Kazumasa Oda (小田 和正, Oda Kazumasa; born September 20, 1947) is a Japanese singer-songwriter, and composer. He was the…Kazumasa Oda (小田 和正, Oda Kazumasa; born September 20, 1947) is a Japanese singer-songwriter, and composer. He was the leader of folk rock band Off Course from 1969 to 1989, and has done solo work since 1985. As the vocalist of Off Course, Oda wrote many Japanese standard numbers in the 1970s and 1980s. The group's most successful singles—"Sayonara" (1979), "Yes-No" (1980), and "Kimi ga Uso o Tsuita" (1984)—were written by Oda. In 1985 he began work as a solo musician. He produced many hit singles as singer-songwriter, such as "Little Tokyo" (1989), "Itsuka Dokokade" (1992), "Tsutaetai Koto ga Arunda" (1997) and "Kirakira" (2002). His most successful single was "Love Story wa Totsuzen ni" (1991), the theme song of a Japanese TV drama called Tokyo Love Story. It sold over 2,580,000 copies and became the ninth best-selling single in Japan.
Nobuo Hattori (服部 信雄, Hattori Nobuo; born 19 July 1947) is a Japanese basketball player. He competed in the men's…Nobuo Hattori (服部 信雄, Hattori Nobuo; born 19 July 1947) is a Japanese basketball player. He competed in the men's tournament at the 1972 Summer Olympics.
Akira Terao (寺尾 聰, Terao Akira; born May 18, 1947) is a Japanese musician, singer and actor. As of 2012, he is the only…Akira Terao (寺尾 聰, Terao Akira; born May 18, 1947) is a Japanese musician, singer and actor. As of 2012, he is the only male actor to have received both the Japan Record Award and the Japan Academy Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role.
Yukiya Amano (Japanese: 天野 之弥, Hepburn: Amano Yukiya; 9 May 1947 – 18 July 2019) was a Japanese diplomat, who served as…Yukiya Amano (Japanese: 天野 之弥, Hepburn: Amano Yukiya; 9 May 1947 – 18 July 2019) was a Japanese diplomat, who served as the Director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from 1 December 2009 until his death on 18 July 2019. Previously, Amano served as an international civil servant for the United Nations and its subdivisions.
Osamu Nagayama (Japanese: 永山 治, Hepburn: Nagayama Osamu; born April 21, 1947) is a Japanese businessman. He was the…Osamu Nagayama (Japanese: 永山 治, Hepburn: Nagayama Osamu; born April 21, 1947) is a Japanese businessman. He was the chairman and chief executive officer of Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., one of Japan's largest drug companies. He served as chairman of the board of directors of Sony Corporation from 2013 to 2019. In July 2020, Nagayama was announced as the new chairman of Japanese electronics company Toshiba. In June 2021, Nagayama was ousted from his position as chairman of Toshiba following a shareholder revolt. Nagayama is Japanese. He obtained his bachelor's degree from Keio University in 1971, where he studied in the Faculty of Business and Commerce. He began his professional career in 1971 at the Long-Term Credit Bank of Japan. He joined Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., in November 1978. Nagayama is a member of the board of directors of the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC), a global nonprofit organization that combats child sexual exploitation, child pornography, and child abduction.
Kazuhiko Katō (加藤 和彦, Katō Kazuhiko; March 21, 1947 – October 17, 2009), nicknamed "Tonovan" (トノヴァン), was a Japanese…Kazuhiko Katō (加藤 和彦, Katō Kazuhiko; March 21, 1947 – October 17, 2009), nicknamed "Tonovan" (トノヴァン), was a Japanese record producer, songwriter and singer. He sometimes used the spelling of "Kazuhiko Katoh".
