Taiga Ishikawa (石川 大我, Ishikawa Taiga; born 1974) is a Japanese politician and LGBT activist. He was elected to the…
Taiga Ishikawa (石川 大我, Ishikawa Taiga; born 1974) is a Japanese politician and LGBT activist. He was elected to the House of Councillors in the 2019 Japanese House of Councillors election, becoming the first openly-gay man to be elected to either chamber of the National Diet. Previously, he became one of the first two openly gay male politicians to win an election in Japanese history when he was elected in April 2011 to a seat in the Tokyo's Toshima ward assembly. Wataru Ishizaka, also openly gay, was elected in the same election to the Nakano ward council in Tokyo. Before he was elected to the city council, he was Mizuho Fukushima's chief of staff.
Famous Alumni of Waseda University
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Hiroyasu Tsuchie (土江 寛裕, Tsuchie Hiroyasu; born 14 June 1974 in present-day Izumo, Shimane) is a coach and retired…
Hiroyasu Tsuchie (土江 寛裕, Tsuchie Hiroyasu; born 14 June 1974 in present-day Izumo, Shimane) is a coach and retired Japanese sprinter.
Mitsuteru Watanabe (渡辺 光輝, Watanabe Mitsuteru; born April 10, 1974) is a former Japanese football player.
Kyōko Nagatsuka (Japanese: 長塚京子, born February 22, 1974) is a Japanese former professional tennis player. She achieved…
Kyōko Nagatsuka (Japanese: 長塚京子, born February 22, 1974) is a Japanese former professional tennis player. She achieved a career-high ranking of world No. 28 on 14 August 1995. In doubles, she reached as high as No. 31 in June 1995. She won the 12-and-under championships of Japan in 1986, and the under-16 in 1989. Nagatsuka reached three singles finals on the WTA Tour but failed to win the title in any of them. She did, however, win two doubles titles as well as achieving a further three runner-ups in doubles competition. She reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam tournament twice in singles: at the 1995 Australian Open, where she beat a young Martina Hingis and Amy Frazier, and that same year at the French Open. Playing for the Japan Fed Cup team, she has a win–loss record of 2–4. Since her retirement, she has briefly worked as a coach with Akiko Morigami.
Shinya Kote (小手 伸也, Kote Shin'ya; born 25 December 1973, in Kanagawa Prefecture) is a Japanese actor, voice actor…
Shinya Kote (小手 伸也, Kote Shin'ya; born 25 December 1973, in Kanagawa Prefecture) is a Japanese actor, voice actor, writer, and director. He is represented with Office PSC. Kote graduated from Takehaya Senior High School. He also graduated from Waseda University School of Education. After belonging to the theatre club in the university, Waseda University Theater Club, Kote presided over the Gekidan innerchild. He specializes in psychology and mythical specialized drama, he is deeply aware of Japanese mythology, especially Kojiki. Kote is familiar with his own style and the gap as an actor is intense.
Gota Nishidera (西寺 郷太, Nishidera Gōta; born 27 November 1973, in Chiyoda, Tokyo) is a Japanese musician and music…
Gota Nishidera (西寺 郷太, Nishidera Gōta; born 27 November 1973, in Chiyoda, Tokyo) is a Japanese musician and music producer. Nishidera is the singer and main songwriter of the band Nona Reeves, and also acts as a songwriter/composer, arranger, music producer, novelist, writer, MC for the band. He is president of Gotown Records. Nishidera was raised in Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture. He graduated from Kyoto Seihi High School and Waseda University Second Literature Department (Western Culture Seminar) in March 1996.
Daisuke Tsuda (津田 大介, Tsuda Daisuke; born November 15, 1973), is a Japanese YouTuber, political activist, social…
Daisuke Tsuda (津田 大介, Tsuda Daisuke; born November 15, 1973), is a Japanese YouTuber, political activist, social activist and writer originally from Kita, Tokyo. He graduated from the Social Sciences Department of Waseda University. He launched the YouTube channel "POLITAS TV (ポリタスTV)" in 2020 and became a political opinion YouTuber.
