Yoshiko Tamura (田村 欣子, Tamura Yoshiko; born February 6, 1976) is a Japanese retired professional wrestler. Tamura was…Yoshiko Tamura (田村 欣子, Tamura Yoshiko; born February 6, 1976) is a Japanese retired professional wrestler. Tamura was trained by the All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling (AJW) promotion, made her debut in September 1994 and worked for the promotion for three years, winning the AJW Junior Championship, before taking part in a mass exodus led by Kyoko Inoue and following her to the newly founded NEO Japan Ladies Pro-Wrestling promotion. Recognized as the "Ace" of NEO, Tamura performed with the promotion from its first event to the last, in the process becoming its most accomplished wrestler, winning the NEO Single and NWA Women's Pacific Championships a record seven times and the NEO Tag Team Championship three times. All in all, Tamura held the NEO Single and NWA Women's Pacific Championships for 2,074 days and successfully defended them 38 times. After being inducted into the NEO Hall of Fame, Tamura ended her sixteen-year career on December 31, 2010, retiring at the end of NEO's final event.
Kuranosuke Sasaki (佐々木 蔵之介, Sasaki Kuranosuke; born February 4, 1968; real name Hideaki Sasaki 佐々木秀明, Sasaki Hideaki)…Kuranosuke Sasaki (佐々木 蔵之介, Sasaki Kuranosuke; born February 4, 1968; real name Hideaki Sasaki 佐々木秀明, Sasaki Hideaki) is a Japanese actor, known primarily for his roles in Japanese television drama.
Yasunobu Nakamura (中村 泰信 Nakamura Yasunobu) is a Japanese physicist. He is a professor at the University of Tokyo's…Yasunobu Nakamura (中村 泰信 Nakamura Yasunobu) is a Japanese physicist. He is a professor at the University of Tokyo's Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology (RCAST) and the Principal Investigator of the Superconducting Quantum Electronics Research Group (SQERG) at the Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS) within RIKEN. He has contributed primarily to the area of quantum information science, particularly in superconducting quantum computing and hybrid quantum systems.
Kotaro Oshio (押尾 コータロー, Oshio Kōtarō; real name: 押尾 光太郎) is an acoustic guitarist from Japan. Born in Suita, Osaka, on…Kotaro Oshio (押尾 コータロー, Oshio Kōtarō; real name: 押尾 光太郎) is an acoustic guitarist from Japan. Born in Suita, Osaka, on February 1, 1968, he is best known for his work on the steel string guitar. Oshio is a part of Sony Music Japan's SME Records division. Oshio was voted the second greatest Japanese guitarist in a 2019 poll held by goo.
Noriko Matsumoto (Japanese: 松本 典子, Hepburn: Matsumoto Noriko; born 30 January 1968) is a Japanese singer and television…Noriko Matsumoto (Japanese: 松本 典子, Hepburn: Matsumoto Noriko; born 30 January 1968) is a Japanese singer and television personality. After winning the Grand Prize at the 1984 Miss Seventeen Contest, she debuted as an idol singer with her song "Shunshoku no Airmail" and had four more singles chart in the Oricon Singles Chart Top 30 and a Japan Record Awards New Artist Award, and she was a regular cast member at the variety show Shimura Ken no Daijobu dā . She went on a career break after her 1992 marriage to baseball player Kenji Tomashino, before making a comeback in the early-2010s.
Kosaku Akimoto (秋元 宏作, Akimoto Kōsaku; born January 29, 1968) is a retired Nippon Professional Baseball catcher. He…Kosaku Akimoto (秋元 宏作, Akimoto Kōsaku; born January 29, 1968) is a retired Nippon Professional Baseball catcher. He used to play for the Yokohama BayStars.
Shinobu Aoki (青木忍, Aoki Shinobu), (born 26 January 1968 in Saitama) is a former Japanese rugby union player who played…Shinobu Aoki (青木忍, Aoki Shinobu), (born 26 January 1968 in Saitama) is a former Japanese rugby union player who played as fly-half and former coach.
Masumi Miyazaki (宮崎 萬純, Miyazaki Masumi) (born January 26, 1968, in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan), is an actress and…Masumi Miyazaki (宮崎 萬純, Miyazaki Masumi) (born January 26, 1968, in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan), is an actress and model. She graduated from the private Horikoshi High School, and made her film debut in the 1983 release Aiko 16-sai, and was selected as the 11th Clarion Girl in 1985. Miyazaki has appeared nude in multiple films, including XX Utsukushiki Kyōki (XX美しき凶器) and Yaneura no Sanposha (屋根裏の散歩者). She has also released nude photo books and appeared in the Japanese edition of Playboy. In 1996, Miyazaki married and ceased work on her entertainment career. She now lives in the United States where she is a housewife and a lecturer. She resumed work as an entertainer in 2005. In November of that same year, Miyazaki announced that she had breast cancer.
