Natsumi Yabuuchi (薮内夏美, born 21 July 1977) is a Japanese former basketball player who competed in the 2004 Summer…Natsumi Yabuuchi (薮内夏美, born 21 July 1977) is a Japanese former basketball player who competed in the 2004 Summer Olympics. Born: Jul 21, 1977 in Osaka Height: 175 cm / 5.7 feet Positions: Point Guard Previous teams : Japan (W) ()
Alessandro Santos (三都主 アレサンドロ, Santosu Aresandoro; formerly Alessandro dos Santos; born 20 July 1977), often known as…Alessandro Santos (三都主 アレサンドロ, Santosu Aresandoro; formerly Alessandro dos Santos; born 20 July 1977), often known as Alex, is a former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Born in Brazil, he became a Japanese citizen and made 82 appearances for the Japan national team.
Yuji Sakuragi (Japanese: 桜木裕司, Sakuragi Yūji; born July 20, 1977) is a Japanese mixed martial artist, kickboxer, and…Yuji Sakuragi (Japanese: 桜木裕司, Sakuragi Yūji; born July 20, 1977) is a Japanese mixed martial artist, kickboxer, and professional wrestler, currently associated with Real Japan Pro Wrestling (RJPW)'s team Seikendo. He is known for his Kyokushin Karate background and his ability to score KO wins. In MMA, he competed for the Pancrase, M-1 Global, and DEEP promotions. Sakuragi wrestles under the name of Super Tiger, being the second incarnation of the name used by his trainer Satoru Sayama. He has also worked in promotions like All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), Battlarts, Dramatic Dream Team (DDT) and Riki Choshu's Legend The Pro Wrestling.
Tōru Matsumoto (Japanese: 松本徹; Matsumoto Tōru; born 14 July 1977) is a retired Japanese badminton player from NTT East…Tōru Matsumoto (Japanese: 松本徹; Matsumoto Tōru; born 14 July 1977) is a retired Japanese badminton player from NTT East Badminton Club. He studied in Hieizan High School graduated from and Waseda University. After playing 8 years in club, he served as a manager for 3 years before finally retiring in 2015.
Masahiko Tomouchi (塘内 将彦, Tomouchi Masahiko; born 13 July 1977 in Ōmuta, Fukuoka) is a Japanese judoka, who competed in…Masahiko Tomouchi (塘内 将彦, Tomouchi Masahiko; born 13 July 1977 in Ōmuta, Fukuoka) is a Japanese judoka, who competed in the men's half-middleweight category. He picked up a bronze medal in the 81-kg division at the 2004 Asian Judo Championships in Almaty, Kazakhstan, and later represented his nation Japan at the 2004 Summer Olympics. Tomouchi qualified for the Japanese squad in the men's half-middleweight class (81 kg) at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, by placing third and receiving a berth from the Asian Championships in Almaty, Kazakhstan. He got off to a rough start with a waza-ari awasete ippon defeat from Russia's Dmitri Nossov in his opening match, but bounced back to compete for the bronze medal after Nossov qualified for the final. In the repechage round, Tomouchi could not tightly grapple Italy's Roberto Meloni with a kata guruma (shoulder wheel), and lost the match again after the five-minute limit.
Towanoyama Yoshimitsu (born July 10, 1977 as Akihito Kobayashi) is a former sumo wrestler from Toshima, Tokyo, Japan.…Towanoyama Yoshimitsu (born July 10, 1977 as Akihito Kobayashi) is a former sumo wrestler from Toshima, Tokyo, Japan. He made his professional debut in 1993. His highest rank was maegashira 13, achieved in March 2002. He had many injury problems and had perhaps the unluckiest (and shortest) top makuuchi division career of any wrestler in sumo, being injured before even fighting a match in the division. He is the only wrestler since the beginning of the Shōwa era in 1926 to have been ranked in the top division without winning any bouts there.
Jun Hori (堀 潤, Hori Jun; born July 9, 1977, in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese journalist and host who is…Jun Hori (堀 潤, Hori Jun; born July 9, 1977, in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese journalist and host who is represented by the talent agency North Production. He presided in the news site 8bitNews. He is a former NHK announcer.
