Matsumoto Yamaga Football Club (松本山雅フットボールクラブ, Matsumoto Yamaga Futtobōru Kurabu) or simply Matsumoto Yamaga (松本山雅FC…Matsumoto Yamaga Football Club (松本山雅フットボールクラブ, Matsumoto Yamaga Futtobōru Kurabu) or simply Matsumoto Yamaga (松本山雅FC, Matsumoto Yamaga Efu Shī) is a Japanese football (soccer) club based in the city of Matsumoto, located in the Nagano Prefecture. The club currently plays in the J3 League, Japanese third tier of professional football.
Tomohiko Miyazaki (宮崎 智彦, Miyazaki Tomohiko; born November 21, 1986 in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese football player who…Tomohiko Miyazaki (宮崎 智彦, Miyazaki Tomohiko; born November 21, 1986 in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese football player who currently plays for Fukushima United.
Ayumi Kataoka (片岡 安祐美, Kataoka Ayumi; born 14 November 1986, in Higashi-ku, Kumamoto, Kumamoto Prefecture) is a…Ayumi Kataoka (片岡 安祐美, Kataoka Ayumi; born 14 November 1986, in Higashi-ku, Kumamoto, Kumamoto Prefecture) is a Japanese female baseball player (infielder) and manager. Kataoka graduated from Ryutsu Keizai University Faculty of Economics Faculty of Business. Currently, she belongs to the community people baseball club team Ibaraki Golden Golds. As a tarento, Kataoka belongs to the entertainment office Sato-kikaku where the inquiries of the same team are established.
Yoshiki Hiraki (平木 良樹, Hiraki Yoshiki; born October 17, 1986) is a former Japanese football player. He previously…Yoshiki Hiraki (平木 良樹, Hiraki Yoshiki; born October 17, 1986) is a former Japanese football player. He previously played for Roasso Kumamoto and Shonan Bellmare.
Yuta Someya (染谷 悠太, Someya Yūta; born September 30, 1986 in Tokyo) is a Japanese former professional footballer, He is…Yuta Someya (染谷 悠太, Someya Yūta; born September 30, 1986 in Tokyo) is a Japanese former professional footballer, He is the currently coach for J1 League club Kashiwa Reysol. who played as a centre-back. Someya came up through the youth teams of FC Tokyo and represented Ryutsu Keizai University in the Japan Football League. He then went on to play over 300 games throughout his professional career, playing for Kyoto Sanga, Cerezo Osaka and Kashiwa Reysol. He retired from playing at the end of the 2022 season and took up a role as a coach in Kashiwa Reysol's academy.
Kunihiro Yamashita (山下 訓広, Yamashita Kunihiro; born 29 May 1986) is a Japanese former football player. He plays as a…Kunihiro Yamashita (山下 訓広, Yamashita Kunihiro; born 29 May 1986) is a Japanese former football player. He plays as a centre back.
Cyrus Gichobi Njui (born 11 February 1986) is a Kenyan long-distance runner who specialises in road running…Cyrus Gichobi Njui (born 11 February 1986) is a Kenyan long-distance runner who specialises in road running competitions. Njui initially competed in the steeplechase and the 10,000 metres. He moved to Japan at a young age and studied at Ryutsu Keizai University. In 2006 he won the Sapporo Half Marathon (running for Nissan Motors) and was part of the winning Kenyan team at the International Chiba Ekiden. In 2010 he won both the Sapporo Half Marathon and the Hokkaido Marathon, recording a time of 2:11:22 hours at the latter event (the second fastest in the history of the race). He improved his marathon best to 2:09:10 hours to take fifth place at the 2011 Tokyo Marathon and defended his Sapporo title in June. Njui received an 8-month doping ban as a result of a failed drug test at the 2015 Hokkaido Marathon.
Takuya Takei (武井 択也, Takei Takuya; born January 25, 1986 in Tochigi, Tochigi) is a Japanese football player currently…Takuya Takei (武井 択也, Takei Takuya; born January 25, 1986 in Tochigi, Tochigi) is a Japanese football player currently playing for Matsumoto Yamaga FC.
