Akinobu Hiranaka (平仲 明信, born Nobuaki Hiranaka, on November 14, 1963) is a Japanese former boxer. He was a world…
Akinobu Hiranaka (平仲 明信, born Nobuaki Hiranaka, on November 14, 1963) is a Japanese former boxer. He was a world champion boxer in the Light welterweight (Super lightweight or former Junior welterweight) division. He won the WBA Junior Welterweight championship of the world in 1992, and competed at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. He is one of the few Japanese champions that lacked financial backing from large gyms or television companies, and he had to personally negotiate with opponents to land a shot at the world title.
Japanese people database × places of origin
Famous People from Okinawa Prefecture
Okinawa Prefecture: 237 people
Mikio Shimoji (下地 幹郎, Shimoji Mikio; born 14 August 1961) is a former Japanese politician, who served as a member of…
Mikio Shimoji (下地 幹郎, Shimoji Mikio; born 14 August 1961) is a former Japanese politician, who served as a member of the Initiatives from Osaka party in the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Hirara, Okinawa, and graduate of Chuo Gakuin University, he was elected for the first time in 1996 as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. He previously joined People's New Party in 2008. Shimoji was Minister of State for Disaster Management for the final 2.5 months of the cabinet of Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda. Shimoji has contested Okinawa's 1st district in almost every election since 1996. He was first elected as the district's representative in 2005. He was re-elected in 2009, but lost his seat in the 2012 election. Shimoji recontested the seat in the 2014 election. While unable to win the seat outright, he obtained a seat through his spot in Japan Restoration Party's PR list.
Mikio Tōma (當眞 美喜男, Tōma Mikio; born July 21, 1961), known professionally as Kenji Haga (羽賀 研二, Haga Kenji), is a…
Mikio Tōma (當眞 美喜男, Tōma Mikio; born July 21, 1961), known professionally as Kenji Haga (羽賀 研二, Haga Kenji), is a Japanese television personality, actor and businessman. Haga was born in USCAR to an American father and a Japanese mother. His relationship with Anna Umemiya during 1994-97 made headlines. he married in 2006 but divorce in 2015 after having two daughters. On June 30, 2007, Haga was arrested along with four others including former world champion professional boxer Jiro Watanabe, actor Ginji Yoshikawa[jp], and two affiliates of the Yamaguchi-gumi syndicate; one Toshikazu Kawakita and the other unidentified. The group were arrested over allegedly blackmailing a real estate agent in Osaka into forgiving 400 million yen's worth of Haga's debt. On February 10, 2026, Okinawa Prefectural Police arrested Haga on suspicion of sexual assault which occurred in March, 2025.
📅 Born July 21🎂 Born 1961📍 From Okinawa(city), Okinawa Prefecture💼 TV Personality💼 Actor💼 Voice Actor💼 Company President・Entrepreneur
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Kazuhiko Ishimine (石嶺 和彦, Ishimine Kazuhiko; born January 10, 1961) is a Japanese former Nippon Professional Baseball…
Kazuhiko Ishimine (石嶺 和彦, Ishimine Kazuhiko; born January 10, 1961) is a Japanese former Nippon Professional Baseball outfielder.
Kototsubaki Katsuyuki (琴椿 克之) (born 6 December 1960 as Katsuyuki Tokashiki) is a former sumo wrestler from Naha…
Kototsubaki Katsuyuki (琴椿 克之) (born 6 December 1960 as Katsuyuki Tokashiki) is a former sumo wrestler from Naha, Okinawa, Japan.
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Tsuyoshi Hamada (浜田 剛史, Hamada Tsuyoshi; born November 29, 1960) is a retired Japanese professional boxer who is a…
Tsuyoshi Hamada (浜田 剛史, Hamada Tsuyoshi; born November 29, 1960) is a retired Japanese professional boxer who is a former WBC world junior welterweight champion.
