Kazumi Yamashita (山下 和美, Yamashita Kazumi; born 15 August 1959 in Otaru, Hokkaido) is a Japanese manga artist.…
Kazumi Yamashita (山下 和美, Yamashita Kazumi; born 15 August 1959 in Otaru, Hokkaido) is a Japanese manga artist. Yamashita started her career as a shōjo manga artist. She made her debut as a professional artist in 1980 in the magazine Margaret. In her early years, she was inspired by the style of Mariko Iwadate. She is best known for The Life of Genius Professor Yanagizawa, which is being published in the seinen magazine Morning, and for which she received the 2003 Kodansha Manga Award for general manga. The main character of the manga is modeled after her father. For her series Land she received the Grand Prize at the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize 2021.
Famous People Born in the Year of the Boar
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Makate Asai (朝井 まかて, Asai Makate) is a Japanese writer of historical fiction. She has won the Naoki Prize and the Oda…
Makate Asai (朝井 まかて, Asai Makate) is a Japanese writer of historical fiction. She has won the Naoki Prize and the Oda Sakunosuke Prize, and two of her novels have been adapted for television by NHK.
Hisayasu Satō (佐藤 寿保, Satō Hisayasu; born 15 August 1959 in Shizuoka City, Japan) is a Japanese exploitation film…
Hisayasu Satō (佐藤 寿保, Satō Hisayasu; born 15 August 1959 in Shizuoka City, Japan) is a Japanese exploitation film director. He has worked prolifically in the genre of pinku eiga films, which refers to Japanese films that prominently feature nudity or sexual content. His best-known works are the 1992 pink film The Bedroom and the 1996 V-Cinema splatter film Splatter: Naked Blood. He is known for his "sledgehammer" filmmaking style, and using his exploitation career to tackle serious subjects like obsession, alienation, perversion and voyeurism. He has been likened to Canadian director David Cronenberg due to his penchant for body horror as well as dark eroticism. Along with fellow directors Kazuhiro Sano, Toshiki Satō and Takahisa Zeze, he is known as one of the "Four Heavenly Kings of Pink" (ピンク四天王, pinku shitenno).
Yukari Fujimoto (藤本 由香里, Fujimoto Yukari) is a manga researcher and professor of global Japanese studies at Meiji…
Yukari Fujimoto (藤本 由香里, Fujimoto Yukari) is a manga researcher and professor of global Japanese studies at Meiji University. She was born in Kumamoto Prefecture. She was an editor for Chikuma Shobō. She is a manga critic, gender theorist, author, and liberal feminist. She is a member of the Agency for Cultural Affairs awards selection committee. She is also a member of the Japanese National Diet Library legal deposit deliberation committee.
Shigeko Uchida (内田 滋子, Uchida Shigeko), known by the pen name Shungicu Uchida (内田春菊, Uchida Shungiku), is a Japanese…
Shigeko Uchida (内田 滋子, Uchida Shigeko), known by the pen name Shungicu Uchida (内田春菊, Uchida Shungiku), is a Japanese manga artist, novelist, essayist, actress, and singer.
Shinji Tarutoko (樽床 伸二, Tarutoko Shinji; born 6 August 1959) is a Japanese politician and former member of the House of…
Shinji Tarutoko (樽床 伸二, Tarutoko Shinji; born 6 August 1959) is a Japanese politician and former member of the House of Representatives.
Koichi Tanaka (田中 耕一, Tanaka Kōichi; born August 3, 1959) is a Japanese electrical engineer who shared the Nobel Prize…
Koichi Tanaka (田中 耕一, Tanaka Kōichi; born August 3, 1959) is a Japanese electrical engineer who shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2002 for developing a novel method for mass spectrometric analyses of biological macromolecules with John Bennett Fenn and Kurt Wüthrich (the latter for work in NMR spectroscopy).
