January 3: 78 people
Yū Hirakawa (平河 悠, Hirakawa Yū; born 3 January 2001) is a Japanese footballer who plays as a forward for EFL…
Yū Hirakawa (平河 悠, Hirakawa Yū; born 3 January 2001) is a Japanese footballer who plays as a forward for EFL Championship club Bristol City and the Japan national team.
Shunsuke Sato (佐藤 隼輔, Sato Shunsuke; born January 3, 2000, in Sendai, Miyagi, Japan) is a professional Japanese…
Shunsuke Sato (佐藤 隼輔, Sato Shunsuke; born January 3, 2000, in Sendai, Miyagi, Japan) is a professional Japanese baseball player. He is a pitcher for the Saitama Seibu Lions of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
This is a list of J.League designated special players, picked by J.League clubs from universities and high schools all…
This is a list of J.League designated special players, picked by J.League clubs from universities and high schools all over Japan.
Yuki Okaniwa (岡庭 裕貴, Okaniwa Yūki; born January 3, 1995) is a Japanese football player. He plays for Tochigi City FC.
Junya Imase (今瀬 淳也, Imase Junya; born January 3, 1993 in Chiba) is a Japanese football player. He plays for Kataller…
Junya Imase (今瀬 淳也, Imase Junya; born January 3, 1993 in Chiba) is a Japanese football player. He plays for Kataller Toyama.
Takayuki Ueki (植木嵩行, Ueki Takayuki) is a Japanese professional wrestler currently working as a freelancer…
Takayuki Ueki (植木嵩行, Ueki Takayuki) is a Japanese professional wrestler currently working as a freelancer, predominantly for DDT Pro-Wrestling, where he is a former one-time KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Champion. He is best known for his time in the Japanese promotions Big Japan Pro Wrestling (BJW) and Pro Wrestling Freedoms (Freedoms).
Yoichiro Kakitani (柿谷 曜一朗, Kakitani Yōichirō) (born 3 January 1990) is a Japanese former professional footballer who…
Yoichiro Kakitani (柿谷 曜一朗, Kakitani Yōichirō) (born 3 January 1990) is a Japanese former professional footballer who played as a forward or an attacking midfielder.
Tomohiro Fukaya (深谷知広, Fukaya Tomohiro; born 1 March 1990) is a Japanese born racing cyclist. He rode in the men's…
Tomohiro Fukaya (深谷知広, Fukaya Tomohiro; born 1 March 1990) is a Japanese born racing cyclist. He rode in the men's sprint event at the 2020 UCI Track Cycling World Championships.
Hyper Misao (ハイパーミサヲ, Haipā Misao) is a Japanese professional wrestler working for the Japanese promotions Tokyo Joshi…
Hyper Misao (ハイパーミサヲ, Haipā Misao) is a Japanese professional wrestler working for the Japanese promotions Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling and DDT Pro-Wrestling.
Kōhei Uchimura (内村 航平, Uchimura Kōhei; born January 3, 1989) is a Japanese retired artistic gymnast. He is a seven-time…
Kōhei Uchimura (内村 航平, Uchimura Kōhei; born January 3, 1989) is a Japanese retired artistic gymnast. He is a seven-time Olympic medalist (team, all-around and floor exercise), winning three golds and four silvers, and a 21-time World medalist (team, all-around, floor exercise, parallel bars and the horizontal bar). Uchimura was already considered by many in the sport to be one of the greatest gymnasts of all time after he completely dominated to unprecedented levels in all the major competitions for the entire quad, and finally finishing the season by winning the Olympic individual all-around gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. However, he then extended those accomplishments even further when he followed it up with continued and uninterrupted victories of every major competition again throughout the next Olympic cycle, replicating the feat he achieved in the last quad, which led him to win two additional gold medals on team and individual all-around at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Uchimura is known for being the first gymnast (male or female) to capture every major all-around title in an entire single Olympic cycle, accomplishing this feat twice by securing six world (2009–2011 and 2013–2015) and two Olympic (2012 London Olympics, and 2016 Rio Olympics) individual all-around titles. Uchimura also took the individual all-around silver medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. He is known for delivering difficult and accurately executed routines. The International Gymnast Magazine had praised his skills as a "combination of tremendous difficulty, supreme consistency and extraordinary elegance of performance."
