Masakazu Fukuda (福田 雅一, Fukuda Masakazu) (May 17, 1972 – April 19, 2000) was a Japanese professional wrestler who is…Masakazu Fukuda (福田 雅一, Fukuda Masakazu) (May 17, 1972 – April 19, 2000) was a Japanese professional wrestler who is best known for his appearances in WAR and NJPW. He also joined a short-lived stable known as Fighting Club G-EGGS, the stable included Manabu Nakanishi, Yuji Nagata, Brian Johnston and Yutaka Yoshie.
Hideki Naganuma (born May 16, 1972) is a Japanese composer and DJ who primarily does work for video games. Naganuma is…Hideki Naganuma (born May 16, 1972) is a Japanese composer and DJ who primarily does work for video games. Naganuma is best known for his soundtrack for the game Jet Set Radio and its sequel Jet Set Radio Future.
Hiroyuki Takei (武井 宏之, Takei Hiroyuki; born May 15, 1972 in Yomogita, Aomori Prefecture) is a Japanese manga artist. He…Hiroyuki Takei (武井 宏之, Takei Hiroyuki; born May 15, 1972 in Yomogita, Aomori Prefecture) is a Japanese manga artist. He is best known as the creator of Shaman King.
Yūki Himura (日村 勇紀, Himura Yūki; born 14 May 1972) is a Japanese comedian, actor and voice actor. He performs tsukkomi…Yūki Himura (日村 勇紀, Himura Yūki; born 14 May 1972) is a Japanese comedian, actor and voice actor. He performs tsukkomi (and occasionally boke) in the comedy duo Bananaman. His partner is Osamu Shitara.
Yoshiaki Hatakeda (畠田 好章, Hatakeda Yoshiaki; born 12 May 1972) is a Japanese former gymnast who competed in the 1992…Yoshiaki Hatakeda (畠田 好章, Hatakeda Yoshiaki; born 12 May 1972) is a Japanese former gymnast who competed in the 1992 Summer Olympics and in the 1996 Summer Olympics. He is the father of Hitomi Hatakeda and Chiaki Hatakeda, members of Japan's women's national team and candidates for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Wakanoyama Hiroshi (born May 12, 1972 as Hiroshi Nishizaki) is a former sumo wrestler from Gobo, Wakayama Prefecture…Wakanoyama Hiroshi (born May 12, 1972 as Hiroshi Nishizaki) is a former sumo wrestler from Gobo, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. His highest rank was komusubi.
Megumi Odaka (小高恵美, Odaka Megumi; born May 9, 1972, in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan) is a former Japanese idol, actress…Megumi Odaka (小高恵美, Odaka Megumi; born May 9, 1972, in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan) is a former Japanese idol, actress and singer. She is best known for the role of Miki Saegusa in six Godzilla films released from 1989 to 1995.
Shigetaka Kurita (栗田 穣崇; born May 9, 1972, Gifu Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese interface designer often cited for his…Shigetaka Kurita (栗田 穣崇; born May 9, 1972, Gifu Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese interface designer often cited for his early work with emoji sets. Many refer to him as the creator of the emoji, a claim that has been corrected and clarified in recent years. He was part of the team that created one of the first emojis used solely for communication, a heart-shaped pictogram that appeared on an NTT DoCoMo pager aimed at teenagers. It went on to become the Red Heart emoji. This development and the aftermath of its use led Kurita to design a set of 176 colored emojis. Many of the general-use emojis used today by Unicode can be traced back to Kurita's set. He now works for Dwango Co. Ltd., a Japanese game company owned by Kadokawa Dwango Corporation. The NTT DoCoMo emoji set he created is in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City.
Tamiki Wakaki (若木 民喜, Wakaki Tamiki; born May 9, 1972) is a Japanese manga artist, notable for his manga series, The…Tamiki Wakaki (若木 民喜, Wakaki Tamiki; born May 9, 1972) is a Japanese manga artist, notable for his manga series, The World God Only Knows.
Yoshikazu Nonomura (野々村 芳和, Nonomura Yoshikazu; born May 8, 1972) is a former Japanese football player who became…Yoshikazu Nonomura (野々村 芳和, Nonomura Yoshikazu; born May 8, 1972) is a former Japanese football player who became chairman of J. League on 31 January 2022.
