Tsuyoshi Kikuchihara (菊地原 毅, Kikuchihara Tsuyoshi; born March 7, 1975) is a Japanese former professional baseball…Tsuyoshi Kikuchihara (菊地原 毅, Kikuchihara Tsuyoshi; born March 7, 1975) is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher. He played in the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) for the China Times Eagles, and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp and Orix Buffaloes.
Kaori Takahashi (高橋 馨, Takahashi Kaori; born 30 March 1974) is a Japanese former synchronized swimmer who competed in…Kaori Takahashi (高橋 馨, Takahashi Kaori; born 30 March 1974) is a Japanese former synchronized swimmer who competed in the 1996 Summer Olympics.
Daisuke Kishio (岸尾 だいすけ, Kishio Daisuke; born March 28, 1974) is a Japanese voice actor, singer and narrator from…Daisuke Kishio (岸尾 だいすけ, Kishio Daisuke; born March 28, 1974) is a Japanese voice actor, singer and narrator from Matsusaka, Mie. He changed his given name from 大輔 to だいすけ on June 1, 2007 with the pronunciation and romanization remaining the same. He joined Aoni Production on April 1, 2014. He used to belong to the Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society (Haikyou) and Horipro and worked as an independent voice actor in between switching agencies. His best known roles include the voice of Jet the Hawk in the Japanese version of the Sonic the Hedgehog series, Loke in Fairy Tail, Cabba in Dragon Ball Super, Junta Teshima in Yowamushi Pedal, and Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu in the Danganronpa series. His other roles include Taigong Wang in the Warriors Orochi series from 2 to 4 and Sima Zhao in the Dynasty Warriors and Warriors Orochi series. At the second Seiyu Awards, he has been nominated for "Best Actor in a Leading role", "Best Actor in a Supporting Role" and "Best Radio Personality".
Kumiko Goto (後藤 久美子, Gotō Kumiko; born on March 26, 1974) is a Japanese actress, model, and former singer active in the…Kumiko Goto (後藤 久美子, Gotō Kumiko; born on March 26, 1974) is a Japanese actress, model, and former singer active in the 1980s. As an actress, she is known for starring in the Otoko wa Tsurai yo films and the Jackie Chan film City Hunter. In 1995, she quit her acting career and married French racing driver Jean Alesi, with whom she has three children, daughter Helena and sons Giuliano and John.
Sumiko Yokoyama (横山 寿美子, Yokoyama Sumiko; born March 25, 1974) is a Japanese cross country skier who competed from 1993…Sumiko Yokoyama (横山 寿美子, Yokoyama Sumiko; born March 25, 1974) is a Japanese cross country skier who competed from 1993 to 2008. Her best World Cup finish was fifth in a 4 x 5 km relay in Switzerland in 2003. Yokoyama also competed in four Winter Olympics, earning her best finish of tenth in the 4 x 5 km relay at Salt Lake City in 2002. Her best finish at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships was 8th in the 4 x 5 km relay at Sapporo in 2007.
Dejima Takeharu (出島 武春, born March 21, 1974) is a former sumo wrestler from Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan. A former amateur…Dejima Takeharu (出島 武春, born March 21, 1974) is a former sumo wrestler from Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan. A former amateur champion, he made his professional debut in 1996, reaching the top makuuchi division the following year. In July 1999 he won the yūshō or tournament championship and earned promotion to the second highest rank of ōzeki. He lost the rank in 2001 and, for the most part, remained a maegashira until his retirement in 2009. He won ten special prizes and six gold stars over his long career. He wrestled for Musashigawa stable. He is now an elder of the Japan Sumo Association under the name Ōnaruto Oyakata.