Otomo Yoshihide (大友 良英, Ōtomo Yoshihide; born August 1, 1959) is a Japanese composer and multi-instrumentalist. He…
Otomo Yoshihide (大友 良英, Ōtomo Yoshihide; born August 1, 1959) is a Japanese composer and multi-instrumentalist. He mainly plays guitar, turntables and electronics. He first came to international prominence in the 1990s as the leader of the experimental rock group Ground Zero, and has since worked in a variety of contexts, ranging from free improvisation to noise, jazz, avant-garde and contemporary classical. He is also a pioneering figure in the EAI-scene, and is featured on important records on labels like Erstwhile Records. He has composed music for many films, television dramas, and commercials. In 2017, Otomo became the 2nd Guest Artistic Director of The Sapporo International Art Festival 2017.
Satoshi Yamaguchi (山口 悟, Yamaguchi Satoshi; born August 1, 1959) is a former Japanese football player. He played for…
Satoshi Yamaguchi (山口 悟, Yamaguchi Satoshi; born August 1, 1959) is a former Japanese football player. He played for Japan national team.
Katsuo Hirata (平田 勝男, Hirata Katsuo; born July 31, 1959) is a former professional baseball player from Matsuura…
Katsuo Hirata (平田 勝男, Hirata Katsuo; born July 31, 1959) is a former professional baseball player from Matsuura, Nagasaki, Japan.
Hiroshi Soejima (副島 博志, Soejima Hiroshi; born July 26, 1959) is a former Japanese football player and manager. He…
Hiroshi Soejima (副島 博志, Soejima Hiroshi; born July 26, 1959) is a former Japanese football player and manager. He played for Japan national team.
Keiichi Hara (原 恵一, Hara Keiichi; born July 24, 1959) is a Japanese director of animated films.
Yoshio Sakamoto (Japanese: 坂本 賀勇, Hepburn: Sakamoto Yoshio; born July 23, 1959) is a Japanese video game designer…
Yoshio Sakamoto (Japanese: 坂本 賀勇, Hepburn: Sakamoto Yoshio; born July 23, 1959) is a Japanese video game designer, director, and producer. He is a Senior officer at Nintendo EPD. He has worked at Nintendo since 1982. He has directed several games in the Metroid series and worked on series such as Rhythm Heaven, Tomodachi Life and WarioWare. He is one of the most prominent members of Nintendo's former Research and Development 1 division, along with Gunpei Yokoi and Toru Osawa.
Akio Kuwazawa (桑沢 秋雄, Kuwazawa Akio; born 22 July 1959) is a Japanese former cyclist. He competed in the team pursuit…
Akio Kuwazawa (桑沢 秋雄, Kuwazawa Akio; born 22 July 1959) is a Japanese former cyclist. He competed in the team pursuit and the points race events at the 1984 Summer Olympics.
Shinichi Yokoyama (横山 信一, Yokoyama Shin'ichi; born July 21, 1959) is a Japanese politician who is a member of the House…
Shinichi Yokoyama (横山 信一, Yokoyama Shin'ichi; born July 21, 1959) is a Japanese politician who is a member of the House of Councillors of Japan.
Kazumi Saeki (佐伯 一麦, Saeki Kazumi; born July 21, 1959 in Sendai) is a Japanese novelist from Sendai in Miyagi…
Kazumi Saeki (佐伯 一麦, Saeki Kazumi; born July 21, 1959 in Sendai) is a Japanese novelist from Sendai in Miyagi prefecture. Kazumi (meaning one wheat) is his pen name, adopted because of his fondness for Van Gogh's paintings of wheat fields. His experiences in the 2011 Great Tohoku Kanto earthquake were recounted in an op-ed piece in the New York Times under the title, "In Japan, No Time Yet for Grief" translated by Seiji M. Lippit. After graduating from high school he moved to Tokyo and worked various jobs including in magazines and as an electrician for 10 years. In the op-ed he writes: "Before I became a writer, I worked for 10 years as an electrician, until I suffered asbestos poisoning. My main job was to travel around Tokyo, repairing lights, including street lamps and the hallway and stairway lights in apartment buildings." His 1990 novel Short Circuit was based on those experiences working as an electrician. The following year, 1991, he returned with his wife to his hometown of Sendai, where he has lived since. In 1997 he spent a year in Norway, writing about those experiences in the novel Norge, for which he received the 2007 Noma Literary Prize.
