Beyblade, known in Japan as Bakuten Shoot Beyblade (Japanese: 爆転シュートベイブレード, Hepburn: Bakuten Shūto Beiburēdo; lit.…
Beyblade, known in Japan as Bakuten Shoot Beyblade (Japanese: 爆転シュートベイブレード, Hepburn: Bakuten Shūto Beiburēdo; lit. 'Explosive-Spin Shoot Beyblade'), is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Takao Aoki, created to promote Takara's Beyblade spinning tops. The series focuses on a group of kids who form teams, which battle one another using Beyblades. It was serialized in Shogakukan's children's manga magazine CoroCoro Comic from August 1999 to June 2004, with its chapters collected and published in 14 tankōbon volumes. It was licensed for English release in North America by Viz Media and in Singapore, Australia and New Zealand by Chuang Yi. An anime adaptation by Madhouse aired in Japan on TV Tokyo from January to December 2001 and was followed by two sequel series, Beyblade V-Force and Beyblade G-Revolution, and the 2002 film Beyblade: Fierce Battle all three by Nippon Animedia, a partnership between Nippon Animation, Takara, Agatsuma and Epoch. Nelvana licensed and produced English-language adaptations of the anime series and the film.
Famous People of the Three Jade Wood Star
Three Jade Wood Star: 1,965 people
Koshi Fujimori (藤森 耕資, Fujimori Kōshi; born 19 December 1961) is a Japanese former water polo player who competed in…
Koshi Fujimori (藤森 耕資, Fujimori Kōshi; born 19 December 1961) is a Japanese former water polo player who competed in the 1984 Summer Olympics.
Tetsuya Shiokawa (塩川鉄也 Shiokawa Tetsuya) is a Japanese politician and former member of the House of Representatives for…
Tetsuya Shiokawa (塩川鉄也 Shiokawa Tetsuya) is a Japanese politician and former member of the House of Representatives for the Japanese Communist Party.
Natsuko Godai (伍代夏子), (born 18 December 1961), of Tokyo, Japan, is a Japanese enka singer.
Sion Sono (園 子温, Sono Shion; born December 18, 1961) is a Japanese filmmaker, writer, and poet. He is best known for…
Sion Sono (園 子温, Sono Shion; born December 18, 1961) is a Japanese filmmaker, writer, and poet. He is best known for the films Love Exposure (2008), Strange Circus (2005) and Suicide Club (2001). He has been called "the most subversive filmmaker working in Japanese cinema today," and a "stakhanovite filmmaker" with an "idiosyncratic" career.
Takehiro Watanabe (渡辺 武弘, Watanabe Takehiro; born 16 December 1961) is a Japanese table tennis player. He competed at…
Takehiro Watanabe (渡辺 武弘, Watanabe Takehiro; born 16 December 1961) is a Japanese table tennis player. He competed at the 1988 Summer Olympics and the 1992 Summer Olympics.
Toru Yoshikawa (吉川 亨, Yoshikawa Tōru; born December 13, 1961) is a former Japanese football player. He played for Japan…
Toru Yoshikawa (吉川 亨, Yoshikawa Tōru; born December 13, 1961) is a former Japanese football player. He played for Japan national team.
Tensai Okamura (岡村 天斎, Okamura Tensai), born Yutaka Okamura (岡村 豊, Okamura Yutaka) on December 13, 1961, in Fukushima…
Tensai Okamura (岡村 天斎, Okamura Tensai), born Yutaka Okamura (岡村 豊, Okamura Yutaka) on December 13, 1961, in Fukushima Prefecture, is a Japanese anime director and animator. Okamura grew up in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture. He is a graduate of Waseda University's department of science and engineering. In 1991, he changed his first name to Tensai.
Satoru Matsuhashi (松橋 暁, Matsuhashi Satoru; born 6 December 1961) is a Japanese ski jumper. He competed in the normal…
Satoru Matsuhashi (松橋 暁, Matsuhashi Satoru; born 6 December 1961) is a Japanese ski jumper. He competed in the normal hill and large hill events at the 1984 Winter Olympics.
Yusuke Adachi (足達 勇輔, Adachi Yūsuke; born December 5, 1961) is a Japanese football manager and former player. He is…
Yusuke Adachi (足達 勇輔, Adachi Yūsuke; born December 5, 1961) is a Japanese football manager and former player. He is currently the technical director of V.League 1 club Hanoi FC.
