63 Notable alumni of
Hitotsubashi University
Updated:
Hitotsubashi University is 134th in the world, 23rd in Asia, and 14th in Japan by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 63 notable alumni from Hitotsubashi University sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff.
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Hiroshi Mikitani
- Occupations
- entrepreneur
- Biography
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Hiroshi Mikitani is a Japanese billionaire business magnate and writer. He is the founder and CEO of Rakuten, Inc. He is also the president of Crimson Group, chairman of the football club Vissel Kobe, chairman of Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, and a board member of Lyft.
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Heizō Takenaka
- Occupations
- businesspersonpoliticianeconomist
- Biography
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Heizō Takenaka is a Japanese economist, retired politician, and political activist last serving as Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications and Minister of State for Privatization of the Postal Services in the cabinet of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. As of July 2007, he is a professor at Keio University and an advisor for other academic institutions and companies. Takenaka serves on the Board of Trustees of the World Economic Forum.
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Takashi Kawamura
- Occupations
- politicianmayor
- Biography
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Takashi Kawamura is a Japanese politician who has served as a member of the House of Representatives representing Aichi 1st since October 2024, a position he had previously held from 1993 to 2009. Prior to this, he served as the 35th mayor of Nagoya from 2009 to 2024. Kawamura is the current Deputy Leader of the far-right Conservative Party of Japan, as well as the founder and leader of the Nagoya-based regional party Genzei Nippon.
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Masabumi Hosono
- Occupations
- explorer
- Biography
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Masabumi Hosono was a Japanese civil servant. He survived the sinking of the Titanic on 15 April 1912 but found himself condemned and ostracized by the Japanese public, press, and government because of a misconception that he decided to save himself rather than go down with the ship. Hosono's grandson is Haruomi Hosono, leading member of the Japanese band Yellow Magic Orchestra.
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Kafū Nagai
- Occupations
- university teacherdiaristwriternovelist
- Biography
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Kafū Nagai was a Japanese writer, editor and translator. His works like Geisha in Rivalry and A Strange Tale from East of the River are noted for their depictions of life of the demimonde in early 20th-century Tokyo.
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Yukio Okamoto
- Occupations
- adviserboard membercriticSpecial Advisor to the Prime Ministerprofessor
- Biography
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Yukio Okamoto was a Japanese diplomat, diplomatic analyst, and proponent of strong economic and political Japan–United States relations. Okamoto guided Japanese and American diplomatic relations throughout the 1980s, during an era when both countries simultaneously competed for economic influence on the global stage. He served as a diplomatic advisor and analyst for several Japanese prime ministers, including Ryutaro Hashimoto from 1996 to 1998 and Junichiro Koizumi from 2003 until 2004.
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Katsutoshi Kaneda
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Katsutoshi Kaneda is a Japanese politician who served as the Minister of Justice from 2016 to 2017. He studied at and graduated from Hitotsubashi University.
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Futabatei Shimei
- Occupations
- translatornovelistwriterjournalistEsperantist
- Biography
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Futabatei Shimei was a Japanese writer, translator, and literary critic. His writings are in the realist style popular in the mid to late 19th century. His work The Drifting Cloud (Ukigumo, 1887) is widely regarded as Japan's first modern novel.
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Harumi Takahashi
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Harumi Takahashi is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party and currently a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature). She served as governor of the prefecture of Hokkaido for four terms from 2003 to 2019. She graduated from Hitotsubashi University with a Bachelor of Economics degree in 1976. She started her career as a bureaucrat in the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and quit in 2003. She was elected in April 2003, becoming the first female governor of Hokkaido and the fourth female governor in Japanese history.
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Hiroshi Okuda
- Occupations
- businessperson
- Biography
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Hiroshi Okuda is a Japanese businessman who served as president of the Toyota Motor Corporation from 1995 to 1999 and as its chairman from 1999 to 2006.
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Michio Watanabe
- Occupations
- tax advisorpoliticianjournalistdiplomat
- Biography
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Michio Watanabe was a Japanese political figure. He was born in Ōtawara, Tochigi and graduated from the Tokyo College of Commerce (now Hitotsubashi University) in 1942. He worked as a reporter for the Yomiuri Shimbun, a certified tax accountant, and a member of Tochigi prefectural assembly before serving as a member of House of Representatives of Japan.
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Riko Muranaka
- Occupations
- physicianjournalistuniversity teacher
- Biography
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Riko Muranaka is a medical doctor, journalist and recipient of the 2017 John Maddox Prize for fighting to reduce cervical cancer and countering misinformation about the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine dominating the Japanese media, despite facing safety threats. Despite the lack of evidence, the HPV vaccine is infamous in Japan due to misattributed adverse effects, with government suspending promotion and coverage. While the World Health Organization (WHO) safety and efficacy information about the vaccine is consistent with Muranaka's reporting, a court ruled against Muranaka in an unrelated slander lawsuit in 2016 for claims of alleged fabrication. Under threat of legal harassment by antivaccine activists, publishers declined some of her works including a book on the HPV vaccine (ultimately, Heibonsha accepted the book for publication).
