Nonoka Ozaki (born 23 March 2003) is a Japanese freestyle wrestler. She is a bronze medalist at the 2024 Summer Olympic…Nonoka Ozaki (born 23 March 2003) is a Japanese freestyle wrestler. She is a bronze medalist at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games. She is a two-time gold medalist at the World Wrestling Championships and a three-time gold medalist at the Asian Wrestling Championships.
Tomu Mutō (Japanese: 武藤十夢, Hepburn: Mutō Tomu; born November 25, 1994 in Katsushika, Tokyo) is a Japanese tarento…Tomu Mutō (Japanese: 武藤十夢, Hepburn: Mutō Tomu; born November 25, 1994 in Katsushika, Tokyo) is a Japanese tarento, actress, and former idol. She was a member of the idol group AKB48 under Team K. She is an alumna of Seijo University, where she studied economics and also earned her postgraduate degree, as well as a certified weather presenter, financial planner, disaster prevention specialist and a career counselor.
Emiri Miyasaka (宮坂 絵美里, Miyasaka Emiri) (born June 16, 1984) is a Japanese actress, model, dancer and beauty pageant…Emiri Miyasaka (宮坂 絵美里, Miyasaka Emiri) (born June 16, 1984) is a Japanese actress, model, dancer and beauty pageant titleholder. She competed in the Miss Universe 2009 pageant on August 23, 2009, held in the Bahamas.
Yutaro Miura (三浦 祐太朗, Miura Yūtarō; born 30 April 1984, in Tokyo) is a Japanese singer-songwriter and actor. He is the…Yutaro Miura (三浦 祐太朗, Miura Yūtarō; born 30 April 1984, in Tokyo) is a Japanese singer-songwriter and actor. He is the vocalist of the rock band Peaky Salt (now inactive) under the name Yu (ユウ, Yū). He is represented with Dream Zero-One Inc.
Naotaro Moriyama (Japanese: 森山直太朗, Hepburn: Moriyama Naotarō; born April 23, 1976) is a Japanese singer-songwriter and…Naotaro Moriyama (Japanese: 森山直太朗, Hepburn: Moriyama Naotarō; born April 23, 1976) is a Japanese singer-songwriter and actor. His mother is Ryōko Moriyama, a well-known folk singer. Moriyama came out with the album "Kawaita Uta wa Sakana no Esa ni Chōdo Ii" in 2002, including the song "Sakura".
Yukiyoshi Ozawa (小澤 征悦, Ozawa Yukiyoshi; born 6 June 1974) is an American-born Japanese actor. He gained notable fame…Yukiyoshi Ozawa (小澤 征悦, Ozawa Yukiyoshi; born 6 June 1974) is an American-born Japanese actor. He gained notable fame near the end of 2017 for his involvement in the Long Long Man commercials produced by UHA for their Sakeru Gummy brand, in which he portrayed the titular character.
Yuko Obuchi (小渕 優子, Obuchi Yūko; born 11 December 1973) is a Japanese politician. She is a member of the House of…Yuko Obuchi (小渕 優子, Obuchi Yūko; born 11 December 1973) is a Japanese politician. She is a member of the House of Representatives for the Liberal Democratic Party. She briefly served as Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry during the Abe government, but was forced to resign. She is the second daughter of Keizo Obuchi, who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 1998 to 2000.
Kenta Fukasaku (深作 健太, Fukasaku Kenta; born September 15, 1972) is a Japanese filmmaker and screenwriter. He is the son…Kenta Fukasaku (深作 健太, Fukasaku Kenta; born September 15, 1972) is a Japanese filmmaker and screenwriter. He is the son of film director Kinji Fukasaku and actress Sanae Nakahara.
Yasuhide Nakayama (中山 泰秀, Nakayama Yasuhide; born 14 October 1970) is a Japanese politician who served as the Senior…Yasuhide Nakayama (中山 泰秀, Nakayama Yasuhide; born 14 October 1970) is a Japanese politician who served as the Senior Vice Minister of Defense of Japan. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), he was elected in December 2012 as a member of the House of Representatives of Japan and re-elected in the December 2015 and 2017 elections. After the snap elections in October 2017, Nakayama was appointed the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee.
Mayu Tsuruta (鶴田 真由, born April 25, 1970, in Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan) is an actress. In 1996, she was nominated by…Mayu Tsuruta (鶴田 真由, born April 25, 1970, in Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan) is an actress. In 1996, she was nominated by the Award of the Japanese Academy for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the film Kike wadatsumi no koe Last Friends. Following the chaos of Kenya's 2007 presidential election, on March 30, 2008, she visited thousands of internal refugees at Kenya's Nakuru ASK grounds, as a goodwill ambassador for Tokyo International Conference on African Development. While surveying the situation at the refugee camp, she spent time with several families and helped distribute food aid.
