University Of Tokyo

Discover the notable alumni of University Of Tokyo. The list includes people like Masako, Crown Princess of Japan, Yasuhiro Nakasone, Ryunosuke Akutagawa, Nobusuke Kishi & Kenzaburō Ōe. This list of notable alumni is loosely sorted by popularity and has people from different domains of life, such as miscellaneous, writers, intellectuals & academics, scientists and leaders etc.
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 1 
Masako, Crown Princess of Japan
(Crown Princess of Japan)
Masako, Crown Princess of Japan
11
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: December 9, 1963
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Toranomon Hospital, Toranomon, Tokyo
 2 
Jigoro Kano
(Japanese Educator, Athlete, and the Founder of Judo)
Jigoro Kano
3
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: December 10, 1860
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Hyogo, Japan
Died: May 4, 1938

Legendary Japanese athlete Jigoro Kano is remembered as the founder of judo. A fine educator, he had also had a 23-year stint as the principal of 2 schools, which later became the University of Tsukuba. He was also the first Asian to be part of the International Olympic Committee.

 3 
Birendra of Nepal
(King of Nepal from 1972 to 2001)
Birendra of Nepal
22
Birthdate: December 28, 1945
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Kathmandu, Nepal
Died: June 1, 2001
Nepalese king Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev, true to his royal lineage, had received an elite education at institutes such as Eton and Harvard. His murder, by his own son, Dipendra, during a dinner party massacre in 2001, that killed almost the entire Nepalese royal family, shocked the world.
 4 
Isao Takahata
(Japanese Director, Screenwriter and Producer Who was the Co-founder of Studio 'Ghibli')
Isao Takahata
2
Birthdate: October 29, 1935
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Ise, Mie, Japan
Died: April 5, 2018

Japanese filmmaker Isao Takahata is best known for his collaborations with Hayao Miyazaki, with whom he co-established Studio Ghibli. Born to an academician father, he had initially studied French literature. He is best remembered for his Oscar-nominated film The Tale of the Princess Kaguya. His signature plot includes a protagonist on a train.

 5 
Ryunosuke Akutagawa
(Japanese Short-Story Writer Active During the Taishō Period)
Ryunosuke Akutagawa
1
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: March 1, 1892
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Kyōbashi-ku,Tokyo, Japan
Died: July 24, 1927

Ryunosuke Akutagawa was a Japanese writer best remembered for writing more than 150 short stories including In a Grove which inspired the 1950 film Rashōmon. Considered the father of the Japanese short story, Ryunosuke Akutagawa's brief career helped inspire his friend Kan Kikuchi to create Akutagawa Prize, a literary award for new writers, which is named in his honor.

 6 
Nobusuke Kishi
(Former Prime Minister of Japan (1957 – 1960))
Nobusuke Kishi
2
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: November 13, 1896
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Tabuse, Yamaguchi, Japan
Died: August 7, 1987

Beginning his career as a civil servant, Nobusuke Kishi entered politics as a vice minister of the Manchukuo government and later served in the Cabinet of Tōjō Hideki. Imprisoned for three years by the Allied Occupation authorities after the war, he eventually became the Prime Minister of Japan. As Prime Minister of Japan, he signed a new U.S.-Japan security treaty.

 7 
Jun'ichirō Tanizaki
(Japanese Novelists and One of the Most Prominent Figures in Modern Japanese Literature)
Jun'ichirō Tanizaki
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: July 24, 1886
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Tokyo, Japan
Died: July 30, 1965

Tanizaki Jun'ichirō was a Japanese author whose works made him a contender for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1964. Widely regarded as one of the most important personalities in modern Japanese literature, Tanizaki's work ranges from the depictions of erotic obsessions to the dynamics of family life in 20th-century Japan. Many of his works have been adapted into films.

 8 
Kenzaburō Ōe
(A Major Figure in Contemporary Japanese Literature and Winner of 1994 Nobel Prize in Literature )
Kenzaburō Ōe
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: January 31, 1935
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Ōse, Ehime, Japan

Kenzaburō Ōe is a Japanese writer whose essays, short stories, and novels deal with social, philosophical, and political issues such as nuclear power, nuclear weapons, existentialism, and social non-conformism. An influential personality in contemporary Japanese literature, Kenzaburō Ōe was honored with the prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature in 1994 for his works.

 9 
Ted Fujita
(Japanese-American Meteorologist Who Designed the 'Fujita Scale')
Ted Fujita
1
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: October 23, 1920
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Kokuraminami Ward, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Japan
Died: November 19, 1998

Japanese-American meteorologist Tetsuya Theodore Fujita, also known as Ted Fujita, is remembered for his research on severe weather. He devised the Fujita Scale, or F-Scale, for measuring the intensity of tornadoes. In his later life, he was associated with the faculty of the University of Chicago.

