Shōta Horie (堀江 翔太, Horie Shōta; born 21 January 1986) is a Japanese former professional rugby union player who played…Shōta Horie (堀江 翔太, Horie Shōta; born 21 January 1986) is a Japanese former professional rugby union player who played as a hooker for Japan Rugby League One club Saitama Wild Knights and the Japan national team.
Memeco Sakata (坂田米米子, Sakata Memeko; born February 17, 1985), formerly known as Hiroko Sato (佐藤 寛子, Satō Hiroko), is a…Memeco Sakata (坂田米米子, Sakata Memeko; born February 17, 1985), formerly known as Hiroko Sato (佐藤 寛子, Satō Hiroko), is a Japanese actress, singer and gravure idol.
Masato Nakazawa (中澤 雅人, Nakazawa Masato; born February 16, 1985 in Toyama, Toyama, Japan) is a Japanese former…Masato Nakazawa (中澤 雅人, Nakazawa Masato; born February 16, 1985 in Toyama, Toyama, Japan) is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher. He has played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows.
Yuki Yatomi (矢富 勇毅, Yatomi Yūki; born 16 February 1985 in Kyoto) is a Japanese rugby union player. He plays as a…Yuki Yatomi (矢富 勇毅, Yatomi Yūki; born 16 February 1985 in Kyoto) is a Japanese rugby union player. He plays as a scrum-half. Yatomi is currently a player for Yamaha Jubilo, from Iwata. He has 15 caps for Japan, with 2 tries scored, 10 points in aggregate, since 2006. His debut was at a 50-14 win over South Korea, in Tokyo, in a 2007 Rugby World Cup qualifier, where he played as a substitute. He was present at the 2007 Rugby World Cup, playing two games.
Maiko Nakaoka (中岡 麻衣子, Nakaoka Maiko; born February 15, 1985) is a former Japanese football player. She played for…Maiko Nakaoka (中岡 麻衣子, Nakaoka Maiko; born February 15, 1985) is a former Japanese football player. She played for Japan national team.
Tomohisa Ōtani (大谷 智久, born February 14, 1985, in Hyōgo Prefecture) is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher…Tomohisa Ōtani (大谷 智久, born February 14, 1985, in Hyōgo Prefecture) is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher who is currently a coach for the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He played in NPB for the Marines from 2010 to 2020.
Josephat Muchiri Ndambiri (born 12 February 1985) is a Kenyan long-distance runner. He represented his country at the…Josephat Muchiri Ndambiri (born 12 February 1985) is a Kenyan long-distance runner. He represented his country at the World Championships in Athletics in 2007. He is based in Japan and trains with PACE Sports Management. He moved to Japan as a teenager on an athletic scholarship and specialised in long-distance track running, including the 5000 metres and 10,000 metres. He competed for, and graduated from, Ryutsu Keizai University. At the 2005 Sapporo Half Marathon, he led for the first half of the race but had faded to fourth by the finish point. At the end of the year he represented Kenyan in the International Chiba Ekiden. Running the marathon distance with a relay team of Martin Mathathi, Daniel Mwangi, Mekubo Mogusu, Onesmus Nyerere and John Kariuki, he helped set a world record time of 1:57:06 hours for the popular Japanese event. Ndambiri won a second Chiba Ekiden title with Kenya the following year, where he won his 5-kilometre leg by a margin of over twenty seconds. He won the 10,000 metres at the Kenyan Championships in 2007 and in his major international debut he finished fifth in the event at the 2007 World Championships. A month after his world appearance, he took a 5000/10,000 m double at the Japan Corporate Team Track & Field Championships. He attempted to gain selection for the 2008 Summer Olympics, but ended the trials in seventh and was not picked for the squad. Representing the Komori Corporation, he ran in the New Year Ekiden and won his 8.3 km stage. In the 2009 track season he became the first athlete to run the 10,000 m under 27 minutes on Japanese soil, taking the win at the Shizuoka International in an all-comers record of 26:57.36 minutes. He came seventh at the RAK Half Marathon in 2010, setting a personal best of 1:01:07 hours. The following year he came fourth over 10,000 m at the Hyogo Relays and then claimed third place at the Sapporo Half Marathon in June. He made his debut over the marathon distance in December 2011 and made a successful transition by taking the Fukuoka Marathon title in a time of 2:07:36 hours.
