Sho Sakurai (櫻井 翔, Sakurai Shō) (born January 25, 1982) is a Japanese singer, songwriter, rapper, actor, news anchor…
Sho Sakurai (櫻井 翔, Sakurai Shō) (born January 25, 1982) is a Japanese singer, songwriter, rapper, actor, news anchor, host and former radio host, under agent contract with Starto Entertainment. He is a former member of the boy band Arashi, group to which he belonged until the day it ended activities, May 31, 2026. Sakurai began his career in the entertainment industry when he joined the Japanese talent agency Johnny & Associates in 1995 at the age of 13. About seven years after his debut as a singer with Arashi in 1999, he became a newscaster in 2006, appearing in the news program News Zero every Monday. In 2008, he was appointed the official newscaster for the news coverage of the Olympic Games in Beijing on NTV. For his work as an actor, singer and newscaster, Sakurai became one of the recipients of GQ Japan's Men of the Year award in 2009. His father is Shun Sakurai, former vice-minister of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.
Famous People Born in January
January: 2,106 people
Tomohito Yoneno (米野 智人, born January 21, 1982, in Sapporo) is a Japanese professional baseball catcher for the Hokkaido…
Tomohito Yoneno (米野 智人, born January 21, 1982, in Sapporo) is a Japanese professional baseball catcher for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball.
Yusuke Shimada (島田 裕介, Shimada Yusuke; born 19 January 1982) is a Japanese former professional footballer who played as…
Yusuke Shimada (島田 裕介, Shimada Yusuke; born 19 January 1982) is a Japanese former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He currently serves as the first-team coach for J2 League club RB Omiya Ardija.
Yasutaka Nakasone (Japanese: 中曽根康隆; born 19 January 1982) is a Japanese politician, who served as a member of the House…
Yasutaka Nakasone (Japanese: 中曽根康隆; born 19 January 1982) is a Japanese politician, who served as a member of the House of Representatives since 2017. He also served as a Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Defense under Prime Minister Fumio Kishida from 2021 to 2022. From 2024 to October 2025, he served as director of the LDP Youth Division. From October 2025 to September 2026, he served as Deputy Chairman of the Diet Affairs Committee, Liberal Democratic Party. He serves as State Minister for Foreign Affairs. He is the son of Hirofumi and Mariko Nakasone, and a grandson of Yasuhiro Nakasone.
Masanao Takahashi (高橋 正直, Takahashi Masanao; born 18 January 1982) is a Japanese Olympic dressage rider. Representing…
Masanao Takahashi (高橋 正直, Takahashi Masanao; born 18 January 1982) is a Japanese Olympic dressage rider. Representing Japan, he competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro where he finished 58th in the individual and 11th in the team competitions. Takahashi also competed at the 2006 Asian Games, where he won a bronze medal in team dressage.
Hayato Chiba (千葉 逸人, born 18 January 1982) is a Japanese mathematician and professor at the Advanced Institute for…
Hayato Chiba (千葉 逸人, born 18 January 1982) is a Japanese mathematician and professor at the Advanced Institute for Materials Research of Tōhoku University. He mainly concerns himself with the theory of dynamical systems, especially bifurcation theory, and proved the Kuramoto conjecture about infinite-dimensional differential equations with chaotic behavior. He obtained his doctorate degree in information sciences at the University of Kyoto.
Hōchiyama Kōkan (born January 18, 1982, as Yukimi Munakata) is a former sumo wrestler from Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture…
Hōchiyama Kōkan (born January 18, 1982, as Yukimi Munakata) is a former sumo wrestler from Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture, Japan. He joined professional sumo in 2000. His highest rank was maegashira 14, achieved in 2006. After illness saw him demoted to the third makushita division in 2008, he returned to the second highest jūryō division in 2010 and the top makuuchi division in September 2011. After winning the sandanme division he had just been demoted to in November 2013, he chose to retire. He is now a coach at Sakaigawa stable under the name of Tatsutagawa (立田川).
Atsushi Matsuura (松浦 淳, Matsuura Atsushi; born January 10, 1982) is a former Japanese football player.
Junya Sano (佐野 淳哉, Sano Jun'ya; born January 9, 1982) is a Japanese former-professional road bicycle racer, who last…
Junya Sano (佐野 淳哉, Sano Jun'ya; born January 9, 1982) is a Japanese former-professional road bicycle racer, who last rode for the cycling team Matrix Powertag.
