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.
Toshihiro Yashiba (矢柴 俊博, Yashiba Toshihiro; born October 2, 1971, in Sōka, Saitama Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese…Toshihiro Yashiba (矢柴 俊博, Yashiba Toshihiro; born October 2, 1971, in Sōka, Saitama Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese actor represented by JFCT.
Akiko Honda is a Japanese politician who is a member of the Senate of Japan. She was elected in 2019 to the national…Akiko Honda is a Japanese politician who is a member of the Senate of Japan. She was elected in 2019 to the national proportional representation block.
Mitsuteru Tanaka (田中 光輝, Tanaka Mitsuteru; 27 September 1971 – 5 August 2018) was a Japanese cyclist. He competed in…Mitsuteru Tanaka (田中 光輝, Tanaka Mitsuteru; 27 September 1971 – 5 August 2018) was a Japanese cyclist. He competed in the individual road race at the 1992 Summer Olympics. He was also Japanese national champion in 1992. During his career, he rode for Aisan Racing Team, and after retirement, served as both team manager and general manager of Aisan.
Osamu Nishimura (西村修, Nishimura Osamu; September 23, 1971 – February 28, 2025) was a Japanese professional wrestler.…Osamu Nishimura (西村修, Nishimura Osamu; September 23, 1971 – February 28, 2025) was a Japanese professional wrestler. Nishimura was best known for his time in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and MUGA World Pro Wrestling (MUGA). Outside of pro wrestling, he was also a politician, having served as a member of the Tokyo Bunkyo Ward Assembly as a food education instructor.
Yudai Deguchi (出口 雄大, Deguchi Yūdai; born September 23, 1971) is a Japanese former professional baseball outfielder. He…Yudai Deguchi (出口 雄大, Deguchi Yūdai; born September 23, 1971) is a Japanese former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Yomiuri Giants and Fukuoka Daiei Hawks from 1990 to 2005.
Akihito Tokunaga (徳永 暁人, Tokunaga Akihito) (born 22 September 1971) is a Japanese musician, composer and arranger.…Akihito Tokunaga (徳永 暁人, Tokunaga Akihito) (born 22 September 1971) is a Japanese musician, composer and arranger. After making a name for himself working for Being Inc. in the 1990s, he has been signed to Giza Studio from 2000 until 2023. In 2004, Tokunaga formed the rock band doa. After departure from the agency in 2023, he has become freelancer musician under independent company Floodlight.
Takamitsu Katayama (片山 貴光, Katayama Takamitsu; born 21 September 1971) is a Japanese former amateur Greco-Roman…Takamitsu Katayama (片山 貴光, Katayama Takamitsu; born 21 September 1971) is a Japanese former amateur Greco-Roman wrestler, who competed in the men's middleweight category. Katayama wrestled for the Japanese squad in two editions of the Summer Olympics (1996 and 2000), finishing eighth in Atlanta and seventeenth in Sydney, respectively. Outside the Games, Katayama produced a career tally of seven medals in a major international competition, two of which were awarded at the Asian Games (1994 and 1998). Katayama was also a member of the national wrestling squad under coach and three-time Olympian Yasutoshi Moriyama, while training full time at the Sports Club of Self-Defense Forces in Saitama Prefecture. Katayama came to prominence in international wrestling, when his country Japan hosted the 1994 Asian Games held in Hiroshima. There, he rounded off the podium with a bronze over Iranian wrestler and 1992 Olympian Ahad Javansalehi in the 74-kg division. At his maiden Olympics in Atlanta 1996, Katayama started the competition in the men's welterweight category (74 kg) with a powerful 13–2 triumph over Algeria's Youcef Bouguerra, before falling behind Finland's eventual silver medalist Marko Asell in his next bout by a 2–4 verdict. Facing German opponent Erik Hahn on the losers' circle, Katayama could not hold him tightly on the mat and lost the match 2–5. Originally placed tenth, Katayama upgraded his position to eighth, as two other wrestlers decided to forfeit the final consolation round. Katayama reached the peak of his wrestling career by winning the gold medal at the 1997 Asian Championships in Tehran, Iran. When he entered the 1998 Asian Games with the best chance to top the podium in the 76 kg category, Katayama narrowly missed a single point to subdue his Kazakh opponent Bakhtiyar Baiseitov (4–5) for gold in the final match, ending his second Asiad with a silver. At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Katayama qualified for his second Japanese team in the men's middleweight division (76 kg) by placing seventh and securing a berth at the third Olympic Qualification Tournament in Alexandria, Egypt. Unlike his previous Games, Katayama lost his opening match 0–4 to the eventual champion Murat Kardanov of Russia and could not rally for points to break a 2–2 draw against Hungary's Tamás Berzicza upon the referee's decision, dropping him to the bottom of the prelim pool and seventeenth overall in the final standings. Shortly after the Games, Katayama retired from competitive wrestling to serve in the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force.
