Mitsuko Mito (水戸光子, Mito Mitsuko; 23 March 1919 – 5 April 1981) was a Japanese actress. She appeared in more than 150…Mitsuko Mito (水戸光子, Mito Mitsuko; 23 March 1919 – 5 April 1981) was a Japanese actress. She appeared in more than 150 films between 1935 and 1973 under the direction of filmmakers like Kenji Mizoguchi, Yasujirō Ozu and Kaneto Shindō.
Kazuo Iwama (岩間 和夫, Iwama Kazuo; 1919–1982) was a Japanese engineer who became the president of Sony. Iwama was born in…Kazuo Iwama (岩間 和夫, Iwama Kazuo; 1919–1982) was a Japanese engineer who became the president of Sony. Iwama was born in Nagoya and studied geophysics. He worked in a seismology laboratory at the University of Tokyo until 1946, when Akio Morita hired him to work at a predecessor of Sony. By 1950, he was a director of the company. At Sony, he helped introduce the first Japanese transistor radio in 1954, and the first transistor television set in 1960. He headed the Sony Corporation of America from 1971 to 1973, and became president of Sony from 1976 until his death of colon cancer on August 25, 1982.
Jirō Noguchi (野口二郎, Noguchi Jirō) (January 6, 1920 – May 21, 2007) was a Japanese baseball pitcher and…Jirō Noguchi (野口二郎, Noguchi Jirō) (January 6, 1920 – May 21, 2007) was a Japanese baseball pitcher and outfielder/infielder who played 13 seasons in the Japanese Baseball League and then Nippon Professional Baseball, from 1939 to 1952. A two-way player who really excelled at pitching, Noguchi was a six-time 20-game winner, a three-time 30-game winner, and once won 40 games in a season. His 1.96 career earned run average is second all-time. As a batter, Noguchi had a 31-game hitting streak, a Japanese professional baseball record which stood for 25 years. He was elected to the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989. Noguchi was one of four brothers who played professional baseball in Japan.
Akira Noguchi (野口明, Noguchi Akira) (August 6, 1917 – October 5, 1996) was a Japanese baseball pitcher, infielder…Akira Noguchi (野口明, Noguchi Akira) (August 6, 1917 – October 5, 1996) was a Japanese baseball pitcher, infielder, catcher, and manager who played 15 total seasons in the Japanese Baseball League and then Nippon Professional Baseball, during the period 1936 to 1955. The rare two-way player, Noguchi was particularly unusual in that he excelled in the specialized positions of both pitcher and catcher. A four-time All-Star and a two-time Best Nine Award-winner, Noguchi was the eldest of four brothers who played professional baseball in Japan.
Ichirō Arishima (有島 一郎, Arishima Ichirō; March 1, 1916 – July 20, 1987) was a Japanese comedian and actor. Nicknamed…Ichirō Arishima (有島 一郎, Arishima Ichirō; March 1, 1916 – July 20, 1987) was a Japanese comedian and actor. Nicknamed "The Japanese Chaplin", he is best known outside Japan for his appearance as Tako, the promoter of King Kong in King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962).
Masao Yoshida (吉田 正男, Yoshida Masao; April 14, 1914 – May 23, 1996) was a Japanese amateur pitcher originally from…Masao Yoshida (吉田 正男, Yoshida Masao; April 14, 1914 – May 23, 1996) was a Japanese amateur pitcher originally from Ichinomiya, Aichi. He had 23 wins at Spring and Summer Koshien. In the National High School Baseball Championship between 1931 and 1933, he won 14 consecutive games at Koshien Stadium and he became the only pitcher to win three consecutive championships.
