The Most Famous
COMPANIONS from Japan
This page contains a list of the greatest Japanese Companions. The pantheon dataset contains 673 Companions, 5 of which were born in Japan. This makes Japan the birth place of the 24th most number of Companions behind Netherlands and India.
Top 5
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Japanese Companions of all time. This list of famous Japanese Companions is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.
1. Empress Kōjun (1903 - 2000)
With an HPI of 63.03, Empress Kōjun is the most famous Japanese Companion. Her biography has been translated into 30 different languages on wikipedia.
Nagako (6 March 1903 – 16 June 2000), posthumously honoured as Empress Kōjun, was a member of the Imperial House of Japan, the wife of Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito) and the mother of Emperor Emeritus Akihito. She was empress consort of Japan (皇后, kōgō) from 1926 until her husband's death in 1989, making her the longest-serving empress consort in Japanese history.
2. Empress Teimei (1884 - 1951)
With an HPI of 59.36, Empress Teimei is the 2nd most famous Japanese Companion. Her biography has been translated into 26 different languages.
Sadako Kujō (九条節子, Kujō Sadako, 25 June 1884 – 17 May 1951), posthumously honoured as Empress Teimei (貞明皇后, Teimei-kōgō), was the wife of Emperor Taishō and the mother of Emperor Shōwa of Japan. Her posthumous name, Teimei, means "enlightened constancy".
3. Empress Shōken (1849 - 1914)
With an HPI of 58.86, Empress Shōken is the 3rd most famous Japanese Companion. Her biography has been translated into 26 different languages.
Masako Ichijō (一条勝子, Ichijō Masako, 9 May 1849 – 9 April 1914), who adopted the imperial given name Haruko (美子) in 1867 and was posthumously honoured as Empress Dowager Shōken (昭憲皇太后, Shōken-kōtaigō), was the wife of Emperor Meiji of Japan. She was one of the founders of the Japanese Red Cross Society, whose charity work was known throughout the First Sino-Japanese War.
4. Shigeko Higashikuni (1925 - 1961)
With an HPI of 54.10, Shigeko Higashikuni is the 4th most famous Japanese Companion. Her biography has been translated into 15 different languages.
Shigeko Higashikuni (東久邇 成子, Higashikuni Shigeko, 6 December 1925 – 23 July 1961), born Shigeko, Princess Teru (照宮成子内親王, Teru-no-miya Shigeko Naishinnō), was the wife of Prince Morihiro Higashikuni (grandson of Emperor Meiji) and eldest daughter of Emperor Shōwa and Empress Kōjun. She was the eldest sister to Emperor Emeritus Akihito, and paternal aunt to Emperor Naruhito.
5. Olivia Lufkin (1979 - )
With an HPI of 35.79, Olivia Lufkin is the 5th most famous Japanese Companion. Her biography has been translated into 17 different languages.
Olivia Lufkin (born December 9, 1979), professionally known as Olivia, is a Japanese singer and songwriter. Lufkin began her solo career after singing in the Japanese girl group D&D. She gained mainstream success in 2006 after creating songs for the fictional band Trapnest under the alias "Olivia Inspi' Reira (Trapnest)." The songs were used for the popular anime adaptation of Nana.
Pantheon has 5 people classified as companions born between 1849 and 1979. Of these 5, 1 (20.00%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living companions include Olivia Lufkin. The most famous deceased companions include Empress Kōjun, Empress Teimei, and Empress Shōken. As of April 2022, 1 new companions have been added to Pantheon including Shigeko Higashikuni.
Living Companions
Go to all RankingsDeceased Companions
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Empress Kōjun
1903 - 2000
HPI: 63.03
Empress Teimei
1884 - 1951
HPI: 59.36
Empress Shōken
1849 - 1914
HPI: 58.86
Shigeko Higashikuni
1925 - 1961
HPI: 54.10
Newly Added Companions (2022)
Go to all RankingsWhich Companions were alive at the same time? This visualization shows the lifespans of the 4 most globally memorable Companions since 1700.
