Takaya Yoshida (吉田 貴哉, Yoshida Takaya; born November 1, 1971, in Nonoichi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan)…Takaya Yoshida (吉田 貴哉, Yoshida Takaya; born November 1, 1971, in Nonoichi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan), better known as Metal Yoshida (吉田 メタル, Yoshida Metaru), is a Japanese actor and musician who is represented by the talent agency, Village, and belongs to Gekidan Shin Kan-sen. He is the bassist of the visual kei rock band, Ninjaman Japan, and is nicknamed Metal. Yoshida graduated from Kanazawa Nishioka High School and Higashiho Gakuen College. His wife is actress Hiromi Iwasaki.
Sakiho Juri (樹里 咲穂, Juri Sakiho; born 28 October 1971) is a Japanese performing artist and a former member of the…Sakiho Juri (樹里 咲穂, Juri Sakiho; born 28 October 1971) is a Japanese performing artist and a former member of the Takarazuka Revue, where she specialized in playing male characters (Otokoyaku). She joined the revue in 1990 and resigned in 2005. She is from Osaka.
Yuichiro Kawa (川裕一郎, Kawa Yuichiro; born 27 October 1971) is a Japanese politician serving as a member of the House of…Yuichiro Kawa (川裕一郎, Kawa Yuichiro; born 27 October 1971) is a Japanese politician serving as a member of the House of Representatives since 2026. He was a member of the Ishikawa Prefectural Assembly from 2011 to 2014 and from 2014 to 2025.
Koichi Sugiyama (杉山 弘一, Sugiyama Koichi; born October 27, 1971) is a former Japanese football player and manager. He is…Koichi Sugiyama (杉山 弘一, Sugiyama Koichi; born October 27, 1971) is a former Japanese football player and manager. He is currently the assistant manager of J1 League club, Kyoto Sanga.
Takanonami Sadahiro (born Sadahiro Namioka October 27, 1971 – June 20, 2015) was a Japanese sumo wrestler and coach…Takanonami Sadahiro (born Sadahiro Namioka October 27, 1971 – June 20, 2015) was a Japanese sumo wrestler and coach from Aomori. He held sumo's second highest rank of ōzeki from 1994 until 2000. He won two tournament championships, and was a runner-up in eight others. He was a sumo coach from his retirement in 2004 until his death in 2015 at the age of 43.
Keisuke Tsumura (津村 啓介, Tsumura Keisuke; born 26 October 1971) is a Japanese politician who served in the House of…Keisuke Tsumura (津村 啓介, Tsumura Keisuke; born 26 October 1971) is a Japanese politician who served in the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature) as a member of the Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP).
Mizuhito Akiyama (秋山瑞人, Akiyama Mizuhito; born 1971 in Yamanashi Prefecture) is a Seiun Award-winning author noted for…Mizuhito Akiyama (秋山瑞人, Akiyama Mizuhito; born 1971 in Yamanashi Prefecture) is a Seiun Award-winning author noted for his science fiction light novel series Iriya no Sora, UFO no Natsu. He graduated from Hosei University, where he had learned about writing novels in a seminar class under guidance from his teacher, Professor Mizuhito Kanehara, from whom Akiyama took his pen name "Mizuhito". In 1995, after his senior Hideyuki Furuhashi debuted as a light novel writer, Akiyama sent his own work in for the Dengeki Novel Prize. Although his application was too late for the due date, he came into the notice of the editors at MediaWorks'. His first novel, E. G. Combat, published in 1998, was followed by a number of science fiction and light novel works. Akiyama became famous for his unique storytelling in the series Iriya no Sora, UFO no Natsu. Akiyama describes himself as being "one who always look like a hooligan", in his afterthoughts at the end of the first Iriya novel.
Midori Goto (五嶋 みどり, Gotō Midori; born October 25, 1971), who performs under the mononym Midori, is a Japanese-born…Midori Goto (五嶋 みどり, Gotō Midori; born October 25, 1971), who performs under the mononym Midori, is a Japanese-born American violinist. She made her debut with the New York Philharmonic at age 11 as a surprise guest soloist at the New Year's Eve Gala in 1982. In 1986 her performance at the Tanglewood Music Festival with Leonard Bernstein conducting his own composition made the front-page headlines in The New York Times. Midori became a celebrated child prodigy, and one of the world's preeminent violinists as an adult. Midori has been honored as an educator and for her community engagement endeavors. When she was 21, she established her foundation Midori and Friends to bring music education to young people in underserved communities in New York City and Japan, which has evolved into four distinct organizations with worldwide impact. In 2007, Midori was appointed as a UN Messenger of Peace. In 2018, she joined the violin faculty at the Curtis Institute of Music. She is also on the faculty of the University of Southern California's Thornton School of Music serving as Distinguished Professor and Judge Widney Professor of Music. She was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2012.
