On a list published in the beginning of August 2011, he ranked as the 35th best-selling manga artist since January 2010, with 1,901,000 copies sold.
Carmen Maki (Japanese: カルメン・マキ, Hepburn: Karumen Maki; born Maki Annette Lovelace, May 18, 1951) is a Japanese singer…Carmen Maki (Japanese: カルメン・マキ, Hepburn: Karumen Maki; born Maki Annette Lovelace, May 18, 1951) is a Japanese singer and lyricist. After debuting as a folk singer in 1969 with the million-selling single "Toki ni wa Haha no Nai Ko no Yō ni", she quickly shifted to rock music and is best known for fronting the band Oz from 1972 to 1977. Maki was one of the first female rock vocalists in Japan, and her work with Oz and Blues Creation has been credited with pioneering Japanese rock in general.
Kurosegawa Kuniyuki (born 13 May 1951 as Kensaku Sakai) is a former sumo wrestler from Higashimurayama, Tokyo, Japan.…Kurosegawa Kuniyuki (born 13 May 1951 as Kensaku Sakai) is a former sumo wrestler from Higashimurayama, Tokyo, Japan. He made his professional debut in January 1966, and reached the top division in May 1978. His highest rank was komusubi. He retired in May 1984 and became an elder in the Japan Sumo Association under the name Kiriyama. In 1995 he branched out from Isegahama stable and established his own Kiriyama stable, which shut down in 2011. He reached the mandatory retirement age of 65 in May 2016, but was re-hired by the Sumo Association for five years as a consultant. In September 2016 he was re-appointed as a judge of tournament bouts, following the demotion of Kasugayama. He left the Sumo Association upon turning 70 in May 2021.
Hisao Niura, also known as Kim Il-young (Korean: 김일융; born May 11, 1951), is a Japanese former professional baseball…Hisao Niura, also known as Kim Il-young (Korean: 김일융; born May 11, 1951), is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher who played Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan and KBO League baseball in South Korea. Over a 22-season career, he was a five-time champion, four times with the Yomiuri Giants and once with the Samsung Lions. He was a two-time ERA champion of Japan's Central League. A workhorse during much of his career, he had success as both a starter and a reliever. Although born in Japan, Niura is of Korean descent, part of the Zainichi community.
Naoyuki Agawa (阿川 尚之, Agawa Naoyuki; April 14, 1951 – November 12, 2024) was a Japanese lawyer, diplomat, academic and…Naoyuki Agawa (阿川 尚之, Agawa Naoyuki; April 14, 1951 – November 12, 2024) was a Japanese lawyer, diplomat, academic and author. He was a professor of law at Keio University from 1999; and from 2009, he served as the university's vice president for International Collaboration and Education.
Kiyoshiro Imawano (忌野 清志郎, Imawano Kiyoshirō), born Kiyoshi Kurihara (栗原 清志, Kurihara Kiyoshi; April 2, 1951 – May 2…Kiyoshiro Imawano (忌野 清志郎, Imawano Kiyoshirō), born Kiyoshi Kurihara (栗原 清志, Kurihara Kiyoshi; April 2, 1951 – May 2, 2009), was a Japanese rock musician, lyricist, composer, musical producer, and actor from Tokyo, Japan. He was dubbed "Japan's King of Rock". He formed and led the influential rock band RC Succession. He wrote many anti-nuclear songs following the Chernobyl disaster in 1986. He was known for pioneering the adoption of linguistic characteristics of the Japanese language into his songs.
Kōichi Iwaki (岩城滉一, Iwaki Kōichi) is a Japanese actor. He won the award for best actor at the 8th Yokohama Film…Kōichi Iwaki (岩城滉一, Iwaki Kōichi) is a Japanese actor. He won the award for best actor at the 8th Yokohama Film Festival for the 1986 film Minami e Hashire, Umi no Michi o. He was a Zainichi Korean until April 5, 2017, when he naturalized. Iwaki is also a racing car driver.