Kenta Kurihara (栗原 健太, Kurihara Kenta; born January 8, 1982) is a Japanese former professional baseball infielder who…
Kenta Kurihara (栗原 健太, Kurihara Kenta; born January 8, 1982) is a Japanese former professional baseball infielder who played for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp and the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. He was last a batting coach for the Chunichi Dragons. The Carp's main cleanup hitter during the early 2000s, Kurihara blossomed into one of the most feared power threats in the Central League. He played in the 2009 World Baseball Classic as an emergency replacement for Shuichi Murata, who suffered an injury in the second round of the tournament.
Ayako Matsumura (松村 亜矢子, Matsumura Ayako; born 8 January 1982) is a Japanese synchronized swimmer who competed in the…
Ayako Matsumura (松村 亜矢子, Matsumura Ayako; born 8 January 1982) is a Japanese synchronized swimmer who competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Simi Taitoko Fale (born 8 January 1982) is a Tongan professional wrestler and former rugby union player. He is signed…
Simi Taitoko Fale (born 8 January 1982) is a Tongan professional wrestler and former rugby union player. He is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where performs under the ring name as Don Fale (ドン・ファレ, Don Fare) and is a member of House of Torture. Best known by his longtime ring name Bad Luck Fale (バッドラック・ファレ, Baddorakku Fare), he is a former three-time NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champion, a one-time IWGP Tag Team Champion and a one-time IWGP Intercontinental Champion. His surname translates to "house" in Tongan, which suits his wrestling persona as an immovable force. Fale is one of the founding members of Bullet Club, an originally all-foreigner stable that saw great success in the company. Fale remained the only founding member to have never left the group until 15 June 2025, when he joined House of Torture. Fale also operates a wrestling school called Fale Dojo, which has helped provide a bridge for non-Japanese wrestlers to perform for New Japan Pro-Wrestling.
Ryang Yong-gi (Korean: 량용기; Hancha: 梁勇基; born 7 January 1982) is a former professional footballer who played as a…
Ryang Yong-gi (Korean: 량용기; Hancha: 梁勇基; born 7 January 1982) is a former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Born in Japan, he represented North Korea internationally. Ryang served as the captain of his club where he played as a creative midfielder. Ryang has made one appearance for the Korea DPR national football team in the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying rounds and was named as one of the North Korean squad for the 2010 AFC Challenge Cup. Ryang won the Golden Boot and Most Valuable Player awards at the competition that guided Korea DPR to win the title and qualify for 2011 AFC Asian Cup.
Takaya Kawauchi (河内 貴哉, Kawauchi Takaya; born January 6, 1982 in Yawata, Kyoto, Japan) is a professional Japanese…
Takaya Kawauchi (河内 貴哉, Kawauchi Takaya; born January 6, 1982 in Yawata, Kyoto, Japan) is a professional Japanese baseball player. He plays pitcher for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp.
Takashi Aizawa (相澤 貴志, Aizawa Takashi; born January 5, 1982) is a former Japanese football player.
Norichika Aoki (青木 宣親, Aoki Norichika; born January 5, 1982) is a Japanese former professional baseball outfielder. He…
Norichika Aoki (青木 宣親, Aoki Norichika; born January 5, 1982) is a Japanese former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers, Kansas City Royals, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros, Toronto Blue Jays, and New York Mets and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. Aoki is one of only six players, alongside Ichiro Suzuki, Matt Murton, Alex Ramirez, Tsuyoshi Nishioka, and Shogo Akiyama, to amass 200 or more hits in a single season in Japanese professional baseball and the only individual to do so in two separate seasons. He played in the 2006, 2009, and 2017 World Baseball Classics as well as the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Shingo Itō (伊藤 真吾, Itō Shingo; born January 4, 1982) is a Japanese professional shogi player ranked 6-dan.
her0ism is a music producer and songwriter, based in Los Angeles, California. Since debuting in 2007, her0ism has sold…
her0ism is a music producer and songwriter, based in Los Angeles, California. Since debuting in 2007, her0ism has sold over 60 million units and received more than 200 #1 records and more than 180 Platinum/Gold Awards globally.
