Takayuki Kinoshita (木下 隆之, Kinoshita Takayuki) is a Japanese racing car driver, author, and automotive journalist.…
Takayuki Kinoshita (木下 隆之, Kinoshita Takayuki) is a Japanese racing car driver, author, and automotive journalist. Kinoshita is affiliated with Toyota Motorsport's GAZOO Racing arm, with whom he scored SP8 class wins in the 2010, 2012, and 2014 24 Hours Nürburgring driving the Lexus LFA. He also won A8 class in the 2004 24 Hours Nürburgring driving a Nissan Skyline GT-R (R34) for Falken Motorsports. Among Japanese drivers, Kinoshita has raced the most times in the 24 Hours Nürburgring. He has also raced in All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship, Japanese Touring Car Championship, Japanese Formula Three, and Super Taikyu N1 Endurance Series. Kinoshita is a member of the Automotive Journalists Association of Japan and is on the selection committee for Car of the Year Japan. He was also a presenter on the Japanese Best Motoring TV series.
Famous Japanese People: Racing Driver
Racing Driver: 124 people
Tetsuya Ota (太田 哲也, Ōta Tetsuya; born 6 November 1959) is a retired racing driver from Maebashi in the Gunma…
Tetsuya Ota (太田 哲也, Ōta Tetsuya; born 6 November 1959) is a retired racing driver from Maebashi in the Gunma Prefecture, Japan. He survived a fiery multi-car pileup he was involved in during a JGTC race at Fuji Speedway on May 3, 1998, caused by a safety car which was driven at twice the recommended speed in torrential rain during a parade lap. Ota was seriously injured and, as a result, he brought a lawsuit against the race organizers.
Akihiko Nakaya (中谷明彦, Nakaya Akihiko; born November 3, 1957) is a successful racing driver in the Japanese Touring Car…
Akihiko Nakaya (中谷明彦, Nakaya Akihiko; born November 3, 1957) is a successful racing driver in the Japanese Touring Car Championship and F3000, as well as regular presenter on the Japanese motoring show Best Motoring. Nakaya offered a distinctively analytical approach to reviewing cars on the show, providing detailed analyses of various vehicle components and explaining certain driving styles that were best suited to their characteristics. He was a regular driver of Mitsubishi Lancer Evolutions during Best Motoring races involving the I, II, III, IV, V, VI (including the Tommi Makinen Edition), VII, and VIII of the car, often recording lap times significantly quicker than other drivers of the same vehicle. Nakaya's name was applied to a special preface-build of the Mitsubishi FTO, the Nakaya-Tune FTO, which appeared in 1997. Nakaya was considered for a Formula One ride with Brabham in 1992, but the FIA would not grant him a superlicense on the grounds that Japanese F3000 (today the Super Formula Championship) was, at the time, not considered a stepping stone to F1. The ride eventually went to Giovanna Amati, who was more known for her gender than talent and was replaced three races into the season by future World Champion Damon Hill.
Akira Hagiwara (萩原 光, Hagiwara Akira; 21 July 1956 – 7 April 1986) was a Japanese racing driver.
Hitoshi Ogawa (小河等, Ogawa Hitoshi; February 15, 1956 – May 24, 1992) was a Japanese racing car driver. He is the father…
Hitoshi Ogawa (小河等, Ogawa Hitoshi; February 15, 1956 – May 24, 1992) was a Japanese racing car driver. He is the father of Ryo Ogawa, the 2015 Japanese Formula 3 champion.
Keiichi Tsuchiya (土屋圭市, Tsuchiya Keiichi; born January 30, 1956) is a Japanese professional race car driver. He is…
Keiichi Tsuchiya (土屋圭市, Tsuchiya Keiichi; born January 30, 1956) is a Japanese professional race car driver. He is known as the Drift King (ドリキン, Dorikin) for his nontraditional use of drifting in non-drifting racing events and his role in popularizing drifting as a motorsport. In professional racing, he is a two-time 24 Hours of Le Mans class winner and the 2001 All Japan GT Championship runner-up. He is also known for tōge driving. The car Tsuchiya drives, a Toyota AE86 Sprinter Trueno, has become one of the most popular sports cars; the car is also known as "Hachi-Roku" in Japan (hachi-roku meaning "eight-six"); his car is also called "The Little Hachi that could." A 2-part video known as 'The Touge' produced by Pluspy (styled as +P) documents Tsuchiya's touge driving with his AE86. Tsuchiya was a consultant for the popular manga and anime series, Initial D, in which he makes several cameos. He also served as a stunt coordinator and stuntman on The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, where he also made a cameo appearance.
