Manabu "MAX" Orido (Shinjitai: 織戸 学, Orido Manabu; born Funabashi, Chiba, 3 December 1968; alternative nickname…
Manabu "MAX" Orido (Shinjitai: 織戸 学, Orido Manabu; born Funabashi, Chiba, 3 December 1968; alternative nickname Monkichi) is a Japanese professional racing driver. He currently competes in the Super GT series for apr driving a Toyota GR86 GT300, in the Super Taikyu series driving an Aston Martin Vantage GT8R, and in the GT World Challenge Asia series driving a BMW M4 GT4. Orido is a two-time JGTC / Super GT GT300 class champion, winning the title in 1997 and 2009. He is also a two-time Super Taikyu ST-1 class champion, and GT World Challenge Asia GT4 class champion in 2023.
Famous People from Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture
Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture: 77 people
Hideki Hashigami (橋上 秀樹, born November 4, 1965) is a former Nippon Professional Baseball outfielder and current interim…
Hideki Hashigami (橋上 秀樹, born November 4, 1965) is a former Nippon Professional Baseball outfielder and current interim manager of the Yomiuri Giants.
Shunzo Ono (大野 俊三, Ōno Shunzō; born March 29, 1965) is a former Japanese footballer who played as a defender.
Hironori Suguro (勝呂 壽統, Suguro Hironori; born September 23, 1963) is a former Japanese professional baseball player. He…
Hironori Suguro (勝呂 壽統, Suguro Hironori; born September 23, 1963) is a former Japanese professional baseball player. He was the number 5 draft pick for the Yomiuri Giants in 1987.
Tsutomu Sakai (酒井 勉, born June 27, 1963, in Funabashi, Chiba, Japan) is a former Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher.
Fujinoshin Tsukasa (born 6 November 1960 as Tetsuya Yagi) is a former sumo wrestler from Funabashi, Chiba, Japan. He…
Fujinoshin Tsukasa (born 6 November 1960 as Tetsuya Yagi) is a former sumo wrestler from Funabashi, Chiba, Japan. He made his professional debut in March 1976, and reached the top division in September 1986. His highest rank was maegashira 1. He retired in September 1990 after suffering multiple injuries and became an elder in the Japan Sumo Association.
Takashi Sekizuka (関塚 隆, Sekizuka Takashi; born October 26, 1960) is a former Japanese football player and manager.
Katsuhiko Nishijima (西島 克彦, Nishijima Katsuhiko; born February 4, 1960) is a Japanese animator, storyboard artist, and…
Katsuhiko Nishijima (西島 克彦, Nishijima Katsuhiko; born February 4, 1960) is a Japanese animator, storyboard artist, and director known for panty-fanservice.
Hideki Kase (born 1 December 1959) is a Japanese professional golfer.
Michiko Nishiwaki (西脇 美智子, Nishiwaki Michiko; born November 21, 1957) is a Japanese actress, stuntwoman, martial…
Michiko Nishiwaki (西脇 美智子, Nishiwaki Michiko; born November 21, 1957) is a Japanese actress, stuntwoman, martial artist, fight choreographer, former female bodybuilder and powerlifter. She performed the high-risk stunts as a double for Lucy Liu in the film Charlie's Angels.
Yoshihiko Noda (Japanese: 野田 佳彦, Hepburn: Noda Yoshihiko; born 20 May 1957) is a Japanese politician who served as the…
Yoshihiko Noda (Japanese: 野田 佳彦, Hepburn: Noda Yoshihiko; born 20 May 1957) is a Japanese politician who served as the Prime Minister of Japan from 2011 to 2012. He has been a member of the House of Representatives since 2000. Noda entered politics in 1993 as a member of the now-defunct Japan New Party. In 1996, he joined the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ). After the DPJ won control of the Diet in 2009 general election, Noda was named a senior vice minister of finance in the cabinet of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, and in 2010, was named minister of finance in the cabinet of Prime Minister Naoto Kan. Following Kan's resignation as prime minister, Noda won the ensuing leadership election and was appointed prime minister on 2 September 2011. Following a severe loss for the DPJ in the December 2012 general election, Noda announced his resignation as party leader, triggering a leadership election that was won by Banri Kaieda. Noda was succeeded as Prime Minister by Shinzo Abe, President of the Liberal Democratic Party, on 26 December 2012. As the DPJ underwent mergers and reorganizations, Noda left to sit as an independent politician. In 2021, Noda joined the CDP, the primary successor to the DPJ. In 2024, Noda successfully stood for the CDP's party presidential election, defeating incumbent leader Kenta Izumi and former leader Yukio Edano. Weeks after assuming the presidency of the party, the 2024 general election was announced, with the CDP achieving its best result in party history, and the ruling LDP coalition being limited to a minority. After a rout in the 2026 general election, Noda resigned as co-president of the newly-formed Centrist Reform Alliance.