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Taizo Mikazuki
- Occupations
- trade unionistpolitician
- Biography
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Taizo Mikazuki is a Japanese politician and the current governor of Shiga Prefecture, having been elected to the position in July 2014. He previously served in the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature) as a member of the Democratic Party of Japan.
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Saburō Shiroyama
- Occupations
- kamikazenovelist
- Biography
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Saburō Shiroyama was a Japanese novelist.
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Fusanosuke Kuhara
- Occupations
- businesspersonpolitician
- Biography
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Fusanosuke Kuhara was an entrepreneur, politician and cabinet minister in the pre-war Empire of Japan.
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Saburō Kurusu
- Occupations
- consuldiplomatconsul general
- Biography
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Saburō Kurusu was a Japanese career diplomat. He is remembered now as an envoy who tried to negotiate peace and understanding with the United States while the Japanese government under Emperor Shōwa was secretly preparing the attack on Pearl Harbor.
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Koji Omi
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Kōji Omi was a Japanese politician most notable for serving as Minister of Finance in the first Cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
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Masatsugu Nagato
- Occupations
- businessperson
- Biography
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Masatsugu Nagato is a Japanese businessman, the president and CEO of Japan Post Holdings since April 2016, when he succeeded Taizo Nishimuro, following his hospitalization, having previously been president and CEO of Japan Post Bank.
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Rizaburō Toyoda
- Occupations
- entrepreneurindustrialist
- Biography
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Risaburo Toyoda was a Japanese entrepreneur. He was the son-in-law of Toyota Industries Co., Ltd founder Sakichi Toyoda, and brother-in-law of Toyota Motor Corporation founder, Kiichiro Toyoda (豊田 喜一郎, Toyoda Kiichirō, June 11, 1894 – March 27, 1952) His original surname was Kodama (児玉).
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Kenkichi Ueda
- Occupations
- military personnel
- Biography
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Kenkichi Ueda was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War. He played an active role in the Soviet-Japanese Border Wars of the late 1930s.
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Ken Ishii
- Occupations
- composerrecord producerdisc jockey
- Biography
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Ken Ishii is a Japanese DJ and record producer from Sapporo. He graduated from Hitotsubashi University. He has released work under his own name as well as under the pseudonyms FLR, Flare, UTU, Yoga, and Rising Sun.
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Hachiro Nitta
- Years
- 1958-.. (age 67)
- Occupations
- businesspersonpoliticianbanker
- Biography
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Hachiro Nitta is a Japanese politician who serves as governor of Toyama Prefecture since 2020.
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Toshikazu Kase
- Occupations
- diplomatwriter
- Biography
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Toshikazu Kase was a Japanese civil servant and career diplomat. During World War II he was a high-ranking Foreign Ministry official. Hideaki Kase is his son and Yoko Ono is his niece.
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Saburō Tokura
- Years
- 1954-.. (age 71)
- Occupations
- judge
- Biography
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Saburo Tokura is a Japanese jurist who served as the 20th Chief Justice of Japan from 2022 to 2024, having previously served as an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court of Japan from 2017 to 2022.
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Yoshinori Suematsu
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Yoshinori Suematsu is a Japanese politician of the Constitutional Democratic Party, who serves as a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature).
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Masaru Hayami
- Occupations
- businessperson
- Biography
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Masaru Hayami was a Japanese businessman, central banker, the 28th Governor of the Bank of Japan (BOJ) and a Director of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS).
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Shinzō Ōya
- Occupations
- businesspersonpolitician
- Biography
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Shinzō Ōya was an entrepreneur and politician, who served as Minister of Commerce and Industry in post-war Japan.
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Hiroko Ōta
- Occupations
- politicianuniversity teachereconomist
- Biography
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Hiroko Ōta is a Japanese politician, national university president and a researcher of economics. Her academic specialties are national public finance and economic policy. She is a noted lecturer of public finance and is a senior professor at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) in Tokyo.
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Feng Zhenghu
- Occupations
- economisthuman rights activist
- Biography
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Feng Zhenghu is a Chinese economist and scholar based in Shanghai. Citing Amnesty International, The Guardian said that Feng was "a prominent human rights defender" in mainland China. In 2001 he was sent to prison for three years ostensibly for "illegal business activity". He was released in 2004 and has since written critical pieces highlighting alleged malpractice by local governments and forced evictions.
