Shuta Tanaka (田中 秀太, Tanaka Shūta; simply called Shuta (秀太)) is a Japanese retired professional Nippon Professional…Shuta Tanaka (田中 秀太, Tanaka Shūta; simply called Shuta (秀太)) is a Japanese retired professional Nippon Professional Baseball player.
Toshikazu Yamashita (山下 敏和, Yamashita Toshikazu; born February 21, 1977 in Komatsushima, Tokushima) is a Japanese sport…Toshikazu Yamashita (山下 敏和, Yamashita Toshikazu; born February 21, 1977 in Komatsushima, Tokushima) is a Japanese sport shooter. Yamashita represented Japan at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, where he competed for all three rifle shooting events. In his first event, 10 m air rifle, Yamashita was able to hit a total of 590 points within six attempts, finishing twenty-eighth in the qualifying rounds. Few days later, he placed eighteenth in the 50 m rifle prone, by one target behind Belarus' Petr Litvinchuk from the final attempt, with a total score of 593 points. In his third and last event, 50 m rifle 3 positions, Yamashita was able to shoot 399 targets in a prone position, 382 in standing, and 386 in kneeling, for a total score of 1,167 points, finishing only in sixteenth place.
Tanaka Yoshikazu (Japanese: 田中 良和, Hepburn: Yoshikazu Tanaka) is a Japanese entrepreneur known for founding and…Tanaka Yoshikazu (Japanese: 田中 良和, Hepburn: Yoshikazu Tanaka) is a Japanese entrepreneur known for founding and developing the social networking service Gree, provided by Gree, Inc. Yoshikazu Tanaka was born in Mitaka, Tokyo in 1977. When Tanaka was a junior high school student, Tanaka became keenly interested in changes in society by informatization and the field of information-communication by reading "Power Shift" by Alvin Toffler. In 2003, at the age 26, Tanaka started developing Gree as a hobby. In February 2004, Tanaka opened Gree to the public, as a personal website. By March 2004, over 10,000 users had joined the service that soon became hard for him to manage rapidly growing service by himself. In December 2004, Tanaka established Gree, Inc. in order to cope the growing number of users. In December 2008, Gree, Inc. was listed on the Market of the High-Growth and Emerging Stocks, closing at the highest market value of shares on the first day. In February 2009, Tanaka was ranked 24th among "Japan's 40 Richest Billionaires" by Forbes Asia. As of 2010, at age 33, he was ranked as "Asia's Youngest Self-Made Billionaire" under the age of 35 and was selected as the "World's Second-Youngest Self-Made Billionaire" after Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg. In June 2010, 5 years after the foundation, Gree was listed on the first section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Tanaka was 33 years and 3 month at that time and the youngest founder whose company is listed on the TSE first section. Tanaka was able to set his social network apart from the well established Japanese brands Mixi and DeNA by concentrating on mobile games and making partnerships with major Internet service providers.
Hinako Saeki (佐伯 日菜子, Saeki Hinako) is a Japanese actress who was born on February 16, 1977, in Nara, Japan. Probably…Hinako Saeki (佐伯 日菜子, Saeki Hinako) is a Japanese actress who was born on February 16, 1977, in Nara, Japan. Probably her best-known role was as Sadako Yamamura in Spiral, the 1998 sequel to the horror film Ring. She has also appeared in a handful of other popular Japanese horror films including Uzumaki (2000) which was based on a Junji Ito manga of the same name, and Eko Eko Azaraku: Misa the Dark Angel (1998). In addition, she played a featured role as the character Colonel in Mamoru Oshii's Assault Girls (2009). She also portrayed in Ultraman X as the Underground Woman/Ryoko Mabuse. She is also familiar in China for her role as Sadako in the sequel to the Hong Kong TV drama series, My Date with a Vampire II.
