Hiroto Shinozuka (Japanese: 篠塚大登; born 23 December 2003) is a Japanese table tennis player. He competed at the 2024…Hiroto Shinozuka (Japanese: 篠塚大登; born 23 December 2003) is a Japanese table tennis player. He competed at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Kodai Tanaka (田中 幸大, Tanaka Kodai; born 23 December 1999) is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a forward…Kodai Tanaka (田中 幸大, Tanaka Kodai; born 23 December 1999) is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a forward for Super League club PSM Makassar Kodai won the 2022 Singapore Premier League 'Player Of The Year' and was nominated for 2022 season 'Team Of The Year'. He is known for his powerful shots with either foots and finisher in the box.
Hitomi Sato (佐藤 瞳, Satō Hitomi; born 23 December 1997) is a Japanese table tennis player. She won a bronze medal with…Hitomi Sato (佐藤 瞳, Satō Hitomi; born 23 December 1997) is a Japanese table tennis player. She won a bronze medal with Honoka Hashimoto at the 2019 World Table Tennis Championships.
Arisa Kimishima (君嶋 愛梨沙, Kimishima Arisa; born 23 December 1995 in Iwakuni) is a Japanese bobsledder and sprinter. As a…Arisa Kimishima (君嶋 愛梨沙, Kimishima Arisa; born 23 December 1995 in Iwakuni) is a Japanese bobsledder and sprinter. As a bobsledder, she competed in the two-woman event at the 2017 World Championships. As a sprinter, she is a former Japanese junior high school record holder in the 200 metres and the 2009 Japanese junior high school champion.
Ruriko Kojima (小島 瑠璃子, Kojima Ruriko; born December 23, 1993) is a Japanese television personality, gravure idol and…Ruriko Kojima (小島 瑠璃子, Kojima Ruriko; born December 23, 1993) is a Japanese television personality, gravure idol and sportscaster, formerly affiliated with Horipro.
Yu Horiuchi (堀内優, Horiuchi Yū) (born December 23, 1990) is a female wrestler from Japan. She won a silver medal at the…Yu Horiuchi (堀内優, Horiuchi Yū) (born December 23, 1990) is a female wrestler from Japan. She won a silver medal at the 2010 World Wrestling Championships in Moscow.
Toshihito Abe (阿部 俊人, Abe Toshihito; born December 23, 1988 in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture) is a Japanese professional…Toshihito Abe (阿部 俊人, Abe Toshihito; born December 23, 1988 in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture) is a Japanese professional baseball infielder for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball.
Eri Kamei (亀井 絵里, Kamei Eri; born December 23, 1988) is a Japanese former singer. She is a former member of the…Eri Kamei (亀井 絵里, Kamei Eri; born December 23, 1988) is a Japanese former singer. She is a former member of the Japanese pop group Morning Musume. She joined in late 2003 as a sixth generation member and graduated on December 15, 2010.
Shinji Tsujio (辻尾 真二, Tsujio Shinji; born 23 December 1985 in Sakai, Osaka) is a Japanese football player for SC…Shinji Tsujio (辻尾 真二, Tsujio Shinji; born 23 December 1985 in Sakai, Osaka) is a Japanese football player for SC Sagamihara.
Nachu (なちゅ; born 23 December 1984, in Osaka Prefecture) is a Japanese tarento who is a former member of the female idol…Nachu (なちゅ; born 23 December 1984, in Osaka Prefecture) is a Japanese tarento who is a former member of the female idol group SDN48. Her real name is Natsuko Takekawa (竹川 奈津子, Takekawa Natsuko). Nachu grew up in Tokyo. She is represented with Watanabe Entertainment.
Toru Kitajima (Japanese: 北嶋 徹, Hepburn: Kitajima Tōru; born December 23, 1982 in Machida, Tokyo), better known as TK…Toru Kitajima (Japanese: 北嶋 徹, Hepburn: Kitajima Tōru; born December 23, 1982 in Machida, Tokyo), better known as TK, is a Japanese musician and singer-songwriter. He rose to prominence as lead vocalist, guitarist and songwriter of the rock band Ling Tosite Sigure, which formed in 2002. In 2011, he started to release solo material as TK from Ling Tosite Sigure (TK from 凛として時雨).