Shun Medoruma (目取真 俊, Medoruma Shun; born 10 October 1960) is a Japanese writer, who, along with Tatsuhiro Oshiro, Tami…
Shun Medoruma (目取真 俊, Medoruma Shun; born 10 October 1960) is a Japanese writer, who, along with Tatsuhiro Oshiro, Tami Sakiyama, and Eiki Matayoshi, is one of the most important contemporary writers from Okinawa, Japan. Early in his career he won the 11th Ryukyu Shimpō Short Story Prize in 1983 for "Taiwan Woman: Record of a Fish Shoal" ("Gyogunki"), translated by Shi-Lin Loh in Islands of Protest: Japanese Literature from Okinawa, and the New Okinawan Literature Prize in 1986 for "Walking the Street Named Peace Boulevard" ("Heiwa doori to nazukerareta machi o aruite"). He was awarded the 27th Kyushu Arts Festival Literary Prize and the 117th Akutagawa Prize in 1997 for his short story "A Drop of Water" ("Suiteki"). (Also translated as "Droplets" by Michael Molasky, appearing in the collection of translated stories and poems from Japanese into English titled Southern Exposure: Modern Japanese literature from Okinawa.) In 2000, his short story "Mabuigumi" ("Spirit Stuffing," 1998) won the prestigious Kawabata Yasunari and Kiyama Shōhei literary prizes. Medoruma also wrote the screenplay for the film Fūon: The Crying Wind, which received the Montreal Film Festival Innovation Prize in 2004, and published a novel based on the screenplay the same year. His critically acclaimed novel In the Woods of Memory (眼の奥の森, Me no oku no mori; translated by Kasumi Sminkey) is the first full-length novel by an Okinawan writer to be translated and published in English.
Katsuo Tokashiki (渡嘉敷 勝男, born July 27, 1960, in Okinawa, Japan) is a Japanese former WBA Light flyweight champion. He…
Katsuo Tokashiki (渡嘉敷 勝男, born July 27, 1960, in Okinawa, Japan) is a Japanese former WBA Light flyweight champion. He currently works as an actor and television persona, and runs his own boxing gym in Tokyo, Japan.
Tadashi Tomori (友利 正, Tomori Tadashi; born December 28, 1959) is a retired Japanese boxer who is a former WBC junior…
Tadashi Tomori (友利 正, Tomori Tadashi; born December 28, 1959) is a retired Japanese boxer who is a former WBC junior flyweight champion.
Denny Tamaki (玉城 デニー, Tamaki Denī; born 13 October 1959) is a Japanese politician who served as the Governor of Okinawa…
Denny Tamaki (玉城 デニー, Tamaki Denī; born 13 October 1959) is a Japanese politician who served as the Governor of Okinawa Prefecture from 2018 to 2026. Tamaki was a member of the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly for Okinawa City from 2002 to 2005 and became the first Amerasian member of the Japanese House of Representatives as the representative for Okinawa Prefecture's 3rd district from 2009 to 2012 and 2014 to 2018. Tamaki was elected governor as an independent in the 2018 Okinawa gubernatorial election following the untimely death of Governor Takeshi Onaga. He was re-elected again in 2022. He was defeated for re-election in 2026.
🏫 Maehara High School📅 Born October 13🎂 Born 1959📍 From 与那城村, Okinawa Prefecture💼 Politician・Legislator💼 TV Personality
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Jon Kabira (ジョン・カビラ), born Jion Kabira (川平 慈温, Kabira Jion; November 1, 1958 in Naha, Okinawa, Japan), is a Japanese…
Jon Kabira (ジョン・カビラ), born Jion Kabira (川平 慈温, Kabira Jion; November 1, 1958 in Naha, Okinawa, Japan), is a Japanese freelance presenter, tarento, radio personality, narrator who is affiliated with Sony Music Artists. He is very popular in Japan having participated in various TV commercials, TV shows, among other Audio-visual-related activities. Kabira is well known in the West due to his narration in the eFootball video game series. He comments alongside former ex-Japanese footballers Tsuyoshi Kitazawa and Hiroshi Nanami, in the past games he also comments alongside other ex-Japanese players like Yasutaro Matsuki, Kozo Tashima, Hiroshi Hayano and Tetsuo Nakanishi. Kabira is the son of Chosei Kabira (川平朝清), an Okinawan broadcaster who later served as a senior executive of NHK and Showa Women's University, and his wife Wandalee, a Kansas native who worked as a teacher at the American School in Japan. His younger brother Jay Kabira (川平 慈英, Kabira Jiei) is also active as a media personality.
Tatsuya Maeda (前田 達也, Maeda Tatsuya; was born 22 August 1958 in Naha, Okinawa, USCAR) is a Japanese musician and singer…
Tatsuya Maeda (前田 達也, Maeda Tatsuya; was born 22 August 1958 in Naha, Okinawa, USCAR) is a Japanese musician and singer from Japan. Maeda is best known as the singer and guitarist of the theme songs of Ultraman Dyna and Blue SWAT.