Eiichi Nakamura (中村 栄一, Nakamura Eiichi; born 24 February 1951) is a Japanese chemist and professor of chemistry at…Eiichi Nakamura (中村 栄一, Nakamura Eiichi; born 24 February 1951) is a Japanese chemist and professor of chemistry at University of Tokyo in Japan, also appointed as lecture profession in Nankai University in Tianjin, China from Sep 2025.
Tomoharu Takeo (竹尾 智晴, Takeo Tomoharu; born February 5, 1951), known by his stage name Ryūsei Nakao (中尾 隆聖, Nakao…Tomoharu Takeo (竹尾 智晴, Takeo Tomoharu; born February 5, 1951), known by his stage name Ryūsei Nakao (中尾 隆聖, Nakao Ryūsei), is a Japanese actor, voice actor and singer from Tokyo attached to 81 Produce. He worked under the name of Tomoharu Minamiya (南谷 智晴, Minamiya Tomoharu) and is married with two children, a son and daughter. His distinctive voice lands him in the roles of characters with high-pitched voices and sadistic personalities. As a voice actor, he is best known for the roles of Baikinman in Let's Go! Anpanman, Frieza, Tambourine, Cooler, Chilled, and Frost in Dragon Ball, Ishami Nishimura in Touch, Porori in Niko Niko Pun, Resshi in Do-Re-Mi-Fa Donuts, Echikettojii-san in Hotch Potch Station, Sniff in Moomin, the titular character in Topo Gigio, Mayuri Kurotsuchi in Bleach, Caesar Clown and Dr. Indigo in One Piece, and Takashi Shirogane in Beast King GoLion.
Mayumi Itsuwa (五輪 真弓, Itsuwa Mayumi) is a Japanese vocalist, composer, lyricist, and keyboardist who made her debut in…Mayumi Itsuwa (五輪 真弓, Itsuwa Mayumi) is a Japanese vocalist, composer, lyricist, and keyboardist who made her debut in 1972. Her first studio album entitled Shoujo was recorded in Los Angeles, produced by Grammy Award winner John Fischbach, with distinguished musicians such as David Campbell, Carole King and Charles Larkey who was King's husband at that time. Owing to her introspective compositions, Itsuwa was often nicknamed "Japanese Carole King", along with other Japanese singer-songwriters like Yumi Matsutoya (who had worked under her birth name "Yumi Arai" during the mid-1970s) and Minako Yoshida. Itsuwa gained moderate success on the Japanese albums chart in her early career, and received massive popularity and acclaim through the single "Koibito yo" released in 1980. The song topped Japan's Oricon chart for three consecutive weeks, and won the 22nd Japan Record Award for "Gold Prize" in the same year. It was covered by the country's legendary singers including Hibari Misora and Noriko Awaya in later years, and became a signature song for Itsuwa. In 1981 her song "Revival" also became a very well recognized hit. After "Koibito yo" became a hit, Itsuwa gained popularity also in non-Japanese Asian countries during the 1980s. In Indonesia, "Kokoro No Tomo", "Amayadori" and "Rebaibaru" become the most popular songs ever released by her. In 2006, Mayumi Itsuwa and Delon Thamrin recorded an Indonesian and Japanese version of the song. This was later included on the 2006 compilation album "Duet Love Songs". Many of her songs would fall into the musical genre of torch songs because they often describe the lingering memory of past loves.
Motonari Takano (Japanese: 高野 元成, Hepburn: Takano Motonari; January 12, 1951 - April 1, 2006), better known as Ai…Motonari Takano (Japanese: 高野 元成, Hepburn: Takano Motonari; January 12, 1951 - April 1, 2006), better known as Ai Takano (アイ高野, Ai Takano) and nicknamed Motchin, was a Japanese singer. He is best known for his performances of the theme songs for the anime Galactic Whirlwind Sasuraiger, Pettonton, and Kyojuu Tokusou Juspion. Takano also sung the songs in Ai Shite Knight for the fictional in-story band, Bee Hive, even though the singer character, Gou, is voiced by singer Isao Sasaki. Before starting his anisong career, Takano was drummer of The Golden Cups and a vocalist of Creation.
