Atsushi Fujii (藤井 淳志, born May 20, 1981) is a retired Japanese professional outfielder. He spent his career playing for…Atsushi Fujii (藤井 淳志, born May 20, 1981) is a retired Japanese professional outfielder. He spent his career playing for the Chunichi Dragons in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball.
Atsushi Okamoto (岡本 篤志, Okamoto Atsushi; born May 20, 1981) is a Japanese former professional Nippon Professional…Atsushi Okamoto (岡本 篤志, Okamoto Atsushi; born May 20, 1981) is a Japanese former professional Nippon Professional Baseball player. He played his entire career for the Saitama Seibu Lions in Japan's Pacific League.
Yurie Kanuma (鹿沼 由理恵, Kanuma Yurie; born May 20, 1981) is a Japanese former biathlete, cross-country skier and cyclist.…Yurie Kanuma (鹿沼 由理恵, Kanuma Yurie; born May 20, 1981) is a Japanese former biathlete, cross-country skier and cyclist. She represented Japan at the 2010 Winter Paralympics and the 2016 Summer Paralympics. As a cyclist, she competed in para-cycling tandem road and track events.
Shōbun Nitta (新田 章文, Nitta Shōbun; born 20 May 1981) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, who…Shōbun Nitta (新田 章文, Nitta Shōbun; born 20 May 1981) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, who serves as a member of the House of Representatives.
Kensuke Tanaka (田中 賢介, born May 20, 1981) is a Japanese former professional baseball second baseman and left fielder.…Kensuke Tanaka (田中 賢介, born May 20, 1981) is a Japanese former professional baseball second baseman and left fielder. He played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, and in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants.
Daigo Umehara (Japanese: 梅原 大吾, Hepburn: Umehara Daigo; born 19 May 1981) is a Japanese esports player and author who…Daigo Umehara (Japanese: 梅原 大吾, Hepburn: Umehara Daigo; born 19 May 1981) is a Japanese esports player and author who competes professionally at fighting video games. He specializes in 2D arcade fighting games, mainly those released by Capcom. Known as "Daigo" or "The Beast" in the West and "Umehara" (ウメハラ; written in katakana instead of kanji) or "Ume" in Japan, Daigo is one of the world's most famous Street Fighter players and is often considered its greatest. His longevity is seen as rare in the world of competitive video games. He currently holds a world record of "the most successful player in major tournaments of Street Fighter" in the Guinness World Records and is a six time Evo Championship Series winner. Before properly being called a pro gamer from signing a sponsorship deal with Mad Catz, Japanese media usually referred to Daigo as "the god of 2D fighting games" (2D格闘ゲームの神, 2D Kakutō Gēmu no Kami).
Kaii Yoshida (Japanese: 吉田 海偉; Chinese: 宋海伟; pinyin: Sòng Hǎiwěi; born 16 May 1981 in Xinji, Hebei, China) is a…Kaii Yoshida (Japanese: 吉田 海偉; Chinese: 宋海伟; pinyin: Sòng Hǎiwěi; born 16 May 1981 in Xinji, Hebei, China) is a Chinese-born Japanese table tennis player who is ranked among the top fifty athletes in his sport. Yoshida started playing table tennis at the age of 7 at the Hebei Institute of Physical Education under coach Liu Wenqing. He is a right handed pen hold grip player. Unlike the Chinese player Wang Hao, he only uses one side of his racket. Yoshida was spotted by a Japanese Coach in 1997. He moved to Japan and commenced his international career in competitive table tennis after completing 3 years of tertiary education and 2 years of university education. In 2004 he became a Japanese citizen. As a singles player, Yoshida was ranked 21st in the world as of July 2010 His highest ranking was in June 2010, when he was 20th. He won his 1st Men's Singles title in the 2006 ITTF Pro Tour Serbian Open. More recently, he achieved a 3rd position in the 2008 ITTF Pro Tour Chile Open. Yoshida is also a key player for Men's Team and Doubles, and Mixed Doubles events. Together with his team, he managed to achieve 2nd position in the 2007 ASIAN Table Tennis Championships in Yangzhou, China. In addition, they clinched third position in the 2008 World Table Tennis Team Championships in Guangdong, China.
Yoshiyuki Noguchi (野口 祥順, Noguchi Yoshiyuki; born May 16, 1981 in Niihari District, Ibaraki, Japan) is a professional…Yoshiyuki Noguchi (野口 祥順, Noguchi Yoshiyuki; born May 16, 1981 in Niihari District, Ibaraki, Japan) is a professional Japanese baseball player.
