Tadashi Matsuura (Japanese: 松浦忠史; born March 10, 1976), known exclusively by his stage name Kisaki (きさき), is a Japanese…Tadashi Matsuura (Japanese: 松浦忠史; born March 10, 1976), known exclusively by his stage name Kisaki (きさき), is a Japanese musician, record producer and businessman, whose career in the visual kei scene spans more than 30 years. He is best known for having been the bassist of several bands, including La:Sadie's, Mirage, Syndrome, Kisaki Project, and Phantasmagoria. When Phantasmagoria disbanded in 2007, Kisaki announced his retirement as an active musician. However, in 2010, he ended his retirement and formed the band Lin -The End of Corruption World-. Kisaki also works as a record producer, including for his two former visual kei record labels, Matina and Under Code Production. These labels launched the careers of many bands, including Vidoll, The Gazette and 12012. In 2023, Matenrou Opera vocalist Sono stated that the visual kei scene would not be what it is today without Kisaki.
Tatsuya Tanimoto (谷本 龍哉, Tanimoto Tatsuya; born 26 October 1966) is a former Japanese member of the House of…Tatsuya Tanimoto (谷本 龍哉, Tanimoto Tatsuya; born 26 October 1966) is a former Japanese member of the House of Representatives of the Diet. He served as a representative of Wakayama 1st district, first as an independent politician, but after 2003 as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. A native of Wakayama City and graduate of the University of Tokyo, he was elected for the first time in 2000 after working as a bartender and an aide to Representative Toshihiro Nikai, and serving in the Wakayama Prefectural Assembly.
Toshiyuki Shiga (志賀 俊之, Shiga Toshiyuki; born 16 September 1953) is a Japanese business executive. He served as the…Toshiyuki Shiga (志賀 俊之, Shiga Toshiyuki; born 16 September 1953) is a Japanese business executive. He served as the chief operating officer of Nissan from 2005 to 2013.
Heizō Takenaka (竹中 平蔵, Takenaka Heizō; born 3 March 1951) is a Japanese economist, and key figure in Junichiro…Heizō Takenaka (竹中 平蔵, Takenaka Heizō; born 3 March 1951) is a Japanese economist, and key figure in Junichiro Koizumi's administration (2001–2006), played a significant role in Japan's structural reforms, including labor market deregulation. As Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy and later Financial Services, he advocated for policies aimed at increasing economic flexibility, such as amending the Worker Dispatching Act (also known as the Temporary Staffing Services Act). These changes, enacted in 2003 and 2004, expanded the use of temporary (dispatched) workers by relaxing restrictions. Takenaka's reforms indirectly facilitated the replacement of regular government employees with temporary staff in public sectors, such as education, administrative services, and local government offices. Takenaka's affiliation with Pasona Group, Japan's largest temporary staffing agency, has sparked allegations of embezzlement from government and private sectors, stemming from claims that he replaced permanent employees with Pasona's temporary workers. He joined Pasona as a special advisor in February 2007 (shortly after leaving government) and became chairman in August 2009, serving until 2022. Takenaka benefited from the expanded dispatch market post-deregulation, securing government and private contracts in areas like administrative support, COVID-19 measures, and the Tokyo Olympics—leading to personal profits. Takenaka serves on the Board of Trustees of the World Economic Forum.