Masato Sakai (堺 雅人) is a Japanese actor. He is best known for the Hanzawa Naoki series, which achieved the highest…
Masato Sakai (堺 雅人) is a Japanese actor. He is best known for the Hanzawa Naoki series, which achieved the highest television ratings in Japan during the Heisei era (1989–2019).
Fumihiro Oikawa (及川 史弘, Oikawa Fumihiro; born August 26, 1973) is a Japanese former competitive figure skater. He is…
Fumihiro Oikawa (及川 史弘, Oikawa Fumihiro; born August 26, 1973) is a Japanese former competitive figure skater. He is the 1994 Japanese national champion and placed 22nd at the 1994 Winter Olympics. After retiring from competition, he became a journalist.
Nobuaki Arai (荒井 修光, Arai Nobuaki; born August 11, 1973 in Abiko, Chiba) is a Japanese former professional baseball…
Nobuaki Arai (荒井 修光, Arai Nobuaki; born August 11, 1973 in Abiko, Chiba) is a Japanese former professional baseball catcher. He played for Nippon Ham Fighters in the Japan Pacific League in parts of five seasons from 1996 to 2002.
Masahito Haruna (春名真仁, Haruna Masahito; born 16 July 1973) is a Japanese former professional ice hockey goaltender and…
Masahito Haruna (春名真仁, Haruna Masahito; born 16 July 1973) is a Japanese former professional ice hockey goaltender and current assistant coach of the women's, women's under-18, and men's national ice hockey teams of Japan.
Hidetada "Hide" Yamagishi (山岸 秀匡, Yamagishi Hidetada) (born 30 June 1973) is a Japanese IFBB professional bodybuilder.…
Hidetada "Hide" Yamagishi (山岸 秀匡, Yamagishi Hidetada) (born 30 June 1973) is a Japanese IFBB professional bodybuilder. In 2007 he became the first Japanese bodybuilder to compete in the Mr. Olympia contest and was the first Japanese bodybuilder to have been invited to compete at the Arnold Classic.
Tomohiro Ishikawa (石川 知裕, Ishikawa Tomohiro; 18 June 1973 – 6 September 2025) was a Japanese politician who was member…
Tomohiro Ishikawa (石川 知裕, Ishikawa Tomohiro; 18 June 1973 – 6 September 2025) was a Japanese politician who was member of the House of Representatives elected to the 11th District of Hokkaidō. He was a secretary to former Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) Secretary-General Ichirō Ozawa. After Satoshi Arai's candidacy to the 2007 Hokkaido gubernatorial election, Ishikawa took up the seat vacated by Arai through the PR list. In the 2009 DPJ landslide, Ishikawa famously unseated then-incumbent Finance Minister Shōichi Nakagawa. In 2010, Ishikawa was embroiled in a political funding scandal involving Ichirō Ozawa. He allegedly failed to record 400 million yen he and other secretaries borrowed from Ozawa to buy land in Tokyo. After he was indicted in February 2010, he resigned from the DPJ and sat in the House as an independent. Ishikawa retained his seat during the appeal process. He joined New Party Daichi in 2011 and contested the 2012 election under their banner. He was defeated in his seat by Yūko Nakagawa, who is married to Shōichi Nakagawa. However, he returned to the House though the NPD's PR list. His legal issues led him to resign from his seat in May 2013, when he decided to fully focus on his appeal to the Supreme Court. He was replaced by NPD leader Muneo Suzuki's daughter Takako, who was next in line in the PR list. His appeal was rejected by the Supreme Court in September 2014 and he was sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for three years. Ishikawa had limited involvement in politics since then. He returned to the DPJ in 2015. He completed a master's course at Hosei University in 2016, majoring in political science. As part of the degree, he conducted a comparative study between the New Labour reforms of British Prime Minister Tony Blair and the DPJ. In the 2017 election, Ishikawa's wife Kaori was elected to his former 11th district seat, defeating Yūko Nakagawa. Ishikawa died of colorectal cancer on 6 September 2025, at the age of 52.
