Masahiro Nakai (中居 正広, Nakai Masahiro; born August 18, 1972) is a Japanese former television personality, actor, radio…
Masahiro Nakai (中居 正広, Nakai Masahiro; born August 18, 1972) is a Japanese former television personality, actor, radio personality, and singer. He debuted as the leader of the boy band SMAP, which had been the best-selling boy band in Asia. While working as a member of a boy band, he worked extensively as a television presenter, hosting many of his own talk shows, variety shows, music shows, news programs, and several Olympic games as a sportscaster. He is credited for changing the Japanese entertainment industry, becoming the first non-comedian celebrity to have a career as a television host and expanding the capacity of a boy band. He is one of the wealthiest and highest-paid celebrities in Japan, identified as the highest tax payer in the Japanese entertainment industry by the Japanese National Tax Bureau in 2003. In December 2024 reports surfaced in Japanese tabloids that Nakai sexually assaulted a woman in her twenties in June 2023. Despite Nakai issuing an apology the following month, many of his TV and radio programs were suspended, cancelled, or removed Nakai as a presenter following the withdrawal of numerous sponsors. Nakai subsequently announced his retirement on January 23, 2025.
Famous People from Fujisawa, Kanagawa
Fujisawa, Kanagawa: 71 people
Hikaru Nishida (西田 ひかる, Nishida Hikaru; born August 16, 1972) is a Japanese pop singer and actress. She was born in…
Hikaru Nishida (西田 ひかる, Nishida Hikaru; born August 16, 1972) is a Japanese pop singer and actress. She was born in Fujisawa, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, and made her singing debut on April 6, 1988 with the release of the single "Fifteen", named after her age at the time. Nishida is affiliated with Manase Productions.
Asuka Kurosawa (黒沢あすか, Kurosawa Asuka; born 22 December 1971) is a Japanese actress and gravure model. She has appeared…
Asuka Kurosawa (黒沢あすか, Kurosawa Asuka; born 22 December 1971) is a Japanese actress and gravure model. She has appeared in more than 20 films since 1988.
Shunji Enomoto (榎本俊二, Enomoto Shunji; born 1968 in Kanagawa Prefecture) is a Japanese manga artist. Two of his lengthy…
Shunji Enomoto (榎本俊二, Enomoto Shunji; born 1968 in Kanagawa Prefecture) is a Japanese manga artist. Two of his lengthy manga serials, Golden Lucky and Enomoto: New Elements that Shake the World, ran in the magazine Weekly Morning from 1989 to 1996, and 1997 to 2003, respectively. His other published works include the graphic novel Hangyaku no Noroshi (Curse of the Traitor), Eiga de Nigirippi (Holding in Farts at the Movies) (which ran in the now-defunct Young Magazine Uppers), Enotic, The Family Zoo (with writer Chuya Chikazawa), Kajiba no Baka IQ, and The Kinks. His manga are known for their unusual visual rhythms and formal devices and for their obsessive and extreme scatological humor. Enomoto has a cult following in the United States among fans of alternative comics and manga. His works have been enthusiastically reviewed in The Comics Journal, which also published a short untitled comic by him in its Winter 2004 Special Edition. An English language scanlation has been made of The Family Zoo. Works by Enomoto have also been published in Spanish and Italian translations. Enomoto is a graduate of Yokohama's Japan Film School. Enomoto's The Kinks won the 29th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in 2025 in the Best Short Work category.
Shoko Yoshimura (吉村 祥子, Yoshimura Shoko; born 14 October 1968) is a retired Japanese Wrestler. She competed in 10 World…
Shoko Yoshimura (吉村 祥子, Yoshimura Shoko; born 14 October 1968) is a retired Japanese Wrestler. She competed in 10 World Wrestling Championships and won 9 medals, including 5 gold medals.
Masami Kageyama (影山 正美, Kageyama Masami; born May 2, 1967) is a Japanese racing driver from Kanagawa Prefecture. His…
Masami Kageyama (影山 正美, Kageyama Masami; born May 2, 1967) is a Japanese racing driver from Kanagawa Prefecture. His older brother is Masahiko Kageyama who was also a successful racing driver in similar categories.
Naoko Terai (Japanese: 寺井 尚子, Terai Naoko; born May 1, 1967) is a Japanese jazz violinist. Her work mainly extends into…
Naoko Terai (Japanese: 寺井 尚子, Terai Naoko; born May 1, 1967) is a Japanese jazz violinist. Her work mainly extends into jazz fusion, popular music, tango, and light classical pieces. Naoko Terai was born in Fujisawa City and began studying violin at the age of four but was unable to pursue classical music due to Tendonitis. After being inspired by the work of Bill Evans, began working professionally as a jazz musician in the 1980s, where she was known for performing with Shigeharu Mukai and Mal Waldron. In 1995, she played violin on Kenny Barron's album Things Unseen and formed her own quartet three years later; touring with Lee Ritenour in 2000 and working with Richard Galliano in 2001.
Hiroshi Hirakawa (平川 弘, Hirakawa Hiroshi; born January 10, 1965) is a former Japanese football player. He played for…
Hiroshi Hirakawa (平川 弘, Hirakawa Hiroshi; born January 10, 1965) is a former Japanese football player. He played for the Japan national team.
Masahiro Shimizu (清水 雅広, Shimizu Masahiro; born November 22, 1964) is a Japanese former professional Grand Prix…
Masahiro Shimizu (清水 雅広, Shimizu Masahiro; born November 22, 1964) is a Japanese former professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. Originally from Fujisawa, Kanagawa Prefecture, Shimizu won the 1987 250cc All Japan Road Race Championship. He began his Grand Prix career with a win in 1987. His best season was in 1991, when he finished fifth in the 250cc world championship, riding on a Honda.