Mineo Fujino (Japanese: 藤野峰男, Hepburn: Fujino Mineo; born February 14, 1977, in Gifu Prefecture), known by his pen name…Mineo Fujino (Japanese: 藤野峰男, Hepburn: Fujino Mineo; born February 14, 1977, in Gifu Prefecture), known by his pen name Tow Ubukata (冲方 丁, Ubukata Tō), is a Japanese novelist and screenwriter. He primarily writes fantasy and science fiction. His major works include Mardock Scramble, Le Chevalier D'Eon and Heroic Age. He also did series composition for the Fafner in the Azure series, Ghost in the Shell: Arise, Psycho-Pass 2 and Psycho-Pass 3.
Yuka Murofushi (室伏 由佳, Murofushi Yuka; born 11 February 1977) is a retired Japanese discus and hammer thrower.…Yuka Murofushi (室伏 由佳, Murofushi Yuka; born 11 February 1977) is a retired Japanese discus and hammer thrower. Murofushi comes from a hammer throwing family, as her father Shigenobu Murofushi is a former Olympian and held the Japanese record for decades, and her brother Koji Murofushi, is the 2004 Olympic champion in the event. Her mother, Serafina Moritz, is Romanian, and former European junior javelin champion and senior champion for Romania. Her parents are now divorced. She won the 2010 Japanese title in both the discus and hammer throw events.
Keisuke Suzuki (鈴木 馨祐, Suzuki Keisuke; born 9 February 1977) is a Japanese politician who is a member of the Liberal…Keisuke Suzuki (鈴木 馨祐, Suzuki Keisuke; born 9 February 1977) is a Japanese politician who is a member of the Liberal Democratic Party serving in the House of Representatives. A native of Tokyo, he graduated from the University of Tokyo and then worked at the Ministry of Finance. He was elected for the first time in the 2005 general election.
Shigeru Aburaya (油谷 繁, Aburaya Shigeru; born 8 February 1977 in Nagato, Yamaguchi) is a Japanese long-distance runner…Shigeru Aburaya (油谷 繁, Aburaya Shigeru; born 8 February 1977 in Nagato, Yamaguchi) is a Japanese long-distance runner who specializes in the marathon race.
Nakaba Suzuki (Japanese: 鈴木央, Hepburn: Suzuki Nakaba; born February 8, 1977) is a Japanese manga artist. He is best…Nakaba Suzuki (Japanese: 鈴木央, Hepburn: Suzuki Nakaba; born February 8, 1977) is a Japanese manga artist. He is best known for his fantasy series The Seven Deadly Sins (2012–2020), which has over 55 million copies in circulation making it among the top 50 best-selling manga series of all time. He began a sequel, Four Knights of the Apocalypse, in 2021.
Tsuneyasu Miyamoto (宮本 恒靖, Miyamoto Tsuneyasu; born 7 February 1977) is a Japanese former football coach and former…Tsuneyasu Miyamoto (宮本 恒靖, Miyamoto Tsuneyasu; born 7 February 1977) is a Japanese former football coach and former player who last coached Gamba Osaka. He played for Japan national team and is the current president of the Japan Football Association. A central defender, Miyamoto went on to make 71 international appearances and led the Japan national team in the 2002 and 2006 World Cups as well as the 2004 Asian Cup. Miyamoto also captained Gamba Osaka during their 2005 J1 League championship season. He is also a graduate of the 13th edition of FIFA Master.
He Xuemei (Chinese: 和雪梅; pinyin: Hé Xuěméi, born 6 February 1977) is a Chinese gymnast. She competed in six events at…He Xuemei (Chinese: 和雪梅; pinyin: Hé Xuěméi, born 6 February 1977) is a Chinese gymnast. She competed in six events at the 1992 Summer Olympics. She was the last female Olympic athlete to perform the Thomas salto in her routine. In 2006, she married Takaseki Takashi, a logistics manager from Japan, and changed her name to Takaseki Setsubai (高堰雪梅). She represented Japan at the 2006 Asian Artistic Gymnastics Championships.