 10 
Ōkawa Shūmei
(Writer)
Ōkawa Shūmei
1
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: December 6, 1886
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Yamagata, Japan
Died: December 24, 1957
 11 
Shigeru Yoshida
(Former Prime Minister of Japan (1948 - 1954))
Shigeru Yoshida
2
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: September 22, 1878
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan
Died: October 20, 1967

Shigeru Yoshida had been the prime minister of Japan in the face of Allied occupation after World War II. Born to an entrepreneur and a geisha, he had later been adopted by a friend of his father’s. He is best known for the Yoshida Doctrine, which ushered in economic prosperity.

 12 
Kōbō Abe
(Japanese Writer and Inventor Known for His Work: ‘The Woman in the Dunes’ and ‘The Face of Another’)
Kōbō Abe
1
Listed In: Writers
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.

 13 
Yukio Mishima
(One of the Most Important Japanese Authors of the 20th Century)
Yukio Mishima
22
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: January 14, 1925
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Yotsuya, Tokyo, Japan
Died: November 25, 1970

Japanese author, poet, and playwright Yukio Mishima is counted amongst the most important Japanese authors of the 20th century. His best-known works feature a fusion of traditional Japanese and modern Western literary styles. He was the founder of the Tatenokai, an unarmed private militia dedicated to traditional Japanese values. He was considered controversial due to his political activities. 

 14 
Mamoru Shigemitsu
(Former Deputy Prime Minister of Japan (1954 - 1956))
Mamoru Shigemitsu
0
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: July 29, 1887
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Bungoono, Oita, Japan
Died: January 26, 1957

Mamoru Shigemitsu had been the foreign minister and the deputy prime minister of Japan and an ambassador to several countries. He ratified Japan’s surrender to the Allies after World War II, following which he was convicted of war crimes. Hereceived a 7-year sentence but was paroled after 4 years.

 15 
Eisaku Satō
(Former Prime Minister of Japan (1964 - 1972))
Eisaku Satō
0
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: March 27, 1901
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Tabuse, Yamaguchi, Japan
Died: June 3, 1975

Nobel Peace Prize-winning Japanese prime minister Eisaku Satō is remembered for his stance against nuclear weapons, which led Japan to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. While he improved trade with China, he was also criticized for letting the U.S. army stay in Okinawa even after its return to Japan.

 16 
Toyo Ito
(Architect)
Toyo Ito
0
Listed In: Architects
Birthdate: June 1, 1941
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Seoul, South Korea
 17 
Kenzo Tange
(Architect)
Kenzo Tange
1
Listed In: Architects
Birthdate: September 4, 1913
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Osaka, Japan
Died: March 22, 2005
 18 
Yukio Ozaki
(Former Japanese Minister of Justice (1914 - 1916))
Yukio Ozaki
0
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: December 24, 1858
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Matano, Kanagawa, Japan
Died: October 6, 1954

Considered the Father of Parliamentary Politics in Japan, Yukio Ozaki was a revered member of the House of Representatives, who served as Education Minister, Minister of Justice and also as the Mayor of Tokyo. Today, he is best remembered for his struggles to establish universal manhood suffrage and a governmental system responsible to the majority party in the Diet.

 19 
Yoshinori Ohsumi
(Nobel Prize-Winning Japanese Cell Biologist Known for His Work on Autophagy)
Yoshinori Ohsumi
1
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: February 9, 1945
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Fukuoka, Japan

Nobel Prize-winning Japanese cell biologist Yoshinori Ohsumi is best known for his research on autophagy. A Rockefeller University alumnus, he now teaches at Tokyo Tech’s Institute of Innovative Research. He is also known for his pathbreaking contribution to topics such as the DNA, cell, and embryo.

 20 
Isozaki Arata
(Architect)
Isozaki Arata
0
Listed In: Architects
Birthdate: July 23, 1931
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Oita, Japan
 21 
Takaaki Kajita
(Nobel Prize-Winning Japanese Physicist Known for His Work on Neutrinos)
Takaaki Kajita
0
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: March 9, 1959
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Higashimatsuyama, Saitama Prefecture, Japan

Nobel Prize-winning Japanese physicist Takaaki Kajita is best known for his research on the oscillations of neutrinos. He has been associated with the faculty of the University of Tokyo and has also led the Science Council of Japan as its president. He completed his doctoral thesis under Nobel laureate Masatoshi Koshiba.

 22 
Kōki Hirota
(Former Prime Minister of Japan (1936 - 1937))
Kōki Hirota
1
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: February 14, 1878
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Chuo Ward, Fukuoka, Japan
Died: December 23, 1948

Son of a stonemason, Kōki Hirota grew up to graduate in law. Stepping into politics, he eventually became the prime minister of Japan. He had previously been an ambassador to Russia, too. He resigned amid army pressure and was executed by hanging for war crimes during the Second Sino-Japanese War.