Jun Aoyama (青山 隼, Aoyama Jun; born 3 January 1988) is a former Japanese football player.
Nana Yanagisawa (柳沢 なな, Yanagisawa Nana; born January 3, 1987) is a Japanese fashion model, gravure idol and actress.…
Nana Yanagisawa (柳沢 なな, Yanagisawa Nana; born January 3, 1987) is a Japanese fashion model, gravure idol and actress. She appeared in Kamen Rider Kiva as Megumi Aso, one of the lead heroines. She also starred in Kamen Rider Kiva: King of the Castle in the Demon World as this role. She also had a guest appearance as Phantom Thief Selene in Task 13 of GoGo Sentai Boukenger. She also plays an important role in Forbidden Siren 2, a survival horror game for the PlayStation 2 console, where her face model and voice was implemented for main character Ikuko Kifune (木船 郁子 Kifune Ikuko).
Hidefumi Wakayama (若山 英史, Wakayama Hidefumi; born January 3, 1985 in Numazu, Shizuoka, Japan) is a Japanese wheelchair…
Hidefumi Wakayama (若山 英史, Wakayama Hidefumi; born January 3, 1985 in Numazu, Shizuoka, Japan) is a Japanese wheelchair rugby player who currently plays for Shizuoka Bank/CENTERPOLE and the Japanese national team.
Fumiaki Tanaka (田中 史朗, born 3 January 1985) is a Japanese retired rugby union player. He played as a scrum-half for…
Fumiaki Tanaka (田中 史朗, born 3 January 1985) is a Japanese retired rugby union player. He played as a scrum-half for Japan on international level and for the NEC Green Rockets and the Sunwolves at domestic level.
Shogo Moriwaki (森脇 尚護, Moriwaki Shōgo) is a Japanese professional motorcycle racer.
Kenji Ishijima (石島健至, Ishijima Kenji; born January 3, 1981) is a Japanese professional wrestler better known under the…
Kenji Ishijima (石島健至, Ishijima Kenji; born January 3, 1981) is a Japanese professional wrestler better known under the ring name Guts Ishijima (ガッツ石島, Gattsu Ishijima). He is currently working as a freelancer and is best known for having founded the Japanese promotions Guts World Pro-Wrestling and Total Triumph Team Pro-Wrestling (TTT).
Noriko Hijikata (土方 典子, Hijikata Noriko; born January 3, 1977), better known by her stagename Maju Ozawa (小沢 真珠) is a…
Noriko Hijikata (土方 典子, Hijikata Noriko; born January 3, 1977), better known by her stagename Maju Ozawa (小沢 真珠) is a Japanese actress.
Mayumi Iizuka (飯塚 雅弓, Iizuka Mayumi; born January 3, 1977) is a Japanese actress, voice actress, singer and disc jockey…
Mayumi Iizuka (飯塚 雅弓, Iizuka Mayumi; born January 3, 1977) is a Japanese actress, voice actress, singer and disc jockey who was born in Tokyo. She is currently affiliated with Across Entertainment and her label is Lantis. She is an instructor at the Stay Luck training school Follow-Up. For her singing activities, she uses the alias Hoshi Mai (星 舞). Her well-known roles as a voice actress include Kasumi (Misty) in the Pokémon series, Tron Bonne in the Mega Man Legends series and Claiomh Everlasting in the Sorcerous Stabber Orphen series.
Eiichiro Washio (鷲尾 英一郎, Washio Eiichirō; born 3 January 1977) is a Japanese politician who serves as a member of the…
Eiichiro Washio (鷲尾 英一郎, Washio Eiichirō; born 3 January 1977) is a Japanese politician who serves as a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Niigata, Niigata and graduate of the University of Tokyo, he worked at Ernst & Young ShinNihon from 2001 to 2005. He was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 2005.