Megumi Matsumoto (松元 惠, Matsumoto Megumi; born February 6, 1977 in Kumamoto) is a Japanese voice actress who works for…Megumi Matsumoto (松元 惠, Matsumoto Megumi; born February 6, 1977 in Kumamoto) is a Japanese voice actress who works for Ken Production. She is known as the voice of Kouya Marino in Crush Gear Turbo.
A..C..O (born February 3, 1977) is a Japanese singer. She made her debut in 1995 with the pop single "Fuan nano"…A..C..O (born February 3, 1977) is a Japanese singer. She made her debut in 1995 with the pop single "Fuan nano" (不安なの). She is a part of Sony Music Japan. She explores different musical styles, with the albums Absolute Ego and Material displaying electronica influences. Absolute Ego was produced by ex-Denki Groove keyboardist, Yoshinori Sunahara and The Other Side of Absolute Ego album contains remixes by Tricky, DJ Krush, and Silent Poets. In 2003, after a two-year hiatus, she enlisted the help of the avant-garde audio-visual performance group portable [k]ommunity for her quieter, more delicate album, Irony. AllMusic described Irony as "one of the most beautiful albums to come out of Japan in 2003", with the music compared to an "airy lullaby".
Shōgo Kawashima (川島 省吾, Kawashima Shōgo; born 2 February 1977, in Hanamigawa-ku, Chiba, Chiba), known by the stage name…Shōgo Kawashima (川島 省吾, Kawashima Shōgo; born 2 February 1977, in Hanamigawa-ku, Chiba, Chiba), known by the stage name Gekidan Hitori (劇団ひとり; 'one-person troupe') is a Japanese comedian, lyricist, actor, novelist, and film director. Gekidan is mainly known his improvisational ability and for his style of physical comedy. He is represented with Ohta Production.
Shinobu Kitamoto (北本 忍, Kitamoto Shinobu; born February 1, 1977) is a Japanese sprint canoer who has competed since the…Shinobu Kitamoto (北本 忍, Kitamoto Shinobu; born February 1, 1977) is a Japanese sprint canoer who has competed since the mid-2000s. She won a bronze medal in the K-1 200 m event at the 2010 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Poznań, the first person from Japan to medal at the world championships. Competing in three Summer Olympics (Athens 2004, Beijing 2008 and London 2012), Kitamoto earned her best finish of fifth in the K-2 500 m event at Beijing in 2008. World Cup Racice 2010 k1 500m gold medal
Takahiro Arai (Japanese: 新井 貴浩, born January 30, 1977, in Naka-ku, Hiroshima) is a Japanese-Zainichi Korean former…Takahiro Arai (Japanese: 新井 貴浩, born January 30, 1977, in Naka-ku, Hiroshima) is a Japanese-Zainichi Korean former professional baseball player. He is the manager of Hiroshima Toyo Carp in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball from the 2023 season. His younger brother Ryota is also a former professional baseball player who played for Hanshin Tigers.
Satoko Shinashi (しなし さとこ, Shinashi Satoko; legal name 尻無 智子, born January 29, 1977) is a female Japanese mixed martial…Satoko Shinashi (しなし さとこ, Shinashi Satoko; legal name 尻無 智子, born January 29, 1977) is a female Japanese mixed martial artist. She is a former DEEP Flyweight champion and former Smackgirl Flyweight champion. She is tied second for the most bouts among women and is considered as one of the pioneers of women's mixed martial arts.
