Kazuro Morita (森田 和郎, Morita Kazurō) (1955 – July 27, 2012) was a Japanese video game designer known for his work on…
Kazuro Morita (森田 和郎, Morita Kazurō) (1955 – July 27, 2012) was a Japanese video game designer known for his work on the Morita's Shogi video game series. Becoming interested in computer programming during high school, he entered magazine competitions during his university years, creating video game versions of board games. He won a competition organised by Enix in 1982 with the video game Morita's Battlefield, which was published the following year to great commercial success. Following this success he established Random House, developing his Shogi series and several other game projects, several published by Enix. From 1999, he remained as a programmer for Yuki Entertainment (later Examu) following their acquisition of Random House's properties. He continued acting as a company manager while contributing to the programming of titles including Samurai Shodown V and VI. Among those whom he was survived by are his wife Sakicho, and his brother politician Takashi Morita.
Famous People Born in January
January: 2,106 people
Mami Koyama (小山 茉美, Koyama Mami; born January 17, 1955) is a Japanese actress, voice actress and narrator affiliated…
Mami Koyama (小山 茉美, Koyama Mami; born January 17, 1955) is a Japanese actress, voice actress and narrator affiliated with Aoni Production. Her best-known voice roles include Ophiuchus Shaina in Saint Seiya, Arale Norimaki in Dr. Slump, Minky Momo in Magical Princess Minky Momo, Lunch in Dragon Ball, Kaguya Ōtsutsuki in Naruto: Shippuden, Korosuke in Kiteretsu Daihyakka, Ryoko Mendo in Urusei Yatsura, and Charlotte Linlin (Big Mom) in One Piece, Vermouth in Detective Conan. Some of her notable roles in the 1990s and 2000s anime include Balalaika in Black Lagoon, Talia Gladys in Gundam Seed Destiny, Eva Heinemann in Monster, and Yōko Itoigawa in Hyōka. In feature films, she voiced Kei in Akira, and the adult Chiyoko Fujiwara in Millennium Actress.
Tomoko Kami (紙 智子, Kami Tomoko), also known as Tomoko Uchiyama (born January 13, 1955), is a Japanese politician and…
Tomoko Kami (紙 智子, Kami Tomoko), also known as Tomoko Uchiyama (born January 13, 1955), is a Japanese politician and former member of the House of Councillors for the Japanese Communist Party. She first assumed office in the House of Councillors in 2001 and has been elected four times. A member of the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Committee, Kami is an advocate of policies that support family farming.
Mikio Igarashi (いがらしみきお or 五十嵐 三喜夫, Igarashi Mikio) is a Japanese manga artist born 13 January 1955 in the town of…
Mikio Igarashi (いがらしみきお or 五十嵐 三喜夫, Igarashi Mikio) is a Japanese manga artist born 13 January 1955 in the town of Nakaniida (now Kami), Kami District, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, though he lives in the city of Sendai. He is best known for his manga series Bonobono and Ninpen Manmaru. In 1988, he won the Kodansha Manga Award for general manga for Bonobono and the Shogakukan Manga Award for children's manga for Ninpen Manmaru.
Ran Itō (伊藤 蘭, Itō Ran; born 13 January 1955) is a Japanese actress and previous member of the 1970s idol group…
Ran Itō (伊藤 蘭, Itō Ran; born 13 January 1955) is a Japanese actress and previous member of the 1970s idol group Candies. As the leading member of Candies, Itō was in charge of the solo of most of the trio's hit songs. Itō was born in Kichijōji, Musashino, Tokyo, Japan. She is married to actor Yutaka Mizutani. Itō won the award for best supporting actress at the 2nd Yokohama Film Festival for Disciples of Hippocrates. In 2019, Itō released her first solo album, My Bouquet. On 15 February 2020, she kicked off her first concert tour, My Bouquet & My Dear Candies!, which featured several Candies songs in the set list.
Mamoru Fujieda (藤枝 守, Fujieda Mamoru; born 1955) is a Japanese composer associated with the postminimalist movement of…
Mamoru Fujieda (藤枝 守, Fujieda Mamoru; born 1955) is a Japanese composer associated with the postminimalist movement of contemporary classical music.
Mikio Katagiri (片桐 幹雄, Katagiri Mikio; born 9 January 1955) is a Japanese alpine skier. He competed in the 1976 Winter…
Mikio Katagiri (片桐 幹雄, Katagiri Mikio; born 9 January 1955) is a Japanese alpine skier. He competed in the 1976 Winter Olympics and the 1980 Winter Olympics.