Toshiaki Takemoto (嶽本 稔明, Takemoto Toshiaki), known professionally as Novala Takemoto (嶽本 野ばら, Takemoto Nobara), is a…Toshiaki Takemoto (嶽本 稔明, Takemoto Toshiaki), known professionally as Novala Takemoto (嶽本 野ばら, Takemoto Nobara), is a Japanese author, and fashion designer.
Takeshi Koike (小池健, Koike Takeshi) (born January 26, 1968) is a Japanese animator, illustrator and film director.…Takeshi Koike (小池健, Koike Takeshi) (born January 26, 1968) is a Japanese animator, illustrator and film director. Something of a protégé of Yoshiaki Kawajiri, he was also influenced by Yoshinori Kanada, Frank Miller, Mike Mignola, and Katsuhito Ishii. He went straight from a high school education to beginning his career at Madhouse as an in-betweener on works directed by Kawajiri after being interviewed by him. His first professional work as director is the title sequence of the 2000 film Party 7; while his first feature film is Redline, which premiered in 2009 and was released in 2010. He served as character designer and animation director for 2012's Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine, and directed film continuations of it starting with Lupin the IIIrd: Jigen's Gravestone in 2014. Work outside of animation includes the artwork for the 2004 Dreams Come True single "Yasashii Kiss o Shite".
Aya Kamikawa (上川 あや, Kamikawa Aya; born January 25, 1968) is a Tokyo municipal official. With her election in April…Aya Kamikawa (上川 あや, Kamikawa Aya; born January 25, 1968) is a Tokyo municipal official. With her election in April 2003, she became the first openly transgender person to seek or win elected office in Japan.
Wataru Murata (村田亙, Murata Wataru) (born 25 January 1968 in Jōnan) is a former Japanese rugby player and coach. He…Wataru Murata (村田亙, Murata Wataru) (born 25 January 1968 in Jōnan) is a former Japanese rugby player and coach. He played as scrum-half. He currently coaches Senshu University Rugby Football Club.
Taro Hakase (葉加瀬 太郎, Hakase Tarō; born January 23, 1968 in Suita, Osaka, Japan) is a Japanese musician who specialises…Taro Hakase (葉加瀬 太郎, Hakase Tarō; born January 23, 1968 in Suita, Osaka, Japan) is a Japanese musician who specialises as a violinist and composer.
Taku Iwasaki (岩崎 琢, Iwasaki Taku; born 21 January 1968) is a Japanese composer and arranger. His hometown is Tokyo…Taku Iwasaki (岩崎 琢, Iwasaki Taku; born 21 January 1968) is a Japanese composer and arranger. His hometown is Tokyo, Japan. He is a graduate of Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music.
Ikuko Kawai (Japanese: 川井郁子, Hepburn: Kawai Ikuko; born January 19, 1968, Takamatsu) is a classically trained Japanese…Ikuko Kawai (Japanese: 川井郁子, Hepburn: Kawai Ikuko; born January 19, 1968, Takamatsu) is a classically trained Japanese violinist and composer.
Kenichi Obinata (born 17 January 1968) is a Japanese rower. He competed in the men's lightweight double sculls event at…Kenichi Obinata (born 17 January 1968) is a Japanese rower. He competed in the men's lightweight double sculls event at the 1996 Summer Olympics.
Hideaki Sena, Ph.D. (瀬名 秀明, Sena Hideaki; born January 17, 1968 in Shizuoka City) is a Japanese pharmacologist and…Hideaki Sena, Ph.D. (瀬名 秀明, Sena Hideaki; born January 17, 1968 in Shizuoka City) is a Japanese pharmacologist and novelist. Sena was a graduate student at Tohoku University when he wrote his prizewinning debut novel, Parasite Eve.