Naoko Takahashi (高橋 尚子, Takahashi Naoko; born May 6, 1972) is a Japanese retired long-distance runner and Olympic gold…Naoko Takahashi (高橋 尚子, Takahashi Naoko; born May 6, 1972) is a Japanese retired long-distance runner and Olympic gold medal-winning marathoner. She won the gold medal in the marathon at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, and at the 2001 Berlin Marathon she became the first woman to complete a marathon in under 2 hours and 20 minutes.
Teruo Iwamoto (岩本 輝雄, Iwamoto Teruo; born May 2, 1972) is a former Japanese football player. He played for Japan…Teruo Iwamoto (岩本 輝雄, Iwamoto Teruo; born May 2, 1972) is a former Japanese football player. He played for Japan national team.
Masanori Inoue (井上 将憲, Inoue Masanori; born 1 May 1972) is a Japanese hurdler and bobsledder. He competed at the 1998…Masanori Inoue (井上 将憲, Inoue Masanori; born 1 May 1972) is a Japanese hurdler and bobsledder. He competed at the 1998 Winter Olympics and the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Takayuki Ito (伊藤 孝行, Takayuki Ito; born May 1, 1972) is a Japanese computer scientist who specialized in the fields of…Takayuki Ito (伊藤 孝行, Takayuki Ito; born May 1, 1972) is a Japanese computer scientist who specialized in the fields of artificial intelligence and multi-agent systems. He worked as assistant professor in the computer science department of Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology from 2001 until 2003, served as associate professor in the computer science department of Nagoya Institute of Technology (2006–2014), worked as full professor in the computer science department of Nagoya Institute of Technology (2014–2020). He also served as chair of the department (2016–2018)and also director the NITech Artificial Intelligence Research Center at Nagoya Institute of Technology. From October 2020, he is working as full Professor of Computer Science at Department of Social Informatics, Kyoto University; he is also working as Chief Technology Officer at AgreeBit Inc., Japan.
Kazurou Inoue (井上 和郎, Inoue Kazurō; born May 1, 1972) is a Japanese manga artist from Sano, Tochigi Prefecture. He…Kazurou Inoue (井上 和郎, Inoue Kazurō; born May 1, 1972) is a Japanese manga artist from Sano, Tochigi Prefecture. He received recognition for his manga Dream Security Mao (Dream Security マオ) at the 40th Rookie Comic Awards. After training under Kazuhiro Fujita, he published Heat Wave in Shōnen Sunday Super in 2001. He is most known for Midori Days, which was adapted into a 13-episode anime series by Pierrot.
Masakazu Kondō (近藤 正和, Kondō Masakazu; May 31, 1971)is a Japanese professional shogi player ranked 7-dan. He is known…Masakazu Kondō (近藤 正和, Kondō Masakazu; May 31, 1971)is a Japanese professional shogi player ranked 7-dan. He is known for developing the set of Cheerful Central Rook openings.
Kazu Hamabe (浜辺和, Hamabe Kazu) (born Ishikawa Prefecture, 31 May 1971) is a former Japanese rugby union player who…Kazu Hamabe (浜辺和, Hamabe Kazu) (born Ishikawa Prefecture, 31 May 1971) is a former Japanese rugby union player who played as prop.
Takeshi Tokuda (徳田 毅, Tokuda Takeshi; born 30 May 1971) is a former Japanese politician who served in the House of…Takeshi Tokuda (徳田 毅, Tokuda Takeshi; born 30 May 1971) is a former Japanese politician who served in the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature) as an independent.
Captain Miho Otani (大谷 三穂) (born May 28, 1971) is an officer in the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force. She was the…Captain Miho Otani (大谷 三穂) (born May 28, 1971) is an officer in the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force. She was the first woman to become the captain of a naval training vessel and a destroyer. Otani was also a member of the first female class to enter the National Defense Academy of Japan.
