Koshi Fujimori (藤森 耕資, Fujimori Kōshi; born 19 December 1961) is a Japanese former water polo player who competed in…Koshi Fujimori (藤森 耕資, Fujimori Kōshi; born 19 December 1961) is a Japanese former water polo player who competed in the 1984 Summer Olympics.
Tetsuya Shiokawa (塩川鉄也 Shiokawa Tetsuya) is a Japanese politician and former member of the House of Representatives for…Tetsuya Shiokawa (塩川鉄也 Shiokawa Tetsuya) is a Japanese politician and former member of the House of Representatives for the Japanese Communist Party.
Sion Sono (園 子温, Sono Shion; born December 18, 1961) is a Japanese filmmaker, writer, and poet. He is best known for…Sion Sono (園 子温, Sono Shion; born December 18, 1961) is a Japanese filmmaker, writer, and poet. He is best known for the films Love Exposure (2008), Strange Circus (2005) and Suicide Club (2001). He has been called "the most subversive filmmaker working in Japanese cinema today," and a "stakhanovite filmmaker" with an "idiosyncratic" career.
Takehiro Watanabe (渡辺 武弘, Watanabe Takehiro; born 16 December 1961) is a Japanese table tennis player. He competed at…Takehiro Watanabe (渡辺 武弘, Watanabe Takehiro; born 16 December 1961) is a Japanese table tennis player. He competed at the 1988 Summer Olympics and the 1992 Summer Olympics.
Toru Yoshikawa (吉川 亨, Yoshikawa Tōru; born December 13, 1961) is a former Japanese football player. He played for Japan…Toru Yoshikawa (吉川 亨, Yoshikawa Tōru; born December 13, 1961) is a former Japanese football player. He played for Japan national team.
Tensai Okamura (岡村 天斎, Okamura Tensai), born Yutaka Okamura (岡村 豊, Okamura Yutaka) on December 13, 1961, in Fukushima…Tensai Okamura (岡村 天斎, Okamura Tensai), born Yutaka Okamura (岡村 豊, Okamura Yutaka) on December 13, 1961, in Fukushima Prefecture, is a Japanese anime director and animator. Okamura grew up in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture. He is a graduate of Waseda University's department of science and engineering. In 1991, he changed his first name to Tensai.
Satoru Matsuhashi (松橋 暁, Matsuhashi Satoru; born 6 December 1961) is a Japanese ski jumper. He competed in the normal…Satoru Matsuhashi (松橋 暁, Matsuhashi Satoru; born 6 December 1961) is a Japanese ski jumper. He competed in the normal hill and large hill events at the 1984 Winter Olympics.
Yusuke Adachi (足達 勇輔, Adachi Yūsuke; born December 5, 1961) is a Japanese football manager and former player. He is…Yusuke Adachi (足達 勇輔, Adachi Yūsuke; born December 5, 1961) is a Japanese football manager and former player. He is currently the technical director of V.League 1 club Hanoi FC.
Toshinao Sasaki (佐々木 俊尚, Sasaki Toshinao; born December 5, 1961) is a Japanese freelance journalist and critic, a…Toshinao Sasaki (佐々木 俊尚, Sasaki Toshinao; born December 5, 1961) is a Japanese freelance journalist and critic, a regular writer for CNET Japan, and a one-time reporter for Mainichi Shimbun. He was born in Hyōgo Prefecture.
Yoshihiro Nikawadori (荷川取義浩, Nikawadori Yoshihiro, born 4 December 1961) is a Japanese former handball player who…Yoshihiro Nikawadori (荷川取義浩, Nikawadori Yoshihiro, born 4 December 1961) is a Japanese former handball player who competed in the 1988 Summer Olympics.
Shinji Takamatsu (高松 信司, Takamatsu Shinji; born December 3, 1961) is a Japanese storyboard artist, screenwriter, and…Shinji Takamatsu (高松 信司, Takamatsu Shinji; born December 3, 1961) is a Japanese storyboard artist, screenwriter, and director.
