Masatoshi Nagase (永瀬 正敏, Nagase Masatoshi; born July 15, 1966) is a Japanese actor and singer. He is best known in the…Masatoshi Nagase (永瀬 正敏, Nagase Masatoshi; born July 15, 1966) is a Japanese actor and singer. He is best known in the West for his roles in Friðrik Þór Friðriksson's Cold Fever and Jim Jarmusch's Mystery Train. Nagase was described by Todd Brown of Twitch Film as "one of the great unsung heroes of Japanese film, a hugely reliable character actor with seemingly unerring taste in projects who - despite a huge body of work - remains largely unknown by name."
Taiji Sawada (Japanese: 沢田 泰司, Hepburn: Sawada Taiji; July 12, 1966 – July 17, 2011), also known mononymously as Taiji…Taiji Sawada (Japanese: 沢田 泰司, Hepburn: Sawada Taiji; July 12, 1966 – July 17, 2011), also known mononymously as Taiji, was a Japanese musician and songwriter. He is best known as bassist of the rock band X from 1986 to 1992. The band rose to prominence in the late 1980s and early 1990s, credited as founders of the Japanese visual kei movement. After leaving X in January 1992, Taiji went on to work with many other recording acts, including Loudness and D.T.R. In July 2011, Taiji was arrested in Saipan for a violent outburst that took place on the flight there. Facing federal charges, he attempted suicide by hanging in his jail cell, which left him brain dead. Taiji died in a hospital on July 11 after his family decided to turn off his life support. In 2018, readers and professional musicians voted him the best bassist in the history of hard rock and heavy metal in We Rock magazine's "Metal General Election".
Shinji Inoue (井上 真二, Inoue Shinji; born July 12, 1966 in Tamana District, Kumamoto, Japan) is a Japanese former Nippon…Shinji Inoue (井上 真二, Inoue Shinji; born July 12, 1966 in Tamana District, Kumamoto, Japan) is a Japanese former Nippon Professional Baseball outfielder.
Masaki Oya (Japanese: 大家 正喜, Hepburn: Ōya Masaki; born 11 July 1966) is a Japanese long-distance runner. He competed in…Masaki Oya (Japanese: 大家 正喜, Hepburn: Ōya Masaki; born 11 July 1966) is a Japanese long-distance runner. He competed in the men's marathon at the 1996 Summer Olympics.
Kentaro Miura (Japanese: 三浦 建太郎, Hepburn: Miura Kentarō; July 11, 1966 – May 6, 2021) was a Japanese manga artist. He…Kentaro Miura (Japanese: 三浦 建太郎, Hepburn: Miura Kentarō; July 11, 1966 – May 6, 2021) was a Japanese manga artist. He was best known for his dark fantasy series Berserk, which began serialization in 1989. By 2023, Berserk had over 60 million copies in circulation, making it one of the best-selling manga series of all time. In 2002, Miura received the Award for Excellence at the sixth Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize.
Hiroki Fuwa (不破 弘樹, Fuwa Hiroki; born 9 July 1966) is a Japanese sprinter. He competed in the men's 100 metres at the…Hiroki Fuwa (不破 弘樹, Fuwa Hiroki; born 9 July 1966) is a Japanese sprinter. He competed in the men's 100 metres at the 1984 Summer Olympics.
Akio Haga (Japanese: 羽下 晃生, Hepburn: Haga Akio) is a Japanese Formula One engineer. He is currently the chief engineer…Akio Haga (Japanese: 羽下 晃生, Hepburn: Haga Akio) is a Japanese Formula One engineer. He is currently the chief engineer at Aston Martin Performance Technologies.
Daishōyama Naoki (born 7 July 1966 as Naoki Yamazaki) is a former sumo wrestler from Anamizu, Ishikawa, Japan. A former…Daishōyama Naoki (born 7 July 1966 as Naoki Yamazaki) is a former sumo wrestler from Anamizu, Ishikawa, Japan. A former amateur champion, he made his professional debut in January 1989 and reached a highest rank of maegashira 2 before retiring in 1995. He is now the head coach of Oitekaze stable.
Jun Sasaki (佐々木 潤, Sasaki Jun; born July 7, 1966) is a Japanese singer-songwriter and record producer. He is best known…Jun Sasaki (佐々木 潤, Sasaki Jun; born July 7, 1966) is a Japanese singer-songwriter and record producer. He is best known for his work as a record producer for acts including Misia, Chara, and Yuki Koyanagi. Sasaki also works as a photographer under the alias of Yajimax. In 2005, Sasaki married musician and actress Kaori Hifumi.
