Hiroki Kosai (香西 洋樹, Kōsai Hiroki; 8 February 1933 – 26 March 2026) was a Japanese astronomer with the Kiso…Hiroki Kosai (香西 洋樹, Kōsai Hiroki; 8 February 1933 – 26 March 2026) was a Japanese astronomer with the Kiso Observatory. He is best known for helping to popularize astronomy in Japan and for his observations of comets and asteroids, most notably with his co-discovery of the comet 1976 XVI. He is credited by the Minor Planet Center (MPC) with the discovery of nearly 100 asteroids. Kosai died on 26 March 2026, at the age of 93.
Nagisa Ōshima (大島 渚, Ōshima Nagisa; March 31, 1932 – January 15, 2013) was a Japanese film director, writer, and…Nagisa Ōshima (大島 渚, Ōshima Nagisa; March 31, 1932 – January 15, 2013) was a Japanese film director, writer, and left-wing activist who is best known for his fiction films, of which he directed 23 features in a career spanning from 1959 to 1999. He is regarded as one of the greatest Japanese directors of all time, and as one of the most important figures of the Japanese New Wave (Nūberu bāgu), alongside Shōhei Imamura. His film style was bold, innovative and provocative. Common themes in his work include youthful rebellion, class and racial discrimination and taboo sexuality. His first major film was his second feature, Cruel Story of Youth (1960), one of the first Japanese New Wave films, a youth-oriented film with an earnest portrayal of the sexual lives and criminal activities of its young protagonists. He came to greater international renown after Death By Hanging (1968), a film on the theme of capital punishment and anti-Korean sentiment, was shown at the Cannes Film Festival in 1968. His most controversial film is In the Realm of the Senses (1976), a sexually explicit film set in 1930s Japan.
Shirō Moritani (森谷 司郎, Moritani Shirō; September 28, 1931 – December 2, 1984) was a film director and screenwriter from…Shirō Moritani (森谷 司郎, Moritani Shirō; September 28, 1931 – December 2, 1984) was a film director and screenwriter from Japan. Born in Tokyo, he debuted as an assistant director in Akira Kurosawa's 1961 film Yojimbo. His film Mount Hakkoda won the Mainichi Film Award for Excellence Film in 1978.
Minoru Kubota (29 April 1930 – 20 August 2017) was a Japanese weightlifter. He competed in the men's light heavyweight…Minoru Kubota (29 April 1930 – 20 August 2017) was a Japanese weightlifter. He competed in the men's light heavyweight event at the 1960 Summer Olympics. Kubota died on 20 August 2017, at the age of 87.
Kōichi Iijima (飯島耕一, Iijima Kōichi; February 25, 1930- October 14, 2013) was a Japanese poet, novelist, and translator.…Kōichi Iijima (飯島耕一, Iijima Kōichi; February 25, 1930- October 14, 2013) was a Japanese poet, novelist, and translator. He was a member of the Japan Art Academy.
Tadao Ogura (Japanese: 小倉 忠夫, Ogura Tadao, born March 22, 1929) is a Japanese art critic, known primarily for his work…Tadao Ogura (Japanese: 小倉 忠夫, Ogura Tadao, born March 22, 1929) is a Japanese art critic, known primarily for his work in the fields of printmaking and Western-style painting. Active from the 1960s through the 1970s, he published numerous critiques that significantly influenced the postwar Japanese art scene. He was born in Takahashi City, Okayama Prefecture. His father was Gyoka Ogura (Japanese: 小倉 魚禾, Ogura Gyoka), a painter.
Shigeru Onishi (Japanese: 大西茂, Onishi Shigeru, November 2, 1928 – December 2, 1994) was a Japanese visual artist.…Shigeru Onishi (Japanese: 大西茂, Onishi Shigeru, November 2, 1928 – December 2, 1994) was a Japanese visual artist. Onishi produced photography-based work and abstract ink paintings. Michel Tapié introduced Onishi's calligraphic works to Europe with works by the Gutai group artists in the context of the Art Informel movement. These calligraphic works used the sumi method that Japanese painters traditionally use from ink made from soot or oil and animal glue. He started his artistic career as photographer in 1950 and gradually shifted to abstract ink painting. Although he was a self-educated photographer, he was very familiar with various photographic and photo development techniques. He worked with multiple exposure, development processing with brushes and sponges, discoloration using developing agents, film processing, color tone manipulation using temperature, and other methods. These techniques would often achieve experimental results.
