Kousuke Akiyoshi (秋吉耕佑, Akiyoshi Kōsuke; born January 12, 1975) is a Japanese motorcycle road racer. He is a two-time…
Kousuke Akiyoshi (秋吉耕佑, Akiyoshi Kōsuke; born January 12, 1975) is a Japanese motorcycle road racer. He is a two-time champion in the All-Japan Superbike Championship, and has competed sporadically in the MotoGP World Championship. Akiyoshi is known in his native Japan as a competitor in the MFJ All Japan Road Race GP250 Championship, and most notably the All Japan Superbike championship, where he has enjoyed success with the Yoshimura Suzuki team riding a Suzuki GSX-R1000. In July 2007 he, along with Yukio Kagayama, won the Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race on a Yoshimura Suzuki bike.
Famous People Born in 1970s
1970s: 3,102 people
Katsuo Yakura (矢倉 克夫, Yakura Katsuo; born January 11, 1975) is a Japanese politician who served as a member of the…
Katsuo Yakura (矢倉 克夫, Yakura Katsuo; born January 11, 1975) is a Japanese politician who served as a member of the House of Councillors of Japan from 2013 to 2025.
Satoshi Kuroda (黒田 哲史, Kuroda Satoshi; born January 11, 1975 in Kobe, Hyōgo, Japan) is a former professional Japanese…
Satoshi Kuroda (黒田 哲史, Kuroda Satoshi; born January 11, 1975 in Kobe, Hyōgo, Japan) is a former professional Japanese baseball infielder and current coach for the Saitama Seibu Lions in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball. He was previously married to Chiharu Niiyama, a Japanese actress.
Masayoshi Soken (祖堅 正慶, Soken Masayoshi; born January 10, 1975) is a Japanese video game composer who has worked for…
Masayoshi Soken (祖堅 正慶, Soken Masayoshi; born January 10, 1975) is a Japanese video game composer who has worked for Square Enix since 1998. Soken is best known for being the lead composer and sound director of Final Fantasy XIV and its expansions and lead composer of Final Fantasy XVI.
Masaumi Shimizu (清水 将海, Shimizu Masaumi; born January 9, 1975) is a Japanese former professional baseball catcher, and…
Masaumi Shimizu (清水 将海, Shimizu Masaumi; born January 9, 1975) is a Japanese former professional baseball catcher, and current second squad battery coach for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He played in NPB for the Chiba Lotte Marines, Chunichi Dragons, and Hawks.
Kazushi Isoyama (磯山 和司, Isoyama Kazushi; born January 8, 1975) is a former Japanese football player.
Shoichi Usui (born January 8, 1975, in Chiba Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese politician who has served as a member of…
Shoichi Usui (born January 8, 1975, in Chiba Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese politician who has served as a member of the House of Councillors of Japan since 2022. He is one of the six representatives of the Chiba at-large district, and is a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. As of July 29, 2023, he is a member of the following committees: Committee on Education, Culture and Science Committee on Budget Commission on the Constitution He previously served in the Chiba Prefectural Assembly. He is the son of retired politician and former Cabinet member Hideo Usui.
Reiko Chiba (千葉 麗子, Chiba Reiko; born January 8, 1975) is a Japanese actress, voice actress, gravure idol, occasional…
Reiko Chiba (千葉 麗子, Chiba Reiko; born January 8, 1975) is a Japanese actress, voice actress, gravure idol, occasional J-pop singer, and political activist.
Kuniomi Haneishi (羽石 国臣, Haneishi Kuniomi; born 6 January 1975) is a Japanese speed skater. He competed in the men's…
Kuniomi Haneishi (羽石 国臣, Haneishi Kuniomi; born 6 January 1975) is a Japanese speed skater. He competed in the men's 500 metres event at the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Kazumasa Tsujimoto (辻本 和正, Tsujimoto Kazumasa) (born January 6, 1975, in Nara) is a retired boxer from Japan who…
Kazumasa Tsujimoto (辻本 和正, Tsujimoto Kazumasa) (born January 6, 1975, in Nara) is a retired boxer from Japan who represented his country at the Summer Olympics in 1996 and 2000. After having competed in the men's flyweight division (– 51 kg) in Atlanta, Georgia, he changed weights, and fought in the bantamweight class (– 54 kg) in Sydney, Australia. There he was stopped in the second round by Cuba's eventual gold medalist Guillermo Rigondeaux.