Keiki Shimizu (清水 慶記, Shimizu Keiki; born December 10, 1985) is a Japanese former professional footballer who played as…Keiki Shimizu (清水 慶記, Shimizu Keiki; born December 10, 1985) is a Japanese former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
Hideyuki Akai (赤井 秀行, Akai Hideyuki; born May 2, 1985 in Chiba) is a Japanese football player. He currently plays for…Hideyuki Akai (赤井 秀行, Akai Hideyuki; born May 2, 1985 in Chiba) is a Japanese football player. He currently plays for SC Sagamihara.
Takumi Kobe (神戸 拓光, born February 23, 1985, in Ushiku, Ibaraki) is a Japanese former professional baseball outfielder…Takumi Kobe (神戸 拓光, born February 23, 1985, in Ushiku, Ibaraki) is a Japanese former professional baseball outfielder who played from 2008 to 2013 with the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball.
Josephat Muchiri Ndambiri (born 12 February 1985) is a Kenyan long-distance runner. He represented his country at the…Josephat Muchiri Ndambiri (born 12 February 1985) is a Kenyan long-distance runner. He represented his country at the World Championships in Athletics in 2007. He is based in Japan and trains with PACE Sports Management. He moved to Japan as a teenager on an athletic scholarship and specialised in long-distance track running, including the 5000 metres and 10,000 metres. He competed for, and graduated from, Ryutsu Keizai University. At the 2005 Sapporo Half Marathon, he led for the first half of the race but had faded to fourth by the finish point. At the end of the year he represented Kenyan in the International Chiba Ekiden. Running the marathon distance with a relay team of Martin Mathathi, Daniel Mwangi, Mekubo Mogusu, Onesmus Nyerere and John Kariuki, he helped set a world record time of 1:57:06 hours for the popular Japanese event. Ndambiri won a second Chiba Ekiden title with Kenya the following year, where he won his 5-kilometre leg by a margin of over twenty seconds. He won the 10,000 metres at the Kenyan Championships in 2007 and in his major international debut he finished fifth in the event at the 2007 World Championships. A month after his world appearance, he took a 5000/10,000 m double at the Japan Corporate Team Track & Field Championships. He attempted to gain selection for the 2008 Summer Olympics, but ended the trials in seventh and was not picked for the squad. Representing the Komori Corporation, he ran in the New Year Ekiden and won his 8.3 km stage. In the 2009 track season he became the first athlete to run the 10,000 m under 27 minutes on Japanese soil, taking the win at the Shizuoka International in an all-comers record of 26:57.36 minutes. He came seventh at the RAK Half Marathon in 2010, setting a personal best of 1:01:07 hours. The following year he came fourth over 10,000 m at the Hyogo Relays and then claimed third place at the Sapporo Half Marathon in June. He made his debut over the marathon distance in December 2011 and made a successful transition by taking the Fukuoka Marathon title in a time of 2:07:36 hours.
Yuji Funayama (船山 祐二, Funayama Yūji; born 19 January 1985 in Narita, Chiba) is a Japanese former footballer who played…Yuji Funayama (船山 祐二, Funayama Yūji; born 19 January 1985 in Narita, Chiba) is a Japanese former footballer who played as a midfielder.
Kenji Adachihara (足立原 健二, Adachihara Kenji; 8 November 1984) is a former Japanese footballer. He played for various…Kenji Adachihara (足立原 健二, Adachihara Kenji; 8 November 1984) is a former Japanese footballer. He played for various clubs in Indonesia and Singapore throughout his career.
Shu Abe (阿部 嵩, Abe Shū; born June 7, 1984) is a former Japanese football player. He generally plays from a central…Shu Abe (阿部 嵩, Abe Shū; born June 7, 1984) is a former Japanese football player. He generally plays from a central position as a defensively minded midfielder.
Nobuyuki Abe (阿部 伸行, Abe Nobuyuki; born 27 April 1984) is a Japanese former professional footballer who played as a…Nobuyuki Abe (阿部 伸行, Abe Nobuyuki; born 27 April 1984) is a Japanese former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
Hiroki Yuhara (湯原祐希, Yuhara Hiroki) (21 January 1984 – 28 September 2020) was a Japanese rugby union player. Yuhara…Hiroki Yuhara (湯原祐希, Yuhara Hiroki) (21 January 1984 – 28 September 2020) was a Japanese rugby union player. Yuhara played 13 international matches for the Japan national rugby union team. Yuhara was born in Chiba, and was a member of the Japan team at the 2011 Rugby World Cup, playing one match against eventual winners the All Blacks. Yuhara played for the Top League team Toshiba Brave Lupus.
