Kōsuke Baba (馬場 皐輔, Baba, Kōsuke; born May 18, 1995) is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher for the Yokohama DeNA…Kōsuke Baba (馬場 皐輔, Baba, Kōsuke; born May 18, 1995) is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He has previously played in NPB for the Hanshin Tigers and Yomiuri Giants.
Hitomi Takahashi (高橋 瞳, Takahashi Hitomi; born April 8, 1989) is a Japanese pop rock singer from Shiogama, Miyagi. She…Hitomi Takahashi (高橋 瞳, Takahashi Hitomi; born April 8, 1989) is a Japanese pop rock singer from Shiogama, Miyagi. She is best known by her songs "Bokutachi no Yukue" and "Aozora no Namida", which were theme songs to animation programs Gundam Seed Destiny and Blood+, respectively. With the former, she became the third artist in to top the Oricon charts with a debut single.
Yu Hirayama (平山 優, Hirayama Yū; born 25 July 1985) is a former Japanese badminton player. She was born in Shiogama…Yu Hirayama (平山 優, Hirayama Yū; born 25 July 1985) is a former Japanese badminton player. She was born in Shiogama city, in Miyagi prefecture, and graduated from St. Ursula High School. She is now a sophomore at the School of Social Sciences. She won the first prize of the inter-high school athletic meet when she was a second grade high school student, and the next year, she won the all-Japan second prize. She joined the Unisys badminton team in 2008, and was part of the Japanese team which played in the World Ladies' Championship (Uber Cup) and other worldwide tournaments.
Hayato Sasaki (佐々木 勇人, Sasaki Hayato; born November 29, 1982 in Shiogama, Miyagi) is a Japanese football player…Hayato Sasaki (佐々木 勇人, Sasaki Hayato; born November 29, 1982 in Shiogama, Miyagi) is a Japanese football player currently playing for Tochigi SC and currently assistant managers club WE League of MyNavi Sendai.
Miyuki Hatanaka (畑中 みゆき, Hatanaka Miyuki; born 18 December 1975) is a Japanese freestyle skier. She competed at the…Miyuki Hatanaka (畑中 みゆき, Hatanaka Miyuki; born 18 December 1975) is a Japanese freestyle skier. She competed at the 2002 Winter Olympics and the 2006 Winter Olympics.
YUKA, formally Yuka Muraishi (村石有香, Muraishi Yuka) and formerly Yuka Sato (佐藤有香 Satō Yuka), is a Japanese singer, born…YUKA, formally Yuka Muraishi (村石有香, Muraishi Yuka) and formerly Yuka Sato (佐藤有香 Satō Yuka), is a Japanese singer, born on December 10, 1970. She is best known for her work in Japanese animation, including the ending themes of several Dragon Ball Z theatrical films (with Hironobu Kageyama), as well as singing "Mirai no Kioku", the opening theme of the series Kiddy Grade. In June 2000, she married drummer Muraishi Masayuki (村石 雅行), and in 2003, gave birth to a son. Previously, she had also assumed the stage name Asakura Miyū (麻倉未有) in addition to her other names. More recently, her songs "Destiny of the Desert" and "Shinkirō" (Mirage) also appeared in the anime Desert Punk as the opening and closing songs respectively.
Masashi Nakano (中野 正志, Nakano Masashi; born 29 February 1948) is a Japanese politician and former Secretary-General of…Masashi Nakano (中野 正志, Nakano Masashi; born 29 February 1948) is a Japanese politician and former Secretary-General of the Party for Japanese Kokoro. A native of Shiogama, Miyagi Prefecture and graduate of Tohoku Gakuin University, he was first elected to the assembly of Miyagi Prefecture in 1983. During his second term as an assemblyman, he contested the national House of Councillors election in 1989 as an independent but was defeated. He was elected to the House of Representatives in the national Diet as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party in the 1996 general election, representing Miyagi District No.2. In the 2000 general election he was defeated in his district by Sayuri Kamata. In the 2003 general election he was again defeated by Kamata in Miyagi No.2, but was elected to return to the House of Representatives as a member for the Tōhoku proportional block. He retained his seat in the 2005 general election and was appointed Senior Vice-Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry in Shinzo Abe's first ministry in 2007. He contested his seat in the 2009 general election as a Liberal Democratic Party candidate and with an endorsement from the Komeito Party, but lost his seat as the LDP lost a general election for the first time since the party was formed in 1955. Nakano contested the July 2010 House of Councillors election but was unable to win a seat in the national proportional representation block. In 2012 he was appointed as Miyagi No.2 district leader of the Sunrise Party and resigned from the LDP. Following the Sunrise Party's merger with the Japan Restoration Party in November 2012, Nakano was elected to the national proportional representation block as a JRP member in the July 2013 House of Councillors election. With JRP's split in August 2014 he joined the newly formed Party for Future Generations. He was appointed as the party's secretary-general in November 2015. In December 2015 the party changed its name to the Party for Japanese Kokoro. In November 2018, the Party for Japanese Kokoro dissolved, and Nakano returned to the LDP.