Tomoko Kuzumi (泉朋子, Izumi Tomoko) better known by her ring name Azumi Hyuga is a Japanese retired professional wrestler…
Tomoko Kuzumi (泉朋子, Izumi Tomoko) better known by her ring name Azumi Hyuga is a Japanese retired professional wrestler best known for her tenure with various Japanese promotions such as All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling, JWP Joshi Puroresu and NEO Japan Ladies Pro-Wrestling.
Dabo (ダボ); born 6 January 1975 is a Japanese hip-hop rapper. He first appeared on the Japanese hip-hop scene in the…
Dabo (ダボ); born 6 January 1975 is a Japanese hip-hop rapper. He first appeared on the Japanese hip-hop scene in the 1990s, collaborating in a Shakkazombie song, "Tomo ni ikkou". Since 2002, he has released three albums: Hitman (2002), Diamond (2003), and The Force (2006). Dabo's lyrics are more hard-edged than most J-pop, or Japanese pop, and represent a tough Japanese street culture. He also appears as a playable character in the Japanese version of Def Jam Vendetta.
Jun Maeda (麻枝 准, Maeda Jun; born January 3, 1975) is a Japanese writer and composer. He is a co-founder of the visual…
Jun Maeda (麻枝 准, Maeda Jun; born January 3, 1975) is a Japanese writer and composer. He is a co-founder of the visual novel brand Key under Visual Arts. He is considered a pioneer of nakige visual novels, and has mainly contributed as a scenario writer, lyricist, and musical composer for the games the company produces. After graduating with a degree in psychology from Chukyo University, Maeda contributed to the scripts and scores of games released under the Tactics brand of Nexton: Moon and One: Kagayaku Kisetsu e. He has contributed both to writing music and scripts to most games released under the Key brand, notably writing the majority of Air and Clannad. He also served as a screenwriter and composer for several anime series produced by P.A. Works, such as Angel Beats! and Charlotte.
Minoru Kawakami (川上稔, Kawakami Minoru) is a Japanese author of light novels, best known as the author of the Horizon in…
Minoru Kawakami (川上稔, Kawakami Minoru) is a Japanese author of light novels, best known as the author of the Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere and The Ending Chronicle light novel series.
Eiichiro Oda (Japanese: 尾田 栄一郎, Hepburn: Oda Eiichirō; born January 1, 1975) is a Japanese manga artist and the creator…
Eiichiro Oda (Japanese: 尾田 栄一郎, Hepburn: Oda Eiichirō; born January 1, 1975) is a Japanese manga artist and the creator of the series One Piece, the best-selling manga in history and the best-selling comic series printed in volume. With more than 600 million tankōbon copies of One Piece in circulation worldwide, Oda is one of the best-selling fiction authors. The series' popularity resulted in Oda being named one of the artists who changed the history of manga.
Takuya Onishi (Japanese: 大西 卓哉, Hepburn: Ōnishi Takuya; born 22 December 1975) is a Japanese astronaut selected for the…
Takuya Onishi (Japanese: 大西 卓哉, Hepburn: Ōnishi Takuya; born 22 December 1975) is a Japanese astronaut selected for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) in 2009. He spent four months on board the International Space Station in 2016. In March 2025, he arrived at the ISS as part of Expedition 72/73.
Kanako Domori (堂森 佳南子, Dōmori Kanako; born June 18, 1975) is a Japanese wheelchair tennis player who won the British…
Kanako Domori (堂森 佳南子, Dōmori Kanako; born June 18, 1975) is a Japanese wheelchair tennis player who won the British Open in 2014. She played in doubles along with Marc McCarroll of Great Britain.
Takibi Amamori (雨森たきび, Amamori Takibi) is a Japanese novelist. He is best known as the creator of his debut series Too…
Takibi Amamori (雨森たきび, Amamori Takibi) is a Japanese novelist. He is best known as the creator of his debut series Too Many Losing Heroines!, the first volume of which he won the 15th Shogakukan Light Novel Award.
Yosuke Amemiya (雨宮 庸介, Amemiya Yōsuke; born March 22, 1975, in Ibaragi Prefecture) is a Japanese contemporary artist.
Sayuri Maruyama (Japanese: さゆり丸山; born December 22, 1975) is a Japanese sprint canoer who competed from the mid-1990s…
Sayuri Maruyama (Japanese: さゆり丸山; born December 22, 1975) is a Japanese sprint canoer who competed from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s (decade). At the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, she was eliminated in the semifinals of both the K-1 500 m and the K-4 500 m events. Four years later in Sydney, Maruyama was eliminated in the heats of the K-1 500 m event.