🎓 Kyoto Sangyo University🏫 大阪府立島本高等学校📅 Born August 22🎂 Born 1958📍 From Naha, Okinawa Prefecture💼 Singer・Vocalist💼 Composer💼 Guitarist
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Mayumi Horikawa (堀川 まゆみ, Horikawa Mayumi) is a Japanese model and singer-songwriter born on 2 May 1958 in Okinawa…
Mayumi Horikawa (堀川 まゆみ, Horikawa Mayumi) is a Japanese model and singer-songwriter born on 2 May 1958 in Okinawa Prefecture. Horikawa was selected as the fourth Clarion Girl in 1978, and debuted as a singer that same year under producer Masataka Matsutōya. Horikawa has written and composed songs for popular artists including Miki Imai, Jun'ichi Inagaki, Yukiko Okada, Kyōko Koizumi, Yuki Saito, Noriko Sakai, Miho Nakayama, Yū Hayami, Chiemi Hori, Saori Yagi, and Marina Watanabe.
Kiichiro Jahana (謝花 喜一郎, Jahana Kiichiro; born 1957) is a Japanese politician. He was the vice governor of Okinawa…
Kiichiro Jahana (謝花 喜一郎, Jahana Kiichiro; born 1957) is a Japanese politician. He was the vice governor of Okinawa Prefecture and took over the interim governorship for a few days.
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Sachio Kuwae (Japanese: 桑江朝千夫 Kuwae Sachio; 11 January 1956 – 9 December 2024) was a Japanese politician. An…
Sachio Kuwae (Japanese: 桑江朝千夫 Kuwae Sachio; 11 January 1956 – 9 December 2024) was a Japanese politician. An independent, he served in the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly from 2008 to 2014 and was mayor of Okinawa from 2014 to 2024. Kuwae died of complications from myelodysplastic syndrome in Kagoshima Prefecture, on 9 December 2024, at the age of 68.
🎓 Nihon University🏫 Naha High School📅 Born January 11🎂 Born 1956📍 From Okinawa Prefecture💼 Politician・Legislator
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Katsuyoshi Tomori (友利 勝良, Tomori Katsuyoshi; born 25 October 1954) is a Japanese professional golfer.
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Kiyoshi Arakaki (新垣 清, Arakaki Kiyoshi; October 17, 1954) is a karate practitioner, historian, novelist, and the…
Kiyoshi Arakaki (新垣 清, Arakaki Kiyoshi; October 17, 1954) is a karate practitioner, historian, novelist, and the founder of Okinawa Karate-Do Muso-Kai.
🏫 Naha High School📅 Born October 17🎂 Born 1954📍 From Naha, Okinawa Prefecture💼 Karate Practitioner💼 Writer・Novelist
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Kosaburo Nishime (西銘 恒三郎, Nishime Kōsaburō; born 7 August 1954), is a Japanese politician who has served in the House…
Kosaburo Nishime (西銘 恒三郎, Nishime Kōsaburō; born 7 August 1954), is a Japanese politician who has served in the House of Representatives representing Okinawa since 2012. He is a member of the Liberal Democratic Party.
Tetsumi Takara (高良 鉄美, Takara Tetsumi; born January 15, 1954) is a Japanese politician currently serving as a member of…
Tetsumi Takara (高良 鉄美, Takara Tetsumi; born January 15, 1954) is a Japanese politician currently serving as a member of the National Diet in the House of Councillors. He was elected on July 27, 2019, representing the Okinawa at-large district which encompasses the entirety of Okinawa Prefecture.
🎓 University of the Ryukyus🏫 Naha High School📅 Born January 15🎂 Born 1954📍 From 琉球政府那覇市, Okinawa Prefecture💼 Scholar・Professor・Associate Professor💼 Politician・Legislator
🌐 Wikipedia in other languages:Japanese (ja) ↗
Masanobu Kikukawa (喜久川 政信) is a Japanese martial artist and chairman of the Shorin-ryu Shinkokai style of Okinawan…
Masanobu Kikukawa (喜久川 政信) is a Japanese martial artist and chairman of the Shorin-ryu Shinkokai style of Okinawan Karate. Kikukawa was a longtime student of Sokuichi Gibu-hanshi (or "Grand Master Sokuichi Gibu") and Seiki Toma-hanshi. After withdrawal from Gibu's association in 1985, Kikukawa co-founded the Shinkokai association along with colleague Tatsunori Azuma in 1985. In the early 1990s, Kikukawa emigrated to Victoria, British Columbia where he founded the Canadian division of the Shinkokai association, while Tatunori Azuma(東辰徳 1952~2012) continued representing the organization in Okinawa. Kikukawa opened an acupuncture clinic in Surrey; he works with a group of family practitioners in Victoria.
