Shin Amano (天野 真, Amano Shin; born May 13, 1973 in Tokyo) is a Japanese figure skating coach and ISU technical…Shin Amano (天野 真, Amano Shin; born May 13, 1973 in Tokyo) is a Japanese figure skating coach and ISU technical specialist. He appeared as a men's singles skater during most of his competitive career, winning the national title in the 1994–1995 season. In 1997, he began a brief pairs career with Marie Arai. The pair placed 20th at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano. They are the 1998 Japanese national champions.
Yutaka Nakamura (中村 豊, Nakamura Yutaka; born April 23, 1973 in Sakai, Osaka) is a retired Japanese professional…Yutaka Nakamura (中村 豊, Nakamura Yutaka; born April 23, 1973 in Sakai, Osaka) is a retired Japanese professional outfielder.
Tochinohana Hitoshi (栃乃花 仁; born 28 February 1973 as Hitoshi Yachi) is a former Japanese sumo wrestler from Yamagata…Tochinohana Hitoshi (栃乃花 仁; born 28 February 1973 as Hitoshi Yachi) is a former Japanese sumo wrestler from Yamagata, Iwate. A former amateur champion, he turned professional in 1995, reaching the top makuuchi division in 2000. His highest rank was komusubi. He retired in 2008 and is now a sumo coach.
Kei Taniguchi (谷口 けい, Taniguchi Kei, 14 July 1972 – 22 December 2015) was a Japanese mountaineer. Her accomplishments…Kei Taniguchi (谷口 けい, Taniguchi Kei, 14 July 1972 – 22 December 2015) was a Japanese mountaineer. Her accomplishments included climbing new technical routes on various mountains in Alaska, Nepal, Tibet, Pakistan and China. In 2009, she became the first female mountaineer to win the prestigious International Climbing award Piolet d'Or (Golden Ice Axe) after completing the first ascent of the Southeast Face of Kamet (7756 m) in India, sharing the award with her climbing partner Kazuya Hiraide. She was known for her fearless Alpinist climbing style with no Sherpa support and was considered a pioneer among her peers.
Noboru Yamaguchi (ヤマグチ ノボル, Yamaguchi Noboru; February 11, 1972 – April 4, 2013) was a Japanese light novel and game…Noboru Yamaguchi (ヤマグチ ノボル, Yamaguchi Noboru; February 11, 1972 – April 4, 2013) was a Japanese light novel and game scenario author from Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. He was well known for being the author of The Familiar of Zero light novels and visual novels by Frontwing.
Katsuhiko Hayashi (林 克彥, Hayashi Katsuhiko; born 1972) is a Japanese reproductive geneticist and stem cell researcher.…Katsuhiko Hayashi (林 克彥, Hayashi Katsuhiko; born 1972) is a Japanese reproductive geneticist and stem cell researcher. He achieved same-sex reproduction of male mice and thus ranked Nature's 10.
Risa Tachibana (立花理佐, Tachibana Risa) (born October 19, 1971) is a former Japanese idol. She is featured in the video…Risa Tachibana (立花理佐, Tachibana Risa) (born October 19, 1971) is a former Japanese idol. She is featured in the video game Risa no Yōsei Densetsu.
Hiroyuki Kitahara (北原広之, born 13 September 1971) is a Japanese dressage rider. He represented Japan at the 2010 World…Hiroyuki Kitahara (北原広之, born 13 September 1971) is a Japanese dressage rider. He represented Japan at the 2010 World Equestrian Games and won team silver at the 2002 Asian Games in Busan. In 2019 he set a new record by winning a CDI in Europe as the first Japanese dressage rider. Hiroyuki started riding at the age of eight at the Japan Racing Association's club in Tokyo, while joining the Japanese youth team. In his riding career he worked several times in Germany from 1999 to 2001 and from 2007 to 2008. In 2018 he returned to Germany to prepare for the 2020 Olympic Games to train with Finnish team rider Henri Ruoste. Kitahara was part of the Japanese dressage team during the 2020 Summer Olympics in his city of birth Tokyo. He competed with his horse Huracan in the Grand Prix and finished 45th in the individual competition.