Risa Honda (本田 理沙, Honda Risa; born 27 May 1971) is a Japanese idol singer, actress and tarento who has appeared in a…Risa Honda (本田 理沙, Honda Risa; born 27 May 1971) is a Japanese idol singer, actress and tarento who has appeared in a number of television series, variety shows, videos, and magazines. Her real name is Kozue Honda (本田 こずえ, Honda Kozue). She was born in Nakatsu, Ōita. She is represented with the agency Prism.
Takurō Kubo (Japanese: 久保 琢郎, Hepburn: Kubo Takurō; born May 26, 1971 in Hakodate, Hokkaido), better known by his stage…Takurō Kubo (Japanese: 久保 琢郎, Hepburn: Kubo Takurō; born May 26, 1971 in Hakodate, Hokkaido), better known by his stage name TAKURO, is a Japanese musician and lyricist best known as one of the guitarists and leader of the rock band Glay, for which he is also the main composer and lyricist. As a musician and composer, Takuro has worked with different artists and has also released solo works. Takuro and his older sister were raised by a single mother, as she never remarried after his father's death, when Takuro was three years old. He considers his mother an early influence in his musical career, as he was strongly impressed by her singing.
Kōtarō Isaka (伊坂 幸太郎, Isaka Kōtarō; born 25 May 1971) is a Japanese author of mystery fiction, best known for his…Kōtarō Isaka (伊坂 幸太郎, Isaka Kōtarō; born 25 May 1971) is a Japanese author of mystery fiction, best known for his Hitman novel/manga series, including Maoh: Juvenile Remix (2007–2009), the first of which, 3 Assassins (2004, Japanese; 2022, English), was adapted as a Japanese feature film, Grasshopper (2015), and the second of which, Maria Beetle (2010, Japanese; 2021, English), was adapted as an American feature film, Bullet Train (2022).
Taizo Mikazuki (三日月 大造, Mikazuki Taizō; born 24 May 1971) is a Japanese politician and the current governor of Shiga…Taizo Mikazuki (三日月 大造, Mikazuki Taizō; born 24 May 1971) is a Japanese politician and the current governor of Shiga Prefecture, having been elected to the position in July 2014. He previously served in the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature) as a member of the Democratic Party of Japan.
Yoshikazu Mera (米良 美一, Mera Yoshikazu; born May 21, 1971 in Miyazaki) is a Japanese countertenor. His range is three…Yoshikazu Mera (米良 美一, Mera Yoshikazu; born May 21, 1971 in Miyazaki) is a Japanese countertenor. His range is three and a half octaves. Originally wanting to become a pop singer, Mera now primarily sings classical music from the West but also classical Japanese music. He appears frequently as a soloist with the Bach Collegium Japan, which under its conductor Masaaki Suzuki performs Baroque music. His 1998 recital disc "Nightingale" on Sweden's BIS Records was a major success in Japan. It was revealed in a television documentary entitled "米良美一の實話" ("Yoshikazu Mera's true story") that he was born with congenital osteogenesis imperfecta.
Yasuko Mitsuura (光浦 靖子, Mitsuura Yasuko; born 20 May 1971) is a Japanese tarento and comedian. She was born in Tahara…Yasuko Mitsuura (光浦 靖子, Mitsuura Yasuko; born 20 May 1971) is a Japanese tarento and comedian. She was born in Tahara, Aichi, and is part of the comedy duo Oasiz, with Kayoko Okubo.
Satoshi Mori (born May 19, 1971) is a Japanese former Nordic combined skier who competed from 1994 to 2003. Competing…Satoshi Mori (born May 19, 1971) is a Japanese former Nordic combined skier who competed from 1994 to 2003. Competing in two Winter Olympics, he had his best overall finish of fifth in the 4 x 5 km team event at Nagano in 1998 and his best individual finish of 22nd in the 7.5 km sprint event at Salt Lake City in 2002. Mori's best finish at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships was sixth in the 7.5 km sprint event at Ramsau in 1999. His best World Cup finish was second in a 15 km individual event in Poland in 1999, which was one of his three best career finishes. Mori also earned two second-place finishes in World Cup B 15 km individual events (1994, 1997).