Kansuke Yamamoto (Japanese: 山本 悍右; 30 March 1914 – 2 April 1987) was a Japanese Surrealist photographer, poet, editor…Kansuke Yamamoto (Japanese: 山本 悍右; 30 March 1914 – 2 April 1987) was a Japanese Surrealist photographer, poet, editor, and publisher based in Nagoya. Eiko Aoki describes him as a driving force in Japan's avant-garde movement, producing innovative photographs with an uncompromising spirit. Photography historian Ryūichi Kaneko regards the establishment of the 1932 date of Yamamoto's photocollage The Developing Thought of a Human... Mist and Bedroom and as a landmark for understanding the formation and development of modern Japanese photography in the 1930s. Drawing on French Surrealist literature and periodicals, Yamamoto developed a practice that Amanda Maddox and John Solt discuss in terms of interpretation, translation, and dialogue rather than belated imitation of European models. Yamamoto's Surrealist practice also took the form of editing, translation, and publishing. Through Yoru no Funsui, which he founded and edited in 1938, he brought together poetry, photography, translations of French Surrealist writing, and reproduced drawings. The journal ceased publication in 1939 under pressure from the Special Higher Police (Tokkō), and Yamamoto was questioned about the political meaning of his Surrealist photography and poetry. He nevertheless continued Surrealist publishing under wartime conditions through Carnet Bleu, including a Japanese translation of an essay on photography by Philippe Soupault. Maddox argues that Yamamoto resisted pressure to strip Surrealism of provocation, politics, and thought. After the war, Yamamoto continued to pursue Surrealist ideas through collective activity and new photographic forms. He co-founded VIVI in 1947, which Maddox describes as an effort to keep the spirit of Surrealist ideology alive in the postwar period. Jelena Stojković traces Yamamoto's postwar photographic narratives from a pair of self-portraits made in 1949 to staged sequences of the 1950s, including My Thin-Aired Room (1956), in which he appeared as both actor and director. Stojković argues that these experiments made a direct link between Yamamoto's Surrealist background and emerging conceptual and performative uses of photography, and describes his work as a point of reference both for the prewar Japanese avant-garde and for the development of contemporary art and photography in Japan. Kaneko likewise rejects the accepted division of Yamamoto's career into separate prewar and postwar periods, arguing that his postwar work increased in complexity and strength and that modern Japanese photography, despite the interruption of war, should be reconsidered as a continuous and interconnected history. The 2001 retrospective Kansuke Yamamoto: Conveyor of the Impossible at Tokyo Station Gallery became a turning point in the later reassessment of Yamamoto's work. His work was subsequently featured in Japan's Modern Divide at the J. Paul Getty Museum in 2013 and Surrealism Beyond Borders at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Tate Modern in 2021–2022.
Sakae Ōba (大場 栄, Ōba Sakae; 21 March 1914 – 8 June 1992) was an officer of the Imperial Japanese Army during World War…Sakae Ōba (大場 栄, Ōba Sakae; 21 March 1914 – 8 June 1992) was an officer of the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. He served in both China and in the Pacific campaign. After Japanese forces were defeated in the Battle of Saipan, he led a group of soldiers and civilians deep into the jungle to evade capture by Allied forces. Under Ōba's leadership, the group survived for over a year after the battle and finally surrendered in December 1945, three months after the war had ended. Following his return to Japan, he became a successful businessman and served on the city council of Gamagōri.
Taizo Kawamoto (川本 泰三, Kawamoto Taizō; January 17, 1914 – September 20, 1985) was a Japanese football player and…Taizo Kawamoto (川本 泰三, Kawamoto Taizō; January 17, 1914 – September 20, 1985) was a Japanese football player and manager. He played for and later managed the Japan national team.
Eiji Toyoda (豊田 英二, Toyoda Eiji; 12 September 1913 – 17 September 2013) was a Japanese engineer and industrialist. He…Eiji Toyoda (豊田 英二, Toyoda Eiji; 12 September 1913 – 17 September 2013) was a Japanese engineer and industrialist. He was largely responsible for bringing Toyota Motor Corporation to profitability and worldwide prominence during his tenure as president and later, as chairman. He was succeeded as the president of Toyota by Shoichiro Toyoda.