Toshinao Sasaki (佐々木 俊尚, Sasaki Toshinao; born December 5, 1961) is a Japanese freelance journalist and critic, a…
Toshinao Sasaki (佐々木 俊尚, Sasaki Toshinao; born December 5, 1961) is a Japanese freelance journalist and critic, a regular writer for CNET Japan, and a one-time reporter for Mainichi Shimbun. He was born in Hyōgo Prefecture.
Yoshihiro Nikawadori (荷川取義浩, Nikawadori Yoshihiro, born 4 December 1961) is a Japanese former handball player who…
Yoshihiro Nikawadori (荷川取義浩, Nikawadori Yoshihiro, born 4 December 1961) is a Japanese former handball player who competed in the 1988 Summer Olympics.
Shinji Takamatsu (高松 信司, Takamatsu Shinji; born December 3, 1961) is a Japanese storyboard artist, screenwriter, and…
Shinji Takamatsu (高松 信司, Takamatsu Shinji; born December 3, 1961) is a Japanese storyboard artist, screenwriter, and director.
Koichi Ishimori (born 2 December 1961) is a Japanese wrestler. He competed in the men's freestyle +100 kg at the 1984…
Koichi Ishimori (born 2 December 1961) is a Japanese wrestler. He competed in the men's freestyle +100 kg at the 1984 Summer Olympics.
Akira Furusawa (Japanese: 古澤 明, Hepburn: Furusawa Akira; born 1961) is a Japanese physicist known for his contributions…
Akira Furusawa (Japanese: 古澤 明, Hepburn: Furusawa Akira; born 1961) is a Japanese physicist known for his contributions to quantum teleportation. He is a professor of physics in University of Tokyo and specializes in nonlinear optics, quantum optics, and quantum information science.
Kazuyuki Aijima (相島 一之, Aijima Kazuyuki; born November 30, 1961) is a Japanese stage and film actor, and one of the…
Kazuyuki Aijima (相島 一之, Aijima Kazuyuki; born November 30, 1961) is a Japanese stage and film actor, and one of the original Tokyo Sunshine Boys, a theatrical troupe that lasted from 1983 to about 1994. He is currently seen in television dramas and onstage in Japan.
Tetsuya Kiyonari (清成哲也, Kiyonari Tetsuya; born November 27, 1961) is a professional Go player.
Yoshiaki Kuruma (車 吉章, Kuruma Yoshiaki; born November 26, 1961) is a Japanese "free announcer" from the Hokuriku region…
Yoshiaki Kuruma (車 吉章, Kuruma Yoshiaki; born November 26, 1961) is a Japanese "free announcer" from the Hokuriku region of Japan.
Shingo Miyake (born November 24, 1961) is a Japanese politician who is a former member of the House of Councillors of…
Shingo Miyake (born November 24, 1961) is a Japanese politician who is a former member of the House of Councillors of Japan.
Masanori Ota (太田正典, Ōta Masanori; born November 23, 1961), better known by his pen name Masamune Shirow (士郎 正宗, Shirō…
Masanori Ota (太田正典, Ōta Masanori; born November 23, 1961), better known by his pen name Masamune Shirow (士郎 正宗, Shirō Masamune), is a Japanese manga artist and designer for video games and anime productions. Shirow is best known for his award-winning debut work, Appleseed, and his widely known manga, Ghost in the Shell. Both series have been adapted into theatrical or television anime films, anime television series, OVA or ONA productions, and several video games. Ghost in the Shell was additionally adapted into a Hollywood live-action film. He is a key figure in the development of cyberpunk aesthetics and themes in Japan during the 1980s and 1990s. In addition to his mainstream manga and design work, Shirow has produced erotic and hentai manga and illustrations since the 1990s, under his regular pen name, with numerous art books and a 2025 exhibition dedicated to this work. These share the same canon as his interconnected mainstream publications.
Takami Akai (赤井 孝美, Akai Takami; born November 21, 1961) is an illustrator, game creator, character designer and…
Takami Akai (赤井 孝美, Akai Takami; born November 21, 1961) is an illustrator, game creator, character designer and animator.
Katsutoshi Shiina (椎名勝利, Shiina Katsutoshi; born 21 November 1961) is a Japanese karateka of the Shotokan style. In…
Katsutoshi Shiina (椎名勝利, Shiina Katsutoshi; born 21 November 1961) is a Japanese karateka of the Shotokan style. In 2004, he won the Shoto World Cup for kata. He has reached the 8th dan in the Japan Karate Association (JKA) system. As early as 2004, he was the general manager of the planning division at the JKA; in 2010, he instead became the general manager of the temporary personnel division. He remains an instructor with the JKA.