Takuma "Taku" Sato (Japanese: 佐藤 琢磨, Hepburn: Satō Takuma; born 28 January 1977) is a Japanese racing driver, who…Takuma "Taku" Sato (Japanese: 佐藤 琢磨, Hepburn: Satō Takuma; born 28 January 1977) is a Japanese racing driver, who competes part-time in the IndyCar Series for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. He competed in Formula One from 2002 to 2008. In American open-wheel racing, Sato is a two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 winning in 2017 and 2020, and remains the only Asian driver to win the event. Born and raised in Tokyo, Sato began his career in karting before moving to Europe in 1999 with support from Honda. Progressing directly to Formula Three, Sato finished third in the British Championship in 2000 and dominated the series in 2001 with Carlin. With Carlin he also won the Macau Grand Prix and the Masters of Formula 3. Sato signed for Jordan in 2002, making his Formula One debut at the Australian Grand Prix, under Honda power. He moved with Honda to join BAR in 2003 as a reserve driver, replacing Jacques Villeneuve at his home Grand Prix in Japan and returning as a full-time driver in 2004. Sato achieved a podium at the United States Grand Prix as he finished a career-best eighth in the World Drivers' Championship. Following struggles at BAR in 2005, Sato moved to Super Aguri for his 2006 campaign onwards. Amidst financial troubles, Super Aguri withdrew from the sport after the 2008 Spanish Grand Prix, ending both Sato and teammate Anthony Davidson's driving careers in Formula One. After a year's hiatus, Sato returned to open-wheel racing in the IndyCar Series with KV in 2010. He took his maiden pole position at the Iowa Corn Indy 250 in 2011, and became the first Asian driver to win an IndyCar race at the Grand Prix of Long Beach in 2013 with Foyt. His one-off entry in Formula E at the 2014 Beijing ePrix marked the first—and to this date, only—time that Sato competed without a Honda power unit in his professional career, using a spec McLaren powertrain. Sato signed for Andretti in 2017, winning the Indianapolis 500 for the first time. He won several other times across his 2018 and 2019 seasons with RLL, before again winning at Indianapolis in 2020. Sato competed for Dale Coyne Racing in 2022, before moving in 2023 into part-time roles. Sato is a widely popular figure amongst fans and media worldwide, renowned for his aggressive driving style and motto No Attack, No Chance.
Hidetoshi Nakata, OSSI (中田 英寿, Nakata Hidetoshi; born 22 January 1977) is a Japanese former professional footballer who…Hidetoshi Nakata, OSSI (中田 英寿, Nakata Hidetoshi; born 22 January 1977) is a Japanese former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Considered as one of the greatest Asian football players of all time and coming from an Asian Football Confederation (AFC) country in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Nakata became the first ever AFC player to be nominated for the Ballon d'Or. Nakata began his professional career in 1995 and won the Asian Football Confederation Player of the Year award in 1997 and 1998, the Scudetto with Roma in 2001, played for Japan in three World Cup tournaments (1998, 2002 and 2006) and competed in the Olympics twice (1996 and 2000). In 2005, he was made the Knight of the Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity, one of Italy's highest honors, for improving the country's image overseas. Nakata has also been involved in fashion, regularly attending runway shows and wearing designer clothing. Nakata announced his retirement at the age of 29 on 3 July 2006, after a ten-year career that included seven seasons in the Italian Serie A and a season in the English Premier League. In March 2004, Pelé named Nakata in his FIFA 100, a list of the top living footballers at the time. Nakata was one of only two Asian footballers on the list.
Sakae Morimoto (Japanese: 森本 さかえ; born January 20, 1977, in Tenri, Nara) is a field hockey player from Japan.…Sakae Morimoto (Japanese: 森本 さかえ; born January 20, 1977, in Tenri, Nara) is a field hockey player from Japan. Affiliated with the Tenri University she played for the Japan women's national field hockey team, at two Summer Olympics, in 2004 and 2008.
Misato Michishita (道下 美里, Michishita Misato; born 19 January 1977 in Shimonoseki City) is a visually impaired Japanese…Misato Michishita (道下 美里, Michishita Misato; born 19 January 1977 in Shimonoseki City) is a visually impaired Japanese long distance and marathon runner. She silver medalled at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, and won the gold medal at the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo. She won the bronze medal the 2024 Summer Paralympics with a time of 3:04:23 in Paris, after Elena Congost from Spain was controversially disqualified with a time of 3:00:48 despite a human reflex when her companion almost fell.
Ryota Aikawa (相川 良太, Aikawa Ryōta; born January 18, 1977 in Fukuoka City, Japan) is a professional Nippon Professional…Ryota Aikawa (相川 良太, Aikawa Ryōta; born January 18, 1977 in Fukuoka City, Japan) is a professional Nippon Professional Baseball player. He is currently with the Orix Buffaloes.