Ninety-nine (ナインティナイン, Naintinain), or Nainai (ナイナイ) is a Japanese comic duo from Osaka working for the entertainment…Ninety-nine (ナインティナイン, Naintinain), or Nainai (ナイナイ) is a Japanese comic duo from Osaka working for the entertainment conglomerate Yoshimoto Kogyo. The duo (kombi), consisting of Takashi Okamura as boke (stooge) and Hiroyuki Yabe as tsukkomi (straightman), formed in 1990. The pair met in high school, where they were both involved in the soccer club. Okamura had been receiving guidance from Yabe's brother Yoshiyuki Yabe and throughout their high school life they had a senpai and kōhai relationship. As he was Yoshiyuki's younger brother, his soccer club peers referred to him as "Yabe Juni[or]". Upon graduating from high school, Okamura entered Ritsumeikan University and studied there for one year. Yabe, who was significantly less able academically, was unable to get into any universities and as a result invited Okamura to join Yoshimoto with him as a duo. The pair have stated that one of the reasons that drove them to this decision was their combined admiration for Yabe's brother Yoshiyuki, who had entered Yoshimoto two years before and formed the comedic duo "Channels". However, Yoshiyuki was allegedly opposed to the idea at that time, advising the pair on the harsh realities of a life as an entertainer. Their act is typical of manzai comedy duos, though they are also known for TV segments filmed in locales such as Hong Kong and Italy. Yabe has tended to receive criticism from Japanese fans because his participation in their skits is small and out of proportion compared to the always active and effervescent Okamura, even as a straightman. Okamura and Yabe also famously took the roles of Mario and Luigi (respectively) in the Japanese Hot Mario Bros. advertisement campaign. They have hosted Mecha-Mecha Iketeru!, a Japanese comedy show, and they have also hosted a number of television programs in the past. They also hosted a weekly radio program for All Night Nippon on Fridays as a duo, but since 2015 Okamura hosts this program alone.
Tsukasa Akimoto (秋元 司, Akimoto Tsukasa; born October 23, 1971) is a former Japanese politician of the Liberal…Tsukasa Akimoto (秋元 司, Akimoto Tsukasa; born October 23, 1971) is a former Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, who served in the House of Councillors and the House of Representatives. A native of Adachi, Tokyo, he graduated from Daito Bunka University.
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.
Junya Inoue (井上 淳哉, Inoue Jun'ya; born 1971 in Shimanto, Kochi) is a Japanese manga artist. He is also known by the…Junya Inoue (井上 淳哉, Inoue Jun'ya; born 1971 in Shimanto, Kochi) is a Japanese manga artist. He is also known by the name Joker Jun. In 1991 he replied to a recruitment ad for Toaplan. Along with some other staff Inoue was transferred to Gazelle before he left to join Cave, where he worked as character and graphic designer, sound producer, and a video game director. ESP Ra.De. was his first title as graphic director. He debuted as a manga artist in 2002, with his work Otogi Matsuri (おとぎ奉り; lit. Dark Offering). He is best known in the West for his manga Btooom!, which was serialized from 2009 to 2018.
Megumi Sakata (坂田 恵, Sakata Megumi; born 18 October 1971) is a former Japanese football player. She played for Japan…Megumi Sakata (坂田 恵, Sakata Megumi; born 18 October 1971) is a former Japanese football player. She played for Japan national team.
Naoki Kurita (born October 15, 1971) is a Japanese sport shooter. He competed in rifle shooting events at the Summer…Naoki Kurita (born October 15, 1971) is a Japanese sport shooter. He competed in rifle shooting events at the Summer Olympics in 1996 and 2000.
Takami Yoshimoto (吉本 多香美, Yoshimoto Takami; born October 13, 1971) is a Japanese actress known for her role as Rena…Takami Yoshimoto (吉本 多香美, Yoshimoto Takami; born October 13, 1971) is a Japanese actress known for her role as Rena Yanase in 1996 Ultraman Tiga series. She won the best actress award at the 9th Japan Movie Professional Awards in 1999. She also starred the 1992 edition of "Christmas Express" commercials for the Central Japan Railway Company.