Gen Tomii (富井 彦, Tomii Gen; born May 30, 1973) is a Japanese Nordic combined skier who competed from 1998 to 2004.…
Gen Tomii (富井 彦, Tomii Gen; born May 30, 1973) is a Japanese Nordic combined skier who competed from 1998 to 2004. Competing in two Winter Olympics, he had his best overall finish of fifth in the 4 x 5 km team event at Nagano in 1998 and his best individual finish of 33rd in the 15 km individual event at Salt Lake City in 2002. Tomii's best finish at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships was 27th in the 7.5 km sprint event at Ramsau in 1999. His best World Cup finish was fifth in a 7.5 km sprint event in Finland in 1998. Tomii's best individual career finish was third on five occasions in World Cup B events from 1998 to 2003.
Chiharu Nozaki (野崎 千春, Nozaki Chiharu; born 12 May 1973) is a Japanese speed skater. She competed in two events at the…
Chiharu Nozaki (野崎 千春, Nozaki Chiharu; born 12 May 1973) is a Japanese speed skater. She competed in two events at the 1998 Winter Olympics.
Yoshiharu Ueno (上野 良治, Ueno Yoshiharu; born April 21, 1973) is a former Japanese football player. He played for Japan…
Yoshiharu Ueno (上野 良治, Ueno Yoshiharu; born April 21, 1973) is a former Japanese football player. He played for Japan national team.
Toshihide Saito (斉藤 俊秀, Saitō Toshihide; born April 20, 1973) is a Japanese former football player and manager. He…
Toshihide Saito (斉藤 俊秀, Saitō Toshihide; born April 20, 1973) is a Japanese former football player and manager. He currently works as an assistant coach for the Japan national team.
Junko Yaginuma (八木沼 純子, Yaginuma Junko; born April 1, 1973) is a Japanese former figure skater who is now a figure…
Junko Yaginuma (八木沼 純子, Yaginuma Junko; born April 1, 1973) is a Japanese former figure skater who is now a figure skating commentator. She is the 1993 Winter Universiade champion and a two-time World Junior silver medalist (1988–89). She placed 14th at the 1988 Winter Olympics. Yaginuma guest-starred as herself in the fourth episode of Juken Sentai Gekiranger, teaching the Gekirangers how to ice skate.
Makiko Sanada (真田マキ子, Sanada Makiko; born 25 November 1972) is a Japanese gymnast. She competed in six events at the…
Makiko Sanada (真田マキ子, Sanada Makiko; born 25 November 1972) is a Japanese gymnast. She competed in six events at the 1988 Summer Olympics.
Hideki Sakamoto (坂本 英城, Sakamoto Hideki) is a Japanese music composer, best known for his contributions in video games.…
Hideki Sakamoto (坂本 英城, Sakamoto Hideki) is a Japanese music composer, best known for his contributions in video games. He serves as the representative director of Noisycroak, a Tokyo-based sound design company focused on game soundtracks. Echochrome II holds the Guinness World Record for the longest single musical track in a video game, lasting 75 minutes and 7 seconds.
Takeshi Furusawa (古澤健, Furusawa Takeshi; born 22 October 1972) is a Japanese film director and screenwriter.