Nihito Arakawa (荒川 仁人, Arakawa Nihito; born 23 December 1981 in Musashino, Tokyo, Japan) is a professional boxer…Nihito Arakawa (荒川 仁人, Arakawa Nihito; born 23 December 1981 in Musashino, Tokyo, Japan) is a professional boxer nicknamed "Japanese Rocky". He made his mark in the twelve-round lightweight slugfest against Omar Figueroa in July 2013, that earned him the nickname after the film Rocky. "The Japanese lefty gained a zillion fans with his rumble last year against Figueroa," TheSweetScience.com's Michael Woods said in 2014. He is the former Japanese and OPBF (Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation) lightweight champion.
Kōhei Yamamoto (山本 康平, Yamamoto Kōhei; born December 23, 1980, in Okayama Prefecture) is a Japanese actor who is…Kōhei Yamamoto (山本 康平, Yamamoto Kōhei; born December 23, 1980, in Okayama Prefecture) is a Japanese actor who is affiliated with Ohta Production. He graduated from Komazawa University. He played the role of Kouta Bitou (Hurricane Yellow) in the 2002 Super Sentai TV series Ninpu Sentai Hurricanger.
Ayako Ito (伊藤 綾子, Itō Ayako; born 23 December 1980, in Akita, Akita, Japan) is a former Japanese television and radio…Ayako Ito (伊藤 綾子, Itō Ayako; born 23 December 1980, in Akita, Akita, Japan) is a former Japanese television and radio announcer who was represented with Cent Force.
Yukifumi Murakami (村上 幸史, Murakami Yukifumi; born 23 December 1979 in Kamijima, Ehime) is a Japanese javelin thrower.…Yukifumi Murakami (村上 幸史, Murakami Yukifumi; born 23 December 1979 in Kamijima, Ehime) is a Japanese javelin thrower. He was the first Japanese athlete to win a World Championship medal in the javelin, taking bronze at the 2009 edition with a throw of 82.97 metres. He was successful as a junior athlete and won the bronze medal in the javelin at the 1998 World Junior Championships in Athletics. He established himself as one of Asia's top throwers in the following years, winning silver medals at the 2001 East Asian Games, 2002 Asian Games, and the 2003 Asian Athletics Championships. His first global appearance was at the 2004 Summer Olympics and he finished 18th overall in the final rankings. The 2005 World Championships in Athletics was his next major tournament where he could only finish in 27th place with a disappointing throw of 68.31 m. He was runner-up for a second time at the 2006 Asian Games and took part in the 2008 Summer Olympics two years later. Murakami was voted the Japanese athlete of the year for 2009 by both Rikujyo Kyougi Magazine (Track and Field Magazine of Japan) and the Japan Association of Athletics Federations. These awards capped a decade of national dominance – with ten consecutive wins, he won the javelin at every national championships in the 2000s. His performance at the 2009 World Championships included a personal best of 83.10 m to qualify for the final, and 82.97 m to win the bronze medal – his second best ever throw. He finished the year with a gold medal performance at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships. He started 2010 with a throw of 82.49 m in Wakayama in April – his longest throw achieved in Japan. He extended his consecutive national title run to eleven in June, out-throwing Nobuhiro Sato by four metres. On April 29, 2013, he extended his personal best by more than 2 meters to 85.96, more than 1 meter longer than the London Olympic winning throw, and 2nd best by a Japanese javelin thrower after Kazuhiro Mizoguchi.
Nanae Takahashi (高橋 奈苗, Takahashi Nanae; ring name: 高橋奈七永) (born December 23, 1978) is a retired Japanese professional…Nanae Takahashi (高橋 奈苗, Takahashi Nanae; ring name: 高橋奈七永) (born December 23, 1978) is a retired Japanese professional wrestler, founder of Seadlinnng and co-founder of World Wonder Ring Stardom. She was signed to Dream Star Fighting Marigold, where she held her final match at Marigold Shine Forever. She has wrestled for prominent Japanese promotions All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling and Pro Wrestling Sun, and is a two-time women's world champion in major professional wrestling promotions.