Naoki Nokubo (野久保 直樹, Nokubo Naoki; born 14 May 1981) is a Japanese variety star from Iwata, Shizuoka. He is also in…Naoki Nokubo (野久保 直樹, Nokubo Naoki; born 14 May 1981) is a Japanese variety star from Iwata, Shizuoka. He is also in management at Breakpoint Inc.
Naohiro Ishikawa (石川 直宏, Ishikawa Naohiro; born 12 May 1981) is a former Japanese footballer who played as a midfielder…Naohiro Ishikawa (石川 直宏, Ishikawa Naohiro; born 12 May 1981) is a former Japanese footballer who played as a midfielder for the Japan national team.
Yumi Hayashi (born 12 May 1981; Japanese 林佑美) is a Japanese politician. In April 2023, she was elected to the House of…Yumi Hayashi (born 12 May 1981; Japanese 林佑美) is a Japanese politician. In April 2023, she was elected to the House of Representatives in a by-election in Wakayama 1st district.
Kentaro Sato (佐藤 賢太郎, Satō Kentarō; born 12 May 1981), aka Ken-P, is a composer, conductor, orchestrator, and clinician…Kentaro Sato (佐藤 賢太郎, Satō Kentarō; born 12 May 1981), aka Ken-P, is a composer, conductor, orchestrator, and clinician of media music (film, TV, and game) and concert music (Symphonic and Choral). He is also an accomplished lyricist and voice-over artist. His works have been broadcast, performed, and recorded in North and South America, Asia, and Europe by well-known groups including the London Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, and Sydney Symphony Orchestra. In 2005, he was appointed a resident composer/assistant conductor of the Torrance Symphony. He is also a frequent guest conductor and lecturer for various workshops and reading sessions on choral music and composition/orchestration around the world. Sato was born in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan, known as the city of music and instruments. He holds a Master of Music in Conducting (choral emphasis) with Distinction and a Bachelor of Music in Media and Commercial Writing from California State University, Northridge (CSUN). In addition to his degree in Music, he also holds degree in Cinema from Santa Monica College.
Mitsugu Yamamoto (山本光, Yamamoto Hikaru; born 12 May 1981) is a Japanese rugby union player who played as a prop or…Mitsugu Yamamoto (山本光, Yamamoto Hikaru; born 12 May 1981) is a Japanese rugby union player who played as a prop or hooker. He's currently playing for Coca-Cola Red Sparks in Japan's domestic Top League. He was named in the Japan squad for the 2007 Rugby World Cup, but withdrew from the tournament due to injury. He made a further 10 appearances for Japan in his career, scoring three tries.
Daisuke Matsui (松井 大輔, Matsui Daisuke; born 11 May 1981) is a Japanese former professional footballer who played as a…Daisuke Matsui (松井 大輔, Matsui Daisuke; born 11 May 1981) is a Japanese former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He previously played for the Japan national team. His former wife is Japanese actress Rosa Kato.
Tomoko Nagai (永井 奉子, Nagai Tomoko; born May 5, 1981) is a Japanese swimmer who won a bronze medal in the 4 × 200 m…Tomoko Nagai (永井 奉子, Nagai Tomoko; born May 5, 1981) is a Japanese swimmer who won a bronze medal in the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay at the 2001 World Aquatics Championships. Her team finished in fifth place, but the Australian and US squads were disqualified. She also competed in three events at the 2004 Summer Olympics. Her best achievement was fifth place in the 4 × 100 m medley relay.
Mamoru Kishida (岸田 護, Kishida Mamoru; born May 10, 1981) is a Japanese former professional baseball starting pitcher…Mamoru Kishida (岸田 護, Kishida Mamoru; born May 10, 1981) is a Japanese former professional baseball starting pitcher who currently serves as the manager for the Orix Buffaloes of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He played in NPB for Orix from 2006 to 2019.
Kazuyuki Morisaki (森﨑 和幸, Morisaki Kazuyuki; born 9 May 1981) is a Japanese former football player. His twin brother…Kazuyuki Morisaki (森﨑 和幸, Morisaki Kazuyuki; born 9 May 1981) is a Japanese former football player. His twin brother Koji Morisaki is also a footballer.