Bishin Jumonji (十文字 美信, Jūmonji Bishin) is a Japanese photographer known for advertising, portrait, and architectural…Bishin Jumonji (十文字 美信, Jūmonji Bishin) is a Japanese photographer known for advertising, portrait, and architectural work. Jumonji was born in Yokohama on 4 March 1947. After studying at the Tokyo College of Photography he worked as an assistant to Kishin Shinoyama and went freelance in 1971, working as the photographer for advertisements for Matsushita Electric and Shiseido products. The association with Matsushita would later bring awards from the Art Directors Club every year from 1975 to 1979. Jumonji has continued to do editorial and commercial work (notably for Hayashibara Biochemical Laboratories). In 1972, with nine other photographers, he participated in an exhibition of portraits of Simon Yotsuya at the Kinokuniya Gallery in Shinjuku. Jumonji had started taking his "Untitled" series of portraits of people framed to exclude their heads in 1971. In 1972, these appeared in the magazine Camera Mainichi and were shown in the Neikrug gallery in New York; a year later they were included in "New Japanese Photography", at the New York MoMA. Up to 1980, Jumonji made nineteen trips to Hawaii, photographing the islands and photographing and interviewing elderly first-generation Japanese immigrants. The series juxtaposes photographs of Hawaiʻi and black-and-white portraits of the people living there. Installments were published in Camera Mainichi in 1979 and the set was exhibited in 1980, when it won the Ina Nobuo Award. It was published, as Orchid Boat, in 1981. Jumonji's second published collection was Kéntauros, a large-format booklet of black-and-white photographs of the members of the motorbike organization Kéntauros striking poses with switchblades and other props. In 1981, Jumonji went to Indochina to photograph the religious customs of the Yao people. In 1983–84 he visited Thailand, Burma and Laos. The result was published as Sumitōtta yami in 1987. Jumonji had started photographing gold works of art in 1981. The first exhibition of the results was in Matsuya department store (Ginza), in 1987. This work culminated in the book Ōgon fūtenjin, published in 1990. This won the Domon Ken Award the following year. Some of these works would also be shown in two of a set of four volumes of stereoscopes, all photographed by Jumonji and published in 1993–4. Jumonji started photographing architecture and gardens in 1988, and the Katsura Detached Palace in particular in 1991. Jumonji photographed Matsumoto Kōshirō IX for a collection of black-and-white portraits; in 2005 he published a second volume, Nippon Geki-gan, of monochrome portraits of actors taken with a large-format camera shortly before or after performance. In 1998, Jumonji started work on Wabi, his attempt to depict (in color) the Japanese aesthetic ideal of wabi. The project started with cha-no-yu but branched out into everyday scenes. Jumonji exhibited composite photographs of four Japanese waterfalls at the Shiseido Gallery (Ginza) in June and July 2004. Jumonji's photographs have appeared in Zoom and Stern.
Kai Atō (阿藤 快, Atō Kai; 14 November 1946 – 15 November 2015) was a Japanese actor and television personality. His birth…Kai Atō (阿藤 快, Atō Kai; 14 November 1946 – 15 November 2015) was a Japanese actor and television personality. His birth name was Kōichi Atō (阿藤 公一, Atō Kōichi), and until 14 November 2001, his stage name was written with different kanji characters as (阿藤 海).
Setsuko Inoue (井上 節子, Inoue Setsuko) (born September 16, 1946) is a Japanese former volleyball player who competed in…Setsuko Inoue (井上 節子, Inoue Setsuko) (born September 16, 1946) is a Japanese former volleyball player who competed in the 1968 Summer Olympics. She was born in Kanagawa Prefecture. In 1968 she was part of the Japanese team which won the silver medal in the Olympic tournament. She played all seven matches.
Yukio Takasu (高須幸雄, Takasu Yukio) (born August 29, 1946) is a Japanese diplomat and the former United Nations…Yukio Takasu (高須幸雄, Takasu Yukio) (born August 29, 1946) is a Japanese diplomat and the former United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Management. Previously, he was the Special Adviser on Human Security to the United Nations Secretary-General. Takasu also served as Advisor to the Japanese Foreign Minister and as Professor at the University of Tokyo. Since 2011, Takasu has taught at Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto. He was Permanent Representative and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary at the Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations in New York. Takasu has also twice served as President of the United Nations Security Council, once in February 2009 and again in April 2010.
Kōkei Tsuruya (弦屋 光渓, Tsuruya Kōkei, born July 1946 in Chigasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture) is a contemporary Japanese…Kōkei Tsuruya (弦屋 光渓, Tsuruya Kōkei, born July 1946 in Chigasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture) is a contemporary Japanese woodblock print artist, best known for his Kabuki actor portraits. In 1985, art dealer Robert Sawers referred to him as a modern-day Sharaku because of the expressive quality of his actor prints.