Masashi Hamauzu (浜渦 正志, Hamauzu Masashi; born September 20, 1971) is a Japanese composer, pianist, and lyricist.…Masashi Hamauzu (浜渦 正志, Hamauzu Masashi; born September 20, 1971) is a Japanese composer, pianist, and lyricist. Hamauzu, who was employed at Square Enix from 1996 to 2010, was best known during that time for his work on the Final Fantasy and SaGa video game series. Born into a musical family in Germany, Hamauzu was raised in Japan. He became interested in music while in kindergarten, and took piano lessons from his parents. Hamauzu was hired by Square as a trainee, and his debut as a solo composer came the following year when he scored Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon. He has collaborated with friend and fellow composer Junya Nakano on several games. After Nobuo Uematsu left Square Enix in 2004, Hamauzu took over as the leading composer of the company's music team. He was the sole composer for Final Fantasy XIII. He has also become a renowned pianist, arranging for several other composers. His music incorporates various styles, although he often uses classical and ambience in his pieces. In 2010, Hamauzu left Square Enix to start his own studio, MONOMUSIK.
Kayoko Obata (小幡 佳代子, Obata Kayoko; born September 18, 1971) is a female long-distance runner from Japan. She set her…Kayoko Obata (小幡 佳代子, Obata Kayoko; born September 18, 1971) is a female long-distance runner from Japan. She set her personal best in the women's marathon on January 30, 2000 in Osaka, clocking 2:25:14.
Ryuta Sakurai Japanese: 桜井隆多(born September 8, 1971) is a Japanese mixed martial artist who currently competes in the…Ryuta Sakurai Japanese: 桜井隆多(born September 8, 1971) is a Japanese mixed martial artist who currently competes in the middleweight division. A veteran who fought for many companies such as Shooto, Pancrase and PRIDE. Nicknamed Mr. DEEP, he is best known for spending most of his fighting career in DEEP, where he is a former DEEP Middleweight champion.
Keisaburo Tanoue (田之上 慶三郎, Tanoue Keisaburō; born September 17, 1971) is a Japanese former Nippon Professional Baseball…Keisaburo Tanoue (田之上 慶三郎, Tanoue Keisaburō; born September 17, 1971) is a Japanese former Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher, pitching coach. He previously played for the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks / Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.
Shinichi Fukushima (福島 晋一, Fukushima Shin'ichi; born September 13, 1971) is a Japanese former professional racing…Shinichi Fukushima (福島 晋一, Fukushima Shin'ichi; born September 13, 1971) is a Japanese former professional racing cyclist and directeur sportif, active in cycling between 1996 and 2018.
Hiroyuki Kitahara (北原広之, born 13 September 1971) is a Japanese dressage rider. He represented Japan at the 2010 World…Hiroyuki Kitahara (北原広之, born 13 September 1971) is a Japanese dressage rider. He represented Japan at the 2010 World Equestrian Games and won team silver at the 2002 Asian Games in Busan. In 2019 he set a new record by winning a CDI in Europe as the first Japanese dressage rider. Hiroyuki started riding at the age of eight at the Japan Racing Association's club in Tokyo, while joining the Japanese youth team. In his riding career he worked several times in Germany from 1999 to 2001 and from 2007 to 2008. In 2018 he returned to Germany to prepare for the 2020 Olympic Games to train with Finnish team rider Henri Ruoste. Kitahara was part of the Japanese dressage team during the 2020 Summer Olympics in his city of birth Tokyo. He competed with his horse Huracan in the Grand Prix and finished 45th in the individual competition.
