Yoshinori Kitase (北瀬 佳範, Kitase Yoshinori; born September 23, 1966) is a Japanese company director, video game producer…
Yoshinori Kitase (北瀬 佳範, Kitase Yoshinori; born September 23, 1966) is a Japanese company director, video game producer and former game director working for Square Enix. He is known for directing Final Fantasy VI, Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII and Final Fantasy X, and for producing the Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy VII Remake series. Kitase currently serves as a member of the board of directors at both Square Enix Co, Ltd and Square Enix Holdings as well as the executive officer of Square Enix's Creative Studios 1 and 2 as well as the studio head for the latter. He has also served as the Final Fantasy series brand manager since 2021. He was the head of Square Enix's Creative Business Unit 1 as well as Business Division 1 during their entire respective existences as well as a Corporate Executive. He was also part of the Final Fantasy Committee that was tasked with keeping the franchise's releases and content consistent.
Famous Japanese People: Producer
Producer: 274 people
Yoshifumi Ushima (Japanese: 鵜島仁文; 9 September 1966 - 7 August 2022) was a Japanese singer-songwriter, composer…
Yoshifumi Ushima (Japanese: 鵜島仁文; 9 September 1966 - 7 August 2022) was a Japanese singer-songwriter, composer, guitarist, arranger and music producer.
Yoshiharu Abe (阿部 義晴, Abe Yoshiharu; born 30 July 1966 in Yamagata) is a Japanese popular music artist and producer.…
Yoshiharu Abe (阿部 義晴, Abe Yoshiharu; born 30 July 1966 in Yamagata) is a Japanese popular music artist and producer. His 1992 single "+ OR -" hit the Billboard charts in Japan at number 5 in October 1992. After Unicorn dissolved in 1994, he started his solo career.
Shikao Suga (スガ シカオ, Suga Shikao; born July 28, 1966) is a Japanese musician and singer-songwriter from Tokyo known for…
Shikao Suga (スガ シカオ, Suga Shikao; born July 28, 1966) is a Japanese musician and singer-songwriter from Tokyo known for writing the theme songs for several anime, movies and commercial ads. His name in kanji is 菅 止戈男, but he uses katakana as his professional name.
Minami Ichikawa (市川 南, Ichikawa Minami; born July 22, 1966) is a Japanese businessman and film producer. An executive…
Minami Ichikawa (市川 南, Ichikawa Minami; born July 22, 1966) is a Japanese businessman and film producer. An executive officer at Toho Co., Ltd., Ichikawa is the head of their Motion Picture Group, the Chairman of Toho Cinemas, the director of Toho-Towa and the former President of Toho Pictures.
Jun Sasaki (佐々木 潤, Sasaki Jun; born July 7, 1966) is a Japanese singer-songwriter and record producer. He is best known…
Jun Sasaki (佐々木 潤, Sasaki Jun; born July 7, 1966) is a Japanese singer-songwriter and record producer. He is best known for his work as a record producer for acts including Misia, Chara, and Yuki Koyanagi. Sasaki also works as a photographer under the alias of Yajimax. In 2005, Sasaki married musician and actress Kaori Hifumi.
Kohmi Hirose (広瀬 香美, Hirose Kōmi; born April 12, 1966) is a Japanese pop singer and songwriter. Since the release of…
Kohmi Hirose (広瀬 香美, Hirose Kōmi; born April 12, 1966) is a Japanese pop singer and songwriter. Since the release of her million-selling single "Romance no Kamisama" in 1993, Hirose has recorded music for winter-sporting goods company Alpen's advertising campaigns. This has prompted the Japanese public to bestow upon her the nickname of "Winter Queen" (冬の女王, Fuyu no Joō).