Hiroyoshi Takayama (高山啓義, Takayama Hiroyoshi; born 18 March 1974) is a Japanese football referee who has been a full…Hiroyoshi Takayama (高山啓義, Takayama Hiroyoshi; born 18 March 1974) is a Japanese football referee who has been a full international referee for FIFA. Takayama became a FIFA referee in 2004. He also refereed in 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Hideaki Ozawa (小澤 英明, Ozawa Hideaki; born 17 March 1974) is a Japanese former professional footballer who played as a…Hideaki Ozawa (小澤 英明, Ozawa Hideaki; born 17 March 1974) is a Japanese former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
Yasunari Iwata (岩田 康誠, Iwata Yasunari) (born March 12, 1974; from Himeji, Hyōgo Prefecture) is a Japanese jockey who…Yasunari Iwata (岩田 康誠, Iwata Yasunari) (born March 12, 1974; from Himeji, Hyōgo Prefecture) is a Japanese jockey who rode the winner of the 2006 Melbourne Cup, Delta Blues. It was Iwata's first race outside Japan. He debuted in the Hyōgo Keiba, one of the racing organizations in National Association of Racing (NAR). He has started riding in selected events in Japan Racing Association (JRA) since 2002. In 2005, Iwata won the 19th World Super Jockey Series Archived 2007-07-15 at the Wayback Machine. Despite not having passed the written test in the past, he was allowed to transfer to JRA in the following year due to "Ankatsu's Rule". He was awarded JRA most winning-jockey in 2011 and 2012, in races won and money earned. His son, Mirai, is also a jockey.
Daisuke Watanabe (渡辺 大祐, Watanabe Daisuke) is a Japanese video game writer employed by Square Enix. He is mostly known…Daisuke Watanabe (渡辺 大祐, Watanabe Daisuke) is a Japanese video game writer employed by Square Enix. He is mostly known for his work on the role-playing video game series Final Fantasy and the action RPG series Kingdom Hearts.
Noriaki Sugiyama (杉山 紀彰, Sugiyama Noriaki) is a Japanese voice actor and narrator. He voiced Uryū Ishida in Bleach…Noriaki Sugiyama (杉山 紀彰, Sugiyama Noriaki) is a Japanese voice actor and narrator. He voiced Uryū Ishida in Bleach, England in Hetalia: Axis Powers, Sasuke Uchiha in Naruto, and Shirō Emiya in the Fate franchise.
Miho Oki (沖美穂, Miho Oki; born 8 March 1974, in Shimizu, Hokkaido, Japan) is a Japanese former women's racing cyclist.…Miho Oki (沖美穂, Miho Oki; born 8 March 1974, in Shimizu, Hokkaido, Japan) is a Japanese former women's racing cyclist. Born in the northern island of Hokkaido, she originally trained to be a speed skater, but switched to cycling when she was 22. She won the first Japanese National Road Race Championships for women held in 1998, a title she ended up winning eleven straight times. From 2002, she became the first Japanese to participate on the women's pro tour in Europe, riding for French, Italian, and Dutch teams. She won the Trophée des Grimpeurs in 2002. She represented Japan at the 2000, 2004, and 2008 Summer Olympics. She retired in 2008 and currently serves as an adviser for women's keirin.
Takanori Ōyama (大山 鎬則, Ōyama Takanori; born March 8, 1974) is a Japanese actor, voice actor and playwright from Aichi…Takanori Ōyama (大山 鎬則, Ōyama Takanori; born March 8, 1974) is a Japanese actor, voice actor and playwright from Aichi Prefecture, Japan. He is probably most known for the roles as Kanji Sasahara (Genshiken) and Yasunobu Hattori (Suzuka).
Daisuke Nakata (中田 大輔, Nakata Daisuke; born March 2, 1974 in Mikawa, Ishikawa, Japan) is a trampoline gymnast who…Daisuke Nakata (中田 大輔, Nakata Daisuke; born March 2, 1974 in Mikawa, Ishikawa, Japan) is a trampoline gymnast who competed for Japan in the 2000 Summer Olympics. Daisuke also performs on SASUKE (known in America as Ninja Warrior), where he is one of the most well-known competitors. On the trampoline, Nakata can jump as high as 26 feet.
Sayaka Aoki (青木 さやか or 青木 沙耶加, Aoki Sayaka; born March 27, 1973) is a Japanese entertainer, comedian, and actress from…Sayaka Aoki (青木 さやか or 青木 沙耶加, Aoki Sayaka; born March 27, 1973) is a Japanese entertainer, comedian, and actress from Owariasahi, Aichi Prefecture.
