The most beautiful Japanese in the world. The most beautiful Japanese female models (22 photos)

Every nation has outstanding women who are remembered for many generations for their deeds and deeds that influenced the fate of the country. In today's article, we will talk about 10 Japanese women who radically influenced the development of their country in their time. Most of these women have achieved fame overseas, which is another hallmark of success in Japan.

All the women on this list are well known among the Japanese. Ready to test your knowledge of Japan's prominent women? Then let's go through history, from 973 to the present day.

Murasaki Shikibu / Murasaki Shikibu (973 - 1025)

Writer

At that time, women were deprived of the opportunity to study classical Chinese, but Sikubu's father gave her the opportunity to study with her brother. A precocious child, she immersed herself in the study of the Chinese language, but hid her abilities so as not to arouse contempt from adults.

While living at the court of the imperial family, where she served as maid of honor to Empress Akiko, Shikibu kept a diary in which she wrote about the activities of the fictional Prince Genji, supplementing it with various little things from real court life. Such "poetic tales" are a genre of poetic biography in which reality is mixed with fiction, resulting in works of "Japanese prose". Such writing found favor among women, especially court ladies, wives and daughters of courtiers, while men still preferred to write in classical Chinese.

An English translation of The Tale of Genji, consisting of six volumes, appeared in 1933.

Misako Shirasu (1910 - 1998)

Publicist and expert in aesthetics and design

Sirasu began to study at the age of four, and at the age of 14 she became the first woman to perform on stage Noh.

Misako Shirasu grew up in a good family. She attended a preparatory school in the USA. Upon her return to Japan, she married, and in 1942, together with her husband, they moved to a farm away from likely bombing targets. Apparently, this moment became the key in her life. It was during this time that Shirasu learned to appreciate the simple, austere lifestyle. She became a proponent of simple aesthetics and design surrounded by nature.

Sirasu believed in mixing ideas to arrive at practical ways of living. Regarding design, she emphasized that imperfections are the defining beauty of an object, a valuable natural vice, an unforeseen treasure, or "natural imperfection". Instead of creating art, she invited people to put their heart and soul into creating something with great effort and skill. Shirasu also said that folk art should be a little clumsy.

She devoted herself to studying the relationship between art and nature. Sirasu used flower arrangement as an example: once flowers are placed in a vase, for the first time we can understand the essence of a flower in a controlled and observable format, where we can appreciate it on a different level and give it new life. She saw that the beauty of nature included food and art. These values ​​still live on in Japanese art and design.

The house where she lived with her husband is called Buaiso, now a museum open to the public.

Masako Katsura (1913 - 1995)

Professional billiard player

"Katsy" was Japan's only professional female pool player in the 1950s. In addition, she became the first woman to play in a world billiards tournament.

Masako learned the game at the age of 13, thanks to her older sister's husband, who owned a billiard room. She appeared on 30 shows in 1958, and appeared twice on American television the following year (once on CBS and the other on ABC). Masako married an American army sergeant and moved from Japan to the United States.

Katsy wrote two books in Japanese about billiards: Introduction to Billiards (1952) and Improving Your Pool Game (1956).

She eventually returned to Japan and lived with her sister. 5 years after returning to her homeland, she died, it happened in 1995.

Hanae Mori / Hanae Mori (1926)

Hanae Mori is Japan's most famous female designer. She is also considered an icon of free women. Maury used fashion design as a promotion of the interplay of aesthetic values ​​between East and West.

In her youth, Mori studied at a local sewing school. She later opened her own boutique in Ginza and created a clothing collection. She entered the world of haute couture in Paris, influenced by Coco Chanel. In 1976, she opened a salon in Paris and was appointed a member of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture, becoming the only designer from Japan to be included in Haute Couture.

Mori's designs have appeared on the cover of Vogue magazine. Her designs include the uniforms for the Japan Airlines flight attendants, the uniforms of the Japanese athletes at the Barcelona Summer Olympics, and the kimono and wedding dress for the Japanese Princess Masako. Mori also has a perfume collection and a Hanae Mori Barbie doll.