Leilani Yoshika Gaja (我謝 美佳 レイラニ, Gaja Yoshika Reirani; born February 12, 1985) is a Japanese model and actress from…Leilani Yoshika Gaja (我謝 美佳 レイラニ, Gaja Yoshika Reirani; born February 12, 1985) is a Japanese model and actress from Tokyo. Her stage name in Japan is Yoshika Katou (加藤 美佳, Katō Yoshika), and is used in nearly all of her appearances in drama and film. Her father is Taiwanese of Japanese descent and her mother is Hawaiian of Japanese descent, lending to her legal name Leilani (Hawaiian for 'heavenly lei'), and making her half-Japanese. Her first major role was as Yuka Osada, the Crane Orphnoch, in Kamen Rider 555.
Tomoyuki Kawabata (河端 朋之, Kawabata Tomoyuki; born 7 February 1985) is a Japanese professional racing cyclist. He rode…Tomoyuki Kawabata (河端 朋之, Kawabata Tomoyuki; born 7 February 1985) is a Japanese professional racing cyclist. He rode at the 2015 UCI Track Cycling World Championships. He is also a professional keirin cyclist. He also competed at the 2014 Asian Games and won a bronze medal in the team sprint.
Joji Kato (加藤条治, Katō Jōji) (born 6 February 1985) is a Japanese speedskater whose specialty is in the sprinting…Joji Kato (加藤条治, Katō Jōji) (born 6 February 1985) is a Japanese speedskater whose specialty is in the sprinting distance event of 500 metres. At the age of 17 he became the first junior speedskater to skate the 500 metres in less than 35 seconds. Until 9 March 2007 he was the world record holder with the 34.30 he skated in Salt Lake City on 19 November 2005. He lost the world record to Lee Kang-seok, who skated 34.25 in Salt Lake City. At the age of 20, he became the 500 metres world champion at the 2005 World Single Distance Championships, leaving behind Hiroyasu Shimizu and Jeremy Wotherspoon. After this achievement he was considered to be one of the favourites for achieving a medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. Prior to that 500 metre race, he named three skaters as his toughest competition: Jeremy Wotherspoon of Canada, Joey Cheek of the United States, and Dmitry Dorofeyev of Russia. Cheek and Dorofeyev won gold and silver, respectively, while Kato finished in sixth place. He was also beaten by his own countryman, Yūya Oikawa, who was fourth. He represented Japan at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver where he won bronze at men's 500 metres. At the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia, he again represented Japan and finished 5th in the 500 m with a combined time over two runs of 69.74 and a fastest single time of 34.77 behind the Mulder brothers (Michel and Ronald), Jan Smeekens and Mo Tae-bum. He is a member of the Nidec Sankyo speed skating team.
Keisuke Ishii (石井慧介, Ishii Keisuke; born February 6, 1985) is a Japanese professional wrestler trained by and signed to…Keisuke Ishii (石井慧介, Ishii Keisuke; born February 6, 1985) is a Japanese professional wrestler trained by and signed to DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT). Ishii also competes for All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), where he is a former World Junior Heavyweight Champion.
Hiroaki Hiraoka (平岡 拓晃, Hiraoka Hiroaki; born 6 February 1985 in Hiroshima City) is a Japanese judoka. He won a silver…Hiroaki Hiraoka (平岡 拓晃, Hiraoka Hiroaki; born 6 February 1985 in Hiroshima City) is a Japanese judoka. He won a silver medal at the 2009 World Judo Championships and the 2011 World Championships and a bronze medal at the 2010 World Judo Championships. Hiroka also won a silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics at London, in the men's under 60 kg extra-lightweight category.
Takayoshi Kawabata (川端 崇義, Kawabata Takayoshi; born February 4, 1985 in Yaizu, Shizuoka, Japan) is a Japanese…Takayoshi Kawabata (川端 崇義, Kawabata Takayoshi; born February 4, 1985 in Yaizu, Shizuoka, Japan) is a Japanese professional baseball outfielder for the Orix Buffaloes in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball.
