Takashi Fukunishi (福西 崇史, Fukunishi Takashi; born September 1, 1976) is a Japanese former professional footballer who…Takashi Fukunishi (福西 崇史, Fukunishi Takashi; born September 1, 1976) is a Japanese former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He played for Japan national team.
Toru Takasuka (高須賀 宣, Takasuka Tōru; born 1966) is a Japanese software entrepreneur. Takasuka founded Cybozu, one of…Toru Takasuka (高須賀 宣, Takasuka Tōru; born 1966) is a Japanese software entrepreneur. Takasuka founded Cybozu, one of Japan's first web-based groupware products. In 1997, with a $200,000 loan and two partners, Takasuka left his position as Vice President of Matsushita Electric Works V-Internet Operations in Osaka, Japan for the small city of Matsuyama, where he began developing Cybozu. Japanese for "cyber-kid", Cybozu held an initial public offering (IPO) within three years. In April 2005, Takasuka resigned his position as President and CEO at Cybozu. In January 2006, he co-founded LUNARR, Inc. with his business partner, Hideshi Hamaguchi in Portland, Oregon, U.S.A. He currently lives in both Portland, Oregon and Tokyo, Japan.
Mitsutaka Fujita (藤田 光孝, Fujita Mitsutaka; August 16, 1959 – March 18, 1998) was a Japanese physicist. He proposed the…Mitsutaka Fujita (藤田 光孝, Fujita Mitsutaka; August 16, 1959 – March 18, 1998) was a Japanese physicist. He proposed the edge state that is unique to graphene zigzag edges. Also, he theoretically pointed out the importance and peculiarity of nanoscale and edge shape effects in nanographene. The theoretical concept of graphene nanoribbons was introduced by him and his research group to study the nanoscale effect of graphene. He was an associate professor at Tsukuba University, and died of a subarachnoid hemorrhage on March 18, 1998. His posthumous name is Rikakuin-Shinju-Houkou-Koji (理覚院深珠放光居士) in Japanese.
Seigo Tarucha (born 1953) is a Japanese experimental physicist who is known for his research on gate-defined…Seigo Tarucha (born 1953) is a Japanese experimental physicist who is known for his research on gate-defined semiconductor quantum dots and spin qubits.
Tetsuro Matsuzawa (松沢 哲郎, Matsuzawa Tetsurō; born October 15, 1950) is a primatologist who was a past director of the…Tetsuro Matsuzawa (松沢 哲郎, Matsuzawa Tetsurō; born October 15, 1950) is a primatologist who was a past director of the Primate Research Institute of Kyoto University. He graduated from Kyoto University with a B.A. degree in 1974, a Psy.M. degree in 1976 and a Ph.D. degree in Science in 1989. Matsuzawa is known for his research on chimpanzee intelligence both in the laboratory and in the wild. His laboratory work consists of the "Ai project", which focuses on the language-like skills, number-concepts, and memory ability of a female chimpanzee named Ai. Started in 1978, it is one of the longest running laboratory research projects on chimpanzee intelligence. Matsuzawa has been a part of the project since the beginning. Matsuzawa has also studied tool use in the wild chimpanzees at Bossou, Guinea, West Africa since 1986. The bossou chimpanzee community consists of about 12 individuals and has been studied by Japanese researchers for three decades. Bossou chimps are well known to use a pair of stones as hammer and anvil to crack open oil-palm nuts. Long-term research on wild chimpanzee tool use revealed interesting topics like handedness of use of a hammer, critical period of learning nut-cracking at around 3 to 5 year old, "education by master-apprenticeship" and observational learning, possession of stones, deception, new tool use like algae-scooping, use of leaves for cushions, cultural variation in adjacent communities, etc. Matsuzawa's approach to research is to synthesize the field work and the laboratory work in order to understand the nature of chimpanzees, our evolutionary neighbors. Matsuzawa is well known for his research on chimpanzee memory, which suggests that chimpanzees outperform humans on some simple memory tasks. He has argued that this is evidence of a memorial capacity in young chimpanzees that is superior to that seen in adult humans. However, the accuracy of these findings has been disputed. A. Silberberg and D. Kearns have argued that the performance difference between human and chimpanzee trials can be explained by training effects on the tested chimpanzees. They did reach Ayumu's performance level after thousands of trials, as did humans in a subsequent study with training more closely matching that of the chimpanzees, but only for 5 numbers whereas Ayumu effortlessly does it for 9. In 2020, Kyoto University announced that Matsuzawa was involved in misappropriating the funding of Primate Research Institute.