Koichi Ishimori (born 2 December 1961) is a Japanese wrestler. He competed in the men's freestyle +100 kg at the 1984…Koichi Ishimori (born 2 December 1961) is a Japanese wrestler. He competed in the men's freestyle +100 kg at the 1984 Summer Olympics.
Akira Furusawa (Japanese: 古澤 明, Hepburn: Furusawa Akira; born 1961) is a Japanese physicist known for his contributions…Akira Furusawa (Japanese: 古澤 明, Hepburn: Furusawa Akira; born 1961) is a Japanese physicist known for his contributions to quantum teleportation. He is a professor of physics in University of Tokyo and specializes in nonlinear optics, quantum optics, and quantum information science.
Kazuyuki Aijima (相島 一之, Aijima Kazuyuki; born November 30, 1961) is a Japanese stage and film actor, and one of the…Kazuyuki Aijima (相島 一之, Aijima Kazuyuki; born November 30, 1961) is a Japanese stage and film actor, and one of the original Tokyo Sunshine Boys, a theatrical troupe that lasted from 1983 to about 1994. He is currently seen in television dramas and onstage in Japan.
Yoshiaki Kuruma (車 吉章, Kuruma Yoshiaki; born November 26, 1961) is a Japanese "free announcer" from the Hokuriku region…Yoshiaki Kuruma (車 吉章, Kuruma Yoshiaki; born November 26, 1961) is a Japanese "free announcer" from the Hokuriku region of Japan.
Shingo Miyake (born November 24, 1961) is a Japanese politician who is a former member of the House of Councillors of…Shingo Miyake (born November 24, 1961) is a Japanese politician who is a former member of the House of Councillors of Japan.
Masanori Ota (太田正典, Ōta Masanori; born November 23, 1961), better known by his pen name Masamune Shirow (士郎 正宗, Shirō…Masanori Ota (太田正典, Ōta Masanori; born November 23, 1961), better known by his pen name Masamune Shirow (士郎 正宗, Shirō Masamune), is a Japanese manga artist and designer for video games and anime productions. Shirow is best known for his award-winning debut work, Appleseed, and his widely known manga, Ghost in the Shell. Both series have been adapted into theatrical or television anime films, anime television series, OVA or ONA productions, and several video games. Ghost in the Shell was additionally adapted into a Hollywood live-action film. He is a key figure in the development of cyberpunk aesthetics and themes in Japan during the 1980s and 1990s. In addition to his mainstream manga and design work, Shirow has produced erotic and hentai manga and illustrations since the 1990s, under his regular pen name, with numerous art books and a 2025 exhibition dedicated to this work. These share the same canon as his interconnected mainstream publications.
Keiichiro Nuno (布 啓一郎, Nuno Keiichiro; born December 21, 1960) is a former Japanese football player and manager. He was…Keiichiro Nuno (布 啓一郎, Nuno Keiichiro; born December 21, 1960) is a former Japanese football player and manager. He was currently manager of Vonds Ichihara until 31 January 2023.
Shuichi Abe (阿部 守一, Abe Shuichi; born 21 December 1960) is a Japanese politician and the current governor of Nagano…Shuichi Abe (阿部 守一, Abe Shuichi; born 21 December 1960) is a Japanese politician and the current governor of Nagano Prefecture, assuming office in 2010. In 2014, he was re-elected for another four-year term as the governor of the prefecture.
Hiroji Kiyotake (清武 博二, Kiyotake Hiroji), born December 21, 1960, in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan) is a game designer…Hiroji Kiyotake (清武 博二, Kiyotake Hiroji), born December 21, 1960, in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan) is a game designer for Nintendo and has been a part of the history of Nintendo since 1983.
Miwako Motoyoshi (元好 三和子, Motoyoshi Miwako; born 21 December 1960) is a Japanese former synchronized swimmer who…Miwako Motoyoshi (元好 三和子, Motoyoshi Miwako; born 21 December 1960) is a Japanese former synchronized swimmer who competed in the 1984 Summer Olympics.