Akira Miyawaki (宮脇 昭, Miyawaki Akira; 29 January 1928 – 16 July 2021) was a Japanese botanist and an expert in plant…Akira Miyawaki (宮脇 昭, Miyawaki Akira; 29 January 1928 – 16 July 2021) was a Japanese botanist and an expert in plant ecology who specialized in seeds and natural forests. He was active worldwide as a specialist in natural vegetation restoration of degraded land. He was particularly known for his studies of reforestation using pocket forests, often called Miyawaki forests after him. He was professor emeritus at Yokohama National University and director of the Japanese Center for International Studies in Ecology since 1993. He received the Blue Planet Prize in 2006.
Yoichi Numata (沼田 曜一, Numata Yōichi) (19 July 1924 – 29 April 2006) was a Japanese film actor. He appeared in 27 films…Yoichi Numata (沼田 曜一, Numata Yōichi) (19 July 1924 – 29 April 2006) was a Japanese film actor. He appeared in 27 films between 1949 and 2001.
Junnosuke Yoshiyuki (吉行 淳之介, Yoshiyuki Junnosuke; April 13, 1924 – July 26, 1994) was a Japanese novelist and…Junnosuke Yoshiyuki (吉行 淳之介, Yoshiyuki Junnosuke; April 13, 1924 – July 26, 1994) was a Japanese novelist and short-story writer, and a member of the so-called "Third Generation of Postwar Writers" (第3の新人).
Seikaku Takagi (Japanese: 高木 聖鶴, Hepburn: Takagi Seikaku; July 12, 1923 (Taishō 12)– February 24, 2017 (Heisei 29))…Seikaku Takagi (Japanese: 高木 聖鶴, Hepburn: Takagi Seikaku; July 12, 1923 (Taishō 12)– February 24, 2017 (Heisei 29)), was a Japanese calligrapher. He was male and held the rank of Junior Third Rank (Jūsanmi) and was awarded the Order of Culture. His real name was Ikuta Takagi (高木 郁太, Takagi Ikuta). He served as the president of the Chōyō Calligraphy Association, advisor to the Japan Fine Arts Exhibition (a public-interest incorporated association), and senior advisor to the Japanese Calligraphy Institute. He was also the highest advisor to the Yomiuri Calligraphy Association and was recognized as a Person of Cultural Merit. Throughout his career, he held many important positions, including director of the Japan Calligraphy Institute, director and permanent general affairs officer of the Yomiuri Calligraphy Association, and executive director of the Japan Fine Arts Exhibition (a public-interest incorporated association). He also served as a councilor of the Japan Fine Arts Exhibition.
Yasuharu Ōyama (大山 康晴 Ōyama Yasuharu, March 13, 1923 - July 26, 1992) was a professional shogi player, 15th Lifetime…Yasuharu Ōyama (大山 康晴 Ōyama Yasuharu, March 13, 1923 - July 26, 1992) was a professional shogi player, 15th Lifetime Meijin and president of Japan Shogi Association (1976 - 1989). He studied shogi under Kinjiro Kimi (木見金治郎, Kinjirō Kimi). He won 80 titles (2nd on record), 44 other type tournaments (2nd on record) and 1433 games (2nd on record) in life, and was awarded five lifetime titles: Lifetime Meijin, Lifetime Jūdan, Lifetime Ōi, Lifetime Kisei and Lifetime Ōshō. Among his 80 titles, 18 were the Meijin title (most prestigious title in shogi, along with Ryūō). He has appeared in the Meijin title match 25 times winning 18; he also holds the record for the most consecutive Meijin titles (13 in a row from 1959 to 1971), the most overall Meijin titles, and being the oldest player to challenge for the Meijin title, at age 63 in 1986. Ōyama played as professional from 1940 until his death in 1992. His students include Michio Ariyoshi, Isao Nakata and Hisashi Namekata. He was awarded as honorary citizen of Kurashiki, Okayama, his birthplace and then Hyakkoku, Aomori (now merged to Oirase, Aomori). Ōyama had a strong interest in other kinds of boardgames, including go, mahjong, chess, chu shogi and xiangqi. He founded the Japan Xiangqi Association in 1973 and served as its president.