Kiyotaka Sugiyama (杉山 清貴, Sugiyama Kiyotaka; born July 17, 1959) is a Japanese singer-songwriter known for being the…
Kiyotaka Sugiyama (杉山 清貴, Sugiyama Kiyotaka; born July 17, 1959) is a Japanese singer-songwriter known for being the lead vocalist of S. Kiyotaka & Omega Tribe. Debuting in 1983 with the band, Sugiyama began his solo career in 1986 after the band's disbandment the previous year. As the lead singer of S. Kiyotaka & Omega Tribe, he was the lead voice on songs such as "Summer Suspicion" and "Futari no Natsu Monogatari", while as a solo artist he has had multiple hit songs including "Sayonara Ocean", "Saigo no Holy Night", and "Mizu no Naka no Answer". Sugiyama has currently released a total of 27 albums throughout his solo career, with his debut album Beyond… (1986) reaching 1st place on the Oricon charts, with subsequent albums in the 80s also being in the top ten of the album charts. Sugiyama has been described as one of the artists who shaped city pop's image, utilizing newer synths and his vocals.
Yves Lafontaine (born 16 July 1959), is a Canadian musician, luthier and writer.
Yūko Kotegawa (古手川祐子, Kotegawa Yūko; born July 16, 1959) is a Japanese actress from the city of Ōita.
Nagisa Katahira (片平 なぎさ, Katahira Nagisa), born 12 July 1959) is a Japanese film and television actress, and singer.
Takashi Taniguchi (谷口尚, Taniguchi Takashi; born July 11, 1959) is a Japanese material scientist. He is a fellow and the…
Takashi Taniguchi (谷口尚, Taniguchi Takashi; born July 11, 1959) is a Japanese material scientist. He is a fellow and the Director of the International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics at the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS). He is also a former President of the High Pressure Science Society of Japan. Taniguchi is an expert in crystal growth and has published numerous co-authored papers with Kenji Watanabe and others. Their laboratory is the primary source of high-quality hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) crystals, used widely as a substrate for various two-dimensional materials, such as graphene and transition metal dichalcogenide monolayers. He was featured in Nature as one of the “most prolific researchers.”.
Kazuhisa Kawaguchi (川口 和久, Kawaguchi Kazuhisa; born July 8, 1959) is a Japanese former Nippon Professional Baseball…
Kazuhisa Kawaguchi (川口 和久, Kawaguchi Kazuhisa; born July 8, 1959) is a Japanese former Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher. In February 2023, he was hired by his former school of Tottori Jōhoku High School, to train its baseball team.
Yuji Kasama (born 2 July 1959) is a Japanese former volleyball player. Kasama competed in the men's tournament at the…
Yuji Kasama (born 2 July 1959) is a Japanese former volleyball player. Kasama competed in the men's tournament at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, where he finished in tenth place. He competed at the 1986 Goodwill Games in Moscow and won a bronze medal.
Atsushi Uchiyama (内山 篤, Uchiyama Atsushi; born June 29, 1959) is a former Japanese football player and manager. He…
Atsushi Uchiyama (内山 篤, Uchiyama Atsushi; born June 29, 1959) is a former Japanese football player and manager. He played for Japan national team. His brother Masaru Uchiyama also played for Japan national team.
Tsutomu Aoki (青木 努, Aoki Tsutomu; born June 27, 1959), better known by his stage name Twotone Aoki (ツートン青木, Tsūton…
Tsutomu Aoki (青木 努, Aoki Tsutomu; born June 27, 1959), better known by his stage name Twotone Aoki (ツートン青木, Tsūton Aoki) is a Japanese impressionist from Kanagawa Prefecture. His son, Ryūji Aoki, is also an impressionist.