Sanae Kikuta (Japanese: 菊田 早苗, Kikuta Sanae; born September 10, 1971) is a Japanese mixed martial artist currently…Sanae Kikuta (Japanese: 菊田 早苗, Kikuta Sanae; born September 10, 1971) is a Japanese mixed martial artist currently competing in the Welterweight division. A professional competitor since 1996, he has competed for the UFC, PRIDE Fighting Championships, Pancrase, DREAM, World Victory Road, DEEP, Shooto, and Vale Tudo Japan. He is the former Pancrase Light Heavyweight Champion (2001–2003) and the winner of the ADCC 88 kg class in 2001.
Yukio Motoki (元木由記雄, Motoki Yukio) (born Higashiōsaka, Osaka. August 27, 1971) is a former Japanese rugby union…Yukio Motoki (元木由記雄, Motoki Yukio) (born Higashiōsaka, Osaka. August 27, 1971) is a former Japanese rugby union footballer. He played as a centre and was known for his powerful running and tackling.
Yusuke Torigoe (鳥越 裕介, Torigoe Yusuke; born July 1, 1971 in Usuki, Ōita, Japan), nicknamed "Usuki", is a former Nippon…Yusuke Torigoe (鳥越 裕介, Torigoe Yusuke; born July 1, 1971 in Usuki, Ōita, Japan), nicknamed "Usuki", is a former Nippon Professional Baseball infielder.
Kenjiro Tsuda (津田 健次郎, Tsuda Kenjirō; born June 11, 1971) is a Japanese actor, voice actor, and film director…Kenjiro Tsuda (津田 健次郎, Tsuda Kenjirō; born June 11, 1971) is a Japanese actor, voice actor, and film director, affiliated with the talent agency ANDSTIR.
Daisuke Hideshima (秀島大介, Hideshima Daisuke; born December 7, 1970 in Fukuoka) is a Japanese judoka. He began judo at…Daisuke Hideshima (秀島大介, Hideshima Daisuke; born December 7, 1970 in Fukuoka) is a Japanese judoka. He began judo at the age of 6. He won the gold medal in the Lightweight (71 kg) division at the 1995 World Judo Championships.
Nobunaga Sato (佐藤信長, Satō Nobunaga; born July 29, 1970) is a former professional basketball head coach for Aomori Wat's…Nobunaga Sato (佐藤信長, Satō Nobunaga; born July 29, 1970) is a former professional basketball head coach for Aomori Wat's in Japan and the former head coach for Noshiro Technical High School in Noshiro, Akita.
Satoshi Takayama (高山 智司, Takayama Satoshi; born 20 April 1970) is a former Japanese politician who served in the House…Satoshi Takayama (高山 智司, Takayama Satoshi; born 20 April 1970) is a former Japanese politician who served in the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature) as a member of the Democratic Party of Japan. A native of Tokyo and graduate of Meiji University, he was elected for the first time in 2003.
Mitsuhiro Murata (村田 光弘, Murata Mitsuhiro; born January 26, 1970) is a Japanese former competitive figure skater who is…Mitsuhiro Murata (村田 光弘, Murata Mitsuhiro; born January 26, 1970) is a Japanese former competitive figure skater who is now a coach. He placed 23rd in the 1992 Winter Olympics.
Takashi Miwa (三輪 隆, born December 1, 1969) is a former professional baseball player from Chiba, Japan. He was drafted…Takashi Miwa (三輪 隆, born December 1, 1969) is a former professional baseball player from Chiba, Japan. He was drafted by the Orix BlueWave in the second round of the 1993 amateur draft, and played with the team until 2004. He was the team representative for the BlueWave in the Japanese baseball players union during the 2004 Japanese baseball strike. He won a bronze medal in the 1992 Summer Olympics before entering the Japanese professional leagues.
Yū Yabūchi (やぶうち 優, Yabūchi Yū; born 1 December 1969 in Nishinomiya) is a Japanese manga artist who specializes in…Yū Yabūchi (やぶうち 優, Yabūchi Yū; born 1 December 1969 in Nishinomiya) is a Japanese manga artist who specializes in shōjo manga. Yū Yabuchi's most famous works are Mizuiro Jidai, Shōjo-Shōnen, and Naisho no Tsubomi. The main focus of her manga are the emotional and psychological growth of preteen girls and boys and early romances between them. Her works are popular among preteen and teenage girls. She received the 2009 Shogakukan Manga Award for children's manga for Naisho no Tsubomi. Her favorites subjects to draw are trains and birds (especially the Java sparrow).