Nobutaka Hirokawa (廣川 信隆, Hirokawa Nobutaka) (born March 25, 1946) is a Japanese neuroscientist and cell biologist…Nobutaka Hirokawa (廣川 信隆, Hirokawa Nobutaka) (born March 25, 1946) is a Japanese neuroscientist and cell biologist famous for research on the kinesin superfamily of motor proteins. He has been President and Chair of the Board of Trustees at the Human Frontier Science Program since 2012.
Hiroaki Nakanishi (中西 宏明, Nakanishi Hiroaki; March 14, 1946 – June 27, 2021) was a Japanese businessman and chairman of…Hiroaki Nakanishi (中西 宏明, Nakanishi Hiroaki; March 14, 1946 – June 27, 2021) was a Japanese businessman and chairman of Hitachi. He became the 10th president of Hitachi in 2010, and in 2014, assumed the position of chairman and CEO. He was also chairman of the compensation committee and general manager of the post-earthquake reconstruction & redevelopment division. Nakanishi acted as head of the Japan Business Federation from 2018 until his resignation less than a month before his death.
Kuriko Namino (波乃 久里子, Namino Kuriko) (born December 1, 1945, in Kamakura, Japan) is an actress. Her brother Nakamura…Kuriko Namino (波乃 久里子, Namino Kuriko) (born December 1, 1945, in Kamakura, Japan) is an actress. Her brother Nakamura Kanzaburō XVIII was an actor in kabuki, theatre, television and commercials.
Yukio Okamoto (Japanese: 岡本 行夫, Okamoto Yukio; 23 November 1945 – 24 April 2020) was a Japanese diplomat, diplomatic…Yukio Okamoto (Japanese: 岡本 行夫, Okamoto Yukio; 23 November 1945 – 24 April 2020) was a Japanese diplomat, diplomatic analyst, and proponent of strong economic and political Japan–United States relations. Okamoto guided Japanese and American diplomatic relations throughout the 1980s, during an era when both countries simultaneously competed for economic influence on the global stage. He served as a diplomatic advisor and analyst for several Japanese prime ministers, including Ryutaro Hashimoto from 1996 to 1998 and Junichiro Koizumi from 2003 until 2004.
Akio Koizumi (小泉 昭男, Koizumi Akio; born October 6, 1945) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a…Akio Koizumi (小泉 昭男, Koizumi Akio; born October 6, 1945) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet. A native of Kawasaki, Kanagawa, he was elected to the House of Councillors for the first time in 2004 after serving in the city assembly of Kawasaki.
Katsuhiko Chikamori (born 24 September 1945) is a Japanese former handball player who competed in the 1972 Summer…Katsuhiko Chikamori (born 24 September 1945) is a Japanese former handball player who competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics.
Aiko Onozawa (小野沢 愛子, Onozawa Aiko; born 1945) is a Japanese former volleyball player who competed in the 1968 Summer…Aiko Onozawa (小野沢 愛子, Onozawa Aiko; born 1945) is a Japanese former volleyball player who competed in the 1968 Summer Olympics. In 1968 she was a squad member of the Japanese team which won the silver medal in the Olympic tournament.
Yoko Aki (阿木 燿子, Aki Yōko; born May 1, 1945) is a Japanese songwriter, actress, novelist and essayist. With her…Yoko Aki (阿木 燿子, Aki Yōko; born May 1, 1945) is a Japanese songwriter, actress, novelist and essayist. With her husband, Ryudo Uzaki, she has written many songs for other singers, with Aki as lyricist and Uzaki as composer. They are especially famous for a series of hit songs of Momoe Yamaguchi's. She has acted in several films, and she won the award for best supporting actress at the 5th Hochi Film Award for Shiki Natsuko. She was a model under an exclusive contract with Kanebo Cosmetics for many years.