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Naka Bokunen (名嘉 睦稔; born 1953) is an artist from Okinawa, Japan, famous for his brightly coloured prints of Okinawan…
Naka Bokunen (名嘉 睦稔; born 1953) is an artist from Okinawa, Japan, famous for his brightly coloured prints of Okinawan landscapes. Many of these prints are of, or inspired by, the island of Izena in the north of Okinawa, where he was born. Naka Bokunen has been involved in collaborations with, among others, the novelist Banana Yoshimoto and the biologist James Lovelock.
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Yōichi Iha (伊波 洋一, Iha Yōichi; born 4 January 1952) is a Japanese politician. He has represented the Okinawa at-large…
Yōichi Iha (伊波 洋一, Iha Yōichi; born 4 January 1952) is a Japanese politician. He has represented the Okinawa at-large district in the Japanese House of Councillors since 2016. He also served two terms as the mayor of Ginowan, Okinawa.
Mikiko Shiroma (城間 幹子, Shiroma Mikiko; born 20 January 1951) is a Ryukyuan politician and former mayor of Naha, the…
Mikiko Shiroma (城間 幹子, Shiroma Mikiko; born 20 January 1951) is a Ryukyuan politician and former mayor of Naha, the capital city of Okinawa Prefecture.
Yasutsune Uehara (上原 康恒, Uehara Yasutsune; born October 12, 1949 in Okinawa, Japan) is a former professional boxer and…
Yasutsune Uehara (上原 康恒, Uehara Yasutsune; born October 12, 1949 in Okinawa, Japan) is a former professional boxer and former WBA and lineal super featherweight champion. He is one of the few Japanese boxers to have won the world title fighting outside Japan.
Takeshi Onaga (翁長 雄志, Onaga Takeshi) (2 October 1950 – 8 August 2018) was a Japanese politician and the seventh…
Takeshi Onaga (翁長 雄志, Onaga Takeshi) (2 October 1950 – 8 August 2018) was a Japanese politician and the seventh Governor of Okinawa Prefecture from 2014 to 2018. Onaga served as a member of the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly from 1992 to 1996 and four terms as mayor of Naha, the capital and largest city of Okinawa Prefecture, from 2000 to 2014 before being elected governor as an independent. Onaga's governorship was characterized by his opposition to the U.S. military presence in Okinawa. Onaga died in office aged 67 from illness in August 2018 and was succeeded by Okinawa 3rd district representative Denny Tamaki.
🎓 Hosei University🏫 Naha High School📅 Born October 2🎂 Born 1950📍 From 真和志村, Okinawa Prefecture💼 Politician・Legislator
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Fumiaki Matsumoto (松本 文明, Matsumoto Fumiaki; born 25 March 1949) is a former Japanese politician of the Liberal…
Fumiaki Matsumoto (松本 文明, Matsumoto Fumiaki; born 25 March 1949) is a former Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, who served as and a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). Matsumoto served as a vice minister for the Cabinet Office between August 2017 and January 2018. He resigned from his post after being recorded in the Diet mocking the gravity of US military helicopter accidents in Okinawa.
Toshihiro Oshiro (大城 利弘, Oshiro Toshihiro; born May 1, 1949) is a martial arts master and instructor from Haneji, Nago…
Toshihiro Oshiro (大城 利弘, Oshiro Toshihiro; born May 1, 1949) is a martial arts master and instructor from Haneji, Nago city, Okinawa prefecture, Japan.
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Susumu Satomi (里見 進, Satomi Susumu; born 18 June 1948) is a Japanese surgeon and academic administrator. He was the…
Susumu Satomi (里見 進, Satomi Susumu; born 18 June 1948) is a Japanese surgeon and academic administrator. He was the 21st president of Tohoku University and the president of the Japan Association of National Universities. Satomi previously served as the director of the Tohoku University Hospital, and the vice president of Tohoku University. He was the president of the Japan Surgical Society from 2008-2012.
Shoukichi Kina (喜納昌吉, Kina Shōkichi; born June 10, 1948 in Koza, Okinawa), is a Japanese rock musician and politician.…
Shoukichi Kina (喜納昌吉, Kina Shōkichi; born June 10, 1948 in Koza, Okinawa), is a Japanese rock musician and politician. He, along with his band Champloose, played a large role in the Okinawan home-grown "folk rock" scene in the 1970s and 1980s. His first big hit was "Haisai Ojisan" ("Hey, old man") in 1972, which he wrote when he was in high school. A Song from the 1980 album Blood Lines, "Hana" also named "Subete no Hito no Kokoro ni Hana o", is frequently heard in international markets. He was elected a member of the House of Councillors in July 2004. In 2010 he ran for a second term but lost.