Koji Morisaki (森﨑 浩司, Morisaki Kōji; born May 9, 1981) is a former Japanese football player. His twin brother Kazuyuki…Koji Morisaki (森﨑 浩司, Morisaki Kōji; born May 9, 1981) is a former Japanese football player. His twin brother Kazuyuki Morisaki is also a footballer.
Mizuto Hirota (Japanese: 廣田瑞人, Hirota Mizuto; born May 5, 1981) is a Japanese mixed martial artist currently competing…Mizuto Hirota (Japanese: 廣田瑞人, Hirota Mizuto; born May 5, 1981) is a Japanese mixed martial artist currently competing in the Featherweight division of the Rizin Fighting Federation. A professional competitor since 2005, he appeared in the Japanese MMA event Dynamite!! 2009 event and has also competed for Ultimate Fighting Championship, Shooto, and Strikeforce.
Yukari Watanabe (渡邊 ゆかり, Watanabe Yukari; born 28 April 1981) is a Japanese speed skater. She competed at the 2002…Yukari Watanabe (渡邊 ゆかり, Watanabe Yukari; born 28 April 1981) is a Japanese speed skater. She competed at the 2002 Winter Olympics and the 2006 Winter Olympics.
Sola Aoi (Japanese: 蒼井 そら, Hepburn: Aoi Sora; born April 26, 1981) is a Japanese former AV idol, nude model, and…Sola Aoi (Japanese: 蒼井 そら, Hepburn: Aoi Sora; born April 26, 1981) is a Japanese former AV idol, nude model, and actress. Starring in more than 600 adult films between 2002 and 2011, Aoi is widely considered to be one of the most popular adult videos (AV) idols of the 2000s. Her popularity as a porn actress alone has led to celebrity status as a media personality both in Japan and internationally.
Fumiyo Yoshida (吉田 文代, Yoshida Fumiyo; born 25 April 1981 in Tako, Chiba) is a Japanese triple jumper. She competed at…Fumiyo Yoshida (吉田 文代, Yoshida Fumiyo; born 25 April 1981 in Tako, Chiba) is a Japanese triple jumper. She competed at the 2007 World Championships without reaching the final. She was a nine-time Japanese Championships triple jump champion.
Marcus Túlio Tanaka (田中 マルクス 闘莉王, Tanaka Marukusu Tūrio; born Marcus Túlio Lyuji Murzani Tanaka on 24 April 1981) is a…Marcus Túlio Tanaka (田中 マルクス 闘莉王, Tanaka Marukusu Tūrio; born Marcus Túlio Lyuji Murzani Tanaka on 24 April 1981) is a former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. Born in Brazil, he represented Japan at international level.
Hiroaki Ishiura (石浦 宏明, Ishiura Hiroaki; born April 23, 1981) is a Japanese racing driver from Tokyo. He currently…Hiroaki Ishiura (石浦 宏明, Ishiura Hiroaki; born April 23, 1981) is a Japanese racing driver from Tokyo. He currently drives in the Super GT series for Rookie Racing. He was the 2015 and 2017 Super Formula champion, and is known as a fast and strong driver. Ishiura made his Super GT debut in 2006. In 2007, he won the GT300 championship, in the apr MR-S with Kazuya Oshima. In 2008, he started racing in the GT500 class as part of Team Tsuchiya. He went on to join Cerumo after driving for SARD. In 2025, he ended his 18-year run in the GT500 class, finishing third in his final race. However, he is not retiring.
Megu Hirose (廣瀬芽) (born April 23, 1981 in Hyōgo Prefecture) is a Japanese softball player who won the gold medal at the…Megu Hirose (廣瀬芽) (born April 23, 1981 in Hyōgo Prefecture) is a Japanese softball player who won the gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Ryota Arimitsu (有光 亮太, Arimitsu Ryōta; born 21 April 1981) is a Japanese former professional footballer who played as a…Ryota Arimitsu (有光 亮太, Arimitsu Ryōta; born 21 April 1981) is a Japanese former professional footballer who played as a forward.