Riken Yamamoto (山本理顕, Yamamoto Riken) (born 1945) is a Japanese architect. In 2024, he received the Pritzker…Riken Yamamoto (山本理顕, Yamamoto Riken) (born 1945) is a Japanese architect. In 2024, he received the Pritzker Architecture Prize, considered to be the most prestigious award in architecture, becoming the 9th Japanese architect to receive such honor.
Yoshirō Kataoka (片岡 義朗, Kataoka Yoshirō; born April 8, 1945 in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan), also known by the nickname…Yoshirō Kataoka (片岡 義朗, Kataoka Yoshirō; born April 8, 1945 in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan), also known by the nickname Hagera, is an anime producer and production designer. He has worked for the Tōkyū Agency, Asatsu DK, and NAS, and he currently works as a full-time advisor at Marvelous Entertainment. His proactive approach to planning anime when he worked at advertising firms has made him a front runner in his field. Since 2000, Kataoka has worked on the Friday shōjo anime on TV Tokyo, including shows such as Hime-chan's Ribbon. In addition to being an anime producer, Kataoka produces anime musicals. He is also one of the founders of the Animax satellite channel and Aniraji, a radio program devoted to anime, manga, games and light novels.
Peeco (ピーコ, Pīko; born Katsuaki Sugiura (杉浦 克昭, Sugiura Katsuaki), 18 January 1945 - 3 September 2024) was a Japanese…Peeco (ピーコ, Pīko; born Katsuaki Sugiura (杉浦 克昭, Sugiura Katsuaki), 18 January 1945 - 3 September 2024) was a Japanese tarento, fashion critic, journalist, and chanson singer. His younger identical twin brother is film critic Osugi, they both came out gay during their debut and took his advantage as a tarento and commentator. On 20 October 2024, it was announced that Peeco had died on 3 September of that year due to sepsis as a result of multiple organ failure.
Masakatsu G. Fujie (藤江正克, Fujie Masakatsu; born 1945) is a Japanese scientist who has played a major role in…Masakatsu G. Fujie (藤江正克, Fujie Masakatsu; born 1945) is a Japanese scientist who has played a major role in cutting-edge research in biomedical engineering. He has been responsible for many advances in the field of robotics. A longtime professor at Waseda University, he has led teams that have developed an intelligent mobile robot and a remote control manipulator, among many other devices. He made a significant contribution to the development of a medical treatment support system that helps in the recovery of human functions. He has held leadership positions in a number of professional organizations and has helped establish UNESCO's World Academy of Biomedical Technology (WABT). He is currently doing "research that fuses cutting-edge science and engineering and sports sciences and is focused on the impending arrival of the super-aged society."
Aki Takahashi (高橋 アキ, Takahashi Aki; born September 6, 1944) is a Japanese pianist specializing in contemporary…Aki Takahashi (高橋 アキ, Takahashi Aki; born September 6, 1944) is a Japanese pianist specializing in contemporary classical music.
Masataka Shimizu (清水 政孝, Shimizu Masataka; born June 23, 1944) is a director of Fuji Oil Company, and was the president…Masataka Shimizu (清水 政孝, Shimizu Masataka; born June 23, 1944) is a director of Fuji Oil Company, and was the president and chief executive officer of Japanese electric utility Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) from 2008 to 2011. He was also a vice-chairman of Keidanren, the employers' federation of the companies of Japan, until he stepped down after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. On July 25, 2012, he became an outside director of Fuji Oil.
Ikuzo Sakurai (桜井 郁三, Sakurai Ikuzō; 10 April 1944 – 10 February 2013) was a Japanese politician of the Liberal…Ikuzo Sakurai (桜井 郁三, Sakurai Ikuzō; 10 April 1944 – 10 February 2013) was a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, who served as a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Fujisawa, Kanagawa and graduate of Nihon University, he was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 1996 after serving in the city assembly of Fujisawa for four terms. He lost his seat in 2000 but was re-elected three years later.
Isao Shibata (柴田 勲, Shibata Isao) (born February 8, 1944) is a former professional baseball outfielder who played his…Isao Shibata (柴田 勲, Shibata Isao) (born February 8, 1944) is a former professional baseball outfielder who played his entire career with the Yomiuri Giants from 1962 to 1981. A speedy switch-hitter, he won the Japan Series Most Valuable Player Award in 1966, after he hit .565 with 13 hits in the 1966 Japan Series. With 579 career stolen bases, Shibata is third on the all-time Nippon Professional Baseball list. With more than 2,000 career hits, Shibata is a member of Meikyukai, otherwise known as the Golden Players Club.
