Japanese People Famous Physicians from Japan

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List of notable or famous physicians from Japan, with bios and photos, including the top physicians born in Japan and even some popular physicians who immigrated to Japan. If you're trying to find out the names of famous Japanese physicians then this list is the perfect resource for you. These physicians are among the most prominent in their field, and information about each well-known physician from Japan is included when available.

List features Shinya Yamanaka, Shiro Ishii and more people.

This historic physicians from Japan list can help answer the questions "Who are some Japanese physicians of note?" and "Who are the most famous physicians from Japan?" These prominent physicians of Japan may or may not be currently alive, but what they all have in common is that they're all respected Japanese physicians.

Use this list of renowned Japanese physicians to discover some new physicians that you aren't familiar with. Don't forget to share this list by clicking one of the social media icons at the top or bottom of the page. (42 items)

1

Akira Koike age 58
Akira Koike is a Japanese politician and member of the House of Councillors for the Japanese Communist Party. He is a physician, specialized in gastroenterology, and a member of the Japanese ...more

2

Aoyama Tanemichi Dec. at 58 (1859-1917)
Aoyama Tanemichi was a medical scientist and doctor. He became a member of the Imperial Japan Academy in 1906, received the first class medal, "Order of the Sacred Treasure", in 1916, ...more

3

Arata Kochi
Arata Kochi is a Japanese physician and public health expert, who is the former director of the World Health Organization's malaria program. He had previously been director of WHO's tuberculosis ...more

4

Chujiro Hayashi Dec. at 60 (1880-1940)
Chujiro Hayashi, the disciple of Mikao Usui Mr Chujiro Hayashi was age 47 when they first met each other, Hayashi played a major role in the transmission of [["Usui reiki Shiki Ryoho'out of ...more

5

Hajime Hosokawa Dec. at 69 (1901-1970)
Hajime Hosokawa was director of the company hospital attached to the Chisso corporation's chemical factory in Minamata, Kumamoto prefecture, Japan. He was the first doctor to discover and treat ...more

6

Hanaoka Seishū Dec. at 75 (1760-1835)
Hanaoka Seishū was a Japanese surgeon of the Edo period with a knowledge of Chinese herbal medicine, as well as Western surgical techniques he had learned through Rangaku. Hanaoka is said to ...more

7

Hakaru Hashimoto Dec. at 53 (1881-1934)
Hakaru Hashimoto was a Japanese medical scientist of the Meiji and Taishō periods.

8

Hideyo Noguchi Dec. at 52 (1876-1928)
Hideyo Noguchi, also known as Seisaku Noguchi, was a prominent Japanese bacteriologist who in 1911 discovered the agent of syphilis as the cause of progressive paralytic disease.

9

Hiraga Gennai Dec. at 52 (1728-1780)
Hiraga Gennai was an Edo period Japanese pharmacologist, student of Rangaku, physician, author, painter and inventor who is well known for his Erekiteru, Kandankei and Kakanpu. He also wrote the ...more

10

Hiromi Shinya age 84
Hiromi Shinya is a Japanese-born general surgeon. He pioneered modern colonoscopic techniques, and invented the electrosurgical polypectomy snare now common on colonoscopes, allowing for removal ...more

11

Hiroshi Nakajima Dec. at 85 (1928-2013)
Hiroshi Nakajima was a Japanese doctor. He was born in Chiba, Japan, on 16 May 1928. Nakajima received his M.D. from Tokyo Medical University, Japan. Dr Nakajima joined WHO in 1974 in the ...more

12

Ichirō Kamoshita age 70
Ichirō Kamoshita is a Japanese politician and doctor, who served as Minister of the Environment in Yasuo Fukuda's cabinet. Born in Adachi, Tokyo, he graduated from Nihon University, earning a ...more

13

Ryukichi Inada Dec. at 76 (1874-1950)
Ryukichi Inada was a Japanese physician, a prominent academic, and bacteriologist researcher. He was the discoverer of the Weil's disease pathogen. In addition to his life's work in early ...more

14

Katsuragawa Hoshū Dec. at 58 (1751-1809)
Katsuragawa Hoshū was a Japanese physician and scholar of rangaku. was a Japanese physician and scholar of rangaku. He served the Tokugawa shogunate as a physician and as a translator of Dutch. ...more