Keiko Itokazu (糸数 慶子, Itokazu Keiko; born October 11, 1947) is a Japanese politician, an independent and member of the…
Keiko Itokazu (糸数 慶子, Itokazu Keiko; born October 11, 1947) is a Japanese politician, an independent and member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Yomitan, Okinawa and high school graduate, she served in the assembly of Okinawa Prefecture for three terms, starting in 1992, and was elected to the House of Councillors for the first time in 2004. After running unsuccessfully for governorship of Okinawa Prefecture in 2006, she was re-elected to the House of Councillors in 2007. Itokazu is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Shin'ichirō Tawata (Japanese: 多和田 眞一郎, Tawata Shin'ichirō, 1947 – 15 May 2026) was a Japanese linguist who specialised…
Shin'ichirō Tawata (Japanese: 多和田 眞一郎, Tawata Shin'ichirō, 1947 – 15 May 2026) was a Japanese linguist who specialised in Japanese linguistics and historical linguistics. He was a professor emeritus at Hiroshima University.
🎓 Shizuoka University🎂 Born 1947📍 From Ginowan, Okinawa💼 Linguist💼 Scholar・Professor・Associate Professor
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Mitsuo Matayoshi (又吉 光雄, Matayoshi Mitsuo; February 5, 1944 – July 20, 2018), also known as Jesus Matayoshi (又吉 イエス…
Mitsuo Matayoshi (又吉 光雄, Matayoshi Mitsuo; February 5, 1944 – July 20, 2018), also known as Jesus Matayoshi (又吉 イエス, Matayoshi Iesu) or The Only God Matayoshi Jesus Christ (唯一神又吉光雄・イエス・キリスト, Yui'itsu-shin Matayoshi Mitsuo Iesu Kirisuto), was a Japanese political activist and perennial candidate. He was the leader and founder of the World Economic Community Party (Sekai Keizai Kyōdōtai-tō (世界経済共同体党)). He was born in Ginowan, Okinawa on February 5, 1944. After graduating from Chuo University in Tokyo in 1968, he moved back to Okinawa and ran a juku, a private school. Matayoshi was trained as a Protestant preacher, and through his religious studies developed a particular concept of Christianity strongly influenced by eschatology. In 1997, he established the World Economic Community Party, a political party based on his conviction that he was God. His concept was both religious and political, a mix of Christian eschatology like Augustine's De civitate Dei ("City of God") and conservative collectivism. He died from kidney cancer on 20 July 2018 in Tokyo, aged 74.
🎓 Chuo University🏫 Futenma High School📅 Born February 5🎂 Born 1944📍 From Okinawa Prefecture💼 Activist💼 Religious Figure💼 Educator
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Kosei Gushiken (具志堅 興清, Gushiken Kōsei; born 10 June 1942) is a Japanese former triple jumper who competed in the 1972…
Kosei Gushiken (具志堅 興清, Gushiken Kōsei; born 10 June 1942) is a Japanese former triple jumper who competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics.
Chiken Kakazu (Japanese: 嘉数 知賢, Hepburn: Kakazu Chiken; 1 June 1941 – 15 October 2024) was a Japanese politician of the…
Chiken Kakazu (Japanese: 嘉数 知賢, Hepburn: Kakazu Chiken; 1 June 1941 – 15 October 2024) 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 Nago, Okinawa and graduate of Waseda University, he served in the assembly of Okinawa Prefecture for five terms beginning in 1980. He was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 1996. He lost his seat to Denny Tamaki in the 2009 general election. Kakazu died from bile duct cancer on 15 October 2024, at the age of 83.
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Bun'yō Ishikawa (石川 文洋, Ishikawa Bun'yō; March 10, 1938 – August 23, 2026) was a Japanese photographer. Ishikawa was…
Bun'yō Ishikawa (石川 文洋, Ishikawa Bun'yō; March 10, 1938 – August 23, 2026) was a Japanese photographer. Ishikawa was stationed in Saigon and covered the Vietnam War as a photojournalist from 1964 to 1968. He worked as a staff photographer for Asahi Shimbun from 1969 to 1984. After 1984 he worked as a freelance photographer. After 1984, Ishikawa continued to photograph in conflict zones around the world but also is known for photographs of daily life, portraits, and Ryukyu Dance. In 1998, Ishikawa donated about 250 photographs with a focus on the Vietnam War to become part of a permanent exhibition at the Vietnam War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City. Ishikawa donated about 270 photographs to the Okinawa City "Material Culture after World War II" exhibition room to become a permanent exhibition. Ishikawa died from lymphoma in Nagano Prefecture on August 23, 2026, at the age of 88.