Toshio Kurosawa (黒沢 年男, Kurosawa Toshio; born February 4, 1944) is a Japanese actor and singer from Yokohama, Kanagawa…Toshio Kurosawa (黒沢 年男, Kurosawa Toshio; born February 4, 1944) is a Japanese actor and singer from Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture. Kuroswa joined Toho film studio as an actor and made his film debut with Hibari Chiemi Izumi Sanninyoreba in 1964. His first starring role was in the 1966 film Hikinige. In 1971, Kurosawa left Toho and became a freelance actor. His song Tokiniwa Shōfu no Yōni became a big hit in 1978.
Masako Mori (森 真沙子 Mori Masako, born January 4, 1944) is the pen name of Masako Fukae (深江雅子 Fukae Masako) a Japanese…Masako Mori (森 真沙子 Mori Masako, born January 4, 1944) is the pen name of Masako Fukae (深江雅子 Fukae Masako) a Japanese author, mystery writer, horror writer and historical novelist. Mori was born in Yokohama, in the Kanagawa Prefecture. She attended Hokkaido Hakodate Nishi High School and graduated from Nara Women's University. She then worked as a magazine and weekly magazine reporter. In 1979, her first published work, the short story "Ballad in Blue" (バラード・イン・ブルー, Barādo in burū ) won the 33 Shōsetsu Gendai Shinjinshō Award (小説現代新人賞). Her early works contained elements of mystery and suspense while her later works increased her scope of interest to the genre of horror and historical novel.
Ippei Kojima (小島 一平, Kojima Ippei; born 22 October 1944) is a Japanese retired badminton player who won a record eight…Ippei Kojima (小島 一平, Kojima Ippei; born 22 October 1944) is a Japanese retired badminton player who won a record eight Japanese national men's singles titles and some major international titles in both singles and doubles between the mid-1960s and the mid-1970s.
Masaru Emoto (Japanese: 江本 勝, Hepburn: Emoto Masaru; July 22, 1943 – October 17, 2014) was a Japanese businessman…Masaru Emoto (Japanese: 江本 勝, Hepburn: Emoto Masaru; July 22, 1943 – October 17, 2014) was a Japanese businessman, author and pseudoscientist who claimed that human consciousness could affect the molecular structure of water. His 2004 book The Hidden Messages in Water was a New York Times best seller. His ideas had evolved over the years, and his early work revolved around pseudoscientific hypotheses that water could react to positive thoughts and words and that polluted water could be cleaned through prayer and positive visualization. Starting in 1999, Emoto published several volumes of a work entitled Messages from Water, containing photographs of ice crystals and accompanying experiments such as that of the "rice in water 30 day experiment."
Sadayuki Sakakibara (榊原定征, Sakakibara Sadayuki; born 22 March 1943) is a Japanese businessman who served as chairman of…Sadayuki Sakakibara (榊原定征, Sakakibara Sadayuki; born 22 March 1943) is a Japanese businessman who served as chairman of Toray Industries from 2010 to 2015 and chairman of the Japan Business Federation from 2014 to 2018. He is currently Commissioner of Nippon Professional Baseball and chairman of the Kansai Electric Power Company.