Takeharu Yamanaka (山中 竹春, Yamanaka Takeharu; born 27 September 1972) is a Japanese politician and current mayor of…
Takeharu Yamanaka (山中 竹春, Yamanaka Takeharu; born 27 September 1972) is a Japanese politician and current mayor of Yokohama, the capital of Kanagawa Prefecture. He defeated incumbent mayor Fumiko Hayashi in the 2021 Yokohama mayoral election. His independent campaign was supported by the Constitutional Democratic Party, Social Democratic Party, and the Communist Party of Japan. Yamanaka's campaign focused on the opposition for a planned integrated resort development and casino for the city which was to be built on Yamashita Pier, criticism against the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and additional sister city relationship with San Francisco, California. Yamanaka formerly worked as a professor at Yokohama City University and as a data scientist. On 16 January 2026, Yamanaka issued a public apology after Yokohama's human resource chief, Jun Kubota, accused Yamanaka of using terms such as "idiot" and "human scum" to disparage staff. In July 2026, a third-party investigation confirmed these allegations and also Yamanaka saying things like "everyone over 55 is stubborn and useless", even telling an official to "disembowel" if he failed to secure a bid to host an international conference. On 28 August 2026, two weeks after some of Japan's major political parties urged him to step down from his post, Yamanaka announced his intention to resign as the mayor of Yokohama.
Kumiko Hayashi (林 久美子, Hayashi Kumiko; born 7 September 1972) is a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of…
Kumiko Hayashi (林 久美子, Hayashi Kumiko; born 7 September 1972) is a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature).
Naohito Fujiki (藤木 直人, Fujiki Naohito; born July 19, 1972) is a Japanese actor and singer.
Toshitaka Ōoka (Japanese: 大岡敏孝) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, who serves as a member of the…
Toshitaka Ōoka (Japanese: 大岡敏孝) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, who serves as a member of the House of Representatives from Shiga Prefecture. First elected in 2014, he was most recently elected in the 2021 election defeating Alex Saito who ran as the candidate of Democratic Party for the People. In 2024, he lost a rematch against Saito who this time represented Nippon Ishin no Kai.
Katsushi Ōta (太田 克史, Ōta Katsushi; born March 22, 1972) is a Japanese editor. As of 2020, he is president of Seikaisha…
Katsushi Ōta (太田 克史, Ōta Katsushi; born March 22, 1972) is a Japanese editor. As of 2020, he is president of Seikaisha, a publishing company established as a wholly owned subsidiary of Kodansha.
Takashi Ishizeki (石関 貴史, Ishizeki Takashi; born 18 February 1972) is a former Japanese politician of the Democratic…
Takashi Ishizeki (石関 貴史, Ishizeki Takashi; born 18 February 1972) is a former Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, who served as a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature).
Terunori Masuho (増保輝則, Masuho Terunori) (born 29 January 1972 in Tokyo) is a former rugby union player who played as a…
Terunori Masuho (増保輝則, Masuho Terunori) (born 29 January 1972 in Tokyo) is a former rugby union player who played as a wing and former Kobelco Steelers coach.
Tomomi Adachi (足立 智美, Adachi Tomomi; born 1972 in Kanazawa, Ishikawa) is a Japanese vocal and electronics performer…
Tomomi Adachi (足立 智美, Adachi Tomomi; born 1972 in Kanazawa, Ishikawa) is a Japanese vocal and electronics performer, composer, and instrument builder. He has performed and recorded with artists such as Jaap Blonk, Nicolas Collins, Carl Stone, Noah Creshevsky, Yuji Takahashi, Toshi Ichiyanagi, Ute Wassermann, Jennifer Walshe, Zbigniew Karkowski, Butch Morris, Otomo Yoshihide. Adachi directed Japan's premiere of John Cage's Europera V and Variations VII. He was invited by Asian Cultural Council to New York from 2009 to 2010 and was a guest of the DAAD Berliner Künstlerprogramm in 2012.
Shuntaro Furukawa (古川 俊太郎, Furukawa Shuntarō; born January 10, 1972) is a Japanese executive who currently serves as…
Shuntaro Furukawa (古川 俊太郎, Furukawa Shuntarō; born January 10, 1972) is a Japanese executive who currently serves as the president of the video game company Nintendo. He succeeded Tatsumi Kimishima as the company's sixth president in June 2018.
Sagiri Kitao (北尾 早霧, Kitao Sagiri; born 1972) is a Japanese economist at Asian Development Bank Institute and visiting…
Sagiri Kitao (北尾 早霧, Kitao Sagiri; born 1972) is a Japanese economist at Asian Development Bank Institute and visiting professor at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS).