Akiko Yada (矢田亜希子, Yada Akiko) is a Japanese actress. She won the award for Best Supporting Actress at the 6th Nikkan…Akiko Yada (矢田亜希子, Yada Akiko) is a Japanese actress. She won the award for Best Supporting Actress at the 6th Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix for Boku no Ikiru Michi.
Dai Oketani (桶谷大, Oketani Dai; born December 23, 1977) is a Japanese professional basketball coach, who currently…Dai Oketani (桶谷大, Oketani Dai; born December 23, 1977) is a Japanese professional basketball coach, who currently serves as head coach for the Kawasaki Brave Thunders of the B.League and the Japanese national team.
Sachi Ozawa (小澤 幸, Ozawa Sachi; born 23 December 1976) is a Japanese short track speed skater. She competed in two…Sachi Ozawa (小澤 幸, Ozawa Sachi; born 23 December 1976) is a Japanese short track speed skater. She competed in two events at the 1998 Winter Olympics.
Atsushi Nagai (永井 篤志, Nagai Atsushi; born December 23, 1974) is a former Japanese football player. His elder brother…Atsushi Nagai (永井 篤志, Nagai Atsushi; born December 23, 1974) is a former Japanese football player. His elder brother Hideki is also a former footballer.
Yuko Emoto (恵本 裕子, Emoto Yūko; born 23 December 1972 in Asahikawa, Hokkaido) is a Japanese judoka and Olympic champion.…Yuko Emoto (恵本 裕子, Emoto Yūko; born 23 December 1972 in Asahikawa, Hokkaido) is a Japanese judoka and Olympic champion. She won the gold medal in the half middleweight division at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. Emoto received a silver medal at the 1994 Asian Games. Emoto is married to South Korean judoka Kim Hyuk. In 2016, Emoto provided input to a manga series written by Makoto Kobayashi titled JJM: Joshi Judou-bu Monogatari.
Yoshitsugu Kobayashi (小林 快次, Kobayashi Yoshitsugu, born 1971) is a Japanese vertebrate paleontologist. He is a…Yoshitsugu Kobayashi (小林 快次, Kobayashi Yoshitsugu, born 1971) is a Japanese vertebrate paleontologist. He is a professor and the assistant director in Hokkaido University Museum. His major achievements include the description and naming of several dinosaurs from Japan, for example, Kamuysaurus, Yamatosaurus and Paralitherizinosaurus. He is also a research affiliate of Perot Museum of Nature and Science, a member of Jurassic Foundation, a councilor of Palaeontological Society of Japan.
Masayoshi Yamazaki (山崎 まさよし, Yamazaki Masayoshi; born 山崎 将義 Yamazaki Masayoshi on December 23, 1971, in Kusatsu Shiga)…Masayoshi Yamazaki (山崎 まさよし, Yamazaki Masayoshi; born 山崎 将義 Yamazaki Masayoshi on December 23, 1971, in Kusatsu Shiga) is a Japanese singer-songwriter who plays guitar-driven blues, rock, and pop music, though he has also recorded piano ballads. Though he primarily plays the guitar, he has played the drums, piano, percussion, saxophone, and glockenspiel on some albums. He released his second album in 1997, which contained his breakout and most famous single "One More Time, One More Chance." This song was used in Makoto Shinkai's anime film 5 Centimeters per Second. In November of 2002, he performed the Beatles song "All My Loving" for Sir Paul McCartney while the latter was backstage after a show in Japan on the Driving World Tour.
Nigö (ニゴー, Nigō; born Tomoaki Nagao (長尾 智明) on December 23, 1970) is a Japanese fashion designer, disc jockey (DJ)…Nigö (ニゴー, Nigō; born Tomoaki Nagao (長尾 智明) on December 23, 1970) is a Japanese fashion designer, disc jockey (DJ), record producer and entrepreneur. He is best known as the creator of the streetwear brand, A Bathing Ape (Bape), and currently serves as artistic director for Kenzo. Additionally, he is a member of the Japanese group Teriyaki Boyz, serving as their official in-house DJ since the group's 2005 debut.