Takayasu Okushima (奥島 孝康, Okushima Takayasu; 16 April 1939 – 1 May 2024) was a Japanese law professor, President of…Takayasu Okushima (奥島 孝康, Okushima Takayasu; 16 April 1939 – 1 May 2024) was a Japanese law professor, President of Hakuoh University, President of Waseda University, the 10th Chief Scout of the Scout Association of Japan since 1 April 2010, and served as the Camp Chief of the 23rd World Scout Jamboree. In addition, Okushima was the Japan High School Baseball Federation (JHBF) President and Japan Student Baseball Association (JSBA) Director, and served as Member at-large of the Baseball Federation of Japan. Okushima died of pneumonia in Tokyo on 1 May 2024, at the age of 85.
Haruhiro Yamashita (山下 治広, Yamashita Haruhiro; November 11, 1938 – June 19, 2026) was a Japanese gymnast, who competed…Haruhiro Yamashita (山下 治広, Yamashita Haruhiro; November 11, 1938 – June 19, 2026) was a Japanese gymnast, who competed in the 1964 Summer Olympics. He won two gold medals, in the vault and team combined exercises. After marriage he changed his last name from Yamashita to Matsuda (松田), adopting his aunt's surname, who took care of him as a child. In 1961, he graduated from Nippon Sport Science University, where in 1983 he became professor and later professor emeritus. In the early 1970s he was an assistant gymnastics coach under Roger Council at the Indiana State University. There he began his research on biorhythms. Yamashita also trained the national gymnastics team, at the 1976 Summer Olympics and at the Asian Games in 1990, and held senior positions with the Japan Gymnastics Association. In 2000 Yamashita was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame. He was an honorary citizen of his native town of Uwajima. Yamashita died on June 19, 2026, at the age of 87.
Syukuro "Suki" Manabe (真鍋 淑郎, Manabe Shukurō; born 21 September 1931) is a Japanese–American physicist, meteorologist…Syukuro "Suki" Manabe (真鍋 淑郎, Manabe Shukurō; born 21 September 1931) is a Japanese–American physicist, meteorologist, and climatologist, who pioneered the use of computers to simulate global climate change and natural climate variations. He was awarded the 2021 Nobel Prize in Physics jointly with Klaus Hasselmann and Giorgio Parisi, for his contributions to the physical modeling of Earth's climate, quantifying its variability, and predictions of climate change.
Shozo Fujita (藤田 省三, Fujita Shōzō) (1927–2003) was a Japanese political scientist and intellectual historian, a…Shozo Fujita (藤田 省三, Fujita Shōzō) (1927–2003) was a Japanese political scientist and intellectual historian, a "leading intellectual of 'postwar Japan'" and a follower of Masao Maruyama.
Noboru Iwamura (岩村 昇, Iwamura Noboru; May 26, 1927 – November 27, 2005) was a Japanese biologist, medical doctor and…Noboru Iwamura (岩村 昇, Iwamura Noboru; May 26, 1927 – November 27, 2005) was a Japanese biologist, medical doctor and professor of medicine. He was the only survivor, amongst eighty high school classmates, of the 1945 Hiroshima bombing. This experience led him to resolve to live his life for others. Under the UMN program, Iwamura was the first Japanese volunteer to arrive in Nepal, a nation struck with a pandemic of tuberculosis. He spent 22 years helping those living in deprivation and his efforts laid the foundation for the establishment of multiple medical facilities around the area. Back in Japan, Iwamura founded the Peace, Health, and Human Development Foundation in 1980, in an effort to provide technical training to grassroots leaders from Nepal and Southeast Asia. He went on to establish the International Human Resources Institute in 1985, as a means of sponsorship for rural workers to earn master's degrees in Community Development. Dr. Iwamura was awarded the 1993 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Peace and International Understanding in recognition of his life's calling. Iwamura died from leukemia in 2005. In 1998, the Dr. Iwamura Memorial Hospital and Research Center was established to carry on his name in Bhaktapur.