Ryoichi Kurisawa (栗澤 僚一, Kurisawa Ryōichi; born 5 September 1982) is a Japanese football manager, he is the currently…Ryoichi Kurisawa (栗澤 僚一, Kurisawa Ryōichi; born 5 September 1982) is a Japanese football manager, he is the currently assistant manager for J1 League club Kashiwa Reysol and former player.
Keita Sugimoto (杉本 恵太, Sugimoto Keita; born June 13, 1982) is a former Japanese football player. His profile was raised…Keita Sugimoto (杉本 恵太, Sugimoto Keita; born June 13, 1982) is a former Japanese football player. His profile was raised when he scored an overhead kick from a tight angle (on the volley) while playing against Al-Ittihad in the AFC Champions League semi-final second round. His third daughter, Riina Sugimoto joined the idol group SKE48 as the 11th Generation.
Hirokatsu Tayama (田山 寛豪, Tayama Hirokatsu) (born November 12, 1981) is a triathlete from Japan. Tayama competed at the…Hirokatsu Tayama (田山 寛豪, Tayama Hirokatsu) (born November 12, 1981) is a triathlete from Japan. Tayama competed at the second Olympic triathlon at the 2004 Summer Olympics. He placed 13th with a total time of 1:53:28.41. At the Olympic games in Beijing Tayama placed 48th in triathlon with a time of 1:56:13.68 at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Tayama earned recognition as one of the fastest swimmers in triathlon by being the first person to complete the 2.4 mile swim at the 2005 Ironman World Championship at Kona, Hawaii.
Brendan Neilson (born 5 April 1978) is a New Zealand-Japanese former rugby union player who played as a Centre in Japan…Brendan Neilson (born 5 April 1978) is a New Zealand-Japanese former rugby union player who played as a Centre in Japan for Coca-Cola Red Sparks, NEC Green Rockets and Kamaishi Seawaves. He studied in Japan at Sendai Ikuei High School, then Ryutsu Keizai University. On graduation he first joined NEC Green Rockets. He has a bachelor's degree in tourism and social studies. In 2006, he obtained Japanese citizenship, though at international level he has yet to represent the senior Japan squad, having played for the Japan A and Under-23 sides. In April 2015, he began working as IBDP World History Instructor & Rugby Head Coach at Sendai Ikuei High School and is still currently there.
Tatsuhito Katoh (加藤 竜人, Katō Tatsuhito; born August 11, 1976 in Yoshinogawa, Tokushima, Japan) is a former professional…Tatsuhito Katoh (加藤 竜人, Katō Tatsuhito; born August 11, 1976 in Yoshinogawa, Tokushima, Japan) is a former professional Japanese baseball player.
Daniel Njenga Muturi (born 7 May 1976) is a Kenyan long-distance runner, who specializes in the marathon. He had his…Daniel Njenga Muturi (born 7 May 1976) is a Kenyan long-distance runner, who specializes in the marathon. He had his first successes in 1995 as he won the steeplechase gold medal at the 1995 Summer Universiade and also the Chiba International Cross Country meeting. He was based in Japan from early on in his early career and won the steeplechase at the Japanese Championships on three occasions. Njenga turned to marathon running and made his debut in 1995 at the Saitama Marathon in Ageo, Saitama, Japan, placing first, and then coming in tenth in his second marathon at the 1999 Fukuoka Marathon. His breakthrough year came in 2002 when he was the runner-up at the Beppu-Oita Marathon and Chicago Marathon. His time of 2:06:16 hours in Chicago made him the third fastest runner in the world for 2002, behind only Khalid Khannouchi and Paul Tergat. He is known for his consistent, close finishes in the Chicago Marathon, finishing as runner-up three times and third on two occasions, between 2003 and 2007. He was the 2006 winner of the Sendai Half Marathon. He won the Tokyo International Marathon in 2004 and then the reformed Tokyo Marathon in 2007. Njenga is a featured subject in the 2007 marathon documentary Spirit of the Marathon. Njenga was victorious at the 2009 Hokkaido Marathon and took consecutive runner-up spots at the Beppu-Ōita Marathon in 2010 and 2011.