Masami Okui (奥井 雅美, Okui Masami; born March 13, 1966) is a Japanese singer and songwriter from Itami, Hyōgo. She began…
Masami Okui (奥井 雅美, Okui Masami; born March 13, 1966) is a Japanese singer and songwriter from Itami, Hyōgo. She began her professional musical career at age 21 as a concert backup singer. From almost the very beginning of her career, Masami has sung themes for anime television and movies. She is especially well known for her songs from Revolutionary Girl Utena, Tales of Eternia The Animation, Slayers, Sorcerer Hunters, Di Gi Charat, Magical DoReMi, Magic User's Club, Jungle de Ikou!, Akihabara Dennou Gumi, Ray the Animation, He Is My Master and Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters. She has performed material for more than 50 singles and 20 albums to date (including her work with JAM Project and Chihiro Yonekura). Okui hosts @Tunes, an anime music news program, on the Japanese anime television network Animax.
Takamasa Sakurai (櫻井 孝昌, Sakurai Takamasa; December 19, 1965 – December 4, 2015) was a Japanese pop culture and anime…
Takamasa Sakurai (櫻井 孝昌, Sakurai Takamasa; December 19, 1965 – December 4, 2015) was a Japanese pop culture and anime expert. Sakurai was a strong proponent for the promotion of Japanese popular culture internationally as a means of cultural exchange and cultural diplomacy. His projects promoted Japanese anime, fashion and music to a global audience. In 2009, Sakurai co-founded the Ministry of Foreign Affairs's "Kawaii Ambassador" program. He also authored several books on the country's aesthetics and pop culture, including "Sekai Kawaii Kakumei" ("World Cuteness Revolution") and Anime Bunka Gaiko (Anime Cultural Diplomacy). On December 4, 2015, Sakurai was killed when he fell onto the tracks at the Nishi-Nippori Station of the Keihin-Tōhoku Line in Arakawa, Tokyo, around 12:30 a.m. Sakurai, who was 49-years old, may have been intoxicated at the time of the accident. He had lived in the nearby Higashi-Nippon neighborhood of Tokyo.
Masazumi Ozawa (小澤 正澄, Ozawa Masazumi) is a Japanese composer, arranger and guitarist from agency Being Inc.
Yoshiki Hayashi (Japanese: 林 佳樹, Hepburn: Hayashi Yoshiki; born November 20, 1965), known mononymously as Yoshiki, is a…
Yoshiki Hayashi (Japanese: 林 佳樹, Hepburn: Hayashi Yoshiki; born November 20, 1965), known mononymously as Yoshiki, is a Japanese musician, songwriter, composer, record producer, film director, and fashion designer. He is best known as the leader of the visual kei rock bands X Japan and the Last Rockstars, for which he is the drummer, pianist, and main songwriter. He has been described by Billboard as a "musical innovator" and named "one of the most influential composers in Japanese history" by Consequence. Time labeled Yoshiki as "an absolute force" and "one of Japan's most celebrated musicians". Yoshiki's solo career includes several classical studio albums and collaborations with artists such as George Martin, Bono, will.i.am, St. Vincent, the Chainsmokers, Skrillex, Ellie Goulding, Stan Lee, Roger Taylor and Brian May of Queen, Gene Simmons and Kiss, Nicole Scherzinger, Sarah Brightman, Jonas Brothers, Jonathan Davis of Korn, Diana Ross, and Josh Groban. In 1999, at the request of the Japanese Imperial family, he composed and performed a classical song at a celebration in honor of the tenth anniversary of Emperor Akihito's enthronement. Yoshiki also composed the theme for the 69th Golden Globe Awards as well as for several anime and film soundtracks including Attack on Titan and Saw IV. In 2023, he made his directorial debut with the feature documentary film Yoshiki: Under the Sky. In 2018, readers and professional musicians voted Yoshiki the best drummer and the best keyboardist in the history of hard rock and heavy metal in We Rock magazine's "Metal General Election". In 2023, he was selected as the first Japanese artist to be honored with a hand and footprint ceremony at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood in nearly 100 years. In 2024, Variety selected Yoshiki as the International Achievement in Music honoree. Time named Yoshiki one of the most influential people of 2025 in their Time 100 list.
Kenji Ueda (上田ケンジ Ueda Kenji, nickname ウエケン UEKEN) is a Japanese rock musician and producer. He is known for his solo…
Kenji Ueda (上田ケンジ Ueda Kenji, nickname ウエケン UEKEN) is a Japanese rock musician and producer. He is known for his solo work, as well as his work with Kenzi & the Trips and the Pillows.