Kazuhiro Maeda (Japanese: 前田 和浩; born 19 April 1981) is a Japanese long-distance runner. Born in Shiroishi, Saga, Maeda…Kazuhiro Maeda (Japanese: 前田 和浩; born 19 April 1981) is a Japanese long-distance runner. Born in Shiroishi, Saga, Maeda made his international debut at the 2000 World Junior Championships in Athletics, where he ran in the heats of the 5000 metres. He won the Karatsu 10-Miler in 2003. He was part of the Japanese men's team for the short race at the 2006 IAAF World Cross Country Championships. At the 2006 Asian Games he ran in the 5000 m and came in fourth place – however, he was the best Asian-born runner in the race as all the medallists were Kenyan emigrants to Qatar and Bahrain. Maeda competed twice at world level for Japan in 2007: he finished seventeenth in the 10,000 metres at the 2007 World Championships and then came 30th at the 2007 IAAF World Road Running Championships in Udine. He made his marathon debut in 2009 at the Tokyo Marathon and he secured second place behind Salim Kipsang with a time of 2:11:01 hours. This automatically gained him a place for that year's World Championships team. He finished well off the pace at the 2009 World Championships Marathon, taking 39th place and crossing the line some eight minutes behind Japan's best performer Atsushi Sato. Maeda came third at the 2011 Beppu-Ōita Marathon as the first Japanese home on the 60th anniversary of the race and improved his personal best time to 2:10:29 hours. He was the third Japanese runner to finish at the Fukuoka Marathon later that year, coming sixth overall. A personal best time of 2:08:38 hours came at the 2012 Tokyo Marathon, where his sixth-place finish (the second Japanese home) improved his Olympic selection chances. Ultimately he was not selected for the Olympics and he ran at that year's Amsterdam Marathon instead, although he only managed 15th place. A new personal best of 2:08:00 came at the 2013 Tokyo Marathon, where he was the first Japanese with his fourth-place finish.
Conisch (コーニッシュ, Kōnisshu; born April 19, 1981) is a Japanese composer, arranger, music producer, pianist and…Conisch (コーニッシュ, Kōnisshu; born April 19, 1981) is a Japanese composer, arranger, music producer, pianist and keyboardist. His real name is Hiroaki Konishi (小西宏明, Konishi Hiroaki).
Hōmashō Noriyuki (born April 16, 1981 as Yōsuke Yamamoto in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan), is a former sumo…Hōmashō Noriyuki (born April 16, 1981 as Yōsuke Yamamoto in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan), is a former sumo wrestler. He turned professional in March 2004 and reached the top makuuchi division in May 2006 as the first sekitori from Shikoroyama stable, without any losing scores on his record. His highest rank was komusubi. He earned seven special prizes in his top division career and was a runner-up in three tournaments. In March 2014 he took the championship in the jūryō division. Hōmashō was a popular wrestler among sumo fans, and was noted for his deep and graceful bow at the end of a match. Upon his retirement in January 2015 he became an elder of the Japan Sumo Association under the name of Tatsutagawa.
Manabu Iwadate (岩舘 学, Iwadate Manabu; born April 14, 1981) is a Japanese professional baseball manager and former…Manabu Iwadate (岩舘 学, Iwadate Manabu; born April 14, 1981) is a Japanese professional baseball manager and former infielder who is a coach for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of Nippon Professional Baseball. He played for the Yomiuri Giants and the Fighters during his playing career.
Shinjirō Koizumi (Japanese: 小泉 進次郎, Hepburn: Koizumi Shinjirō; born 14 April 1981) is a Japanese politician serving as…Shinjirō Koizumi (Japanese: 小泉 進次郎, Hepburn: Koizumi Shinjirō; born 14 April 1981) is a Japanese politician serving as the Minister of Defense since October 2025. He previously served as the Minister of the Environment from September 2019 to October 2021 and Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries from May to October 2025. He has also served as a Member of the House of Representatives for the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), representing Kanagawa since 2009. He is the second son of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and the younger brother of actor Kotaro Koizumi. After graduating from Kanto Gakuin University and Columbia University, Koizumi worked as a researcher at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and became active politically as Young Leader of the Pacific Forum CSIS. He also spent time working as a political secretary for his father in the final years of his second term as prime minister. In the 2009 election, he was elected to the House of Representatives for the seat his father had occupied for more than 35 years. Koizumi was appointed as a Vice-Minister for Reconstruction after the election of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2012, focusing on the northeastern region of Japan that was devastated by the March 2011 tsunami and subsequent nuclear disaster. He publicly opposed his father's calls for Japan to abandon nuclear energy immediately. In 2019, Abe appointed Koizumi to the cabinet as Minister of the Environment, a role he retained when Yoshihide Suga succeeded Abe as prime minister in September 2020. Koizumi endorsed Taro Kono in the 2021 LDP leadership election, which resulted in Fumio Kishida becoming prime minister. He subsequently left the cabinet and returned to backbench politics. Koizumi ran as a candidate in the 2024 LDP presidential election to succeed Kishida and placed third, losing the first round to Sanae Takaichi and Shigeru Ishiba, with the latter leading the final runoff. The LDP would lose its majority in the 2024 general election, after which Koizumi resigned as head of the party's Election Strategy committee. After working at the LDP's political reform headquarters, he was made Minister of Agriculture by Ishiba in May 2025. Following Ishiba's announcement of his resignation, Koizumi again ran as a candidate in the 2025 LDP presidential election, this time losing to Takaichi in the runoff. Takaichi subsequently appointed Koizumi as Minister of Defense.