Kunimitsu Itō (伊藤 国光, Itō Kunimitsu; born January 6, 1955 in Ina, Nagano) is a retired long-distance runner from Japan…
Kunimitsu Itō (伊藤 国光, Itō Kunimitsu; born January 6, 1955 in Ina, Nagano) is a retired long-distance runner from Japan, who finished second in the 1981 edition of the Fukuoka Marathon on December 6, 1981.
Eri Watanabe (渡辺 えり, Watanabe Eri), who was previously known as Eriko Watanabe (渡辺 えり子, Eriko Watanabe), is a Japanese…
Eri Watanabe (渡辺 えり, Watanabe Eri), who was previously known as Eriko Watanabe (渡辺 えり子, Eriko Watanabe), is a Japanese actress. She won the award for Best Supporting Actress at the 21st Hochi Film Awards for Shall We Dance?.
Hiromi Yano (矢野 広美, Yano Hiromi) (born 5 January 1955) is a Japanese volleyball player and Olympic champion. Yano was a…
Hiromi Yano (矢野 広美, Yano Hiromi) (born 5 January 1955) is a Japanese volleyball player and Olympic champion. Yano was a member of the Japanese winning team at the 1976 Olympic games.
Naoko Sato (佐藤 直子, Satō Naoko; born 2 January 1955) is a retired Japanese professional tennis player.
Masakazu Suzuki (鈴木 政一, Suzuki Masakazu; born January 1, 1955) is a former Japanese football player and manager who is…
Masakazu Suzuki (鈴木 政一, Suzuki Masakazu; born January 1, 1955) is a former Japanese football player and manager who is currently the assistant coach of the Myanmar national football team.
Yukinobu Hoshino (星野 之宣, Hoshino Yukinobu; born January 29, 1954) is a Japanese manga artist.
Reiko Aonuma (青沼 令子, Aonuma Reiko; born 28 January 1954) is a Japanese basketball player. She competed in the women's…
Reiko Aonuma (青沼 令子, Aonuma Reiko; born 28 January 1954) is a Japanese basketball player. She competed in the women's tournament at the 1976 Summer Olympics.
Jōkō Ninomiya (二宮 城光, Ninomiya Jōkō; born January 27, 1954) is the founder and director of Enshin Karate. He presides…
Jōkō Ninomiya (二宮 城光, Ninomiya Jōkō; born January 27, 1954) is the founder and director of Enshin Karate. He presides over the Enshin organization from the headquarters (honbu) in Denver, Colorado. His title as head of the Enshin organization is "Kanchō" (Grandmaster).
Fumiyo Kohinata (小日向 文世, Kohinata Fumiyo; born January 23, 1954 in Mikasa, Hokkaido, Japan) is a Japanese actor.
Kantaro Tomiyama (富山 幹太郎, Tomiyama Kantarō; born January 22, 1954) is the chairman of the giant Japanese toy…
Kantaro Tomiyama (富山 幹太郎, Tomiyama Kantarō; born January 22, 1954) is the chairman of the giant Japanese toy, children's merchandise and entertainment company, Tomy Company, Ltd. (known as Takara Tomy in Japanese). Kantaro Tomiyama was born in 1954 in Tokyo, Japan and is the grandson of the founder of Tomy, Eiichiro Tomiyama. In 1982, Kantaro entered Tomy after graduation from University of Hull in Britain. He became president of Tomy in 1986.
Yuji Matsuo (松尾 雄治, Matsuo Yūji; born 20 January 1954) is a former Japanese rugby union player and a sports journalist.…
Yuji Matsuo (松尾 雄治, Matsuo Yūji; born 20 January 1954) is a former Japanese rugby union player and a sports journalist. He played as a fly-half. Matsuo was one of the greatest Japanese rugby players of all times and played for Shin-Nittetsu Kamaishi. He left competition in 1985, after seven consecutive wins. He had 24 caps for Japan, from 1974 to 1984, scoring 3 tries, 5 conversions, 14 penalties and 3 drop goals, in an aggregate of 73 points. After finishing his player career he became a sports journalist for the Japanese television.