Kazuyori Mochizuki (望月 一頼, Mochizuki Kazuyori; born November 20, 1961) is a Japanese manager and former footballer.
Hironori Kamezawa (亀澤 宏規, Kamezawa Hironori; born 18 November 1961) is a Japanese business executive. He serves as the…
Hironori Kamezawa (亀澤 宏規, Kamezawa Hironori; born 18 November 1961) is a Japanese business executive. He serves as the President and Group CEO of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG), the ninth-largest bank in the world by total assets. He holds a Master of Science degree in mathematics from the University of Tokyo.
Atsushi Natori (名取 篤, Natori Atsushi; born November 12, 1961) is a former Japanese football player. He played for the…
Atsushi Natori (名取 篤, Natori Atsushi; born November 12, 1961) is a former Japanese football player. He played for the Japan national team.
Tsukasa Endo (遠藤 司, Endō Tsukasa; born 9 November 1961) is a Japanese long-distance runner. He competed in the men's…
Tsukasa Endo (遠藤 司, Endō Tsukasa; born 9 November 1961) is a Japanese long-distance runner. He competed in the men's 10,000 metres at the 1988 Summer Olympics.
Isao Takagi (高木 功, Takagi Isao; born November 8, 1961) who goes by the ring name Arashi (嵐), is a Japanese professional…
Isao Takagi (高木 功, Takagi Isao; born November 8, 1961) who goes by the ring name Arashi (嵐), is a Japanese professional wrestler from Moriguchi, Osaka Prefecture, who works for Dradition. He has previously worked for All Japan Pro Wrestling.
Tomoko Tane (種ともこ, Tane Tomoko; born November 7, 1961) is a Japanese singer, songwriter, and arranger. She debuted in…
Tomoko Tane (種ともこ, Tane Tomoko; born November 7, 1961) is a Japanese singer, songwriter, and arranger. She debuted in 1985 and has recorded various singles and albums. She sung "Mermaid in Blue" for the television film Sango-sho Densetsu: Aoi Umi no Erufii (Coral Reef Legend: Elfie of the Blue Sea). In 1990, her album Ureshii Hitokoto (うれしいひとこと) peaked at position five on the Japanese charts. She sang the opening song "Message #9" and credits track "Love Song" of the 1998 anime series Gasaraki. She also is the performer in "Rainbow Song", the ending theme to the Japanese dub of The Little Polar Bear.
Hiroshi Kawauchi (川内 博史, Kawauchi Hiroshi; born 2 November 1961) is a Japanese politician of the Constitutional…
Hiroshi Kawauchi (川内 博史, Kawauchi Hiroshi; born 2 November 1961) is a Japanese politician of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan who served as a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). He studied at Waseda University.
Kōki Idoki (井戸木鴻樹, Idoki Kōki; born 2 November 1961) is a Japanese professional golfer who has played his whole career…
Kōki Idoki (井戸木鴻樹, Idoki Kōki; born 2 November 1961) is a Japanese professional golfer who has played his whole career on the Japan Golf Tour.
Kayoko Sugiyama (Japanese: 杉山 加代子; born 31 October 1961) is a Japanese former volleyball player who competed in the…
Kayoko Sugiyama (Japanese: 杉山 加代子; born 31 October 1961) is a Japanese former volleyball player who competed in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. In 1984, she was a member of the Japanese team that won the bronze medal in the Olympic tournament. Four years later, she finished fourth with the Japanese team in the 1988 Olympic tournament.
Kanako Wada (Japanese: 和田 加奈子, Hepburn: Wada Kanako; born 28 October 1961) is a Japanese singer and songwriter.…
Kanako Wada (Japanese: 和田 加奈子, Hepburn: Wada Kanako; born 28 October 1961) is a Japanese singer and songwriter. Originally studying classical piano, she studied sculpture and managed the rugby team at the Tokyo University of the Arts before being scouted at a concert she organized. Debuting in November 1985, she released seven original albums and eleven singles with Toshiba EMI before retiring in 1991. She was also a television personality who worked as Akira Inoue's assistant on NHK's Best Sound II , as well as a radio personality at networks such as Asahi Broadcasting Corporation and Nippon Cultural Broadcasting. Her music has received renewed attention amidst the city pop boom of the 2010s and 2020s.