Mima Shimoda (下田 美馬, Shimoda Mima; born on December 23, 1970, in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese professional wrestler, who…Mima Shimoda (下田 美馬, Shimoda Mima; born on December 23, 1970, in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese professional wrestler, who is working for the Mexican professional wrestling promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) and Japanese promotion World Woman Pro-Wrestling Diana. She is most well known for being half of Las Cachorras Orientales with Etsuko Mita.
Asanosho Hajime (born 23 December 1969 as Hajime Ozawa, later Hajime Ozuka) is a former sumo wrestler from Odawara…Asanosho Hajime (born 23 December 1969 as Hajime Ozawa, later Hajime Ozuka) is a former sumo wrestler from Odawara, Kanagawa, Japan. He made his professional debut in March 1992, and reached the top division in March 1995. His highest rank was maegashira 2. He defeated yokozuna Akebono in their first meeting in March 1997 to earn his only kinboshi. A back injury sent him down to the sandanme division, and he decided to retire in January 2002, after suffering a detached retina. He became an elder of the Japan Sumo Association, but left in January 2008.
Yuki Motobuchi (元渕 幸, Motobuchi Yuki; born 23 December 1968) is a Japanese diver. She competed at the 1988 Summer…Yuki Motobuchi (元渕 幸, Motobuchi Yuki; born 23 December 1968) is a Japanese diver. She competed at the 1988 Summer Olympics, the 1992 Summer Olympics and the 1996 Summer Olympics.
Kazuhiro Koshi (越 和宏, Koshi Kazuhiro; born December 23, 1964) is a Japanese skeleton racer who has competed since 1991.…Kazuhiro Koshi (越 和宏, Koshi Kazuhiro; born December 23, 1964) is a Japanese skeleton racer who has competed since 1991. Competing in three Winter Olympics, he earned his best finish of eighth in the men's skeleton event at Salt Lake City in 2002. He was the oldest member of the Japanese team at the 2010 Winter Olympics and, because of this, was referred to in media reports as, "the hope of the middle class."
Keiji Muto (武藤 敬司, Mutō Keiji; born December 23, 1962) is a Japanese professional wrestling executive, actor and…Keiji Muto (武藤 敬司, Mutō Keiji; born December 23, 1962) is a Japanese professional wrestling executive, actor and retired professional wrestler. He is known for his work under his real name and as his alter ego The Great Muta (グレート・ムタ, Gurēto Muta) in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW) during the 1980s and 1990s. He is also known for his runs in both All Japan Pro-Wrestling (AJPW) between 2001 and 2013, and his run in Pro Wrestling Noah (NOAH) from 2020 to 2023. He was the president of All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) from 2002 to 2013 and representative director of Wrestle-1 (W-1) from 2013 until its closure in 2020. Considered one of the greatest and most influential wrestlers of all time, Muto is one of the first Japanese wrestlers (puroresura) to gain an international fanbase in the 1990s and beyond, thanks in large part to his Great Muta gimmick. The gimmick is one of the most influential in puroresu, emulated by many wrestlers, and seen as the most prevalent of Muto's alter ego's. Many wrestlers copied or modified some of the moves that he popularized or innovated, such as the Shining Wizard, Moonsault (also known as the Rounding Body Press), Muta Lock, and the Dragon-screw leg-whip. He took part in what was generally considered to be one of the bloodiest professional wrestling matches at the time against Hiroshi Hase, leading to the creation of the "Muta scale", which rates the bloodiness of matches relative to this one's 1.0 value. Muto is one of the five wrestlers to win the three major championships of puroresu (AJPW's Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship, NJPW's IWGP Heavyweight Championship, and Pro Wrestling Noah's GHC Heavyweight Championship) with Kensuke Sasaki, Yoshihiro Takayama, Satoshi Kojima, and Yuji Nagata. He also held the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship, making him an overall nine-time world champion. He is also a 13-time world tag team champion with five AJPW World Tag Team Championships, six IWGP Tag Team Championships, one GHC Tag Team Championship, and one WCW World