Masahiro Matsuoka (松岡 昌宏, Matsuoka Masahiro; born January 11, 1977) is a Japanese drummer, actor and YouTuber. Former…Masahiro Matsuoka (松岡 昌宏, Matsuoka Masahiro; born January 11, 1977) is a Japanese drummer, actor and YouTuber. Former member of Tokio, a musical group under Starto Entertainment, formerly of Johnny & Associates. His nicknames are Mabo and Maa-kun. He starred as Shinichi Ozaki in Godzilla: Final Wars, and comedy series Yasuko to Kenji.
Tsutomu Ishizuki (石月努, born in Ichinomiya on January 8, 1977) is a Japanese singer, musician and designer, best known…Tsutomu Ishizuki (石月努, born in Ichinomiya on January 8, 1977) is a Japanese singer, musician and designer, best known as the lead singer and songwriter of rock band Fanatic Crisis from 1992 to 2005. Two years later, he started working as a designer. In 2012, he returned to music by starting a solo career and in 2019, Ishizuki and the two guitarists from Fanatic Crisis formed the sub-unit Fantastic Circus.
Katsuya Toida (戸井田 カツヤ, Toida Katsuya; born January 6, 1977) is a Japanese mixed martial artist. He competed in the…Katsuya Toida (戸井田 カツヤ, Toida Katsuya; born January 6, 1977) is a Japanese mixed martial artist. He competed in the Bantamweight and Featherweight divisions. His real name is Katsuya Toida (戸井田 克也, Toida Katsuya). He is known for his judo and shoot wrestling expertise.
Miyuki Fukumoto (née Aoyama; born 4 January 1977) is a female high jumper from Japan. Her personal best jump is 1.92…Miyuki Fukumoto (née Aoyama; born 4 January 1977) is a female high jumper from Japan. Her personal best jump is 1.92 metres, achieved in July 2004 in Osaka. She won the silver medal at the 2003 Asian Championships, and finished fifth at the 2006 Asian Games. She was the Japanese national high jump champion in 2006. She competed at the 2007 World Championships without reaching the final.
Noriko Hijikata (土方 典子, Hijikata Noriko; born January 3, 1977), better known by her stagename Maju Ozawa (小沢 真珠) is a…Noriko Hijikata (土方 典子, Hijikata Noriko; born January 3, 1977), better known by her stagename Maju Ozawa (小沢 真珠) is a Japanese actress.
Mayumi Iizuka (飯塚 雅弓, Iizuka Mayumi; born January 3, 1977) is a Japanese actress, voice actress, singer and disc jockey…Mayumi Iizuka (飯塚 雅弓, Iizuka Mayumi; born January 3, 1977) is a Japanese actress, voice actress, singer and disc jockey who was born in Tokyo. She is currently affiliated with Across Entertainment and her label is Lantis. She is an instructor at the Stay Luck training school Follow-Up. For her singing activities, she uses the alias Hoshi Mai (星 舞). Her well-known roles as a voice actress include Kasumi (Misty) in the Pokémon series, Tron Bonne in the Mega Man Legends series and Claiomh Everlasting in the Sorcerous Stabber Orphen series.
Eiichiro Washio (鷲尾 英一郎, Washio Eiichirō; born 3 January 1977) is a Japanese politician who serves as a member of the…Eiichiro Washio (鷲尾 英一郎, Washio Eiichirō; born 3 January 1977) is a Japanese politician who serves as a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Niigata, Niigata and graduate of the University of Tokyo, he worked at Ernst & Young ShinNihon from 2001 to 2005. He was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 2005.
Shinsei Ryū (Japanese: 笠真生, Ryū Shinsei; 1977) is a Japanese theoretical physicist who works in theoretical solid-state…Shinsei Ryū (Japanese: 笠真生, Ryū Shinsei; 1977) is a Japanese theoretical physicist who works in theoretical solid-state physics. He is currently a professor at Princeton University.