Yuki Kajiura (梶浦 由記, Kajiura Yuki; born August 6, 1965) is a Japanese composer, arranger and music producer. She has…
Yuki Kajiura (梶浦 由記, Kajiura Yuki; born August 6, 1965) is a Japanese composer, arranger and music producer. She has provided the music for several popular anime series, such as Sword Art Online, Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Fate/Zero, The Garden of Sinners, Pandora Hearts, and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. As a composer, Kajiura is known for her musical motifs and leitmotifs, as well as for her fusion of contemporary classical music and electronic music.
Tetsuya Mizuguchi (水口 哲也, Mizuguchi Tetsuya; born May 22, 1965) is a Japanese video game designer, producer, and…
Tetsuya Mizuguchi (水口 哲也, Mizuguchi Tetsuya; born May 22, 1965) is a Japanese video game designer, producer, and businessman. Along with ex-Sega developers he is one of the co-founders of the video game development firm Q Entertainment. He formerly worked for Sega as a producer in their Sega AM3 'arcade machines' team, developing games like Sega Rally Championship and Sega Touring Car Championship, before moving on to become the head of Sega's United Game Artists division, the team responsible for Rez and Space Channel 5. Mizuguchi is better known for creating video games that incorporate interactive synesthesia into his game design, regardless of genre, evidenced by Rez, Lumines, Child of Eden, and Tetris Effect. He left Q Entertainment in 2013. He is currently the CEO of Enhance, Inc., a company he founded in 2014. In 2009, he was chosen by IGN as one of the top 100 game creators of all time.
Tamio Okuda (奥田 民生, Okuda Tamio; born 12 May 1965) is a Japanese singer, songwriter, and producer. He started his…
Tamio Okuda (奥田 民生, Okuda Tamio; born 12 May 1965) is a Japanese singer, songwriter, and producer. He started his career in 1986 as a member of the band Unicorn. After Unicorn broke up, Okuda moved on to a solo career in 1994 with the single "Ai no Tame ni". He has written and composed many songs for various artists, particularly Puffy. He is signed to Sony Music Japan. He was ranked number 25 in a list of Japan's top 100 musicians, provided by HMV Japan in 2003. His band Unicorn was also ranked at number 61. Unicorn reunited in 2009. He appeared in the 2011 Batsu game on Gaki no Tsukai. He performed his song "Ai no Tame ni" with alternate lyrics to recap all that went on in the New Years' special. The Japanese dub of Cars 3 uses "Engine" as its ending theme. On July 11, 2018, Okuda, Kazuyoshi Saito, Yohito Teraoka (Jun Sky Walkers), Takashi Hamazaki (Flying Kids), Yo-King (Magokoro Brothers) and Tortoise Matsumoto announced the formation of a supergroup called the Curling Sitones (カーリングシトーンズ, Kāringu Shitōnzu). Each member is a multi-instrumentalist with all of them at-least being able to provide vocals and guitar and, like the Traveling Wilburys, each uses a pseudonym featuring "Sitone". They formed for a concert on September 23, 2018 at Zepp Tokyo celebrating Teraoka's 25th anniversary as a musician. In 2025, Okuda formed the unit Ooochie Koochie with Kōji Kikkawa.
Kenji Horikawa (堀川 憲司, Horikawa, Kenji) is the founder and president of P.A. Works Studio and the operations director…
Kenji Horikawa (堀川 憲司, Horikawa, Kenji) is the founder and president of P.A. Works Studio and the operations director for Bee Train productions Inc. He was also formerly an employee with Production I.G and Tatsunoko Productions. In 2000 he founded P.A. Works and currently produces the works produced by the studio. Horikawa has also worked as a production manager and productionAssistant.
Taro Iwashiro (岩代 太郎, Iwashiro Tarō; born May 1, 1965, in Tokyo) is a Japanese composer.