Mori supports young designers through his Hanae Mori foundation.

Sadako Ogata (1927)

Diplomat

Few women are as impressive as Sadako Ogata, who until the age of 85 held a position at the Japan International Cooperation Agency. She was Chair of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees 1991-2001, UNICEF Executive Board 1978-1979, and President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency, where she served from October 2003 to April 2012.

Sadako Ogata, in addition to numerous international awards, has also received the Indira Gandhi Award and the J. William Fulbright Award for International Understanding. In 2001, she accompanied then-Prime Minister Mori to Africa, marking the first visit by a Japanese prime minister to the African continent.

Sadako Ogata is dearly loved by her people for her compassion for the underprivileged.

Yayoi Kusama / Yayoi Kusama (1929)

Artist

Yayoi Kusama was a leader in the avant-garde movement shortly after she moved to the US (she was then in her 20s) and is said to have influenced artists such as Andy Warhol. She is also a direct participant in the minimalist and feminist art movements.

Kusama is known for her red polka dot artwork. This whimsical theme has become her signature. Yayoi Kusama is also known for her installation art - she turns entire rooms into living tree trunks painted with red polka dots.

In 2008, one of her works was sold at Christie's New York auction for $5.1 million, a record for a living female artist of the time.

Once you see her art, you won't be able to forget it. Kusama is candid about his struggles with mental illness. She is in Seiwa Hospital in Tokyo, from where she travels to her studio.

Hibari Misora ​​/ Hibari Misora ​​(1937 - 1989)

Singer, actress and cult personality

As an actress, Misora ​​appeared in Takekurabe (1955), Izu no odoriko (1954) and Hibari no mori no ishimatsu (1960). However, she is best remembered as the Enki singer. Her first performance was at the age of eight and she appeared on NHK the following year. She toured Japan for two years.

Hibari Misora ​​has recorded over 1,000 songs, including "Kawa no nagare no you ni". This song was voted by over 10 million people in an NHK poll as the greatest Japanese song of all time.

Misora ​​is one of the most commercially successful musicians. She also became the first Japanese woman to receive the Order of Honor from the Prime Minister. Misora ​​was awarded the Japanese Government's Medal of Honor for her contribution to music and public welfare, inspiring people and giving them hope after World War II.

Hibari Misora ​​died at the age of 52 from an illness. She was reported to have sold over 80 million records. Live, TV and radio concerts are still held in Japan in memory of her.

Sadako Sasaki (1943 - 1955)

Symbol of the innocent victims of war

Sadako lived 1 mile from where the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. Then she was two years old. The girl and her family survived. However, when Sadako was nine years old, she developed leukemia, a disease that affected many children in the area.

Sadako's friend told her the legend of a thousand cranes: if you fold a thousand origami cranes, that person's wish will come true. Sadako painstakingly folded paper cranes from whatever material she could find. But on October 25 of the same year, she died without reaching her goal.

Sadako Sasaki serves as a symbol for children and other innocent victims of war. With the funds raised, in May 1958, a memorial was erected in honor of Sadako in the Hiroshima Peace Park. To this day, children continue to fold paper cranes to decorate her memorial.

Sadako is a bitter reminder of why Japan included Article 9 (prohibiting war as a means of settling international disputes) in its constitution.

Kimi Iwata / Kimie Iwata (1947)

Former Executive Vice President of Shiseido Co., Ltd.

Iwata is a rare example of a female leader in Japan. The fact is that in the country of the samurai, according to the Bureau of Gender Equality, women make up less than 1% of the leaders of leading Japanese companies and only 10% of leaders in general.

After graduating from the University of Tokyo in 1971, Kimi Iwata immediately joined the Ministry of Labor, where she helped create the Equal Employment Opportunity Act in the mid-1980s.

In 2003, she joined Shiseido, the largest Japanese cosmetics company and the fourth largest in the world. Until 2012, she served as Corporate Director and Executive Vice President at the company. Iwata strongly supported female employees at Shiseido and advocated a more female-friendly corporate ethic.