Saburō Ienaga (家永 三郎, Ienaga Saburō; September 3, 1913 – November 29, 2002) was a Japanese historian. In 1953, the…Saburō Ienaga (家永 三郎, Ienaga Saburō; September 3, 1913 – November 29, 2002) was a Japanese historian. In 1953, the Japanese Ministry of Education published a textbook by Ienaga, but censored what they said were factual errors and matters of opinion, regarding Japanese war crimes. Ienaga undertook a series of lawsuits against the Ministry for violation of his freedom of speech. He was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999 and 2001 by Noam Chomsky among others. He also recorded the history of the Japanese resistance in World War II in his book The Pacific War, 1931–1945.
Nankichi Niimi (新美 南吉, Niimi Nankichi; July 30, 1913 – March 22, 1943) was a Japanese author, sometimes known as the…Nankichi Niimi (新美 南吉, Niimi Nankichi; July 30, 1913 – March 22, 1943) was a Japanese author, sometimes known as the Hans Christian Andersen of Japan. Niimi was born Shōhachi Watanabe (渡邊 正八, Watanabe Shōhachi) in Yanabe, in the city of Handa, Aichi prefecture, on July 30, 1913. He lost his mother when he was four years old. His literary skill was noticeable at an early age. During his elementary school graduation ceremony, he presented a haiku that impressed most people at the ceremony. The Dandelion So Many Days Trampled Today’s Flower At age 18, Niimi moved to Tokyo to enter the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. He fell sick with tuberculosis while in Tokyo shortly after graduating, and returned to his hometown. He worked there, first as an elementary school teacher, then as a women's high school teacher. He died at age 29. Although not prolific, he shows great talent in all of his writings. His works are known for their accuracy and lively depictions of humans. He is also often compared to Kenji Miyazawa. There is a Niimi Nankichi Memorial Museum in his birthplace, Handa.
Takeshi Nagata (永田 武, Nagata Takeshi; June 24, 1913 – June 3, 1991) was a Japanese geophysicist. He studied…Takeshi Nagata (永田 武, Nagata Takeshi; June 24, 1913 – June 3, 1991) was a Japanese geophysicist. He studied geomagnetism. He won the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1987. Mount Nagata in Antarctica is named after him.
Mie Muraoka (村岡 美枝, Muraoka Mie; born 23 March 1913, date of death unknown) was a Japanese sprinter. She competed in…Mie Muraoka (村岡 美枝, Muraoka Mie; born 23 March 1913, date of death unknown) was a Japanese sprinter. She competed in the women's 4 × 100 metres relay at the 1932 Summer Olympics.
Masaji Kiyokawa (清川 正二, Kiyokawa Masaji; February 11, 1913 – April 13, 1999) was a Japanese businessman, sports…Masaji Kiyokawa (清川 正二, Kiyokawa Masaji; February 11, 1913 – April 13, 1999) was a Japanese businessman, sports administrator and backstroke swimmer who won two medals at the 1932 and 1936 Olympics. During his swimming career Kiyokawa set one world record, in the 400-metre backstroke. Kiyokawa was born in Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture, and graduated from the Tokyo College of Commerce (now Hitotsubashi University). Selected as a member of the Japanese swimming team at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, he won the gold medal in the 100 m backstroke event, with teammates Toshio Irie and Kentaro Kawatsu taking the silver and bronze. At the 1936 Berlin Olympics, he placed third in the same event. In 1948, Kiyokawa became a director of the Japan Swimming Federation, and a member of the International Olympic Committee from 1975 to 1989, serving as vice chairman from 1979 to 1983. During his tenure, the city of Nagoya made a bid for the 1988 Summer Olympics, competing against Seoul, South Korea. Kiyokawa was critical of the large amounts of money being spent by both parties to entertain and influence the votes of the IOC members. He was also critical of the decision of the Japanese government to bow to political pressure from the United States to boycott the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. Kiyokawa was the CEO of the general trading company Kanematsu Corp. from 1976. He died of pancreatic cancer on April 13, 1999.