Junichiro Koizumi ( koy-ZOO-mee; 小泉 純一郎, Koizumi Jun'ichirō [ko̞iꜜzɨmʲi (d)ʑɨ̃ɰ̃iꜜtɕiɾo̞ː]; born 8 January 1942) is a…Junichiro Koizumi ( koy-ZOO-mee; 小泉 純一郎, Koizumi Jun'ichirō [ko̞iꜜzɨmʲi (d)ʑɨ̃ɰ̃iꜜtɕiɾo̞ː]; born 8 January 1942) is a Japanese retired politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan and president of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) from 2001 to 2006. He retired from politics in 2009. He is the sixth-longest serving and second longest-uninterrupted serving Prime Minister in Japanese history. Coming from the prominent Koizumi family, Koizumi was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1972. He became the Parliamentary Vice Minister of Finance in 1979, before gaining his ministerial post in 1988 as Minister of Health and Welfare, which he served until 1989. He served as the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications from 1992 to 1993, and again as the Minister of Health and Welfare from 1996 to 1998. During this time, he became part of a new LDP faction, Shinseiki, and ran in the LDP leadership elections of 1995 and 1998, losing both times. In 2001, he again contested the LDP leadership, which he won. Widely seen as a maverick leader of the LDP upon his election to the position in 2001, Koizumi became known as a neoliberal economic reformer, focusing on reducing Japan's government debt and the privatisation of the Japan Post. In the 2005 election, Koizumi led the LDP to win one of the largest parliamentary majorities in modern Japanese history. Koizumi also attracted international attention through his deployment of the Japan Self-Defense Forces to Iraq, and through his visits to the Yasukuni Shrine that fueled diplomatic tensions with neighbouring China and South Korea. Koizumi resigned as prime minister in 2006. Although Koizumi maintained a low profile for several years after he left office, he returned to national attention in 2013 as an advocate for abandoning nuclear power in Japan, in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, which contrasted with the pro-nuclear views espoused by the LDP governments both during and after Koizumi's term in office.
Hisashi "Kyu" Sakamoto (Japanese: 坂本 九, Hepburn: Sakamoto Hisashi or Sakamoto Kyū; 10 December 1941 – 12 August 1985)…Hisashi "Kyu" Sakamoto (Japanese: 坂本 九, Hepburn: Sakamoto Hisashi or Sakamoto Kyū; 10 December 1941 – 12 August 1985), legally registered as Hisashi Ōshima (大島 九, Ōshima Hisashi) since 1956, was a Japanese singer and actor. He was best known outside Japan for his international hit song "Ue o Muite Arukō" (known as "Sukiyaki" in English-speaking markets), which was sung in Japanese and sold over 13 million copies. It reached number one in the United States Billboard Hot 100 in June 1963, making Sakamoto the first Asian recording artist to have a number one song on the chart. He was also the first Japanese artist to have a number one single on the Australian singles chart. Sakamoto died on 12 August 1985 in the crash of Japan Air Lines Flight 123.
Yoshiyuki Tomino (富野 由悠季, Tomino Yoshiyuki; born 富野 喜幸; November 5, 1941) is a Japanese anime director, screenwriter…Yoshiyuki Tomino (富野 由悠季, Tomino Yoshiyuki; born 富野 喜幸; November 5, 1941) is a Japanese anime director, screenwriter, songwriter and novelist best known for creating the Gundam anime franchise.
Masaru Yamamoto (山本 勝, Yamamoto Masaru; October 30, 1941 – August 28, 2010), known by his ring name Kotetsu Yamamoto…Masaru Yamamoto (山本 勝, Yamamoto Masaru; October 30, 1941 – August 28, 2010), known by his ring name Kotetsu Yamamoto (山本小鉄, Yamamoto Kotetsu) was a Japanese professional wrestler, referee, and color commentator for New Japan Pro-Wrestling. He was named "Kotetsu" ("Little Iron") by former Japanese pro wrestler Toyonobori after the famous knight, Aizu-No-Kotetsu. Originally a wrestler, Yamamoto was mostly known for his tag team the Yamaha Brothers with Kantaro Hoshino but made his biggest mark as a trainer in the New Japan Dojo having helped train Keiji Mutoh, Jushin Thunder Liger, Minoru Suzuki, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Masahiro Chono among others.
Hisayuki Toriumi (鳥海 永行, Toriumi Hisayuki; July 9, 1941 – January 23, 2009), sometimes credited as Eikō Toriumi, was a…Hisayuki Toriumi (鳥海 永行, Toriumi Hisayuki; July 9, 1941 – January 23, 2009), sometimes credited as Eikō Toriumi, was a Japanese animation director, storyboardist, screenwriter, and novelist. He is best known for directing the TV show Science Ninja Team Gatchaman and also credited for his contributions to several other Tatsunoko Production anime series. He is known to Japanese fans for his TV series The Wonderful Adventures of Nils and Shima Shima Tora no Shimajirō and to international fans for his work in Area 88, Dallos, The Mysterious Cities of Gold, and Tekkaman: The Space Knight. After leaving Tatsunoko, he also became a prolific novelist from the 1980s onward. His representative work is the Kyūkei no Figurido series, which depicts the adventures and revenge of a man of Murakami Suigun who becomes a battle slave in Europe, where he arrives due to the betrayal of his comrades, set in England and France during the Hundred Years' War and in Japan during the Northern and Southern Courts.