Masanobu Fukuoka (Japanese: 福岡 正信, Hepburn: Fukuoka Masanobu; 2 February 1913 – 16 August 2008) was a Japanese farmer…Masanobu Fukuoka (Japanese: 福岡 正信, Hepburn: Fukuoka Masanobu; 2 February 1913 – 16 August 2008) was a Japanese farmer and philosopher celebrated for his natural farming and re-vegetation of desertified lands. He was a proponent of no-till, herbicide and pesticide-free cultivation methods from which he created a particular method of agriculture, commonly referred to as "natural farming" or "do-nothing farming". Fukuoka was the author of several books, scientific papers and other publications, and was featured in television documentaries and interviews from the 1970s onwards. His influences went beyond farming to inspire individuals within the natural food and lifestyle movements. He was an outspoken advocate of the value of observing nature's principles.
Hajime Hosokawa (細川 一, Hosokawa Hajime; 23 September 1901 – 13 October 1970) was director of the company hospital…Hajime Hosokawa (細川 一, Hosokawa Hajime; 23 September 1901 – 13 October 1970) was director of the company hospital attached to the Chisso Corporation's chemical factory in Minamata, Kumamoto prefecture, Japan. He was the first doctor to discover and treat patients of the massive outbreak of mercury poisoning that occurred in the town, which became known as Minamata disease.
Tadao Yanaihara (矢内原 忠雄, Yanaihara Tadao; January 27, 1893 – December 25, 1961) was a Japanese economist, educator and…Tadao Yanaihara (矢内原 忠雄, Yanaihara Tadao; January 27, 1893 – December 25, 1961) was a Japanese economist, educator and Christian pacifist. He served as the 16th president of the University of Tokyo, after Shigeru Nambara. He was the first director of Shakai Kagaku Kenkyūjo (Institute of Social Science or Shaken) at the University of Tokyo.
Yoshishige Abe (安倍 能成, Abe Yoshishige; 23 December 1883 – 7 June 1966) was a philosopher, educator, and statesman in…Yoshishige Abe (安倍 能成, Abe Yoshishige; 23 December 1883 – 7 June 1966) was a philosopher, educator, and statesman in Shōwa period Japan. As Minister of Education in the immediate post-war era, he oversaw major reforms to the Japanese educational system.
Harutaro Murakami (村上 春太郎, Murakami Harutarō) (1872–1947) was a Japanese physicist and astronomer. He is the father of…Harutaro Murakami (村上 春太郎, Murakami Harutarō) (1872–1947) was a Japanese physicist and astronomer. He is the father of the astronomer Tadayoshi Murakami (1907–1985). The crater Murakami on the Moon is named after him.
Masataka Ogawa (小川 正孝, Ogawa Masataka; 21 February 1865 – 11 July 1930) was a Japanese chemist mainly known for the…Masataka Ogawa (小川 正孝, Ogawa Masataka; 21 February 1865 – 11 July 1930) was a Japanese chemist mainly known for the claimed discovery of element 43 (later known as technetium), which he named nipponium. In fact, he had discovered, but misidentified, element 75 (later called rhenium). After graduating from the University of Tokyo, he studied under William Ramsay in London, where he worked on the analysis of the rare mineral thorianite. He extracted and isolated a small amount of an apparently unknown substance from the mineral, which he announced as the discovery of element 43, naming the newly discovered element nipponium. He published his results in 1909 and a notice was also published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. For this work, he was awarded a doctorate and the highest prize of the Tokyo Chemical Society. However, no other researchers were able to replicate his discovery, and the announcement was forgotten. Ogawa served as president of Tohoku University between 1919 and 1928. While the name nipponium could not be reused for another element, element 113 was also discovered by a team of Japanese scientists and is now named nihonium, also after Japan. The name was chosen in respectful homage to Ogawa's work.
Takeda Ayasaburō (武田 斐三郎; November 4, 1827 - January 28, 1880), was a Japanese Rangaku scholar, and the architect of…Takeda Ayasaburō (武田 斐三郎; November 4, 1827 - January 28, 1880), was a Japanese Rangaku scholar, and the architect of the fortress of Goryōkaku in Hokkaidō. Takeda was born in the Ōzu Domain (modern-day Ōzu, Ehime) in 1827. He studied medicine, Western sciences (rangaku), navigation, military architecture. He was a student of Ogata Kōan and Sakuma Shōzan. In 1854 he was ordered to the island of Hokkaidō to reinforce the military infrastructure. He built the fortresses of Goryōkaku and Benten Daiba between 1854 and 1866, using Dutch books on military architecture, and also established a school. He also practiced sailing with the Hakodate Maru, one of Japan's first Western-style sailing ship, together with his students. He sailed to Russia with the ship, and engaged in some exchanges.