Ryōsei Akazawa (赤沢 亮正, Akazawa Ryōsei; born 18 December 1960) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party…Ryōsei Akazawa (赤沢 亮正, Akazawa Ryōsei; born 18 December 1960) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party and member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature), representing the Tottori 2nd district in Tottori Prefecture.
Tarako (たらこ, Tarako; December 17, 1960 – March 4, 2024) was a Japanese actress, voice actress, singer and narrator. Her…Tarako (たらこ, Tarako; December 17, 1960 – March 4, 2024) was a Japanese actress, voice actress, singer and narrator. Her debut voice acting role was as a preschooler in Urusei Yatsura. She is most famously known as the original voice actress of Momoko "Maruko" Sakura, the titular character in the long-running television anime series Chibi Maruko-chan from its debut in 1990 until its conclusion in 1992 and its subsequent revival, which premiered in 1995 and continues to this day. Other notable roles of hers are as Monokuma in the Danganronpa franchise from 2016 to 2024, Frakenrobo in the long running children's anime series Let's Go! Anpanman, Kirara in InuYasha, the titular character of Magical Taruruto-kun, Melody in Hunter × Hunter, and Altena in Noir. She was employed by the talent management firm Troubadour Musique Office.
Miki Takakura (高倉 美貴, Takakura Miki) (born Miki Koshizawa (越沢 美貴, Koshizawa Miki) on December 14, 1960 in Kanazawa…Miki Takakura (高倉 美貴, Takakura Miki) (born Miki Koshizawa (越沢 美貴, Koshizawa Miki) on December 14, 1960 in Kanazawa, Ishikawa) is a Japanese gravure idol and pink film actress who was active in the 1980s and rose to prominence as Nikkatsu's "SM Queen" (SMの女王, SM no joō) from 1983 to 1985.
Masahiko Nishimura (西村 まさ彦, Nishimura Masahiko; born December 12, 1960) is a Japanese theatre and film actor. He is…Masahiko Nishimura (西村 まさ彦, Nishimura Masahiko; born December 12, 1960) is a Japanese theatre and film actor. He is best known for his comedic portrayals.
Shibata Takumi (Japanese: 柴田巧, born December 11, 1960) is a Japanese politician who is serving as a member of the…Shibata Takumi (Japanese: 柴田巧, born December 11, 1960) is a Japanese politician who is serving as a member of the National Diet in the House of Councillors for Nippon Ishin no Kai as part of the Japanese House of Councillors national proportional representation block.
Koichi Sato (佐藤 浩市, Satō Kōichi; born December 10, 1960) is a Japanese actor. He is the son of actor Rentarō Mikuni. He…Koichi Sato (佐藤 浩市, Satō Kōichi; born December 10, 1960) is a Japanese actor. He is the son of actor Rentarō Mikuni. He is known for his acting skills and has won three individual Blue Ribbon Awards in the categories of Best Newcomer (1982), Best Actor (2003), and Best Supporting Actor (2024). He is the first actor to win three individual awards since his father, Rentarō Mikuni.
Kototsubaki Katsuyuki (琴椿 克之) (born 6 December 1960 as Katsuyuki Tokashiki) is a former sumo wrestler from Naha…Kototsubaki Katsuyuki (琴椿 克之) (born 6 December 1960 as Katsuyuki Tokashiki) is a former sumo wrestler from Naha, Okinawa, Japan.
Masahiko Katsuya (勝谷 誠彦, Katsuya Masahiko) (6 December 1960 – 28 November 2018) was a Japanese journalist, columnist…Masahiko Katsuya (勝谷 誠彦, Katsuya Masahiko) (6 December 1960 – 28 November 2018) was a Japanese journalist, columnist, television commentator, photographer and author. After graduating from Waseda University, he joined the publishing company Bungeishunjū in 1985 and worked as a reporter and desk editor for publications including Shūkan Bunshun, Bungeishunjū and Marco Polo. His reporting assignments included the Cambodian Civil War and the Gulf War. Katsuya left Bungeishunjū in 1996 and subsequently worked independently as a columnist, writer and television personality. He appeared regularly on Japanese television programmes including Yajiuma Plus, Sukkiri!! and Takajin no Sokomade Itte Iinkai, and later hosted the Sun Television talk programme Katsuyama Sahiko Show. In 2017, he unsuccessfully stood as an independent candidate in the 2017 Hyōgo gubernatorial election.