Kojiro Horimizu (堀水 宏次郎, Horimizu Kōjirō, born 1 January 1982) is a Japanese sports shooter from Zentsūji in Kagawa…
Kojiro Horimizu (堀水 宏次郎, Horimizu Kōjirō, born 1 January 1982) is a Japanese sports shooter from Zentsūji in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan.
Hiroshi Iwata (岩田 寛, Iwata Hiroshi; born 31 January 1981) is a Japanese professional golfer who plays on the Japan Golf…
Hiroshi Iwata (岩田 寛, Iwata Hiroshi; born 31 January 1981) is a Japanese professional golfer who plays on the Japan Golf Tour and the Asian Tour.
Natsu Ando (安藤 なつ, Andō Natsu; born 31 January 1981 in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese comedian. She is represented by Sun…
Natsu Ando (安藤 なつ, Andō Natsu; born 31 January 1981 in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese comedian. She is represented by Sun Music Production. She is currently a member of the comedy duo Maple Chogoukin.
Hichori Morimoto (Japanese: 森本 稀哲, Korean: 이희철, Hanja: 李稀哲, born January 31, 1981) is a Japanese professional baseball…
Hichori Morimoto (Japanese: 森本 稀哲, Korean: 이희철, Hanja: 李稀哲, born January 31, 1981) is a Japanese professional baseball player of Korean descent for the Saitama Seibu Lions. He was the number 4 draft pick for the Fighters in 1999. For years, he was the backup for the most popular player in the league, Tsuyoshi Shinjo. After the 2006 season in which the Fighters won the Japan Series, SHINJO (registered name with capital letters) announced his retirement, in which Morimoto then took over SHINJO's center field spot, and also his number 1 (Morimoto had worn number 46 when SHINJO was playing). Morimoto has alopecia areata, an autoimmune disease that causes loss of body hair.
Tomoyuki Sato (佐藤 智之, Satō Tomoyuki; born 31 January 1981) is a Japanese long-distance runner. He finished thirteenth…
Tomoyuki Sato (佐藤 智之, Satō Tomoyuki; born 31 January 1981) is a Japanese long-distance runner. He finished thirteenth in the marathon at the 2007 World Championships.
Tomoyuki Kubota (久保田 智之; born January 30, 1981) is a Japanese pitcher for the Hanshin Tigers in Japan's Nippon…
Tomoyuki Kubota (久保田 智之; born January 30, 1981) is a Japanese pitcher for the Hanshin Tigers in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball. He was selected as a member in the 2006 World Baseball Classic.
Chieko Higuchi (樋口 智恵子, Higuchi Chieko; born January 30, 1981) is a Japanese actress and voice actress from Mitaka…
Chieko Higuchi (樋口 智恵子, Higuchi Chieko; born January 30, 1981) is a Japanese actress and voice actress from Mitaka, Tokyo. She is in the two-person group "Whoops!!" with Maaya Sakamoto.
Kaori Chiba-Fujio (Japanese: 千葉 香織; born January 29, 1981, in Minami-Alps, Yamanashi) is a field hockey player from…
Kaori Chiba-Fujio (Japanese: 千葉 香織; born January 29, 1981, in Minami-Alps, Yamanashi) is a field hockey player from Japan. She has represented her native country at three Summer Olympics (2004, 2008 and 2012). Chiba was the top scorer at the 2006 Women's Hockey World Cup Qualifier in Rome, Italy, alongside Tomomi Komori (Japan), Rhona Simpson (Scotland) and Maryna Vynohradova (Ukraine), each scoring six goals.
Gen Hoshino (星野 源, Hoshino Gen; born January 28, 1981) (Japanese pronunciation: [hoɕino ɡeɴ]) is a Japanese…
Gen Hoshino (星野 源, Hoshino Gen; born January 28, 1981) (Japanese pronunciation: [hoɕino ɡeɴ]) is a Japanese singer-songwriter, musician, actor, and writer.
Otoha (乙葉, Otoha; born January 28, 1981) is a Japanese actress , tarento, and former gravure idol.