Jun Maeda (麻枝 准, Maeda Jun; born January 3, 1975) is a Japanese writer and composer. He is a co-founder of the visual…
Jun Maeda (麻枝 准, Maeda Jun; born January 3, 1975) is a Japanese writer and composer. He is a co-founder of the visual novel brand Key under Visual Arts. He is considered a pioneer of nakige visual novels, and has mainly contributed as a scenario writer, lyricist, and musical composer for the games the company produces. After graduating with a degree in psychology from Chukyo University, Maeda contributed to the scripts and scores of games released under the Tactics brand of Nexton: Moon and One: Kagayaku Kisetsu e. He has contributed both to writing music and scripts to most games released under the Key brand, notably writing the majority of Air and Clannad. He also served as a screenwriter and composer for several anime series produced by P.A. Works, such as Angel Beats! and Charlotte.
Minoru Kawakami (川上稔, Kawakami Minoru) is a Japanese author of light novels, best known as the author of the Horizon in…
Minoru Kawakami (川上稔, Kawakami Minoru) is a Japanese author of light novels, best known as the author of the Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere and The Ending Chronicle light novel series.
Hiroko Tamoto (田本 博子, Tamoto Hiroko) (born January 3, 1974) is a Japanese softball player who played as a Center Field.…
Hiroko Tamoto (田本 博子, Tamoto Hiroko) (born January 3, 1974) is a Japanese softball player who played as a Center Field. She won the silver medal in the 2000 Summer Olympics.
Kaworu Watashiya (私屋カヲル, Watashiya Kaworu; born 3 January 1972) is a Japanese manga artist from Tokyo, Japan. She is…
Kaworu Watashiya (私屋カヲル, Watashiya Kaworu; born 3 January 1972) is a Japanese manga artist from Tokyo, Japan. She is notable for the creation of Kodomo no Jikan, the first of her works selected to be translated into English – though the publication of the English version was cancelled by the licensee, Seven Seas Entertainment, due to concerns as to North American reaction to controversial content, and was never released. However, in late 2016 it was picked up by digitalmanga, and funded for translation through a Kickstarter campaign, with the digital version readily available on Project Hentai. It is also the first of her works to be adapted into an anime.
Kenji Ogiya (Japanese: 扇谷 健司 Oogiya Kenji) is a Japanese association football referee who has refereed in the J-League…
Kenji Ogiya (Japanese: 扇谷 健司 Oogiya Kenji) is a Japanese association football referee who has refereed in the J-League, J. League Division 2 as well as the Polish Ekstraklasa and I liga. He is also an international referee, having officiated two international games since 2007.
Sachiko Hirayama (born January 3, 1971, in Shizuoka Prefecture) is a Japanese politician who has served as a member of…
Sachiko Hirayama (born January 3, 1971, in Shizuoka Prefecture) is a Japanese politician who has served as a member of the House of Councillors of Japan since 2016. She represents the Shizuoka at-large district and is an independent. She is a member of the following committees (as of 2021): Committee on Environment
Hidekazu Nagai (長井 秀和, Nagai Hidekazu) is a comedian and an owarai presenter in Japan.
Eisaku Yoshida (吉田 栄作, Yoshida Eisaku; born January 3, 1969, in Hadano, Kanagawa, Japan) is a Japanese freelance actor…
Eisaku Yoshida (吉田 栄作, Yoshida Eisaku; born January 3, 1969, in Hadano, Kanagawa, Japan) is a Japanese freelance actor and singer. His ex-wife is model Risa Hirako.
Hirofumi Ryu (笠 浩史, Ryū Hirofumi; born 3 January 1965) is a Japanese politician of the Constitutional Democratic Party…
Hirofumi Ryu (笠 浩史, Ryū Hirofumi; born 3 January 1965) is a Japanese politician of the Constitutional Democratic Party, who serves as a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature).
Toshiyuki Horie (堀江 敏幸, Horie Toshiyuki; born January 3, 1964) is a Japanese author, translator, and scholar of French…
Toshiyuki Horie (堀江 敏幸, Horie Toshiyuki; born January 3, 1964) is a Japanese author, translator, and scholar of French literature.
Toshiro Yanagiba (柳葉 敏郎, Yanagiba Toshirō; born January 3, 1961) is a Japanese actor.
Yuji Yaku (born 3 January 1961) is a Japanese bobsledder. He competed at the 1984 Winter Olympics and the 1988 Winter…
Yuji Yaku (born 3 January 1961) is a Japanese bobsledder. He competed at the 1984 Winter Olympics and the 1988 Winter Olympics.