Jun Miki (三木淳, Miki Jun; 14 September 1919 – 22 February 1992) was a Japanese photographer and one of Japan's pioneers…Jun Miki (三木淳, Miki Jun; 14 September 1919 – 22 February 1992) was a Japanese photographer and one of Japan's pioneers in photojournalism. The Selection Committee of Nikon Salon established the Miki Jun Award in 1999 to remember his legacy.
Renzaburō Shibata (柴田錬三郎, Shibata Renzaburō; March 26, 1917 – June 30, 1978) was a Japanese author and Sinologist. He…Renzaburō Shibata (柴田錬三郎, Shibata Renzaburō; March 26, 1917 – June 30, 1978) was a Japanese author and Sinologist. He graduated from Keio University and won the Naoki Prize in 1951 for Iesu no Ei (lit. Descendant of Jesus). He is famous for Nemuri Kyōshirō, a series of jidaigeki novels. He also published a new Japanese translation of Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Water Margin.
Utako Takeuchi (Japanese: 竹内歌子; born 15 December 1915) was a Japanese journalist and politician. She was one of the…Utako Takeuchi (Japanese: 竹内歌子; born 15 December 1915) was a Japanese journalist and politician. She was one of the first group of women elected to the House of Representatives in 1946.
Yōichi Midorikawa (緑川 洋一, Midorikawa Yōichi; 1915–2001), birth name Satoshi Yokoyama (横山 知), was a Japanese…Yōichi Midorikawa (緑川 洋一, Midorikawa Yōichi; 1915–2001), birth name Satoshi Yokoyama (横山 知), was a Japanese photographer from Okayama prefecture, Japan, who became one of postwar Japan's leading figures in color landscape photography. He first took up the camera after graduating middle school in Okayama, but his father forced him into studying Dentistry. He returned to photography as a hobby around the same time he opened his own dentil clinic in 1937. Throughout his life, he maintained his base in Okayama. He later joined the Chūgoku Photographers Group, alongside figures such as Shoji Ueda, and Ginryūsha with Tadahiko Hayashi and Shōtarō Akiyama. HIs first work appear in monthly photo competitions in the 1930s. His early work, produced during the Pacific war, focused on photojournalism, followed by documentary photography depicting fishing villages, salt fields, rural communities around the Seto Inland Sea, and Osaka Merchant districts. From the 1950s onward, however, he turned to experimental forms of expression, employing techniques such as multiple exposure, long exposure, photomontage, filter works, and special film processing to create his dreamlike landscapes. He began using color film in the early 1960s, before it had come into widespread use. His breakthrough came with the1962 photobook Seto Inland Sea / Setonaikai, which won several awards from the Japan Photo Critics Association and the Photographic Society of Japan Award. Thereafter, he continued his exploration of landscape photography, taking photos of Japanese national parks and other natural sites throughout Japan. He is often described as a “magician of color.” Over the course of his career, he published more than seventy photobooks. Midorikawa's photographs have been widely exhibited in Japan and internationally, and his works are represented in major public collections such as the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum, the Yokohama Museum of Art, Victoria and Albert Museum. And the Bibliothèque national de France. Midorikawa's photographs were included in Donald Richie's travel memoir titled, The Inland Sea, about the region and its disappearing traditions. The exhibition Midorikawa Yoichi and his Circle: The Early Years, 1938-59, held at the Okayama Prefectural Museum of Art in 2005, sought to reexamine Midorikawa's early works in order to trace the process through which he developed the richly saturated colors, multiple exposures, and other experimental techniques that culminated in the landscape photographs of the 1960s, earning him the epithet the “magician of color.” Curator Naruhisa Hirose surveys Midorikawa ‘s first appearances in the photography magazine Shashin Salon to his various photo series from the 1950s, and his relationships to contemporaneous photographers including Shoji Ueda, Shōtarō Akiyama, Tadahiko Hayashi, and Takeji Iwamiya.
Mieko Kamiya (神谷 美恵子, Kamiya Mieko; January 12, 1914 – October 22, 1979) was a Japanese psychiatrist who treated…Mieko Kamiya (神谷 美恵子, Kamiya Mieko; January 12, 1914 – October 22, 1979) was a Japanese psychiatrist who treated leprosy patients at Nagashima Aiseien Sanatorium. She was known for translating books on philosophy. She worked as a medical doctor in the Department of Psychiatry at Tokyo University following World War II. She was said to have greatly helped the Ministry of Education and the General Headquarters, where the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers stayed, in her role as an English-speaking secretary, and served as an adviser to Empress Michiko. She wrote many books as a highly educated, multi-lingual person; one of her books, titled On the Meaning of Life (ikigai ni tsuite in Japanese), based on her experiences with leprosy patients, attracted many readers.