Hidehiko Yoshida (吉田 秀彦, Yoshida Hidehiko; born September 3, 1969) is a Japanese gold-medalist judoka and retired mixed…Hidehiko Yoshida (吉田 秀彦, Yoshida Hidehiko; born September 3, 1969) is a Japanese gold-medalist judoka and retired mixed martial artist. He is a longtime veteran of Japan's PRIDE Fighting Championships, competing in the middleweight (93kg) and heavyweight divisions. He won gold at the 1992 Summer Olympic Games at –78 kg. Yoshida also had two famous fights with MMA pioneer Royce Gracie that resulted in a win by technical knockout and a time-limit draw.
Yoshihito Yoshida (吉田義人, Yoshida Yoshihito) (born 18 February 1969 in Ogachi, Akita) is a former rugby union footballer…Yoshihito Yoshida (吉田義人, Yoshida Yoshihito) (born 18 February 1969 in Ogachi, Akita) is a former rugby union footballer who played for Japan. He played as a wing.
Nobuyoshi Sano (佐野 信義, Sano Nobuyoshi; born January 19, 1969), better known as sanodg, is a Japanese video game…Nobuyoshi Sano (佐野 信義, Sano Nobuyoshi; born January 19, 1969), better known as sanodg, is a Japanese video game composer, musician and record producer. He is best known for scoring tracks for the Ridge Racer and Tekken series, as well as Drakengard.
Jinya Nishikata (西方 仁也, Nishikata Jin'ya) (born December 4, 1968) is a Japanese former ski jumper. He competed from…Jinya Nishikata (西方 仁也, Nishikata Jin'ya) (born December 4, 1968) is a Japanese former ski jumper. He competed from 1988 to 2001. He won a silver medal in the team large hill competition at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer and followed that up with a bronze medal in the team large hill competition at the 1995 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Nishikata finished in the top three once in each of the four Cup World Cup seasons between 1993 and 1996.
Keiichiro Fukabori (深堀圭一郎, Fukabori Kei'ichirō; born 9 October 1968) is a Japanese professional golfer who currently…Keiichiro Fukabori (深堀圭一郎, Fukabori Kei'ichirō; born 9 October 1968) is a Japanese professional golfer who currently plays on the Japan Golf Tour. He has eight wins on the Tour, and had his best year during the 2000 season.
Akiko Ōku (大九 明子, Ōku Akiko; born October 8, 1968), also romanised as Akiko Ohku, is a Japanese film director and…Akiko Ōku (大九 明子, Ōku Akiko; born October 8, 1968), also romanised as Akiko Ohku, is a Japanese film director and screenwriter. Ōku's best-known film to date is her 2017 romantic comedy Tremble All You Want. She won two Audience Awards, and was nominated for several Best Film awards at Tokyo International Film Festival and Nippon Connection Japanese film festival.
Naoki Furukawa (古川 直季, Furukawa Naoki; born 31 August 1968) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party…Naoki Furukawa (古川 直季, Furukawa Naoki; born 31 August 1968) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, who serves as a member of the House of Representatives.
Shinichi Iwasaki (岩崎 伸一, Iwasaki Shin'ichi; born 21 August 1968) is a Japanese ice hockey player. He competed in the…Shinichi Iwasaki (岩崎 伸一, Iwasaki Shin'ichi; born 21 August 1968) is a Japanese ice hockey player. He competed in the men's tournament at the 1998 Winter Olympics.
Naoya Ogawa (Japanese: 小川 直也, Ogawa Naoya) (born 31 March 1968) is a Japanese world champion judoka, retired…Naoya Ogawa (Japanese: 小川 直也, Ogawa Naoya) (born 31 March 1968) is a Japanese world champion judoka, retired professional wrestler, and mixed martial artist. He won a total of seven medals at the All-Japan Judo Championships (second only behind Yasuhiro Yamashita), and set a record of seven medals at the World Judo Championships. Ogawa won the silver medal in the +95 kg judo weight class at the 1992 Summer Olympics. Ogawa is also known for his career in professional wrestling, where he primarily worked for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), and took part in one of the promotion's most high-profile feuds of the 1990s with Shinya Hashimoto. Ogawa was also professional wrestling's two-time National Wrestling Alliance World's Heavyweight Champion.