Tsuyoshi Hoshino (星野剛士, Hoshino Tsuyoshi; born 8 August 1963) is a Japanese politician serving as a member of the House…
Tsuyoshi Hoshino (星野剛士, Hoshino Tsuyoshi; born 8 August 1963) is a Japanese politician serving as a member of the House of Representatives since 2012. From 1995 to 2007, he was a member of the Kanagawa Prefectural Assembly.
Masahiko Kageyama (影山 正彦, Kageyama Masahiko; born August 8, 1963 in Kanagawa Prefecture) is a former racing driver from…
Masahiko Kageyama (影山 正彦, Kageyama Masahiko; born August 8, 1963 in Kanagawa Prefecture) is a former racing driver from Japan. He participated in the Japanese Grand Touring Car series in the top category between 1993 and 2002. Kageyama won the inaugural Japanese Grand Touring Car championship, in the Nismo Nissan Skyline GT-R R32, before winning the next two championships. Kageyama also won the All-Japan Formula Three Championship in 1989, and the Japanese Touring Car Championship in 1993. Along with Nissan Motorsports teammates Aguri Suzuki and Kazuyoshi Hoshino, Kageyama drove a Nissan R390 GT1 to a third-place finish at the 1998 24 Hours of Le Mans. Kageyama is the CEO of M-Proto Inc., a supplier of brake pads, based in Fujisawa, Kanagawa. His younger brother is Masami Kageyama, who also competed in JGTC and at Le Mans.
Chihiro Minato (港 千尋, Minato Chihiro; born 1960) is a Japanese photographer, filmmaker, arts curator and art theorist.…
Chihiro Minato (港 千尋, Minato Chihiro; born 1960) is a Japanese photographer, filmmaker, arts curator and art theorist. He is also Professor at the Tama Art University since 1995. In 2000, Minato served as curator of the arts exhibition Serendipity: Photography, Video, Experimental Film and Multimedia Installation from Asia. Among his other major curatorial works is the Japanese Pavilion at the Venezia Biennale (Venice, Italy) in 2007.
Akira Ojima (born September 1, 1958) is a Japanese jurist who has served as an associate Justice of the Supreme Court…
Akira Ojima (born September 1, 1958) is a Japanese jurist who has served as an associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Japan since 2022.
Ikuzo Sakurai (桜井 郁三, Sakurai Ikuzō; 10 April 1944 – 10 February 2013) was a Japanese politician of the Liberal…
Ikuzo Sakurai (桜井 郁三, Sakurai Ikuzō; 10 April 1944 – 10 February 2013) was a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, who served as a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Fujisawa, Kanagawa and graduate of Nihon University, he was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 1996 after serving in the city assembly of Fujisawa for four terms. He lost his seat in 2000 but was re-elected three years later.
Kazuhiko Masumoto (Japanese: 増本 一彦 Masumoto Kazuhiko; 9 May 1936 – 6 February 2022) was a Japanese politician of the…
Kazuhiko Masumoto (Japanese: 増本 一彦 Masumoto Kazuhiko; 9 May 1936 – 6 February 2022) was a Japanese politician of the Japanese Communist Party who served in the House of Representatives from 1972 to 1976, before dying of bile duct cancer at age 85.
Akira Hatano (秦野 章, Hatano Akira; 10 October 1911 – 6 November 2002) was Japanese politician who served as a Minister…
Akira Hatano (秦野 章, Hatano Akira; 10 October 1911 – 6 November 2002) was Japanese politician who served as a Minister of Justice from 1982 to 1983, under Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone. He served in the House of Councillors from 1974 to 1986. Hatano was born in Fujisawa, Kanagawa. Before entering politics he was a police officer, serving as superintendent general of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department from 1967 to 1970. Hatano ran for Governor of Tokyo in 1971, but he was defeated by incumbent Governor Ryokichi Minobe. Hatano was known to be a friend of Kakuei Tanaka.
Tsune Nakazato (Japanese: 中里 恒, Hepburn: Nakazato Tsune; 23 December 1909 – 5 April 1987), better known by her pen name…
Tsune Nakazato (Japanese: 中里 恒, Hepburn: Nakazato Tsune; 23 December 1909 – 5 April 1987), better known by her pen name Tsuneko Nakazato (中里 恒子, Nakazato Tsuneko), was a Japanese novelist active during the Shōwa period.
Shinjiro Yamamoto (山本信次郎; 22 December 1877 – 28 February 1942) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy. He is…
Shinjiro Yamamoto (山本信次郎; 22 December 1877 – 28 February 1942) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy. He is known for being one of the highest ranking Catholic officials in the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces, and for his missionary work in the Japanese-controlled South Seas Mandate, now Palau, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Marshall Islands. He was also made a Knight of Malta in 1936.
Fubuki Kuno (久野 吹雪, Kuno Fubuki; born December 27, 1989) is a Japanese footballer who plays as a goalkeeper. She plays…
Fubuki Kuno (久野 吹雪, Kuno Fubuki; born December 27, 1989) is a Japanese footballer who plays as a goalkeeper. She plays for Albirex Niigata Ladies and has also played for Japan national team.
Keiji Ohsawa (大沢 啓二, Ohsawa Keiji; born March 14, 1932 – October 7, 2010) was a Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball…
Keiji Ohsawa (大沢 啓二, Ohsawa Keiji; born March 14, 1932 – October 7, 2010) was a Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball outfielder. He played for the Nankai Hawks and Tokyo Orions. He later managed the Lotte Orions and Nippon-Ham Fighters.
Mio Matsumura (松村 未央, Matsumura Mio; born 29 June 1986) is a Japanese female announcer for Fuji Television.