Shigeto Tsuru (都留 重人, Tsuru Shigeto; March 6, 1912 – February 5, 2006) was a Japanese economist. He was widely honoured…Shigeto Tsuru (都留 重人, Tsuru Shigeto; March 6, 1912 – February 5, 2006) was a Japanese economist. He was widely honoured for his scholarship, including the Presidency of the International Economic Association. A pivotal figure in post-war Japanese economic thought, Shigeto Tsuru is widely recognized for his authoritative analysis of Japan's rapid economic reconstruction following its total defeat in World War II, and creator of the concept of creative defeat. He provided both a comprehensive chronology of the recovery process and a distinctive interpretation of the modern Japanese economy. Tsuru critically concluded that while Japan's creative and inspired response to its post-war challenges led to unprecedented economic success, this very success simultaneously generated a new set of persistent and complex problems within its structure.
Ohno Taiichi (大野耐一, Ōno Taiichi; February 29, 1912 – May 28, 1990) was a Japanese industrial engineer and businessman.…Ohno Taiichi (大野耐一, Ōno Taiichi; February 29, 1912 – May 28, 1990) was a Japanese industrial engineer and businessman. He is considered to be the father of the Toyota Production System, which inspired Lean Manufacturing in the U.S. He devised the seven wastes (or muda in Japanese) as part of this system. He wrote several books about the system, including Toyota Production System: Beyond Large-Scale Production.
Japanese supercentenarians are citizens, residents or emigrants from Japan who have attained or surpassed the age of…Japanese supercentenarians are citizens, residents or emigrants from Japan who have attained or surpassed the age of 110 years. As of January 2015, the Gerontology Research Group (GRG) had validated the longevity claims of 263 Japanese supercentenarians, most of whom are women. As of 18 October 2026, the oldest-known living Japanese person is Fuyo Kishimoto (born in Hamasaka on 20 December 1911), who is aged 114 years, 302 days. The oldest verified Japanese and Asian person ever is Kane Tanaka (1903–2022), who lived to the age of 119 years and 107 days, making her the second-oldest validated person ever as well. Japan was also home to the world's oldest man ever, Jiroemon Kimura (1897–2013), who lived to the age of 116 years and 54 days.
Admiral Sugie Ichizo (杉江 一三, Ichizo Sugie; 18 September 1908 – 27 July 1999) was a Japanese naval officer who served in…Admiral Sugie Ichizo (杉江 一三, Ichizo Sugie; 18 September 1908 – 27 July 1999) was a Japanese naval officer who served in both the Imperial Japanese Navy and the post-war Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). A staff officer during the Second World War Ichizo joined the post-war Coastal Security Force in 1953 before transferring to the JMSDF the following year where he most notably served as the second Chairman of Joint Staff Council of the Japan Self-Defense Force, from 1964 until his retirement in 1966.
Rizō Takeuchi (竹内 理三, Takeuchi Rizō; December 20, 1907–March 2, 1997) was a Japanese historian. He is best known for…Rizō Takeuchi (竹内 理三, Takeuchi Rizō; December 20, 1907–March 2, 1997) was a Japanese historian. He is best known for his work on historical records pertaining to the ancient and Middle Ages of Japanese history.
Yoshiko Itō (伊藤 よし子, Itō Yoshiko; 30 December 1905 – 24 March 1991) was a Japanese politician. She was a member of the…Yoshiko Itō (伊藤 よし子, Itō Yoshiko; 30 December 1905 – 24 March 1991) was a Japanese politician. She was a member of the House of Representatives for the Japan Socialist Party (two terms). She entered politics by succeeding to the political base of her husband, Kōdō Itō, after his sudden death. Kōji Honda, who served as a member of the House of Representatives and the Aichi Prefectural Assembly, was her brother-in-law.
Kenkichi Sugimoto (杉本健吉) (September 20, 1905 in Nagoya – February 10, 2004 in Nagoya) was a Japanese artist. He was…Kenkichi Sugimoto (杉本健吉) (September 20, 1905 in Nagoya – February 10, 2004 in Nagoya) was a Japanese artist. He was known as an oil painter, illustrator, and graphic designer. In 1987 the Meitetsu railroad company opened the Sugimoto Art Museum in Mihama, Aichi.