Shigemitsu Dandō (團藤 重光, Dandō Shigemitsu; 8 November 1913 – 25 June 2012) was a professor of the department of Social…Shigemitsu Dandō (團藤 重光, Dandō Shigemitsu; 8 November 1913 – 25 June 2012) was a professor of the department of Social and Political sciences at the University of Tokyo, an academic researcher of criminology, and a Justice of the Supreme Court of Japan.
Kaoru Ōta (Japanese: 太田 薫; 1 January 1912 – 14 September 1998) was a Japanese trade union leader. He served as chairman…Kaoru Ōta (Japanese: 太田 薫; 1 January 1912 – 14 September 1998) was a Japanese trade union leader. He served as chairman of the General Council of Trade Unions of Japan (Sōhyō) from 1958 to 1966. Known for his cheerful demeanor and energetic activism, Ōta's many forceful statements in defense of the Japanese workers were affectionately known as the "Ōta Trumpet" (Ōta rappa).
Doshin So (宗道臣, Sō Dōshin) (born Michiomi Nakano (中野道臣, Nakano Michiomi)), (1911–1980) was a Japanese soldier and…Doshin So (宗道臣, Sō Dōshin) (born Michiomi Nakano (中野道臣, Nakano Michiomi)), (1911–1980) was a Japanese soldier and martial artist. He is most known as the creator and founder of Shorinji Kempo and the doctrine Kongo Zen (金剛禅, Kongō Zen). Practitioners of Shorinji Kempo refer to him as Kaiso, Japanese for "the founder".
Terufumi Kofukuda (小福田 晧文, Kofukuda Terufumi; February 1909 – 29 July 1995), born as Mitsugi Kofukuda (小福田 租, Kofukuda…Terufumi Kofukuda (小福田 晧文, Kofukuda Terufumi; February 1909 – 29 July 1995), born as Mitsugi Kofukuda (小福田 租, Kofukuda Mitsugi), was an officer and a fighter pilot in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War II. He participated in various battles and campaigns throughout the Pacific War. After the war, he served in the new Japanese Self Defence Force (JSDF) as the commander of the Central Air Defense Force.
Kagamitarō Konkō (金光 鑑太郎, Konkō Kagamitarō; 26 April 1909 – 10 January 1991) was a Japanese Konkōkyō leader…Kagamitarō Konkō (金光 鑑太郎, Konkō Kagamitarō; 26 April 1909 – 10 January 1991) was a Japanese Konkōkyō leader, calligrapher, poet, cultural leader, and educator. Konkō founded the Konkō Library and was the first library director. From 1954 to 1990, he advised the Japan Library Association. From 1973 to 1990, he advised the Boy Scouts of Nippon. Hiroki Kōsai of Saji Observatory, who had a good relationship with him, named asteroid 4526 Konko 1982 KN1 and 11254 Konkohekisui (18 February 1977 list[A]) in his honor.
Tatsuzo Fujita (藤田 辰三, Fujita Tatsuzō; born 19 May 1908, date of death unknown) was a Japanese hurdler. He competed in…Tatsuzo Fujita (藤田 辰三, Fujita Tatsuzō; born 19 May 1908, date of death unknown) was a Japanese hurdler. He competed in the men's 110 metres hurdles at the 1932 Summer Olympics.
Kinue Hitomi (人見 絹枝, Hitomi Kinue; January 1, 1907 – August 2, 1931) was a Japanese track and field athlete. She was…Kinue Hitomi (人見 絹枝, Hitomi Kinue; January 1, 1907 – August 2, 1931) was a Japanese track and field athlete. She was the world record holder in several events in the 1920s – 1930s. Hitomi was also the first Japanese and Asian woman to win an Olympic medal. She was also the first woman to represent Japan at the Olympics.