Minae Mizumura (水村 美苗, Mizumura Minae; born 1951) is a Japanese novelist. Among other literary awards, she has won the…Minae Mizumura (水村 美苗, Mizumura Minae; born 1951) is a Japanese novelist. Among other literary awards, she has won the Noma Literary New Face Prize and the Yomiuri Prize.
Masaki Kanda (Japanese: 神田 正輝, Hepburn: Kanda Masaki; born December 21, 1950) is a Japanese actor. He is well known for…Masaki Kanda (Japanese: 神田 正輝, Hepburn: Kanda Masaki; born December 21, 1950) is a Japanese actor. He is well known for his role as Doc (Akira Saijō in Taiyō ni Hoero!). His ex-wife is singer Seiko Matsuda and their daughter was actress Sayaka Kanda.
Takao Kisugi (来生 たかお, Kisugi Takao), born November 16, 1950, in Tokyo, Japan, is a Japanese singer and songwriter. In…Takao Kisugi (来生 たかお, Kisugi Takao), born November 16, 1950, in Tokyo, Japan, is a Japanese singer and songwriter. In 1974, he debuted as a songwriter and in 1976 made his solo debut as a singer. He often collaborates on songs with his sister, Etsuko Kisugi, who is a lyricist. In 1982, on the third Japan Composition Award, he received the "Best Composer" music award for the song Second Love. In his career, spanning over 45 years, he composed over 400 songs.
Sega Corporation is a Japanese video game company and subsidiary of Sega Sammy Holdings headquartered in Tokyo. It…Sega Corporation is a Japanese video game company and subsidiary of Sega Sammy Holdings headquartered in Tokyo. It produces several multi-million-selling game franchises for arcades and consoles including Sonic the Hedgehog, Angry Birds, Football Manager, Phantasy Star, Puyo Puyo, Super Monkey Ball, Bayonetta, Total War, Virtua Fighter, Megami Tensei, Sakura Wars, Persona, and Yakuza. From 1983 until 2001, Sega also developed its own consoles. Sega was founded by Martin Bromley and Richard Stewart as Nihon Goraku Bussan on June 3, 1960. Shortly after, it acquired the assets of its predecessor, Service Games of Japan. In 1965, it became known as Sega Enterprises, Ltd., after acquiring Rosen Enterprises, an importer of coin-operated games. Sega developed its first coin-operated game, Periscope, in 1966. Sega was sold to Gulf and Western Industries in 1969. Following a downturn in the arcade business in the early 1980s, Sega began to develop video game consoles, starting with the SG-1000 and Master System, but struggled against competitors such as the Nintendo Entertainment System. In 1984, Sega executives David Rosen and Hayao Nakayama led a management buyout, with backing from CSK Corporation. In 1988, Sega released the Mega Drive (the "Genesis" in North America). The Mega Drive struggled against competition in Japan, but the Genesis found success overseas after the release of Sonic the Hedgehog in 1991 and briefly outsold its main competitor, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, in the US. In 2001, after several commercial failures such as the 32X, Saturn, and Dreamcast, Sega stopped manufacturing consoles to become a third-party developer and publisher, and was acquired by Sammy Corporation in 2004. Sega Holdings Co., Ltd. was established in 2015; Sega Corporation was renamed to Sega Games Co., Ltd., and its arcade division was split into Sega Interactive. In 2020, Sega Games and Sega Interactive merged to become Sega Corporation. Sega's international branches, Sega of America and Sega Europe, are headquartered in Irvine, California, and London. Its development studios include its internal research and development divisions (which utilize the Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and Sonic Team brands for several core franchise entries), Sega Sapporo Studio which mainly provides support for the Tokyo-based development teams as well as handling partial game development, and Atlus (including its R&D divisions) and five development studios in the UK and Europe: Creative Assembly, Sports Interactive, Sega Hardlight, Two Point Studios, and Rovio Entertainment (including Ruby Games). Sega is one of the world's most prolific arcade game producers and its mascot, Sonic, is internationally recognized. Sega is recognized for its video game consoles, creativity and innovations. In more recent years, it has been criticized for its business decisions and the quality of its creative output. Being the entertainment contents division of Sega Sammy Holdings, forming one half of the Sega Sammy Group, Sega also owns a toy and amusement machine company, Sega Fave, which comprises its arcade development and manufacturing divisions and two animation studios: TMS Entertainment, which animates, produces, and distributes anime, and Marza Animation Planet, which specializes in CG animation.