Toshiyuki Tanaka (田中 利幸, Tanaka Toshiyuki; born 2 February 1985) is a Japanese equestrian. He competed in eventing at…Toshiyuki Tanaka (田中 利幸, Tanaka Toshiyuki; born 2 February 1985) is a Japanese equestrian. He competed in eventing at the 2012 Summer Olympics and the 2020 Summer Olympics. Tanaka was the travelling reserve for the 2024 Summer Olympics. When team member Ryuzo Kitajima withdrew his horse Cekatinka from the horse inspection on show jumping day, Tanaka rode for the Japanese team in the show jumping phase of the competition.
Daisuke Kanzaki (神崎 大輔, Kanzaki Daisuke; born February 2, 1985 in Ōita, Ōita) is a former Japanese football player who…Daisuke Kanzaki (神崎 大輔, Kanzaki Daisuke; born February 2, 1985 in Ōita, Ōita) is a former Japanese football player who last featured for Giravanz Kitakyushu.
Renn Kiriyama (桐山 漣, Kiriyama Ren; born February 2, 1985) is a Japanese stage and television actor from Yokohama. His…Renn Kiriyama (桐山 漣, Kiriyama Ren; born February 2, 1985) is a Japanese stage and television actor from Yokohama. His debut role was as Bunta Marui in The Prince of Tennis musical Absolute King Rikkai feat. Rokkaku ~ First Service. Kiriyama is also known for his role in Shotaro Hidari, the male lead and half of the eponymous hero of the television series Kamen Rider W.
Koyuki Higashi (東 小雪, Higashi Koyuki; born 1 February 1985) is a Japanese LGBT activist, stage actress and writer. From…Koyuki Higashi (東 小雪, Higashi Koyuki; born 1 February 1985) is a Japanese LGBT activist, stage actress and writer. From 2005 to 2006, she was an otokoyaku member of the Takarazuka Revue Hana-gumi under the name Aura Maki (あうら真輝). In the fall of 2010, she became involved in LGBT issues.
Shunichi Shimizu (清水 俊一, Shimizu Shun'ichi; born January 31, 1985) is a Japanese mixed martial arts and Lethwei fighter…Shunichi Shimizu (清水 俊一, Shimizu Shun'ichi; born January 31, 1985) is a Japanese mixed martial arts and Lethwei fighter who currently competes in the bantamweight division.
Yuri Morishita (森下 悠里, Morishita Yūri; born January 30, 1985, in Hachiōji, Tokyo) is a Japanese actress, television…Yuri Morishita (森下 悠里, Morishita Yūri; born January 30, 1985, in Hachiōji, Tokyo) is a Japanese actress, television personality, singer, and former gravure model who is represented by the talent agency Asche.
Kosuke Takeuchi (竹内 公輔、born January 29, 1985 in Suita, Osaka, Japan) is a Japanese professional basketball player. He…Kosuke Takeuchi (竹内 公輔、born January 29, 1985 in Suita, Osaka, Japan) is a Japanese professional basketball player. He plays for the Utsunomiya Brex of the B.League. Takeuchi also is a member of the Japan national basketball team, playing for the team in the 2006 FIBA World Championship and both the FIBA Asia Championship 2007 and FIBA Asia Championship 2009. Takeuchi's twin brother Joji is also a member of the Japanese national basketball team. As a 21-year-old, Takeuchi averaged 5.4 points and 4.4 rebounds per game for the host Japanese at the 2006 FIBA World Championship. Takeuchi has earned a bigger role with the Japanese team over the past four years; his best tournament performance to date was at the FIBA Asia Championship 2009, in which he averaged 13 points and a team-leading 8.2 rebounds per game. Despite his performance, Japan stumbled to a disappointing tenth-place finish, its worst ever performance in 24 FIBA Asia Championship appearances. He was invited to play with the Minnesota Timberwolves during the 2010 summer league in Las Vegas in 2010. Takeuchi played professionally with the Aisin Seahorses of the JBL Super League. In the 2009-10 season, Takeuchi entered the month-long winter break averaging 15.4 points and 11.3 rebounds per game for the first-place Seahorses. He was also named to the JBL All-Star Game as the leading power forward vote-getter for the West.
