Over 600 obituaries for famous people from Japan who died. Additional info, news, and memorial pages.
Toshikazu Kawasaki, a Japanese paperfolder and origami theorist,
died on March 3, 2026. He was known for geometrically innovative models, especially his series of fourfold symmetry "roses," which used a…
Kazumasa Nagai, a Japanese printmaker and graphic designer,
died on March 2, 2026. Born in Osaka on April 20, 1929, he attended the Tokyo University of the Arts to study…
Kohei Otsuka, a Japanese politician and former leader of the Democratic Party for the People and the Democratic Party,
died on March 2, 2026. A native of Nagoya, Aichi, he…
Takeshi Amemiya, a Japanese economist,
died on February 25, 2026. Born in Tokyo on March 29, 1935, he specialized in econometrics and the economy of ancient Greece. Amemiya was the…
Hidé Ishiguro, a Japanese analytic philosopher and emeritus professor at Keio University in Tokyo,
died on February 20, 2026. Born in Tokyo in August 1931, she studied at Tokyo University…
Kazue Sawai, a Japanese koto player and musician,
died on February 17, 2026. Born in Kyoto on January 1, 1941, she began studying the koto at age eight with Michio…
Shinya Yamada, the Japanese musician best known as the drummer of Luna Sea,
died on February 17, 2026, at age 56 of cancer. Born in Hadano, Kanagawa, on January 13,…
Sega, a Japanese businessman and engineer,
died on February 14, 2026. Sega Corporation, headquartered in Tokyo and a subsidiary of Sega Sammy Holdings, is a Japanese video game company known…
Toshio Motoya, a Japanese hospitality executive,
died on February 13, 2026. He was the president of APA Group, which included APA Hotels & Resorts, one of Japan’s largest hotel chains.…
Takamitsu Muraoka, a Japanese linguist and Semitist,
died on February 10, 2026, at the age of 88. He was Chair of Hebrew, Israelite Antiquities, and Ugaritic at Leiden University in…
Shutaro Iida, a Japanese video game programmer,
died on February 10, 2026, at the age of 52. He was born on March 11, 1973, and worked at Konami from 1996…
Tadao Yasuda, a Japanese rikishi and professional wrestler who competed in New Japan Pro-Wrestling,
died on February 8, 2026, at age 62. Born in Tokyo on October 9, 1963, he…
Tadamasa Goto, a Japanese crime boss and yakuza,
died on February 8, 2026. He was the founding head of the Goto-gumi, a Fujinomiya-based affiliate of the Yamaguchi-gumi, Japan’s largest yakuza…
Masashi Furukawa, a Japanese politician,
died on February 7, 2026. A member of Komeito, he served in the House of Representatives from 1969 to 1990. Born in Hiroshima Prefecture on…
Tōsha Meishō, a Japanese hayashi musician,
died on February 4, 2026. Born Isao Nakagawa in Tokyo in 1941, he was one of a long line of Tōsha school musicians specializing…
Morishige Naruse, a Japanese politician,
died on February 4, 2026, in Okazaki, Japan, two days before his 93rd birthday. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party, he served in the…
Seiichirō Dōkyū, a Japanese politician,
died on February 3, 2026, at the age of 72. A member of the Democratic Party, he served in the House of Representatives from 2009…
Nobuhiko Ochiai, a Japanese journalist and novelist,
died on February 1, 2026. He was born in Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan, on January 8, 1942. Ochiai wrote works reporting on international affairs…
Masaru Ikeda, a Japanese actor and voice actor known for his work in Yatterman, Sakura Wars and One Piece,
died on January 31, 2026, of a heart attack. Born in…
Kazuhiko Hasegawa, a Japanese film director and screenwriter,
died on January 31, 2026, at the age of 80. Born in Kamo District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, on January 5, 1946, he…
Kikuo Arakawa, a Japanese medical scientist and internist,
died on January 23, 2026. He specialized in hypertension and cardiovascular medicine and was a Professor Emeritus at Fukuoka University. Arakawa also…
Homare Suguro, a Japanese actor and singer,
died on January 23, 2026, at the age of 85. Born in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, on June 1, 1940, he worked for Shochiku…
Toshikatsu Yamamoto, a Japanese physician who worked in the field of acupuncture,
died on January 20, 2026. Born on December 15, 1929, he graduated in 1956 from Nippon Medical School…
David M. Rosen, an American businessman and co-founder of Sega,
died on December 25, 2025, at age 95. Born on January 22, 1930, in Brooklyn, New York, he served in…
Uichiro Niwa, a Japanese businessman and diplomat who served as ambassador to China from 2010 to 2012,
died on December 24, 2025, at the age of 86. Born in Nagoya,…
Ike Schab, an American Navy sailor and World War II veteran,
died on December 20, 2025, at age 105. Born Ira Schab in Chicago on July 4, 1920, he joined…