Akiko Kurabayashi (Japanese: 倉林 明子; born 3 December 1960) is a Japanese politician, serving as member of the Japanese…Akiko Kurabayashi (Japanese: 倉林 明子; born 3 December 1960) is a Japanese politician, serving as member of the Japanese House of Councillors since 2013. A member of the Japanese Communist Party, she represents the Kyoto at-large district.
Mayumi Suzuki (すずきまゆみ, Suzuki Mayumi; born August 8, 1970) is a Japanese voice actress who graduated from the Tokyo…Mayumi Suzuki (すずきまゆみ, Suzuki Mayumi; born August 8, 1970) is a Japanese voice actress who graduated from the Tokyo College of Music as a vocalist. She is best known for dubbing over a number of Disney heroines.
Tsuyoshi Hamada (浜田 剛史, Hamada Tsuyoshi; born November 29, 1960) is a retired Japanese professional boxer who is a…Tsuyoshi Hamada (浜田 剛史, Hamada Tsuyoshi; born November 29, 1960) is a retired Japanese professional boxer who is a former WBC world junior welterweight champion.
Noriko Osumi (大隅 典子, Ōsumi Noriko; born 1960) is a Japanese neuroscientist. She is a professor of developmental…Noriko Osumi (大隅 典子, Ōsumi Noriko; born 1960) is a Japanese neuroscientist. She is a professor of developmental neuroscience at the Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine and was appointed as the university's first female Vice-president in 2018. She previously served as the president of the Molecular Biology Society of Japan from 2013 to 2014.
Mitsuhiro Shishikura (宍倉 光広, Shishikura Mitsuhiro; born November 27, 1960) is a Japanese mathematician working in the…Mitsuhiro Shishikura (宍倉 光広, Shishikura Mitsuhiro; born November 27, 1960) is a Japanese mathematician working in the field of complex dynamics. He is professor at Kyoto University in Japan. Shishikura became internationally recognized for two of his earliest contributions, both of which solved long-standing open problems. In his Master's thesis, he proved a conjecture of Fatou from 1920 by showing that a rational function of degree d {\displaystyle d\,} has at most 2 d − 2 {\displaystyle 2d-2\,} nonrepelling periodic cycles. He proved that the boundary of the Mandelbrot set has Hausdorff dimension two, confirming a conjecture stated by Mandelbrot and Milnor. For his results, he was awarded the Salem Prize in 1992, and the Iyanaga Spring Prize of the Mathematical Society of Japan in 1995. More recent results of Shishikura include (in joint work with Kisaka) the existence of a transcendental entire function with a doubly connected wandering domain, answering a question of Baker from 1985; (in joint work with Inou) a study of near-parabolic renormalization which is essential in Buff and Chéritat's recent proof of the existence of polynomial Julia sets of positive planar Lebesgue measure. (in joint work with Cheraghi) A proof of the local connectivity of the Mandelbrot set at some infinitely satellite renormalizable points. (in joint work with Yang) A proof of the regularity of the boundaries of the high type Siegel disks of quadratic polynomials. One of the main tools pioneered by Shishikura and used throughout his work is that of quasiconformal surgery. His doctoral students include Weixiao Shen.
Akinobu Osako (大迫明伸, Ōsako Akinobu) (born 27 November 1960) is a retired judoka from Japan, who represented his native…Akinobu Osako (大迫明伸, Ōsako Akinobu) (born 27 November 1960) is a retired judoka from Japan, who represented his native country at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. There he won a bronze medal in the men's middleweight division (–86 kg), alongside Ben Spijkers from the Netherlands. Osako was born in Nishimorokata District, Miyazaki and began judo at the age of a junior high student. He entered noble Asahi Kasei of the judo after graduation in Tenri University. In the days of active play, he was good at Seoi Nage, Tai Otoshi and Uchi Mata.