Q Hayashida (林田 球, Hayashida Kyū; born 1977) is the pen name of a Japanese manga artist. She is best known for her…Q Hayashida (林田 球, Hayashida Kyū; born 1977) is the pen name of a Japanese manga artist. She is best known for her series Dorohedoro, which was formerly serialized in Monthly Ikki, but moved to Hibana after Ikki ceased publication, and later moved to Monthly Shōnen Sunday after Hibana ceased publication. It was formerly serialized in English on Viz Media's SigIKKI site. Throughout her artwork, Hayashida uses a variety of artistic tools and media, including paint and textiles. She is known for her attention to detail and technical skill, as well as balancing horror and comedy in her stories.
Gakuto Coda (甲田 学人, Kōda Gakuto; born 1977) is a Japanese light novelist. His works can be found under both spellings…Gakuto Coda (甲田 学人, Kōda Gakuto; born 1977) is a Japanese light novelist. His works can be found under both spellings of his name, his works in English translation under 'Coda' and his works in Japanese under 'Kouda'. His series Missing has been adapted into a manga, and Tokyopop released two in the series, 2007 to 2008, before it went bankrupt. He is known for basing his horror novels on research into psychology and folklore.
Satoshi Yagisawa (八木沢 里志, born 1977) is a Japanese author. He is best known for his debut novel, Days at the Morisaki…Satoshi Yagisawa (八木沢 里志, born 1977) is a Japanese author. He is best known for his debut novel, Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, which became an international bestseller and was adapted into a film.
Togmidyn Dorjkhand (born 1977) is a Mongolian politician, serving as the Deputy Prime Minister of Mongolia, member of…Togmidyn Dorjkhand (born 1977) is a Mongolian politician, serving as the Deputy Prime Minister of Mongolia, member of the parliament (MP) and chairman of the HUN Party. He has been serving in the parliament since 2020; originally elected from the Right Person Electorate Coalition.
Yu Aida (Japanese: 相田 裕, Hepburn: Aida Yū; born November 8, 1977) is a Japanese manga artist and illustrator, best…Yu Aida (Japanese: 相田 裕, Hepburn: Aida Yū; born November 8, 1977) is a Japanese manga artist and illustrator, best known as the creator of Gunslinger Girl. Aida has also done the character designs for the eroge visual novel Bittersweet Fools.
Shinji Fukuda (福田真嗣, Fukuda Shinji) is the Project Professor at the Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio…Shinji Fukuda (福田真嗣, Fukuda Shinji) is the Project Professor at the Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, in Tsuruoka, Japan. He is a leading researcher in the field of gut microbiome analysis and evaluation. Known for his efforts to raise awareness about the importance of gut health, he often refers to feces as "brown gems".
Yoshiaki Nishimura (西村 義明, Nishimura Yoshiaki; born September 25, 1977 in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese lead film…Yoshiaki Nishimura (西村 義明, Nishimura Yoshiaki; born September 25, 1977 in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese lead film producer formerly of Studio Ghibli and founder of Studio Ponoc. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2014 for The Tale of Princess Kaguya and received a consecutive nomination in 2015 for When Marnie Was There in the same category.
Makoto Suwa (Japanese: 諏訪 理, Hepburn: Suwa Makoto; born 1977 in Tokyo) is a Japanese climate scientist and astronaut…Makoto Suwa (Japanese: 諏訪 理, Hepburn: Suwa Makoto; born 1977 in Tokyo) is a Japanese climate scientist and astronaut with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
Makoto Shimizu (清水誠, Shimizu Makoto) (born 1977 in Tokyo, Japan), professionally known as Makoto (マコト, Makoto), is a…Makoto Shimizu (清水誠, Shimizu Makoto) (born 1977 in Tokyo, Japan), professionally known as Makoto (マコト, Makoto), is a Japanese drum and bass musician, producer and DJ. Among other distinctive elements of Makoto's musical style, a heavy influence of 1970s-era soul, funk and jazz fusion can be heard throughout the vast majority of his repertoire.