Yūdai Yamaguchi (山口 雄大, Yamaguchi Yūdai; born 1971) is a Japanese film director who has worked mainly in the comedy and…Yūdai Yamaguchi (山口 雄大, Yamaguchi Yūdai; born 1971) is a Japanese film director who has worked mainly in the comedy and horror genres. He has "made a name for himself by mixing goofy gore with manga-esque escapades and plain utter weirdness".
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.
Hiroki Kokubo (小久保 裕紀, Kokubo Hiroki; born October 8, 1971) is a Japanese former professional baseball infielder, and…Hiroki Kokubo (小久保 裕紀, Kokubo Hiroki; born October 8, 1971) is a Japanese former professional baseball infielder, and current manager for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He played in NPB for the Hawks and Yomiuri Giants, and recorded over 2,000 hits across his 19 year career.
Rika Himenogi (姫乃樹 リカ, Himenogi Rika), real name Rika Nishimura (西村理香, Nishimura Rika), is a Japanese singer born on…Rika Himenogi (姫乃樹 リカ, Himenogi Rika), real name Rika Nishimura (西村理香, Nishimura Rika), is a Japanese singer born on October 6, 1971, in Bungo-ōno, Ōita, Japan.
Yoshikazu Higashitani (東谷 義和, Higashitani Yoshikazu; born October 6, 1971), also known as GaaSyy (ガーシー, Gāshī), is a…Yoshikazu Higashitani (東谷 義和, Higashitani Yoshikazu; born October 6, 1971), also known as GaaSyy (ガーシー, Gāshī), is a Japanese politician, YouTuber, and businessman. He was elected into the House of Councillors in 2022 as part of the NHK Party, but was expelled on March 15, 2023 for not attending any sessions of Parliament. The following day, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department sought an arrest warrant for alleged defamation of celebrities in his YouTube videos. On June 4, 2023, the Metropolitan Police Department arrested Higashitani immediately upon his arrival at Narita Airport on suspicion of habitually threatening celebrities and others.
Tatsuya Nagamine (長峯 達也, Nagamine Tatsuya; October 6, 1971 – August 20, 2025) was a Japanese anime director who worked…Tatsuya Nagamine (長峯 達也, Nagamine Tatsuya; October 6, 1971 – August 20, 2025) was a Japanese anime director who worked for Toei Animation.
Toshihisa Nishi (仁志 敏久, Nishi Toshihisa; born October 4, 1971 in Ibaraki, Ibaraki, Japan) is a Japanese former…Toshihisa Nishi (仁志 敏久, Nishi Toshihisa; born October 4, 1971 in Ibaraki, Ibaraki, Japan) is a Japanese former professional baseball player.
Hiroyuki Imaishi (今石 洋之, Imaishi Hiroyuki; born October 4, 1971) is a Japanese anime director, animator and co-founder…Hiroyuki Imaishi (今石 洋之, Imaishi Hiroyuki; born October 4, 1971) is a Japanese anime director, animator and co-founder of Studio Trigger. His style is marked by fast and frantic animation combined with elaborate storyboarding and punchy direction. Prior to founding Trigger, he was an animator and director at Gainax. His most well-known works include Gurren Lagann (2007), Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt (2010), Kill la Kill (2013), Promare (2019), and Cyberpunk: Edgerunners (2022).
Chisato (千聖; stylized in all caps) (born on August 4, 1971) is a Japanese guitarist and singer. Originally known for…Chisato (千聖; stylized in all caps) (born on August 4, 1971) is a Japanese guitarist and singer. Originally known for being the guitarist of visual kei band Penicillin since 1992, in 1996 he started a solo career that has been successful in Japan. In 2003, he founded the solo project Crack6.
Tomoaki Koyama (小山 朋昭, Koyama Tomoaki; born October 4, 1971 in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese pair skater who now works as…Tomoaki Koyama (小山 朋昭, Koyama Tomoaki; born October 4, 1971 in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese pair skater who now works as an ISU Technical Specialist. Competing with Rena Inoue, he placed 14th in the 1992 Winter Olympic Games. They are two-time Japanese National Champions. He also competed as a single skater.
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.
Akiko Honda is a Japanese politician who is a member of the Senate of Japan. She was elected in 2019 to the national…Akiko Honda is a Japanese politician who is a member of the Senate of Japan. She was elected in 2019 to the national proportional representation block.