15

Keisuke Ito Dec. at 98 (1803-1901)
Keisuke Ito was a Japanese physician and biologist. He was born in Nagoya. He studied Western science under Philipp Franz von Siebold during the 1820s. As a doctor, Ito developed a vaccination ...more

16

Kitasato Shibasaburo Dec. at 78 (1853-1931)
Baron Kitasato Shibasaburō was a Japanese physician and bacteriologist during the prewar period. He is remembered as the co-discoverer of the infectious agent of bubonic plague in Hong Kong in ...more

17

Kiyoshi Shiga Dec. at 86 (1871-1957)
Kiyoshi Shiga was a Japanese physician and bacteriologist.

18

Ogata Kōan Dec. at 53 (1810-1863)
Ogata Kōan was a Japanese physician who lived in the Edo period. He is well known for importing Western medical knowledge into Japan during Japan's isolationist era, and for establishing the ...more

19

Koganei Yoshikiyo Dec. at 85 (1859-1944)
Koganei Yoshikiyo was a Japanese anatomist and anthropologist of the Meiji period. A child of an Echigo Nagaoka clansman, he graduated from East School, the precursor of the Tokyo Imperial ...more

20

Kusumoto Ine Dec. at 76 (1827-1903)
Kusumoto Ine, also known as Oine, was the first female doctor of Western medicine in Japan and the daughter of German Dejima-based physician Philipp Franz von Siebold. Her mother was Kusumoto ...more

21

Masazumi Harada Dec. at 78 (1934-2012)
Masazumi Harada was a Japanese doctor and medical researcher. His most famous work covered the effects of Minamata disease, a type of severe mercury poisoning that occurred in the city of ...more

22

Matsumoto Jun Dec. at 75 (1832-1907)
Matsumoto Jun was a Japanese physician who served as the personal physician to the last Shogun, Tokugawa Yoshinobu. He also studied photography with J. L. C. Pompe van Meerdervoort, though he ...more

23

Minoru Shirota Dec. at 83 (1899-1982)
Minoru Shirota was a Japanese microbiologist. He was the inventor of Yakult, the yogurt-like probiotic drink containing Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota.

24

Mori Ogai Dec. at 60 (1862-1922)
Lieutenant-General Mori Ōgai was a Japanese Army Surgeon general officer, translator, novelist and poet. Gan is considered his major work.

25

Morishima Chūryō Dec. at 54 (1756-1810)
Morishima Chūryō was an Edo period Japanese author of popular fiction who also wrote a number of works in the field of rangaku. He wrote under many pen names, including Manzōtei, Shinra Manzō, ...more

1 Akira Koike age 58 Akira Koike is a Japanese politician and member of the House of Councillors for the Japanese Communist Party. He is a physician, specialized in gastroenterology, and a member of the Japanese ...more

2 Aoyama Tanemichi Dec. at 58 (1859-1917) Aoyama Tanemichi was a medical scientist and doctor. He became a member of the Imperial Japan Academy in 1906, received the first class medal, "Order of the Sacred Treasure", in 1916, ...more

3 Arata Kochi Arata Kochi is a Japanese physician and public health expert, who is the former director of the World Health Organization's malaria program. He had previously been director of WHO's tuberculosis ...more

4 Chujiro Hayashi Dec. at 60 (1880-1940) Chujiro Hayashi, the disciple of Mikao Usui Mr Chujiro Hayashi was age 47 when they first met each other, Hayashi played a major role in the transmission of [["Usui reiki Shiki Ryoho'out of ...more

5 Hajime Hosokawa Dec. at 69 (1901-1970) Hajime Hosokawa was director of the company hospital attached to the Chisso corporation's chemical factory in Minamata, Kumamoto prefecture, Japan. He was the first doctor to discover and treat ...more

6 Hanaoka Seishū Dec. at 75 (1760-1835) Hanaoka Seishū was a Japanese surgeon of the Edo period with a knowledge of Chinese herbal medicine, as well as Western surgical techniques he had learned through Rangaku. Hanaoka is said to ...more

7 Hakaru Hashimoto Dec. at 53 (1881-1934) Hakaru Hashimoto was a Japanese medical scientist of the Meiji and Taishō periods.