Hiroki Yagami (八神 ひろき, Yagami Hiroki; born 5 July 1966) is a Japanese manga artist. In 2007, he won the 31st Kodansha…Hiroki Yagami (八神 ひろき, Yagami Hiroki; born 5 July 1966) is a Japanese manga artist. In 2007, he won the 31st Kodansha Manga Award for shōnen manga for Dear Boys Act II.
Masayoshi Toyoda (豊田 正義, Toyoda Masayoshi; born 1966) is a Japanese journalist and writer. In 1995, he also became the…Masayoshi Toyoda (豊田 正義, Toyoda Masayoshi; born 1966) is a Japanese journalist and writer. In 1995, he also became the founder of the Japanese men's liberation organization Men's Lib Tokyo. After his graduation from Waseda University, he went to New York City and worked as a reporter. He wrote books about domestic violence and child abuse in Japan. He leads men's liberation in Tokyo now. Toyoda also complained about the "Yellow cab" controversy. He wrote a book about serial killer Futoshi Matsunaga and his common-law wife Junko Ogata because their relationships seemed to be domestic violence.
Hiroshi Suzuki (鈴木 寛, Suzuki Hiroshi; born 29 June 1966 in Higashikurume, Tokyo), better known by his stage name Papaya…Hiroshi Suzuki (鈴木 寛, Suzuki Hiroshi; born 29 June 1966 in Higashikurume, Tokyo), better known by his stage name Papaya Suzuki (パパイヤ鈴木, Papaiya Suzuki), is a Japanese celebrity most famous for his dancing and for his afro hairstyle. He originally intended to be a singer, but gave up due to a drastic gain in weight. According to his official web site, he is 178 cm tall, and weighs 108 kg. He is now a choreographer and dancer, and he is a member of the dancing group Oyaji dancers, where oyaji is a faintly derogatory Japanese word literally meaning "dad" but also used for middle-aged men in general. He also works as an actor, a lyricist, and a songwriter, as well as arranging and producing music. Suzuki made a brief appearance as a dancer in the video for the song O! O! Xsta Si ( Boom Boom Love ) by the J-pop group Deeps. He was the choreographer for one of AKB48's biggest hits: "Koisuru Fortune Cookie" (2013).
Megumi Hirose (広瀬 めぐみ, Hirose Megumi; born June 27, 1966) is a Japanese politician and lawyer who served in the House…Megumi Hirose (広瀬 めぐみ, Hirose Megumi; born June 27, 1966) is a Japanese politician and lawyer who served in the House of Councillors for Iwate Prefecture from 2022 to 2024. She is a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. She is the first LDP member to represent Iwate as a councilor since Motoo Shiina left the party in 1993.
Kazuyoshi Saito (Japanese: 斉藤和義, Hepburn: Saitō Kazuyoshi; born June 22, 1966) is a Japanese singer-songwriter. After…Kazuyoshi Saito (Japanese: 斉藤和義, Hepburn: Saitō Kazuyoshi; born June 22, 1966) is a Japanese singer-songwriter. After he made his professional debut in 1993, his popularity exploded in 2007 after 15 years in the music industry. He is also one-half of the rock duo Mannish Boys with Tatsuya Nakamura, a member of the supergroup the Curling Sitones (カーリングシトーンズ, Kāringu Shitōnzu), and one-half of the duo Okamura Kazuyoshi (岡村和義) with Yasuyuki Okamura. In 2013, Saito became the first Japanese musician to have a signature model acoustic guitar with Gibson. As of 2020, he had six signature models with them and one with Epiphone.
Katsuo Kanda (神田 勝夫, Kanda Katsuo; born 21 June 1966) is a former Japanese football player. He played for Japan…Katsuo Kanda (神田 勝夫, Kanda Katsuo; born 21 June 1966) is a former Japanese football player. He played for Japan national team. As a left side-back and a left midfielder, he played 162 matches in the Japanese highest division. He played for NKK, Cerezo Osaka, Yokohama F. Marinos and Albirex Niigata.