Erikson Noguchipinto (ノグチピント・エリキソン, Noguchipinto Erikson; born Erikson Frank Noguchi Pinto; January 27, 1981) is a…
Erikson Noguchipinto (ノグチピント・エリキソン, Noguchipinto Erikson; born Erikson Frank Noguchi Pinto; January 27, 1981) is a former football player. He moved to Japan at age 10 and obtained his Japanese citizenship in 2003. Although he is Brazilian Japanese and thus entitled to have his maternal surname Noguchi as his legal Japanese surname, he chose a combination of his paternal and maternal surnames as his legal Japanese surname.
Yoshihiro Sato (佐藤 嘉洋, Satō Yoshihiro; born January 25, 1981) is a Japanese kickboxer competing in K-1 at middleweight…
Yoshihiro Sato (佐藤 嘉洋, Satō Yoshihiro; born January 25, 1981) is a Japanese kickboxer competing in K-1 at middleweight (−70 kg). He is the former world champion of Muay Thai in WKA and WPKC, and he won the Japanese national tournament of K-1 twice in 2006 and 2007. His official nickname is "Mugen Sniper" which means Infinite Sniper.
Shiori Kamimachi (上町 史織, Kamimachi Shiori; born 1981) is a Japanese team handball player. She plays on the Japanese…
Shiori Kamimachi (上町 史織, Kamimachi Shiori; born 1981) is a Japanese team handball player. She plays on the Japanese national team, and participated at the 2011 World Women's Handball Championship in Brazil.
Kazuhiro Murakami (村上 和弘, Murakami Kazuhiro; born January 20, 1981) is a former Japanese football player He is the…
Kazuhiro Murakami (村上 和弘, Murakami Kazuhiro; born January 20, 1981) is a former Japanese football player He is the current assistant manager of Vegalta Sendai.
Sayaka Sasaki (born 18 January 1981) is a Japanese politician who was a member of the House of Councillors of Japan…
Sayaka Sasaki (born 18 January 1981) is a Japanese politician who was a member of the House of Councillors of Japan from 2013 to 2025.
Naoyuki Daigo (醍醐 直幸, Daigo Naoyuki; born 18 January 1981 in Tokyo) is a retired male high jumper from Japan. His…
Naoyuki Daigo (醍醐 直幸, Daigo Naoyuki; born 18 January 1981 in Tokyo) is a retired male high jumper from Japan. His personal best jump is 2.33 metres, achieved in July 2006 in Kobe. This was the Japanese record until February 2019, when Naoto Tobe broke it by two centimetres.
Kazunari Sanematsu (實松 一成, Sanematsu Kazunari; born January 18, 1981) is a Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball player…
Kazunari Sanematsu (實松 一成, Sanematsu Kazunari; born January 18, 1981) is a Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball player for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in Japan's Pacific League. Before playing for the Fighters he was a member of the Yomiuri Giants.
Kensuke Miyazaki (宮崎 謙介, Miyazaki Kensuke; born 17 January 1981) is a Japanese politician. He served as a member of the…
Kensuke Miyazaki (宮崎 謙介, Miyazaki Kensuke; born 17 January 1981) is a Japanese politician. He served as a member of the House of Representatives for the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) between 2012 and 2016.
Yūya Oikawa (及川 佑, Oikawa Yūya) (born 16 January 1981) is a Japanese speed skater. He competed in the 500 meter speed…
Yūya Oikawa (及川 佑, Oikawa Yūya) (born 16 January 1981) is a Japanese speed skater. He competed in the 500 meter speed skating events in the 2006, 2010, and 2014 Winter Olympics.
Takamichi Seki (関 隆倫, Seki Takamichi; born January 16, 1981) is a former Japanese football player.
Megumi Matsushita (松下 恵, Megumi Matsushita; born 16 January 1981) is a Japanese actress.
Chiharu Niiyama (新山千春, Nīyama Chiharu; born January 14, 1981) is a Japanese actress, tarento, and former gravure idol.…
Chiharu Niiyama (新山千春, Nīyama Chiharu; born January 14, 1981) is a Japanese actress, tarento, and former gravure idol. She is affiliated with Horipro.