Nobuteru 'NOB' Taniguchi (谷口 信輝, Taniguchi Nobuteru; born May 18, 1971, Hiroshima) is a Japanese racing driver and…Nobuteru 'NOB' Taniguchi (谷口 信輝, Taniguchi Nobuteru; born May 18, 1971, Hiroshima) is a Japanese racing driver and drifting driver who currently competes in the Super GT racing series. Taniguchi is commonly nicknamed "NOB" (first three letters from his name, meaning "No One Better") or "The Pimp" as a reference to his S15 Silvia which he is best known for. Taniguchi is a three-time Super GT GT300 class champion, eight-time Super Taikyu class champion, and The first D1 Grand Prix and professional drifting champion.
Masahiro Kobayashi (小林 正寛, Kobayashi Masahiro; born May 16, 1971) is a retired Japanese actor and voice actor from…Masahiro Kobayashi (小林 正寛, Kobayashi Masahiro; born May 16, 1971) is a retired Japanese actor and voice actor from Yakumo, Hokkaido. In 1995, he enrolled in the Seinenza Theater Company. Kobayashi's notable roles include Barret Wallace, and Ryid Uruk from the Final Fantasy video game series. He retired from the acting industry sometime after the release of Final Fantasy VII Remake.
Takatomi Nobunaga (Japanese: 信長 貴富 Nobunaga Takatomi) is a Japanese composer, principally of choral music. In 1994 he…Takatomi Nobunaga (Japanese: 信長 貴富 Nobunaga Takatomi) is a Japanese composer, principally of choral music. In 1994 he graduated from the Department of Education in the Faculty of Literature at Sophia University. He taught himself composition. His choral music is currently frequently performed in Japan.
Takashi Kashiwada (柏田 貴史, born May 14, 1971, in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto, Japan) is a retired Japanese professional…Takashi Kashiwada (柏田 貴史, born May 14, 1971, in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto, Japan) is a retired Japanese professional baseball player. He played for the Yomiuri Giants and the New York Mets. He was a left-handed relief pitcher who wore #18 while with the Mets. He made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut on May 1, 1997, and pitched in his final MLB game on September 18, 1997. He batted left-handed.
Kayoko Okubo (大久保 佳代子, Ōkubo Kayoko; born May 12, 1971, in Tahara, Aichi, Japan) is a Japanese comedian, tarento and…Kayoko Okubo (大久保 佳代子, Ōkubo Kayoko; born May 12, 1971, in Tahara, Aichi, Japan) is a Japanese comedian, tarento and actress who is a member of the comedy duo Oasiz with Yasuko Mitsuura.
Tsutomu Iwamoto (岩本 勉, Iwamoto Tsutomu; born May 11, 1971 in Yao, Osaka, Japan) is a Japanese former Nippon…Tsutomu Iwamoto (岩本 勉, Iwamoto Tsutomu; born May 11, 1971 in Yao, Osaka, Japan) is a Japanese former Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher.
Kazuhiko Yamazaki (山崎 一彦, Yamazaki Kazuhiki; born 10 May 1971 in Yono) is a Japanese former athlete who specialised in…Kazuhiko Yamazaki (山崎 一彦, Yamazaki Kazuhiki; born 10 May 1971 in Yono) is a Japanese former athlete who specialised in the 400 metres hurdles. He competed in the 1992 Summer Olympics, in the 1996 Summer Olympics, and in the 2000 Summer Olympics. He also competed in the 1991 World Championships, in the 1995 World Championships, in the 1997 World Championships, and in the 1999 World Championships. He was a finalist at the 1995 World Championships and the first Japanese to reach the 400 metres hurdles final at the World Championships. He was the former Asian record holder in the 400 metres hurdles and a two-time Japanese Championships champion.
Natsumi Yanase (やなせ なつみ, Yanase Natsumi; born May 10, 1971) is a Japanese voice actress from Tokyo, Japan. She also…Natsumi Yanase (やなせ なつみ, Yanase Natsumi; born May 10, 1971) is a Japanese voice actress from Tokyo, Japan. She also goes by the name Izumi Maki (まきいづみ, Maki Izumi) when voicing adult games. Her former stage name was Hiromi Yanase (柳瀬 洋美, Yanase Hiromi).
