Yoshihisa "Kowloon" Kurosawa (黒沢 喜久, Kurosawa Yoshihisa) (born 1971) is a Japanese businessman, essayist, and…Yoshihisa "Kowloon" Kurosawa (黒沢 喜久, Kurosawa Yoshihisa) (born 1971) is a Japanese businessman, essayist, and nonfiction writer from Tokyo, Japan. He is best known for being the designer of Hong Kong 97 on the Super Famicom, which is considered to be one of the worst video games ever made. Currently, he writes underground travel journals and computer books in Asia, and resides in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Yoshihisa Hirano (平野 義久, Hirano Yoshihisa; born December 7, 1971) is a Japanese composer and arranger. He is best known…Yoshihisa Hirano (平野 義久, Hirano Yoshihisa; born December 7, 1971) is a Japanese composer and arranger. He is best known for composing the scores for anime series, such as Death Note, Hunter × Hunter (2011), Hajime no Ippo and Edens Zero. He has also made the orchestration for video games, mostly in the Final Fantasy franchise. His musical style combines impressionism and atonal music. He employs techniques such as polyrhythm, tone clusters, polytonality, brass glissandi and polymodal chromaticism to create unique musical textures.
Eiko Naitō (内藤 栄子; born December 6, 1971), known professionally as Eiki Eiki (影木 栄貴), is a Japanese manga artist.…Eiko Naitō (内藤 栄子; born December 6, 1971), known professionally as Eiki Eiki (影木 栄貴), is a Japanese manga artist. Active since 1998, most of her manga are written under the yaoi and yuri genre.
Rika Hiraki (Japanese: 平木 理化, born 6 December 1971) is a former professional Japanese tennis player. She won the…Rika Hiraki (Japanese: 平木 理化, born 6 December 1971) is a former professional Japanese tennis player. She won the mixed-doubles title at the 1997 French Open (with Mahesh Bhupathi).
Hidehiko Tanizawa (born 5 December 1971) is a Japanese former professional tennis player. Tanizawa, a left-handed…Hidehiko Tanizawa (born 5 December 1971) is a Japanese former professional tennis player. Tanizawa, a left-handed player, won a national title as a 17-year old in 1989, when he defeated Tsuyoshi Fukui in the final of the All Japan Tennis Championships. In 1990 he featured in a Davis Cup tie against India in Chandigarh, to become Japan's youngest ever Davis Cup debutant. He lost his two singles rubbers, to Zeeshan Ali and Srinivasan Vasudevan. This was his only Davis Cup appearance and he continued competing in professional tournaments until 1996.
Kōki Harasawa (はらさわ 晃綺, Harasawa Kōki; born December 4, 1971) is a Japanese voice actor from Gunma Prefecture, Japan.…Kōki Harasawa (はらさわ 晃綺, Harasawa Kōki; born December 4, 1971) is a Japanese voice actor from Gunma Prefecture, Japan. He is affiliated with Ken Production.
Miho Takai (高井 美穂, Takai Miho; born 30 November 1971) is a Japanese politician. She served in the House of…Miho Takai (高井 美穂, Takai Miho; born 30 November 1971) is a Japanese politician. She served in the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature) as a member of the Democratic Party of Japan.
Akira Narahashi (名良橋 晃, Narahashi Akira; born November 26, 1971) is a Japanese former professional footballer who…Akira Narahashi (名良橋 晃, Narahashi Akira; born November 26, 1971) is a Japanese former professional footballer who played as a right-back. He earned 38 caps for the Japan national team between 1994 and 2003, including three games at the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
Muga Tsukaji (塚地 武雅, Tsukaji Muga; born 25 November 1971) is a Japanese comedian and actor. He performs boke (sometimes…Muga Tsukaji (塚地 武雅, Tsukaji Muga; born 25 November 1971) is a Japanese comedian and actor. He performs boke (sometimes tsukkomi) in the comedy duo Drunk Dragon. His partner is Taku Suzuki. He is nicknamed Tsukacchan (塚っちゃん). Tsukaji was born in Hannan, Osaka. He graduated from Hannan Municipal Tottori Junior High School, Osaka Prefectural Sano High School and Momoyama Gakuin University Department of Economics. Tsukaji co-starred with the comedy duo Hokuyō, who shared the same agency, in Haneru no Tobira.