Hisashi Iwakuma (岩隈 久志, Iwakuma Hisashi; born April 12, 1981) is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher. He…Hisashi Iwakuma (岩隈 久志, Iwakuma Hisashi; born April 12, 1981) is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes from 2000 to 2004, Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles from 2005 to 2011, and Yomiuri Giants in 2019, and all of his time in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners from 2012 to 2017. Iwakuma retired in 2020 due to lingering shoulder issues that had prevented him from playing that year. Iwakuma made his professional debut with the Buffaloes in 2000. He was named a NPB All-Star in 2003 and 2004, and played in the 2004 Athens Olympics. He joined the Eagles in 2005. As the Eagles' reigning staff ace, Iwakuma won the Eiji Sawamura Award in 2008, and was also a NPB All-Star that year. He appeared in the 2009 World Baseball Classic for Japan. Iwakuma was posted to MLB after the 2010 season, but he failed to come to an agreement with the winning bidder. After the 2011 season, Iwakuma signed with the Mariners. He was an All-Star in 2013, as well as the third-place finisher for the 2013 American League Cy Young Award. On August 12, 2015, Iwakuma became the second Japanese player ever to pitch a no-hitter in MLB (joining Hideo Nomo, who threw two), throwing a three-walk, seven-strikeout 3–0 win over the Baltimore Orioles at Safeco Field. It was also his first MLB complete game and the Mariners' fifth no-hitter in team history.
Shinya Tsuruoka (鶴岡 慎也, born April 11, 1981, in Kagoshima, Japan) is a Japanese professional baseball catcher for the…Shinya Tsuruoka (鶴岡 慎也, born April 11, 1981, in Kagoshima, Japan) is a Japanese professional baseball catcher for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball.
Miyuki Yanagita (柳田 美幸, Yanagita Miyuki; born April 11, 1981) is a former Japanese football player. She played for…Miyuki Yanagita (柳田 美幸, Yanagita Miyuki; born April 11, 1981) is a former Japanese football player. She played for Japan national team.
Kosuke Iwase (岩瀬浩介, Iwase Kosuke; born April 8, 1981 in Ibaraki) is a Japanese former professional football player. He…Kosuke Iwase (岩瀬浩介, Iwase Kosuke; born April 8, 1981 in Ibaraki) is a Japanese former professional football player. He is currently the chairman of the Blaublitz Akita, a Japanese association football team based in Akita, Akita.
Satoshi Yamazaki (山崎 敏, Yamazaki Satoshi; born in Gunma, Japan) is a Japanese professional Nippon Professional Baseball…Satoshi Yamazaki (山崎 敏, Yamazaki Satoshi; born in Gunma, Japan) is a Japanese professional Nippon Professional Baseball player. He is 5 ft 6 in (168 cm) in height and currently with the Saitama Seibu Lions in Japan's Pacific League.
Naoko Kawashima (born 7 April 1981) is a Japanese synchronized swimmer who competed in the 2004 and 2008 Summer…Naoko Kawashima (born 7 April 1981) is a Japanese synchronized swimmer who competed in the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics.
Kazuki Watanabe (渡辺和樹, Watanabe Kazuki; April 7, 1981 – October 31, 2000), known by his stage name Kazuki (華月), was a…Kazuki Watanabe (渡辺和樹, Watanabe Kazuki; April 7, 1981 – October 31, 2000), known by his stage name Kazuki (華月), was a Japanese musician known as guitarist and lead songwriter of the visual kei rock band Raphael. The group became quite popular, with all their releases entering the top 40 of the Oricon chart, before disbanding after Kazuki died at the age of 19.