Hiroo Onoda (Japanese: 小野田 寛郎, Hepburn: Onoda Hiroo; IPA: [o̞no̞da̠ çiɾo̞ː]) (19 March 1922 – 16 January 2014) was a…Hiroo Onoda (Japanese: 小野田 寛郎, Hepburn: Onoda Hiroo; IPA: [o̞no̞da̠ çiɾo̞ː]) (19 March 1922 – 16 January 2014) was a Japanese soldier who served as a second lieutenant in the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. One of the last Japanese holdouts, Onoda continued fighting for nearly 29 years after the war's end in 1945, carrying out guerrilla warfare on Lubang Island in the Philippines until 1974. Onoda initially held out with three other soldiers. One surrendered in 1950, and two were killed, one in 1954 and one in 1972. The men did not believe flyers and letters from their families stating that the war was over. They survived on wild fruits, game, and stolen rice, and occasionally engaged in shootouts (using their service rifles) with locals and police. Onoda was contacted in the jungles of Lubang by Japanese adventurer Norio Suzuki in 1974 but still refused to surrender until he was formally relieved of duty by his former commanding officer, Major Yoshimi Taniguchi, who flew from Japan to the island to issue the order. Onoda surrendered on 10 March 1974 and received a hero's welcome when he returned to Japan. That year, he wrote and published an autobiography and later moved to Brazil, where he became a cattle rancher. In 1984, Onoda returned to Japan, where he died in 2014 at the age of 91.
Minolta Co., Ltd. (ミノルタ, Minoruta) was a Japanese manufacturer of cameras, lenses, camera accessories, binoculars…Minolta Co., Ltd. (ミノルタ, Minoruta) was a Japanese manufacturer of cameras, lenses, camera accessories, binoculars, photocopiers, fax machines, and laser printers. Minolta Co., Ltd., which is also known simply as Minolta, was founded in Osaka, Japan, in 1928 as Nichi-Doku Shashinki Shōten (日独写真機商店; meaning Japanese-German camera shop). In 1931, the company adopted Minolta for their cameras, an acronym for the German phrase "Mechanismus, Instrumente, Optik, und Linsen von Tashima". Between 1937 and 1962 they became known as Chiyoda Kōgaku Seikō K.K. (千代田光学精工㈱, meaning Chiyoda Optics and Precision Industry Co., Ltd.) before adopting the Minolta name as their final company iteration. The Minolta 'Rising Sun' logo was designed by Saul Bass in 1981. Minolta made the first integrated autofocus 35mm SLR camera system with the Alpha α/Maxxum 7000/AF in 1985. In 2003, Minolta merged with Konica to form Konica Minolta. On 19 January 2006, Konica Minolta announced that it was leaving the camera and photo business, and that it would sell a portion of its SLR camera business to Sony as part of its move to pull completely out of the business of selling cameras and photographic film. Between 2015 and 2016, Konica Minolta lost the rights to the Minolta US trademark for photographic equipment in a trial against JMM Lee Properties LLC, citing Trademark abandonment. Assuming control of several Minolta Trademarks in photographic industries by 2017, JMM Lee began licensing the name to Elite Brands Inc. This is an example of zombie trademarking
Kōnosuke Matsushita (松下 幸之助, Matsushita Kōnosuke; 27 November 1894 – 27 April 1989) was a Japanese industrialist who…Kōnosuke Matsushita (松下 幸之助, Matsushita Kōnosuke; 27 November 1894 – 27 April 1989) was a Japanese industrialist who founded Panasonic, the largest Japanese consumer electronics company. Matsushita is referred to as the "God of Management" in Japan.
Hiroshi Shimomura (Japanese: 下村宏; 11 May 1875 – 9 December 1957) was a Japanese official who served as minister of…Hiroshi Shimomura (Japanese: 下村宏; 11 May 1875 – 9 December 1957) was a Japanese official who served as minister of state and director general of the Cabinet Intelligence Bureau in 1945, at the end of World War II. In that capacity, he was involved in realising the Emperor's surrender broadcast. He was the fourth president of the Japanese Olympic Committee (1937–1942), and a graduate of Tokyo Imperial University.
Okazaki Kunisuke (岡崎邦輔; 12 April 1854 – 22 July 1936) was a politician and cabinet minister in the late Meiji and…Okazaki Kunisuke (岡崎邦輔; 12 April 1854 – 22 July 1936) was a politician and cabinet minister in the late Meiji and Taishō period Empire of Japan.