Motoi Okamoto is a Japanese video game producer, programmer and writer. He joined Nintendo in April 1999. Initially, he…
Motoi Okamoto is a Japanese video game producer, programmer and writer. He joined Nintendo in April 1999. Initially, he provided library support on Luigi's Mansion (2001), subsequently assisting other projects like Pikmin (2001), Pikmin 2 (2004), The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (2002), and Super Mario 64 DS (2004). In 2006 he directed Wii Play. He left the company in May 2008 and founded Entersphere, an independent studio which developed Army Corps of Hell (2011) for the PlayStation Vita. In June 2019 he joined Konami and was put in charge of the Silent Hill series. He subsequently served as series producer for Silent Hill: Ascension, director, producer, designer and writer for Silent Hill: The Short Message (2024), producer for Silent Hill 2 (remake), Silent Hill f, and Silent Hill: Townfall. He also worked on Return to Silent Hill alongside Akira Yamaoka as executive producers.
Nobuko Nakano (中野信子, born 1975) is a Japanese neuroscientist, holder of a PhD in Medicine, and cognitive scientist.…
Nobuko Nakano (中野信子, born 1975) is a Japanese neuroscientist, holder of a PhD in Medicine, and cognitive scientist. Born in Tokyo, she is a neuroscientist, cognitive scientist, and a holder of a PhD in Medicine. She has also held the position of a specially appointed professor at Higashi Nippon International University, visiting professor at Kyoto University of the Arts, and member of the board of trustees at the Mori Art Museum. In 2008, she received her doctorate in neurology from the University of Tokyo Medical Science Graduate Program. She returned to Japan after working at the CNRS NeuroSpin (High Magnetic Field MRI) Research Center. She has garnered support for her clear explanations of different phenomena found in human society viewed from a scientific lens along with themes of the brain and psychology.
Takahiro Iwasaki (岩崎 貴宏, Iwasaki Takahiro; born 1975 in Hiroshima) is a Japanese artist and sculptor. He has exhibited…
Takahiro Iwasaki (岩崎 貴宏, Iwasaki Takahiro; born 1975 in Hiroshima) is a Japanese artist and sculptor. He has exhibited in international settings including the Seoul Museum of Art in South Korea, the Moscow Museum of Modern Art in Russia, the Queensland Art Gallery in Australia, and the Palais de Tokyo in Paris, France.
Keita Takahashi (高橋 慶太, Takahashi Keita; born 1975) is a Japanese game developer and artist. He is best known for…
Keita Takahashi (高橋 慶太, Takahashi Keita; born 1975) is a Japanese game developer and artist. He is best known for creating the Katamari game franchise and working as director and lead designer on Katamari Damacy as well as its sequel, We Love Katamari. The original game was a surprise hit and soon garnered a cult following. After leaving Namco, Takahashi co-founded the indie game studio Uvula in 2010 with his wife Asuka Sakai.
Mayuko Watanabe (渡辺 真由子, Watanabe Mayuko; born 1975) is a Japanese journalist and media scholar specialized in media…
Mayuko Watanabe (渡辺 真由子, Watanabe Mayuko; born 1975) is a Japanese journalist and media scholar specialized in media literacy, gender and sexuality. She had been a Senior Researcher and lecturer at Keio University Research Institute. Her research interest through nearly 20 years of career including as a TV news reporter has been the way of regulatory policy of obscene expressions. She has published research and provided media commentary on the topics of media communication and literacy of Japanese obscene content. In 2017, Mayuko Watanabe was awarded a doctoral degree from Keio University and subsequently published a book based on her doctoral thesis. However, it was later revealed that a significant portion of the book consisted of unattributed quotations and plagiarized content. Similarly, her doctoral thesis was also found to be plagiarized. As a result, the publishing company Keisho Shobo discontinued the book and initiated a recall. In March 2018, Keio University revoked her doctoral degree.
Kohei Nawa (born 1975) is a Japanese sculptor and designer. He holds a bachelor's degree from the Kyoto City University…
Kohei Nawa (born 1975) is a Japanese sculptor and designer. He holds a bachelor's degree from the Kyoto City University of Arts, and, since 2003, he also holds a Ph.D. in Fine Arts from the Royal College of Art (RCA). Since 1999, Nawa has participated in group exhibitions.