Taeko Takeba (竹葉 多重子, Takeba Taeko; born June 16, 1966 in Kobe) is a Japanese trap shooter. She won a gold medal in the…Taeko Takeba (竹葉 多重子, Takeba Taeko; born June 16, 1966 in Kobe) is a Japanese trap shooter. She won a gold medal in the women's trap at the 2001 ISSF World Cup final in Doha, Qatar, achieved a fifth-place finish at the 2002 Asian Games in Busan, South Korea, and represented Japan in two editions of the Olympic Games (2000 and 2004). During her sporting career, she trained full-time for the Ehime Clay Shooting Association under her personal coach, Atsushi Otsuke Takeba made her official debut at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, where she wound up sixteenth in the inaugural women's trap with a score of 56 hits, narrowly escaping from the last spot in a field of seventeen shooters by four points. Shortly after the Games, Takeba gained recognition by winning a gold medal over Russian shooter and world record holder Elena Tkach at the 2001 ISSF World Cup final with a remarkable score of 88 targets. At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Takeba qualified for her second Japanese squad, as a 38-year-old, in the women's trap by attaining a minimum score of 68 and securing an Olympic ticket from the 2002 ISSF World Cup series in Shanghai, China. Improving her position from the previous Games, she amassed a total score of 59 hits out of 75 targets in the qualifying stage, but narrowly missed the final round by a single-point deficit with an eighth-place finish.
Hidehiko Hoshino (Japanese: 星野 英彦, Hepburn: Hoshino Hidehiko; born June 16, 1966), nicknamed "Hide", is a Japanese…Hidehiko Hoshino (Japanese: 星野 英彦, Hepburn: Hoshino Hidehiko; born June 16, 1966), nicknamed "Hide", is a Japanese musician, singer and songwriter. He is best known as the rhythm guitarist of the rock band Buck-Tick since 1983. Following the October 2023 death of vocalist Atsushi Sakurai, Hoshino began sharing lead vocal duties in the band with fellow guitarist Hisashi Imai.
Hiroyuki Utatane (うたたね ひろゆき, Utatane Hiroyuki) is a Japanese manga artist and anime director. His wife is manga artist…Hiroyuki Utatane (うたたね ひろゆき, Utatane Hiroyuki) is a Japanese manga artist and anime director. His wife is manga artist Ryō Ramiya. Born 15 June 1966 in Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture, Japan, Utatane began his career with adult works such as Countdown. In the 1990s he worked on Sailor Moon S. His more recent works have been seinen works such as Seraphic Feather and Heaven's Prison, though he continues to release some adult works as well.
Yoshihide Fujiwara (藤原芳秀, Fujiwara Yoshihide; born June 13, 1966 in Tottori Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese manga…Yoshihide Fujiwara (藤原芳秀, Fujiwara Yoshihide; born June 13, 1966 in Tottori Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese manga artist. Fujiwara first came to attention after winning the 1984 Shogakukan New Artist Award for Maris. He worked as Ryoichi Ikegami's assistant until 1986, and his artistic style closely resembles that of his master. In 1986 he made his formal debut with Shiritsu Shuuten Koukou.
Natsue Seki (関 ナツエ, Seki Natsue; born 10 June 1966) is a Japanese former athlete. She competed in the cycling at the…Natsue Seki (関 ナツエ, Seki Natsue; born 10 June 1966) is a Japanese former athlete. She competed in the cycling at the 1988 Summer Olympics and the speed skating at the 1988 Winter Olympics.
Shinji Kawashima (川嶋 伸次, Kawashima Shinji; born 4 June 1966) is a Japanese long-distance runner. He competed in the…Shinji Kawashima (川嶋 伸次, Kawashima Shinji; born 4 June 1966) is a Japanese long-distance runner. He competed in the men's marathon at the 2000 Summer Olympics.
Toru Suzuki (鈴木 亨, Suzuki Tōru; born 28 May 1966) is a Japanese professional golfer, currently playing on the Japan…Toru Suzuki (鈴木 亨, Suzuki Tōru; born 28 May 1966) is a Japanese professional golfer, currently playing on the Japan Golf Tour.
Fujio Yamamoto (山本 富士雄, Yamamoto Fujio; born May 27, 1966) is a Japanese football manager and former player. He…Fujio Yamamoto (山本 富士雄, Yamamoto Fujio; born May 27, 1966) is a Japanese football manager and former player. He currently manager of club, Atletico Suzuka.
Yasue Funayama (舟山 康江, Funayama Yasue; born May 26, 1966) is a Japanese politician and a member of the House of…Yasue Funayama (舟山 康江, Funayama Yasue; born May 26, 1966) is a Japanese politician and a member of the House of Councillors (Japan) in the Diet (national legislature).