Mitsuteru Tanaka (田中 光輝, Tanaka Mitsuteru; 27 September 1971 – 5 August 2018) was a Japanese cyclist. He competed in…Mitsuteru Tanaka (田中 光輝, Tanaka Mitsuteru; 27 September 1971 – 5 August 2018) was a Japanese cyclist. He competed in the individual road race at the 1992 Summer Olympics. He was also Japanese national champion in 1992. During his career, he rode for Aisan Racing Team, and after retirement, served as both team manager and general manager of Aisan.
Osamu Nishimura (西村修, Nishimura Osamu; September 23, 1971 – February 28, 2025) was a Japanese professional wrestler.…Osamu Nishimura (西村修, Nishimura Osamu; September 23, 1971 – February 28, 2025) was a Japanese professional wrestler. Nishimura was best known for his time in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and MUGA World Pro Wrestling (MUGA). Outside of pro wrestling, he was also a politician, having served as a member of the Tokyo Bunkyo Ward Assembly as a food education instructor.
Yudai Deguchi (出口 雄大, Deguchi Yūdai; born September 23, 1971) is a Japanese former professional baseball outfielder. He…Yudai Deguchi (出口 雄大, Deguchi Yūdai; born September 23, 1971) is a Japanese former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Yomiuri Giants and Fukuoka Daiei Hawks from 1990 to 2005.
Akihito Tokunaga (徳永 暁人, Tokunaga Akihito) (born 22 September 1971) is a Japanese musician, composer and arranger.…Akihito Tokunaga (徳永 暁人, Tokunaga Akihito) (born 22 September 1971) is a Japanese musician, composer and arranger. After making a name for himself working for Being Inc. in the 1990s, he has been signed to Giza Studio from 2000 until 2023. In 2004, Tokunaga formed the rock band doa. After departure from the agency in 2023, he has become freelancer musician under independent company Floodlight.
Takamitsu Katayama (片山 貴光, Katayama Takamitsu; born 21 September 1971) is a Japanese former amateur Greco-Roman…Takamitsu Katayama (片山 貴光, Katayama Takamitsu; born 21 September 1971) is a Japanese former amateur Greco-Roman wrestler, who competed in the men's middleweight category. Katayama wrestled for the Japanese squad in two editions of the Summer Olympics (1996 and 2000), finishing eighth in Atlanta and seventeenth in Sydney, respectively. Outside the Games, Katayama produced a career tally of seven medals in a major international competition, two of which were awarded at the Asian Games (1994 and 1998). Katayama was also a member of the national wrestling squad under coach and three-time Olympian Yasutoshi Moriyama, while training full time at the Sports Club of Self-Defense Forces in Saitama Prefecture. Katayama came to prominence in international wrestling, when his country Japan hosted the 1994 Asian Games held in Hiroshima. There, he rounded off the podium with a bronze over Iranian wrestler and 1992 Olympian Ahad Javansalehi in the 74-kg division. At his maiden Olympics in Atlanta 1996, Katayama started the competition in the men's welterweight category (74 kg) with a powerful 13–2 triumph over Algeria's Youcef Bouguerra, before falling behind Finland's eventual silver medalist Marko Asell in his next bout by a 2–4 verdict. Facing German opponent Erik Hahn on the losers' circle, Katayama could not hold him tightly on the mat and lost the match 2–5. Originally placed tenth, Katayama upgraded his position to eighth, as two other wrestlers decided to forfeit the final consolation round. Katayama reached the peak of his wrestling career by winning the gold medal at the 1997 Asian Championships in Tehran, Iran. When he entered the 1998 Asian Games with the best chance to top the podium in the 76 kg category, Katayama narrowly missed a single point to subdue his Kazakh opponent Bakhtiyar Baiseitov (4–5) for gold in the final match, ending his second Asiad with a silver. At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Katayama qualified for his second Japanese team in the men's middleweight division (76 kg) by placing seventh and securing a berth at the third Olympic Qualification Tournament in Alexandria, Egypt. Unlike his previous Games, Katayama lost his opening match 0–4 to the eventual champion Murat Kardanov of Russia and could not rally for points to break a 2–2 draw against Hungary's Tamás Berzicza upon the referee's decision, dropping him to the bottom of the prelim pool and seventeenth overall in the final standings. Shortly after the Games, Katayama retired from competitive wrestling to serve in the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force.