Tag Team Championship. In total, he held 32 championships throughout his 38-year career. In 2013, Muto founded W-1, where he also wrestled semi-regularly. He made special appearances for the American promotion Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA, renamed Impact Wrestling in 2017) from 2014 to 2019, as part of a talent exchange with W-1. In June 2022, Muto announced that he would retire in 2023. His retirement matches occurred on February 21, 2023, in the Tokyo Dome during Noah's Keiji Muto Grand Final Pro-Wrestling "Last-Love" event, first against his scheduled opponent Tetsuya Naito, and second in an impromptu double-retirement match against Masahiro Chono. In April 2023, Muto was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
Miyuki Miyabe (宮部みゆき, Miyabe Miyuki; born December 23, 1960) is a Japanese writer of genre fiction. She has won…Miyuki Miyabe (宮部みゆき, Miyabe Miyuki; born December 23, 1960) is a Japanese writer of genre fiction. She has won numerous Japanese literary awards, including the Yoshikawa Eiji Prize for New Writers, the Yoshikawa Eiji Prize for Literature, the Shiba Ryotaro Prize, the Yamamoto Shūgorō Prize, and the Naoki Prize. Her work has been widely adapted for film, television, manga, and video games, and has been translated into over a dozen languages.
Missa Johnouchi (城之内 ミサ; Jōnouchi Misa) (born 1960) is a composer, pianist, conductor and singer who creates…Missa Johnouchi (城之内 ミサ; Jōnouchi Misa) (born 1960) is a composer, pianist, conductor and singer who creates Asian-styled new-age music. Missa Johnouchi was named UNESCO Artist for Peace in August 2006, and works to commemorate the 1300th anniversary of the Capital of Nara Heijo-Kyo. It was the first time a Japanese female composer and conductor was appointed a UNESCO Artist for Peace.
Mutsumi Inomata (いのまたむつみ, born 猪股 睦弥, Inomata Mutsumi; December 23, 1960 – March 10, 2024) was a Japanese illustrator…Mutsumi Inomata (いのまたむつみ, born 猪股 睦弥, Inomata Mutsumi; December 23, 1960 – March 10, 2024) was a Japanese illustrator and animator.
Naoyuki Uchida (内田 直行, Uchida Naoyuki; born December 23, 1960), known by his pen name Yukito Ayatsuji (綾辻 行人, Ayatsuji…Naoyuki Uchida (内田 直行, Uchida Naoyuki; born December 23, 1960), known by his pen name Yukito Ayatsuji (綾辻 行人, Ayatsuji Yukito), is a Japanese writer of mystery and horror. He is one of the founders of Honkaku Mystery Writers Club of Japan and one of the representative writers of the new traditionalist movement in Japanese mystery writing. His wife is Fuyumi Ono, a Japanese fantasy and horror writer who is known for her fantasy series The Twelve Kingdoms. His first novel The Decagon House Murders was ranked as the No. 8 novel on the Top 100 Japanese Mystery Novels of All Time. In 2018, a minor planet (2001 RG46) was named as Yukito Ayatsuji.
Kazumi Okamura (born December 23, 1957) is a Japanese jurist who has served as an associate justice of the Supreme…Kazumi Okamura (born December 23, 1957) is a Japanese jurist who has served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of Japan since 2019.
Junji Nishimura (西村 純二, Nishimura Junji; born December 23, 1955) is a Japanese anime director and producer currently…Junji Nishimura (西村 純二, Nishimura Junji; born December 23, 1955) is a Japanese anime director and producer currently residing in Karatsu, Saga. After graduating from Meiji Gakuin University in 1980, Nishimura entered into the anime studio Nishiko Production. Nishimura had his first job as a producer for Baldios in 1980, and went on to be in charge of production in other series such as Six God Combination Godmars, and Magical Princess Minky Momo in 1982. An episode of Urusei Yatsura he directed in 1982, "After You've Gone" (episode #44), was voted the favorite episode of the TV series by Japanese fans. In 1984, Nishimura resigned from Nishiko and in 1985 had his director debut with Pro Golfer Saru. Since then, he has worked as the director on many anime produced by Studio Deen, notably Ranma ½ (serving as series director on later television seasons and for the OVA series as well) and Kyo Kara Maoh!. In 2019, he was named as director of a new anime series, Vladlove, about a girl vampire that was written by Mamoru Oshii and financed by Ichigo Inc.