Joji Takeuchi (竹内 譲次、born January 29, 1985, in Suita, Osaka, Japan) is a Japanese professional basketball player. He…Joji Takeuchi (竹内 譲次、born January 29, 1985, in Suita, Osaka, Japan) is a Japanese professional basketball player. He plays for the Osaka Evessa of the B.League. Takeuchi also is a member of the Japan national basketball team, playing for the team in the 2006 FIBA World Championship and both the FIBA Asia Championship 2007 and FIBA Asia Championship 2009. Takeuchi's twin brother Kosuke is also a member of the Japanese national basketball team. As a 21-year-old, Takeuchi averaged 6.2 points and 5.2 rebounds per game for the host Japanese at the 2006 FIBA World Championship. Takeuchi has earned a bigger role with the Japanese team over the past four years; his best tournament performance to date was at the FIBA Asia Championship 2009, in which he averaged 9.8 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. Despite his performance, Japan stumbled to a disappointing tenth-place finish, its worst ever performance in 24 FIBA Asia Championship appearances. Takeuchi played professionally with the Hitachi SunRockers of the JBL Super League. In the 2009–10 season, Takeuchi entered the month-long winter break averaging 16.1 points and 9.4 rebounds per game for the third-place Seahorses. He was also named to the JBL All-Star Game as the leading power forward vote-getter for the East.
Keisuke Tanimoto (谷元 圭介, Tanimoto Keisuke; born January 1, 1985) is a Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher for…Keisuke Tanimoto (谷元 圭介, Tanimoto Keisuke; born January 1, 1985) is a Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher for the Chunichi Dragons in Japan's Central League. He previously played at the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters and was traded to the Dragons on the 31 July 2017 for cash considerations.
Yusuke Hino (日野 裕介, Hino Yūsuke; born January 27, 1985), better known by the ring name Yuji Hino (火野 裕士, Hino Yūji), is…Yusuke Hino (日野 裕介, Hino Yūsuke; born January 27, 1985), better known by the ring name Yuji Hino (火野 裕士, Hino Yūji), is a Japanese professional wrestler, He is currently competing as a freelancer on the Japanese independent circuit. One of the most well-travelled heavyweights in Japan, Hino was trained by Taka Michinoku and made his debut for his Kaientai Dojo (K-Dojo) promotion in November 2003, becoming a four-time Strongest-K Champion and a four-time Strongest-K Tag Team Champion, before leaving the promotion in October 2015. He has also wrestled extensively for DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT) and Wrestle-1 (W-1), where he is a former one-time KO-D Openweight Champion, a two-time KO-D Tag Team Champion and a two-time KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Champion, as well as a former Wrestle-1 Champion and Wrestle-1 Tag Team Champion.
Ryuji Ono (大野 龍二, Ōno Ryūji; born 27 January 1985) is a Japanese long-distance runner. He competed in the men's 10,000…Ryuji Ono (大野 龍二, Ōno Ryūji; born 27 January 1985) is a Japanese long-distance runner. He competed in the men's 10,000 metres at the 2004 Summer Olympics.
Julia Mūmbi Mūraga (born January 25, 1984) is a Kenyan long-distance runner who competes in marathon races. She is…Julia Mūmbi Mūraga (born January 25, 1984) is a Kenyan long-distance runner who competes in marathon races. She is based in Japan. She made her marathon debut at the 2006 Beijing Marathon but finished outside of the top ten women. She was fifth at the 2007 Nagoya Marathon, fourth at the Sapporo Half Marathon, then won that year's Kobe Half Marathon. At the beginning of 2008 she won the Miyazaki Women's Road Race and came third at the Osaka Ladies Marathon. Mūraga made her first international appearance for Kenya at the 2008 IAAF World Road Running Championships and her time of 1:11:11 hours for seventh place was enough to help the Kenyan women to the team silver medals. She was fifth at the 2009 Paris Marathon and represented her country in the women's marathon at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics, where she finished in twelfth place. She continued focusing on the marathon, coming eighth at the Tokyo Marathon and seventh in the Amsterdam Marathon in 2010. She won her first marathon at the 2011 Reims à Toutes Jambes, where she fought off Ethiopian competition to claim the title in a time of 2:29:35 hours. Mūraga won the 2014 Cologne Marathon in a time of 2:28:00 hours, but tested positive for EPO post-race. She was stripped of her victory and given a two-year ban from competition.