Hirobumi Niki (仁木博文, Niki Hirobumi; born 23 May 1966) is a Japanese politician serving as deputy minister of health…Hirobumi Niki (仁木博文, Niki Hirobumi; born 23 May 1966) is a Japanese politician serving as deputy minister of health, labour and welfare since 2024. He has been a member of the House of Representatives since 2021, having previously served from 2009 to 2012.
Norio Tanabe (田辺 徳雄, Tanabe Norio; born May 11, 1966 in Yamanashi, Japan) is a former Japanese Nippon Professional…Norio Tanabe (田辺 徳雄, Tanabe Norio; born May 11, 1966 in Yamanashi, Japan) is a former Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball player. He played for the Seibu Lions and Yomiuri Giants. In 1986, Tanabe was one of several Lions players who played on loan for the San Jose Bees. He led the club in hits, home runs, and runs batted in. In 2002, Tanabe rejoined the Lions as a coach. He was serving as the club's hitting coach when he took over as manager in June 2014. On September 27, 2016, Tanabe announced he would resign at the end of the season.
Keishi Ōtomo (Japanese: 大友啓史, Hepburn: Ōtomo Keishi; born May 6, 1966) is a Japanese film director and screenwriter. He…Keishi Ōtomo (Japanese: 大友啓史, Hepburn: Ōtomo Keishi; born May 6, 1966) is a Japanese film director and screenwriter. He is known for psychological thrillers and historical dramas, as well as adapting a variety of manga and novels to film, including The Vulture (2009), Ryōmaden (2010), and the Rurouni Kenshin film series. Ōtomo’s awards include the Audience Award at the 18th Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal (2014), the Popularity Award at the 38th Japanese Academy Awards (2014), and Best Director at the 31st Japanese Critics Award (2022).
Yoshihiro Togashi (Japanese: 冨樫 義博, Hepburn: Togashi Yoshihiro; born April 27, 1966) is a Japanese manga artist. He…Yoshihiro Togashi (Japanese: 冨樫 義博, Hepburn: Togashi Yoshihiro; born April 27, 1966) is a Japanese manga artist. He began drawing manga at an early age and was recognized for his talent by the publishing company Shueisha while attending college. Togashi has authored several different manga series in different genres since the 1980s. He is best known for writing and illustrating YuYu Hakusho (1990–1994) and Hunter × Hunter (1998–present), which are two of the best-selling manga series of all time. Togashi is married to Naoko Takeuchi, the author of Sailor Moon.
Satoshi Hashimoto (橋本 さとし, Hashimoto Satoshi; born April 26, 1966) is a Japanese actor and voice actor currently…Satoshi Hashimoto (橋本 さとし, Hashimoto Satoshi; born April 26, 1966) is a Japanese actor and voice actor currently affiliated with the Horipro voice actor agency. Hashimoto is noted for his roles as Terry Bogard and Kim Kaphwan in the Fatal Fury and The King of Fighters fighting game series, reprising his role as Terry in The King of Fighters: Another Day anime. In addition, he has also had voiceover experience voicing Fire Convoy (Optimus Prime) in the original Japanese version of Transformers: Robots in Disguise, entitled "Car Robots". Although not hugely active in the Japanese anime industry, Hashimoto is a prolific actor in various other entertainment fields. He has done many live-action movies, TV dramas, and stage plays, and has made appearances in several television commercials.
Noriyasu Numata (沼田憲保, Numata Noriyasu; 26 April 1966 – 4 September 2007) was a Grand Prix motorcycle road racer born…Noriyasu Numata (沼田憲保, Numata Noriyasu; 26 April 1966 – 4 September 2007) was a Grand Prix motorcycle road racer born in Chiba, Japan. He competed in 250cc Grand Prix motorcycle racing from 1995 to 1998. He was killed in an accident during tyre testing for Dunlop at Okayama International Circuit in Japan.
Yukihiro Mitani (born 22 April 1966) is a Japanese speed skater. He competed in the men's 1000 metres event at the 1988…Yukihiro Mitani (born 22 April 1966) is a Japanese speed skater. He competed in the men's 1000 metres event at the 1988 Winter Olympics.
Kenji Yamada (山田賢司, Yamada Kenji; born 20 April 1966) is a Japanese politician serving as a member of the House of…Kenji Yamada (山田賢司, Yamada Kenji; born 20 April 1966) is a Japanese politician serving as a member of the House of Representatives since 2012. Yamada is a deputy secretary-general of the Liberal Democratic Party.