Yumi Matsutoya (松任谷 由実, Matsutōya Yumi; born January 19, 1954), nicknamed Yuming (ユーミン, Yūmin), is a Japanese singer…
Yumi Matsutoya (松任谷 由実, Matsutōya Yumi; born January 19, 1954), nicknamed Yuming (ユーミン, Yūmin), is a Japanese singer, composer, lyricist and pianist. Matsutoya often writes both the lyrics and the music to her songs, and is renowned for her idiosyncratic voice and live performances. She is one of the most prominent figures in the history of Japanese popular music. Matsutoya's recording career has been commercially successful, with more than 42 million records sold. In 1990, her album The Gates of Heaven became the first album to be certified "2x million" by the RIAJ, and she has had twenty-one No. 1 albums listed on the Oricon charts. She is the only artist to have at least one number-one album every year on the Oricon charts for 18 consecutive years. After gaining several years of experience as a session musician, she debuted as a singer-songwriter in 1972. During her early career, she worked under her maiden name Yumi Arai (荒井 由実, Arai Yumi). In 1975, Arai became known as a composer for "Ichigo Hakusho wo Mou Ichido", a commercially successful song recorded by the folk duo BanBan. She also gained popularity as a vocalist in the same year through the success of "Ano Hi ni Kaeritai", which became her first number-one hit on Japan's Oricon Charts. "Haru-yo, Koi" is another of her famous songs. In The Encyclopedia of Contemporary Japanese Culture, it is written that "Yuming incorporated influences from progressive rock and European pop to produce a sophisticated, upper-middle-class female Japanese voice and sound in a contemporary musical and journalistic world dominated by discussions of folk music and social critique. This musical idiom is generally thought to have been first realised on [...] Cobalt Hour". The album The 14th Moon and the three albums that ranked in the top 10 of the Japanese charts in 1976 (Cobalt Hour, Yuming Brand, and Hikōki-gumo) "contained several songs which are considered to be early classics of the J-pop genre." After marrying her musical collaborator Masataka Matsutoya in 1976, Arai began recording under her married name and has continued to do so. Throughout the 1980s, Matsutoya's music was prominently featured in advertisements for Mitsubishi Motors in her native Japan and her image was used to promote their vehicles. In addition to multiple hit singles, she has obtained enormous commercial success on the Japanese Albums Chart, particularly during the late 1980s and the first half of the 1990s.
Yoshinori Tadokoro (田所 嘉徳, Tadokoro Yoshinori; born 19 January 1954) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic…
Yoshinori Tadokoro (田所 嘉徳, Tadokoro Yoshinori; born 19 January 1954) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, who serves as a member of the House of Representatives.
Shigeo Nakajima (中島 成雄, Nakajima Shigeo; born January 16, 1954) is a retired Japanese boxer who is a former WBC junior…
Shigeo Nakajima (中島 成雄, Nakajima Shigeo; born January 16, 1954) is a retired Japanese boxer who is a former WBC junior flyweight champion. He is an alumnus of the Komazawa University. Nakajima began boxing at Yonekura Boxing Gym at the age of a high school student. He compiled an amateur record of 80–15 (48 KOs) before turning professional.
Tetsumi Takara (高良 鉄美, Takara Tetsumi; born January 15, 1954) is a Japanese politician currently serving as a member of…
Tetsumi Takara (高良 鉄美, Takara Tetsumi; born January 15, 1954) is a Japanese politician currently serving as a member of the National Diet in the House of Councillors. He was elected on July 27, 2019, representing the Okinawa at-large district which encompasses the entirety of Okinawa Prefecture.
Masakazu Mori (Japanese: 森 正和), better known by his stage name Yukinojo Mori (森雪之丞, Mori Yukinojō), is a Japanese…
Masakazu Mori (Japanese: 森 正和), better known by his stage name Yukinojo Mori (森雪之丞, Mori Yukinojō), is a Japanese lyricist, composer and poet who is affiliated with Amuse, Inc. He has written over 2,500 songs for numerous artists such as Kyosuke Himuro, Takuro Yoshida and Junichi Inagaki and theme songs for anime series including Dragon Ball Z and Kinnikuman.
Masanobu Fuchi (渕 正信, Fuchi Masanobu; born January 14, 1954) is a Japanese professional wrestler signed to All Japan…
Masanobu Fuchi (渕 正信, Fuchi Masanobu; born January 14, 1954) is a Japanese professional wrestler signed to All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), where he is also a director and the co-head booker. Fuchi has exclusively worked for All Japan since his debut in 1974, and holds the record for the longest World Junior Heavyweight Championship reign at 1,309 days. Fuchi became a freelancer in 2009, but officially re-signed with AJPW in 2013 as both a director and wrestler, making him the longest tenured member of the All Japan roster.
Junichi Ishida (石田 純一, Ishida Jun'ichi; born 14 January 1954 as Tarō Ishida (石田 太郎)) is a Japanese actor and television…
Junichi Ishida (石田 純一, Ishida Jun'ichi; born 14 January 1954 as Tarō Ishida (石田 太郎)) is a Japanese actor and television personality from Tokyo. He is married to professional golfer Riko Higashio.