Miharu Koshi (コシミハル, Koshi Miharu; born January 3, 1960) is a Japanese singer and musician. Her career started in the…
Miharu Koshi (コシミハル, Koshi Miharu; born January 3, 1960) is a Japanese singer and musician. Her career started in the late 1970s performing Japanese new music. By the mid-1980s she was performing music with electronic instruments, with many albums produced by Haruomi Hosono. Her later work has led to European classical music, French chanson and early 20th-century European Jazz, which she sings in several languages (most often French).
Hiroko Yamasaki (山崎 浩子, Yamasaki Hiroko; born January 3, 1960, Minamikyushu, Kagoshima) is a retired Japanese rhythmic…
Hiroko Yamasaki (山崎 浩子, Yamasaki Hiroko; born January 3, 1960, Minamikyushu, Kagoshima) is a retired Japanese rhythmic gymnast. After enrolling at the Tokyo Women's College of Physical Education, Yamasaki became a five-time national champion. She competed for Japan in the individual rhythmic gymnastics all-around competition at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. She tied for 9th place in the qualification round and advanced to the final, placing 8th overall. Yamasaki retired the same year. After finishing her competitive career, Yamasaki began coaching as well as working as a sports writer. She became a training director for the Japan Gymnastics Association in 2004, a position she held until 2021, and directed the national group, which won a silver medal at the 2019 World Championships. In 1992, Yamasaki was part of a highly publicized mass wedding organized by the Unification Church. She broke with the church in 1993, claiming that it was abusive.
Yusuke Kishi (貴志 祐介, Kishi Yūsuke; born January 3, 1959) is a Japanese author. He is a member of the Mystery Writers of…
Yusuke Kishi (貴志 祐介, Kishi Yūsuke; born January 3, 1959) is a Japanese author. He is a member of the Mystery Writers of Japan and the Honkaku Mystery Writers Club of Japan.
Katsuhiko Oku (奥 克彦 Oku Katsuhiko, 3 January 1958 – 29 November 2003) was a Japanese diplomat who played rugby for…
Katsuhiko Oku (奥 克彦 Oku Katsuhiko, 3 January 1958 – 29 November 2003) was a Japanese diplomat who played rugby for Oxford and Waseda University. In Britain he was known as "Katsu".
Kiyohide Kuwata (桑田 健秀, Kuwata Kiyohide; born 3 January 1953) is a Japanese basketball player. He competed in the men's…
Kiyohide Kuwata (桑田 健秀, Kuwata Kiyohide; born 3 January 1953) is a Japanese basketball player. He competed in the men's tournament at the 1976 Summer Olympics, which marked his only Olympic appearance. Japan's team finished in 11th place in the competition.
Tomonori Kogawa (湖川友謙, Kogawa Tomonori; born January 3, 1950 in Engaru, Hokkaidō) is a Japanese animator and character…
Tomonori Kogawa (湖川友謙, Kogawa Tomonori; born January 3, 1950 in Engaru, Hokkaidō) is a Japanese animator and character designer, often noted for his work in the 1980s with noted anime studio Sunrise.
Taiga Satoru, born Satoshi Kawasaki (January 3, 1950 – July 16, 2009), was a sumo wrestler from Kanoya, Kagoshima…
Taiga Satoru, born Satoshi Kawasaki (January 3, 1950 – July 16, 2009), was a sumo wrestler from Kanoya, Kagoshima, Japan. He made his professional debut in March 1965, and reached the top division in July 1969. His highest rank was maegashira 1. He left the sumo world upon retirement in May 1977.
Masanori Nishio (西尾 正範, Nishio Masanori; 3 January 1949 – 28 May 2022) was a Japanese politician. Nishio was born in…
Masanori Nishio (西尾 正範, Nishio Masanori; 3 January 1949 – 28 May 2022) was a Japanese politician. Nishio was born in Ōno, Hokkaidō, now part of the city of Hokuto. After graduating Kyoto University, he became a public servant in 1973. He was appointed deputy mayor of Hakodate by its then-mayor Hiroshi Inoue (politician) in July 2003, but resigned himself in December 2006 due to a rift with the mayor over the construction of a retirement home. He beat Inoue in the mayoral election held on 22 April 2007, and took office on 27 April.