 23 
Michelle Ferre
(Actress and former CNN correspondent in Japan)
Michelle Ferre
0
Birthdate: June 13, 1973
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Kobe, Japan
Height: 5'4" (163 cm)
 24 
Satoshi Ōmura
(Nobel Prize-Winning Biochemist Known for His Contribution to Roundworm Infection Treatments)
Satoshi Ōmura
1
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: July 12, 1935
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Nirasaki, Yamanashi, Japan

Japanese biochemist Satoshi Ōmura won the Nobel Prize for contributing to the discovery of avermectin and ivermectin, and thus helping in developing treatments for roundworm parasite infections. He has also been associated with the faculty of the Kitasato University and the Wesleyan University.

 25 
Kitasato Shibasaburo
(Physician)
Kitasato Shibasaburo
0
Listed In: Physicians
Birthdate: January 29, 1853
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Oguni, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan
Died: June 13, 1931
 26 
D. T. Suzuki
(Author)
D. T. Suzuki
1
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: October 18, 1870
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan
Died: July 12, 1966
 27 
Ichikawa Kon
(Film Director)
Ichikawa Kon
1
Birthdate: November 20, 1915
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Ise, Japan
Died: February 13, 2008
 28 
Fumihiko Maki
(Architect)
Fumihiko Maki
0
Listed In: Architects
Birthdate: September 6, 1928
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Tokyo, Japan
 29 
Syukuro Manabe
(Nobel Prize-Winning Japanese-American Meteorologist Known for His Research on Climate Change)
Syukuro Manabe
0
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: September 21, 1931
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Uma, Ehime, Japan

Nobel Prize-winning Japanese-origin American meteorologist Syukuro Manabe is a pioneering figure in the use of computers to stimulate climate change. He also conducted research on the prediction of global warming. He has been associated with the faculty of both the Princeton and Nagoya universities. He also received the Japanese Order of Culture.

 30 
Ei-ichi Negishi
(Nobel Prize-Winning Japanese Chemist)
Ei-ichi Negishi
0
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: July 14, 1935
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Changchun, China
Died: June 6, 2021

Japanese chemist Ei-ichi Negishi won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his pioneering research on using palladium as a catalyst in cross couplings in organic synthesis, now known as the Negishi coupling. He spent most of his teaching career at Purdue University and also taught at the Syracuse and Hokkaido universities.

 31 
Ichirō Hatoyama
(Former Prime Minister of Japan (1954 - 1956))
Ichirō Hatoyama
0
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: January 1, 1883
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
Died: March 7, 1959

Born to a Yale graduate father and an author mother, Ichirō Hatoyama grew up to become the Japanese prime minister. Initially, he clashed with the military for his Western ways and means. He was the first Japanese politician to use radio and TV as means of political campaigns.

 32 
Kurokawa Kishō
(Architect)
Kurokawa Kishō
1
Listed In: Architects
Birthdate: April 8, 1934
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Kanie, Aichi Prefecture, Japan
Died: October 12, 2007
 33 
Liu Song
(Table tennis player)
Liu Song
0
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: May 12, 1972
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Guangxi, China
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 34 
Yukiya Amano
(5th Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency)
Yukiya Amano
0
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: May 9, 1947
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Yugawara, Japan
Died: July 18, 2019
 35 
Kiyosi Itô
(Japanese Mathematician Who Invented the Concept of Stochastic Differential Equation and Stochastic Integral)
Kiyosi Itô
0
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: September 7, 1915
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Hokusei-cho, Japan
Died: November 10, 2008

Kiyoshi Ito was a Japanese mathematician best remembered for his immense contributions to probability theory. He is credited with inventing the concept of stochastic differential equation and stochastic integral. Kiyoshi Ito is also credited with founding Itô calculus. In 2006, Kiyoshi Ito was honored with the prestigious Gauss Prize by the International Mathematical Union.

 36 
Kiichi Miyazawa
(Former Prime Minister of Japan (1991 - 1993))
Kiichi Miyazawa
1
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: October 8, 1919
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Fukuyama, Hiroshima, Japan
Died: June 28, 2007

Born into a political family, Kiichi Miyazawa grew up to graduate in law and then stepped into politics. He became the prime minister of Japan and also held important portfolios such as agriculture and finance. His political career, like those of many other Japanese politicians, was plagued by bribery scandals.

 37 
So Yamamura
(Japanese Actor Known for His Portrayal of 'Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto' in the Movie 'Tora! Tora! Tora!')
So Yamamura
0
Birthdate: February 24, 1910
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Tenri, Nara, Japan
Died: May 26, 2000

Japanese actor-director So Yamamura first soared to international fame with the film The Barbarian and the Geisha. He had also impressed audiences with his roles in films such as Tora! Tora! Tora! and Gung Ho. He was also active in Japanese television and won honors such as the Order of the Rising Sun.