Izumi Kobayashi (Japanese: 小林 泉美, Hepburn: Kobayashi Izumi; born 25 March 1957) is a Japanese musician, record…
Izumi Kobayashi (Japanese: 小林 泉美, Hepburn: Kobayashi Izumi; born 25 March 1957) is a Japanese musician, record producer, and business executive. Originally working for a funk band at a US military base, she formed the band ASOCA and won the EastWest '76 Best Keyboardist award, and she performed as a keyboardist for other musicians and bands. Working for CBS/Sony, she released several solo albums, either with the Mimie-Chan Super Band and its later iteration Izumi Kobayashi & Flying Mimi Band or solely with her own name. She also worked as a composer for Japanese media, including "Lum's Love Song" (the theme song for the Urusei Yatsura anime), and hosted TV Tokyo late-night show Rock in Japan. She later moved to London in 1985 and worked as a record producer and industry executive in Europe, serving as president of Cisco Records London.
Shunzo Ohno (大野 俊三, Ōno Shunzō; born 22 March 1949) is a Japanese trumpeter, composer and arranger. In 1974 Ohno…
Shunzo Ohno (大野 俊三, Ōno Shunzō; born 22 March 1949) is a Japanese trumpeter, composer and arranger. In 1974 Ohno accepted Art Blakey's offer and went to the U.S. He made recordings in cooperation with famous musicians, and some of his songs sold very well. He played active parts as a member of MACHITÖ Y SUS AFROCUBANAS and became known in Europe and South America. In 1984, he won a Grammy Award for his album Machito and His Salsa Big Band. Four years later, he also won for Live at Sweet Basil. Ohno was a passenger in an automobile accident in 1988 severing his lip, concussion, and broke teeth. He had to take months to re establish his embouchure to play trumpet 3 months later he played on the Buster Williams 'Something More" album with Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, and Al Foster. In 2014, he won the Grand Prize in the International Songwritting Competition. The first Jazz artist to win the Grand Prize and became the first Japanese composer/musician to win the Grand Prize The song is one of his most well known compositions, "Musashi".
Shoji Ueda (Japanese: 上田正治; 1 January 1938 – 16 January 2025) was a Japanese cinematographer. He worked several times…
Shoji Ueda (Japanese: 上田正治; 1 January 1938 – 16 January 2025) was a Japanese cinematographer. He worked several times with filmmaker Akira Kurosawa. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography for his work in the film Ran (1985). Ueda died from a heart attack on 16 January 2025 in Yokohama, at the age of 87.
Shōichi Tanaka (Japanese: 田中昭一 Tanaka Shōichi; 1 January 1937 – 15 October 2025) was a Japanese politician. A member of…
Shōichi Tanaka (Japanese: 田中昭一 Tanaka Shōichi; 1 January 1937 – 15 October 2025) was a Japanese politician. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party, he served in the House of Representatives from 1996 to 2000. Tanaka died in Funabashi on 15 October 2025, at the age of 88.
Hideyuki Mizunuma (水沼秀幸, Mizunuma Hideyuki; born 28 June 1990) is a Japanese politician who served as a member of the…
Hideyuki Mizunuma (水沼秀幸, Mizunuma Hideyuki; born 28 June 1990) is a Japanese politician who served as a member of the House of Representatives from 2024 to 2026. He is the vice chairman of the Constitutional Democratic Party in Chiba Prefecture.
Kazuyuki Sogabe (曽我部 和恭 (formerly 曽我部 和行) Sogabe Kazuyuki, April 16, 1948 – September 17, 2006) was a Japanese actor…
Kazuyuki Sogabe (曽我部 和恭 (formerly 曽我部 和行) Sogabe Kazuyuki, April 16, 1948 – September 17, 2006) was a Japanese actor, voice actor, musician and narrator. During his life, he has been attached to Theatre Echo; he was attached to Aoni Production at the time of his death. He also served as guitarist of the band Slapstick, which he formed in 1977 with fellow voice actors Tōru Furuya and Toshio Furukawa. In December 2000, Sogabe retired from voice acting when he felt a weakness in his own voice. After his retirement, his ongoing roles were replaced by other voice actors. He died on September 17, 2006, from esophageal cancer, with which he had been diagnosed two months before. He was 58 years old.