Ayumu Saito (斎藤 歩, Saitō Ayumu; 20 December 1964 – 11 June 2025) was a Japanese playwright, director, actor and theatre…
Ayumu Saito (斎藤 歩, Saitō Ayumu; 20 December 1964 – 11 June 2025) was a Japanese playwright, director, actor and theatre producer. He was represented by Knockout. Saito was also the director of the Japan Directors Association. Saito died on 11 June 2025, at the age of 60, following a struggle with urothelial carcinoma.
Hiroshi Takano (高野 寛, Takano Hiroshi) (born December 14, 1964) is a Japanese singer, composer, lyricist, music…
Hiroshi Takano (高野 寛, Takano Hiroshi) (born December 14, 1964) is a Japanese singer, composer, lyricist, music arranger, guitarist and producer. In the end of 1980s and early 1990s, he recorded some successful records which were produced by Todd Rundgren. He has contributed to the works of many musicians, such as Towa Tei and Ryuichi Sakamoto.
Hideto Matsumoto (Japanese: 松本 秀人, Hepburn: Matsumoto Hideto; December 13, 1964 – May 2, 1998), known professionally as…
Hideto Matsumoto (Japanese: 松本 秀人, Hepburn: Matsumoto Hideto; December 13, 1964 – May 2, 1998), known professionally as Hide, was a Japanese musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the rock band X Japan from 1987 to 1997 and rose to prominence in Asia as a solo artist from 1993 to 1998, until his death. He also formed the United States–based rock supergroup Zilch in 1996. Hide sold millions of records, both solo and as a member of X Japan. X Japan rose to prominence in the late 1980s and early 1990s, credited as founders of the Japanese visual kei movement. When they disbanded in 1997, he focused on his solo career which started four years prior and went on to enjoy significant popularity. At the height of his fame, while recording his third studio album and about to launch an international career with the newly formed Zilch, he died in 1998 of what was ruled a suicide by hanging. He was seen as an icon for Japanese youth rebelling against their country's conformist society, and his death was labeled "the end of an era".
Nobuo Ariga (Japanese: 有賀 啓雄; 14 October 1964 – 27 February 2023), also known as Hiroo Ariga (Japanese: 有賀 啓夫) in his…
Nobuo Ariga (Japanese: 有賀 啓雄; 14 October 1964 – 27 February 2023), also known as Hiroo Ariga (Japanese: 有賀 啓夫) in his early years of career, was a Japanese singer-songwriter, bassist, arranger and record producer.
Masato Matsuura (松浦 勝人, Matsu'ura Masato; born October 1, 1964 in Yokohama, Japan), better known by his stage name Max…
Masato Matsuura (松浦 勝人, Matsu'ura Masato; born October 1, 1964 in Yokohama, Japan), better known by his stage name Max Matsuura (松浦 マックス, Matsu'ura Makkusu), is a Japanese record producer and entrepreneur. He is the founder and chairman of Avex Group, one of the largest music labels. He is known mainly for discovering and developing new artists into stars (most notably Ayumi Hamasaki), as well as for reviving Ami Suzuki's career after she was dismissed by her previous record label.
Tsuyoshi Takashiro (高城 剛, Takashiro Tsuyoshi) is a Japanese DJ, filmmaker, and writer.
Seiji Kameda (亀田 誠治, Kameda Seiji; born June 3, 1964) is a Japanese music producer, arranger and bass guitarist. He has…
Seiji Kameda (亀田 誠治, Kameda Seiji; born June 3, 1964) is a Japanese music producer, arranger and bass guitarist. He has worked extensively with Ringo Sheena, serving as her producer and touring bassist for many years, including his tenure with their band Tokyo Jihen.
Yoko Kanno (菅野 よう子, Kanno Yōko; born 18 March 1963) is a Japanese composer, arranger and music producer of soundtracks…
Yoko Kanno (菅野 よう子, Kanno Yōko; born 18 March 1963) is a Japanese composer, arranger and music producer of soundtracks for anime series, video games, television dramas and movies. She has written scores for Cowboy Bebop, Terror in Resonance, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Wolf's Rain, Turn A Gundam and Darker than Black. Kanno is a keyboardist and the frontwoman for Seatbelts, who perform many of her compositions.