Eriko Yamatani (山谷 えり子, Yamatani Eriko; born September 19, 1950) is a Japanese politician. Her name in official…Eriko Yamatani (山谷 えり子, Yamatani Eriko; born September 19, 1950) is a Japanese politician. Her name in official documents is Eriko Ogawa (小川恵里子, Ogawa Eriko).
Shoji Yuki (結城 昭二, Yūki Shōji; born 27 August 1950) is a Japanese basketball player. He competed in the men's…Shoji Yuki (結城 昭二, Yūki Shōji; born 27 August 1950) is a Japanese basketball player. He competed in the men's tournament at the 1976 Summer Olympics.
Kichitaro Negishi (根岸吉太郎, Negishi Kichitarō) is a Japanese film director. Although his films are admired by critics in…Kichitaro Negishi (根岸吉太郎, Negishi Kichitarō) is a Japanese film director. Although his films are admired by critics in Japan for their intelligence, Negishi has received little international recognition for his work. He has not been credited with a distinctive style but he has been called a subtle director who often elicits strong performances from his actors. He won the award for Best Director at the 3rd Yokohama Film Festival for Enrai and Crazy Fruit.
Ken Kutaragi (久夛良木 健, Kutaragi Ken; born 2 August 1950) is a Japanese engineering technologist and businessman…Ken Kutaragi (久夛良木 健, Kutaragi Ken; born 2 August 1950) is a Japanese engineering technologist and businessman, currently president and CEO of Cyber AI Entertainment. Formerly the chairman and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE), the video game division of Sony, Kutaragi is known as "The Father of the PlayStation" having overseen the development of the original console and its successors and spinoffs until departing the company in 2007, shortly after the PlayStation 3 was released. Kutaragi had also designed the sound processor for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. With Sony, he designed the VLSI chip that works in conjunction with the PS1's RISC CPU to handle the graphics rendering.
Mieko Yagi (9 June 1950 – 24 November 2015) was a Japanese equestrian. She competed in two events at the 2008 Summer…Mieko Yagi (9 June 1950 – 24 November 2015) was a Japanese equestrian. She competed in two events at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Naoki Takashima (Japanese: 高島直樹 Takashima Naoki; 13 May 1950 – 2 October 2023) was a Japanese politician. A member of…Naoki Takashima (Japanese: 高島直樹 Takashima Naoki; 13 May 1950 – 2 October 2023) was a Japanese politician. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party, he served as President of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly from 2014 to 2015. Takashima died on 2 October 2023, at the age of 73.
Mari Yonehara (米原 万里, Yonehara Mari; 29 April 1950 – 25 May 2006) was a Japanese translator, essayist, non-fiction…Mari Yonehara (米原 万里, Yonehara Mari; 29 April 1950 – 25 May 2006) was a Japanese translator, essayist, non-fiction writer, novelist, and simultaneous interpreter between Russian and Japanese, best known in Japan for simultaneous interpretation in the 1980s and 1990s and writing in 2000s.
Bandō Tamasaburō V (五代目 坂東 玉三郎, Godaime Bandō Tamasaburō) (born 25 April 1950) is a Kabuki actor and the most popular…Bandō Tamasaburō V (五代目 坂東 玉三郎, Godaime Bandō Tamasaburō) (born 25 April 1950) is a Kabuki actor and the most popular and celebrated onnagata (an actor specializing in female roles) currently on stage. He has also acted in several films.