Minori Matsushima (Japanese: 松島 みのり, Hepburn: Matsushima Minori; December 1, 1940 – April 8, 2022) was a Japanese…
Minori Matsushima (Japanese: 松島 みのり, Hepburn: Matsushima Minori; December 1, 1940 – April 8, 2022) was a Japanese actress, voice actress and narrator who was affiliated with Aoni Production. She was most known for her voice acting roles as Candice White Adley in Candy Candy, Hiyoko Isu in The Song of Tentomushi, Alexandria Meat in Kinnikuman, Sayaka Yumi in Mazinger Z, Hiroshi Ichikawa in Kaibutsu-kun, the titular character in Dororo, and Gyopi in Goldfish Warning!.
Takahiro Itō (伊藤隆大, Itō Takahiro; June 25, 1987 – March 8, 2009) was a Japanese actor and voice actor. He graduated…
Takahiro Itō (伊藤隆大, Itō Takahiro; June 25, 1987 – March 8, 2009) was a Japanese actor and voice actor. He graduated from the Chiba Prefectural Kōnodai High School and enrolled in the Career Design course of Hosei University. He was attached to Quarter Tone. He was the younger brother of actor Atsushi Itō. On March 8, 2009, Itō's body was discovered inside an automobile in a parking lot near Lake Sagami in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture, along with some yeontan (apparently used to commit suicide) and a note addressed to his family. The cause of death was determined to be acute carbon monoxide poisoning.
Akeno Watanabe (渡辺 明乃, Watanabe Akeno; born November 18, 1982) is a Japanese voice actress and narrator affiliated with…
Akeno Watanabe (渡辺 明乃, Watanabe Akeno; born November 18, 1982) is a Japanese voice actress and narrator affiliated with Office Osawa. Some of her notable voice roles include Robin Sena in Witch Hunter Robin, Chachamaru Karakuri in Negima! Magister Negi Magi, Halle Lidner in Death Note, Rito Yuki in To Love Ru, Liz Thompson in Soul Eater, Midnight in My Hero Academia, Hitch Dreyse in Attack on Titan, Gou Matsuoka in Free!, Hamsuke in Overlord, and Kneesocks in New Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt.
Kōhei Takiguchi (滝口 幸平, Takiguchi Kōhei; April 17, 1931 – August 29, 2011), better known by his stage name Junpei…
Kōhei Takiguchi (滝口 幸平, Takiguchi Kōhei; April 17, 1931 – August 29, 2011), better known by his stage name Junpei Takiguchi (滝口 順平, Takiguchi Jumpei), was a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator from Chiba Prefecture. Besides his narration roles in Burari Tochūgesha no Tabi and Pittankokan Kan and dubbing roles for various foreign films, he was also known for his anime voice acting roles in Time Bokan as Perasuke, Yatterman as Dokurobei, Mazinger Z as Count Brocken, Tekkaman: The Space Knight as Ranbos, Brave Raideen as Barao, Let's Go! Anpanman as Santa Claus, Lupin the Third Part 1 as Mr. X, Sonic the Hedgehog as Dr. Robotnik, D.Gray-man as Millennium Earl, and .hack//Roots as Phyllo.
Tamao Satō (さとう 珠緒, Satō Tamao; born 2 January 1973) is a Japanese actress, voice actress, television personality and…
Tamao Satō (さとう 珠緒, Satō Tamao; born 2 January 1973) is a Japanese actress, voice actress, television personality and model from Funabashi, Chiba, perhaps best known for her role as Momo Maruo in the 1995 Super Sentai series Chōriki Sentai Ohranger, as well as co-hosting O-Sama Brunch, a Tokyo Broadcasting System Saturday morning show. She is affiliated with Petite Smile talent agency.
Keiko Terada (寺田恵子, Terada Keiko; born 27 July 1963) is a Japanese rock singer. She was co-founder and lead singer of…
Keiko Terada (寺田恵子, Terada Keiko; born 27 July 1963) is a Japanese rock singer. She was co-founder and lead singer of the successful Japanese female hard rock and heavy metal band Show-Ya from 1982 to 1991, before going solo. On her solo albums she expanded from hard rock and heavy metal to blues, pop and soul. Terada's trademark for many years was a fake rose tattoo she wore above her right breast. She was inspired by Bette Midler's film The Rose, in which Midler played a Janis Joplin-like character. She maintained over the years a relevant presence in both Japanese TV and Radio, both alone and as member of other bands. She is now member of the reformed Show-Ya and of the special group Nishidera Minoru.