Akifumi Tada (多田 彰文, Tada Akifumi; born January 10, 1964) is a Japanese anime music composer and video game composer.
Riki Takeuchi (Japanese: 竹内 力, Hepburn: Takeuchi Riki; born January 4, 1964) is a Japanese actor best known for his…
Riki Takeuchi (Japanese: 竹内 力, Hepburn: Takeuchi Riki; born January 4, 1964) is a Japanese actor best known for his roles in v-cinema yakuza movies. Takeuchi has starred in many yakuza films and action films, such as Dead or Alive by Takashi Miike. Takeuchi also starred in Battle Royale II: Requiem, in which he played a fictionalized version of himself. Takeuchi had also a short stint at the end of the professional wrestling promotion Hustle in 2009, posing as a villainous character based on himself called "King RIKI". The same year, Takeuchi recorded with Avex Group a version of Morning Musume's "Love Machine" for the song's tenth anniversary, appearing under his RIKI persona along with wrestlers Riki Choshu and Yoshihiro Takayama.
Tatsuya Kimura (木村 立哉, Kimura Tatsuya; born 1964 in Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese film producer and a…
Tatsuya Kimura (木村 立哉, Kimura Tatsuya; born 1964 in Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese film producer and a critic, and also as known as Hockney Katsushika (葛飾 ホックニー, Katsushika Hockney), a music producer.
Toshiya Ueno (上野俊哉, Ueno Toshiya) (2 October 1963 – 15 April 2013) was a Japanese film director, actor, screenwriter…
Toshiya Ueno (上野俊哉, Ueno Toshiya) (2 October 1963 – 15 April 2013) was a Japanese film director, actor, screenwriter, and producer. He is one of the pink film directors known collectively as the "Seven Lucky Gods of Pink" (ピンク七福神, pinku shichifukujin), a group which comprises Ueno, Mitsuru Meike, Yūji Tajiri, Shinji Imaoka, Yoshitaka Kamata, Toshirō Enomoto and Rei Sakamoto.
Tetsuya Kajiwara (梶原 徹也, Kajiwara Tetsuya; born September 26, 1963) is a Japanese drummer who has performed with The…
Tetsuya Kajiwara (梶原 徹也, Kajiwara Tetsuya; born September 26, 1963) is a Japanese drummer who has performed with The Blue Hearts and The 3Peace.
Rolly Teranishi (ローリー 寺西, Rōrī Teranishi) more commonly known as Rolly, is a Japanese musician and music producer.
Mari Iijima (飯島 真理, Iijima Mari; born May 18, 1963) is a Japanese actress and singer. She writes and produces most of…
Mari Iijima (飯島 真理, Iijima Mari; born May 18, 1963) is a Japanese actress and singer. She writes and produces most of her own music, and plays the piano and other instruments. After being signed to JVC Victor in 1982, Mari first became known for her voice-acting role as Lynn Minmay in the anime Macross. Her debut original album, Rosé, was released in 1983, which was produced by composer Ryuichi Sakamoto. She lives in Los Angeles, California.
Hiromasa Ijichi (伊秩 弘将, Ijichi Hiromasa; born 26 April 1963) is a Japanese composer and music producer. Most of his…
Hiromasa Ijichi (伊秩 弘将, Ijichi Hiromasa; born 26 April 1963) is a Japanese composer and music producer. Most of his compositions are sung by the Japanese girl group Speed.
Sega AM Research & Development No. 1 is a development department within Japanese video game company Sega Corporation…
Sega AM Research & Development No. 1 is a development department within Japanese video game company Sega Corporation that also previously existed as Wow Entertainment and Sega Wow Inc. AM1 spent most of its early existence under the leadership of Rikiya Nakagawa and developed a number of arcade games for Sega. In 2000, Sega split its development studios into nine semi-autonomous companies, with AM1 becoming Wow Entertainment. Wow developed games for the Dreamcast and later other consoles as well as arcade games. In 2003, as part of studio consolidations within Sega, Wow was merged with Overworks Ltd. (originally titled Sega CS Research & Development No. 2 and later AM7) and renamed to Sega Wow. Nakagawa resigned a few weeks later after Sammy Corporation acquired a significant amount of shares in Sega. Sega Wow was re-integrated back into the company the next year. Since then, the AM1 division has continued within Sega.