Atsuko Wakai (若井 敦子, Wakai Atsuko; born September 12, 1971) is a Japanese practitioner of karate who has won many…Atsuko Wakai (若井 敦子, Wakai Atsuko; born September 12, 1971) is a Japanese practitioner of karate who has won many international and Japanese national competitions in kata (patterns), including unprecedented numbers of consecutive titles in World Karate Federation (WKF) and All Japan Karatedo championships. She holds the rank of 6th dan black belt from the Japan Karatedo Federation (JKF), training in Seigokan Goju-ryu karate.
Hisayuki Fujii (藤井比早之, Fujii Hisayuki; born 11 September 1971) is a Japanese politician serving as a member of the…Hisayuki Fujii (藤井比早之, Fujii Hisayuki; born 11 September 1971) is a Japanese politician serving as a member of the House of Representatives since 2012. He served as deputy minister of foreign affairs under Shigeru Ishiba between 2024 and 2025.
Daisuke Moriyama (Japanese: 森山大輔, Hepburn: Moriyama Daisuke; born September 11, 1971) is a Japanese manga artist best…Daisuke Moriyama (Japanese: 森山大輔, Hepburn: Moriyama Daisuke; born September 11, 1971) is a Japanese manga artist best known for creating the Chrono Crusade series which was adapted into a 24 episodes anime series by the studio Gonzo. Moriyama worked on a series called World Embryo, which was serialized in the Young King OURs magazine from 2005 to 2014.
Tomoe Hatta (Japanese: 八田 友江, Hepburn: Hatta Tomoe; September 10, 1971 – August 13, 2025), known professionally as Tomo…Tomoe Hatta (Japanese: 八田 友江, Hepburn: Hatta Tomoe; September 10, 1971 – August 13, 2025), known professionally as Tomo Sakurai (櫻井 智, Sakurai Tomo), was a Japanese actress and singer. Originally part of the idol trio Lemon Angel, she started her voice acting career in the 1990s, starring as Mylene Flare Jenius in Macross 7, Meimi Haneoka in Saint Tail, Makimachi Misao in Rurouni Kenshin, the titular character of Super Doll Licca-chan, and Cynthia in all Pokémon animated entries since Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl. She briefly came out of retirement during the last few years of her life, voicing Kaede in the 2024 anime Grandpa and Grandma Turn Young Again.
Sanae Kikuta (Japanese: 菊田 早苗, Kikuta Sanae; born September 10, 1971) is a Japanese mixed martial artist currently…Sanae Kikuta (Japanese: 菊田 早苗, Kikuta Sanae; born September 10, 1971) is a Japanese mixed martial artist currently competing in the Welterweight division. A professional competitor since 1996, he has competed for the UFC, PRIDE Fighting Championships, Pancrase, DREAM, World Victory Road, DEEP, Shooto, and Vale Tudo Japan. He is the former Pancrase Light Heavyweight Champion (2001–2003) and the winner of the ADCC 88 kg class in 2001.
Takuya Asanuma (浅沼 拓也, Asanuma Takuya; born 9 September 1971), better known mononymously as Takuya (stylized in all…Takuya Asanuma (浅沼 拓也, Asanuma Takuya; born 9 September 1971), better known mononymously as Takuya (stylized in all caps as TAKUYA), is a Japanese musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. He was formerly the second guitarist of Judy and Mary. He currently works as a solo artist under the name Takuya and also had a solo project called Robots which was dissolved in 2009. He was previously married to a former geisha from Gion, but they divorced in 2006. His most recent release was a duet with Aya Kamiki titled "W-B-X (W-Boiled Extreme)", the theme for Kamen Rider W.
Hiroko Ishikawa (石川 弘子, Ishikawa Hiroko; born Hiroko Kitazume (北爪 弘子, Kitazume Hiroko) on 8 September 1971) is a…Hiroko Ishikawa (石川 弘子, Ishikawa Hiroko; born Hiroko Kitazume (北爪 弘子, Kitazume Hiroko) on 8 September 1971) is a retired Japanese judoka. Ishikawa was born in Akabori, Gunma and began judo at the age of 12. She entered The Asahi Bank, Ltd after graduating from Saitama University in 1994. She excelled at Seoi nage and Ippon seoi nage. She won the medals in the Asian Championships in 1988 and 1991. In 1997, Ishikawa participated in the World Championships held in Paris but was defeated by Séverine Vandenhende in the second round and Jung Sung-Sook in the consolation round. She retired after the Championships. Ishikawa had coached judo at the Shukutoku Junior Highschool from 1996 to 2005. As of 2010, she don't have a relation with judo and lives in Ichihara, Chiba with her family.