Kazuko Saito (Japanese: 斉藤 和子, Hepburn: Saitō Kazuko) is a member of the Japanese Communist Party serving in the House…
Kazuko Saito (Japanese: 斉藤 和子, Hepburn: Saitō Kazuko) is a member of the Japanese Communist Party serving in the House of Representatives as a representative of the Southern Kanto proportional representation block, a position she was elected to in 2014. She is against the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a proposal which she thinks will negatively affect farmers in Japan.
Rin Takanashi (高梨 臨, Takanashi Rin; born December 17, 1988) is a Japanese actress.
Azusa Yamamoto (山本 梓, Yamamoto Azusa) (born April 24, 1981) is a Japanese Gravure idol, actress, and talent. She was…
Azusa Yamamoto (山本 梓, Yamamoto Azusa) (born April 24, 1981) is a Japanese Gravure idol, actress, and talent. She was named as one of the "7 most irresistibly cute Japanese idols" by the Thailand version of FHM magazine in 2010. The magazine also dubbed her "the cutest villain ever" for her movie work in the "Hurricanger" series.
Mai Kuraki (倉木 麻衣, Kuraki Mai) (born October 28, 1982) is a Japanese pop and R&B singer. After releasing her US debut…
Mai Kuraki (倉木 麻衣, Kuraki Mai) (born October 28, 1982) is a Japanese pop and R&B singer. After releasing her US debut single "Baby I Like" in 1999, Kuraki signed with Giza Studio and released her Japanese debut single "Love, Day After Tomorrow" in 1999. In 2000, she released her debut album, Delicious Way, which debuted at number-one and sold over 2.2 million copies in its first week. The album has spawned four top-three singles, "Love, Day After Tomorrow", "Stay by My Side", "Secret of My Heart", and "Never Gonna Give You Up". Eventually, the album sold over 3.5 million copies nationwide and became the best-selling album in Japan of 2000, and has been the ninth best-selling album in Japan of all-time. Her second album, Perfect Crime (2001) debuted atop in Japan and has sold over 1.3 million copies nationwide. After the success in Japan, Kuraki targeted the American market again, with the English-language studio album Secret of My Heart (2002), however it failed to enter any charts in the United States. Her third Japanese album, Fairy Tale was released in 2002 and topped the Oricon albums chart. The album has spawned one number-one song, "Winter Bells". Her fourth album, If I Believe become her fourth consecutive number-one album in Japan. Her first compilation album, Wish You the Best (2004) sold nearly a million copies and became the seventh best-selling album of 2004 in Japan. Kuraki's succeeding albums, Fuse of Love (2005), Diamond Wave (2006), and One Life (2008) were released to less commercial success. In 2009, Kuraki saw a revival in her popularity with the increased television appearances and the promotion. Her eighth studio album, Touch Me!, debuted atop in Japan, becoming her first number-one album in five years. Her second compilation album, All My Best (2009) topped the chart in Japan, making her one of the two artists who sent two albums at the top spot on the chart in the year. Her next studio albums, Future Kiss (2010) and Over the Rainbow (2012) both reached top three in Japan. Her third compilation album, Mai Kuraki Best 151A: Love & Hope (2014) managed to peak at number two in Japan and became the ninety-fifth best-selling album in Japan of the year. Her eleventh studio album, Smile (2017) sold less than her previous albums, partly due to the lack of the promotion. Released in 2017, the single "Togetsukyo (Kimi Omou)" peaked at number two in Japan and became the best-selling single for a solo female artist in 2017. The single marked Kuraki's second revival in charts, succeeded by the compilation album, Mai Kuraki x Meitantei Conan Collaboration Best 21: Shinjitsu wa Itsumo Uta ni Aru! (2017), which peaked at number four in Japan and charted on the year-end album chart in 2017 and 2018. Her twelfth and thirteenth albums, Kimi Omou: Shunkashūtō (2018) and Let's Goal!: Barairo no Jinsei (2019) were both moderate success, reaching top three in Japan. Her fifth compilation album, Mai Kuraki Single Collection: Chance for You was released in 2019, in celebration of her 20th anniversary. In 2021, Kuraki released her fourteenth studio album Unconditional Love, which peaked at number four in Japan and spawned a number-one single "Zero kara Hajimete". Her first extended play Forever for You was released in 2024 to commercial success, reaching number three in Japan. Kuraki is best known for singing theme songs for the Japanese television anime series, Case Closed aka detective conan. As of October 2020, she has recorded twenty-three songs for the series and earning her a Guinness World Record for singing the most theme songs for the same television series. Kuraki also holds the record for being the only female artist to have all of her singles consecutively debut in the Top 10 since her debut in 1999, and is the 38th best-selling Japanese music artist of all time. To date, Kuraki has seven number-one albums (five originals and two compilations) and two number-one singles.