Sachie Yuki (Japanese: 結城幸枝; born March 23, 1968) is a Japanese former competitive figure skater. She placed 5th at the…Sachie Yuki (Japanese: 結城幸枝; born March 23, 1968) is a Japanese former competitive figure skater. She placed 5th at the 1983 World Junior Championships, held in December 1982 in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. Competing internationally on the senior level, she won the bronze medal at the 1983 Ennia Challenge Cup, silver at the 1983 Prague Skate, silver at the 1985 Prague Skate and bronze at the 1985 Danubius Thermal Trophy. She became a three-time Japanese national medalist, winning silver in 1985–86 and bronze in 1982–83 and 1984–85.
Takafumi Hori (堀 孝史, Hori Takafumi; born September 10, 1967) is a Japanese football manager and former footballer he is…Takafumi Hori (堀 孝史, Hori Takafumi; born September 10, 1967) is a Japanese football manager and former footballer he is the currently assistant manager of J2 League club Yokohama FC. His brother Naoto Hori is also a footballer.
Kōji Matsushita (松下 浩二, Matsushita Kōji; born 1967) is a male Japanese former international table tennis player. He won…Kōji Matsushita (松下 浩二, Matsushita Kōji; born 1967) is a male Japanese former international table tennis player. He won a bronze medal at the 1997 World Table Tennis Championships in the men's doubles with Hiroshi Shibutani and three years later won another bronze at the 2000 World Team Table Tennis Championships.
Kotaro Azuse (東瀬 耕太郎, Azuse Kotaro; born May 6, 1967) was a Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher. He played…Kotaro Azuse (東瀬 耕太郎, Azuse Kotaro; born May 6, 1967) was a Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher. He played with the Yokohama Taiyo Whales.
Hiroshi Shibutani (渋谷 浩, Shibutani Hiroshi; born 1967) is a Japanese former international table tennis player. He won a…Hiroshi Shibutani (渋谷 浩, Shibutani Hiroshi; born 1967) is a Japanese former international table tennis player. He won a bronze medal at the 1997 World Table Tennis Championships in the men's doubles with Kōji Matsushita and three years later won another bronze at the 2000 World Team Table Tennis Championships. His father was Goro Shibutani and they became the first father and son to win the All-Japan Singles title.
Masaharu Take (武 正晴, Take Masaharu; born 1967 in Chita, Aichi) is a Japanese film director. Take began working in the…Masaharu Take (武 正晴, Take Masaharu; born 1967 in Chita, Aichi) is a Japanese film director. Take began working in the film industry without any formal training. Among his first contributions to film productions as an assistant director were Gonin (1995) and Gonin 2 (1996, both directed by Takashi Ishii). After some more years as an assistant director, his first own film as director followed in 2006, Boy Meets Pusan (ボーイ・ミーツ・プサン, Bōi mītsu Pusan). After that he worked for several years as both director and assistant director. An important role model for Take at that time was the director Kazuyuki Izutsu for whom Take worked as assistant director in many films, including Get Up! / Geroppa! in 2003, Break Through! / Pacchigi! in 2005, and Fly with the Gold / Ōgon o daite tobe in 2012. Take achieved some popularity when his film 100 Yen Love (百円の恋, Hyakuen no koi, 2014) was submitted for the 88th Academy Awards as Best Foreign Language Film (though ultimately not nominated). For Take, this honour came as a surprise, as he himself said. 100 Yen Love is about a woman working as a shop assistant in a 100-yen shop who takes up boxing. In 2017, Take revisited the theme of combat sport in The Ringside Story (リングサイド・ストーリー, Ringusaido sutōrī), a film about wrestling. The Gun (銃, Jū) from 2018 is Take's first and to date only film for which he also wrote the script. It is based on Fuminori Nakamuras debut novel of the same title from 2002. The Gun is about a university student who accidentally comes into possession of a handgun. In a review, a critic compared the film to Japanese New Wave cinema and Nagisa Ōshima, and praised the performance of main actor Nijirō Murakami. Another critic praised the film for illustrating the phantasmatic nature of the phallus and the role it plays within male subjectivity. In 2019, Take directed a television series for the first time (The Naked Director). His 2018 film We Make Antiques (嘘八百, Uso happyaku) was so successful that a sequel followed in 2020, also directed by Take. As his influences and personal favourites, Take names the directors Yūzō Kawashima, Martin Scorsese and the aforementioned Kazuyuki Izutsu, as well as actress Ayako Wakao.