Akitoshi Kawazu (河津 秋敏, Kawazu Akitoshi; born November 5, 1962) is a Japanese game designer, director, producer and…
Akitoshi Kawazu (河津 秋敏, Kawazu Akitoshi; born November 5, 1962) is a Japanese game designer, director, producer and writer. After joining Square (later Square Enix) in 1986, he went on to become a central developer for the first two Final Fantasy titles, then acted as creator and lead developer for the SaGa series. Interested in games since his high school days, his first project at Square was a graphic designer for Rad Racer; he then acted as battle designer for Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy II. He has since worked on nearly every SaGa title, in addition to creating the Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles subseries, smaller projects including The Last Remnant, and serving in an executive role on many Square Enix projects. Kawazu was inspired by role-playing titles such as Dungeons & Dragons, Wizardry and Dragon Quest, with a preference for sword and sorcery settings in his scenarios. A characteristic of his games is a non-linear design for storylines and exploration, and systems that are not actively explained to players. He also has a deep involvement in each project beyond his credited roles, and tries something new with each game he develops.
Toshinobu "Toshi" Kubota (久保田 利伸, Kubota Toshinobu; born 24 July 1962) is a Japanese singer, songwriter, musician…
Toshinobu "Toshi" Kubota (久保田 利伸, Kubota Toshinobu; born 24 July 1962) is a Japanese singer, songwriter, musician, music producer, and radio personality. He has produced six million-seller records and thirty-three Top 40 singles during his career. Kubota is currently part of Sony Music Japan. In addition, he has composed and written songs for many singers including Hiromi Iwasaki, Misia, Toshinori Yonekura, Kyōko Koizumi, and many other recording artists. Kubota's musical genre has varied throughout his career including R&B, Go-go, soul, funk, blues, reggae, old skool, psychedelia, jazz, and pop. His artistic influences include Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Donny Hathaway, and Sly Stone. Kubota has pioneered in the sound "Japanese hip hop" and "Japanese soul", an amalgam of funk, pop, R&B and go that has influenced many other musicians. Kubota has a tenor and falsetto vocal range and is known for his signature songs "Dance If You Want It", "Missing", "Love Rain (Koi no Ame)", "You Were Mine", "Give You My Love", and "La La La Love Song", which was the theme song of the television drama Long Vacation. Kubota has a total of seventeen studio albums and ten compilation albums. He is among the all-time best-selling Japanese music artists, having sold over 16 million records worldwide to date.
Keiichi Tomita (冨田 恵一, Tomita Keiichi; born January 1, 1962) is a Japanese music producer, composer, and arranger.…
Keiichi Tomita (冨田 恵一, Tomita Keiichi; born January 1, 1962) is a Japanese music producer, composer, and arranger. Known in Japan as a "pop maestro" and "master of sound," Tomita has produced several tracks that have achieved popularity in Japan, including Misia’s song "Everything" and Mika Nakashima’s debut single "Stars." He has collaborated with a diverse array of musicians, including Kirinji, Bird, Maaya Sakamoto, Ringo Sheena, and Kaela Kimura.
Gota Yashiki (屋敷 豪太, Yashiki Gōta), born 26 February 1962, is a Japanese musician. He performs an independent acid jazz…
Gota Yashiki (屋敷 豪太, Yashiki Gōta), born 26 February 1962, is a Japanese musician. He performs an independent acid jazz artist and drum/bass player, and was a member of English band Simply Red.
Tomoyasu Hotei (布袋 寅泰, Hotei Tomoyasu; born February 1, 1962), also known simply as Hotei ( HOH-tay), is a Japanese…
Tomoyasu Hotei (布袋 寅泰, Hotei Tomoyasu; born February 1, 1962), also known simply as Hotei ( HOH-tay), is a Japanese musician, singer-songwriter, composer, record producer and actor. With a career spanning more than 40 years, Hotei claims record sales of over 40 million copies and has collaborated with artists from around the world. Hotei first rose to prominence in the 1980s as the guitarist for Boøwy, one of Japan's most popular rock bands, before starting a solo career. In 2003, he was ranked number 70 on HMV's list of the 100 most important Japanese pop acts. He ranked second in a 2011 poll on who the Japanese people thought was the best guitarist to represent Japan. An iconic artist in his native Japan, he moved to London in 2005 and continues to perform and release music globally. Hotei's song "Battle Without Honor or Humanity" has been featured in numerous films, commercials, video games, and events, including Quentin Tarantino's feature film Kill Bill.