Kimi Iwata also participated as the main spokesperson for the Women's Empowerment Forum. She is also a member of the Gender Equality Council.

Chiaki Mukai (1952)

Physician and astronaut JAXA

Mukai is the first female astronaut from Japan and the first citizen of the Land of the Rising Sun to fly two space shuttle missions, one aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia in 1994 and the other aboard the Discovery in 1998. Mukai flew with US Senator John Glenn, who was 77 years old at the time and became the oldest person to go into space. Their flight was covered live on television in the United States.

You met ten of the most prominent Japanese women in the history of the country. In fact, it was very difficult to choose the best ones. And perhaps you would like to include other personalities in this top? If so, please share your thoughts in the comments.

(1893-1945), naval officer.

Iwakura Tomomi(1825-1883), prince - a prominent statesman of Japan.

ID

Izaki (Izaki) Matome, Japanese naval figure, vice admiral. From Nov. 1941 to Nov. In 1943, in the battles for Guadalcanal, he commanded a support group, which included the 30th destroyer division (the light cruiser Jintsu, the destroyers Makatsuki and Yukikaze) and the 16th destroyer division (Hamakaze, Kiyunami, " Yugur). In 1944 he was appointed commander of the 1st division of battleships, at the head of which, as part of the fleet of Admiral T. Kurita, he participated in the battle for the Philippines and in the battle in Leyte Gulf.

AI

Ii Naosuke(1815-1860), Japanese statesman.

Iida Shojiro(1888 - ?), military figure.

Iimura (Iimura) Yo(1888-?), Japanese military figure, lieutenant general. In 1930-32 military attache in Ankara. In 1932-33 he was an inspector of the Academy of the General Staff, in 1933 he was the head of a department of the General Staff. In 1935 he commanded the 61st Infantry Regiment. In 1938-39 deputy chief, in 1939 and 1943-44 chief of the Academy of the General Staff. In 1939-40 Chief of Staff of the Kwantung Army. In 1941 director of the Institute of Military Research. In 1941-43 he commanded the troops of the 5th Army operating in Manchuria. On March 16, 1944, he was appointed Chief of Staff of the Southern Army. In 1944-45 commander of the 2nd front in Indonesia. Since June 1945, the commander of the Tokyo Defensive Army and the Tokyo Military Region, in Sept. 1945 retired.

Iinuna Yokusai(1782-1865). Scientist. Yinuna studied Dutch scientific works (rangaku) ​​in Edo. He is credited with using Western botanical works in herbal medicine (honzogaku). In 1856, he compiled a 20-volume botanical atlas (Somoku zusetsu), in which he described 1215 plant species, classifying them according to the Linnaean system, and not in the traditional Japanese way. *

IR

Ikkyu Sozun(1391-1481). Zen Buddhist monk of the Rinzai school.

Ike Taiga(1723-1776). Artist and calligrapher of high literary style. Taiga was born and lived in Kyoto, where he first learned the Tosa style, but soon became interested in the Nanga (Southern School) style. He studied with Japanese literary style pioneers Yanagisawa Kien and Sakaki Hyakusen. While studying finger-writing, Taiga focused on the Chinese style, including sources such as the painting textbook The Mustard Seed Garden, while also studying Zen and calligraphy. *

Ikeda Hayato(1899-?), Japanese politician and statesman.

THEM

Imamura Hiroshi(1887 - 1968), military leader

IN

Ingen(1592-1673). Founder of the Obaku school of Zen Buddhism in Japan. The Chinese monk Ingen studied Zen Buddhism in China and after that went to Japan in 1654. In 1658, the shogun Tokugawa Ietsuna granted land to Ingen in Uji, near Kyoto, on which he built Mampukuji, the seat of the Obaku school. The Obaku Zen teaching combines the practice of nembuiu and esoteric Buddhist rituals. Ingen's ability as a calligrapher popularized Obak's calligraphy style. *

Inoguchi Toshihara(1896-1944), naval officer.