Hideo Fukuyama (福山 英朗, Hideo Fukuyama; born August 13, 1955) is a Japanese former racing driver. A former competitor at…
Hideo Fukuyama (福山 英朗, Hideo Fukuyama; born August 13, 1955) is a Japanese former racing driver. A former competitor at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, he attempted to compete in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series in the early 2000s, but only qualified for four races before leaving the series. He was the first Japanese driver to compete in NASCAR's top series. Fukuyama won the JGTC/Super GT title on three occasions, in 1992, 1997 and 2000, as well as the 2000 24 Hours of Le Mans in the GT3 class alongside Atsushi Yogo and Bruno Lambert.
Hideshi Matsuda (松田 秀士, Matsuda Hideshi; born 22 December 1954) is a Japanese car racer and TV reporter. He is the…
Hideshi Matsuda (松田 秀士, Matsuda Hideshi; born 22 December 1954) is a Japanese car racer and TV reporter. He is the brother-in-law of Beat Takeshi.
Osamu Nakako (中子修, Nakako Osamu; born August 20, 1954) is a Japanese former professional racing driver. He is a…
Osamu Nakako (中子修, Nakako Osamu; born August 20, 1954) is a Japanese former professional racing driver. He is a five-time champion of the Japanese Touring Car Championship, having won titles in 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992 and 1997. The first four of these titles came in the sub-1,600 cc division of the Group A era and the final one during the Super Touring era, on all occasions driving Honda cars for Mugen. He was also a race winner for Honda and Mugen in the GT500 class of the All-Japan GT Championship and the Suzuka 1000km, and contributed to their first titles in the series in 2000.
Tomiko Yoshikawa (吉川とみ子, Yoshikawa Tomiko; born 10 May 1954) is a Japanese racing driver who competed in junior…
Tomiko Yoshikawa (吉川とみ子, Yoshikawa Tomiko; born 10 May 1954) is a Japanese racing driver who competed in junior open-wheel racing and sports car categories. She entered the 24 Hours of Le Mans four times, the 24 Hours of Daytona once and also raced in her native Japan in such series as the All-Japan Formula Three Championship and the Fuji Grand Champion Series. In 1991 she was part of the first all-female LeMans driving team, driving with Lyn St. James and Desiré Wilson.
Kazuo Shimizu (Shinjitai: 清水 和夫, born 11 February 1954, in Tokyo) is a Japanese racing driver. Shimizu was also active…
Kazuo Shimizu (Shinjitai: 清水 和夫, born 11 February 1954, in Tokyo) is a Japanese racing driver. Shimizu was also active as a rally driver and later as a touring car racer. He won second place in the 1992 All Japan Touring Car Championship. His teammate at this time was Tom Kristensen. Since 1994, he has participated in the JTCC from the privateer team. He participated in Japanese races, and in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 12 Hours of Sebring. He is currently an international motoring journalist.
Satoru Nakajima (Japanese: 中嶋 悟, Hepburn: Nakajima Satoru; born 23 February 1953) is a Japanese former racing driver…
Satoru Nakajima (Japanese: 中嶋 悟, Hepburn: Nakajima Satoru; born 23 February 1953) is a Japanese former racing driver and motorsport executive, who competed in Formula One from 1987 to 1991. Born and raised in Okazaki, Aichi, Nakajima began his racing career at the Suzuka Circuit in 1973. He progressed to Japanese Formula Two in 1977, winning a then-record five titles between 1981 and 1986, with 21 victories across 10 seasons. After several appearances in sportscar racing via the World Sportscar Championship and the All Japan Endurance Championship—as well as a season in International Formula 3000—Nakajima signed for Lotus in 1987 to partner Ayrton Senna, becoming the first Japanese driver to compete full-time in Formula One at the Brazilian Grand Prix. He scored his maiden points finish at the following round in San Marino, and achieved a career-best fourth place at the British Grand Prix. Across his remaining two seasons at Lotus, Nakajima scored points finishes at the 1988 Brazilian and 1989 Australian Grands Prix, setting the fastest lap and finishing fourth at the latter. Nakajima moved to Tyrrell in 1990, scoring points finishes in the United States, Italy and his home Grand Prix in Japan. Retaining his seat for his 1991 campaign at Tyrrell under Honda power, Nakajima scored his final points at the season-opening United States Grand Prix, leaving at the end of the season to join Honda's works team project. Nakajima tested the RC100 and related models until 1994, when Honda pulled out of Formula One following the Japanese asset price bubble. Upon retiring from motor racing, Nakajima focused on his Nakajima Racing team, which he had founded in 1984 to privately enter March chassis into the Japanese Formula Two Championship, winning three consecutive titles until 1986. Nakajima won four Formula Nippon Teams' Championship titles between 1999 and 2009, still competing in the newly-formed Super Formula Championship, as well as the Super GT Series. Nakajima's sons Kazuki and Daisuke both became racing drivers, the former also competing in Formula One for Williams from 2007 to 2009.