Masafumi Nishi (西 正文, Nishi Masafumi; born November 25, 1960 in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese baseball player.…Masafumi Nishi (西 正文, Nishi Masafumi; born November 25, 1960 in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese baseball player. He won a bronze medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics.
Takeyuki Nakayama (中山 竹通, Nakayama Takeyuki; born December 20, 1959 in Ikeda, Nagano) is a former Japanese world-class…Takeyuki Nakayama (中山 竹通, Nakayama Takeyuki; born December 20, 1959 in Ikeda, Nagano) is a former Japanese world-class marathon runner. He represented his native country at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain and the 1986 Asian Games in Seoul, South Korea (gold medal). Nakayama's notable marathon wins include Fukuoka Marathon (1984, 1987), the Seoul marathon (1985), and the Tokyo marathon (1990). In 1985 Nakayama set the 2nd record in the world from the 1st World Cup Marathon (2:08:15). As of 2007, Nakayama is a coach at the Aichi Seiko Track Team.
Yasuhito Suzuki (鈴木 康仁, Suzuki Yasuhito; born December 19, 1959) is a former Japanese football player. He played for…Yasuhito Suzuki (鈴木 康仁, Suzuki Yasuhito; born December 19, 1959) is a former Japanese football player. He played for Japan national team. His son Yuto Suzuki is also footballer.
Michio Aoyama (青山 道雄, Aoyama Michio; born December 17, 1959 in Shizuoka, Shizuoka, Japan) is a Japanese former Nippon…Michio Aoyama (青山 道雄, Aoyama Michio; born December 17, 1959 in Shizuoka, Shizuoka, Japan) is a Japanese former Nippon Professional Baseball outfielder.
Yōsuke Takagi (高木 陽介, Takagi Yōsuke; born 16 December 1959) is a Japanese politician who served in the House of…Yōsuke Takagi (高木 陽介, Takagi Yōsuke; born 16 December 1959) is a Japanese politician who served in the House of Representatives in the Diet as a member of the Komeito Party. A native of Ōta, Tokyo and graduate of Soka University he was elected for the first time in 1993 after working at the national newspaper Mainichi Shimbun for 7 years. He was one of the chief guests for the Andhra Pradesh state capital, Amaravati's official foundation ceremony.
Kazuhiko Ogasawara (小笠原和彦, Ogasawara Kazuhiko) is a Japanese professional wrestler and karateka best known for his…Kazuhiko Ogasawara (小笠原和彦, Ogasawara Kazuhiko) is a Japanese professional wrestler and karateka best known for his tenure in the Japanese promotions Pro Wrestling Zero1 and Pro Wrestling Freedoms.
Yun Duk-min (Korean: 윤덕민; Hanja: 尹德敏; born December 8, 1959) is a South Korean political scientist who is the former…Yun Duk-min (Korean: 윤덕민; Hanja: 尹德敏; born December 8, 1959) is a South Korean political scientist who is the former ambassador of South Korea to Japan. He was a former chancellor of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy.