Shimpei Cole Ota (太田 心平; born 1975) is a sociocultural anthropologist, sociocultural historian, researcher of Northeast…
Shimpei Cole Ota (太田 心平; born 1975) is a sociocultural anthropologist, sociocultural historian, researcher of Northeast Asian studies and curator of ethnology. He is an associate professor of cross-field research at the National Museum of Ethnology which is the largest research institute for the humanities in Japan and is one of the six members of the National Institutes for the Humanities, Japan (NIHU). Ota is also working for the Graduate University for Advanced Studies as an associate professor of museum studies, and is affiliated at the American Museum of Natural History as a research associate of anthropology.
Shutaro Oku (Japanese: 奥 秀太郎, Hepburn: Oku Shūtarō; born in 1975) is a Japanese film and stage director.
Fumitaka Nitami (仁多見 史隆, Nitami Fumitaka) (born December 27, 1974, in Niigata) is a retired male boxer from Japan. He…
Fumitaka Nitami (仁多見 史隆, Nitami Fumitaka) (born December 27, 1974, in Niigata) is a retired male boxer from Japan. He represented his native country at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, where he was stopped in the first round of the men's light-welterweight division (– 63,5 kg) by Russia's Eduard Zakharov.
Masayori "Masi" Oka (岡 政偉, Oka Masayori; born December 27, 1974) is a Japanese actor, producer, and digital effects…
Masayori "Masi" Oka (岡 政偉, Oka Masayori; born December 27, 1974) is a Japanese actor, producer, and digital effects artist based in the United States who became widely known for starring in NBC's Heroes as Hiro Nakamura, for which he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, and in CBS's Hawaii Five-0 as Doctor Max Bergman.
Shinri Suzuki (鈴木 真理, Suzuki Shinri; born 25 December 1974) is a Japanese former professional racing cyclist.
Atsushi Nagai (永井 篤志, Nagai Atsushi; born December 23, 1974) is a former Japanese football player. His elder brother…
Atsushi Nagai (永井 篤志, Nagai Atsushi; born December 23, 1974) is a former Japanese football player. His elder brother Hideki is also a former footballer.
Masaaki Itokawa (糸川 正晃, Itokawa Masaaki; born 21 December 1974) is a Japanese politician of the People's New Party, and…
Masaaki Itokawa (糸川 正晃, Itokawa Masaaki; born 21 December 1974) is a Japanese politician of the People's New Party, and he was a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Tokyo and graduate of Keio University, he was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 2005 to represent the 2nd District of the Proportional Hokuriku-Shin'etsu Block. He was a representative from 2005 until 2012.
Kazuya Shiraishi (白石 和彌, Shiraishi Kazuya; born December 17, 1974 in Asahikawa, Hokkaido) is a Japanese filmmaker.
Kyosuke Mineo (峰尾 恭輔, Mineo Kyōsuke; born 16 December 1974) is a Japanese racing driver who last competed in the GT300…
Kyosuke Mineo (峰尾 恭輔, Mineo Kyōsuke; born 16 December 1974) is a Japanese racing driver who last competed in the GT300 class of Super GT for Pacific Racing with Good Speed. He was Super GT champion in 2012 in GT300 for Team Taisan Endless, and is also a three-time Super Taikyu champion.
Yuka Tsuji (辻結花, Tsuji Yuka; born (1974-12-11)December 11, 1974) is a Japanese female mixed martial artist whose…
Yuka Tsuji (辻結花, Tsuji Yuka; born (1974-12-11)December 11, 1974) is a Japanese female mixed martial artist whose nickname is Vale Tudo Queen. Tsuji was a prolific female mixed martial artist in the 2000s. Tsuji is a former Smackgirl tournament winner, Smackgirl Lightweight Champion and Valkyrie Featherweight Champion. MMA ranking system portal Fight Matrix ranked Tsuji as the No. 1 pound-for-pound Female Mixed Martial artist in the world in the years 2002, 2004 and 2005. Between 2002 and her retirement from MMA in 2012, she had frequently placed in the Top 5 of women's MMA fighters in flyweight and strawweight classes.
Fumiaki Kobayashi (小林 史明, Kobayashi Fumiaki; born 10 December 1974) is a pole vaulter from Japan. His personal best…
Fumiaki Kobayashi (小林 史明, Kobayashi Fumiaki; born 10 December 1974) is a pole vaulter from Japan. His personal best jump is 5.71 metres, achieved in July 2002 in Ichihara.