Takami Akai (赤井 孝美, Akai Takami; born November 21, 1961) is an illustrator, game creator, character designer and…
Takami Akai (赤井 孝美, Akai Takami; born November 21, 1961) is an illustrator, game creator, character designer and animator.
Sadaharu Tanikawa (谷川貞治, Tanikawa Sadaharu) (27 September 1961 in Nagoya) is a Japanese combat sports promoter and was…
Sadaharu Tanikawa (谷川貞治, Tanikawa Sadaharu) (27 September 1961 in Nagoya) is a Japanese combat sports promoter and was previously the president of Fighting and Entertainment Group.
Masaya Matsuura (松浦 雅也, Matsūra Masaya) (born June 16, 1961) is a Japanese musician and video game designer based in…
Masaya Matsuura (松浦 雅也, Matsūra Masaya) (born June 16, 1961) is a Japanese musician and video game designer based in Tokyo, Japan. He was born in Osaka on June 16, 1961, and majored in Industrial Society at Ritsumeikan University. He has worked extensively with music production, sound design, and visuals, and has been active with the J-pop duo Psy-S. He has also been credited with popularizing the modern music video game at his studio NanaOn-Sha. In 2009, he was chosen by IGN as one of the top 100 game creators of all time.
Umanosuke Iida (飯田 馬之介, Iida Umanosuke; April 30, 1961 – November 26, 2010) (also known as Tsutomu Iida) was a Japanese…
Umanosuke Iida (飯田 馬之介, Iida Umanosuke; April 30, 1961 – November 26, 2010) (also known as Tsutomu Iida) was a Japanese anime creator, director and screenwriter. Iida died due to lung cancer. Iida was born in Urakawa, Hokkaido and graduated from Hokkaido Urakawa High School. He was a member of the Japan Animation Creators Association (JAniCA). He died of lung cancer at a hospital in Kiyose, Tokyo on November 26, 2010, at the age of 49. At the farewell ceremony, Hayao Miyazaki read a eulogy. He passed during production of the anime Towa no Quon, which he had been set to direct. After his death, production was taken over by Takeshi Mori, who was credited as co-director.
Junnosuke Kawaguchi (河口 純之助, Kawaguchi Junnosuke; b. April 26, 1961) is a Japanese musician, best known as bassist of…
Junnosuke Kawaguchi (河口 純之助, Kawaguchi Junnosuke; b. April 26, 1961) is a Japanese musician, best known as bassist of The Blue Hearts. He is a music producer in Tokyo, and in 2009 became the deputy director of propaganda for the Happiness Realization Party. He was born Hiroyuki Kawaguchi (河口 宏之 Kawaguchi Hiroyuki) in the Setagaya ward of Tokyo.
Shuji Utsumi (内海州史, Utsumi Shuji; born April 19, 1961) i is a Japanese business executive and video game producer who…
Shuji Utsumi (内海州史, Utsumi Shuji; born April 19, 1961) i is a Japanese business executive and video game producer who has been president and COO (chief operating officer) of Sega since April 2024. He is also CEO of Sega of America and Sega Europe. Utsumi previously held senior roles at Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA), Sega of America, and Disney Interactive, and co-founded the Tokyo-based game studio Q Entertainment.
Takahiro Matsumoto (松本 孝弘, Matsumoto Takahiro; born March 27, 1961, in Toyonaka, Osaka) is a Japanese musician…
Takahiro Matsumoto (松本 孝弘, Matsumoto Takahiro; born March 27, 1961, in Toyonaka, Osaka) is a Japanese musician, songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the guitarist and main composer of the rock duo B'z, the best-selling music act in their native Japan by certifications. He also has a successful solo career where, in addition to winning several Japan Gold Disc Awards, he won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Album for Take Your Pick (2010), which he made in collaboration with Larry Carlton. Matsumoto is only the fifth guitarist in the world to have his own Gibson signature model guitar.