Toyonari Fujita (藤田 豊成, Fujita Toyonari; born May 9, 1971), better known under his ring name Magnitude Kishiwada…Toyonari Fujita (藤田 豊成, Fujita Toyonari; born May 9, 1971), better known under his ring name Magnitude Kishiwada (マグニチュード岸和田, Magunichūdo Kishiwada), is a Japanese professional wrestler.
Hiroki Azuma (東 浩紀, Azuma Hiroki) (born May 9, 1971) is a Japanese cultural critic, novelist, and philosopher. His…Hiroki Azuma (東 浩紀, Azuma Hiroki) (born May 9, 1971) is a Japanese cultural critic, novelist, and philosopher. His specializations include Philosophy, Studies of Culture and Representation, and information society studies. He is a professor at ZEN University and the co-founder of Genron, an independent institute in Tokyo, Japan.
Suneohair (スネオヘアー, Suneoheā) is the performing name of Kenji Watanabe. He is best known in the West for his…Suneohair (スネオヘアー, Suneoheā) is the performing name of Kenji Watanabe. He is best known in the West for his contributions to the soundtrack of the anime adaptation of Honey & Clover and Honey and Clover II, for which he provided the ending themes "Waltz" (ワルツ) and "Split" (スプリット). He has also provided the ending themes for Arakawa Under the Bridge and Arakawa Under the Bridge x Bridge, namely "Sakasama Bridge" (逆様ブリッジ) and "Akai Coat" (赤いコート) respectively. More recently, he provided the ending theme to the Anime Sukitte Ii na yo, "Slow Dance".
Ryo Kawano (河野 亮, Kawano Ryo; born May 3, 1971 in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan) is a Japanese former Nippon Professional…Ryo Kawano (河野 亮, Kawano Ryo; born May 3, 1971 in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan) is a Japanese former Nippon Professional Baseball infielder.
Shintarō Arakawa (荒川 慎太郎, Arakawa Shintarō; born May 1971) is a Japanese linguist who specializes in the study of the…Shintarō Arakawa (荒川 慎太郎, Arakawa Shintarō; born May 1971) is a Japanese linguist who specializes in the study of the extinct Tangut language.
Shu Takumi (巧 舟, Takumi Shū; born 2 May 1971) is a Japanese video game designer, director, and writer at Capcom. He is…Shu Takumi (巧 舟, Takumi Shū; born 2 May 1971) is a Japanese video game designer, director, and writer at Capcom. He is best known for his work on the Ace Attorney series, serving as director and scenario writer for the original trilogy. In addition, he provided the Japanese voice of Phoenix Wright for the first four games. He then served as director and scenario writer for Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective in 2010.
Takashi Sugiura (杉浦 貴, Sugiura Takashi; born May 31, 1970) is a Japanese professional wrestler and former freestyle…Takashi Sugiura (杉浦 貴, Sugiura Takashi; born May 31, 1970) is a Japanese professional wrestler and former freestyle wrestler. As of 2000, he is signed to Pro Wrestling Noah (Noah). Known mostly as the "Killing Machine", he is a four-time, longest reigning and most successfully-defensive GHC Heavyweight Champion. He is currently a member of Team 2000X. Sugiura, an accomplished amateur wrestler, joined the AJPW dojo in 1999, and later the Noah dojo after the exodus, making his professional debut on December 23, 2000, and thus becoming the first wrestler to make their debut in Noah. He has also competed in mixed martial arts with a notable victory over Giant Silva. Sugiura wrestled as a junior heavyweight in his earlier pro career and is a former GHC Junior Heavyweight Champion. Sugiura moved up to heavyweight and became the second longest reigning GHC Heavyweight Champion in his first reign, having held the title for 581 days between December 2009 and July 2011.
Tetsuhiro Monna (門奈哲寛, Monna Tetsuhiro; born 30 May 1970) is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher. Monna was…Tetsuhiro Monna (門奈哲寛, Monna Tetsuhiro; born 30 May 1970) is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher. Monna was part of the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) from 1993 to 1999. He later played in the Netherlands and Croatia, representing the Croatian national baseball team from 2003 to 2005.