Seiichi Motohashi
died on December 20, 2025. He was a Japanese photographer and film director. Seiichi Motohashi (本橋 成一, Motohashi Seiichi; 1940 – December 20, 2025) was a Japanese photographer…
Japanese convicted serial killer
Died on Friday June 27th 2025
Japanese serial killer
Died on Thursday December 26th 2024
Japanese terrorist
Died on Sunday July 21st 2024
Japanese murderer
Died on Sunday January 15th 2023
Japanese murderer and cannibal
Died on Thursday December 1st 2022
Japanese mass murderer (Akihabara massacre)
Died on Tuesday July 26th 2022
Japanese murderer
Died on Friday August 2nd 2019
Japanese serial murderer
Died on Friday August 2nd 2019
Naomi Ishida, a Japanese animation color designer and colorist who worked for Kyoto Animation,
died on July 18, 2019, aged 49. Born on August 6, 1969, she joined the studio…
Japanese Olympic speed skater (2014)
Died on Tuesday January 23rd 2018
Japanese actor (Storm Over the Pacific
Died on Friday January 19th 2018
Japanese sumo wrester
Died on Wednesday January 17th 2018
Japanese psychologist
Died on Tuesday January 16th 2018
Japanese manga writer (Old Boy)
Died on Monday January 15th 2018
Japanese guitarist (Babymetal)
Died on Tuesday January 9th 2018
Japanese Hall of Fame baseball player (Chunichi Dragons) and manager (Chunichi Dragons
Died on Friday January 5th 2018
Japanese composer (Tetsuo: The Iron Man)
Died on Sunday December 31st 2017
Japanese anime screenwriter
Died on Friday December 15th 2017
Japanese digital audio pioneer
Died on Wednesday December 13th 2017
Japanese calligrapher
Died on Wednesday December 13th 2017
Japanese businessman
Died on Saturday December 9th 2017
Japanese-born Canadian plasma physicist
Died on Wednesday December 6th 2017
Japanese Brazilian singer and guitarist
Died on Monday December 4th 2017
Japanese professional wrestler (NJPW)
Died on Saturday December 2nd 2017
Japanese folk singer-songwriter (The Folk Crusaders)
Died on Saturday December 2nd 2017
Japanese folk singer-songwriter (The Folk Crusaders)
Died on Saturday December 2nd 2017
Japanese Go player
Died on Wednesday November 22nd 2017
Japanese voice actress (Dragon Ball
Died on Friday November 17th 2017
Japanese artist
Died on Sunday October 29th 2017
Japanese professional wrestler
Died on Sunday October 29th 2017
Japanese astrophysicist and author
Died on Wednesday October 18th 2017
Japanese politician
Died on Monday October 16th 2017
Japanese baseball player and actor
Died on Saturday October 14th 2017
Japanese-born American anthropologist
Died on Saturday October 7th 2017
Japanese voice actor (Castle in the Sky
Died on Tuesday October 3rd 2017
Japanese writer
Died on Wednesday September 27th 2017
Japanese Olympic swimmer
Died on Tuesday September 19th 2017
Japanese voice actor (Cowboy Bebop)
Died on Saturday September 16th 2017
Japanese politician
Died on Friday September 8th 2017
Japanese actor
Died on Tuesday September 5th 2017
Japanese voice actor (Yu Yu Hakusho)
Died on Thursday August 31st 2017
Japanese voice actor (Yu Yu Hakusho)
Died on Thursday August 31st 2017
Japanese anti-nuclear weapons activist
Died on Wednesday August 30th 2017
Japanese politician
Died on Monday August 28th 2017
Japanese politician
Died on Saturday August 19th 2017
Japanese actor (Godzilla)
Died on Monday August 7th 2017
Japanese Composer
Died on Tuesday August 1st 2017
Japanese geographer and climatologist
Died on Saturday July 29th 2017
Japanese graphic director and animator (Macross: Do You Remember Love?
Died on Thursday July 27th 2017
Japanese actor
Died on Wednesday July 26th 2017
Japanese politician
Died on Tuesday July 25th 2017
Japanese writer and philanthropist
Died on Monday July 24th 2017
Japanese physician
Died on Tuesday July 18th 2017
Japanese actor (47 Ronin)
Died on Sunday July 16th 2017
Japanese composer (Saint Seiya
Died on Monday July 10th 2017
Japanese TV presenter
Died on Friday June 23rd 2017
Japanese photographer
Died on Monday June 19th 2017
Japanese actress (Yakuza Deka
Died on Friday June 16th 2017
Japanese historian and politician
Died on Tuesday June 13th 2017
Japanese politician
Died on Wednesday May 24th 2017
Japanese actor (Gosei Sentai Dairanger)
Died on Saturday May 20th 2017
Japanese mathematician
Died on Wednesday May 17th 2017
Japanese actress (The Temptress and the Monk)
Died on Saturday May 13th 2017
Japanese director (Godzilla vs. Hedorah)
Died on Tuesday May 9th 2017
Japanese sumo wrestler
Died on Tuesday May 2nd 2017
Japanese politician
Died on Monday April 24th 2017
Japanese scholar and historical revisionist
Died on Monday April 17th 2017
Japanese animation director (Oh! Production)
Died on Saturday April 15th 2017
Japanese film director (Funeral Parade of Roses)
Died on Thursday April 13th 2017