Tetsuhisa Matsuzaki (松崎 哲久, Matsuzaki Tetsuhisa; born 14 April 1950 in Tokyo) is a former Japanese politician of the…Tetsuhisa Matsuzaki (松崎 哲久, Matsuzaki Tetsuhisa; born 14 April 1950 in Tokyo) is a former Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, who served as a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature), representing the Saitama No. 10 District. Matsuzaki studied law at the University of Tokyo and received an MA from Harvard University in the USA. He was elected for the first time in 2003.
Kenji Uchino is an American electronics engineer, physicist, academic, inventor and industry executive. He is currently…Kenji Uchino is an American electronics engineer, physicist, academic, inventor and industry executive. He is currently an academy professor of Electrical Engineering, Emeritus Academy Institute at Pennsylvania State University, where he also directs the International Center for Actuators and Transducers at Materials Research Institute. He is the former associate director (US Navy Ambassador to Japan) at The US Office of Naval Research – Global Tokyo Office. Uchino has conducted extensive research on solid state physics, focusing especially on ferroelectrics and piezoelectrics. He is one of the pioneers in piezoelectric actuators and electro-optic displays and is the inventor of topics including lead magnesium niobate (PMN)-based electrostricive materials, cofired multilayer piezoelectric actuators, superior electromechanical coupling relaxor-PbTiO_3 single crystals, magnetoelectric laminated composite sensors, shape memory ceramics, and micro ultrasonic motors. Uchino's work has resulted in over 584 research papers, over 78 books and 33 patents in the ceramic actuator area. Uchino is a Life Fellow of IEEE, American Ceramic Society and International Association of Advanced Materials, and a senior member of National Academy of Inventors. He chaired the Smart Actuators/Sensors Study Committee in Japan from 1987 till 2014. Uchino is the Editor in Chief of J. Actuators, MDPI, J. Current Applied Materials, J. Current Mechanics and Advanced Materials, Bentham Science Pub. Ltd., and J. Insight-Material Science, PiscoMed Publishing LLT.
Naoko Otani (大谷直子, Ōtani Naoko; born April 3, 1950 in Sumida, Tokyo) is a Japanese actress. She made her screen debut…Naoko Otani (大谷直子, Ōtani Naoko; born April 3, 1950 in Sumida, Tokyo) is a Japanese actress. She made her screen debut in The Human Bullet while still a high school student, and became popular for her role in the NHK Asadora television programme Nobuko to Obāchan (信子とおばあちゃん, Nobuko and Grandmother) in 1969. She published a collection of nude photos while pregnant. She has been married twice.
Miyoko Kudo (工藤 美代子, Kudō Miyoko; born March 27, 1950) is a Japanese non-fiction writer and a member of the Japan…Miyoko Kudo (工藤 美代子, Kudō Miyoko; born March 27, 1950) is a Japanese non-fiction writer and a member of the Japan Institute for National Fundamentals. Her father, Tsuneo Ikeda, was a sports journalist and businessman who started Baseball Magazine (BBM) and his mother’s family founded Kudō Shashin-kan in Ryōgoku. Because her parents divorced, she took the family name of Kudō. Her older sister Akiko was the wife of Chiharu Igaya and her younger brother Tetsuo Ikeda is president of Baseball Magazine (BBM).
Makoto Kōsaka (高坂 真琴, Kōsaka Makoto; born 22 March 1950) is a Japanese voice actress affiliated with Tokyo Actor's…Makoto Kōsaka (高坂 真琴, Kōsaka Makoto; born 22 March 1950) is a Japanese voice actress affiliated with Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society. She is best known for voicing Hiromi Oka in Aim for the Ace!, O-jirō in Little Ghost Q-Taro, and Mari Sakurano in Brave Raideen.