Ishizu Ryosuke (石津 良介, Ishizu Ryōsuke; 1907 – 1986) was a Japanese photographer whose work was included in 328…Ishizu Ryosuke (石津 良介, Ishizu Ryōsuke; 1907 – 1986) was a Japanese photographer whose work was included in 328 Outstanding Japanese Photographers (2000). He was associated with the New Photography (shinkō shashin) movement of the 1930s. Born in Okayama and active as an editor in Tokyo, he later returned to his home region, where he became an influential figure in photography circles around the Chūgoku and San'in area.
Eisuke Yoshiyuki (吉行 エイスケ, Yoshiyuki Eisuke; May 10, 1906 – July 8, 1940) was a Japanese author. He was born in Okayama…Eisuke Yoshiyuki (吉行 エイスケ, Yoshiyuki Eisuke; May 10, 1906 – July 8, 1940) was a Japanese author. He was born in Okayama Prefecture. His son, Junnosuke Yoshiyuki, was also a noted author; his daughter, Kazuko Yoshiyuki, a well-known actress; and his other daughter, Rie Yoshiyuki, was a poet and novelist. The 1997 NHK Asadora Aguri was based on Eisuke's life with his wife Aguri. He also took a role in the Japanese Dada Movement.
Ryōichi Ikeda (Japanese: 池田 亮一, Hepburn: Ikeda Ryōichi; real name: 三村 亮一, Hepburn: Mimura Ryōichi; 1906 – June 14…Ryōichi Ikeda (Japanese: 池田 亮一, Hepburn: Ikeda Ryōichi; real name: 三村 亮一, Hepburn: Mimura Ryōichi; 1906 – June 14, 1963) was a Japanese communist, editor-in-chief of the Shimbun Akahata, and a senior member of the Japanese Communist Party. He was born in Okayama Prefecture.
Shōchō Hagami (葉上照澄; August 15, 1903 – March 7, 1989) was a Japanese great acharya (大阿闍梨) of Tendai Buddhism and one of…Shōchō Hagami (葉上照澄; August 15, 1903 – March 7, 1989) was a Japanese great acharya (大阿闍梨) of Tendai Buddhism and one of the most prominent Japanese Buddhists of the 20th century. He served as President of the Japanese Religious Committee for World Federation and advocated the need for the cooperation of religious leaders, which transcends religious and denominational boundaries. Hagami was originally a professor of German philosophy at Taisho University and in turn served as a journalist for the Sanyo Shimbun. However, the untimely death of his wife as well as the defeat of Japan at WWII triggered him to pursue religious life, whereby to help Japan restore itself from the postwar devastation. In 1946, he entered the Buddhist monastery at Mount Hiei, the headquarters of the Tendai school and the Mother Mountain of Japanese Buddhism. Hagami was the 39th monk in history who completed the ordeal of endurance, perseverance, and both physical and mental strength, known as Sennichi Kaihōgyō in Japanese (千日回峰行), or “thousand-day around-the-peaks training.” He also completed other ordeals such as a thousand days of Unshin Kaihōgyō (運心回峰行) and a thousand days of Hokke Zanmaigyō (法華三昧行). While fostering new generations of Japan for lives of influence and service, Hagami was actively engaged in promoting reconciliation and peaceful coexistence across the world. He appealed to Pope Paul VI and other religious leaders of the world to create an International League of all religious people of the whole world in order to end all the wars among religions as well as all the conflicts caused in the name of religions. Hagami once noted: “It is said that the root of all evil is human pride, obstinacy, human ego, class ego, racial ego, and national ego. Yet religion which is supposed, above all, to teach the casting away of ego, itself has the egoism of sects and religious institutions. And this is what makes me dislike religionists. . . . True religion is born from the abyss of despair. I believe that when it really becomes a question of whether mankind will survive or not, then religion will return to a purer position, and will set out in a great new direction.” Hagami maintained that for the advancement of world peace, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam must be reconciled, and that Japanese Buddhists—as religious people of the first victim of nuclear attack in human history—must serve as mediators for that reconciliation. Accordingly, he visited Egypt and the Vatican many times and established close friendships with the Egyptian President Anwar Sadat as well as with Cardinal Sergio Pignedoli of the Vatican. In July 1977, Hagami visited President Sadat and urged him to make peace with Israel. This was one of the triggers that led Sadat's dramatic journey to the Knesset in Israel. Sadat himself mentioned Hagami's impact on this initiation in his letter of gratitude to Hagami. At Hagami's suggestion, Sadat also sponsored a communal service in November 1979, gathering representatives of Islam, Judaism and Christianity at the foot of Mount Sinai on the occasion of the transfer of the Sinai Peninsula from Israel to Egypt. In October 1981, when Hagami learned about the assassination of Sadat, he felt personally responsible for Sadat's death. Sadat was said to have been killed for shaking hands with Jews, which Hagami urged Sadat to do. In March 1984, as a way, in part, to commemorate Sadat's death, Hagami organized a joint prayer meeting for world peace on Mount Sinai, by appealing to religious leaders in the US and Egypt. 130 people assembled there to represent Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Shinto, from the US, Egypt, Israel and Japan, and prayed for the speedy end of the Middle East War and performed different religious ceremonies according to the respective styles of rituals. In August 1987, Hagami invited prominent leaders of various religions of the world to hold the first Religious Summit Meeting on Mount Hiei, Japan, in order to advance peaceful coexistence, interfaith dialogue, and acceptance of others. He visited Israel in 1988 and was acquainted with a variety of religious leaders and scholars such as André Chouraqui, R.J. Zwi Werblowsky, and Chief Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu. To further advance interfaith dialogue, Hagami planned to hold a Religious Summit Meeting in Jerusalem but died before its fruition.