Yasuo Higa (比嘉 康雄, Higa Yasuo; 1938-2000) was an Okinawan photographer, ethnologist and anthropologist. He served ten…
Yasuo Higa (比嘉 康雄, Higa Yasuo; 1938-2000) was an Okinawan photographer, ethnologist and anthropologist. He served ten years as a police officer near a US military base before becoming a photographer, with much of his early work centered on life in postwar Okinawa. Higa is most known for his research on ancient rituals and shamanesses from the Ryukyu Islands, mainland Japan, and Asia, conducted over the span of nearly 40 years. Through his photographs and extensive notes, Higa has preserved critical documentation on maternal rituals that have been effectively rendered extinct in areas such as Kudaka and Miyakojima. From the 1990s onwards, Higa was also active as an educator of folklore studies, having served as an affiliate lecturer at Meiji Gakuin University and the Research Institute of Okinawa Prefectural University of Arts, and as a panelist at numerous symposiums.
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Toshinobu Nakasato (仲里 利信, Nakasato Toshinobu; born 16 March 1937) is a former Japanese politician who served as a…
Toshinobu Nakasato (仲里 利信, Nakasato Toshinobu; born 16 March 1937) is a former Japanese politician who served as a member of the House of Representatives representing Okinawa 4th district (southern Okinawa Island and the Sakishima Islands). Before he entered national politics, Nakasato was a member of the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly for 16 years. He served as the Speaker of the Assembly from 2006 until his retirement from prefectural politics in 2008. He is opposed against the construction of a US base in Yonaguni and the relocation of the Futenma air base within Okinawa Prefecture.
Keiichi Inamine (稲嶺 惠一, Inamine Keiichi; born 14 October 1933) is a Japanese politician who served as the fifth…
Keiichi Inamine (稲嶺 惠一, Inamine Keiichi; born 14 October 1933) is a Japanese politician who served as the fifth Governor of Okinawa from 1998 until 2006. He studied at, and graduated from, Keio University.
Seiji Nakamura (仲村 正治, Nakamura Seiji; 6 September 1931 – 15 November 2018) was a Japanese politician who served in the…
Seiji Nakamura (仲村 正治, Nakamura Seiji; 6 September 1931 – 15 November 2018) was a Japanese politician who served in the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature) as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party.
Tomi Taira (平良 とみ, Taira Tomi; 5 November 1928 – 6 December 2015) was a Japanese actress with a long history of…
Tomi Taira (平良 とみ, Taira Tomi; 5 November 1928 – 6 December 2015) was a Japanese actress with a long history of performing in Okinawan theatre. She was mainly active as an actress, narrator, dialect coach and in other capacities in shows and films taking place in Okinawa and in projects otherwise representing the region, as well as working more directly and officially with the Okinawa Tourist Bureau in promoting the island prefecture. Acting both on stage and in films for many years, her first notable role in films was that of the title role of Nabbie, the grandmother in the 1999 film Nabbie no koi.
Soko Shimabuku (Japanese: 島袋 宗康 Shimabuku Sōkō; 5 October 1926 – 9 December 2022) was a Japanese politician. A member…
Soko Shimabuku (Japanese: 島袋 宗康 Shimabuku Sōkō; 5 October 1926 – 9 December 2022) was a Japanese politician. A member of the Okinawa Social Mass Party, he served in the House of Councillors from 1992 to 2004. Shimabuku died on 9 December 2022, at the age of 96.
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Tatsuhiro Ōshiro (大城 立裕, Ōshiro Tatsuhiro; 19 September 1925 – 27 October 2020) was an Okinawan novelist and playwright…
Tatsuhiro Ōshiro (大城 立裕, Ōshiro Tatsuhiro; 19 September 1925 – 27 October 2020) was an Okinawan novelist and playwright from Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands. He was awarded the Akutagawa Prize in 1967 for his novella of the same year, The Cocktail Party, which has been adapted for the stage and made into a film. Ōshiro has also been an innovator of the traditional Ryukyuan narrative dance form known as kumi odori. Having added twenty new pieces to the repertoire, Ōshiro is credited as having "single-handedly revived the genre that originated in the 18th century" by incorporating Okinawa shibai (dramas in the Okinawan language) and distinctive rhythms to construct a fluid, hybrid cultural identity. His writings have been noted for making Okinawan culture and history accessible to Japanese readership, while his more popular works have been critically praised for "offering an acute perspective on the psychological and moral implications of war and military occupation."