Satoru Iwata (Japanese: 岩田 聡; December 6, 1959 – July 11, 2015) was a Japanese businessman, video game programmer, and…Satoru Iwata (Japanese: 岩田 聡; December 6, 1959 – July 11, 2015) was a Japanese businessman, video game programmer, and producer. Beginning in 2002, Iwata served as the fourth president of Nintendo, as well as the chief executive officer (CEO) of Nintendo of America from 2013 until his death in 2015. Iwata was a major contributor in broadening the appeal of video games by focusing on novel and entertaining software rather than top-of-the-line hardware. Born in Sapporo, Iwata expressed interest in video games from an early age and created his first simple game while in high school. He majored in computer science at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. In 1980, he joined the game developer HAL Laboratory while attending the university. At HAL, he worked as a programmer and closely collaborated with Nintendo, coding his first commercial console game in 1983 and programming early Nintendo Entertainment System titles including Pinball, Golf, and Balloon Fight. Later games to which he contributed include EarthBound and numerous installments in the Kirby series. Following a financial downturn and near-bankruptcy, Iwata became the president of HAL in 1993 at the insistence of Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi and restored the company's financial stability. In the following years, he assisted in the development of the Pokémon and Super Smash Bros. series. Iwata joined Nintendo as the head of its corporate planning division in 2000. Nintendo saw strong growth under Iwata, and when Yamauchi retired in May 2002, Iwata succeeded him as the company's president, becoming the first president unrelated to the Yamauchi family. Under Iwata's leadership, Nintendo developed the Nintendo DS and Wii game consoles, helping the company achieve massive financial success. As a self-declared gamer, he focused on expanding the appeal of video games across demographics through a "blue ocean" business strategy and the Touch! Generations brand. Nintendo attained record profits by 2009, and Barron's placed Iwata among the top 30 CEOs worldwide. Iwata expanded his strategy by defining a quality-of-life product line for the Wii that evolved into a ten-year strategy to create standalone products. Later hardware such as the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U proved far less profitable than the Wii, and Nintendo's net sales fell by two-thirds from 2009 to 2012, with the company recording its first operating losses in 30 years during this period. Refusing to lay off employees, Iwata voluntarily halved his salary in 2011 and again in 2014. In 2015, after several years of decline, Iwata directed a portion of Nintendo's focus into the rapidly growing mobile game market through a landmark partnership with mobile provider DeNA established that March, while overseeing early development of the Nintendo Switch. Throughout his tenure, Iwata built a close relationship with Nintendo fans through social media and his regular appearances in Iwata Asks and Nintendo Direct, becoming the public face of the company. In June 2014, a tumor in Iwata's bile duct was discovered during a routine physical exam. It was removed, and Iwata returned to work in October of that year. The illness resurfaced in 2015, and Iwata died at the age of 55 from its complications on July 11. Members of the gaming industry and players worldwide offered tributes through public announcements and social media, and fans established temporary memorials around the globe. Iwata was posthumously awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2015 Golden Joystick Awards and the 2016 D.I.C.E. Awards.
Tomohiko Kira (吉良 知彦) (December 6, 1959 – July 3, 2016) was a Japanese guitarist who led the band ZABADAK. He also…Tomohiko Kira (吉良 知彦) (December 6, 1959 – July 3, 2016) was a Japanese guitarist who led the band ZABADAK. He also composed the original music for the 1988 cult horror film Evil Dead Trap, and performed guitar on soundtracks of the role-playing video games Xenogears (1998) and Chrono Cross (1999), playing the opening and ending themes on the latter. He later recorded an album with the singer of the ending theme from Chrono Cross, Noriko Mitose. He also composed the opening theme for the TV anime Spice and Wolf (2008) and provided backing vocals in the chorus. His hobbies included collecting insects and the outdoors. He owned a collection of butterflies and beetles. He died on July 3, 2016, 3 months after playing at a 30th anniversary concert.
Bungo Fukusaki (福崎 文吾, Fukusaki Bungo; December 6, 1959) is a Japanese retired professional shogi player who achieved…Bungo Fukusaki (福崎 文吾, Fukusaki Bungo; December 6, 1959) is a Japanese retired professional shogi player who achieved the rank of 9-dan. He is a former 10-dan and Ōza major title holder.
Yoshitomo Nara (奈良 美智, Nara Yoshitomo; born 5 December 1959 in Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese…Yoshitomo Nara (奈良 美智, Nara Yoshitomo; born 5 December 1959 in Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese artist. He lives and works in Nasushiobara, Tochigi Prefecture, though his artwork has been exhibited worldwide. Nara has had nearly 40 solo exhibitions since 1984. His art work has been housed at the MoMA and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). His most well-known and repeated subjects are "big-headed girls" with piercing eyes, who one Nara scholar describes as having "childlike expressions [that] resonate with adult emotions, [their] embodiment of kawaii (cuteness) carries a dark humor, and any explicit cultural references are intertwined with personal memories."