Tomoji Abe (阿部 知二, Abe Tomoji; 26 June 1903 – 23 April 1973) was a Japanese novelist, social critic, humanist, and…Tomoji Abe (阿部 知二, Abe Tomoji; 26 June 1903 – 23 April 1973) was a Japanese novelist, social critic, humanist, and translator of English and American literature. Although he began writing as a modernist, in his later works he represented the intellectual movement in Japanese literature. This movement departed from Japanese traditional thinking and from established forms of narration, which focused on aesthetic values and emotional states of mind (such as appear in the works of Junichiro Tanizaki and Ryunosuke Akutagawa); it also departed from modernist views, which continued to be popular in world literature and in Japan (Japanese modernist writers included Haruo Satō, Sei Ito, Tatsuo Hori, Riichi Yokomitsu and Yasunari Kawabata). Abe's intellectual approach was incompatible with the socio-political atmosphere of Japan in the early Shōwa period (1926–1945), with rising fascism and militarism, and the crusade to preserve Japanese feudal traditions.
Yukiharu Miki (三木 行治, Miki Yukiharu; 1 May 1903 – 21 September 1964) was a Japanese physician and politician. He served…Yukiharu Miki (三木 行治, Miki Yukiharu; 1 May 1903 – 21 September 1964) was a Japanese physician and politician. He served as Governor for the Okayama Prefecture from 3 May 1951 until his death on 21 September 1964. During his period as governor, the prefecture went through considerable modernisation, becoming an important industrial district. Yukiharu Miki was awarded the 1964 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Government Service.
Jikōson (璽光尊; 22 April 1903 – 1983/1984), born Naga Ōsawa (大沢 奈賀, Ōsawa Naga) and later known as Nagako Nagaoka (長岡 良子…Jikōson (璽光尊; 22 April 1903 – 1983/1984), born Naga Ōsawa (大沢 奈賀, Ōsawa Naga) and later known as Nagako Nagaoka (長岡 良子, Nagaoka Nagako), was a Japanese medium, spiritual healer and the leader of a new religion known as "Jiu". She claimed to be the representative of Amaterasu and the ruler of Japan. She was the first of several female leaders of Japanese new religions to attract public attention in the late 1940s.
Michihiko Hachiya (蜂谷道彦, Hachiya Michihiko; 1903 in Okayama Prefecture - 1980) was a Japanese physician who survived…Michihiko Hachiya (蜂谷道彦, Hachiya Michihiko; 1903 in Okayama Prefecture - 1980) was a Japanese physician who survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in August 1945. He kept a personal diary of his experience in the aftermath of the bombing which was later published as Hiroshima Diary in 1955.
Tadaichi Hirakawa (平川 唯一, February 13, 1902 – August 25, 1993) was a broadcaster and radio instructor of English…Tadaichi Hirakawa (平川 唯一, February 13, 1902 – August 25, 1993) was a broadcaster and radio instructor of English conversation courses for the NHK. Nicknamed "Uncle Come Come," he was in charge of the popular radio program "English Conversation (Eikaiwa 英会話)" from 1946 to 1951. The program is also known as "Come Come English". He came from Takahashi City, Okayama Prefecture, Japan and studied in the United States before World War II. In 2021, NHK produced a TV drama, Come Come Everybody, featured Hirakawa and his life and family.