Tetsuhiro Kuroda (黒田 哲広, Kuroda Tetsuhiro; born 23 November 1971) is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently…Tetsuhiro Kuroda (黒田 哲広, Kuroda Tetsuhiro; born 23 November 1971) is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently competing as a freelancer on the Japanese independent circuit. He is best known for his time with Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling (FMW), where he primarily competed from 1993 until the promotion's closure in 2002. He started his FMW career after being trained at the FMW Dojo in 1993 and initially worked in low-card matches as an enhancement talent during his initial years with the company until he joined Atsushi Onita's ZEN faction in 1997, earning his first title shot at the FMW Brass Knuckles Heavyweight Championship and the FMW Independent Heavyweight Championship that December. He would remain a part of many factions throughout the late 1990s and began rising to the main event status, winning his first WEW Heavyweight Championship in 2000. By the end of the year, the underdog Kuroda established himself as the company's top villain and formed his own group Team Kuroda to feud with the company's top fan favorite Hayabusa. He headlined the company's flagship event FMW Anniversary Show in 2001. Kuroda won several championships in his career including being a four-time WEW Heavyweight Champion. He was a highly decorated tag team champion, winning the FMW Brass Knuckles Tag Team Championship once, the WEW World Tag Team Championship ten times, the FMW World Street Fight 6-Man Tag Team Championship three times, the WEW 6-Man Tag Team Championship four times, the All Asia Tag Team Championship two times and the WMG Tag Team Championship once.
Yone Kamio (神尾 米, Kamio Yone; born November 22, 1971 in Yokohama) is a retired Japanese tennis player who competed on…Yone Kamio (神尾 米, Kamio Yone; born November 22, 1971 in Yokohama) is a retired Japanese tennis player who competed on the WTA Tour. She attained a career-best ranking of #24 in the world in October 1995. That year, she reached the third round of the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and the U.S. Open.
Toshihiro Yamaguchi (山口 敏弘, Yamaguchi Toshihiro; born November 19, 1971) is a former Japanese football player. He…Toshihiro Yamaguchi (山口 敏弘, Yamaguchi Toshihiro; born November 19, 1971) is a former Japanese football player. He played for Japan national team.
Tomonori Totani (戸谷 友則, Totani Tomonori, born November 21, 1971) is a Japanese astronomer and professor at the…Tomonori Totani (戸谷 友則, Totani Tomonori, born November 21, 1971) is a Japanese astronomer and professor at the University of Tokyo. He is a director of the FastSound Project for the Subaru Telescope, Hawaii. He specializes in cosmology, galaxy formation, and high-energy astrophysics.
Takahiro Wada (born 16 November 1971) is a Japanese former wrestler who competed in the 1996 Summer Olympics and in the…Takahiro Wada (born 16 November 1971) is a Japanese former wrestler who competed in the 1996 Summer Olympics and in the 2000 Summer Olympics.
Mika Kuroki (黒木 美香, Kuroki Mika; born 15 November 1971) is a Japanese former cyclist. She competed in the women's…Mika Kuroki (黒木 美香, Kuroki Mika; born 15 November 1971) is a Japanese former cyclist. She competed in the women's sprint at the 1992 Summer Olympics.
Takahiro Ueno (上野高広, Ueno Takahiro; born 5 November 1971, Hokkaido) is a Japanese professional drifting driver and…Takahiro Ueno (上野高広, Ueno Takahiro; born 5 November 1971, Hokkaido) is a Japanese professional drifting driver and businessman, the former, currently competing in the D1 Grand Prix series for Car Make T&E. Ueno started his career with a Toyota Soarer JZZ30. Starting his Tuning shop Car Make T&E in October 1996. Founding the aero part branch, Vertex, he personally approves every new design. Most of the company's time when it was starting out was spent on developing the Toyota Soarer JZZ30 and this still continues today, using the D1 Grand Prix as a showcase. Ueno began competing in the D1 Grand Prix in his Toyota Soarer JZZ30 in the first round in 2001. Going on to win round 4 of the season and finishing in third overall in the championship. He has gone on to score points in every year since, though has never quite matched his original success. From 2009 to 2015, Ueno had used BMW M3 (E92). In 2016, Ueno celebrated the 20th anniversary of Car Make T&E, as he started using Toyota Soarer JZZ30 again. Currently, Ueno has been competing in the D1GP, driving Lexus RC since 2019.
Shoichi Maruyama (丸山 昭一, Maruyama Shōichi), better known by his ring name Kamikaze (sometimes stylized in capital…Shoichi Maruyama (丸山 昭一, Maruyama Shōichi), better known by his ring name Kamikaze (sometimes stylized in capital letters as KAMIKAZE), is a Japanese professional wrestler currently working as a freelancer and is best known for his tenure with the Japanese promotions Pro Wrestling Zero1 and Big Japan Pro Wrestling (BJW).