Kiyonari Shibata (Japanese: 柴田 清成; born 27 March 1973) is a Japanese former track and field athlete and middle-distance…Kiyonari Shibata (Japanese: 柴田 清成; born 27 March 1973) is a Japanese former track and field athlete and middle-distance runner. He is the current Japanese record holder for the mile run, with a personal best of 3:58.89 minutes. His time, set on 11 May 1996, made him the second Japanese man to run a sub-four-minute mile, after Takashi Ishii, who had done so nearly twenty years earlier in 1977. Shibata's 1500 metres best of 3:39.45 minutes is also among the best times for the event by a Japanese, behind Fumikazu Kobayashi and Ishii. Despite his breaking a long-standing national record, Shibata only won at the Japan Championships in Athletics on one occasion, taking the 1500 m title in 1997. That same year he won a gold medal in the event at the East Asian Games in a then games record time of 3:49.90 minutes. The following year he won the second and final international medal of his career at the 1998 Asian Athletics Championships by finishing as runner-up behind multiple Asian champion Mohamed Suleiman. He also ran at the 1998 Asian Games and placed seventh in the 1500 m final. He represented his home region, Toyama Prefecture, twice at the All-Japan Interprefectural Ekiden Championships.
Yōsuke Shinoda (篠田 陽介, Shinoda Yōsuke; born 23 March 1973) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a…Yōsuke Shinoda (篠田 陽介, Shinoda Yōsuke; born 23 March 1973) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Kitami, Hokkaido and graduate of Nagoya Institute of Technology, he was elected for the first time in 2005 after working as a secretary for Tsutomu Takebe, a member of the House of Representatives.
Kanako Abe (Japanese: 阿部 加奈子, romanized: Abe Kanako; born 23 March 1973 in Ōsaka, Ōsaka prefecture) is a Japanese…Kanako Abe (Japanese: 阿部 加奈子, romanized: Abe Kanako; born 23 March 1973 in Ōsaka, Ōsaka prefecture) is a Japanese conductor, composer and pianist. Based in The Hague, Netherlands, she has performed works by contemporary composers, including Tōru Takemitsu, Michaël Levinas, Régis Campo and Bushra El-Turk.
Naoko Sawamatsu (沢松奈生子, Sawamatsu Naoko; born on 23 March 1973) is a former professional tennis player. In her career…Naoko Sawamatsu (沢松奈生子, Sawamatsu Naoko; born on 23 March 1973) is a former professional tennis player. In her career, she won four singles titles on the WTA Tour. Sawamatsu reached a career-high ranking of world No. 14, on 6 February 1995. At the time of the 1995 Australian Open, her family survived the Great Hanshin earthquake, and Sawamatsu went on to achieve her best Grand Slam result at Melbourne Park, reaching the quarterfinals by defeating compatriot Ai Sugiyama, Laurence Courtois, Kimiko Date in the third round, Mary Joe Fernandez in the fourth round before losing to Arantxa Sánchez Vicario. Her most significant title came in 1993 at Strasbourg, when she defeated clay-courter Judith Wiesner in the final. Sawamatsu had much success at Strasbourg reaching the semifinals in 1991, final in 1992 losing to Judith Wiesner. She retired from professional tennis after losing in the second round of the 1998 Japan Open to Monica Seles in a three-set match. Sawamatsu had wins over the following players during her career: Martina Hingis, Lindsay Davenport, Kimiko Date, Mary Joe Fernandez, Amanda Coetzer, and Conchita Martínez. She was the first player to be beaten by Venus Williams in the main draw of a Grand Slam tournament, at the French Open in 1997. Sawamatsu's has a career win–loss record in singles of 205–143. Since retirement, she has been involved in the development of sport in her native country. Sawamatsu is the daughter of tennis player Junko Sawamatsu and the niece of 1975 Wimbledon ladies doubles champion Kazuko Sawamatsu. Sawamatsu appeared in the 2018 TBS medical drama Black Pean as Yoshie Koyama, the wife of a patient.
Masanori Ishii (石井 正則, Ishii Masanori; born March 21, 1973 in Yokohama) is a Japanese actor, comedian and narrator. In…Masanori Ishii (石井 正則, Ishii Masanori; born March 21, 1973 in Yokohama) is a Japanese actor, comedian and narrator. In August 1994, he teamed up with Yoshiyuki Ishizuka to form the comedy duo "Ari to kirigirisu" or "Ant to the Grasshopper" . He has had roles in such works as The Incite Mill (2010), Suite Dreams (2006), Journey to the West (2006).
Hideki Todaka (戸高 秀樹, Todaka Hideki; born March 16, 1973 in Miyazaki, Japan) is a former professional boxer who fought…Hideki Todaka (戸高 秀樹, Todaka Hideki; born March 16, 1973 in Miyazaki, Japan) is a former professional boxer who fought in the super flyweight and bantamweight divisions. He is the former WBA super flyweight champion, and former WBA bantamweight interim champion.