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Mitsujirō Ishii
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Mitsujirō Ishii was a Japanese politician who served as Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1967 to 1969. A member of the House of Representatives from 1946 to 1947 and 1952 to 1972, he served in several cabinet positions throughout his career, such as Deputy Prime Minister under Nobusuke Kishi.
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Naotake Satō
- Occupations
- diplomatpolitician
- Biography
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Naotake Satō was a Japanese diplomat and politician who served as President of the House of Councillors from 1949 to 1953.
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Kenji Kanasugi
- Years
- 1959-.. (age 66)
- Occupations
- diplomat
- Biography
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Kenji Kanasugi is the current Japanese ambassador to the People's Republic of China (PROC). He is known for his extensive contributions to Japan's foreign relations in East Asia, particularly with China and the broader Asia-Pacific region. Joining Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1983, he has held numerous significant roles in Japanese government and foreign affairs throughout his career.
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Zenzo Shimizu
- Occupations
- tennis player
- Biography
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Zenzo Shimizu, also spelt Zenzo Shimidzu, was a Japanese tennis player.
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Takatoshi Ito
- Occupations
- economist
- Biography
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Takatoshi Ito is a Japanese economist. He is a professor of the School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University and a senior professor of the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies.
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Zentarō Kosaka
- Occupations
- bankerpoliticiandiplomat
- Biography
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Zentarō Kosaka was a Japanese politician who served two terms as foreign minister and as labour minister.
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Ichiro Komatsu
- Occupations
- diplomat
- Biography
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Ichirō Komatsu was a Japanese diplomat, civil servant and politician.
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Aziz Abdukhakimov
- Occupations
- civil servant
- Biography
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Aziz Abdukhakimov is an Uzbek Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Minister of Tourism and Cultural Heritage.
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Mami Mizutori
- Occupations
- diplomat
- Biography
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Mami Mizutori is a Japanese diplomat. She has been the Assistant Secretary-General and Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction in the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR, formerly UNISDR) since March 2018.
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Paek Nam-un
- Occupations
- politicianhistoriancivil servanteconomist
- Biography
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Paek Nam-un was an economist, educator and politician during the Japanese colonial period and following the establishment of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. He was a professor of economics at Yeonhee College and an economic theorist of the Communist Party of Korea, and a representative figure of socialist economists during the Japanese colonial period along with Lee Soon-Tak. After the independence, on the premise of some asset class and solidarity, in the article 'The Path of the Chosun People's', 'Combination of New Democracy (National Unification Front)' was proposed. After liberation, Kim Doo-bong, Heo Jeong-suk, and Choi Chang-ik connected with Nam Joseon New Democratic Party and Nationalist Democratic Front, but did not come down after coming to North Korea with Kim Gu, Kim Kyu-sik, Jang Geon-sang in April 1948. Since then, he served as the first literary statue of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly.
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Koichiro Ichimura
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Koichiro Ichimura is a Japanese politician of the Japan Innovation Party, who serves as a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Fukuoka, Fukuoka and graduate of Hitotsubashi University, he was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 2003 after an unsuccessful run in 2000.
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Tokuzō Fukuda
- Occupations
- university teacherhistorianeconomist
- Biography
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Tokuzō Fukuda was a pioneer of modern Japanese economics.
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Nakajima Kumakichi
- Occupations
- businesspersonpoliticiandiplomat
- Biography
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Baron Kumakichi Nakajima was an entrepreneur, politician and cabinet minister in the pre-war Empire of Japan.
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Tran Van Tho
- Occupations
- economist
- Biography
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Trần Văn Thọ is a Vietnamese former economic advisor to the Japanese government, head of a major Japanese bank’s ODA assessment committee, and a professor of economics at the faculty of Social Sciences of Waseda University in Japan.
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Masaji Kiyokawa
- Occupations
- swimmer
- Biography
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Masaji Kiyokawa 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.
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Tetsuo Kondo
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Tetsuo Kondo was a Japanese politician who served as Japan's Minister of Labor from 1991 until 1992.
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Asako Okai
- Years
- 1966-.. (age 59)
- Occupations
- diplomat
- Biography
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Asako Okai is a Japanese diplomat and UN official currently serving as the ambassador of Japan in Bahrain. She started her career at the UN as assistant administrator at the United Nations Development Programme, and director for the UNDP Crisis Bureau, and became United Nations Assistant Secretary-General in 2018. During her time at the USDP, she was in charge of the UNDP’s corporate crisis-related work.
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Paik Too-chin
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Paik Too-chin or Baek Du-jin was a South Korean politician. He was acting prime minister until confirmed in office by the National Assembly on April 24, 1953, when he became the prime minister of South Korea.
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Hiroshi Mizuta
- Occupations
- university teacherhistorianeconomist
- Biography
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Hiroshi Mizuta was a Japanese economist, historian of social thought and activist. An emeritus professor of Nagoya University and a member of the Japan Academy, he is best known as a leading scholar of Adam Smith.
