Famous Japanese Inventors & Discoverers

Vote for Your Favourite Japanese Inventors & Discoverers

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 1 
Momofuku Ando
(Inventor of Instant Noodles and the Creator of the Brands 'Top Ramen' and 'Cup Noodles')
Momofuku Ando
3
Birthdate: March 5, 1910
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Puzi City, Taiwan
Died: January 5, 2007

Momofuku Ando was a Taiwanese-Japanese businessman and inventor. He is credited with founding the popular Japanese food company, Nissin Food Products Co., Ltd. Credited with creating brands like Cup Noodles and Top Ramen, Momofuku Ando is widely regarded as the inventor of instant noodles. During his lifetime, Ando was honored with medals, such as the Order of the Rising Sun.

 2 
Kōbō Abe
(Japanese Writer and Inventor Known for His Work: ‘The Woman in the Dunes’ and ‘The Face of Another’)
Kōbō Abe
4
Birthdate: March 7, 1924
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Tokyo, Japan
Died: January 22, 1993

Japanese surrealist author Kōbō Abe is remembered for his Kafka-esque style and his bestselling novels such as The Woman in the Dunes. Though he studied medicine, pushed into it by his physician father, he never practiced. The Akutagawa Prize winner was also initially a communist but was later expelled.

 3 
Kōnosuke Matsushita
(Founder of the Japan's Leading Consumer Electronics Company 'Panasonic')
Kōnosuke Matsushita
3
Birthdate: November 27, 1894
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Wakayama, Japan
Died: April 27, 1989

Widely known as the God of Management in Japan, Kōnosuke Matsushita began his career as an errand boy and gradually set up his own consumer electric appliances manufacturing company, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. He later founded the brand Panasonic. He had also penned several books on management.

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 4 
Shuji Nakamura
(Electronic engineer and prolific inventor specializing in the field of semiconductor technology)
Shuji Nakamura
3
Birthdate: May 22, 1954
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Ikata, Ehime, Japan
 5 
Izumo no Okuni
(Inventor)
Izumo no Okuni
2
Birthdate: 1572 AD
Birthplace: Izumo Province, Japan
Died: November 30, 1613
 6 
Mikimoto Kōkichi
(The Founder of the 'Mikimoto Pearl Company')
Mikimoto Kōkichi
3
Birthdate: January 25, 1858
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Toba, Mie Prefecture, Japan
Died: September 21, 1954

Japanese pearl farmer and entrepreneur Mikimoto Kōkichi pioneered the cultured pearl industry. He later monopolized the industry, organizing exhibitions and launching sales offices worldwide. A crown manufactured by the Mikimoto Pearl Company was later used by Ms. Universe winners, while the company also designed for the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageants.

 7 
Amano Hiroshi
(Japanese Physicist Who Won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2014 for Inventing Blue LEDs)
Amano Hiroshi
2
Birthdate: September 11, 1960
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan

Amano Hiroshi is a Japanese physicist, inventor, and engineer. Amano, who specializes in semiconductor technology, won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2014 alongside Shuji Nakamura and Isamu Akasaki. They received the award for inventing blue LEDs. Over the course of his career, Amano Hiroshi has also been honored with several other awards, such as the Asia Game Changer Award.

 8 
Takamine Jōkichi
(Japanese Chemist Who Was the First Person to Isolate Epinephrine in 1901)
Takamine Jōkichi
1
Birthdate: November 3, 1854
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Takaoka, Toyama, Japan
Died: July 22, 1922

Jokichi Takamine was a Japanese chemist best remembered as the first person to isolate epinephrine in 1901. He is credited with founding the Tokyo Artificial Fertilizer Company in Japan as well as the Nippon Club of New York City in the USA. Jokichi Takamine's life and career inspired a couple of films, namely Sakura, Sakura and Takamine.

 9 
Kiyoshi Shiga
(Japanese Bacteriologist and Physician Who Discovered the Shigella Dysenteriae Microorganism)
Kiyoshi Shiga
1
Birthdate: February 7, 1871
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
Died: January 25, 1957

Shiga Kiyoshi was a Japanese bacteriologist and physician. He is credited for many scientific discoveries, including the discovery of the Shigella dysenteriae microorganism. He also conducted research on diseases such as trypanosomiasis and tuberculosis. Kiyoshi Shiga is also credited with making numerous advancements in immunology and bacteriology.