Kazuo Mogi (茂木 和男, Mogi Kazuo; born 2 February 1953) is a retired Japanese racing driver.
Nobuhiro "Monster" Tajima (Shinjitai: 田嶋 伸博, Tajima Nobuhiro; born Suginami, Tokyo, June 28, 1950; Japanese nickname…
Nobuhiro "Monster" Tajima (Shinjitai: 田嶋 伸博, Tajima Nobuhiro; born Suginami, Tokyo, June 28, 1950; Japanese nickname モンスター田嶋 Monsuta Tajima) is a Japanese hillclimb racer, tuning shop owner, rally team manager and former rally driver who is best known for his participation in Suzuki's rallying program as well as his triumphs at the Pikes Peak International Hillclimb in USA and Silverstone Race to the Sky in NZ (which he won eight times out of eleven events).
Masanori Sekiya (関谷 正徳, Sekiya Masanori; born 27 November 1949) is a Japanese former racing driver, most famous for…
Masanori Sekiya (関谷 正徳, Sekiya Masanori; born 27 November 1949) is a Japanese former racing driver, most famous for being the first Japanese driver to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans, in 1995. Sekiya drove in single-seaters in his early career, contesting the Japanese Formula 3000 Championship and Formula Nippon from 1987 to 1993, mostly for the Leyton House team. He never achieved any victories, but finished fourth in the standings in 1988 and 1989, scoring three and four podiums, respectively. A long-time works Toyota driver, Sekiya drove in the All Japan Sports Prototype Championship, All Japan Grand Touring Championship and Japanese Touring Car Championship, a series which he won in 1994, driving a Toyota Chaser for the Tom's team. He was also runner-up the following year. As Sekiya is rather fond of Le Mans, in 1987, he got married in the town prior to the race. His best result in international sports car racing was winning the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans, at the wheel of a McLaren F1 GTR for Kokusai Kaihatsu Racing. He became the first Japanese-born driver to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He was also fourth in the 1993 edition. He competed in the JGTC until the 2000 season and now works as team manager for the Super GT division of the Toyota Team TOM'S and also runs a racing school at Fuji Speedway. In 1998, Sekiya also appeared in a TV commercial in Japan driving a JZA80 Supra promoting its handling package. Sekiya retired from professional motorsports in October 2000 and is now involved in team management.
Hiroshi Kazato (風戸 裕, Kazato Hiroshi; born March 13, 1949, Chiba Prefecture, Japan; died June 2, 1974) was a Japanese…
Hiroshi Kazato (風戸 裕, Kazato Hiroshi; born March 13, 1949, Chiba Prefecture, Japan; died June 2, 1974) was a Japanese racecar driver. Kazato started his career at the age of 19. He took part in the 1971 Can-Am season, finishing 10th in the championship driving a Lola T222-Chevrolet. He participated at Formula Two European seasons 1972 and 1973, scoring seven championship points. He graduated from Seikei University in 1973. Kazato died at 25 years old at Fuji Speedway, during a Fuji Grand Champion series race after colliding with Seiichi Suzuki on the banking, resulting in the circuit being modified to eliminate the 30-degree banking, establishing the modern configuration with the hairpin that bypasses the banking.
Kazuyoshi Hoshino (Shinjitai: 星野 一義, Hoshino Kazuyoshi; born 1 July 1947) is a Japanese former racing driver and…
Kazuyoshi Hoshino (Shinjitai: 星野 一義, Hoshino Kazuyoshi; born 1 July 1947) is a Japanese former racing driver and businessman.
Hiroshi Fushida (鮒子田 寛; , born 10 March 1946) is a Japanese former racing driver. He is the first Japanese driver to…
Hiroshi Fushida (鮒子田 寛; , born 10 March 1946) is a Japanese former racing driver. He is the first Japanese driver to enter a Formula One World Championship Grand Prix, and the first to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race.