Kunio Mikuriya (御厨 邦雄, Mikuriya Kunio) was the Secretary General of the World Customs Organization (WCO) from 2009 to…
Kunio Mikuriya (御厨 邦雄, Mikuriya Kunio) was the Secretary General of the World Customs Organization (WCO) from 2009 to 2023.
Satoshi Kirishima (Japanese: 桐島聡, romanized: Kirishima Satoshi, January 9, 1954 – January 29, 2024) was a Japanese…
Satoshi Kirishima (Japanese: 桐島聡, romanized: Kirishima Satoshi, January 9, 1954 – January 29, 2024) was a Japanese anarchist, terrorist, and member of the East Asia Anti-Japan Armed Front. Kirishima had been hiding from the Japanese police since 1975. He revealed his identity in January 2024 in a hospital in Kanagawa, stating he wanted to spend the final days of his life using his real name. It was revealed he had been living under the pseudonym of 'Hiroshi Uchida' (Japanese: 内田洋, romanized: Uchida Hiroshi) in Fujisawa. He died three days later in Kamakura. Kirishima was considered one of Japan's most wanted criminals for a long time. His mugshot, which could be found at police stations across Japan, was well known for his grin and was often parodied.
Tateo "Jet" Ozaki (尾崎 健夫, Ozaki Tateo; born 9 January 1954) is a Japanese professional golfer.
Yasushi Tao (田尾 安志, Tao Yasushi; born January 8, 1954 in Mitoyo, Kagawa) is a Japanese retired Nippon Professional…
Yasushi Tao (田尾 安志, Tao Yasushi; born January 8, 1954 in Mitoyo, Kagawa) is a Japanese retired Nippon Professional Baseball player. He was raised in Osaka. After playing, Tao managed the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. In his one year as manager, the Eagles finished in last in the PL and was the first PL team in 40 years to lose over 90 games in a single season.
Masahiro Kobayashi (小林 政広, Kobayashi Masahiro; January 6, 1954 – August 20, 2022) was a Japanese film director.
Harumi Takahashi (高橋 はるみ, Takahashi Harumi; born 6 January 1954) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic…
Harumi Takahashi (高橋 はるみ, Takahashi Harumi; born 6 January 1954) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party and currently a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature).
Yuji Horii (Japanese: 堀井 雄二, Hepburn: Horii Yūji; born January 6, 1954) is a Japanese author, video game designer…
Yuji Horii (Japanese: 堀井 雄二, Hepburn: Horii Yūji; born January 6, 1954) is a Japanese author, video game designer, writer and director best known as the creator of the Dragon Quest franchise, supervising and writing the scenario for Chrono Trigger, and The Portopia Serial Murder Case, released in 1983 as one of the first visual novel adventure games. Horii is CEO of his own company, Armor Project, a company that has an exclusive production contract with Square Enix, a contract established with Enix before the company merged with Square, and is also one of the companies who co-own the Dragon Quest franchise alongside Square Enix. In 2025, Horii became the first video game creator to receive the Order of the Rising Sun from the Japanese government for his contributions to the arts.
Kiyoshi Nakahata (中畑 清, Nakahata Kiyoshi; born January 6, 1954) is a Japanese former Nippon Professional Baseball…
Kiyoshi Nakahata (中畑 清, Nakahata Kiyoshi; born January 6, 1954) is a Japanese former Nippon Professional Baseball player. He played for the Yomiuri Giants (1976–1989). He managed the Yokohama DeNA BayStars for four seasons from 2011 to 2015.
Toshiko Miyamoto (宮本 敏子, Miyamoto Toshiko; born 4 January 1954) is a Japanese gymnast. She competed at the 1972 Summer…
Toshiko Miyamoto (宮本 敏子, Miyamoto Toshiko; born 4 January 1954) is a Japanese gymnast. She competed at the 1972 Summer Olympics.
Akira Kudo (工藤 章, born 1 January 1954 in Iwate Prefecture) is a Japanese former wrestler who competed in the 1976…
Akira Kudo (工藤 章, born 1 January 1954 in Iwate Prefecture) is a Japanese former wrestler who competed in the 1976 Summer Olympics.
Ryūichi Hiroki (廣木 隆一, Hiroki Ryūichi; born January 1, 1954) is a Japanese film director. He won critical acclaim for…
Ryūichi Hiroki (廣木 隆一, Hiroki Ryūichi; born January 1, 1954) is a Japanese film director. He won critical acclaim for 800 Two Lap Runners. Film critic and researcher Alexander Jacoby has described Hiroki as "one of the modern Japanese cinema's most intelligent students of character".