Yujiro Takahashi (高橋 裕二郎, Takahashi Yūjirō; born January 13, 1981) is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is signed to…
Yujiro Takahashi (高橋 裕二郎, Takahashi Yūjirō; born January 13, 1981) is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a member of House of Torture. Takahashi entered New Japan in November 2003 with an extensive amateur background, advancing through the dojo and debuting on July 26, 2004, under his full name. He later shortened his name to Yujiro (裕次郎, Yūjirō). From 2007 to 2008, he was a member of the stable Samurai Gym with El Samurai and Ryusuke Taguchi, which ended when Samurai left the company. In 2010, he joined Chaos, where he was a one-time IWGP Tag Team and Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion with Tetsuya Naito, with whom he teamed as No Limit. In 2014, Takahashi defected to Bullet Club, becoming the first non-gaijin member to join the stable. As a member of Bullet Club and House of Torture, he is a one-time NEVER Openweight Champion and a four-time NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champion. During his time in Chaos, he had a "ladies' man" gimmick, which was carried on in Bullet Club. He is referred to as the "Tokyo Pimp" and is often accompanied to the ring by go-go dancer, the "Tokyo Latina" Pieter.
Ryotaro Doi (土居 龍太郎, Doi Ryōtarō) (born January 11, 1981) is a former professional baseball player in Japan. Doi for a…
Ryotaro Doi (土居 龍太郎, Doi Ryōtarō) (born January 11, 1981) is a former professional baseball player in Japan. Doi for a period played for the Yokohama BayStars. Doi played as a pitcher.
Uri Nakayama (中山 うり, Nakayama Uri; born January 9, 1981) is a female singer-songwriter and hairdresser in Japan.
Shoko Mikami (三上 尚子, Mikami Shōko; born January 8, 1981) is a former Japanese football player and manager. She played…
Shoko Mikami (三上 尚子, Mikami Shōko; born January 8, 1981) is a former Japanese football player and manager. She played for Japan national team.
Yoshihiko Matsumoto (松本 慶彦, Matsumoto Yoshihiko; born 7 January 1981) is a Japanese volleyball player. He competed in…
Yoshihiko Matsumoto (松本 慶彦, Matsumoto Yoshihiko; born 7 January 1981) is a Japanese volleyball player. He competed in the men's tournament at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Rin Kono (河野臨, Kōno Rin; born January 7, 1981) is a Japanese professional Go player.
Riki Fukuda (Japanese: 福田 力, Fukuda Riki; born January 6, 1981), is a Japanese mixed martial artist currently competing…
Riki Fukuda (Japanese: 福田 力, Fukuda Riki; born January 6, 1981), is a Japanese mixed martial artist currently competing in the Middleweight division. A professional competitor since 2004, he has formerly competed for the UFC, EliteXC, DEEP, DREAM, K-1 (MMA), Shooto, and Pancrase. Currently, he runs an izakaya-style restaurant in Leiden, The Netherlands.
Aki Shibata (芝田安希 Shibata Aki, born January 6, 1981) was a Japanese volleyball player who played for Toray Arrows. She…
Aki Shibata (芝田安希 Shibata Aki, born January 6, 1981) was a Japanese volleyball player who played for Toray Arrows. She served as captain of the team between 2008 and 2010. Toray announced that she retired in June 2010.
Takamasa Oe (大江 崇允, Ōe Takamasa; born 6 January 1981) is a Japanese screenwriter. He was co-nominated with Ryusuke…
Takamasa Oe (大江 崇允, Ōe Takamasa; born 6 January 1981) is a Japanese screenwriter. He was co-nominated with Ryusuke Hamaguchi for an Academy Award in the category Best Adapted Screenplay for the film Drive My Car.
Rinko Kikuchi () (菊地 凛子, Kikuchi Rinko; born Yuriko Kikuchi (菊地 百合子, Kikuchi Yuriko), January 6, 1981) is a Japanese…
Rinko Kikuchi () (菊地 凛子, Kikuchi Rinko; born Yuriko Kikuchi (菊地 百合子, Kikuchi Yuriko), January 6, 1981) is a Japanese actress. She was the first Japanese actress to be nominated for an Academy Award in 50 years, for her work in Babel (2006). Kikuchi's other notable films include Norwegian Wood (2010), which screened in competition at the 67th Venice Film Festival and Guillermo del Toro's science fiction action film Pacific Rim (2013). For her role in the drama film Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter (2014), Kikuchi received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Female Lead. She played a supporting role in the HBO Max crime drama series Tokyo Vice.