Shinya Wada (和田 伸也, Wada Shin'ya; born 9 July 1977 in Neyagawa, Osaka pref.) is a visually impaired Japanese…Shinya Wada (和田 伸也, Wada Shin'ya; born 9 July 1977 in Neyagawa, Osaka pref.) is a visually impaired Japanese long-distance runner. Competing in the T11 classification, Shinya has represented his country at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, where he took the bronze medal in the men's 5000m T11 race. He is also a multiple World and Asian Para Games medalist, taking six medals over four tournaments.
Toru Irie (入江 徹, Irie Toru; born July 8, 1977) is a Japanese football manager and former footballer who was most…Toru Irie (入江 徹, Irie Toru; born July 8, 1977) is a Japanese football manager and former footballer who was most recently manager of Albirex Niigata.
Hiroki Hajikano (初鹿野裕樹, Hajikano Hiroki, also known as Hiroki Hatsukano) is a Japanese politician and former Tokyo…Hiroki Hajikano (初鹿野裕樹, Hajikano Hiroki, also known as Hiroki Hatsukano) is a Japanese politician and former Tokyo Metropolitan Police officer. He is a member of the House of Councillors representing the Kanagawa at-large district, elected in 2025 as a candidate of Sanseito, a right-wing party.
Akihide Satou (Japanese: 佐藤彰秀, Hepburn: Satō Akihide) is a Japanese guitarist, producer and member of the visual kei…Akihide Satou (Japanese: 佐藤彰秀, Hepburn: Satō Akihide) is a Japanese guitarist, producer and member of the visual kei rock band Breakerz under talent agency B Zone and record label Zain Records.
Rie Urata (浦田 理恵, Urata Rie; born 1 July 1977) is a Japanese goalball player who won a gold medal at the 2012 Summer…Rie Urata (浦田 理恵, Urata Rie; born 1 July 1977) is a Japanese goalball player who won a gold medal at the 2012 Summer Paralympics. Her impairment was caused by retinitis pigmentosa, which destroyed her vision in both eyes when she was 20 years old. She began playing goalball in 2004.
Keishi Handa (半田圭史, Handa Keishi; born July 1, 1977) is a former basketball player for Hitachi SunRockers and Toyota…Keishi Handa (半田圭史, Handa Keishi; born July 1, 1977) is a former basketball player for Hitachi SunRockers and Toyota Alvark in Japan.
Iwao Yamane (山根 巌, Yamane Iwao; born July 31, 1976) is a former Japanese football player. His son Towa Yamane is also a…Iwao Yamane (山根 巌, Yamane Iwao; born July 31, 1976) is a former Japanese football player. His son Towa Yamane is also a footballer.
Hidenori Isa (井佐 英徳, Isa Hidenori; born 30 July 1976) is a former Japanese biathlete. He was one of the top male…Hidenori Isa (井佐 英徳, Isa Hidenori; born 30 July 1976) is a former Japanese biathlete. He was one of the top male Japanese biathletes from 2000 until his retirement in 2014.
Hiromasa Suguri (村主 博正, Suguri Hiromasa; born July 29, 1976) is a Japanese former football player. He was most recently…Hiromasa Suguri (村主 博正, Suguri Hiromasa; born July 29, 1976) is a Japanese former football player. He was most recently the manager of J2 League club of Iwaki FC until 14 June 2023.
Toyo Asayama (朝山 東洋, Asayama Toyo; born July 29, 1976) is a former Nippon Professional Baseball outfielder for the…Toyo Asayama (朝山 東洋, Asayama Toyo; born July 29, 1976) is a former Nippon Professional Baseball outfielder for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp.
Kazuhiro Takahashi (高橋 和裕, Takahashi Kazuhiro; born 27 July 1976 in Nara Prefecture) is a Japanese retired sprinter. He…Kazuhiro Takahashi (高橋 和裕, Takahashi Kazuhiro; born 27 July 1976 in Nara Prefecture) is a Japanese retired sprinter. He currently holds the Asian indoor record in the 4 × 400 metres relay with 3:05.90 minutes, achieved with teammates Jun Osakada, Masayoshi Kan and Shunji Karube in March 1999 in Maebashi. He also formerly held the Japanese record in the 200 metres with 20.57 seconds. He is currently (2020) the athletic director at Hamamatsu Koto High School.