Osamu Matsuda (松田 納, Matsuda Osamu) (born April 19, 1966) is a Japanese professional wrestler who is best known for his…Osamu Matsuda (松田 納, Matsuda Osamu) (born April 19, 1966) is a Japanese professional wrestler who is best known for his work in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), and is better known by his stage name El Samurai.
Munehisa Kuroiwa (黒岩 宗久, Kuroiwa Munehisa; born 19 April 1966) is a Japanese speed skater. He competed in two events at…Munehisa Kuroiwa (黒岩 宗久, Kuroiwa Munehisa; born 19 April 1966) is a Japanese speed skater. He competed in two events at the 1988 Winter Olympics.
Ryoko Fujimoto (born 18 April 1966) is a Japanese judoka. She competed in the women's middleweight event at the 1992…Ryoko Fujimoto (born 18 April 1966) is a Japanese judoka. She competed in the women's middleweight event at the 1992 Summer Olympics.
Kohmi Hirose (広瀬 香美, Hirose Kōmi; born April 12, 1966) is a Japanese pop singer and songwriter. Since the release of…Kohmi Hirose (広瀬 香美, Hirose Kōmi; born April 12, 1966) is a Japanese pop singer and songwriter. Since the release of her million-selling single "Romance no Kamisama" in 1993, Hirose has recorded music for winter-sporting goods company Alpen's advertising campaigns. This has prompted the Japanese public to bestow upon her the nickname of "Winter Queen" (冬の女王, Fuyu no Joō).
Tamaki Daido (大道 珠貴, Daidō Tamaki; born 1966) is a Japanese writer. She has won the Kyushu Arts Festival Literary…Tamaki Daido (大道 珠貴, Daidō Tamaki; born 1966) is a Japanese writer. She has won the Kyushu Arts Festival Literary Prize, the Bunkamura Deux Magots Literary Prize, and the Akutagawa Prize.
Takaya Imamura (今村 孝矢, Imamura Takaya; born April 10, 1966) is a Japanese video game designer, manga artist and…Takaya Imamura (今村 孝矢, Imamura Takaya; born April 10, 1966) is a Japanese video game designer, manga artist and educator. From 1989 to 2021, Imamura worked at Nintendo, where he designed the characters and story of F-Zero, including Captain Falcon, and most of the supporting characters from the Star Fox series of video games. He also played a role in designing games in the Legend of Zelda series, such as The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, invented the character Tingle, and served as supervising producer for F-Zero GX.
Akiko Matsumoto (松本 明子, Matsumoto Akiko; born 8 April 1966 in Takamatsu, Kagawa) is a Japanese TV personality and…Akiko Matsumoto (松本 明子, Matsumoto Akiko; born 8 April 1966 in Takamatsu, Kagawa) is a Japanese TV personality and actress.
Kan Kimura (Japanese: 木村 幹, Kimura Kan; born 7 April 1966) is a Japanese political scientist specializing in South…Kan Kimura (Japanese: 木村 幹, Kimura Kan; born 7 April 1966) is a Japanese political scientist specializing in South Korean politics, comparative politics, nationalism, democratization, political culture, historical memory, and Japan–South Korea relations. He is professor at the Graduate School of International Cooperation Studies, Kobe University. Kimura is known for his studies of Korean nationalism, authoritarianism, democratization, historical memory, and historical disputes between Japan and South Korea. His books have received the Special Prize of the Asian and Pacific Prize, the Suntory Prize for Social Sciences and Humanities, and the Yomiuri–Yoshino Sakuzo Prize. In addition to academic writing, Kimura has written extensively for general audiences on Korea, Japan–South Korea relations, higher education, and Japanese public life. He has contributed essays and columns to outlets including Newsweek Japan, Bunshun Online, and Nikkei.
Nomura Mansai II (二世 野村 萬斎, Nisei Nomura Mansai; born Takeshi Nomura (野村 武司); April 5, 1966) is a Japanese kyōgen and…Nomura Mansai II (二世 野村 萬斎, Nisei Nomura Mansai; born Takeshi Nomura (野村 武司); April 5, 1966) is a Japanese kyōgen and film actor and son of Mansaku Nomura. He played Abe no Seimei in Onmyoji and Onmyoji 2, an original work by Baku Yumemakura. He received the Best Actor prize at the Blue Ribbon Awards for his work in Onmyoji.