Miwa Watabiki (綿引 美和, Watabiki Miwa; born January 13, 1968), better known by her stage name Chara (ちゃら), is a Japanese…Miwa Watabiki (綿引 美和, Watabiki Miwa; born January 13, 1968), better known by her stage name Chara (ちゃら), is a Japanese singer, actress and video jockey. She debuted in 1991 with the single Heaven. She is known for her song "Swallowtail Butterfly (Ai no Uta)", the theme song for the 1996 Shunji Iwai film Swallowtail Butterfly in which she starred, her 1997 hit single "Yasashii Kimochi", and her collaboration with Judy and Mary vocalist Yuki, "Ai no Hi Mittsu Orange". Chara later formed a band with Yuki, called Mean Machine.
Takae Itō (born January 13, 1968, in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese politician who has served as a member of…Takae Itō (born January 13, 1968, in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese politician who has served as a member of the House of Councillors of Japan since 2016. She represents the Hyogo at-large district and is a member of the Komeito party.
Junichi Masuda (増田 順一, Masuda Jun'ichi; born January 12, 1968) is a Japanese video game composer, director, designer…Junichi Masuda (増田 順一, Masuda Jun'ichi; born January 12, 1968) is a Japanese video game composer, director, designer, producer, singer, programmer and trombonist, best known for his work in the Pokémon franchise. He was a member of Game Freak where he was an employee and executive at the company since 1989 after Satoshi Tajiri and Ken Sugimori founded it, starting as a music composer. In 2022, Masuda was appointed to be Chief Creative Fellow at The Pokémon Company. With the development of new Pokémon games, Masuda took new roles in future projects. He began to produce and direct games, starting with Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, and became responsible for approving new character models. His style seeks to keep games accessible while still adding increasing levels of complexity. His work sticks to older mainstays of the series, including a focus on handheld game consoles and 2D graphics. His music draws inspiration from the work of celebrated modern composers like Dmitri Shostakovich, though he used the Super Mario series as a model of good video game composition.
Toru Shioya (born January 9, 1968) is a former professional basketball Head coach for the Hitachi High-Technologies…Toru Shioya (born January 9, 1968) is a former professional basketball Head coach for the Hitachi High-Technologies Cougars of Women's Japan Basketball League .
Sachiko Fujita (Japanese: 藤田 幸子; born 9 January 1968) is a Japanese former volleyball and beach volleyball player who…Sachiko Fujita (Japanese: 藤田 幸子; born 9 January 1968) is a Japanese former volleyball and beach volleyball player who competed in the 1988 and in the 1996 Summer Olympics. In 1988, she finished third with the Japanese team in the Olympic tournament in Seoul. Eight years later, she finished fifth with her partner Yukiko Takahashi in the beach volleyball tournament at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.
Keiko Aoki (青木 恵子, Aoki Keiko; née Nakano (中野), born 8 January 1968) is a Japanese retired professional wrestler and…Keiko Aoki (青木 恵子, Aoki Keiko; née Nakano (中野), born 8 January 1968) is a Japanese retired professional wrestler and professional golfer better known as Bull Nakano (ブル中野, Burunakano). She began competing in All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling (AJW) as a teenager under the ring name Bull Nakano. As a wrestler she was a villain, who often teamed with her mentor Dump Matsumoto. In Japan, she held several of AJW's singles and tag team championships. After being phased out by the company in the early 1990s, she traveled to North America, where she first competed in Mexico's Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), becoming its first World Women's Champion. In 1994, she made her way to the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), where she had feuded with Alundra Blayze over the WWF Women's Championship. After holding the title once, she also competed in World Championship Wrestling (WCW). In 1998, Nakano began competing as a professional golfer, and in 2006, she joined a tour with the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA). She was inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame in 2001 and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2024.
Sakura Uchikoshi (born Sakura Muraki on January 6, 1968, in Hokkaido, Japan) is a Japanese politician who has served as…Sakura Uchikoshi (born Sakura Muraki on January 6, 1968, in Hokkaido, Japan) is a Japanese politician who has served as a member of the House of Councillors of Japan since 2019. She represents the Niigata at-large district and is a member of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan. She is a member of the following committees (as of 2021): Committee on Health, Welfare and Labour Committee on Budget Special Committee on North Korean Abduction Issue and Related Matters Commission on the Constitution
Shunpei Mizuno (水野俊平, Mizuno Shunpei; born 1968) is a Japanese academic who primarily writes on Korean culture. He has…Shunpei Mizuno (水野俊平, Mizuno Shunpei; born 1968) is a Japanese academic who primarily writes on Korean culture. He has also published instructional books for Korean learners of Japanese. He used to write under the pen name Shunsui Nohira (野平俊水, Nohira Shunsui).