Tatsuhiko Kinjoh (Japanese: 金城 龍彦, Korean: 김용언, Hanja: 金龍彦, born July 27, 1976) is a Japanese professional baseball…Tatsuhiko Kinjoh (Japanese: 金城 龍彦, Korean: 김용언, Hanja: 金龍彦, born July 27, 1976) is a Japanese professional baseball coach and former player of Korean descent from Higashinari-ku, Osaka, Japan. He played center field for the Yomiuri Giants. He threw right-handed, and was a switch hitter.
Toshiaki Nishioka (西岡 利晃, Nishioka Toshiaki; born July 25, 1976) is a Japanese former professional boxer who competed…Toshiaki Nishioka (西岡 利晃, Nishioka Toshiaki; born July 25, 1976) is a Japanese former professional boxer who competed from 1994 to 2012. He held the WBC super-bantamweight title from 2008 to 2012, and challenged for the WBO and The Ring super-bantamweight titles in his final-fight. Nishioka is known for his series of fights against Veeraphol Nakonluang-Promotion, with two of their four encounters ending in draws. Unlike many of Japan's other world champions, Nishioka willingly fought outside of his own country.
Naoko Saito (齋藤 尚子, Saitō Naoko; born 25 July 1976) is a Japanese former field hockey player who competed in the 2004…Naoko Saito (齋藤 尚子, Saitō Naoko; born 25 July 1976) is a Japanese former field hockey player who competed in the 2004 Summer Olympics.
Takahiro Satō (佐藤 タカヒロ, Satō Takahiro; 24 July 1976 – 3 July 2018) was a Japanese manga artist from Yamagata…Takahiro Satō (佐藤 タカヒロ, Satō Takahiro; 24 July 1976 – 3 July 2018) was a Japanese manga artist from Yamagata prefecture. Satō created the manga Bachi Bachi, a sumo series that ran in Weekly Shōnen Champion from 2009 to 2012. Bachi Bachi went on to spawn two sequel series, Bachi Bachi BURST and Samejima, Saigo no Jūgonichi. Satō suffered a sudden death on 3 July 2018 at the age of 41 due to acute coronary syndrome. Samejima, Saigo no Jūgonichi was still running at the time of his death, and the last issue was published in July 2018. The final chapters were compiled into the 20th volume, which went on to be published posthumously in October of the same year. Sumo magazine Great Sumo Journal honored Satō with a special issue following his death, which featured the main character of Bachi Bachi. In November 2023, makuuchi-ranked wrestler Kitanowaka also paid tribute to Satō by performing his ring-entering ceremony with a keshō-mawashi made in the image of Samejima, the main character in Bachi Bachi.
Tatsuya Ozeki (小関 竜也, Ozeki Tatsuya; born July 24, 1976 in Sano, Tochigi, Japan) is a professional Japanese baseball…Tatsuya Ozeki (小関 竜也, Ozeki Tatsuya; born July 24, 1976 in Sano, Tochigi, Japan) is a professional Japanese baseball player. Mai Ozeki, his daughter, was one of the members of female idol group Country Girls.
Makoto Azuma (東 信, Azuma Makoto; born July 24, 1976) is a Japanese flower artist, botanical sculptor, and co-founder of…Makoto Azuma (東 信, Azuma Makoto; born July 24, 1976) is a Japanese flower artist, botanical sculptor, and co-founder of JARDINS des FLEURS.
Naoto Suenaga (末永直登, Suenaga Naoto; born 23 July 1976, Kagoshima Prefecture) is a retired Japanese professional…Naoto Suenaga (末永直登, Suenaga Naoto; born 23 July 1976, Kagoshima Prefecture) is a retired Japanese professional drifting driver and the older brother of D1 Grand Prix driver Masao Suenaga. He is known for competing in the D1 Grand Prix series for Team ORANGE. In addition to competitions, he teaches a drift school and formerly works for Ebisu Circuit. Suenaga is the 2008 D1 Street Legal champion, setting a record 5 win in a season.