Kazuharu Shoshi (所司 和晴, Shoshi Kazuharu; born October 23, 1961) is a retired Japanese professional shogi player who…
Kazuharu Shoshi (所司 和晴, Shoshi Kazuharu; born October 23, 1961) is a retired Japanese professional shogi player who achieved the rank of 8-dan.
Takaaki Ishibashi (石橋 貴明, Ishibashi Takaaki; born October 22, 1961) is a Japanese comedian, singer and actor. He is…
Takaaki Ishibashi (石橋 貴明, Ishibashi Takaaki; born October 22, 1961) is a Japanese comedian, singer and actor. He is best known as a member of Tunnels and Yaen with his partner Noritake Kinashi.
Michie Tomizawa (富沢 美智恵, Tomizawa Michie; born October 20, 1961) is a Japanese actress, voice actress and singer born…
Michie Tomizawa (富沢 美智恵, Tomizawa Michie; born October 20, 1961) is a Japanese actress, voice actress and singer born in Maruko, Nagano Prefecture and raised in Shinmachi, Gunma.
Takeo Matsuda (松田 岳夫, Matsuda Takeo; born October 13, 1961) is a former Japanese football player and manager currently…
Takeo Matsuda (松田 岳夫, Matsuda Takeo; born October 13, 1961) is a former Japanese football player and manager currently manager WE League club of Tokyo Verdy Beleza.
Seizo Izumiya (Izumiya Seizo; born 12 October 1961) is a Japanese master of Shotokan karate. He has won the JKA…
Seizo Izumiya (Izumiya Seizo; born 12 October 1961) is a Japanese master of Shotokan karate. He has won the JKA All-Japan championships for kata. He is currently an instructor of the Japan Karate Association.
Hideo Jinpu (神風 英男, Jinpū Hideo; born 10 October 1961) is a former Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of…
Hideo Jinpu (神風 英男, Jinpū Hideo; born 10 October 1961) 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 Koga, Ibaraki and graduate of Hosei University, he ran unsuccessfully for the assembly of Ibaraki Prefecture in 1994. He was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 2003.
Noriko Sasaki (佐々木 倫子, Sasaki Noriko; born 7 October 1961) is a Japanese manga artist. She is best known for her…
Noriko Sasaki (佐々木 倫子, Sasaki Noriko; born 7 October 1961) is a Japanese manga artist. She is best known for her Dōbutsu no Oisha-san series.
Miyuki Matsuda (松田美由紀, Matsuda Miyuki; born October 6, 1961) is a Japanese actress, the widow of Yūsaku Matsuda, and…
Miyuki Matsuda (松田美由紀, Matsuda Miyuki; born October 6, 1961) is a Japanese actress, the widow of Yūsaku Matsuda, and the sister of Mami Kumagai. At the age of 17 she appeared in a television series, Tantei Monogatari, starring Yūsaku Matsuda, who was then married. They started a relationship and, after Masuda divorced his first wife, Michiko, they married in 1983. Their son Ryuhei Matsuda was born that year. They had two more children: a second son, Shota Matsuda, born in 1985, and a daughter, Yūki Matsuda, born in 1988. She appeared as Ryo Ishibashi's dead wife in the movie Audition (1999). In 2009 she was the executive producer for the documentary Soul Red: Yusaku Matsuda about her husband's life and death. In 2008, she published a book of photographs of the model Hitomi Katayama, Watakushi no suki na kodoku.
Eiichi Sato (佐藤 栄一, Satō Eiichi; born 5 October 1961) is the mayor of Utsunomiya, Tochigi in Japan. A graduate of Meiji…
Eiichi Sato (佐藤 栄一, Satō Eiichi; born 5 October 1961) is the mayor of Utsunomiya, Tochigi in Japan. A graduate of Meiji University, he has been serving his first term of mayor since 29 November 2004.
Shogo Mukai (向井昭吾, Mukai Shōgo), (born Iyo, October 2, 1961) is a Japanese former rugby union coach who coached the…
Shogo Mukai (向井昭吾, Mukai Shōgo), (born Iyo, October 2, 1961) is a Japanese former rugby union coach who coached the Japan national rugby union team from 2001 up to the 2003 Rugby World Cup. Mukai played as a full back and won 13 caps for the Japan national rugby union team between 1985 and 1988 and played at the 1987 Rugby World Cup. After retiring from his playing career in 1994, he became coach of the Toshiba Brave Lupus whom he led to three consecutive national titles from 1997 and 1999. His success with Toshiba Brave Lupus led to him to be appointed as coach of the Japan national team in December 2000 after Seiji Hirao resigned. He led the side up to the 2003 Rugby World Cup, where Japan put up some credible performances against Scotland and France but ultimately finished the tournament winless. He stepped down after the tournament to spend more time with his family. He finished his time as Japan coach with a record of 9 wins in 24 matches. After leaving his post with Japan, he became coach of the Coca-Cola Red Sparks in 2004. He led them to promotion to the Top League in 2006 where they stayed until they were relegated in 2012. This was Mukai's last season in charge as he handed over the reins to new coach Satoshi Yamaguchi and moved into a directors role at the club. During his time as a coach, Mukai was renowned for employing an attacking game plan.