Yukiko Kashihara (柏原 由紀子, Kashihara Yukiko; born September 8, 1971) is a Japanese retired competitive figure skater.…Yukiko Kashihara (柏原 由紀子, Kashihara Yukiko; born September 8, 1971) is a Japanese retired competitive figure skater. She is the 1988 World Junior bronze medalist and the 1988 Japanese national bronze medalist.
Tetsuya Kanmuri (冠 徹弥, Kanmuri Tetsuya; born: 7 September 1971) is a Japanese heavy metal singer, originally from Uji…Tetsuya Kanmuri (冠 徹弥, Kanmuri Tetsuya; born: 7 September 1971) is a Japanese heavy metal singer, originally from Uji, Kyoto Prefecture. He took his inspiration from Van Halen's songs.
You the Rock (stylized as YOU THE ROCK★; born Yu Takemae (竹前 裕, Takemae Yū); 5 September 1971, in Nagano, Nagano) is a…You the Rock (stylized as YOU THE ROCK★; born Yu Takemae (竹前 裕, Takemae Yū); 5 September 1971, in Nagano, Nagano) is a Japanese hip-hop musician, MC and tarento. He is nicknamed You-chan (Youちゃん) and Yū-chan Da Aniki YTR (ユウちゃん DA 兄貴 YTR).
Kunio Nakamura (born 1971) is a Japanese artist and the founder of the art gallery "6jigen (6th dimension)" based in…Kunio Nakamura (born 1971) is a Japanese artist and the founder of the art gallery "6jigen (6th dimension)" based in Ogikubo, Tokyo. Currently, Nakamura is a painter and kintsugi artist. He holds workshops and exhibitions in Tokyo, Tohoku and Kumamoto, as well as in the United States. Nakamura co-founded the "Kintsugi Academy" in Los Angeles in 2019, with American painter Makoto Fujimura. He was an art navigator for the Boston Museum of Fine Arts exhibition at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum in 2022.
Fumie Hosokawa (細川 ふみえ; born 2 September 1971) is a Japanese actress, singer, and model. She is often referred to as…Fumie Hosokawa (細川 ふみえ; born 2 September 1971) is a Japanese actress, singer, and model. She is often referred to as the "original" kyonyu (huge breasts) idol.
Nobuatsu Aoki (青木 宣篤, Aoki Nobuatsu; born August 31, 1971 in Sumaga) is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. Aoki…Nobuatsu Aoki (青木 宣篤, Aoki Nobuatsu; born August 31, 1971 in Sumaga) is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. Aoki began his Grand Prix career in 1990 and won his first and only Grand Prix at the 250cc Malaysian Grand Prix. His best season was in 1997, when he finished third in the 500cc world championship behind Mick Doohan and Tadayuki Okada. In 2009, he teamed with Daisaku Sakai and Kazuki Tokudome on a Suzuki GSX-R1000 to win the Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race. He is the oldest of three Aoki brothers who have competed in motorcycle Grand Prix races.
Takahito Eguchi (江口 貴勅, Eguchi Takahito; born August 28, 1971) is a Japanese composer, orchestrator, and musician. He…Takahito Eguchi (江口 貴勅, Eguchi Takahito; born August 28, 1971) is a Japanese composer, orchestrator, and musician. He is best known for collaborating with Noriko Matsueda on Final Fantasy X-2 and with Tomoya Ohtani on several Sonic the Hedgehog games. Eguchi became interested in music when he was six years old after hearing his neighbor playing the piano. He attended the Tokyo Conservatoire Shobi where he acquainted Matsueda. Eguchi worked at Square Enix from 1998 to 2003 and currently works at Sega. He created mostly electronic music in the early part of his career but now focuses on orchestral composition and arrangement, along with performing keyboards.
Atsushi Inaba (稲葉 敦志, Inaba Atsushi; born August 28, 1971) is a Japanese video game producer. He was the former CEO and…Atsushi Inaba (稲葉 敦志, Inaba Atsushi; born August 28, 1971) is a Japanese video game producer. He was the former CEO and producer of the Capcom subsidiary Clover Studio, who developed the games Viewtiful Joe, Ōkami, and God Hand. He is currently the head producer at the development division at PlatinumGames and the CEO since 2021, after years being vice-president in the company.