Mitsuhiro Oikawa (及川 光博, Oikawa Mitsuhiro; born October 24, 1969, in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese musician…Mitsuhiro Oikawa (及川 光博, Oikawa Mitsuhiro; born October 24, 1969, in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese musician, singer-songwriter, composer and actor who is represented by the talent agency, Mother Enterprise. He graduated from Seijo Gakuen Junior High School and High School and Seijo University Faculty of Law. He is business partners with Horipro.
Shoko Yoshimura (吉村 祥子, Yoshimura Shoko; born 14 October 1968) is a retired Japanese Wrestler. She competed in 10 World…Shoko Yoshimura (吉村 祥子, Yoshimura Shoko; born 14 October 1968) is a retired Japanese Wrestler. She competed in 10 World Wrestling Championships and won 9 medals, including 5 gold medals.
Yuichiro Hata (羽田 雄一郎, Hata Yūichirō; 29 July 1967 – 27 December 2020) was a Japanese politician of the Constitutional…Yuichiro Hata (羽田 雄一郎, Hata Yūichirō; 29 July 1967 – 27 December 2020) was a Japanese politician of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet of Japan. A native of Setagaya, Tokyo, and graduate of Tamagawa University, he was elected to the House of Councillors for the first time in 1999, a position he retained until his death in 2020. Hata was the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism from 4 June 2012 to 26 December 2012. He was the son of the late Prime Minister Tsutomu Hata.
Ken Ishiguro (石黒 賢, Ishiguro Ken; born 31 January 1966) is a Japanese film, television and voice actor. He has appeared…Ken Ishiguro (石黒 賢, Ishiguro Ken; born 31 January 1966) is a Japanese film, television and voice actor. He has appeared in more than 80 films since 1979. He is the son of Osamu Ishiguro, a former tennis player.
Hiromi Iwasaki (岩崎 宏美, Iwasaki Hiromi; born November 12, 1958) is a Japanese female singer who debuted in 1975. Her…Hiromi Iwasaki (岩崎 宏美, Iwasaki Hiromi; born November 12, 1958) is a Japanese female singer who debuted in 1975. Her younger sister Yoshimi Iwasaki is also a singer. In 1981 she was awarded the Silver Prize at the Tokyo Music Festival for her song "Koimachigusa". Her representative songs are "ロマンス" — "Romance" (1975), "思秋期" — "Shishūki" (1977) and "聖母たちのララバイ" — "Madonna Tachi No Lullaby" (1982). However, her most immediately recognizable hit song, "シンデレラ・ハネムーン" — "Cinderella Honeymoon" (1978) has been such a consistent feature of monomane talent Korokke's routines, Hiromi Iwasaki has commented that when the intro played in concerts, fans would laugh, so she has ceremonially "gifted" that song to Korokke, whose performance has elongated both their careers.
Kazuko Kurosawa (黒澤 和子, Kurosawa Kazuko; born April 29, 1954) is a Japanese costume designer. She is the daughter of…Kazuko Kurosawa (黒澤 和子, Kurosawa Kazuko; born April 29, 1954) is a Japanese costume designer. She is the daughter of filmmaker Akira Kurosawa and actress Yōko Yaguchi.
Yoko Komiyama (小宮山 洋子, Komiyama Yōko; born 17 September 1948) is a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of…Yoko Komiyama (小宮山 洋子, Komiyama Yōko; born 17 September 1948) is a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature).
Ryoko Moriyama (森山 良子, Moriyama Ryōko) (born January 18, 1948) is a Japanese folk singer and actress. Her father is…Ryoko Moriyama (森山 良子, Moriyama Ryōko) (born January 18, 1948) is a Japanese folk singer and actress. Her father is Hisashi Moriyama, a pioneer of Japanese jazz. Her son Naotarō Moriyama is a singer. Her first cousin Hiroshi Kamayatsu is also a musician. She is known as the Japanese Joan Baez, or the Queen of college folk. Her songs tend not to become best sellers but her most famous song is "Satokibi Batake". This song is about a tragedy during the Battle of Okinawa. The song's full version is 10 minutes. When this song was first released, it was thought to be too long to air on the radio, but now the song is popular in Japan. Every summer, NHK air a shorter version as a symbol of the 'No War Campaign'. In the song, an imitative word 'Zawawa' is repeated 66 times, because of this, it is often called 'Zawawa'. Moriyama often called "Satokibi Batake" 'Zawawa' as a joke. Her 1969 recording of "Kinjirareta koi" ("Unpermitted Love") sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. A more recent hit song is "Nada Sōsō," a poem set to music by Begin, and sung by Rimi Natsukawa. Some of her songs, such as "Kono hiroi nohara ippai" and "Dona dona", now appear in school textbooks. She sang a theme song at Nagano Olympics opening ceremony in 1998. Inspired by "Satokibi Batake", a TV drama called Satokibi Batake no uta (Song of the Sugarcane field) was made. Akashiya Sanma takes the lead role as a soldier who refused to kill. Nada Sōsō' also features in a TV program. Nada Sōsō means teardrops in Okinawan. The song describes the experience of being unable to meet the person you love most. The song may refer to the death of Moriyama's brother.