Fuji Okamoto (岡本 不二, Okamoto Fuji; July 4, 1905 in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan – January 4, 1984) was a Japanese boxer who…Fuji Okamoto (岡本 不二, Okamoto Fuji; July 4, 1905 in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan – January 4, 1984) was a Japanese boxer who competed in the 1928 Summer Olympics. In 1928 he was eliminated in the second round of the bantamweight class after losing his fight to Frank Traynor of Ireland.
Migishi Setsuko (三岸節子, January 3, 1905 – April 18, 1999) was a Japanese yōga (Western-style) painter. Known for…Migishi Setsuko (三岸節子, January 3, 1905 – April 18, 1999) was a Japanese yōga (Western-style) painter. Known for employing vivid colors and bold strokes for still-life and landscape, Migishi contributed greatly to the establishment and elevation of the status of female artists in the Japanese art scene.
Kiyoo Wadati (和達 清夫, Wadachi Kiyoo; September 8, 1902 – January 5, 1995) was an early seismologist at the Central…Kiyoo Wadati (和達 清夫, Wadachi Kiyoo; September 8, 1902 – January 5, 1995) was an early seismologist at the Central Meteorological Observatory of Japan (now known as the Japan Meteorological Agency), researching deep (subduction zone) earthquakes. His name is attached to the Wadati–Benioff zone. It was Wadati's 1928 paper on shallow and deep earthquakes, comparing maximum below surface displacement against distance from the epicentre, which led Charles Richter to develop his earthquake magnitude scale in 1935.
Jiro Nakano (中野 二郎 = Nakano Jirō) (10 April 1902 – 10 June 2000) was a Japanese composer, conductor and arranger from…Jiro Nakano (中野 二郎 = Nakano Jirō) (10 April 1902 – 10 June 2000) was a Japanese composer, conductor and arranger from Aichi Prefecture. He composed works for solo guitar, solo mandolin and Mandolin orchestra.
Minoru Sakata (坂田 稔, Sakata Minoru; 1902–1974) was a Japanese photographer active in the prewar avant-garde photography…Minoru Sakata (坂田 稔, Sakata Minoru; 1902–1974) was a Japanese photographer active in the prewar avant-garde photography networks of Nagoya. While living in Osaka he was a member of the Naniwa Photography Club, and after moving to Nagoya he led the formation of Nagoya Photo Gruppe in 1934. He later participated in the Nagoya Avant-Garde Club and the Nagoya Photo Avant-Garde. He was also described as a leading organizer and polemicist in Nagoya's prewar avant-garde photography circles.
Kōdō Itō (伊藤 好道, Itō Kōdō, 5 December 1901 – 10 December 1956) was a Japanese politician. He was a member of the House…Kōdō Itō (伊藤 好道, Itō Kōdō, 5 December 1901 – 10 December 1956) was a Japanese politician. He was a member of the House of Representatives for the Leftist Socialist Party (three terms).
Takanori Ogisu (荻須 高徳, Ogisu Takanori; 30 November 1901 – 14 October 1986), styled as Takanori Oguiss, was a Japanese…Takanori Ogisu (荻須 高徳, Ogisu Takanori; 30 November 1901 – 14 October 1986), styled as Takanori Oguiss, was a Japanese figurative painter who lived and worked most of his life in France. He is known by his cityscape paintings.
Ikeda Sueo (Japanese: 池田 末男; December 21, 1900 – August 18, 1945) was a Japanese Army officer. He died defending…Ikeda Sueo (Japanese: 池田 末男; December 21, 1900 – August 18, 1945) was a Japanese Army officer. He died defending Shumshu during the Soviet invasion of the Kuril Islands in 1945.
Hajime Katō (加藤土師萌, Katō Hajime) (March 7, 1900 – September 25, 1968) was a Japanese potter. He was named a Living…Hajime Katō (加藤土師萌, Katō Hajime) (March 7, 1900 – September 25, 1968) was a Japanese potter. He was named a Living National Treasure in 1961.