Yasuyuki Yamauchi (山内 泰幸, Yamauchi Yasuyuki; born March 16, 1973, in Higashihiroshima, Hiroshima, Japan) is a…Yasuyuki Yamauchi (山内 泰幸, Yamauchi Yasuyuki; born March 16, 1973, in Higashihiroshima, Hiroshima, Japan) is a professional Japanese baseball player.
Yuka Oda (小田 由香, Oda Yuka; born 15 March 1973) is a retired Japanese ice hockey goaltender. She competed in the women's…Yuka Oda (小田 由香, Oda Yuka; born 15 March 1973) is a retired Japanese ice hockey goaltender. She competed in the women's tournament at the 1998 Winter Olympics.
Masayuki Naruse (Japanese: 成瀬 昌由, Hepburn: Naruse Masayuki) (born March 15, 1973) is a Japanese mixed martial artist…Masayuki Naruse (Japanese: 成瀬 昌由, Hepburn: Naruse Masayuki) (born March 15, 1973) is a Japanese mixed martial artist and professional wrestler, competing in the light heavyweight division who fought most of his career in Fighting Network RINGS (RINGS). As a professional wrestler, he notably competed in New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) and All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW). In MMA, Naruse was the first and only RINGS Light-Heavyweight Champion and a former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion in professional wrestling.
Shuhei Yomoda (四方田 修平, Yomoda Shūhei; born March 14, 1973) is a Japanese professional football manager and former…Shuhei Yomoda (四方田 修平, Yomoda Shūhei; born March 14, 1973) is a Japanese professional football manager and former player.
Norimasa Iwai (岩井則賢, Iwai Norimasa; born 12 March 1973) is a Japanese gymnast. He competed at the 2000 Summer Olympics…Norimasa Iwai (岩井則賢, Iwai Norimasa; born 12 March 1973) is a Japanese gymnast. He competed at the 2000 Summer Olympics, where he placed seventh in the still rings final.
Wataru Sakata (坂田 亘, Sakata Wataru; born March 11, 1973 in Inazawa, Aichi, Japan) is a Japanese retired mixed martial…Wataru Sakata (坂田 亘, Sakata Wataru; born March 11, 1973 in Inazawa, Aichi, Japan) is a Japanese retired mixed martial artist and professional wrestler. A professional MMA competitor from 1994 until 2016, Sakata fought for Fighting Network RINGS, Pride FC, Deep and Rizin Fighting Federation, and holds notable victories over RINGS King of Kings 2000 Tournament runner up Valentijn Overeem, UFC 23 Middleweight Tournament winner Kenichi Yamamoto, ADCC bronze medallist and RINGS Light Heavyweight title contender Chris Haseman, and NCAA All-American and UFC veteran Branden Lee Hinkle.
Etsuko Nishio (西尾 悦子, Nishio Etsuko; born March 9, 1973 in Toyota, Aichi, Japan) is a Japanese singer, actress and…Etsuko Nishio (西尾 悦子, Nishio Etsuko; born March 9, 1973 in Toyota, Aichi, Japan) is a Japanese singer, actress and model, known for her songs Ja Ja Uma ni Sasenaide and Don't mind Lay Lay Boy from the Ranma ½ anime. In 1992 she became a gravure idol, releasing several nude photobooks and videos. She also starred in a couple feature films.
Aya Koyama (小山 亜矢, Koyama Aya; 8 March 1973 – 27 August 2018), better known by her stage name Aliya (亜利弥’), was a…Aya Koyama (小山 亜矢, Koyama Aya; 8 March 1973 – 27 August 2018), better known by her stage name Aliya (亜利弥’), was a Japanese female mixed martial artist and a professional wrestler. She started her career as a pro wrestler in 1996 before starting to compete in mixed martial arts from 2001.
Erika Haneda (羽田恵理香, Haneda Erika; born 7 March 1973) is a J-pop singer, and a member of the group CoCo. She was born…Erika Haneda (羽田恵理香, Haneda Erika; born 7 March 1973) is a J-pop singer, and a member of the group CoCo. She was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1973. Her solo debut was on 21 September 1991. She changed the spelling of her name to はねだえりか and はねだ・えりか.