Michiyoshi Inoue (井上道義, Inoue Michiyoshi) (born on December 23, 1946) is a Japanese conductor. He is a recipient of the…Michiyoshi Inoue (井上道義, Inoue Michiyoshi) (born on December 23, 1946) is a Japanese conductor. He is a recipient of the Cantelli Award.
Takao Fujii (藤井 孝男, Fujii Takao; 14 March 1943 – 13 April 2026) was a Japanese politician, who was an independent…Takao Fujii (藤井 孝男, Fujii Takao; 14 March 1943 – 13 April 2026) was a Japanese politician, who was an independent member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature).
Kōki Ishii (石井 紘基, Ishii Kōki) (6 November 1940 – 25 October 2002) was a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of…Kōki Ishii (石井 紘基, Ishii Kōki) (6 November 1940 – 25 October 2002) was a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) born in Setagaya, Tokyo. A lifelong reformist, he was murdered under suspicious circumstances.
Nobuyuki Idei (出井 伸之, Idei Nobuyuki; 22 November 1937 – 2 June 2022) was a Japanese businessman. He was chairman and…Nobuyuki Idei (出井 伸之, Idei Nobuyuki; 22 November 1937 – 2 June 2022) was a Japanese businessman. He was chairman and group chief executive officer of Sony Corporation until 7 March 2005. He was a director of General Motors, Baidu, Yoshimoto Kogyo and Nestlé.
Seiji Ozawa (小澤 征爾, Ozawa Seiji; September 1, 1935 – February 6, 2024) was a Japanese conductor known internationally…Seiji Ozawa (小澤 征爾, Ozawa Seiji; September 1, 1935 – February 6, 2024) was a Japanese conductor known internationally for his work as music director of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony, and especially the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO), where he served from 1973 for 29 years. After conducting the Vienna New Year's Concert in 2002, he was director of the Vienna State Opera until 2010. In Japan, he founded the Saito Kinen Orchestra in 1984, their festival in 1992, and the Tokyo Opera Nomori in 2005. Ozawa rose to fame after he won the 1959 Besançon competition. He was invited by Charles Munch, then the music director of the BSO, for the following year to Tanglewood, the orchestra's summer home, where he studied with Munch and Pierre Monteux. Winning the festival's Koussevitzky Prize earned him a scholarship with Herbert von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic and brought him to the attention of Leonard Bernstein, who made him his assistant with the New York Philharmonic in 1961. He became artistic director of the festival and education program in Tanglewood in 1970, together with Gunther Schuller. In 1994, the new main hall there was named after him. During the cold war era Ozawa's "Concerts for Peace" at the United Nations General Assembly, the National Cathedral, and in the city of Hiroshima helped to raise public awareness about the risks associated with the proliferation of nuclear weapons. Ozawa conducted world premieres such as György Ligeti's San Francisco Polyphony in 1975 and Olivier Messiaen's opera Saint François d'Assise in Paris in 1983. He received numerous international awards, and a Grammy for his recording of Ravel's L'enfant et les sortilèges . He joined Haruki Murakami for a series of conversations, Absolutely on Music. Ozawa was the first and most widely recognized Japanese conductor to attain a prominent international career.
Shu Uemura (植村 秀, Uemura Shū; June 19, 1928 – December 29, 2007) (Japanese pronunciation: [ɯemɯɾa ɕɯː]) was a Japanese…Shu Uemura (植村 秀, Uemura Shū; June 19, 1928 – December 29, 2007) (Japanese pronunciation: [ɯemɯɾa ɕɯː]) was a Japanese make-up artist and founder of the cosmetics line which bears his name.