Mitsuo Mitani (三谷 光男, Mitani Mitsuo; born 16 June 1959) is a former Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of…
Mitsuo Mitani (三谷 光男, Mitani Mitsuo; born 16 June 1959) 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). A native of Kure, Hiroshima and graduate of Osaka University, he was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in September 2005 after unsuccessful runs in 2003 and April 2005.
Kaoru Mizuki (水木薫, Mizuki Kaoru) is a Japanese actress. She won the Award for Best Supporting Actress at the 15th…
Kaoru Mizuki (水木薫, Mizuki Kaoru) is a Japanese actress. She won the Award for Best Supporting Actress at the 15th Yokohama Film Festival for Tsuge Yoshiharu World: Gensenkan Shujin.
U-Jin (遊人, Yūjin) is a Japanese manga artist specializing in lewd and pornographic manga. U-Jin has created many manga…
U-Jin (遊人, Yūjin) is a Japanese manga artist specializing in lewd and pornographic manga. U-Jin has created many manga over his career and is well known for his portrayals of cute pneumatic female figures.
Ken Saitō (齋藤 健, Saitō Ken; born 14 June 1959) is a member of the Liberal Democratic Party who served as the Minister…
Ken Saitō (齋藤 健, Saitō Ken; born 14 June 1959) is a member of the Liberal Democratic Party who served as the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry from December 2023 to October 2024. Also serving in the Japanese House of Representatives, Saito served as the Minister of Justice from November 2022 to September 2023 and was the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries from August 2017 to October 2018.
Keisuke Shinohara (Japanese: 篠原 敬介, Hepburn: Shinohara Keisuke; 12 June 1959 – 17 August 2011) was a Japanese…
Keisuke Shinohara (Japanese: 篠原 敬介, Hepburn: Shinohara Keisuke; 12 June 1959 – 17 August 2011) was a Japanese television and film composer. His work can be seen in such films as Arashi no Yoru ni and Piano no Mori. He died in 2011 at the age of 52.
Daisuke Terasawa (寺沢大介, Terasawa Daisuke; born 10 June 1959 in Kobe, Japan) is a Japanese manga artist. He is best…
Daisuke Terasawa (寺沢大介, Terasawa Daisuke; born 10 June 1959 in Kobe, Japan) is a Japanese manga artist. He is best known for writing cooking manga series such as Mister Ajikko and Shōta no Sushi, which earned him twice the Kodansha Manga Award for shōnen in 1988 and 1996 respectively. Both series have been adapted as dramas, the latter as a live-action television series, the former as the first cooking anime television series.
Takeshi Kobayashi (小林 武史, Kobayashi Takeshi; born June 7, 1959), is a Japanese keyboardist, lyricist, composer…
Takeshi Kobayashi (小林 武史, Kobayashi Takeshi; born June 7, 1959), is a Japanese keyboardist, lyricist, composer, arranger, and record producer.
Yasutada Ōno is a Japanese politician serving as a member of the House of Councillors since 2013. He was a member of…
Yasutada Ōno is a Japanese politician serving as a member of the House of Councillors since 2013. He was a member of the Liberal Democratic Party until 2024, having resigned following an indictment during the 2023–2024 Japanese slush fund scandal.
Sadamasa Oue (Japanese: 尾上 定正, romanized: Oue Sadamasa, born May 31, 1959) is a Japanese strategist, retired Japan Air…
Sadamasa Oue (Japanese: 尾上 定正, romanized: Oue Sadamasa, born May 31, 1959) is a Japanese strategist, retired Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) Lieutenant General, and current Special Advisor to the Prime Minister of Japan (National Security and Nuclear Disarmament/Non-Proliferation Issues). Sadamasa Oue attended the National Defense Academy of Japan as part of the 26th term. He graduated in 1982 and was subsequently commissioned as an officer in the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. He formerly served as the Commander of the Northern Air Defense Force and the 24th Commander of the Air Logistics Command Following his retirement in 2017, he became a prominent advocate for defense reform, "Counterstrike Capabilities," and economic security integration. In October 2025, he was appointed as a Special Advisor to the Sanae Takaichi administration, focusing on national security and nuclear disarmament.