Tsuchiya Yutaka (土屋豊, Tsuchiya Yutaka) (born 11 December 1966) is a Japanese film director, documentary film maker, and…Tsuchiya Yutaka (土屋豊, Tsuchiya Yutaka) (born 11 December 1966) is a Japanese film director, documentary film maker, and video activist. His works have focused on the search for identity amongst Japanese youth, particularly the allure that nationalism or extreme ideologies have offered to troubled young people.
Atsuko Nakamura (中村 敦子, Nakamura Atsuko, née Inagaki), known professionally as Hiroko Mita (三田 寛子, Mita Hiroko) is a…Atsuko Nakamura (中村 敦子, Nakamura Atsuko, née Inagaki), known professionally as Hiroko Mita (三田 寛子, Mita Hiroko) is a Japanese actress and former idol singer. She is currently represented by Puntolinea.
Kazufumi Miyazawa (宮沢和史, Miyazawa Kazufumi; born January 18, 1966) is the founder of the Japanese bands The Boom and…Kazufumi Miyazawa (宮沢和史, Miyazawa Kazufumi; born January 18, 1966) is the founder of the Japanese bands The Boom and Ganga Zumba. The former was noted in the 1990s for a fusion of rock, pop, and local Okinawan folk music. Miyazawa is responsible for virtually all lyrics and music for The Boom, who are best known for their 1993 hit song "Shima Uta". In 2006, he founded the band Ganga Zumba which includes Marcos Suzano and incorporates Brazilian and other Latin American and Caribbean influences in its music.
Kōsuke Toyohara (豊原 功補, Toyohara Kōsuke; born 25 September 1965) is a Japanese actor and singer who has appeared in…Kōsuke Toyohara (豊原 功補, Toyohara Kōsuke; born 25 September 1965) is a Japanese actor and singer who has appeared in more than 80 films since 1982. He serves as head representative of Headrock Inc.
Atsuko Kawada (川田 あつ子, Kawada Atsuko; born 10 August 1965 in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese Actor, model, singer, and…Atsuko Kawada (川田 あつ子, Kawada Atsuko; born 10 August 1965 in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese Actor, model, singer, and author. She was named "Miss Young Jump Queen" in 1981 by Shueisha in their Weekly Young Jump magazine. She became an overnight sensation following her acting debut as the heroine in the TBS television series adaptation of the best selling novel, Ningen Banji Saiō ga Hinoe Uma (人間万事塞翁が丙午), by Yukio Aoshima. She has starred in several films and television series, published a novel that was made into a film in which she starred, and had several photo collections released. She has been married to actor Yūrei Yanagi since 1999.
Masahisa Miyazaki (宮﨑政久, Miyazaki Masahisa; born 8 August 1965) is a Japanese politician. He has been a member of the…Masahisa Miyazaki (宮﨑政久, Miyazaki Masahisa; born 8 August 1965) is a Japanese politician. He has been a member of the House of Representatives since 2018, having previously served from 2012 to 2017. He served as chairman of the economy, trade and industry committee from 2024 to 2025.
Masako Kato (加藤 雅子, Katō Masako; born August 6, 1965) is a Japanese former competitive figure skater. She is the 1986…Masako Kato (加藤 雅子, Katō Masako; born August 6, 1965) is a Japanese former competitive figure skater. She is the 1986 Asian Winter Games silver medalist and 1984 Japanese national champion. She placed 19th at the 1984 Winter Olympics.
Motoi Sakuraba (桜庭 統, Sakuraba Motoi; born August 5, 1965) is a Japanese composer and keyboardist. Sakuraba is known…Motoi Sakuraba (桜庭 統, Sakuraba Motoi; born August 5, 1965) is a Japanese composer and keyboardist. Sakuraba is known for his numerous contributions in video games, including the Tales, Star Ocean, Mario Golf, Mario Tennis, Golden Sun, and Dark Souls series, as well as several other anime series, television dramas, and progressive rock albums.