Masashi Hamauzu (浜渦 正志, Hamauzu Masashi; born September 20, 1971) is a Japanese composer, pianist, and lyricist.…Masashi Hamauzu (浜渦 正志, Hamauzu Masashi; born September 20, 1971) is a Japanese composer, pianist, and lyricist. Hamauzu, who was employed at Square Enix from 1996 to 2010, was best known during that time for his work on the Final Fantasy and SaGa video game series. Born into a musical family in Germany, Hamauzu was raised in Japan. He became interested in music while in kindergarten, and took piano lessons from his parents. Hamauzu was hired by Square as a trainee, and his debut as a solo composer came the following year when he scored Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon. He has collaborated with friend and fellow composer Junya Nakano on several games. After Nobuo Uematsu left Square Enix in 2004, Hamauzu took over as the leading composer of the company's music team. He was the sole composer for Final Fantasy XIII. He has also become a renowned pianist, arranging for several other composers. His music incorporates various styles, although he often uses classical and ambience in his pieces. In 2010, Hamauzu left Square Enix to start his own studio, MONOMUSIK.
Kayoko Obata (小幡 佳代子, Obata Kayoko; born September 18, 1971) is a female long-distance runner from Japan. She set her…Kayoko Obata (小幡 佳代子, Obata Kayoko; born September 18, 1971) is a female long-distance runner from Japan. She set her personal best in the women's marathon on January 30, 2000 in Osaka, clocking 2:25:14.
Ryuta Sakurai Japanese: 桜井隆多(born September 8, 1971) is a Japanese mixed martial artist who currently competes in the…Ryuta Sakurai Japanese: 桜井隆多(born September 8, 1971) is a Japanese mixed martial artist who currently competes in the middleweight division. A veteran who fought for many companies such as Shooto, Pancrase and PRIDE. Nicknamed Mr. DEEP, he is best known for spending most of his fighting career in DEEP, where he is a former DEEP Middleweight champion.
Keisaburo Tanoue (田之上 慶三郎, Tanoue Keisaburō; born September 17, 1971) is a Japanese former Nippon Professional Baseball…Keisaburo Tanoue (田之上 慶三郎, Tanoue Keisaburō; born September 17, 1971) is a Japanese former Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher, pitching coach. He previously played for the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks / Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.
Shinichi Fukushima (福島 晋一, Fukushima Shin'ichi; born September 13, 1971) is a Japanese former professional racing…Shinichi Fukushima (福島 晋一, Fukushima Shin'ichi; born September 13, 1971) is a Japanese former professional racing cyclist and directeur sportif, active in cycling between 1996 and 2018.
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.
Atsuko Wakai (若井 敦子, Wakai Atsuko; born September 12, 1971) is a Japanese practitioner of karate who has won many…Atsuko Wakai (若井 敦子, Wakai Atsuko; born September 12, 1971) is a Japanese practitioner of karate who has won many international and Japanese national competitions in kata (patterns), including unprecedented numbers of consecutive titles in World Karate Federation (WKF) and All Japan Karatedo championships. She holds the rank of 6th dan black belt from the Japan Karatedo Federation (JKF), training in Seigokan Goju-ryu karate.
Hisayuki Fujii (藤井比早之, Fujii Hisayuki; born 11 September 1971) is a Japanese politician serving as a member of the…Hisayuki Fujii (藤井比早之, Fujii Hisayuki; born 11 September 1971) is a Japanese politician serving as a member of the House of Representatives since 2012. He served as deputy minister of foreign affairs under Shigeru Ishiba between 2024 and 2025.
Daisuke Moriyama (Japanese: 森山大輔, Hepburn: Moriyama Daisuke; born September 11, 1971) is a Japanese manga artist best…Daisuke Moriyama (Japanese: 森山大輔, Hepburn: Moriyama Daisuke; born September 11, 1971) is a Japanese manga artist best known for creating the Chrono Crusade series which was adapted into a 24 episodes anime series by the studio Gonzo. Moriyama worked on a series called World Embryo, which was serialized in the Young King OURs magazine from 2005 to 2014.
Tomoe Hatta (Japanese: 八田 友江, Hepburn: Hatta Tomoe; September 10, 1971 – August 13, 2025), known professionally as Tomo…Tomoe Hatta (Japanese: 八田 友江, Hepburn: Hatta Tomoe; September 10, 1971 – August 13, 2025), known professionally as Tomo Sakurai (櫻井 智, Sakurai Tomo), was a Japanese actress and singer. Originally part of the idol trio Lemon Angel, she started her voice acting career in the 1990s, starring as Mylene Flare Jenius in Macross 7, Meimi Haneoka in Saint Tail, Makimachi Misao in Rurouni Kenshin, the titular character of Super Doll Licca-chan, and Cynthia in all Pokémon animated entries since Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl. She briefly came out of retirement during the last few years of her life, voicing Kaede in the 2024 anime Grandpa and Grandma Turn Young Again.