Noboru Asahi (Japanese: 朝日 昇, Asahi Noboru; born January 5, 1968) is a Japanese retired mixed martial artist, a…Noboru Asahi (Japanese: 朝日 昇, Asahi Noboru; born January 5, 1968) is a Japanese retired mixed martial artist, a designer, and an owner of MMA gym. He was born in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan on January 5, 1968, as Shin'ichi Asahi (Japanese: 朝日 愼一, Asahi Shin'ichi).
Goichi Suda (須田 剛一, Suda Gōichi; born January 2, 1968), known by his alias Suda51, is a Japanese video game designer…Goichi Suda (須田 剛一, Suda Gōichi; born January 2, 1968), known by his alias Suda51, is a Japanese video game designer and writer. Affiliated with Human Entertainment from 1994 to 1998, he founded Grasshopper Manufacture in 1998 with a number of other Human Entertainment staff to produce their own titles. His best-known work has come from Grasshopper Manufacture, including The Silver Case (1999), Killer7 (2005), the No More Heroes series, and Lollipop Chainsaw (2012). Suda is from Nagano Prefecture, moving to Tokyo at the age of 18 and eventually being hired by Human Entertainment after having a number of other jobs including as an undertaker. His first projects were in the Fire Pro Wrestling and Twilight Syndrome series. At Grasshopper Manufacture, he worked on their debut title The Silver Case as writer and director. The Silver Case helped establish both Suda and his company in Japan, but Suda and Grasshopper gained international attention with the release of Killer7, Suda's first title to be released outside Japan. He has contributed to most of the company's projects, taking on a more managerial role following No More Heroes in 2007. Suda's work is characterized by a focus on themes of crime, and the clash of people with different ideals. While his early works adopted a serious tone, his later projects incorporated elements of humor. Sexual elements have also made appearances in his work to the point where he became worried they would become too heavily associated with him. Aspects of his work have been influenced by film and literature, with one of his favorite authors being Franz Kafka. He frequently incorporates references to pop culture in his games.
Yōsuke Eguchi (江口 洋介, Eguchi Yōsuke; born December 31, 1967) is a Japanese actor and singer. Since 1986, he has…Yōsuke Eguchi (江口 洋介, Eguchi Yōsuke; born December 31, 1967) is a Japanese actor and singer. Since 1986, he has appeared in a number of television series and movies.
Takashi Komatsu (小松 隆志, Komatsu Takashi; born 30 December 1967) is a male triple jumper from Japan. His personal best…Takashi Komatsu (小松 隆志, Komatsu Takashi; born 30 December 1967) is a male triple jumper from Japan. His personal best jump is 16.65 metres, achieved in October 2003 in Hyderabad.
Miki Takai (Japanese: 高井 美紀, romanized: Takai Miki; 28 December 1967 – 25 January 2023) was an announcer who belonged…Miki Takai (Japanese: 高井 美紀, romanized: Takai Miki; 28 December 1967 – 25 January 2023) was an announcer who belonged to Mainichi Broadcasting System (MBS), and was the former deputy announcer of the Mainichi Broadcasting System. She died suddenly during her tenure as "chief announcer". She is survived by one daughter .
Fumitoshi Ishino (石野 文敏, Ishino Fumitoshi; born 26 December 1967), better known by his stage name Takkyu Ishino (石野 卓球…Fumitoshi Ishino (石野 文敏, Ishino Fumitoshi; born 26 December 1967), better known by his stage name Takkyu Ishino (石野 卓球, Ishino Takkyū), is a Japanese musician, DJ, record producer, and singer from Shizuoka, Shizuoka Prefecture. He is a member of Denki Groove.
Takenobu Mitsuyoshi (光吉 猛修, Mitsuyoshi Takenobu; born December 25, 1967) is a Japanese composer of video game music…Takenobu Mitsuyoshi (光吉 猛修, Mitsuyoshi Takenobu; born December 25, 1967) is a Japanese composer of video game music, singer, and video game voice actor. He has composed music for various games produced by Sega, including Virtua Fighter 2 and Shenmue. He first gained major recognition after the release of Daytona USA, for which he wrote music and personally sang vocals. He also recorded live orchestras for the arcade games Derby Owners Club, World Club Champion Football, and Star Horse. Aside from original compositions, he also arranges, provides vocals, and is a performer for various projects, including S.S.T from 1988 to 1993, and [H.] from 2004 onwards. He is well-known for voicing the character Kage-Maru in the Virtua Fighter franchise. His younger brother, Kenji Mitsuyoshi (光吉 賢司, Mitsuyoshi Kenji), is a manga artist and member of the artist-writer duo Ark Performance along with Kōichi Ishikawa.