Takaya Yoshida (吉田 貴哉, Yoshida Takaya; born November 1, 1971, in Nonoichi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan)…Takaya Yoshida (吉田 貴哉, Yoshida Takaya; born November 1, 1971, in Nonoichi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan), better known as Metal Yoshida (吉田 メタル, Yoshida Metaru), is a Japanese actor and musician who is represented by the talent agency, Village, and belongs to Gekidan Shin Kan-sen. He is the bassist of the visual kei rock band, Ninjaman Japan, and is nicknamed Metal. Yoshida graduated from Kanazawa Nishioka High School and Higashiho Gakuen College. His wife is actress Hiromi Iwasaki.
Sakiho Juri (樹里 咲穂, Juri Sakiho; born 28 October 1971) is a Japanese performing artist and a former member of the…Sakiho Juri (樹里 咲穂, Juri Sakiho; born 28 October 1971) is a Japanese performing artist and a former member of the Takarazuka Revue, where she specialized in playing male characters (Otokoyaku). She joined the revue in 1990 and resigned in 2005. She is from Osaka.
Yuichiro Kawa (川裕一郎, Kawa Yuichiro; born 27 October 1971) is a Japanese politician serving as a member of the House of…Yuichiro Kawa (川裕一郎, Kawa Yuichiro; born 27 October 1971) is a Japanese politician serving as a member of the House of Representatives since 2026. He was a member of the Ishikawa Prefectural Assembly from 2011 to 2014 and from 2014 to 2025.
Koichi Sugiyama (杉山 弘一, Sugiyama Koichi; born October 27, 1971) is a former Japanese football player and manager. He is…Koichi Sugiyama (杉山 弘一, Sugiyama Koichi; born October 27, 1971) is a former Japanese football player and manager. He is currently the assistant manager of J1 League club, Kyoto Sanga.
Takanonami Sadahiro (born Sadahiro Namioka October 27, 1971 – June 20, 2015) was a Japanese sumo wrestler and coach…Takanonami Sadahiro (born Sadahiro Namioka October 27, 1971 – June 20, 2015) was a Japanese sumo wrestler and coach from Aomori. He held sumo's second highest rank of ōzeki from 1994 until 2000. He won two tournament championships, and was a runner-up in eight others. He was a sumo coach from his retirement in 2004 until his death in 2015 at the age of 43.
Keisuke Tsumura (津村 啓介, Tsumura Keisuke; born 26 October 1971) is a Japanese politician who served in the House of…Keisuke Tsumura (津村 啓介, Tsumura Keisuke; born 26 October 1971) is a Japanese politician who served in the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature) as a member of the Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP).
Mizuhito Akiyama (秋山瑞人, Akiyama Mizuhito; born 1971 in Yamanashi Prefecture) is a Seiun Award-winning author noted for…Mizuhito Akiyama (秋山瑞人, Akiyama Mizuhito; born 1971 in Yamanashi Prefecture) is a Seiun Award-winning author noted for his science fiction light novel series Iriya no Sora, UFO no Natsu. He graduated from Hosei University, where he had learned about writing novels in a seminar class under guidance from his teacher, Professor Mizuhito Kanehara, from whom Akiyama took his pen name "Mizuhito". In 1995, after his senior Hideyuki Furuhashi debuted as a light novel writer, Akiyama sent his own work in for the Dengeki Novel Prize. Although his application was too late for the due date, he came into the notice of the editors at MediaWorks'. His first novel, E. G. Combat, published in 1998, was followed by a number of science fiction and light novel works. Akiyama became famous for his unique storytelling in the series Iriya no Sora, UFO no Natsu. Akiyama describes himself as being "one who always look like a hooligan", in his afterthoughts at the end of the first Iriya novel.
Midori Goto (五嶋 みどり, Gotō Midori; born October 25, 1971), who performs under the mononym Midori, is a Japanese-born…Midori Goto (五嶋 みどり, Gotō Midori; born October 25, 1971), who performs under the mononym Midori, is a Japanese-born American violinist. She made her debut with the New York Philharmonic at age 11 as a surprise guest soloist at the New Year's Eve Gala in 1982. In 1986 her performance at the Tanglewood Music Festival with Leonard Bernstein conducting his own composition made the front-page headlines in The New York Times. Midori became a celebrated child prodigy, and one of the world's preeminent violinists as an adult. Midori has been honored as an educator and for her community engagement endeavors. When she was 21, she established her foundation Midori and Friends to bring music education to young people in underserved communities in New York City and Japan, which has evolved into four distinct organizations with worldwide impact. In 2007, Midori was appointed as a UN Messenger of Peace. In 2018, she joined the violin faculty at the Curtis Institute of Music. She is also on the faculty of the University of Southern California's Thornton School of Music serving as Distinguished Professor and Judge Widney Professor of Music. She was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2012.