Miho Takai (高井 美穂, Takai Miho; born 30 November 1971) is a Japanese politician. She served in the House of…
Miho Takai (高井 美穂, Takai Miho; born 30 November 1971) is a Japanese politician. She served in the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature) as a member of the Democratic Party of Japan.
Yoshiaki Wada (born 10 October 1971) is a Japanese politician. From 2016 to 2024 he was a member of the House of…
Yoshiaki Wada (born 10 October 1971) is a Japanese politician. From 2016 to 2024 he was a member of the House of Representatives from Hokkaido 5th district. He is a member of the Liberal Democratic Party.
Takeo Harada (原田 武男, Harada Takeo; born October 2, 1971) is a former Japanese football player and manager.
Toshihiro Yashiba (矢柴 俊博, Yashiba Toshihiro; born October 2, 1971, in Sōka, Saitama Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese…
Toshihiro Yashiba (矢柴 俊博, Yashiba Toshihiro; born October 2, 1971, in Sōka, Saitama Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese actor represented by JFCT.
Kenta Matsunami (松浪 健太, Matsunami Kenta; born 17 August 1971) is a former Japanese politician of the Initiatives from…
Kenta Matsunami (松浪 健太, Matsunami Kenta; born 17 August 1971) is a former Japanese politician of the Initiatives from Osaka party, who served as a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Izumisano, Osaka and graduate of Waseda University, he joined Sankei Shimbun in 1997. He was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 2002 for the Liberal Democratic Party in a by-election. After losing his seat in 2003, he was re-elected in 2005.
Chiaki Hayashi (林 千晶, Hayashi Chiaki) (born 1971) is a Japanese business woman and Asian Projects Co-ordinator at…
Chiaki Hayashi (林 千晶, Hayashi Chiaki) (born 1971) is a Japanese business woman and Asian Projects Co-ordinator at Creative Commons.
Naoki Soma (相馬 直樹, Sōma Naoki; born July 19, 1971) is a Japanese football manager and former player. He played for the…
Naoki Soma (相馬 直樹, Sōma Naoki; born July 19, 1971) is a Japanese football manager and former player. He played for the Japan national team until 1999. He is currently the manager of Tokyo Verdy.
Toshihiro Noguchi (野口 寿浩, Noguchi Toshihiro; born June 24, 1971) is a Japanese professional baseball catcher and coach.…
Toshihiro Noguchi (野口 寿浩, Noguchi Toshihiro; born June 24, 1971) is a Japanese professional baseball catcher and coach. He played in Nippon Professional Baseball from 1991 to 2010. He was a catching coach for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows.
Hajime Itoi (糸井 統, Itoi Hajime) (born June 22, 1971, in Gifu) is a retired Olympic backstroke swimmer from Japan. He…
Hajime Itoi (糸井 統, Itoi Hajime) (born June 22, 1971, in Gifu) is a retired Olympic backstroke swimmer from Japan. He represented his native country at two consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 1992. He is best known for winning a silver medal at the 1995 Summer Universiade in Fukuoka. He competed for the Waseda University.
Katsuhiko Hanada (Japanese: 花田 勝彦; born 12 June 1971 in Kyoto) is a retired Japanese athlete who competed in the…
Katsuhiko Hanada (Japanese: 花田 勝彦; born 12 June 1971 in Kyoto) is a retired Japanese athlete who competed in the long-distance events. He represented his country at two Summer Olympics, in 1996 and 2000.
Shu Takumi (巧 舟, Takumi Shū; born 2 May 1971) is a Japanese video game designer, director, and writer at Capcom. He is…
Shu Takumi (巧 舟, Takumi Shū; born 2 May 1971) is a Japanese video game designer, director, and writer at Capcom. He is best known for his work on the Ace Attorney series, serving as director and scenario writer for the original trilogy. In addition, he provided the Japanese voice of Phoenix Wright for the first four games. He then served as director and scenario writer for Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective in 2010.