Masahide Ōta (大田 昌秀, Ōta Masahide; 12 June 1925 – 12 June 2017) was a Japanese academic and politician who served as…
Masahide Ōta (大田 昌秀, Ōta Masahide; 12 June 1925 – 12 June 2017) was a Japanese academic and politician who served as the governor of Okinawa Prefecture from 1990 until 1998. After starting his career as a professor at the University of the Ryūkyūs, he wrote books in English and Japanese, mostly about the Battle of Okinawa and Japan–United States bilateral relations following World War II. After his retirement as professor he was elected as governor and was best known for his strong stand against occupation of prefectural lands by military bases of United States, going against the Japanese central government at the time.
Junji Nishime (西銘 順治, Nishime Junji; 5 November 1921 – 10 November 2001) was a Japanese politician who served as the…
Junji Nishime (西銘 順治, Nishime Junji; 5 November 1921 – 10 November 2001) was a Japanese politician who served as the 4th Governor of Okinawa from 1978 until 1990 and mayor of Naha, the capital of Okinawa. He studied and graduated at the University of Tokyo. His son is Kosaburo Nishime a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet.
Seikichi Toguchi (渡口 政吉, Toguchi Seikichi; May 20, 1917 in Naha City, Okinawa, Japan – August 31, 1998 in Tokyo) was…
Seikichi Toguchi (渡口 政吉, Toguchi Seikichi; May 20, 1917 in Naha City, Okinawa, Japan – August 31, 1998 in Tokyo) was the founder of Shorei-kan karate.
Seiji Shimota (霜多正次, Shimota Seiji; September 5, 1913 – April 16, 2003) was a Japanese novelist. Born in Nakijin…
Seiji Shimota (霜多正次, Shimota Seiji; September 5, 1913 – April 16, 2003) was a Japanese novelist. Born in Nakijin, Okinawa, he attended local elementary and middle schools, but continued his high school education in Kumamoto, where he began writing novels and studied with Haruo Umezaki. He graduated from the School of English Literature, Literature Department of Tokyo Imperial University. In 1940, he was conscripted and sent to Bougainville Island. Towards the end of the war, in May 1945, he surrendered to Australian forces and was sent to a POW camp. After being released, he did not return to Okinawa (which at the time was occupied by the Americans), but went to Tokyo instead, where he wrote novels while working in the offices of Shin Nihon Bungakukai ("New Japan Literature Society"), a leftist writers' association. In 1950, he published Kiyama ittō-hei to senkyōshi ("Private Kiyama and the Missionary") in the magazine "Shin Nihon Bungaku" and established himself as a writer. In 1953, he returned for a visit for the first time after the war to Okinawa, and started using Okinawan themes in his writings. For the novel Okinawashima, which was published in installments in Shin Nihon Bungaku ("New Japanese Literature") in 1956, he was awarded the "Mainichi Publications Literary Award". In 1957, with fellow writers Tatsukichi Nishino, Kim Tal-su and Sei Kubota, he started the Riarizumu Kenkyukai ("Realism Research Association"). He was expelled from the New Japan Literature Society after relations between him and Teruo Takei, the de facto leader of the Society, were soured by ideological differences. At a conference in 1964, Shimota disagreed with other executives of the Society on numerous issues, such as in regard to the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, in which he took the Japanese Communist Party's position on the issue. When the Nippon minshushugi bungaku domei ("Japanese Democratic Literary Alliance") was established in 1965, he was named vice-chairman. In 1971, he was awarded the Takiji-Yuriko Award for Akemodoro. He died of pneumonia in Musashino, Tokyo, on April 16, 2003.
🎓 Tokyo Imperial University🏫 Shuri High School📅 Born September 5🎂 Born 1913📍 From Okinawa Prefecture💼 Writer・Novelist
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Tatsuo Shimabuku (島袋 龍夫, Shimabuku Tatsuo; September 19, 1908 – May 30, 1975) was an Okinawan, Japanese martial artist.…
Tatsuo Shimabuku (島袋 龍夫, Shimabuku Tatsuo; September 19, 1908 – May 30, 1975) was an Okinawan, Japanese martial artist. He is the founder of Isshin-ryū ("One Heart Style/One Heart Way") style of karate.