Azuma Konno (今野 東, Konno Azuma; 17 December 1947 – 24 April 2013) was a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of…Azuma Konno (今野 東, Konno Azuma; 17 December 1947 – 24 April 2013) was a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, who served as a member of the House of Councillors and the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Shiogama, Miyagi Prefecture and graduate of Meiji Gakuin University, he was elected to the House of Councillors for the first time in 2007 after serving in the House of Representatives for two terms.
Makoto Nakahara (中原 誠, Nakahara Makoto; born September 2, 1947) is a Japanese retired professional shogi player who…Makoto Nakahara (中原 誠, Nakahara Makoto; born September 2, 1947) is a Japanese retired professional shogi player who achieved the rank of 9-dan. He was one of the strongest shogi players of the Shōwa period (1926–1989) and holds the titles of Lifetime Kisei, Lifetime Meijin, Lifetime 10-dan, Lifetime Ōi, and Lifetime Ōza.
Takemasa Moriya (守屋武昌, Moriya Takemasa; born 23 September 1944) is a Japanese politician who served as Vice-Minister of…Takemasa Moriya (守屋武昌, Moriya Takemasa; born 23 September 1944) is a Japanese politician who served as Vice-Minister of Defense at the Ministry of Defense between 2003 and August 2007. Moriya was implicated of accepting bribes in the Yamada Yoko Incident, and was compelled to sworn testimony before the National Diet. He was sentenced to 30 months in prison over the scandal.
Nobunaga Shimazaki (島﨑 信長, Shimazaki Nobunaga; born December 6, 1988) is a Japanese voice actor affiliated with Aoni…Nobunaga Shimazaki (島﨑 信長, Shimazaki Nobunaga; born December 6, 1988) is a Japanese voice actor affiliated with Aoni Production. He won the Best Rookie Actor Award at the 7th Seiyu Awards and the Best Actors in Supporting Roles at the 15th Seiyu Awards.
Koichi Yamadera (山寺 宏一, Yamadera Kōichi; born June 17, 1961) is a Japanese actor, narrator and singer from Shiogama…Koichi Yamadera (山寺 宏一, Yamadera Kōichi; born June 17, 1961) is a Japanese actor, narrator and singer from Shiogama, Miyagi Prefecture. He graduated from Tohoku Gakuin University's economics school and is currently affiliated with Across Entertainment. Before that, he was affiliated with the Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society. He is known for his roles in Cowboy Bebop (as Spike Spiegel), the Yakuza videogame series (as Shun Akiyama), Shōwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjū (as Sukeroku), Ghost in the Shell (as Togusa), Neon Genesis Evangelion (as Ryoji Kaji), Gintama (as Shoyo Yoshida / Utsuro), Ninja Scroll (as Jūbei Kibagami), Dragon Ball Super (as Beerus), Anpanman (as Cheese), Ranma ½ (as Ryōga Hibiki/P-chan and the Jusenkyō Guide), Space Battleship Yamato 2199 (as Aberdt Desler), Pretty Cure All Stars DX 3 (as Black Hole) and Lupin III (as the official voice of Koichi Zenigata since 2011). He's been in every Pokémon film to date, though always in different roles, the exception being movie 22, in which he reprised his role as Mew from the first movie, of which movie 22 is a remake. He also voiced Mew in some collateral projects. For Disney, he is the official dubbed voice of Donald Duck, Genie and Sebastian (among others) in Japanese. In the live action field, he is the official dub-over artist of Will Smith (Yamadera met Smith several times), Eddie Murphy and Jim Carrey. He is also known for voicing Chris Tucker, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Robin Williams, Mike Myers, Stephen Chow, Brad Pitt, Charlie Sheen, Michael Keaton, Michael J. Fox, Will Ferrell, Chris Pratt and Jon Hamm in the Japanese language releases of their respective films.