Ninety-nine (ナインティナイン, Naintinain), or Nainai (ナイナイ) is a Japanese comic duo from Osaka working for the entertainment…Ninety-nine (ナインティナイン, Naintinain), or Nainai (ナイナイ) is a Japanese comic duo from Osaka working for the entertainment conglomerate Yoshimoto Kogyo. The duo (kombi), consisting of Takashi Okamura as boke (stooge) and Hiroyuki Yabe as tsukkomi (straightman), formed in 1990. The pair met in high school, where they were both involved in the soccer club. Okamura had been receiving guidance from Yabe's brother Yoshiyuki Yabe and throughout their high school life they had a senpai and kōhai relationship. As he was Yoshiyuki's younger brother, his soccer club peers referred to him as "Yabe Juni[or]". Upon graduating from high school, Okamura entered Ritsumeikan University and studied there for one year. Yabe, who was significantly less able academically, was unable to get into any universities and as a result invited Okamura to join Yoshimoto with him as a duo. The pair have stated that one of the reasons that drove them to this decision was their combined admiration for Yabe's brother Yoshiyuki, who had entered Yoshimoto two years before and formed the comedic duo "Channels". However, Yoshiyuki was allegedly opposed to the idea at that time, advising the pair on the harsh realities of a life as an entertainer. Their act is typical of manzai comedy duos, though they are also known for TV segments filmed in locales such as Hong Kong and Italy. Yabe has tended to receive criticism from Japanese fans because his participation in their skits is small and out of proportion compared to the always active and effervescent Okamura, even as a straightman. Okamura and Yabe also famously took the roles of Mario and Luigi (respectively) in the Japanese Hot Mario Bros. advertisement campaign. They have hosted Mecha-Mecha Iketeru!, a Japanese comedy show, and they have also hosted a number of television programs in the past. They also hosted a weekly radio program for All Night Nippon on Fridays as a duo, but since 2015 Okamura hosts this program alone.
Tsukasa Akimoto (秋元 司, Akimoto Tsukasa; born October 23, 1971) is a former Japanese politician of the Liberal…Tsukasa Akimoto (秋元 司, Akimoto Tsukasa; born October 23, 1971) is a former Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, who served in the House of Councillors and the House of Representatives. A native of Adachi, Tokyo, he graduated from Daito Bunka University.
Risa Tachibana (立花理佐, Tachibana Risa) (born October 19, 1971) is a former Japanese idol. She is featured in the video…Risa Tachibana (立花理佐, Tachibana Risa) (born October 19, 1971) is a former Japanese idol. She is featured in the video game Risa no Yōsei Densetsu.
Junya Inoue (井上 淳哉, Inoue Jun'ya; born 1971 in Shimanto, Kochi) is a Japanese manga artist. He is also known by the…Junya Inoue (井上 淳哉, Inoue Jun'ya; born 1971 in Shimanto, Kochi) is a Japanese manga artist. He is also known by the name Joker Jun. In 1991 he replied to a recruitment ad for Toaplan. Along with some other staff Inoue was transferred to Gazelle before he left to join Cave, where he worked as character and graphic designer, sound producer, and a video game director. ESP Ra.De. was his first title as graphic director. He debuted as a manga artist in 2002, with his work Otogi Matsuri (おとぎ奉り; lit. Dark Offering). He is best known in the West for his manga Btooom!, which was serialized from 2009 to 2018.
Megumi Sakata (坂田 恵, Sakata Megumi; born 18 October 1971) is a former Japanese football player. She played for Japan…Megumi Sakata (坂田 恵, Sakata Megumi; born 18 October 1971) is a former Japanese football player. She played for Japan national team.
Naoki Kurita (born October 15, 1971) is a Japanese sport shooter. He competed in rifle shooting events at the Summer…Naoki Kurita (born October 15, 1971) is a Japanese sport shooter. He competed in rifle shooting events at the Summer Olympics in 1996 and 2000.
Takami Yoshimoto (吉本 多香美, Yoshimoto Takami; born October 13, 1971) is a Japanese actress known for her role as Rena…Takami Yoshimoto (吉本 多香美, Yoshimoto Takami; born October 13, 1971) is a Japanese actress known for her role as Rena Yanase in 1996 Ultraman Tiga series. She won the best actress award at the 9th Japan Movie Professional Awards in 1999. She also starred the 1992 edition of "Christmas Express" commercials for the Central Japan Railway Company.