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Kanki Izumigawa (泉川 寛喜, Izumigawa Kanki; 1908 – 1967) was a karate master who learned Goju-Ryu from Seiko Higa on…
Kanki Izumigawa (泉川 寛喜, Izumigawa Kanki; 1908 – 1967) was a karate master who learned Goju-Ryu from Seiko Higa on Okinawa and Saipan. Higa had studied under Kanryo Higashionna (of Naha-Te) and trained with Chojun Miyagi (the founder of Goju-Ryu). In his youth Izumigawa also studied karate under Juhatsu Kyoda, who was himself a senior student of Kanryo Higashionna. Izumigawa was born in Okinawa to a samurai family and was the founder of the Senbukan Dojo, which had its headquarters in Kawasaki City and branches in Tokyo, Osaka, Ota, Yokoyama, Nagoya and even Hawaii. The Senbukan dojo was established in 1939 and was the first dojo of Okinawan Goju-Ryu on mainland Japan. Today, It's currently the oldest Goju-Ryu dojo in the world. Kanki Izumigawa was the first student of Seiko Higa to receive the bubishi from him in 1937. Before dan rank and titles the bubishi was used as a sort of menkyo kaiden in Goju-Ryu. This tradition is still carried on by some instructors from Izumigawa's lineage. In 1942 Kanki Izumigawa was presented with the coveted title of Renshi from the prestigious Dai Nippon Butokai. He would later be promoted to Hanshi in 1957. Kanki Izumikawa was instrumental in the establishment of the Nihon Karate do Rengokai. Several of his senior students held positions in the organisation such as Tsutomu Takato and Sosui Ichikawa. In both 1961 and 1964 he travelled to Hawaii to instruct at the branch dojo founded by Kenneth Murakami and George Miyasaki. These two men trained with Izumigawa at the Senbukan honbu in Kawasaki during the 1950s while they were stationed in Japan. Upon their return to Hawaii they opened a Senbukan branch dojo which continues to this day. In 1961 Izumigawa was accompanied by Ryoichi Yanase (4th dan). In 1964 He brought both Yanase (now 5th dan) and Busen Arakawa (6th dan) to act as his assistants while teaching at the Hawaii dojo. Kanki Izumigawa was also a shihan of Ryukyu Kobudo, in addition to Goju Ryu and was listed in Shinken Taira's Ryukyo Kobudo Encyclopedia as an advisor. Kanki Izumigawa died in 1967 at the age of 59. His oldest son Kanbun Izumigawa carried on his School in Japan as the second soke of the Senbukan. Seiichi Akamine helped him to spread Goju-Ryu and Seiko Higa tradition in mainland Japan, travel to South-America to spread Karate-do and founded the Ken-Shin-Kan school. Kanki Izumigawa's senior students included Busen Arakawa (Rinbukan), Sosui Ichikawa (Sosuikan), Tsutomu Takato (Ota Senbukan Branch Chief), Hyotaro Harada (Seishin Juku), Kenneth Murakami (Hawaii Senbukan), Keisetsu Yoshimaru, Satoru Suzuki, Kazunari Sekishiro and Ryoichi Yanase. Ultimately the main senior students that taught and preserved Izumigawa's teachings in Japan were Busen Arakawa and Sosui Ichikawa. After Kanbun Izumigawa died in 1982, the dojo was inherited by the second son Katsuya Izumigawa (the 3rd soke) who continues to head the dojo and organisation today. In 2016 the organisation was officially renamed to the International Karate Do Goju Ryu Senbukai by Katsuya Izumigawa.
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Shōshin Nagamine (長嶺 将真, Nagamine Shōshin; 15 July 1907 – 2 November 1997) was an Okinawa karate master as well as a…
Shōshin Nagamine (長嶺 将真, Nagamine Shōshin; 15 July 1907 – 2 November 1997) was an Okinawa karate master as well as a soldier, police superintendent, assemblyman of Naha City between 1953 and 1957, play director and author.
🏫 Naha Commercial High School📅 Born July 15🎂 Born 1907📍 From 那覇市泊村, Okinawa Prefecture💼 Karate Practitioner💼 Civil Servant
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Kamejiro Senaga (Japanese: 瀬長 亀次郎, Hepburn: Senaga Kamejirō; 10 June 1907 – 5 October 2001) was a politician…
Kamejiro Senaga (Japanese: 瀬長 亀次郎, Hepburn: Senaga Kamejirō; 10 June 1907 – 5 October 2001) was a politician, journalist, also Mayor of Naha city. Senaga was an outspoken critic of American oppression on Okinawa and was imprisoned by American military authorities for sheltering Communists. He was a mayor in Naha and a prominent political figure during the American occupation of Okinawa. However, he was removed when military authorities arbitrarily changed Okinawan election ordinances. Senaga was a strong advocate for the reversion of Okinawa, which was initially opposed by the American military. Later, he served as a representative of the Japanese Communist Party in the Diet, in the House of Representatives, before retiring from politics in 1990.