Yukiyasu Yanagi (born 9 November 1960), better known by his stage name YANAGIMAN is a Japanese musician, composer…
Yukiyasu Yanagi (born 9 November 1960), better known by his stage name YANAGIMAN is a Japanese musician, composer, songwriter, arranger and record producer from Kagoshima. He composed, wrote, arranged and produced music for various famous artists including Ketsumeishi, Funky Monkey Babys, Miriya Katou, Elephant Kashimashi and Usher, who is an American popular singer-songwriter. He leads the music band "1933 Ukulele All Stars" and is the bandmaster. He is a visiting professor at the Senzoku Gakuen College of Music and an adviser to the Matsumi High School since 2022. His blood type is B and lives in Tokyo since 1995.
Akira Senju (Japanese: 千住 明, Hepburn: Senju Akira; born 21 October 1960) is a Japanese composer, arranger and conductor.
Hideaki Anno (Japanese: 庵野 秀明, Hepburn: Anno Hideaki; born May 22, 1960) is a Japanese animator, filmmaker, and actor.…
Hideaki Anno (Japanese: 庵野 秀明, Hepburn: Anno Hideaki; born May 22, 1960) is a Japanese animator, filmmaker, and actor. His most celebrated creation, the Evangelion franchise, has had a significant influence on the anime television industry and Japanese popular culture. Anno's style is defined by his postmodernist approach and the extensive portrayal of characters' thoughts and emotions. Anno began his career while attending Osaka University of Arts as an animator for the anime series The Super Dimension Fortress Macross (1982–1983), and produced the Daicon III and IV Opening Animations. He did not gain recognition until the release of his work on Hayao Miyazaki's 1984 film Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Anno went on to become one of the co-founders of Gainax in December 1984. He worked as an animation director for their first feature-length film, Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise (1987), and ultimately became Gainax's premiere anime director, leading the majority of the studio's projects, including Gunbuster (1988) and Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water (1990–1991). Anno's next project was the anime television series Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995–1996). Timing constraints at Gainax also forced Anno to replace the planned ending of Evangelion with two episodes set in the main characters' minds. In 1997, Gainax launched a project to re-adapt Evangelion's scrapped ending into a feature-length film. Budgeting issues left the film unfinished, and the completed 27 minutes of animation were included as the second act of Evangelion: Death and Rebirth. Eventually, the project culminated in The End of Evangelion, a two-act film that served as a finale to Neon Genesis Evangelion. Anno wrote and directed the Rebuild of Evangelion film series from 2007 to 2021, written to be more accessible to non-fans than the original anime series and films were. Anno's other directorial works include Daicon Film's Return of Ultraman (1983), Gunbuster (1988), Kare Kano (1998), Love & Pop (1998), Shiki-Jitsu (2000), Cutie Honey (2004), Re: Cutie Honey (2004), and Shin Godzilla (2016), with the latter film marking the beginning of the Shin trilogy of tokusatsu franchise reboots, followed by Shin Ultraman (2022) and Shin Kamen Rider (2023). Several of Anno's anime have won the Animage Anime Grand Prix award, including Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water in 1990, Neon Genesis Evangelion in 1995 and 1996, and The End of Evangelion in 1997.
Hajime Mizoguchi (溝口 肇, Mizoguchi Hajime; born April 23, 1960 in Tokyo) is a Japanese cellist and composer. Mizoguchi…
Hajime Mizoguchi (溝口 肇, Mizoguchi Hajime; born April 23, 1960 in Tokyo) is a Japanese cellist and composer. Mizoguchi started playing piano at the age of 3, and the cello at the age of 11. From 1978–1985 he attended the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music where he majored in violoncello. In 1986, he released his first album, Half Inch Dessert, being listed as a composer, arranger, and performer. From then on, he has released over 20 albums including motion picture soundtracks.