Katsumi Yamamoto (山本勝巳, Yamamoto Katsumi; born March 5, 1973) is a Japanese professional racing driver. A native of…Katsumi Yamamoto (山本勝巳, Yamamoto Katsumi; born March 5, 1973) is a Japanese professional racing driver. A native of Fukuoka, he has notably raced in Formula 3, Formula 3000 and Formula Nippon, as well as Super GT.
Kanako Ogata (Japanese: 緒方 かな子, Hepburn: Ogata Kanako; born 4 March 1973), previously known as Kanako Nakajō (Japanese…Kanako Ogata (Japanese: 緒方 かな子, Hepburn: Ogata Kanako; born 4 March 1973), previously known as Kanako Nakajō (Japanese: 中條 かな子, Hepburn: Nakajō Kanako), is a Japanese singer and television personality from Naka-ku, Hiroshima. Originally part of the Sakurakko Club, she released a few solo singles and had a career as an actress, gravure idol, and radio personality, before retiring after her marriage to baseball player Koichi Ogata. Afterwards, she became a painter whose work was exhibited nationwide, and she returned as a local talent in her native Hiroshima, being a part of NHK Hiroshima radio's Kin'yō Yūgata; Dōkai no and Hiroshima Television's Terebiha .
Ryō Michigami (道上龍, Michigami Ryō; born March 1, 1973 in Nara) is a Japanese racing driver. He last drove a Honda NSX…Ryō Michigami (道上龍, Michigami Ryō; born March 1, 1973 in Nara) is a Japanese racing driver. He last drove a Honda NSX GT3 Evo for Yogibo Drago Corse in Super GT in the 2021 Super GT Season. He won the All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship in 2000. Michigami competed in the GT500 category of the Super GT series in 1995 and then from 1998 to 2013. He drove for Mugen from 1998 to 2002, for Dome from 2003 to 2009, and for Nakajima Racing from 2010 to 2013. Apart from 1995, he always drove for Honda teams, and became Honda's first champion in the series in 2000. He also won the Suzuka 1000 km three times; in 1999, 2003 and 2004. After his initial retirement, Michigami formed the Drago Corse team, which competed in Super GT's GT500 class in 2015 and 2016 before withdrawing from the series. Michigami and the Drago Corse team would return to Super GT in 2018, albeit competing in the GT300 class with the NSX GT3. This marked Michigami's return as a full-time competitor, and his first season as a driver-owner in the series. Drago Corse also competed in All-Japan Formula Three Championship as the ThreeBond Racing team. In 2017, Michigami drove a factory Honda Civic in the World Touring Car Championship. He became the first Japanese driver in the series to finish on the podium at the Race of Macau.
Mei Shigenobu (Japanese: 重信 メイ, romanized: Shigenobu Mei; IPA: [ɕiɡe̞no̞bɯ̟ me̞ː]; born March 1, 1973) is a Japanese…Mei Shigenobu (Japanese: 重信 メイ, romanized: Shigenobu Mei; IPA: [ɕiɡe̞no̞bɯ̟ me̞ː]; born March 1, 1973) is a Japanese journalist. She is the daughter of Japanese Red Army leader Fusako Shigenobu and of an unknown Palestinian who was reportedly a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Some news agencies have given her name as May Shigenobu.
Makoto Nagano (長野 誠, Nagano Makoto; born March 30, 1972, in Kitakata, Miyazaki) (sometimes known as the World's…Makoto Nagano (長野 誠, Nagano Makoto; born March 30, 1972, in Kitakata, Miyazaki) (sometimes known as the World's Strongest Fisherman) is a Japanese commercial fisherman, captain, and musician. He is captain of his vessel F/V Konpira Maru 50 (第50金比羅丸), and was previously captain of the F/V Konpira Maru 28 (第28金比羅丸). He is regularly seen on the Japanese television show Sasuke (Ninja Warrior) where he was one of the "SASUKE All-Stars," a group of favored competitors who were thought to possess the greatest potential in completing the obstacle courses. He can also be seen on the lesser known spinoff to Ninja Warrior, Viking: The Ultimate Obstacle Course, where he was one of few competitors to make it to the final round. Winning in the 17th Sasuke competition (2006) he is the second of only four victors of the competition. By the time he retired in July 2017, he had competed in 26 versions of Sasuke, and has since competed in a 27th version in 2020.