Sadaharu Tanikawa (谷川貞治, Tanikawa Sadaharu) (27 September 1961 in Nagoya) is a Japanese combat sports promoter and was…
Sadaharu Tanikawa (谷川貞治, Tanikawa Sadaharu) (27 September 1961 in Nagoya) is a Japanese combat sports promoter and was previously the president of Fighting and Entertainment Group.
Ken Mitsuishi (光石 研, Mitsuishi Ken; born September 26, 1961) is a Japanese actor. He has appeared in films such as…
Ken Mitsuishi (光石 研, Mitsuishi Ken; born September 26, 1961) is a Japanese actor. He has appeared in films such as Chaos and Tokyo Playboy Club.
Tamaki Saitō (斎藤 環, Saitō Tamaki; born September 24, 1961) is a Japanese psychologist and critic. He specializes in the…
Tamaki Saitō (斎藤 環, Saitō Tamaki; born September 24, 1961) is a Japanese psychologist and critic. He specializes in the psychiatry of puberty and adolescence. Saitō is Director of Medical Service at Sofukai Sasaki Hospital in Funabashi, Chiba. Saitō is notable for his study of hikikomori, a term he coined; he is internationally recognized as Japan's leading hikikomori expert. He is also known for presenting the theory of "multiple orientations" to explain otaku sexuality in Beautiful Fighting Girl. Since the 2010s, he has been involved in introducing Open Dialogue in Japan.
Eiji Kiyokawa (清川 栄治, Kiyokawa Eiji; September 21, 1961 – May 5, 2024) was a Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball…
Eiji Kiyokawa (清川 栄治, Kiyokawa Eiji; September 21, 1961 – May 5, 2024) was a Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball player and coach who played as a pitcher. He died from cancer on May 5, 2024, at the age of 62.
Masahiko Sugino (杉野公彦) is a Japanese businessman who founded Round One Corporation.
Katsuaki Nakamura (中村 克明, Nakamura Katsuaki; born 19 September 1961), pen name Katsu Aki (克・亜樹), is a Japanese manga…
Katsuaki Nakamura (中村 克明, Nakamura Katsuaki; born 19 September 1961), pen name Katsu Aki (克・亜樹), is a Japanese manga artist best known for his works The Vision of Escaflowne, Futari Ecchi, and Psychic Academy. Mine Yoshizaki is one of Aki's former assistants.
Kiichi Nakai (中井 貴一, Nakai Kiichi; born September 18, 1961) is a Japanese actor. His name was given by Yasujirō Ozu.…
Kiichi Nakai (中井 貴一, Nakai Kiichi; born September 18, 1961) is a Japanese actor. His name was given by Yasujirō Ozu. His father, Keiji Sada, also a movie actor, died when Nakai was only two years old. Nakai started his acting career while he was still in university and was awarded the Rookie of the Year at the Japan Academy Awards in 1981. He won the Japan Academy Best Supporting Actor award in 1994 (for 47 Ronin) and Best Actor award in 2003 (for When the Last Sword Is Drawn). He also won the award for best supporting actor at the 19th Hochi Film Award for 47 Ronin. In 2003 he played a Japanese delegate to a Chinese emperor of the Tang dynasty in Warriors of Heaven and Earth. Though a few of his lines are in Japanese, most are in Mandarin. His older sister, Kie Nakai, is also an actress.
Shinji Hirai (平井 伸治, Hirai Shinji; born 17 September 1961) is a Japanese politician, the governor of Tottori Prefecture…
Shinji Hirai (平井 伸治, Hirai Shinji; born 17 September 1961) is a Japanese politician, the governor of Tottori Prefecture in Japan, first elected in 2007. He graduated from the University of Tokyo with the B.L. degree in 1984 and joined the Ministry of Home Affairs upon graduation.