Ino Jakusui(1655-1715). Physician and chemist. Ino studied medicinal herbs (honzogaku) ​​as well as the properties of about 2,000 plants listed in the Chinese herbal text. He is best known for his Shobutsu ruisan, a 1,000-volume work on medicinal herbs. Starting this work in 1697, he managed to write 362 volumes. The remaining books were completed by his students, who were supported by the shogun Tokugawa Yoshimune. *

Ino Takadaka(1745-1818). Geographer and cartographer of the Edo period. Accurately measured the length of the meridian using Japanese methods. Ino's most important work was the compilation of maps of Japan based on his own explorations and travels around the country. *

Inoue Kaoru(1835-1915), Japanese statesman.

Inoue Kiyoshi(1913-?), Japanese historian.

Inoue Shigeyoshi(1889-1975), naval figure

Inukai Tsuyoshi(April 20, 1855 - May 15, 1932) - Japanese politician. From the 90s of the 19th century, he occupied a prominent position in various bourgeois-landlord parties. Since 1929 - the leader of the seiyukai party. In December 1931 - May 1932 - Prime Minister. The Inukai government completed the occupation of Northeast China, and pursued a policy of increased inflation within the country. Killed by a group of fascist "young officers" during the coup on May 15, 1932. ( Soviet historical encyclopedia. In 16 volumes. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia. 1973-1982. Volume 6. INDRA - CARACAS. 1965).

AND ABOUT

Yoshihito, Yoshihito, Taisho's throne name(1879-1926), Emperor of Japan.

IP

Ippen(1239-1289). Buddhist monk of the Pure Land. Ippen began studying Buddhism at the age of nine, when he came to the monastery of the Tendai Enryakuji school, located on Mount Hiei. Three years later, he went to Kyushu to study Pure Land Buddhism. After a short stay away from religious life, Ippen became an itinerant priest. After deep religious experiences, in 1276 he founded the Ji-shu (School of Burden). Ippen later developed a form of ecstatic dance in praise of the Buddha Amida. Despite the resistance of the Tendai school, Ippen taught this kind of religious dance to his students. It is said that before his death, Ippen destroyed all his written works, leaving nothing for future generations. *

IP

Ishibashi Tanzan(b. 1884), Japanese statesman and politician.

Ishii Kikujiro(1866-1945), Viscount - major Japanese diplomat.

Ishii Shiro(June 25, 1882-1959), military figure.

Ishihara Kanyi(1889 - 1949), Japanese military figure, lieutenant general. In 1933 he commanded the 4th Infantry Regiment. In 1935 he headed the department of the Operational Directorate of the General Staff, and in 1937 he became the head of the entire directorate. Engaged in planning military operations in China. In 1937 he was appointed deputy chief of staff of the Kwantung Army. In 1937-1938 he was commander of the Manchurian garrison zone, one of the most influential Japanese officers in Manchukuo. In 1938 he retired. In 1939 he returned to the service and was appointed to the post of commander of the 16th division. Retired since 1941.

Isogai Rensuke(1886 - 1967), Japanese military figure. From 1937 he commanded the 10th Infantry Division stationed in Manchuria. On January 19, 1942, after the establishment of the Governor-General in Hong Kong, he was placed at the head of it. I. was entrusted with the tasks of defending the territory and military administration. The Hong Kong garrison (3 infantry battalions) was transferred to I.'s subordination, and operationally subordinated to the commander-in-chief of the expeditionary forces in China. Surrendered to British forces. After the war, he was charged with war crimes and sentenced to life imprisonment.

IT

Itagaki Seishiro(1885 - 12/23/1948), Japanese military figure.

Itagaki Taisuke(1837-1919), Japanese politician.

Ichikawa Shoichi(1892-1945), leader of the labor movement in Japan.