Bin Akao (赤尾敏, Akao Bin; 15 January 1899 – 6 February 1990) was a Japanese far-right (uyoku) politician who served as a…Bin Akao (赤尾敏, Akao Bin; 15 January 1899 – 6 February 1990) was a Japanese far-right (uyoku) politician who served as a member of the House of Representatives of Japan during World War II. He was arrested 25 times for political activities. Akao was cofounder and first president of the Kenkokukai and became one of the leading ultranationalists in Japan during the 1920s. Akao was elected to the House of Representatives as an independent in 1942 and espoused a unique type of Japanese nationalism characterized by support for the United States and opposition to the Pacific War. Akao founded and became the first president of the far-right Greater Japan Patriotic Party in 1951 and continued to adamantly champion pro-United States, pro-British, and radical anti-communist stances in post-war Japan. He was known for his fiery street corner speeches, often delivered from noise trucks adorned with the Japanese flag, American flag, and Union Jack. He never held a salaried job, entering politics in his early twenties, and continued street activism into his nineties. Members of the Greater Japan Patriotic Party, both aged 17, were responsible for the 1960 assassination of Japan Socialist Party chairman Inejirō Asanuma and the Shimanaka incident. Akao, who was present at the Hibiya Public Hall when Otoya Yamaguchi fatally stabbed Asanuma, publicly praised the act; newsreel footage from Mainichi News recorded him saying the assassin "did well" and calling him "great," while a contemporary report quoted him describing Yamaguchi as "a paragon of Japanese virtue" and Asanuma’s death as "heaven-sent punishment." Akao was questioned and temporarily arrested in connection with both incidents, but was never charged with directing either attack.
Shinichi Suzuki (鈴木 鎮一, Suzuki Shin'ichi; 17 October 1898 – 26 January 1998) was a Japanese violinist, philosopher…Shinichi Suzuki (鈴木 鎮一, Suzuki Shin'ichi; 17 October 1898 – 26 January 1998) was a Japanese violinist, philosopher, composer, and educator and the founder of the international Suzuki method of music education and developed a philosophy for educating people of all ages and abilities. An influential pedagogue in music education of children, he often spoke of the ability of all children to learn things well, especially in the right environment, and of developing the heart and building the character of music students through their music education. Before his time, it was rare for children to be formally taught classical instruments from an early age and even more rare for children to be accepted by a music teacher without an audition or entrance examination. Not only did he endeavor to teach children the violin from infancy and early childhood, his school in Matsumoto also did not screen applicants for their ability for admittance. Suzuki was also responsible for the early training of some of the earliest Japanese violinists to be successfully appointed to prominent western classical music organizations. During his lifetime, he received several honorary doctorates in music including from the New England Conservatory of Music (1956), and the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music. He was proclaimed a Living National Treasure of Japan, and in 1993 he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Kisaburo Yokota (横田 喜三郎, Yokota Kisaburō; August 6, 1896 – February 17, 1993) was a Japanese international legal…Kisaburo Yokota (横田 喜三郎, Yokota Kisaburō; August 6, 1896 – February 17, 1993) was a Japanese international legal scholar. He served as the 3rd Chief Justice of Japan from 1960 to 1966. He graduated from the Tokyo Imperial University and later served on its faculty. He received the Degree of Doctor of Law (Tokyo Imperial University). He was a recipient of the Order of Culture and the Order of the Rising Sun. His grave is in Gokoku-ji Temple Cemetery, Bunkyō-ku, Tokyo.
Mitsuzo Sasaki (佐々木 味津三, Sasaki Mitsuzō; March 18, 1896 – February 6, 1934) was a Japanese writer. His Umon Detective…Mitsuzo Sasaki (佐々木 味津三, Sasaki Mitsuzō; March 18, 1896 – February 6, 1934) was a Japanese writer. His Umon Detective Story (右門捕物帖, Umon torimonochō) stories were adapted into a series of films by Toho in the 1950s. He was born in Shitara, Aichi.
Tetsuzō Tanikawa (谷川 徹三, Tanikawa Tetsuzō; 26 May 1895 – 27 September 1989) was a Japanese philosopher who promoted the…Tetsuzō Tanikawa (谷川 徹三, Tanikawa Tetsuzō; 26 May 1895 – 27 September 1989) was a Japanese philosopher who promoted the concept of World Government for purposes of peace.