Yasunori Shimura (志村 康徳, Shimura Yasunori; February 20, 1950 – March 29, 2020), known professionally as Ken Shimura (志村…Yasunori Shimura (志村 康徳, Shimura Yasunori; February 20, 1950 – March 29, 2020), known professionally as Ken Shimura (志村 けん, Shimura Ken), was a Japanese comedian. He was born in Higashimurayama, Tokyo. He started his career as an assistant to the comedy band The Drifters, led by Chōsuke Ikariya. In 1974, He joined the group, replacing Chū Arai. He appeared as members of the group on popular comedy shows that gained massive popularity from the 1970s to the 1980s. Hachiji-dayo! Zen'in-shūgō achieved the highest viewership rating of 50.5%, and The Drifters Daibakushō (ドリフ大爆笑) reached 40.4% viewership. These shows made him nationally popular. After the end of Hachiji-dayo! in 1985, he began to work independently as well. He appeared on shows like Kato-chan Ken-chan Gokigen TV (加トちゃんケンちゃんごきげんテレビ), with Cha Katō, a fellow member of the group, Shimura Ken no Daijōbu-dā (志村けんのだいじょうぶだぁ)," and Shimura Ken no Baka Tono-sama (志村けんのバカ殿様), portraying characters like Baka Tono-sama (バカ殿様, Stupid Lord) and Hen na Oji-san (変なおじさん, Strange Older Man). These characters became highly popular. Shimura's comedic work was inspired in part by that of Jerry Lewis.
Yoshimitsu Morita (森田 芳光, Morita Yoshimitsu; 25 January 1950 – 20 December 2011) was a Japanese film director. He was…Yoshimitsu Morita (森田 芳光, Morita Yoshimitsu; 25 January 1950 – 20 December 2011) was a Japanese film director. He was known for his versatility, having directed satires, melodramas, crime thrillers, and pinku films. His most acclaimed films include The Family Game (1983), Sorekara (1985), Haru (1996), and Lost Paradise (1997).
Shūko Honami (本阿弥 周子, Honami Shūko) is a Japanese actress. She won the award for best supporting actress at the 10th…Shūko Honami (本阿弥 周子, Honami Shūko) is a Japanese actress. She won the award for best supporting actress at the 10th Yokohama Film Festival for Ureshi Hazukashi Monogatari.
Teruo Ito (伊藤 輝夫, Itō Teruo; born December 27, 1949, in Tsukiji, Chūō, Tokyo, Japan), better known as Terry Ito (テリー…Teruo Ito (伊藤 輝夫, Itō Teruo; born December 27, 1949, in Tsukiji, Chūō, Tokyo, Japan), better known as Terry Ito (テリー 伊藤, Terī Itō), is a Japanese director, television producer, critic, and writer. His name "Terry" comes from his first name, "Teruo". His ancestral home is in Yokoshibahikari, Sanbu District, Chiba Prefecture. Ito served as the president of the television program production company, Locomotion. Ito, in conjunction with Toyota, helped design a limited edition pink S210 Toyota Crown called Toyota Reborn Pink Crown Athlete. The Crown featured a bright pink exterior and pink trim pieces in the interior. Toyota sold 650 units of the limited vehicle.
Shūichi Ikeda (Japanese: 池田 秀一, Hepburn: Ikeda Shūichi; born December 2, 1949) is a Japanese actor and narrator. Ikeda…Shūichi Ikeda (Japanese: 池田 秀一, Hepburn: Ikeda Shūichi; born December 2, 1949) is a Japanese actor and narrator. Ikeda is married to Sakiko Tamagawa, although he was once married to Keiko Toda. He currently works for Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society. He is best known for his role as Char Aznable in multiple Gundam series, Scorpio Milo in Saint Seiya 1980s, Shuichi Akai from Detective Conan, and Red-Haired Shanks from One Piece. He is also the official Japanese dubbing roles for Jet Li. In 2023, Ikeda was a recipient of the Best Supporting Actor Award at the 17th Seiyu Awards.