Takeshi Saito (斎藤毅, Saitō Takeshi; born May 29, 1959 in Tokyo), better known by his stage name Neko Saito (斎藤ネコ, Saitō…
Takeshi Saito (斎藤毅, Saitō Takeshi; born May 29, 1959 in Tokyo), better known by his stage name Neko Saito (斎藤ネコ, Saitō Neko), is a Japanese violinist, conductor, composer and music arranger. Saito is the leader of the Saito Neko Quartet, and is known for his many collaborations with musician Ringo Sheena.
Hajime Ishii (石井 肇, Ishii Hajime; born May 26, 1959) is a former Japanese football player and manager.
Makoto Ogino (Japanese: 荻野 真, Hepburn: Ogino Makoto; May 26, 1959 – April 29, 2019) was a Japanese manga artist. A…
Makoto Ogino (Japanese: 荻野 真, Hepburn: Ogino Makoto; May 26, 1959 – April 29, 2019) was a Japanese manga artist. A dropout of Nagoya University, his best-known work is the Peacock King (孔雀王, Kujaku-Oh) manga series.
Noriko Sato (佐藤 紀子, Satō Noriko; born on May 26, 1959, in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese figure skating coach and former…
Noriko Sato (佐藤 紀子, Satō Noriko; born on May 26, 1959, in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese figure skating coach and former competitor. She competed in ice dancing with Tadayuki Takahashi from 1979. They placed 17th in the 1984 Winter Olympic Games. They were the first ice dancers from Japan to compete in olympics, also the first ice dancers from Japan to win an international competition (1984 Prague Skate). She was six-time Japanese national champion from 1980 to 1985. Currently she coaches in KOSÉ Shin-Yokohama Skate Center. Her current students include: Kao Miura Wakaba Higuchi Rion Sumiyoshi
Satoshi Kadokura (門倉 聡, Kadokura Satoshi; born May 25, 1959), is a Japanese composer, arranger, producer and…
Satoshi Kadokura (門倉 聡, Kadokura Satoshi; born May 25, 1959), is a Japanese composer, arranger, producer and keyboardist. He graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts. He was a producer of Wink, Noriyuki Makihara, Southern All Stars and many other artists. He also composes scores for video game series Metal Max.
Teruyo Tanaka (田中 照代, Tanaka Teruyo) (born 24 May 1959) is a Paralympian athlete from Japan competing mainly in…
Teruyo Tanaka (田中 照代, Tanaka Teruyo) (born 24 May 1959) is a Paralympian athlete from Japan competing mainly in category T52 sprint events. She competed in the 1996 Summer Paralympics in Atlanta, United States. There she won a gold medal in the women's 800 metres T51, finished sixth in the women's 200 metres T51 and finished sixth in the women's 400 metres T51. She also competed at the 2000 Summer Paralympics in Sydney, Australia. There she won a silver medal in the women's 200 metres T52, a silver medal in the women's 800 metres T52 and a silver medal in the women's 1500 metres T52. She also competed at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, China. There she won a bronze medal in the women's 100 metres T52 and finished fourth in the women's 200 metres T52.
Ryuta Kawashima (川島 隆太, Kawashima Ryūta; [kaɰaɕima ɾʲɨᵝːta]; born May 23, 1959) is a Japanese neuroscientist known for…
Ryuta Kawashima (川島 隆太, Kawashima Ryūta; [kaɰaɕima ɾʲɨᵝːta]; born May 23, 1959) is a Japanese neuroscientist known for his appearances in the Brain Age series of video games for the Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo Switch.
Shinsuke Kayama (香山 進介, Kayama Shinsuke; born 23 May 1959) is a Japanese former swimmer. He competed in two events at…
Shinsuke Kayama (香山 進介, Kayama Shinsuke; born 23 May 1959) is a Japanese former swimmer. He competed in two events at the 1976 Summer Olympics.
Toshiko Abe (阿部 俊子, Abe Toshiko; born 19 May 1959) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member…
Toshiko Abe (阿部 俊子, Abe Toshiko; born 19 May 1959) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet, since 2005.