Tsuruyo Kondo (近藤 鶴代; 16 November 1901 – 9 August 1970) was a Japanese politician who served as Director General of the…Tsuruyo Kondo (近藤 鶴代; 16 November 1901 – 9 August 1970) was a Japanese politician who served as Director General of the Science and Technology Agency from 1962 to 1963, in the cabinet of Hayato Ikeda.
Michiko Fujiwara (藤原 道子, Fujiwara Michiko; 26 May 1900 – 26 April 1983) was a Japanese nurse and politician. She…Michiko Fujiwara (藤原 道子, Fujiwara Michiko; 26 May 1900 – 26 April 1983) was a Japanese nurse and politician. She initially campaigned for her husband, the politician Kenji Yamazaki, but when he returned from the war with a new wife and child she ran against him. She defeated him as a candidate from the Socialist Party of Japan. She would become concerned with fighting child prostitution.
Koyama Fujio (小山富士夫; March 24, 1900—October 7, 1975) was a scholar of Japanese pottery and porcelain and Chinese…Koyama Fujio (小山富士夫; March 24, 1900—October 7, 1975) was a scholar of Japanese pottery and porcelain and Chinese ceramics. He was also a potter in his own right. Amongst his publications are: "Two Thousand Years of Oriental Ceramics" (1961). "The Heritage of Japanese Ceramics" (1973), translated into English from the original publication in "Nihon Toji no Dento" in 1967 He developed the category of the Six Ancient Kilns of Japan. The Idemitsu Museum of Arts in Tokyo dedicated a retrospective "Tsuchi ni Asobu, To ni Manabu" (Play With Clay, Learn From Pots) in the spring of 2000.
Tomu Uchida (Japanese: 内田吐夢, Hepburn: Uchida Tomu; 26 April 1898 – 7 August 1970), born Tsunejirō Uchida (内田常次郎), was a…Tomu Uchida (Japanese: 内田吐夢, Hepburn: Uchida Tomu; 26 April 1898 – 7 August 1970), born Tsunejirō Uchida (内田常次郎), was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. Uchida chose the stage name Tomu, a transliteration of the English Tom, written in Kanji characters meaning "to spit out dreams".
Kōzō Uno (Japanese: 宇野 弘蔵, Uno Kōzō; 12 November 1897 – 22 February 1977) was a Japanese Marxian economist. His work…Kōzō Uno (Japanese: 宇野 弘蔵, Uno Kōzō; 12 November 1897 – 22 February 1977) was a Japanese Marxian economist. His work, which sought to create a purely "scientific" reading of Karl Marx's critique of political economy, was highly influential in postwar Japan and led to the formation of the "Uno School" of Marxian thought. Uno is best known for his three-level methodology for the study of capitalism, which he developed to separate what he saw as Marx's pure economic theory from its historical and empirical illustrations. This method consists of: (1) the "theory of principles" (genriron), which outlines the logic of a "purely capitalist society" abstractly; (2) the "stages theory" (dankairon), which analyzes the historical development of capitalism through mercantilism, liberalism, and imperialism; (3) the "analysis of the present situation" (genjō bunseki), which examines the concrete details of contemporary capitalism. In his major work, Principles of Political Economy, Uno reconstructed Marx's Capital to fit this three-level approach, arguing that Marx had improperly mixed these levels of analysis. Uno's reconstruction prioritized the sphere of circulation over production and was critical of Marx's introduction of the labor theory of value. His work and that of his followers, such as Thomas T. Sekine and Makoto Itoh, has been influential in Anglophone Marxian debates, but has also has been criticized for by some for 'removing the critical core of Marx's work, particularly the theory of commodity fetishism', in favor of an equilibrium-based model of capitalism.
Tōyō Mitsunobu (光延 東洋, Mitsunobu Tōyō; 9 October 1897 – 8 June 1944) was a captain of the Imperial Japanese Navy.…Tōyō Mitsunobu (光延 東洋, Mitsunobu Tōyō; 9 October 1897 – 8 June 1944) was a captain of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Mitunobu worked in the Japanese naval command in China.