Tatsuya Fuji (藤 竜也, Fuji Tatsuya; born 27 August 1941) is a Japanese actor. He was born in Beijing and raised in…Tatsuya Fuji (藤 竜也, Fuji Tatsuya; born 27 August 1941) is a Japanese actor. He was born in Beijing and raised in Yokohama. In 1962, Fuji joined Nikkatsu Company and began his acting career with small roles in Nikkatsu film. In 1968, Fuji married actress Izumi Ashikawa. He gained popularity through his role in Jikandesuyo on TBS. He played his first leading role in the 1974 film Ninkyō Hanaichirin. He starred in two films (Empire of Passion and Bright Future) that were entered into the Cannes Film Festival. Fuji co-starred in Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Bright Future with Tadanobu Asano and Joe Odagiri. In 2005, he won the Golden Goblet Award for Best Actor for his work in the Village Photobook. In 2015, Fuji won best actor award of Tokyo Sports Film Award for his work in the Ryuzo and the Seven Henchmen. In 2023, he won the Silver Shell for Best Leading Performance at the 2023 San Sebastián Film Festival for his role in the Great Absence.
Tokihiko Higuchi (樋口 時彦, Higuchi Tokihiko; born June 10, 1941) is a Japanese former volleyball player who competed in…Tokihiko Higuchi (樋口 時彦, Higuchi Tokihiko; born June 10, 1941) is a Japanese former volleyball player who competed in the 1964 Summer Olympics. In 1964 he was a squad member of the Japanese team which won the bronze medal in the Olympic tournament.
Mori Masaki (真崎 守, Masaki Mori; born March 10, 1941 in Yokohama) is a Japanese manga artist, screenwriter and director.…Mori Masaki (真崎 守, Masaki Mori; born March 10, 1941 in Yokohama) is a Japanese manga artist, screenwriter and director. Masaki's career as an animator began in 1963 at Mushi Production, where he was involved in Kimba the White Lion. After a few more works, he left the studio in 1968 and dedicated himself to his work as a mangaka. In 1979, he returned to the film and worked at Studio Madhouse as a director and screenwriter. He directed Natsu e no Tobira and Haguregumo, later wrote the screenplay for the film adaptation of the manga Barefoot Gen and the sci-fi adventure Toki no Tabibito: Time Stranger. In 1986, Masaki retired from anime, although he continued his manga career into the 90s.
Tsuneo Suzuki (鈴木 恒夫, Suzuki Tsuneo; born 10 February 1941) is a retired Japanese politician who served in the House of…Tsuneo Suzuki (鈴木 恒夫, Suzuki Tsuneo; born 10 February 1941) is a retired Japanese politician who served in the House of Representatives as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party.
Motohisa Ikeda (池田 元久, Ikeda Motohisa; 20 December 1940 – 22 January 2024) was a Japanese politician of the Democratic…Motohisa Ikeda (池田 元久, Ikeda Motohisa; 20 December 1940 – 22 January 2024) was a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, who served as a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Fujisawa, Kanagawa and graduate of Waseda University, he worked at the public broadcaster NHK as a reporter from 1964 to 1989. He was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 1990 as a member of the Japan Socialist Party but lost his seat in 1993. He was re-elected in 1996. Ikeda died on 22 January 2024, at the age of 83.
Hiroshi Yoshimura (吉村 弘, Yoshimura Hiroshi; 22 October 1940 – 23 October 2003) was a Japanese musician and composer. He…Hiroshi Yoshimura (吉村 弘, Yoshimura Hiroshi; 22 October 1940 – 23 October 2003) was a Japanese musician and composer. He is considered a pioneer of ambient music in Japan. His music lies mostly in the minimalist genre of kankyō ongaku, or environment music—soft electronic melodies infused with the sounds of nature: babbling brooks, steady rain, and morning birds. However, not all Yoshimura's work included nature sounds. Green (1986) only had them in the United States release, as they were excluded in the Japanese version.