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Shigeyuki Tomita
- Enrolled in Hitotsubashi University
- Studied law school
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
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Shigeyuki Tomita is a Japanese politician serving in the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature) as a member of the New Komeito Party. A native of Choshi, Chiba and graduate of Hitotsubashi University, he was elected for the first time in 1990.
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Kotaro Suzumura
- Occupations
- economist
- Biography
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Kotaro Suzumura was a Japanese economist and professor emeritus of Hitotsubashi University and Waseda University. He graduated from Hitotsubashi University in 1966. His research interests were in social choice theory and welfare economics. He was also a Fellow of the Econometric Society. He was named a Person of Cultural Merit in 2017.
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Seiichiro Kashio
- Occupations
- tennis player
- Biography
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Seiichiro Kashio was a tennis player from Japan, and with Ichiya Kumagae was one of the first Japanese Olympic medalists. He won the Canadian Open by defeating United States player Walter Wesbrook 3–6, 6–3, 6–1, 11–9.
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Ichiro Nakayama
- Occupations
- economist
- Biography
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Ichiro Nakayama was a Japanese economist. He graduated from The Tokyo University of Commerce (now Hitotsubashi University) in 1926, and then studied under Joseph Schumpeter in Germany. He was a pioneer of mathematical economics in Japan. After serving as assistant at The Tokyo University of Commerce, he became an assistant professor in 1933, a professor in 1937 and president in 1949 at the same institution. He became Chairman of Central Labor Relations Commission of Japan in 1950, and served as the first Chairman of The Tax Commission of Japan from 1959 to 1965. In 1965 he was appointed as a professor emeritus of Hitotsubashi University. In 1968, he was recognized as a Person of Cultural Merit, and was appointed a Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun on 3 November 1974.
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Kenkichi Kagami
- Occupations
- businesspersonpolitician
- Biography
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Kenkichi Kagami was a Japanese businessman.
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Shōzō Murata
- Occupations
- businesspersonpoliticiandiplomat
- Biography
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Shōzō Murata was a Japanese entrepreneur, cabinet minister and diplomat before, during and after World War II.
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Shinya Ishikawa
- Occupations
- professional wrestler
- Biography
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Shinya Ishikawa is a retired Japanese professional wrestler best known for his tenure with the Japanese professional wrestling promotion Big Japan Pro Wrestling (BJW).
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Tomomi Nagare
- Occupations
- historian
- Biography
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Koji Miyamoto is a Japanese professional wrestling historian and writer, best known for his work on Lou Thesz. He has authored sixteen books.
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Zenjiro Kaneko
- Years
- 1943-.. (age 82)
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Zenjiro Kaneko is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Yamagata Prefecture and graduate of Hitotsubashi University, he worked at the Ministry of Home Affairs. He was elected for the first time in 2000 as a member of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) but lost his seat three years later after defecting from the DPJ to join the second incarnation of the New Conservative Party. He was re-elected in 2005 as a representative for the LDP.
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Yoshitake Kimata
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Yoshitake Kimata is a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan and a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature). He represents the Aichi at-large district. A native of Toyohashi, Aichi and a graduate of Hitotsubashi University and the George Washington University School of Public Policy and Public Administration, he ran unsuccessfully for the House of Representatives in 1996. In 1998 he ran for the House of Councillors and was elected for the first time.
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Kōichirō Asakai
- Occupations
- diplomat
- Biography
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Kōichirō Asakai was a Japanese politician who served as ambassador to the United States and ambassador to the Philippines.
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Naoki Minezaki
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Naoki Minezaki is a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan and a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Kure, Hiroshima and graduate of Hitotsubashi University, he was elected for the first time in 1992.
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Kizō Yasui
- Occupations
- businessperson
- Biography
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Kizo Yasui was a Japanese corporate executive. He held the positions of the chairman of the board of directors of Toray Industries, vice-president of Mitsui Bank, president of Mitsui Petrochemicals Industries, vice-chairman of Nihon Keidanren (Japan Business Federation), chairman of Japan Chemical Fibers Association and others. He was also general manager of Tokyo Metropolis of Ise Shrine Revered Board. He dedicated himself to reconstructing Japanese National Railways as the 4th chairman of audit committee thereof. He received Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure in 1979.
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Shinpei Mykawa
- Occupations
- farmer
- Biography
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Shinpei Mykawa was a Japanese rice farmer who introduced the cultivation of rice in parts of southeast Texas. The community of Mykawa and Mykawa Road in Houston are named after him.
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Tsunei Kusunose
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Tsunei Kusunose was the Governor of Hiroshima Prefecture from October 1945 to 1950.