Shingo Hayashi (林 伸伍, born 25 January 1985) is a Japanese dressage rider. Shingo competed at the 2010 Asian Games in…Shingo Hayashi (林 伸伍, born 25 January 1985) is a Japanese dressage rider. Shingo competed at the 2010 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China and at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea where he won team silver. He also competed at the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games in Tryon, North Carolina, United States of America. He was the first team reserve for the Japanese dressage team during the 2016 Summer Olympics. Hayashi competed at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, representing the Japanese team. He finished 48th in the individual competition.
Kazuki Yoshino (吉野 一基, Yoshino Kazuki; born 23 January 1985) is a Japanese former footballer who was last part of…Kazuki Yoshino (吉野 一基, Yoshino Kazuki; born 23 January 1985) is a Japanese former footballer who was last part of Yangon United of the Myanmar National League in 2014.
Kairi Kochi (高智 海吏, Kōchi Kairi; born 22 January 1985) is a Japanese handball player for Toyota Auto Body and the…Kairi Kochi (高智 海吏, Kōchi Kairi; born 22 January 1985) is a Japanese handball player for Toyota Auto Body and the Japanese national team. He participated at the 2017 World Men's Handball Championship.
Ryuta Yamamura (山村 隆太, Yamamura Ryūta; born 21 January 1985, in Matsubara, Osaka) is a Japanese musician, singer…Ryuta Yamamura (山村 隆太, Yamamura Ryūta; born 21 January 1985, in Matsubara, Osaka) is a Japanese musician, singer, songwriter, lyricist, composer and actor. He is the vocalist of the flumpool and The Turtles Japan.
Kenta Kamakari (鎌苅 健太, Kamakari Kenta; born on February 17, 1984, in Osaka Prefecture) is a Japanese actor, voice actor…Kenta Kamakari (鎌苅 健太, Kamakari Kenta; born on February 17, 1984, in Osaka Prefecture) is a Japanese actor, voice actor and singer, famous for his role as Ryo Shishido in the Prince of Tennis Musicals. He was hospitalized on April 21, 2007, and was unable to play the role of Minami Itsuki in Musical Air Gear vs. Bacchus Super Range Remix and appear in Dream Live 4 – Extra. As he mentioned in his blog, as of February 2008 he is completely recovered and will start working again. He is the leader and lead vocals for the rock band Cocoa Otoko that debuted on 2010, yet disbanded again. In 2017, he married model and actress Yuria Haga.
Yoshitaka Naito (内藤禎貴, Naito Yoshitaka) (born February 17, 1984) is a retired Japanese mixed martial artist from Inzai…Yoshitaka Naito (内藤禎貴, Naito Yoshitaka) (born February 17, 1984) is a retired Japanese mixed martial artist from Inzai, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. He is a former two-time ONE Strawweight World Champion. Naito is furthermore a former Shooto World Flyweight (114 lb) Champion, where he holds the record for flyweight title defenses, and was voted Fighter of the Year for two consecutive years. He is regarded as one of the best strawweights in the world, and is ranked as the #2 all time strawweight by Fight Matrix.
Norio Suzuki (鈴木 規郎, Suzuki Norio; born February 14, 1984) is a Japanese former professional footballer who played as a…Norio Suzuki (鈴木 規郎, Suzuki Norio; born February 14, 1984) is a Japanese former professional footballer who played as a defender and midfielder.