Ito Genboku(1800-1871). Outstanding doctor. Studied Western medicine under Philipp Franz von Siebold. In 1826 he founded the School of Western Science, where he taught many scientists and physicians. In 1858 he was appointed physician to the shogun. Genboku set up a vaccination center in Edo and was the first Japanese physician to administer the smallpox vaccine. *

Ito Zakuchu(1716-1800). Artist and printer. The son of a wealthy shopkeeper, Zakuchu lived and worked in Kyoto near the markets. He specialized in graceful images of birds that roamed his garden. He belonged to the Kano school, but was influenced by Chinese academic painters of the Yuan and Ming dynasties, whose works were present in the Shokokuji collections. Settling in this temple after 1788, Zakuchu began writing works on Buddhist themes and scenes from life in Shokokuji. It enjoyed relatively little fame and was rediscovered only at the end of the 19th century. *

Itō Jinsai(1627-1705). Confucian philosopher (Japan).

Itoh Keisuke(1803-1901). Physician and botanist. Ito specialized in the study of medicinal herbs (honzoku). Using as a model Carl Peter Thunberg's Flora Japonica, donated by Philipp Franz von Siebold, Taisei honzo meiso wrote in 1829. This book uses the Latin names of plants arranged according to the Linnaean classification. *

Ito (Ito) Seiichi(1890-1945), naval officer.

Itoh Hirobumi(1841-1909), Japanese statesman.

Ito Yuko- admiral in the 19th century.

Ihara Saikaku(1642 -1693). Writer and poet. Saikaku was one of the most significant authors of the Edo period. See Chapter 8 "Language and Literature". *

YO

Yokoyama Isamu(1889 -?), Japanese military figure, lieutenant general. In 1929-32 he was the head of the department of the Planning Board of the Research Council. In 1933-34 he was the head of the department of the Economic and Mobilization Directorate of the Military Ministry. From 1934 commander of the 2nd regiment, in 1936-37 chief of staff of the 6th division. In 1937 he headed the Planning Department, and in 1939 - the 1st Department of the Research Council. In 1939 he was appointed commander of the 1st division. From 1941 commander of the 4th Army in Manchuria. Since March 1943, commander of the 11th Army in China. 11/22/1944 transferred to the post of commander of the Western Army stationed in the Japanese Islands. In 1945 the army was reorganized into the 16th Front, deployed on the island of Ryukyu.

Japan is one of the most economically and technologically advanced countries in the world. There are many famous Japanese people who have made invaluable contributions in areas such as business, politics, cinema, sports, and science. Keep reading to know about some of them.

SakichiToyoda.

Sakichi Toyoda was a famous Japanese inventor and industrialist. He was born on February 14, 1867 in a family of carpenters. He patented the first wooden loom that increased productivity by 40-50%. He perfected the first loom powered by steam. Sakichi's most famous invention is the automatic loom, in which he implemented the principle of complete automation. He founded Toyota Industries Co. Ltd. He died of pneumonia on October 30, 1930.

Emperor Akihito.

Akihito is the current Emperor of Japan. In 1989 he became Emperor. He is the eldest son of Emperor Shouya and Empress Gojun. He was born on December 23, 1933. He studied with tutors. He subsequently attended the School of Peers. In April 1959, Akihito married Michiko Shoda, a simple girl. They had three children - Crown Prince Naruito, Prince Akishino and Princess Nori. As Crown Prince, he traveled extensively, visiting the United States, Canada, Great Britain and several countries in Asia and South America. Akihito is an experienced marine biologist. He also wrote articles about the earlier period of Japanese Scientific History.

DenFujita.

Fujita was a famous Japanese entrepreneur. He was born March 3, 1926 in Osaka, Japan. He worked as an English translator during high school. He is the man who made the hamburger a Japanese symbol. He founded McDonald's in Japan in 1971. McDonald's in Japan today makes about four billion dollars. Lair died of cardiac arrest on April 21, 2004.

AnnoHideaki.

Anno is a famous Japanese animator and director. He was born on May 22, 1960 in Ube, Yamaguchi, Japan. In 1984 he created Gainax, a Japanese anime studio. He was the chief animator for two of the most popular anime films of the decade: Macross: Do You Remember Love? and Nausicaa: Valleys of the Wind.

AbeCobo.

