Shohei Ono (大野将平, Ōno Shōhei; born 3 February 1992) is a Japanese retired judoka. Ono is regarded as one of judo's top…Shohei Ono (大野将平, Ōno Shōhei; born 3 February 1992) is a Japanese retired judoka. Ono is regarded as one of judo's top fighters, having won two Olympic gold medals, three World Championships and five Grand Slams. He was the most dominant lightweight wrestler of the 2010s having won in every major championship he competed since 2015. Ono specializes in osoto gari (having written his masters' thesis on it) and uchimata. He is known for his classical technique and all ippon style, holding one of the highest ippon rates in judo. Ono is also one of the most searched judokas on the Internet.
Masashi Ebinuma (海老沼 匡, Ebinuma Masashi; born 15 February 1990) is a Japanese judoka. Ebinuma is a triple world…Masashi Ebinuma (海老沼 匡, Ebinuma Masashi; born 15 February 1990) is a Japanese judoka. Ebinuma is a triple world champion, having won in 2011, 2013 and 2014. A dominant force in the half-lightweight division, he was ranked first in the world for three years. He is regarded as an ultimate stylist of seoi nage. He is also known for being a quadruple All-Japan national champion. Ebinuma won bronze medals at the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics. He married judoka Kana Abe in 2014. Both spouses are Asian and World champion judokas.
Hiroshi Izumi (Japanese: 泉浩; born June 22, 1982, in Shimokita District Aomori) is a Japanese judoka and mixed martial…Hiroshi Izumi (Japanese: 泉浩; born June 22, 1982, in Shimokita District Aomori) is a Japanese judoka and mixed martial artist. He has fought in World Victory Road and had a one-fight stint in the Dream promotion for the Dream Light Heavyweight Championship. Izumi also appeared in both Dynamite!! 2009 and Dynamite!! 2010 New Year's Eve events.
Shogo Asayama (朝山 正悟, Asayama Shōgo) is a Japanese who became the head coach and was a professional basketball player…Shogo Asayama (朝山 正悟, Asayama Shōgo) is a Japanese who became the head coach and was a professional basketball player of the Hiroshima Dragonflies in the Japanese B.League.
Yasuyuki Muneta (棟田 康幸, Muneta Yasuyuki; born 10 February 1981) is a Japanese judoka. He won two gold medals and a…Yasuyuki Muneta (棟田 康幸, Muneta Yasuyuki; born 10 February 1981) is a Japanese judoka. He won two gold medals and a silver medal at the World Judo Championships.
Toshiaki Kurasawa (倉澤 利彰, Kurasawa Toshiaki) (born April 21, 1976) is a retired Japanese male freestyle and medley…Toshiaki Kurasawa (倉澤 利彰, Kurasawa Toshiaki) (born April 21, 1976) is a retired Japanese male freestyle and medley swimmer. He represented his Japan in two consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 1992. His best Olympic result was the 10th place (4:23.36) in the Men's 400m Individual Medley event at the 1996 Summer Olympics.
Makoto Takimoto (瀧本 誠, Takimoto Makoto; born December 8, 1974) is a Japanese retired judoka and mixed martial artist…Makoto Takimoto (瀧本 誠, Takimoto Makoto; born December 8, 1974) is a Japanese retired judoka and mixed martial artist from Nihon University. He won a gold medal at the Half Middleweight category of the 2000 Summer Olympics.
Yoshiyuki Yoshida (吉田善行, Yoshida Yoshiyuki) (born May 10, 1974) is a Japanese mixed martial artist competing in the…Yoshiyuki Yoshida (吉田善行, Yoshida Yoshiyuki) (born May 10, 1974) is a Japanese mixed martial artist competing in the welterweight division. A student of former Shooto competitor Noboru Asahi, he has competed in Shooto, Cage Force, and the UFC. On December 1, 2007, he became the first Cage Force welterweight tournament winner.
Takeshi Kozai (小齋 武志, Kozai Takeshi; 23 April 1974 – November 8, 2006) was a Japanese judoka. He was born in Fukuoka…Takeshi Kozai (小齋 武志, Kozai Takeshi; 23 April 1974 – November 8, 2006) was a Japanese judoka. He was born in Fukuoka Prefecture. He entered the Japan Highway Public Corporation after graduating from Fukuoka University, and won the Men's -95 kg category silver medal at the Asian Championships in 1995. He became famous when he defeated Fedor Emelianenko at the Russian judo championships held in 1998. On November 8, 2006, he died due to myocardial infarction.
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.
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.