Yoichi Machishima (町島 洋一, Machishima Yōichi; born 23 December 1954) is a Japanese former cyclist. He competed in the…Yoichi Machishima (町島 洋一, Machishima Yōichi; born 23 December 1954) is a Japanese former cyclist. He competed in the individual and team pursuit events at the 1976 Summer Olympics and 1974 Asian Games. He was mostly known in Japan as a professional keirin cyclist.
Kumi Taguchi (田口久美, Taguchi Kumi) is a Japanese actress of mixed ancestry who is best known for her roles in Nikkatsu's…Kumi Taguchi (田口久美, Taguchi Kumi) is a Japanese actress of mixed ancestry who is best known for her roles in Nikkatsu's Roman porno series in the 1970s.
Shofukutei Tsurube II (笑福亭 鶴瓶 (2代目), Shōfukutei Tsurube (Nidaime)), born Manabu Suruga (駿河 学, Suruga Manabu), is a…Shofukutei Tsurube II (笑福亭 鶴瓶 (2代目), Shōfukutei Tsurube (Nidaime)), born Manabu Suruga (駿河 学, Suruga Manabu), is a Japanese rakugo comedian and actor.
Michiyoshi Inoue (井上道義, Inoue Michiyoshi) (born on December 23, 1946) is a Japanese conductor. He is a recipient of the…Michiyoshi Inoue (井上道義, Inoue Michiyoshi) (born on December 23, 1946) is a Japanese conductor. He is a recipient of the Cantelli Award.
Naoko Fukatsu (深津 尚子, Fukatsu Naoko; born 23 December 1944 in Okazaki, Aichi) is a former international table tennis…Naoko Fukatsu (深津 尚子, Fukatsu Naoko; born 23 December 1944 in Okazaki, Aichi) is a former international table tennis player from Japan.
Kenji Maruyama (丸山 健二, Maruyama Kenji; born December 23, 1943) is a Japanese author. He received the Akutagawa Prize…Kenji Maruyama (丸山 健二, Maruyama Kenji; born December 23, 1943) is a Japanese author. He received the Akutagawa Prize for one of his novels, Summer’s Passage (夏の流れ, Natsu no nagare), in 1966, at the age of 23, becoming the third of an often touted group of college seniors to win the prize at age 23, following Ishihara Shintaro and Oe Kenzaburo.
Reiko Kobayashi (小林 禮子, Kobayashi Reiko; 1939–1996), formerly Reiko Kitani (木谷 禮子, Kitani Reiko), was a Japanese female…Reiko Kobayashi (小林 禮子, Kobayashi Reiko; 1939–1996), formerly Reiko Kitani (木谷 禮子, Kitani Reiko), was a Japanese female 7-dan professional Go player at Nihon Ki-in.
Shinzō Watanabe (渡辺 信三 Watanabe Shinzō, born 23 December 1935) is a Japanese mathematician, who has made fundamental…Shinzō Watanabe (渡辺 信三 Watanabe Shinzō, born 23 December 1935) is a Japanese mathematician, who has made fundamental contributions to probability theory, stochastic processes and stochastic differential equations. He is revered as a luminary in the field of modern probability theory and stochastic calculus. The pioneering book “Stochastic Differential Equations and Diffusion Processes” he wrote with Nobuyuki Ikeda has attracted a lot of researchers into the area and is known as the “Ikeda-Watanabe” for researchers in the field of stochastic analysis. He serves as the editor of Springer Mathematics.
Shinji Tatsuta (23 December 1914 – 1 January 1991) was a Japanese ski jumper. He competed in the individual event at…Shinji Tatsuta (23 December 1914 – 1 January 1991) was a Japanese ski jumper. He competed in the individual event at the 1936 Winter Olympics.
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.