Passion Yara (パッション屋良, Passhon Yara; born Chōbyō Yara (屋良 朝苗, Yara Chōbyō), July 23, 1976 in the city of Nago, Okinawa)…Passion Yara (パッション屋良, Passhon Yara; born Chōbyō Yara (屋良 朝苗, Yara Chōbyō), July 23, 1976 in the city of Nago, Okinawa) is a Japanese comedian. He is perhaps best known for the angry, passionate chest-beating in his comedy routine. Passion Yara graduated from Kokushikan University's physical education department with the intention of becoming an educator. He is well-built, at 86 kg and 180 cm, and is capable of bench-pressing 160 kg. He enjoys bowling, darts, muscle training, touring, MTV, and canoeing. Yara has appeared on a variety of Japanese comedy-related TV shows and competitions in Japan, typically wearing a tight-fitting white gym outfit with an embroidered letter "P" on the collared shirt. His routine generally includes fits of maniacal, single-fisted chest-beating, for which he has gained some measure of notoriety. His act has been parodied by another Japanese comedian using the stage name "Dark Yara". Passion Yara performed his chest-beating act and other dance moves on the J-ska band Yum!Yum!ORANGE's music video for the song "Clover". Yara has also performed as a competitor on Sasuke (known in the United States as Ninja Warrior), having entered at least two competitions, the 16th and 21st. In the 16th competition, he entertained spectators with his chest-beating before succumbing to the Rolling Log obstacle early in Stage 1. Ninja Warrior later declared him to be the 5th craziest competitor in the history of the event, referring to him in an aired segment as "Screaming Wacko". In the 21st competition, he surpassed his previous performance by reaching the Jumping Spider in Stage 1, where he subsequently fell and was eliminated.
Yōsuke Kobayashi (小林 洋輔, Kobayashi Yōsuke; born July 22, 1976), is a Japanese professional wrestler best known by his…Yōsuke Kobayashi (小林 洋輔, Kobayashi Yōsuke; born July 22, 1976), is a Japanese professional wrestler best known by his ring name Abdullah Kobayashi (アブドーラ・小林, Abudōra Kobayashi) after Abdullah the Butcher, who was one of his trainers.
Akihiro Kasamatsu (笠松 昭宏, Kasamatsu Akihiro; born 22 July 1976) is a Japanese gymnast. In the 1998 Asian Games, he won…Akihiro Kasamatsu (笠松 昭宏, Kasamatsu Akihiro; born 22 July 1976) is a Japanese gymnast. In the 1998 Asian Games, he won a bronze medal in the team event. He competed at the 2000 Summer Olympics.
Akiko Yoshida (吉田亜紀子, Yoshida Akiko; born July 22, 1976) is a Japanese singer and songwriter performing under the stage…Akiko Yoshida (吉田亜紀子, Yoshida Akiko; born July 22, 1976) is a Japanese singer and songwriter performing under the stage name Kokia (styled KOKIA). Her most well known songs are "Arigatō..." (ありがとう..., Thank You) (which reached number 2 in Hong Kong when it was covered by Sammi Cheng) and "The Power of Smile" (which topped at No. 8 in the singles chart). She is also recognized for her numerous contributions to anime/game soundtracks, the most notable being "Ai no Melody/Chōwa Oto (With Reflection)" for the film Origin: Spirits of the Past, "Follow the Nightingale" for the game Tales of Innocence, "Tatta Hitotsu no Omoi" for the anime Gunslinger Girl: Il Teatrino, "Dance of the Spirits" for the anime The Ancient Magus' Bride and "For Little Tail" for the game Tail Concerto. Kokia often performs in Europe, basing her activities in Paris and releasing music through Wasabi Records, a subsidiary of Kazé.
Hanawa (はなわ; born 20 July 1976) is a Japanese singer and comedian raised in Saga City. He began his career in 1997…Hanawa (はなわ; born 20 July 1976) is a Japanese singer and comedian raised in Saga City. He began his career in 1997 going throughout the 2000s distinguishing himself by use of his bass guitar throughout comedy acts. He rose to fame in Japan during 2003 for a comical song about Saga Prefecture and its oddities. By the end of the year he would appear on NHK's 54th annual Red and White singing contest. Following this exposure, his music would be picked up for commercials and as company songs. He continued to produce more of his own music while also working alongside groups such as Fudanjuku.