Kimifusa Abe (安部 公房, Abe Kimifusa; March 7, 1924 – January 22, 1993), known by his pen name Kōbō Abe (安部 公房, Abe Kōbō)…Kimifusa Abe (安部 公房, Abe Kimifusa; March 7, 1924 – January 22, 1993), known by his pen name Kōbō Abe (安部 公房, Abe Kōbō), was a Japanese writer, playwright and director. His 1962 novel The Woman in the Dunes was made into an award-winning film by Hiroshi Teshigahara in 1964. Abe has often been compared to Franz Kafka for his modernist sensibilities and his surreal, often nightmarish explorations of individuals in contemporary society. He died aged 68 of heart failure in Tokyo after a brief illness.
Shōhei Ōoka (Japanese: 大岡 昇平, romanized: Ōoka Shōhei; March 6, 1909 – December 25, 1988) was a Japanese novelist…Shōhei Ōoka (Japanese: 大岡 昇平, romanized: Ōoka Shōhei; March 6, 1909 – December 25, 1988) was a Japanese novelist, literary critic, and lecturer and translator of French literature who was active during the Shōwa period. Ōoka belongs to the group of postwar writers whose Pacific War experiences at home and abroad figure prominently in their works. Over his lifetime, he contributed short stories and critical essays to almost every literary magazine in Japan.
Tsutomu Hata (羽田 孜, Hata Tsutomu; 24 August 1935 – 28 August 2017) was a Japanese politician who briefly served as…Tsutomu Hata (羽田 孜, Hata Tsutomu; 24 August 1935 – 28 August 2017) was a Japanese politician who briefly served as prime minister of Japan in 1994. Born in Tokyo, Hata graduated from Seijo University and was first elected to the National Diet in 1969. He rose to become a key member of the Liberal Democratic Party's Tanaka/Takeshita faction, and served as agriculture, forests, and fisheries minister in the 1980s and finance minister from 1991 to 1992. After Keizō Obuchi took over the faction, Hata formed the Japan Renewal Party in 1993, which joined in the anti-LDP coalition which formed Morihiro Hosokawa's government. Hata served as foreign minister, then replaced Hosokawa as prime minister when he resigned. However, the Japan Socialist Party soon left the coalition, causing it to collapse. Hata lost leadership of his party when it merged with the New Frontier Party, then formed his own Sun Party, which in turn merged with the Good Governance Party then Democratic Party in 1998. Hata became secretary-general of the party, and remained one of its senior advisors until his death.
Yuki Ito (伊藤 悠貴, Itō Yūki) is a Japanese classical cellist, based in London and Tokyo. He is particularly noted for his…Yuki Ito (伊藤 悠貴, Itō Yūki) is a Japanese classical cellist, based in London and Tokyo. He is particularly noted for his interpretations of Sergei Rachmaninoff's works, in particular the Cello Sonata. In 2025 he became the first Japanese cellist to join the international roster of Larsen Strings Artist.
Yoshino Kimura (木村 佳乃, Kimura Yoshino; born 10 April 1976) is a British-born Japanese actress and singer. She appeared…Yoshino Kimura (木村 佳乃, Kimura Yoshino; born 10 April 1976) is a British-born Japanese actress and singer. She appeared on an episode of the Showtime series Masters of Horror. She is known for her starring roles as Chika in the drama film Lost Paradise (1997) and as Shizuka in the action western film Sukiyaki Western Django (2007). Kimura won the "Rookie of the Year" prize at the 21st Japan Academy Awards for her appearance in Shitsurakuen.
Haruna Ikezawa (池澤 春菜, Ikezawa Haruna; born December 15, 1975) is a Greek-born Japanese actress, voice actress, singer…Haruna Ikezawa (池澤 春菜, Ikezawa Haruna; born December 15, 1975) is a Greek-born Japanese actress, voice actress, singer and author. Her major voice acting roles in anime include Gō Seiba in Bakusō Kyōdai Let's & Go!!, Haruna Hiroko in Trotting Hamtaro, Yoshino Shimazu in Maria-sama ga Miteru, Momoka Nishizawa in Sgt. Frog. In video games, she has voiced Athena Asamiya in The King of Fighters since 1998, and voiced Coco Bandicoot in the Crash Bandicoot series.
Moe Yamaguchi (山口 もえ, Yamaguchi Moe; born 11 June 1977, in Taitō, Tokyo) is a Japanese tarento. She is affiliated with…Moe Yamaguchi (山口 もえ, Yamaguchi Moe; born 11 June 1977, in Taitō, Tokyo) is a Japanese tarento. She is affiliated with the Stardust Promotion talent agency.