Keiko Erikawa is a Japanese businesswoman and video game designer. She co-founded Koei Tecmo Holdings Co., Ltd., a…
Keiko Erikawa is a Japanese businesswoman and video game designer. She co-founded Koei Tecmo Holdings Co., Ltd., a Japanese game development company, with her husband Yoichi Erikawa in 1978.
Motoo Hayashi (林 幹雄, Hayashi Motoo; born 3 January 1947) is a former Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic…
Motoo Hayashi (林 幹雄, Hayashi Motoo; born 3 January 1947) is a former Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). He served as a member of the House of Representatives in the national Diet from 1993 until 2024, representing the Chiba 10th district; he has previously represented the Southern Kanto proportional representation block and the pre-1996 Chiba 2nd district.
Kazuhiro Tatsumi (辰巳 和弘, Tatsumi Kazuhiro; born 3 January 1946, in Osaka) is a Japanese archaeologist, history scholar…
Kazuhiro Tatsumi (辰巳 和弘, Tatsumi Kazuhiro; born 3 January 1946, in Osaka) is a Japanese archaeologist, history scholar and museum curator. He was a lecturer at Doshisha University until his retirement in 2011. He is knowledgeable about the domestic practices of early Japanese peoples. and has been referenced in numerous books. Tatsumi has authored many books and papers. In 1981 he published his findings on research in the Kitaoka Otsuka tumulus in Inasa, Shizuoka, which was printed by the Inasa-cho Board of Education.
Akiko Nakamura (Japanese: 中村晃子) is a Japanese singer and actress. Her song Nijiiro No Mizuumi (Japanese: 虹色の湖) (1967)…
Akiko Nakamura (Japanese: 中村晃子) is a Japanese singer and actress. Her song Nijiiro No Mizuumi (Japanese: 虹色の湖) (1967) reached number 3 on the Oricon Singles Chart.
Nobuo Satō (佐藤 信夫, Satō Nobuo; born January 3, 1942 in Osaka) is a Japanese figure skater and coach. He is a ten-time…
Nobuo Satō (佐藤 信夫, Satō Nobuo; born January 3, 1942 in Osaka) is a Japanese figure skater and coach. He is a ten-time Japanese national champion. He represented Japan at the 1960 Winter Olympics, where he placed 14th, and at the 1964 Winter Olympics, where he placed 8th. His best finish at the World Championships was 4th in 1965. He is married to Kumiko Okawa, and as of 2011 the couple lives near Yokohama. Their daughter is Yuka Sato, the 1994 World Champion. Along with Machiko Yamada, he is one of the most successful coaches in Japan. His current and former students include Miki Ando, Mao Asada, Shoko Ishikawa, Hirokazu Kobayashi, Takahiko Kozuka, Yukari Nakano, Yuka Sato, Marin Honda, Kao Miura, Wun-Chang Shih, and Fumie Suguri. In February 2010, he was elected to the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame.
Takahiro Yokomichi (横路 孝弘, Yokomichi Takahiro; 3 January 1941 – 2 February 2023) was a Japanese politician who belonged…
Takahiro Yokomichi (横路 孝弘, Yokomichi Takahiro; 3 January 1941 – 2 February 2023) was a Japanese politician who belonged to the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) and was a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Sapporo, Hokkaidō, and graduate of the University of Tokyo, he was elected to the first of his five terms in the House of Representatives in 1969 as a member of the Japan Socialist Party in the electoral district of his late father Setsuo. He left the House of Representatives and was elected to be the Governor of Hokkaidō. He served for three terms from 1983 to 1995. After finishing his term as governor, he left the Socialist Party, joining the DPJ. In 1996 he was re-elected to the House of Representatives. He was the leader of the most left-leaning faction in the DPJ. After the victory of 2009 elections, then-DPJ President Yukio Hatoyama named him as the next house speaker. In the 2012 general election Yokomichi lost his single-seat electorate but retained a seat in the Diet through the proportional representation system. He managed to regain his seat in the 2014 election and held it until he retired in 2017.
