Noboru Aota

was a Japanese professional baseball player. An outfielder, he played with the Tokyo Kyojin/Yomiuri Giants, Hankyu Braves, and Taiyo-Shochiku Robins from 1942 to 1959, playing in both the Japanese Baseball League and Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). A five-time league home run champion, he was one of the first true sluggers of Japanese professional baseball despite being a frame of 5'7" and weight of just 171 lbs. Aoto is one of the few Japanese players to surpass 1,000 RBI in his career. He also had 155 career stolen bases.

Coaching career Aota returned to NPB in 1972 as a manager, taking over the Taiyo Whales mid-season and only going 1-14-2. He stayed on with Taiyo in 1973, when the team went 60-64-6. Aota then became a coach, but was forced into retirement from the Yomiuri Giants in 1980 after being quoted linking himself to the Yakuza in a Sunday Mainichi interview.