Yūdai Yamaguchi (山口 雄大, Yamaguchi Yūdai; born 1971) is a Japanese film director who has worked mainly in the comedy and…Yūdai Yamaguchi (山口 雄大, Yamaguchi Yūdai; born 1971) is a Japanese film director who has worked mainly in the comedy and horror genres. He has "made a name for himself by mixing goofy gore with manga-esque escapades and plain utter weirdness".
Yoshiaki Wada (born 10 October 1971) is a Japanese politician. From 2016 to 2024 he was a member of the House of…Yoshiaki Wada (born 10 October 1971) is a Japanese politician. From 2016 to 2024 he was a member of the House of Representatives from Hokkaido 5th district. He is a member of the Liberal Democratic Party.
Hiroki Kokubo (小久保 裕紀, Kokubo Hiroki; born October 8, 1971) is a Japanese former professional baseball infielder, and…Hiroki Kokubo (小久保 裕紀, Kokubo Hiroki; born October 8, 1971) is a Japanese former professional baseball infielder, and current manager for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He played in NPB for the Hawks and Yomiuri Giants, and recorded over 2,000 hits across his 19 year career.
Rika Himenogi (姫乃樹 リカ, Himenogi Rika), real name Rika Nishimura (西村理香, Nishimura Rika), is a Japanese singer born on…Rika Himenogi (姫乃樹 リカ, Himenogi Rika), real name Rika Nishimura (西村理香, Nishimura Rika), is a Japanese singer born on October 6, 1971, in Bungo-ōno, Ōita, Japan.
Yoshikazu Higashitani (東谷 義和, Higashitani Yoshikazu; born October 6, 1971), also known as GaaSyy (ガーシー, Gāshī), is a…Yoshikazu Higashitani (東谷 義和, Higashitani Yoshikazu; born October 6, 1971), also known as GaaSyy (ガーシー, Gāshī), is a Japanese politician, YouTuber, and businessman. He was elected into the House of Councillors in 2022 as part of the NHK Party, but was expelled on March 15, 2023 for not attending any sessions of Parliament. The following day, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department sought an arrest warrant for alleged defamation of celebrities in his YouTube videos. On June 4, 2023, the Metropolitan Police Department arrested Higashitani immediately upon his arrival at Narita Airport on suspicion of habitually threatening celebrities and others.
Tatsuya Nagamine (長峯 達也, Nagamine Tatsuya; October 6, 1971 – August 20, 2025) was a Japanese anime director who worked…Tatsuya Nagamine (長峯 達也, Nagamine Tatsuya; October 6, 1971 – August 20, 2025) was a Japanese anime director who worked for Toei Animation.
Toshihisa Nishi (仁志 敏久, Nishi Toshihisa; born October 4, 1971 in Ibaraki, Ibaraki, Japan) is a Japanese former…Toshihisa Nishi (仁志 敏久, Nishi Toshihisa; born October 4, 1971 in Ibaraki, Ibaraki, Japan) is a Japanese former professional baseball player.
Hiroyuki Imaishi (今石 洋之, Imaishi Hiroyuki; born October 4, 1971) is a Japanese anime director, animator and co-founder…Hiroyuki Imaishi (今石 洋之, Imaishi Hiroyuki; born October 4, 1971) is a Japanese anime director, animator and co-founder of Studio Trigger. His style is marked by fast and frantic animation combined with elaborate storyboarding and punchy direction. Prior to founding Trigger, he was an animator and director at Gainax. His most well-known works include Gurren Lagann (2007), Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt (2010), Kill la Kill (2013), Promare (2019), and Cyberpunk: Edgerunners (2022).
Chisato (千聖; stylized in all caps) (born on August 4, 1971) is a Japanese guitarist and singer. Originally known for…Chisato (千聖; stylized in all caps) (born on August 4, 1971) is a Japanese guitarist and singer. Originally known for being the guitarist of visual kei band Penicillin since 1992, in 1996 he started a solo career that has been successful in Japan. In 2003, he founded the solo project Crack6.
Tomoaki Koyama (小山 朋昭, Koyama Tomoaki; born October 4, 1971 in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese pair skater who now works as…Tomoaki Koyama (小山 朋昭, Koyama Tomoaki; born October 4, 1971 in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese pair skater who now works as an ISU Technical Specialist. Competing with Rena Inoue, he placed 14th in the 1992 Winter Olympic Games. They are two-time Japanese National Champions. He also competed as a single skater.