Shima Iwashita (Japanese: 岩下志麻, Hepburn: Iwashita Shima; born 3 January 1941) is a Japanese stage and film actress who…
Shima Iwashita (Japanese: 岩下志麻, Hepburn: Iwashita Shima; born 3 January 1941) is a Japanese stage and film actress who has appeared in films of Yasujirō Ozu, Keisuke Kinoshita, Masaki Kobayashi and most frequently of Masahiro Shinoda, her husband. She is best known for starring in the Yakuza Wives series of yakuza films between 1986 and 1998. In 2000, Iwashita ranked tenth on Kinema Junpo's readers' poll of the top female movie stars of the 20th century. In 2025, she was ranked fourth in a poll conducted by Sankei Shimbun on the top actresses of the Shōwa era.
Tsutomu Hanahara (花原 勉, Hanahara Tsutomu; January 3, 1940 – February 5, 2024) was a Japanese wrestler who won a gold…
Tsutomu Hanahara (花原 勉, Hanahara Tsutomu; January 3, 1940 – February 5, 2024) was a Japanese wrestler who won a gold medal in the flyweight class at the 1964 Olympics. He competed at the 1958 and 1967 world championships and finished in sixth and third place, respectively.
Shoichiro Irimajiri (入交 昭一郎, Irimajiri Shōichirō; born on January 3, 1940, in Kochi, Japan) is a Japanese engineer and…
Shoichiro Irimajiri (入交 昭一郎, Irimajiri Shōichirō; born on January 3, 1940, in Kochi, Japan) is a Japanese engineer and businessman. He earned an aeronautical engineering degree from the University of Tokyo and worked for Honda Motor Co., Ltd. for 20 years, overseeing the introduction of its CBX motorcycle, design of their F1 racing engines for the RA273 as well as being the president of Honda of America Inc. He resigned in 1992 due to a heart problem, and started a Chinese traditional treatment to restore his condition. During this time, it was said that General Motors recruited Irimajiri for a senior executive position at the company, in light of his success at Honda. While he declined that position and accepted a spot as an outside director, if Irimajiri had accepted the offer, he would have been the first Japanese-born automotive executive of an American automobile manufacturer. After his recovery, Hayao Nakayama, then president of Sega Enterprises, asked him to become vice president of the company. In 1996, he additionally became chairman and CEO of Sega of America. He became president of Sega in 1998, when he laid an ambitious plan using the Dreamcast to restore Sega's lost market share and prestige, which took a severe downfall following the flawed launches of the Sega Saturn and the Sega 32X. After Sega reported its third consecutive loss, Irimajiri resigned and Isao Okawa took his place. While president of Sega he invested $5 million into Nvidia, after the tiny Silicon Valley startup had failed to deliver on its contract to create the graphics chip for the Dreamcast. Jensen Huang has publicly expressed his gratitude to Irimajiri for helping to keep Nvidia alive. Nvidia went public in 1999, and in 2000, after Irimajiri had left, Sega sold its Nvidia stock for $15 million. In 2017, Huang returned the favor by honoring a request from Irimajiri to speak to a small group of business leaders while visiting Japan. Irimajiri's most recent position was as chairman of Asahi Tec, a Japanese manufacturer of aluminum parts and castings for automobiles, owned by Ripplewood Holdings.
Shiho Fujimura (藤村 志保 Fujimura Shiho, 3 January 1939 – 12 June 2025) was a Japanese actress. She was given a Special…
Shiho Fujimura (藤村 志保 Fujimura Shiho, 3 January 1939 – 12 June 2025) was a Japanese actress. She was given a Special Prize for her career at the 2008 Yokohama Film Festival. Fujimura died on 12 June 2025, at the age of 86.
Mitsuko Tokoro (所 美都子, Tokoro Mitsuko; January 3, 1939 – January 27, 1968), also known by her pen name Mimie Tomano…
Mitsuko Tokoro (所 美都子, Tokoro Mitsuko; January 3, 1939 – January 27, 1968), also known by her pen name Mimie Tomano, was a Japanese biologist and New Left activist remembered as one of the leading theorists of the apolitical and radically anti-hierarchical Zenkyōtō movement that carried out the 1968-69 Japanese student uprisings at universities across Japan.