Toshiwo Doko (土光 敏夫 Dokō Toshio; September 15, 1896 – August 4, 1988) was a Japanese engineer born in Mitsu District…Toshiwo Doko (土光 敏夫 Dokō Toshio; September 15, 1896 – August 4, 1988) was a Japanese engineer born in Mitsu District, Okayama, Manager, President and Chairman of Ishikawajima Heavy Industry (IHI) and Toshiba.
Kaneshige Toyo (金重 陶陽) (from Okayama, Japan 1896–1967) was a potter in Imbe, Japan. He helped to establish the Japan…Kaneshige Toyo (金重 陶陽) (from Okayama, Japan 1896–1967) was a potter in Imbe, Japan. He helped to establish the Japan Kōgei Association in 1955, and was deemed a living national treasure in 1956 for his work in the Bizen style ceramics. He was a member of what is known as the "Momoyama revival movement" of the 1930s and is credited with having rediscovered the techniques used to produce the wabi teawares of the Azuchi-Momoyama period.
Kenji Tago (Japanese: 多胡 謙治, Hepburn: Tago Kenji, March 14, 1895 – July 14, 1951) was a Japanese dentist and educator.…Kenji Tago (Japanese: 多胡 謙治, Hepburn: Tago Kenji, March 14, 1895 – July 14, 1951) was a Japanese dentist and educator. He served as a professor at Tokyo Women's College of Dental Science (now Kanagawa Dental University). He was a native of Tsuyama, Okayama Prefecture.
Sunao Okamoto (岡本 忠, Okamoto Sunao; 1 September 1894 – 2 September 1955) was a Japanese male tennis player who…Sunao Okamoto (岡本 忠, Okamoto Sunao; 1 September 1894 – 2 September 1955) was a Japanese male tennis player who represented Japan in the Davis Cup and the Olympic Games. He competed at both the Wimbledon Championships and U.S. National Championships in 1924. He won 9 career singles titles at tournaments maninly played in India.
Katashi Inoue (Japanese: 井上 硬, Hepburn: Inoue Katashi; July 4, 1894 – October 4, 1969) was a Japanese medical scientist…Katashi Inoue (Japanese: 井上 硬, Hepburn: Inoue Katashi; July 4, 1894 – October 4, 1969) was a Japanese medical scientist from Okayama Prefecture. He served as a professor at the Kyoto Imperial University Faculty of Medicine and, following the postwar educational reforms, at the restructured Faculty of Medicine of Kyoto University. Inoue was appointed director of the Institute for Virus Research and served as the 16th director of the Kyoto University Hospital, concurrently acting as a university councilor. He was later named professor emeritus of Kyoto University.
Yukio Tomeoka (留岡 幸男, Tomeoka Yukio; 16 April 1894 – 3 May 1981) was a Japanese bureaucrat, police official, and later…Yukio Tomeoka (留岡 幸男, Tomeoka Yukio; 16 April 1894 – 3 May 1981) was a Japanese bureaucrat, police official, and later lawyer. A career official of the Home Ministry, he served as Governor of Akita Prefecture, Director-General of the ministry's Local Affairs Bureau, Superintendent-General of the Metropolitan Police, and finally as Director-General of the Hokkaidō Agency.
Tadashi Hanaya (花谷正, Hanaya Tadashi; 5 January 1894 – 28 August 1957) was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army…Tadashi Hanaya (花谷正, Hanaya Tadashi; 5 January 1894 – 28 August 1957) was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army, commanding Japanese ground forces in Burma during World War II.
Kuruma Samezō (久留間鮫造, September 24, 1893 – October 20, 1982) was a Japanese economist. He was professor emeritus at…Kuruma Samezō (久留間鮫造, September 24, 1893 – October 20, 1982) was a Japanese economist. He was professor emeritus at Hōsei University where he ran the Ōhara Institute for Social Research, and was best known as the compiler of a Lexicon of Marxist Political Economy. He is the father of Rikkyō University professor emeritus Kuruma Ken.
Seiichi Ōmura (大村 清一, Ōmura Seiichi; 4 May 1892 – 24 May 1968) was a politician and bureaucrat in the early Shōwa…Seiichi Ōmura (大村 清一, Ōmura Seiichi; 4 May 1892 – 24 May 1968) was a politician and bureaucrat in the early Shōwa period Japan, who subsequently was a politician and cabinet minister in the immediate post-war era.