Zenkei Shibayama (柴山 全慶, Shibayama Zenkei; 1894 – 1974), a former Abbot of Nanzen-ji, was a Japanese Rinzai master well…Zenkei Shibayama (柴山 全慶, Shibayama Zenkei; 1894 – 1974), a former Abbot of Nanzen-ji, was a Japanese Rinzai master well known for his commentary on the Mumonkan. One of his better-known students was Keido Fukushima, abbot of Tōfuku-ji. Shibayama also taught at Otani University and was the head abbot of the entire Nanzenji Organization, overseeing the administration of over five hundred temples. Due to a number of lecture tours he undertook to the United States in the 1960s, and the translation of several of his books into English, Shibayama was a significant contributor to the establishment of Zen in America.
Kiichiro Toyoda (Japanese: 豊田 喜一郎（とよだ きいちろう）, Hepburn: Toyoda Kiichirō; 11 June 1894 – 27 March 1952) was a Japanese…Kiichiro Toyoda (Japanese: 豊田 喜一郎（とよだ きいちろう）, Hepburn: Toyoda Kiichirō; 11 June 1894 – 27 March 1952) was a Japanese engineer and businessman, and the son of Toyoda Loom Works founder Sakichi Toyoda. His decision to change Toyoda's focus from automatic loom manufacturing into automobile manufacturing created what later became Toyota.
Ichikawa Fusae (市川 房枝; May 15, 1893 – February 11, 1981) was a Japanese feminist, politician and a leader of the…Ichikawa Fusae (市川 房枝; May 15, 1893 – February 11, 1981) was a Japanese feminist, politician and a leader of the women's suffrage movement. Ichikawa was a key supporter of women's suffrage in Japan, and her activism was partially responsible for the extension of the franchise to women in 1945.
Mosaburō Suzuki (鈴木 茂三郎, Suzuki Mosaburō; February 7, 1893 – May 7, 1970) was a Japanese journalist, essayist, and…Mosaburō Suzuki (鈴木 茂三郎, Suzuki Mosaburō; February 7, 1893 – May 7, 1970) was a Japanese journalist, essayist, and socialist politician who served nine terms in the House of Representatives. He was the first chairman of the Left Socialist Party of Japan (1951–1955) and later the second chairman of the reunified Japan Socialist Party (1955–1960). Born into poverty in Gamagōri, Aichi, Suzuki worked various odd jobs before graduating from Waseda University in 1916. As a newspaper reporter he covered the Siberian Intervention, an experience that reinforced his lifelong opposition to militarism. In the interwar period he became a leading figure in the proletarian movement, joined the newly founded Japanese Communist Party in 1922, helped organize several left-wing parties, and was repeatedly arrested under the Peace Preservation Law, including during the Popular Front Incident of 1937. He spent the war years in prison without trial. After Japan's surrender, he helped found the Japan Socialist Party. He was elected to the Diet in 1946 and became party secretary in 1949. When the party split over the San Francisco Peace Treaty in 1951, he became the first chairman of the Left Socialist Party. In his inaugural speech as its chairman he delivered the widely quoted pacifist appeal "Young men, do not take up arms. Women, do not send your husbands and children to the battlefield." After the socialists reunited in 1955 he served as chairman of the unified JSP until his resignation in 1960 following the formation of the Democratic Socialist Party. In later years he continued to push the party leftward, opposed structural-reform theories, and established a socialist library that was later donated to the Museum of Modern Japanese Literature. He retired from electoral politics before the 1967 election and died in Tokyo in 1970.