Wataru Ikeda (born 17 November 1975) is a Japanese former professional rugby union player. Born in Higashimatsushima…Wataru Ikeda (born 17 November 1975) is a Japanese former professional rugby union player. Born in Higashimatsushima, Miyagi Prefecture, Ikeda attended Miyagi Fisheries High School and got involved in rugby union as his elder brother was a player. He attended Ryutsu Keizai University. Ikeda, a scrum-half, was with Sanyo Wild Knights for the inaugural Top League season in 2003–04 and earned a place in the tournament's best XV. He made his international debut with Japan in 2004 and was in the team for three years, gaining 14 caps, some as captain. In 2008, Ikeda transferred to Ricoh Black Rams, where he remained for the remainder of his career. He was the competition's oldest player at 39-year of age in his final season.
Daisuke Enomoto (榎本 大輔, Enomoto Daisuke; born April 22, 1971, nicknamed Dice-K) is a Japanese businessman and former…Daisuke Enomoto (榎本 大輔, Enomoto Daisuke; born April 22, 1971, nicknamed Dice-K) is a Japanese businessman and former livedoor executive who hoped to become the fourth space tourist. He had trained at Star City, Moscow in Russia to fly with two members of Expedition 14 on board Soyuz TMA-9, which was launched on September 18, 2006. However, on August 21, 2006, a Russian Federal Space Agency spokesman announced that Enomoto was "deemed not ready to fly for exclusively medical reasons", although he hinted that Enomoto might recover and join a later mission. His replacement on this particular flight was Iranian-American businesswoman Anousheh Ansari. Enomoto lodged a lawsuit against Virginia-based Space Adventures in which he hoped to reclaim the $21 million he paid the company over a two-year span. During the lawsuit, it was revealed that the "medical reason" was chronic kidney stones. Space Adventures claims it advised Enomoto to treat the kidney stones aggressively and when he did not, they had to disqualify him from spaceflight. Enomoto claims that he was misled about the kidney stones issue, and that the real reason for his disqualification was his refusal to provide additional funds to Space Adventures. Enomoto would have been the first self-funded space tourist from Japan and Asia (journalist Toyohiro Akiyama flew on Soyuz TM-11 in 1990, and could be regarded as the first space business traveller). Enomoto's flight would have taken him to the International Space Station (ISS) after lifting off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, the world's oldest spaceport. Enomoto made international news when it was revealed that he intended to go into space wearing a costume akin to that of Char Aznable, a character from the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam. His planned experiment was to put together one or more Gundam models in zero gravity.
Mari Tanigawa (谷川真理, Tanigawa Mari; born 27 October 1962) is a Japanese former marathon runner. Born in Fukuoka…Mari Tanigawa (谷川真理, Tanigawa Mari; born 27 October 1962) is a Japanese former marathon runner. Born in Fukuoka Prefecture, she was a two-time winner at the Tokyo International Women's Marathon, winner of the Australia's Gold Coast Marathon in 1992 and won the Paris Marathon in 1994. Tanigawa also competed in half marathon races: she won individual and team silver medals at the 1993 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships and won the 1994 Sapporo Half Marathon and 1996 America's Finest City Half Marathon. She was a team bronze medalist at the 1994 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships, where she finished tenth. She had career personal bests of 2:27:55 hours for the marathon and 1:09:37 hours for the half marathon. She is the organizer of several popular races in Japan, the Mari Tanigawa Half Marathon and the Mari Tanigawa Ekiden.
Hideki Kita (喜多 秀喜, Kita Hideki; born September 28, 1952) is a retired male long-distance runner from Japan. His…Hideki Kita (喜多 秀喜, Kita Hideki; born September 28, 1952) is a retired male long-distance runner from Japan. His personal best at the marathon distance was 2:10:30 at the 1983 Fukuoka Marathon.