Hisako Mizui (水井 妃佐子, Mizui Hisako; born 29 March 1972) is a Japanese badminton player, born in Nara, Nara. She…Hisako Mizui (水井 妃佐子, Mizui Hisako; born 29 March 1972) is a Japanese badminton player, born in Nara, Nara. She competed in women's singles and women's doubles at the 1992 Summer Olympics, and in women's singles at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. She won a silver medal in women's singles at the 1994 Asian Games. She is a sister of badminton player Yasuko Mizui.
Junichi Suwabe (諏訪部 順一, Suwabe Jun'ichi; born March 29, 1972) is a Japanese voice actor from Tokyo. He is affiliated…Junichi Suwabe (諏訪部 順一, Suwabe Jun'ichi; born March 29, 1972) is a Japanese voice actor from Tokyo. He is affiliated with Haikyō. His popular roles include Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez in Bleach, Omega Zero in Megaman Zero 3, Keigo Atobe in The Prince of Tennis, Victor Nikiforov in Yuri!!! on ICE, Freed Justine in Fairy Tail, Masataka Ninomiya in World Trigger, Yami Sukehiro in Black Clover, Sentinel Prime in Transformers: Animated and Transformers One, Ryomen Sukuna in Jujutsu Kaisen, Archer in Fate/stay night, Ren Jinguji in Uta no Prince-sama, Undertaker in Black Butler, Leone Abbacchio in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind, Daiki Aomine in Kuroko's Basketball, Jurota Shishida and Shōta Aizawa in My Hero Academia, Dandy in Space Dandy, Bercouli Synthesis One in Sword Art Online, Akira Hayama in Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma, Dark Choco Cookie in Cookie Run: Kingdom, Shoei Barou in Blue Lock, Oda Sakunosuke in Bungo Stray Dogs, and Ryoh Grantz in Mashle: Magic and Muscles. He was nominated for a Best Singing Award at the 6th Seiyu Awards, and received a Best Supporting Actor award at the 7th Seiyu Awards. He has also provided dubbing for Korean actor Gong Yoo. He is in a group called PHERO☆MEN (フェロ☆メン) with fellow voice actor Kohsuke Toriumi.
Minoru Furuya (古谷 実, Furuya Minoru; born March 28, 1972) is a Japanese manga artist from Saitama Prefecture. His debut…Minoru Furuya (古谷 実, Furuya Minoru; born March 28, 1972) is a Japanese manga artist from Saitama Prefecture. His debut work is The Ping Pong Club, published in Young Magazine. It was adapted into a 26-episode anime series in 1995. In 1996, he won the Kodansha Manga Award for The Ping Pong Club. In March 2021, Kodansha USA licensed Ciguatera. Two of his series have been adapted to the big screen, namely Himizu in 2011, and Himeanole in 2016.
Masaki Morinaga (森長 正樹, Morinaga Masaki; born March 27, 1972) is a Japanese retired long jumper. He won the long jump…Masaki Morinaga (森長 正樹, Morinaga Masaki; born March 27, 1972) is a Japanese retired long jumper. He won the long jump at the 1998 Asian Championships and the 1998 Asian Games.
Satoshi Saida (斎田 悟司, Saida Satoshi; born March 26, 1972 in Yokkaichi, Mie) is a Japanese pioneering wheelchair tennis…Satoshi Saida (斎田 悟司, Saida Satoshi; born March 26, 1972 in Yokkaichi, Mie) is a Japanese pioneering wheelchair tennis player and 2004 Summer Paralympics gold medalist (Men's doubles with Shingo Kunieda). Saida, a big baseball enthusiast in his childhood, lost his left leg because of bone cancer at age twelve. At first, he used to play wheelchair basketball with his friends. Saida started his career in wheelchair tennis when he was fourteen years old. As a competitor, his first Paralympics was the 1996 Summer Paralympics in Atlanta, USA; at the succeeding games in Sydney, Australia, he got eighth place. With Shingo Kunieda, he participated in the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens, Greece, and won the men's doubles event. The two competed together again at the 2008 Beijing Games and took bronze in the doubles event.
Naoko Kijimuta (Japanese: 雉子牟田 直子, Kijimuta Naoko, born March 26, 1972) is a retired tennis player and winner of five…Naoko Kijimuta (Japanese: 雉子牟田 直子, Kijimuta Naoko, born March 26, 1972) is a retired tennis player and winner of five professional doubles tournaments. She has been a representative of Japan in the Federation Cup.