Shigeyoshi Miwa (三輪 茂義, Miwa Shigeyoshi; May 15, 1892 – February 27, 1959) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy…Shigeyoshi Miwa (三輪 茂義, Miwa Shigeyoshi; May 15, 1892 – February 27, 1959) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. He commanded the Japanese submarine forces during the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Kanjū Katō (加藤 勘十 (Katō Kanjū), 25 February 1892 – 27 September 1978), also known as Kanju Kato, was a Japanese…Kanjū Katō (加藤 勘十 (Katō Kanjū), 25 February 1892 – 27 September 1978), also known as Kanju Kato, was a Japanese politician and labour activist of the Shōwa period. He served seven terms as a member of the House of Representatives for the Japan Socialist Party and was the second Minister of Labor. He was also known by the pen names Hekisui and Sotsu. A militant labour organizer active in the prewar period, he was nicknamed "Fireball Kanjū" (火の玉勘十, Hi no tama Kanjū). His elder brother was Chōichi Katō, a member of the House of Representatives for the Constitutional Democratic Party (Rikken Minseitō) and the National Alliance (Kokumin Dōmei). His wife was the women’s rights activist and politician Shidzue Katō; the couple were known as the "mandarin duck Diet members" (おしどり議員, oshidori giin). Their son was Nobuyuki Katō and their daughter was Taki Katō.
Sōsaku Suzuki (鈴木 宗作, Suzuki Sōsaku; 27 September 1891 – 19 April 1945) was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army…Sōsaku Suzuki (鈴木 宗作, Suzuki Sōsaku; 27 September 1891 – 19 April 1945) was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II.
Kosakai Mitsuji (Japanese: 小酒井 光次, 8 October 1890 – 1 April 1929), better known by the pen name Kosakai Fuboku…Kosakai Mitsuji (Japanese: 小酒井 光次, 8 October 1890 – 1 April 1929), better known by the pen name Kosakai Fuboku (Japanese: 小酒井 不木), was a Japanese medical scientist and crime writer. A variant of the family name Kosakai is Kozakai.
Kanematsu Sugiura (1890 – October 21, 1979 in White Plains, New York) was a cancer researcher who spent his career at…Kanematsu Sugiura (1890 – October 21, 1979 in White Plains, New York) was a cancer researcher who spent his career at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. A pioneer in cancer research", he completed over 250 papers before his death. Sugiura received a number of awards and prizes throughout his life, and retired from the center in 1962. He is perhaps best known for his work on laetrile, a controversial alternative cancer treatment, which he was convinced had a palliative effect on certain mice tumors. The report that was released by Sugiura of his findings of the experiment are as follows: The results clearly show that Amygdalin (Laetrile) significantly inhibits the appearance of lung metastasis in mice bearing spontaneous mammary tumors and increases significantly the inhibition of the growth of the primary tumors.... Laetrile also seemed to prevent slightly the appearance of new tumors.... The improvement of health and appearance of the treated animals in comparison to controls is always a common observation.... Dr. Sugiura has never observed complete regression of these tumors in all his cosmic experience with other chemotherapeutic agents.
Kumazawa Hiromichi (熊沢 寛道; December 18, 1889 – June 11, 1966), also known as the "Kumazawa emperor", was a Japanese…Kumazawa Hiromichi (熊沢 寛道; December 18, 1889 – June 11, 1966), also known as the "Kumazawa emperor", was a Japanese businessman and Buddhist priest from Nagoya who publicly disputed the legitimacy of Emperor Hirohito's bloodline in the period shortly after the end of the Second World War. He claimed to be the 19th direct descendant of Emperor Go-Kameyama. In 1946–1947, Hiromichi was only the first of roughly nineteen men who put themselves forward as Japan's rightful Emperor. As a direct descendant of the Southern Court emperors of the Nanboku-chō period, he argued that Emperor Hirohito was illegitimate. He pointed out that Hirohito's entire line is descended from the Northern Court emperors. He produced a koseki detailing his bloodline back to Emperor Go-Daigo in Yoshino, but his claims and rhetoric failed to inspire anything other than sympathy. Hiromichi's claims ultimately remained unsubstantiated.
Shōzō Sakurai (桜井省三, Sakurai Shōzō; June 27, 1889 – July 7, 1985) was a lieutenant general in the Imperial Japanese…Shōzō Sakurai (桜井省三, Sakurai Shōzō; June 27, 1889 – July 7, 1985) was a lieutenant general in the Imperial Japanese Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II.