Yusuke Kawada (河田 雄祐, Kawada Yusuke; born December 22, 1967 in Nerima, Tokyo, Japan) is a former Japanese Nippon…Yusuke Kawada (河田 雄祐, Kawada Yusuke; born December 22, 1967 in Nerima, Tokyo, Japan) is a former Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball player.
Sayori Saito (斉藤 さより, Saitō Sayori; December 21, 1967 – December 15, 2016) was a Japanese professional wrestler, who…Sayori Saito (斉藤 さより, Saitō Sayori; December 21, 1967 – December 15, 2016) was a Japanese professional wrestler, who performed under the ring name Harley Saito (ハーレー斉藤, Hārē Saitō). She spent much of her career for Ladies Legend Pro-Wrestling.
Toshinobu Kawai (河合 季信, Kawai Toshinobu; born 19 December 1967 in Nagoya, Japan) is a Japanese short-track speed…Toshinobu Kawai (河合 季信, Kawai Toshinobu; born 19 December 1967 in Nagoya, Japan) is a Japanese short-track speed skater, who won a bronze medal in the 5000 m relay at the 1992 Winter Olympics together with teammates Yuichi Akasaka, Tatsuyoshi Ishihara and Tsutomu Kawasaki. Before 1992, he won two gold medals in the World Short Track Speed Skating Championships, 1985 and 1987. He is currently working at the University of Tsukuba.
Yasumichi Morita (森田 恭通, Morota Yasumichi; born 19 December 1967) is an interior designer from Ibaraki, Osaka. He…Yasumichi Morita (森田 恭通, Morota Yasumichi; born 19 December 1967) is an interior designer from Ibaraki, Osaka. He undertakes projects in many countries including Japan, New York and Hong Kong.
Yukito Ara (新良 幸人, Ara Yukito; born 1967) is a Japanese sanshin player and Okinawa min'yō (traditional folk songs)…Yukito Ara (新良 幸人, Ara Yukito; born 1967) is a Japanese sanshin player and Okinawa min'yō (traditional folk songs) singer.
Ami Kawai (河合 亞美 (亜美), Kawai Ami; born December 15, 1967) is a Japanese television and theater actress, best known in…Ami Kawai (河合 亞美 (亜美), Kawai Ami; born December 15, 1967) is a Japanese television and theater actress, best known in Japan for her role as Marsha in Kidou Keiji Jiban and Lamy in Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger (the latter known as Scorpina in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers).
Yuzo Koshiro (古代 祐三, Koshiro Yūzō; born December 12, 1967) is a Japanese video game composer. He is often regarded as…Yuzo Koshiro (古代 祐三, Koshiro Yūzō; born December 12, 1967) is a Japanese video game composer. He is often regarded as one of the most influential innovators in chiptune and video game music, producing music in a number of genres including rock, jazz, symphonic, and various electronic genres such as house, electro, techno, and trance. He and his sister Ayano founded the game development company Ancient in 1990, of which he remains the president. Koshiro has been cited as creating some of the most memorable game music of the 1980s and 1990s contributing to games such as Nihon Falcom's Dragon Slayer and Ys series, as well as Sega's The Revenge of Shinobi and Streets of Rage series. The soundtracks for the latter have been called "revolutionary" and "ahead of their time" by some critics.
James Kondo (近藤 正晃ジェームス Kondo Masaakira James, born December 9, 1967) is an executive whose career spans social…James Kondo (近藤 正晃ジェームス Kondo Masaakira James, born December 9, 1967) is an executive whose career spans social, technology, government, business and academic sectors. From January 2019, he is Chairman of International House of Japan.
Hitoshi Morishita (森下 仁之, Morishita Hitoshi; December 9, 1967 – June 25, 2025) was a Japanese football player and…Hitoshi Morishita (森下 仁之, Morishita Hitoshi; December 9, 1967 – June 25, 2025) was a Japanese football player and manager.
Kazuki Ōtake (大竹 一樹, Ōtake Kazuki; born December 8, 1967 in Sumida, Tokyo) is a Japanese comedian. He is a former…Kazuki Ōtake (大竹 一樹, Ōtake Kazuki; born December 8, 1967 in Sumida, Tokyo) is a Japanese comedian. He is a former member of Japanese band UltraCats and current member of owarai group Summers.