Yusaku Obata (小幡優作, Obata Yusaku, born February 13, 1984) is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently a freelancer.…Yusaku Obata (小幡優作, Obata Yusaku, born February 13, 1984) is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently a freelancer. He's best known for his time in Pro Wrestling Zero1 (ZERO1), where is a former World Heavyweight Champion, a former two-time NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Champion, a former NWA United National Heavyweight Champion, the winner of the 2013 and 2016 Furinkazan and the 2016 Fire Festival. He is also known for his work in Apache Pro Wrestling Army, where he was a former WEW Tag Team Champion alongside HIROKI. Obata was originally trained by Kaientai Dojo and left the promotion in 2006. After leaving K-Dojo, Obata had much better success after signing with ZERO1 in 2012.
Natsuki Obama (小濱なつき, Obama Natsuki; born February 12, 1984) is a Japanese fashion model and actor. She appeared in the…Natsuki Obama (小濱なつき, Obama Natsuki; born February 12, 1984) is a Japanese fashion model and actor. She appeared in the national "What should I do to coordinate tomorrow?" campaign for the fashion magazine Marisol in 2017 and 2018. While attending Kagoshima Girl's High School, she was a member of the volleyball team that went to the national finals. Obama was a finalist for the 3rd Cover Girl Prize given out by Magazine Summit, a national organization for magazine publishers in Japan. Obama has used her celebrity status to support products such as shōchū that are produced in Minamisatsuma. She gave birth to a daughter in 2019.
Shōhōzan Yūya (Japanese: 松鳳山 裕也; born February 9, 1984 as Yūya Matsutani (松谷 裕也)) is a Japanese former professional…Shōhōzan Yūya (Japanese: 松鳳山 裕也; born February 9, 1984 as Yūya Matsutani (松谷 裕也)) is a Japanese former professional sumo wrestler from Chikujō, Fukuoka. Wrestling for Hanaregoma stable, he made his professional debut in March 2006 and reached the top makuuchi division in November 2011. His highest rank was komusubi, which he achieved on five occasions. He earned three Fighting Spirit prizes, five kinboshi or gold stars for defeating yokozuna, and was runner-up in one tournament before retiring from competition in June 2022.
Hiroki Sanada (真田 裕貴, born February 7, 1984) is a professional baseball player from Takasago, Hyōgo, Japan (though was…Hiroki Sanada (真田 裕貴, born February 7, 1984) is a professional baseball player from Takasago, Hyōgo, Japan (though was born in Osaka Prefecture). He began his career as a pitcher for the Yomiuri Giants and currently plays for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. In November 2011, the Stars announced that they would use the posting system and auction Sanada's negotiating rights to Major League Baseball teams.
Kimitoshi Nōgawa (直川 公俊, Nōgawa Kimitoshi; born 6 February 1984) is a Japanese former professional footballer who…Kimitoshi Nōgawa (直川 公俊, Nōgawa Kimitoshi; born 6 February 1984) is a Japanese former professional footballer who played as a striker. His birthday has also been reported as 27 June 1978.
Kyohei Morita (森田恭平) (born 6 February 1984) is a Japanese rugby union footballer who made his international debut as a…Kyohei Morita (森田恭平) (born 6 February 1984) is a Japanese rugby union footballer who made his international debut as a fly half with the Japan national rugby union team in 2004. He graduated from Hosei University and joined Kobelco Steelers in 2006.
Ryosuke Baba (馬場 亮輔, Baba Ryōsuke; born 4 February 1984) is a Japanese artistic gymnast. Baba was part of the Japanese…Ryosuke Baba (馬場 亮輔, Baba Ryōsuke; born 4 February 1984) is a Japanese artistic gymnast. Baba was part of the Japanese team that won the silver medal in the team event at the 2006 Asian Games as well as the 2010 Asian Games. Prior to his silver medal, he was thought of as the future of Japanese men's artistic gymnastics.
Midori Kuzuoka (葛岡 碧, Kuzuoka Midori; born January 30, 1984, in Natori, Miyagi, Japan) is a Japanese model who is…Midori Kuzuoka (葛岡 碧, Kuzuoka Midori; born January 30, 1984, in Natori, Miyagi, Japan) is a Japanese model who is represented by the talent agency, Illume.