Shinichi Isa (伊佐 進一, Isa Shinichi; born 10 December 1974) is a Japanese politician of the Centrist Reform Alliance, who…
Shinichi Isa (伊佐 進一, Isa Shinichi; born 10 December 1974) is a Japanese politician of the Centrist Reform Alliance, who serves as a member of the House of Representatives.
Tadahiro Nomura (野村 忠宏, Nomura Tadahiro; born 10 December 1974) is a retired Japanese judoka. He is the only judoka in…
Tadahiro Nomura (野村 忠宏, Nomura Tadahiro; born 10 December 1974) is a retired Japanese judoka. He is the only judoka in the world who has won three individual Olympic gold medals in a row, all in the extra lightweight (–60 kg) division.
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.
Maki Muraki (村木 真紀, Muraki Maki; born 1974) is a Japanese LGBTQ activist. She is the head of the Osaka-based Japanese…
Maki Muraki (村木 真紀, Muraki Maki; born 1974) is a Japanese LGBTQ activist. She is the head of the Osaka-based Japanese LGBT rights organization, Nijiiro ("Rainbow") Diversity. Through lectures and media appearances, she is an advocate for gay-friendly policies in office environments in Japanese companies and society.
Kentaro Shiga (志賀 賢太郎, Shiga Kentaro) is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently working as a freelancer. He…
Kentaro Shiga (志賀 賢太郎, Shiga Kentaro) is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently working as a freelancer. He returned from a two-year hiatus due to injury in 2005.
Tadahito Iguchi (井口 資仁, Iguchi Tadahito; born December 4, 1974), nicknamed "Gucci", is a Japanese professional baseball…
Tadahito Iguchi (井口 資仁, Iguchi Tadahito; born December 4, 1974), nicknamed "Gucci", is a Japanese professional baseball second baseman and former manager of the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). As a member of the Chicago White Sox in 2005, Iguchi became the first fully Japanese position player to win the World Series, and the second Japanese-born position player to win the World Series behind Dave Roberts.
Takayuki Kobayashi (小林 鷹之, Kobayashi Takayuki; born 29 November 1974) is a Japanese politician who has served as…
Takayuki Kobayashi (小林 鷹之, Kobayashi Takayuki; born 29 November 1974) is a Japanese politician who has served as Chairman of the Policy Research Council in the Liberal Democratic Party since October 2025. He served as Minister of State for Economic Security from 2021 to 2022.
Tomoe Makabe (真壁 友枝, Makabe Tomoe; born 28 November 1974) is a retired Japanese judoka.
Makoto Segawa (瀬川 誠, Segawa Makoto; born November 26, 1974) is a former Japanese football player.
Tarō Yamamoto (山本 太郎, Yamamoto Tarō; born 24 November 1974) is a Japanese politician and former actor, who is the…
Tarō Yamamoto (山本 太郎, Yamamoto Tarō; born 24 November 1974) is a Japanese politician and former actor, who is the founder and former leader of the anti-establishment political party Reiwa Shinsengumi. Yamamoto served in the House of Councillors representing Tokyo until his resignation in 2026, and previously served in the House of Representatives from 2021 to 2022. He unsuccessfully ran in the 2020 Tokyo gubernatorial election as a candidate under Reiwa.
Tōru Kunishige (國重 徹, Kunishige Tōru; born 23 November 1974) is a Japanese politician of the Centrist Reform Alliance…
Tōru Kunishige (國重 徹, Kunishige Tōru; born 23 November 1974) is a Japanese politician of the Centrist Reform Alliance, who serves as a member of the House of Representatives.
Junko Kawada (河田 純子, Kawada Junko) (born November 22, 1974, in Akita, Akita, Japan) is a former J-pop idol…
Junko Kawada (河田 純子, Kawada Junko) (born November 22, 1974, in Akita, Akita, Japan) is a former J-pop idol, singer-songwriter and actress. Throughout her career, she released three albums and nine singles.
Masanobu Matsunami (松波 正信, Matsunami Masanobu; born November 21, 1974) is a former Japanese football player and manager…
Masanobu Matsunami (松波 正信, Matsunami Masanobu; born November 21, 1974) is a former Japanese football player and manager and currently academy manager for Gamba Osaka.