Masahiro Hasemi (Shinjitai: 長谷見 昌弘, Hasemi Masahiro; born 13 November 1945) is a former racing driver and team owner…
Masahiro Hasemi (Shinjitai: 長谷見 昌弘, Hasemi Masahiro; born 13 November 1945) is a former racing driver and team owner from Japan. He started racing motocross when he was 15 years old. In 1964 he signed to drive for Nissan. After establishing himself in saloon car and GT races in Japan, he notably entered two rounds of the 1973 British Saloon Car Championship. He took part in his only Formula One race at the 1976 Japanese Grand Prix for Kojima on 24 October 1976. He qualified tenth after an error which cost him his chance of a pole position and finished 11th, seven laps behind the winner. Contrary to a widely propagated but mistaken result, however, he never set a fastest lap in a Formula One championship race.1 Along with compatriots Noritake Takahara and Kazuyoshi Hoshino, he was the first Japanese driver to start a Formula One Grand Prix. Hasemi became the Japanese Formula 2 champion in 1980, and got two titles in the Fuji Grand Champion Series in 1974 and 1980. After that he reverted to racing Skylines, which he became heavily synonymous with in Group 5, touring cars and JGTC. He won the Japanese Touring Car Championship in 1989, 1991 and 1992. He also won the All Japan Sports Prototype Championship in 1990, with the controversial win at the Guia Touring Car race at the Macau Grand Prix in 1990 and Daytona 24 hour in 1992. Hasemi retired from driving in 2001 and now runs NDDP Racing, a Super GT team that currently competes in the GT500 class. Hasemi also owns Hasemi Sport, a former Super GT racing team that ran under the Hasemi Motorsport banner and Nissan aftermarket parts company. Hasemi is the most recent Japanese driver to win his home Grand Prix, winning it in 1975, when it was a non-championship race.
Isamu Kasuya (粕谷勇, Kasuya Isamu) is a Japanese former professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. Kasuya began his…
Isamu Kasuya (粕谷勇, Kasuya Isamu) is a Japanese former professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. Kasuya began his Grand Prix career in 1963. He had his best season in 1964 when he finished the season in seventh place in the 250cc world championship, and eighth place in the 350cc world championship.
Yoshimasa Sugawara (菅原 義正, Sugawara Yoshimasa; born 31 May 1941) is a retired Japanese rally driver, having been on the…
Yoshimasa Sugawara (菅原 義正, Sugawara Yoshimasa; born 31 May 1941) is a retired Japanese rally driver, having been on the podium seven times at the Dakar Rally in the trucks category. He has competed in 36 Dakar Rally competitions as of the 2019 edition, which he participated in at the age of 77. In 2017 he was mentioned in Guinness World Records for racing the most consecutive Dakar Rallies. His entry has since been updated to reflect his current record of 36.
Motoharu Kurosawa (黒澤元治, Kurosawa Motoharu; born 6 August 1940), nicknamed "Gan-san", is a retired professional…
Motoharu Kurosawa (黒澤元治, Kurosawa Motoharu; born 6 August 1940), nicknamed "Gan-san", is a retired professional Japanese racing driver. He is the patriarch of a racing family; his three sons, Takuya, Haruki, and Tsubasa, are all racing drivers.
Kunimitsu Takahashi (Shinjitai: 高橋 国光, Takahashi Kunimitsu; 29 January 1940 – 16 March 2022) was a Japanese…
Kunimitsu Takahashi (Shinjitai: 高橋 国光, Takahashi Kunimitsu; 29 January 1940 – 16 March 2022) was a Japanese professional motorcycle road racer, racing driver, and team manager. Nicknamed "Kuni-san", he is known as the "father of drifting". Takahashi's racing career lasted from 1958 to 1999. He competed on motorcycles between 1958 and 1963, during which he became the first Japanese rider to win a World Grand Prix, taking four world-level wins in total. Injuries sustained in a crash in 1962 led to him switching to four-wheels in 1965, after which he won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in class, become a four-time All-Japan Sports Prototype Champion, and won in Japanese Top Formula, JTC, and JGTC. His final victory as a driver came in 1999 at the age of 59. Takahashi's racing team, Team Kunimitsu, has won multiple championships in Super GT. He was the chairman of the GT Association, the organizers of the Super GT series, from 1993 to 2007.
Juju Noda (Japanese: 野田 樹潤, Hepburn: Noda Juju; born 2 February 2006), also known mononymously as "Juju", is a Japanese…
Juju Noda (Japanese: 野田 樹潤, Hepburn: Noda Juju; born 2 February 2006), also known mononymously as "Juju", is a Japanese racing driver who is competing in the 2025 Super Formula Championship with Triple Tree Racing. She has previously competed in the W Series, and Euroformula Open. She is the daughter of former Formula 1 driver Hideki Noda.