Tomoko Matsunashi (松梨 智子, Matsunashi Tomoko) is a Japanese film director and actress. She was described in 2007 as one…
Tomoko Matsunashi (松梨 智子, Matsunashi Tomoko) is a Japanese film director and actress. She was described in 2007 as one of the female Japanese directors who "have brought some needed originality and talent to contemporary Japanese cinema."
Takami Itō (伊藤 たかみ, Itō Takami; born April 5, 1971) is a Japanese author who won an Akutagawa Prize in 2006.
Shinichi Hatori (羽鳥 慎一, Hatori Shin'ichi; born 24 March 1971 in Ageo, Saitama) is a Japanese free announcer, tarento…
Shinichi Hatori (羽鳥 慎一, Hatori Shin'ichi; born 24 March 1971 in Ageo, Saitama) is a Japanese free announcer, tarento, and television presenter. He is a former Nippon TV announcer. He is currently represented with Take Off. He is nicknamed Bird (バード, Bādo) by Tatsunori Hara.
Kyoko Sato is a Japanese curator, editor, and former television producer known in New York City. She is the founder…
Kyoko Sato is a Japanese curator, editor, and former television producer known in New York City. She is the founder, publisher, and editor-in-chief of JapanContemporaries.com, which highlights cross-cultural artistic exchanges and emerging Japanese artists. Sato began her career at NHK Enterprises in Tokyo before moving to curatorial work in New York. Her most notable exhibition, A Colossal World: Japanese Artists and New York, 1950s–Present, has been acclaimed as the most important historical group show of Japanese art since Alexandra Munroe’s Scream Against the Sky. The exhibition explored decades of Japanese artistic innovation and diaspora presence in New York. She has appeared multiple times on the cover of Shūkan NY Seikatsu, a Japanese-language newspaper in New York, and twice on the cover of Japan’s Gekkan Gallery magazine. Sato's work has been profiled in publications including The Japan Times, which noted her role in inspiring new artistic energy between Japan and New York, and Whitehot Magazine, which featured her as a Japanese curator in New York. She has also curated exhibitions of Japanese designer Hiroko Koshino at WhiteBox in New York, and co-produced projects with filmmaker Motoichi Adachi. Sato’s curatorial efforts extend to collaborations with institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and contemporary art websites like Tagboat. In The Brooklyn Rail, her work was highlighted for its role in reshaping perceptions of Japanese contemporary art through new generation artists.
Ryoko Sekiguchi (Japanese: 関口 涼子; Tokyo, December 21, 1970) is a Japanese poet and translator. She studied journalism…
Ryoko Sekiguchi (Japanese: 関口 涼子; Tokyo, December 21, 1970) is a Japanese poet and translator. She studied journalism at Waseda University. After graduating, she studied History of Art at the Sorbonne and received a doctorate in comparative literature and cultural studies at the University of Tokyo. She publishes her books in both French and Japanese and works for institutions like Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales. A quote in French, attributed to Sekiguchi, appears at the top of the label of 2016 vintage Moulis-en-Médoc from Château Chasse-Spleen in Bordeaux: "Percevoir l'énigme sans prétendre la résoudre: la seule façon de vivre sa vie." ("To see the mystery, but not to solve it: the only way to live a life.")
Masaki Tsukano (塚野 真樹, Tsukano Masaki), born 12 October 1970, is a former Japanese football player, coach, and manager.
Reiko Matsushita (松下 玲子) (born September 26, 1970) is a Japanese politician and member of the House of Representatives…
Reiko Matsushita (松下 玲子) (born September 26, 1970) is a Japanese politician and member of the House of Representatives (1 term) for the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan. Her married surname is Uchida (内田). She served as the sixth mayor of Musashino City, Tokyo, and as a member of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly (two terms).
Tomoya Higashino (東野智弥, Higashino Tomoya) is the former Head coach of the Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix in the…
Tomoya Higashino (東野智弥, Higashino Tomoya) is the former Head coach of the Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix in the Japanese Bj League.