Yoshiaki Oiwa (大岩 義明, Ōiwa Yoshiaki; born 19 July 1976) is a Japanese equestrian. "Yoshi", as he is known, began riding…Yoshiaki Oiwa (大岩 義明, Ōiwa Yoshiaki; born 19 July 1976) is a Japanese equestrian. "Yoshi", as he is known, began riding as a junior high school student and took up eventing at University. In 2001 Yoshi he moved to the UK in order to pursue eventing trained by Andrew Hoy and in 2009 he moved to Germany. He now trains with German rider Dirk Schrade. He earned Best Equestrian Athlete; award at the Japanese sports awards in 2005, ’07 and ’11. Yoshi comes from a family of Olympians; his aunt was an international figure skater and is now an Olympic judge and his uncle won a silver medal in swimming at the Rome Olympic Games.
Yugo Tsukita (附田雄剛, Tsukita Yūgo; born July 18, 1976 in Ishikari) is a Japanese freestyle skier, specializing in…Yugo Tsukita (附田雄剛, Tsukita Yūgo; born July 18, 1976 in Ishikari) is a Japanese freestyle skier, specializing in moguls. Tsukita competed at the 1998, 2002, 2006 and 2010 Winter Olympics for Japan. His best performance came in 2002, when he qualified for the moguls final, finishing 16th. He also advanced to the final in 2010, finishing 17th. In 1998, he finished 18th in the qualifying round, and did not advance. In 2006, he finished 33rd in the qualifying round, and did not advance. As of February 2013, he has won one medal at the World Championships, a silver in the 2003 dual moguls event. Tsukita made his World Cup debut in January 1995. As of February 2013, he has won one World Cup event, a Dual Moguls competition at Madarao in 1999/00. Altogether, he has eleven World Cup medals, his first coming at Blackcomb in 1996/97. His best World Cup finish is 10th, in 2008/09.
Daito Manabe (Japanese: 真鍋 大度, Hepburn: Manabe Daito) (born 1976) is a Japanese media artist, programmer, engineer, and…Daito Manabe (Japanese: 真鍋 大度, Hepburn: Manabe Daito) (born 1976) is a Japanese media artist, programmer, engineer, and DJ who creates artwork and interactive installations that utilize contemporary technologies such as virtual reality as well as prominent use of light and sound. He founded Rhizomatiks in 2006 after graduating from the University of Tokyo. His work with Rhizomatiks includes collaborations with Perfume, Björk, Nike, Honda and an augmented reality computer graphics display at the closing ceremony of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In 2016 Manabe collaborated with American artist Nosaj Thing to create a touring show featuring real-time augmented reality visuals using multiple Kinect cameras on stage. The debut performance at Coachella Festival was described by Pitchfork Magazine as "runaway winner for best visual production" and was billed by Sónar Festival as "extremely captivating, technologically advanced, show of inordinate beauty". Manabe won the 2016 Mainichi Design Award In 2023 Manabe collaborated with two-time Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu in the creation of his solo ice show production Gift, the first figure skating event to be held at Tokyo Dome.
Masako Chiba (千葉 真子, Chiba Masako; born 18 July 1976 in Uji, Kyoto) is a Japanese long-distance runner, who won the…Masako Chiba (千葉 真子, Chiba Masako; born 18 July 1976 in Uji, Kyoto) is a Japanese long-distance runner, who won the bronze medal in 10,000 metres at the 1997 World Championships in Athens and in the marathon race at the 2003 World Championships in Paris. Chiba was a torchbearer during the 1998 Nagano Olympics Opening Ceremony.
Tatsunori Ibayashi (井林辰憲, Ibayashi Tatsunori; born 18 July 1976) is a Japanese politician serving as a member of the…Tatsunori Ibayashi (井林辰憲, Ibayashi Tatsunori; born 18 July 1976) is a Japanese politician serving as a member of the House of Representatives since 2012. From 2024 to 2025, he served as chairman of the finance committee.
Yoshinori Tashiro (Japanese: 田代 良徳, Tashiro Yoshinori), also known by his ring name or shikona of Tōōyama Katsunori…Yoshinori Tashiro (Japanese: 田代 良徳, Tashiro Yoshinori), also known by his ring name or shikona of Tōōyama Katsunori (Japanese: 東桜山 勝徳), is a Japanese retired sumo wrestler and actor from Hachiōji, Tokyo. While an active sumo wrestler (rikishi), he wrestled for the Tamanoi sumo stable and made his debut in January 1999. He won the championship of the lowest division of jonokuchi in March 1999. In November 2002 he was promoted to his highest career rank of makushita 7. He retired from active competition in September 2007.