8 Hideyo Noguchi Dec. at 52 (1876-1928) Hideyo Noguchi, also known as Seisaku Noguchi, was a prominent Japanese bacteriologist who in 1911 discovered the agent of syphilis as the cause of progressive paralytic disease.

9 Hiraga Gennai Dec. at 52 (1728-1780) Hiraga Gennai was an Edo period Japanese pharmacologist, student of Rangaku, physician, author, painter and inventor who is well known for his Erekiteru, Kandankei and Kakanpu. He also wrote the ...more

10 Hiromi Shinya age 84 Hiromi Shinya is a Japanese-born general surgeon. He pioneered modern colonoscopic techniques, and invented the electrosurgical polypectomy snare now common on colonoscopes, allowing for removal ...more

11 Hiroshi Nakajima Dec. at 85 (1928-2013) Hiroshi Nakajima was a Japanese doctor. He was born in Chiba, Japan, on 16 May 1928. Nakajima received his M.D. from Tokyo Medical University, Japan. Dr Nakajima joined WHO in 1974 in the ...more

12 Ichirō Kamoshita age 70 Ichirō Kamoshita is a Japanese politician and doctor, who served as Minister of the Environment in Yasuo Fukuda's cabinet. Born in Adachi, Tokyo, he graduated from Nihon University, earning a ...more

13 Ryukichi Inada Dec. at 76 (1874-1950) Ryukichi Inada was a Japanese physician, a prominent academic, and bacteriologist researcher. He was the discoverer of the Weil's disease pathogen. In addition to his life's work in early ...more

14 Katsuragawa Hoshū Dec. at 58 (1751-1809) Katsuragawa Hoshū was a Japanese physician and scholar of rangaku. was a Japanese physician and scholar of rangaku. He served the Tokugawa shogunate as a physician and as a translator of Dutch. ...more

15 Keisuke Ito Dec. at 98 (1803-1901) Keisuke Ito was a Japanese physician and biologist. He was born in Nagoya. He studied Western science under Philipp Franz von Siebold during the 1820s. As a doctor, Ito developed a vaccination ...more

16 Kitasato Shibasaburo Dec. at 78 (1853-1931) Baron Kitasato Shibasaburō was a Japanese physician and bacteriologist during the prewar period. He is remembered as the co-discoverer of the infectious agent of bubonic plague in Hong Kong in ...more

17 Kiyoshi Shiga Dec. at 86 (1871-1957) Kiyoshi Shiga was a Japanese physician and bacteriologist.

18 Ogata Kōan Dec. at 53 (1810-1863) Ogata Kōan was a Japanese physician who lived in the Edo period. He is well known for importing Western medical knowledge into Japan during Japan's isolationist era, and for establishing the ...more

19 Koganei Yoshikiyo Dec. at 85 (1859-1944) Koganei Yoshikiyo was a Japanese anatomist and anthropologist of the Meiji period. A child of an Echigo Nagaoka clansman, he graduated from East School, the precursor of the Tokyo Imperial ...more

20 Kusumoto Ine Dec. at 76 (1827-1903) Kusumoto Ine, also known as Oine, was the first female doctor of Western medicine in Japan and the daughter of German Dejima-based physician Philipp Franz von Siebold. Her mother was Kusumoto ...more

21 Masazumi Harada Dec. at 78 (1934-2012) Masazumi Harada was a Japanese doctor and medical researcher. His most famous work covered the effects of Minamata disease, a type of severe mercury poisoning that occurred in the city of ...more

22 Matsumoto Jun Dec. at 75 (1832-1907) Matsumoto Jun was a Japanese physician who served as the personal physician to the last Shogun, Tokugawa Yoshinobu. He also studied photography with J. L. C. Pompe van Meerdervoort, though he ...more

23 Minoru Shirota Dec. at 83 (1899-1982) Minoru Shirota was a Japanese microbiologist. He was the inventor of Yakult, the yogurt-like probiotic drink containing Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota.

24 Mori Ogai Dec. at 60 (1862-1922) Lieutenant-General Mori Ōgai was a Japanese Army Surgeon general officer, translator, novelist and poet. Gan is considered his major work.

25 Morishima Chūryō Dec. at 54 (1756-1810) Morishima Chūryō was an Edo period Japanese author of popular fiction who also wrote a number of works in the field of rangaku. He wrote under many pen names, including Manzōtei, Shinra Manzō, ...more