Teruichi Aono (青野 照市, Aono Teruichi; born January 1, 1953) is a Japanese retired professional shogi player from Yaizu…
Teruichi Aono (青野 照市, Aono Teruichi; born January 1, 1953) is a Japanese retired professional shogi player from Yaizu, Shizuoka who achieved the rank of 9-dan.
Kuniaki Haishima (蓜島邦明) is a Japanese musician and composer. He is known for his music in several anime and tokusatsu…
Kuniaki Haishima (蓜島邦明) is a Japanese musician and composer. He is known for his music in several anime and tokusatsu shows, as well as video games, films and dorama. His compositions for the Fuji TV series Tales of the Unusual are his most famous work, though he also composed the soundtrack for Metroid: Other M for the Wii, for which he is known abroad.
Takashi Saito (斎藤 隆, Saitō Takashi; born 28 January 1953) is a Japanese weightlifter. He competed in the men's…
Takashi Saito (斎藤 隆, Saitō Takashi; born 28 January 1953) is a Japanese weightlifter. He competed in the men's featherweight event at the 1976 Summer Olympics.
Takashi Maruyama (丸山 孝, Maruyama Takashi; born 28 January 1953) is a Japanese volleyball player. He competed in the…
Takashi Maruyama (丸山 孝, Maruyama Takashi; born 28 January 1953) is a Japanese volleyball player. He competed in the men's tournament at the 1976 Summer Olympics.
Shizuo Akira (審良 静男, Akira Shizuo) (born January 27, 1953, in Higashiōsaka) is a professor at the Department of Host…
Shizuo Akira (審良 静男, Akira Shizuo) (born January 27, 1953, in Higashiōsaka) is a professor at the Department of Host Defense, Osaka University, Japan. He has made ground-breaking discoveries in the field of immunology, most significantly in the area of innate host defense mechanisms.
Mitsuo Kato (加藤 光雄, Katō Mitsuo; born 22 January 1953) is a Japanese former professional football player.
Shigeru So (宗 茂, Sō Shigeru) (born 9 January 1953 in Usuki, Ōita) is a Japanese retired long-distance runner who…
Shigeru So (宗 茂, Sō Shigeru) (born 9 January 1953 in Usuki, Ōita) is a Japanese retired long-distance runner who represented his native country at two Summer Olympics: 1976 and 1984. He won the 1985 edition of the Tokyo Marathon. His twin brother Takeshi So is also a retired Olympic marathoner, and finished fourth in Los Angeles, California (1984). Both Shigeru So and his twin brother Takeshi So were known for attending training camps in New Zealand, including at Mount Taranaki. Some road racing authorities consider his winning run at the Beppu-Ōita Marathon in 1978 (2:09:05.6) to have been a marathon world best.
Takeshi So (宗猛, Sō Takeshi; born January 9, 1953 in Usuki, Ōita) is a retired long-distance runner from Japan, who…
Takeshi So (宗猛, Sō Takeshi; born January 9, 1953 in Usuki, Ōita) is a retired long-distance runner from Japan, who represented his native country at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California.
Kazumi Matsui (松井 一實, Matsui Kazumi; born January 8, 1953) is a Japanese politician and the current mayor of Hiroshima…
Kazumi Matsui (松井 一實, Matsui Kazumi; born January 8, 1953) is a Japanese politician and the current mayor of Hiroshima, the capital city of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan.
Masayuki Mori (森昌行, Mori Masayuki; born 1953 in Tottori, Japan) is a Japanese film producer. He is best known for…
Masayuki Mori (森昌行, Mori Masayuki; born 1953 in Tottori, Japan) is a Japanese film producer. He is best known for collaborating as a producer for films made by actor and filmmaker Takeshi Kitano under Kitano's production company, Office Kitano.
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.
Echiko Maeda (前田 悦智子, Maeda Echiko) (born 31 January 1952) is a Japanese volleyball player and Olympic champion. Maeda…
Echiko Maeda (前田 悦智子, Maeda Echiko) (born 31 January 1952) is a Japanese volleyball player and Olympic champion. Maeda was a member of the Japanese gold medal winning team at the 1976 Olympic games.
Tomokazu Miura (三浦 友和, Miura Tomokazu; born Miura Minoru (三浦 稔) on January 28, 1952) is a Japanese actor.
Koichi Tani (谷 公一, Tani Kōichi; born 28 January 1952) is a Japanese politician serving in the House of Representatives…
Koichi Tani (谷 公一, Tani Kōichi; born 28 January 1952) is a Japanese politician serving in the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature) as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. A native of Muraoka, Hyōgo and graduate of Meiji University, he was elected for the first time in 2003.