Takahiro Hachigo (八郷隆弘, Hachigō Takahiro; born 19 May 1959) is a Japanese engineer and businessman, who has been the…
Takahiro Hachigo (八郷隆弘, Hachigō Takahiro; born 19 May 1959) is a Japanese engineer and businessman, who has been the chief executive officer of Honda Motor Co., Ltd., from June 2015 - April 2021 and was succeeded by Toshihiro Mibe. Prior to this, Hachigo was a managing officer at Honda, and started his career at Honda in 1982 as a chassis engineer. As CEO, Hachigo sought to streamline the manufacturing process by merging certain operations between motorcycles and cars, and while also lowering the costs of production by consolidating factories at home and abroad involving the budget. Hachigo is currently a member of the company board.
Michiru Shimada (島田 満, Shimada Michiru; May 19, 1959 – December 15, 2017) was a Japanese anime screenwriter from Tokyo.…
Michiru Shimada (島田 満, Shimada Michiru; May 19, 1959 – December 15, 2017) was a Japanese anime screenwriter from Tokyo. Shimada was a graduate of Waseda University. She made her screenwriting debut in 1980. She died in 2017, aged 58, from undisclosed causes.
Hitomi Soga-Jenkins (Japanese: 曽我ひとみ Soga Hitomi, born May 17, 1959) is a Japanese woman who was abducted to North…
Hitomi Soga-Jenkins (Japanese: 曽我ひとみ Soga Hitomi, born May 17, 1959) is a Japanese woman who was abducted to North Korea together with her mother, Miyoshi Soga, from Sado Island, Japan, in 1978. In 1980, she married Charles Robert Jenkins, an American defector to North Korea, with whom she had two daughters. In 2002, she was allowed to return to Japan, followed two years later by her husband and children.
Osamu Ishiwata (石渡治, Ishiwata Osamu; born May 16, 1959 in Kanagawa, Japan) is a Japanese manga artist. He won the 1989…
Osamu Ishiwata (石渡治, Ishiwata Osamu; born May 16, 1959 in Kanagawa, Japan) is a Japanese manga artist. He won the 1989 Shogakukan Manga Award for shōnen for B.B. The manga artist Yoshitomo Yoshimoto is his younger brother.
Shinichi Tanaka (田中 信一, Tanaka Shin'ichi; born 15 May 1959) is a Japanese ski jumper. He competed in the normal hill…
Shinichi Tanaka (田中 信一, Tanaka Shin'ichi; born 15 May 1959) is a Japanese ski jumper. He competed in the normal hill and large hill events at the 1988 Winter Olympics.
Yoshihiro Tamogami (田母神 慈宏, Tamogami Yoshihiro; born May 15, 1959 in Tokyo), better known by his pen name Hiroshi Aro…
Yoshihiro Tamogami (田母神 慈宏, Tamogami Yoshihiro; born May 15, 1959 in Tokyo), better known by his pen name Hiroshi Aro (あろ ひろし, Aro Hiroshi), is a Japanese manga artist. He is mostly known for being the author of Futaba-Kun Change!, Morumo 1/10 and Yuu and Mii. Aro worked as an assistant to manga artist Osamu Akimoto. He admitted that Futaba-kun Change! was created to be his version of Ranma ½ by Rumiko Takahashi, just as Yuu & Mi was his version of Takahashi's Maison Ikkoku. Aro makes guest appearances in his own comics, drawing himself as an alligator wearing glasses.
Satsuki Katayama (née Tomonaga; 9 May 1959) is a Japanese politician serving in Japan's House of Councillors, having…
Satsuki Katayama (née Tomonaga; 9 May 1959) is a Japanese politician serving in Japan's House of Councillors, having been elected in July 2010 as a candidate for the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). She previously represented the Shizuoka 7th district in the House of Representatives for one term from 2005 until 2009. She has served as the first woman Minister of Finance since 21 October 2025 in the first and second Takaichi cabinet.