Reiko Kobayashi (小林 禮子, Kobayashi Reiko; 1939–1996), formerly Reiko Kitani (木谷 禮子, Kitani Reiko), was a Japanese female…Reiko Kobayashi (小林 禮子, Kobayashi Reiko; 1939–1996), formerly Reiko Kitani (木谷 禮子, Kitani Reiko), was a Japanese female 7-dan professional Go player at Nihon Ki-in.
Shigeo Anzai (安斎 重男, Anzai Shigeo; born 1939, died August 13th, 2020) was a Japanese photographer. A self-professed…Shigeo Anzai (安斎 重男, Anzai Shigeo; born 1939, died August 13th, 2020) was a Japanese photographer. A self-professed "art documentarist", Anzai is well-known for his prolific photographic documentation of artworks, exhibitions, and events of his time. He is also known for intimate portraits of popular modern and contemporary artists, which cast their subjects in an unexpected, unposed, and humanizing light. As Anzai noted for Artforum, he was interested in the "humanity" of his subjects, or the human being within the artist, rather than the artist within the human being. Anzai's style of portraiture stands in contrast to the popular modes of portrait photography of the time which monumentalized their subjects, as in the work of Hans Namuth. Anzai is known for his snapshots of artists such as Shuzo Takiguchi, Atsuko Tanaka, Yayoi Kusama, Tetsumi Kudo, Joseph Beuys, and Isamu Noguchi, among others.
Shiho Fujimura (藤村 志保 Fujimura Shiho, 3 January 1939 – 12 June 2025) was a Japanese actress. She was given a Special…Shiho Fujimura (藤村 志保 Fujimura Shiho, 3 January 1939 – 12 June 2025) was a Japanese actress. She was given a Special Prize for her career at the 2008 Yokohama Film Festival. Fujimura died on 12 June 2025, at the age of 86.
Murder at Mt. Fuji (Wの悲劇, Daburyū no Higeki; The Tragedy of W) is a Japanese novel by author Shizuko Natsuki…Murder at Mt. Fuji (Wの悲劇, Daburyū no Higeki; The Tragedy of W) is a Japanese novel by author Shizuko Natsuki, originally published in 1982. It has been adapted into several Japanese television dramas and a film.
Paul Kazuhiro Mori was a Japanese Roman Catholic prelate. He was the auxiliary bishop of Tokyo from 1985 to 2000. He…Paul Kazuhiro Mori was a Japanese Roman Catholic prelate. He was the auxiliary bishop of Tokyo from 1985 to 2000. He was born in Yokohama on 10 December 1938 and was ordained in 1967. He retired in 2000 and died on 2 September 2023 at the age of 84.
Tamio Kawachi (Japanese: 川地 民夫, Hepburn: Kawachi Tamio; 21 July 1938 – 10 February 2018; sometimes transliterated as…Tamio Kawachi (Japanese: 川地 民夫, Hepburn: Kawachi Tamio; 21 July 1938 – 10 February 2018; sometimes transliterated as Tamio Kawaji) was a Japanese actor.
Kazumasa Hirai (平井 和正, Hirai Kazumasa; May 13, 1938 – January 17, 2015) was a Japanese novelist and science fiction…Kazumasa Hirai (平井 和正, Hirai Kazumasa; May 13, 1938 – January 17, 2015) was a Japanese novelist and science fiction writer from Yokosuka, Kanagawa. He graduated from Yokosuka Industrial High School and the law department of Chuo University. Hirai is well known for his SF-manga work. He is the creator of 8 Man (aka 8th Man in the USA) and was well known as the story creator of the 1960s manga series "Genma Taisen" (Genma Wars) about a hero with psychokinetic powers and his battle against a space villain called Genma. Hirai wrote stories for the Wolf Guy comic series, and also published comics co-authored with cartoonist Shotaro Ishinomori that were later adapted into an animated film in 1983.