Seiyō Uchino (内野 聖陽, Uchino Seiyō; born September 16, 1968, in Kōhoku-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan) is a…Seiyō Uchino (内野 聖陽, Uchino Seiyō; born September 16, 1968, in Kōhoku-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese actor who is represented by Stardust Promotion. Before taking his current stage name Seiyō Uchino in July 2013, he was known by his birth name Masaaki Uchino (same spelling in Japanese).
Toshihiko Koga (古賀 稔彦, Koga Toshihiko; 21 November 1967 – 24 March 2021) was a Japanese judoka, 9th degree black belt…Toshihiko Koga (古賀 稔彦, Koga Toshihiko; 21 November 1967 – 24 March 2021) was a Japanese judoka, 9th degree black belt and Olympic champion who competed in the –71 kg and –78 kg divisions. Koga is regarded as having perhaps the greatest ippon seoi nage ever. He died of cancer on 24 March 2021 at the age of 53.
Tatsuto Mochida (持田 達人, Mochida Tatsuto; born April 3, 1965) is a Japanese judoka. He was born in Shima, Fukuoka, and…Tatsuto Mochida (持田 達人, Mochida Tatsuto; born April 3, 1965) is a Japanese judoka. He was born in Shima, Fukuoka, and began judo at Kodogakusha (講道学舎, Kōdōgakusha) in earnest at the age of a junior high student. After graduating from Nihon University, Mochida entered the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department and won a silver medal at the -78 kg category of the World Championships in 1989. He was good at Okuriashi harai, Harai tsurikomi ashi and Uchi mata. Mochida retired after All-Japan Police Championships in 1998. As of 2009, he coaches All-Japan men's judo team and so on.
Kōki Mitani (三谷 幸喜, Mitani Kōki; born July 8, 1961) is a Japanese playwright, screenwriter, actor and film director. He…Kōki Mitani (三谷 幸喜, Mitani Kōki; born July 8, 1961) is a Japanese playwright, screenwriter, actor and film director. He was named after Taihō Kōki, the youngest sumo wrestler to become yokozuna. He studied dramatics at Nihon University. He has been described by The Japan Times as "far and away the nation's best-known dramatist". In an attempt to add his own character to his movies, his directorial approach follows a "one scene = one shot" system, whereby he pans the camera around as opposed to cutting. He claims this comes from his experience in theatre, where there are no cuts. Mitani does not use a computer.
Mitsuo Hagiwara (萩原 光男, Hagiwara Mitsuo; 8 April 1953 – 22 April 2015), better known by his stage name Nagare Hagiwara…Mitsuo Hagiwara (萩原 光男, Hagiwara Mitsuo; 8 April 1953 – 22 April 2015), better known by his stage name Nagare Hagiwara (萩原 流行, Hagiwara Nagare), was a Japanese actor and TV personality.
Fumiaki Matsumoto (松本 文明, Matsumoto Fumiaki; born 25 March 1949) is a former Japanese politician of the Liberal…Fumiaki Matsumoto (松本 文明, Matsumoto Fumiaki; born 25 March 1949) is a former Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, who served as and a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). Matsumoto served as a vice minister for the Cabinet Office between August 2017 and January 2018. He resigned from his post after being recorded in the Diet mocking the gravity of US military helicopter accidents in Okinawa.
Harunori Takahashi (高橋 治則, Takahashi Harunori; 1945/46 - 18 July 2005) was a Japanese billionaire property developer…Harunori Takahashi (高橋 治則, Takahashi Harunori; 1945/46 - 18 July 2005) was a Japanese billionaire property developer and the head of EIE International Corp.
Bungaku Ito (Jap. 伊藤 文學 new characters 伊藤 文学; born March 19, 1932) is a Japanese entrepreneur, founder and…Bungaku Ito (Jap. 伊藤 文學 new characters 伊藤 文学; born March 19, 1932) is a Japanese entrepreneur, founder and editor-in-chief of Japan's first commercially based homosexuality magazine Barazoku. He is the president of Daini-Shobo (Jap. 株式会社第二書房).
Toshio Hayakawa (早川 俊夫, Hayakawa Toshio; January 7, 1948 – December 6, 2022), better known by his stage name Ichirou…Toshio Hayakawa (早川 俊夫, Hayakawa Toshio; January 7, 1948 – December 6, 2022), better known by his stage name Ichirou Mizuki (水木 一郎, Mizuki Ichirō), was a Japanese singer, lyricist, composer, voice actor and actor best known for his work on theme songs for anime and tokusatsu. For over 50 years, he had recorded over 1,200 songs for Japanese film, television, video and video games. He was referred to by fans and fellow performers alike as the Aniki (アニキ, "big brother") of the anison, or anime music genre. He produced the singing duo Apple Pie since 1990 and created the Anison band JAM Project in 2000.