Abe was a famous Japanese writer. He was born on March 7, 1924 in Kita, Tokyo. His works include Kangaroo Notebook, Women in the Dunes, The Man Who Turned into a Stick, Inter Ice Age 4, Secret Rendezvous, Shattered Map and Box Man. January 22, 1993 he died.

Sujiyama Ai.

Sujiyama is a famous Japanese tennis player. She was born on July 5, 1975 in Yakohoma, Japan. In 1993, she made her Grand Slam debut at Wimbledon and lost in the first round to Gigi Fernandez. In 1994, she won the open tournament in Japan and entered the list of 100 best tennis players. In 1995, she entered the top 50. In 1999, she qualified for the singles final in Japan. In 2000, she became the first Japanese woman to win first place.

We are used to seeing mostly English-language films on the TV screen or in cinemas, in which, you will agree, you can rarely see a pretty girl with exotic Asian beauty. Few of us know Japanese or Chinese pop musicians and singers either. Unless oriental beauties-models have become familiar on the covers of glossy magazines.

We decided to compile a list of incomparably beautiful and far from well-known stars from different parts of Japan, South Korea, China and Hong Kong.

Ayumi Hamasaki

At home, she is considered the unspoken "Empress of Japanese pop music." He is one of the most successful performers in the history of the Japanese music industry. The future star was brought up mainly by her grandmother, who subsequently supported all the dreams of her beloved granddaughter, namely: to become a model (Ayumi did not get into the modeling world because of her small stature), an actress and, finally, a singer. Ten years ago, Ayu, as she is also called, began to have hearing problems - her left ear completely stopped hearing. Nevertheless, the singer continues to sing, perform and release albums.

Erika Sawajiri

Japanese model, actress and singer. Her father is Japanese and her mother is Algerian French. Erica got into show business by accident - she wanted to get an autograph of her favorite star, for this she auditioned at Stardust Productions, where a beautiful girl was immediately offered to become a model. Six months later, Erica already got into the television series. And in 2007, she released her debut single, which reached number one on the Oricon Charts.

Maki Goto

Japanese singer, actress and former member of the country's very popular group Morning Musume. In 2002, she began her solo career, singing mainly in the J-pop style.

Park Min Young

Popular actress in South Korea. Her most notable roles in TV dramas are "Sungkyunkwan Scandal", "City Hunter", "Healer" and "Remember".

Bianca Bay

Actress and model of Taiwanese-Japanese descent. After graduating from Shi Hsin University, she went to work as a model and then became an actress. She was nominated for the Taiwanese equivalent of an Emmy for Outstanding TV Series Actress in 2010.

Bae Soo Ji

Korean actress, model and singer. Better known under the cute pseudonym Susie. She started as a model for online stores, then got into the musical group miss A, almost simultaneously began acting on television and in films. It has the unofficial title of "The Nation's First Love" due to its popularity in the country.

Lin Chilin

Taiwanese model and actress. Her incredibly fast ascent to Taiwan's showbiz Olympus has even been dubbed the "Lin Chilin Phenomenon". The girl is also often called the "First Person of Taiwan" in the press due to her delicate beauty and gentle disposition.

Lynn Hong

The actress and model was born in China but grew up and now works in Hong Kong. In 2009, ranked 4th among the highest paid models in Greater China. Recognized as the owner of the most beautiful breasts in Asia.

Zhang Ziyi

Perhaps one of the most famous actresses from our list to the Western audience. Chinese Zhang Ziyi gained popularity after the film "The Road Home", and after the release of the film "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" became a world-class actress.

Yang Jin Song

South Korean young and promising actress. She made her debut in 2010 in the film "Wedding Dress", became popular after the release of the series "Bride of the Century".

Park Sin Hye

A South Korean actress who can dance, sing, and pose. She became one of the most recognizable actresses in South Korea after the release of such hits as "You are beautiful", "Strings of the soul", "Heirs".

Fan Bingbing

By the way, you also probably saw this Chinese actress and singer if you watched the movie "Iron Man 3" and the "X-Men" franchise. Fan Bingbing is known for her beauty, which is recognized by both the West and the East.