 38 
Hamaguchi Osachi
(Prime Minister of Japan (March 1931 – April 1931, 1929 - 1930))
Hamaguchi Osachi
0
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: April 1, 1870
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Kōchi, Japan
Died: August 26, 1931

Osachi Hamaguchi, called the Lion Prime Minister due to his dignified appearance, had been the Japanese prime minister during the beginning of the Great Depression. To deal with inflation, he had maintained the yen at the gold standard, but that proved disastrous. He died of wounds sustained at an assassination attempt.

 39 
Sou Fujimoto
(Architect)
Sou Fujimoto
0
Listed In: Architects
Birthdate: August 4, 1971
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Hokkaido, Japan
 40 
Takamine Jōkichi
(Japanese Chemist Who Was the First Person to Isolate Epinephrine in 1901)
Takamine Jōkichi
0
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.

 41 
Den Fujita
(Japanese Entrepreneur Who Launched the First McDonald's Franchise in Japan)
Den Fujita
0
Listed In: Business People
Birthdate: March 13, 1926
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Osaka,Osaka, Japan
Died: April 21, 2004

Den Fujita set up the first McDonald's franchise in Japan and was hugely successful owing to its signature dish, the Japanese-styled Teriyaki McBurger. He also headed companies such as Toys 'R' Us and Softbank, and penned several books on business strategy, too, including the bestseller The Jewish Way of Doing Business.

 42 
Kunihiko Kodaira
(Japanese Mathematician Known for His Work on the Theory of Complex Manifolds and Algebraic Geometry)
Kunihiko Kodaira
0
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: March 16, 1915
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Tokyo, Japan
Died: July 26, 1997

Kodaira Kunihiko was a Japanese mathematician best remembered for his distinguished work on the theory of complex manifolds and algebraic geometry. In 1954, he became the first person from Japan to win a Fields Medal. Over the course of his illustrious career, Kodaira Kunihiko also won the Fujiwara Prize and the Japan Academy Prize.

 43 
Nishida Kitarō
(Philosopher)
Nishida Kitarō
2
Birthdate: May 19, 1870
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Kahoku, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan
Died: June 7, 1945
 44 
Shusaku Arakawa
(Japanese Conceptual Artist and Architect)
Shusaku Arakawa
0
Birthdate: July 6, 1936
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
Died: May 19, 2010

Along with his wife and collaborator Madeline Gins, artist and architect Shusaku Arakawa designed buildings such as the Bioscleave house, which included surrealist features, such as sand-dune-shaped floors and the lack of doors. His art and his Reversible Destiny Foundation were geared toward increasing human longevity.

 45 
Masaoka Shiki
(Poet)
Masaoka Shiki
1
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: October 14, 1867
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan
Died: September 19, 1902
 46 
Hideo Shima
(Engineer)
Hideo Shima
0
Listed In: Engineers
Birthdate: May 20, 1901
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Osaka, Osaka, Japan
Died: March 18, 1998
 47 
Masatoshi Koshiba
(Japanese Physicist and Nobel Laureate Who Played an Instrumental Role in Detecting Solar Neutrinos)
Masatoshi Koshiba
1
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: September 19, 1926
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Toyohashi, Aichi, Japan
Died: November 12, 2020

Koshiba Masatoshi was a Japanese physicist best remembered for co-founding neutrino astronomy. He played an instrumental role in detecting solar neutrinos, for which he was honored with the prestigious Nobel Prize in Physics in 2002 along with Raymond Davis Jr. Koshiba Masatoshi also won several other awards, including the Asahi Prize, Benjamin Franklin Medal in Physics, and Nishina Memorial Prize.

 48 
Watsuji Tetsurō
(Philosopher)
Watsuji Tetsurō
0
Birthdate: March 1, 1889
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Himeji, Hyogo, Japan
Died: December 26, 1960
 49 
Yoichi Wada
(Japanese Businessperson Who Was Former President and Representative Director of 'Square Enix')
Yoichi Wada
0
Listed In: Business People
Birthdate: May 28, 1959
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Nagoya, Aichi, Japan

Former Square Enix director and president Yoichi Wada has also led the CESA as its chairman. Though a fan of 3D games since childhood, Wada’s early career saw him working in the investment and finance firm Nomura and for Japan’s foreign ministry in Poland. He is currently associated with Metaps.

 50 
Kiyoshi Shiga
(Japanese Bacteriologist and Physician Who Discovered the Shigella Dysenteriae Microorganism)
Kiyoshi Shiga
1
Listed In: Scientists
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.