Shinji Doigawa (土井川 真二, Doigawa Shinji; born October 25, 1979) is a Japanese bobsledder who has competed since 1999.…Shinji Doigawa (土井川 真二, Doigawa Shinji; born October 25, 1979) is a Japanese bobsledder who has competed since 1999. Competing in two Winter Olympics, he earned his best finish of 20th in the four-man event at Salt Lake City in 2002. Kobayashi's best finish at the FIBT World Championships was 19th in the four-man event at Lake Placid, New York, in 2009. His best World Cup finish was 21st in a four-man event at Cesana in 2005.
Taizō Sugimura (杉村 太蔵, Sugimura Taizō; born 13 August 1979) is a Japanese politician and a member of the Diet of Japan…Taizō Sugimura (杉村 太蔵, Sugimura Taizō; born 13 August 1979) is a Japanese politician and a member of the Diet of Japan, representing the Liberal Democratic Party until 2009. He ran in House of Councillors election in 2010 as a proportional candidate of the Sunrise Party of Japan. Sugimura was born in Asahikawa, Hokkaidō. He attended the University of Tsukuba but dropped out in 2004. Sugimura became the youngest member of the House of Representatives after the 11 September 2005 general election. He was not expected to win a seat, as he had been placed in 35th position on the LDP's proportional representation ticket for the Minami-Kanto bloc. He first came to media attention for his excitement at the prospect of the range of perks available for elected politicians, including high class restaurants, first class travel on the Shinkansen, and being able to afford a BMW. Sugimura was reprimanded by LDP executives for his comments, and publicly apologised at a news conference on 27 September 2005, saying they had been "immature and irresponsible". Sugimura is a character in a satirical mahjong manga Mudazumo Naki Kaikaku. Sugimura announced his engagement with Aya Kazama (風間文) on 14 March 2006, and their daughter was born on 4 April 2007.
Akane Chihaya (千早 茜, Chihaya Akane; born August 2, 1979) is a Japanese writer. She has won the Shōsetsu Subaru New…Akane Chihaya (千早 茜, Chihaya Akane; born August 2, 1979) is a Japanese writer. She has won the Shōsetsu Subaru New Writer Award, the Izumi Kyōka Prize for Literature, the Shimase Award for Love Stories, and the Naoki Prize.
Aki Tsuchida (土田 亜希, Tsuchida Aki; born 29 May 1979) is a Japanese ice hockey player. She competed in the women's…Aki Tsuchida (土田 亜希, Tsuchida Aki; born 29 May 1979) is a Japanese ice hockey player. She competed in the women's tournament at the 1998 Winter Olympics.
Ryota Igarashi (五十嵐 亮太, Igarashi Ryōta; born May 28, 1979) is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher. He has…Ryota Igarashi (五十嵐 亮太, Igarashi Ryōta; born May 28, 1979) is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher. He has played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks and in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees. Igarashi began his career with the Yakult Swallows of NPB in 1999. For Yakult, he was a five-time All-Star. After the 2009 season, Igarashi signed with the New York Mets of MLB as a free agent and pitched for them in 2010 and 2011. He briefly pitched for the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees of MLB in 2012.
Takaya Mutō is a Japanese politician and a former member of the National Diet where he sat in the House of…Takaya Mutō is a Japanese politician and a former member of the National Diet where he sat in the House of Representatives. Previously a member of the Liberal Democratic Party, he resigned his party membership in 2015.
Hideaki Sorachi (空知 英秋, Sorachi Hideaki; born May 25, 1979) is the pen name of a Japanese manga artist, most well known…Hideaki Sorachi (空知 英秋, Sorachi Hideaki; born May 25, 1979) is the pen name of a Japanese manga artist, most well known for his manga Gintama, which began serialization in 2003 and ended in 2019. He has also written numerous one-shots, including Dandelion, for which he won the Tenkaichi Honourable Mention Manga Award in 2002. Sorachi's distinctive sense of humour and writing style has been the subject of academic research papers. As of February 2018, the Gintama manga has sold 55 million units in Japan.
Eriko Seo (妹尾 栄里子, Seo Eriko; born 12 March 1979) is a Japanese speed skater. She competed at the 2002 Winter Olympics…Eriko Seo (妹尾 栄里子, Seo Eriko; born 12 March 1979) is a Japanese speed skater. She competed at the 2002 Winter Olympics and the 2006 Winter Olympics.
Masae Ueno (上野 雅恵, Ueno Masae; born 17 January 1979) is a Japanese judoka who competed in the Athens 2004 Olympics and…Masae Ueno (上野 雅恵, Ueno Masae; born 17 January 1979) is a Japanese judoka who competed in the Athens 2004 Olympics and the Beijing 2008 Olympics. Ueno was born in Asahikawa Hokkaidō. In 2004, she earned Japan's fifth Olympic Gold Medal in ten events, winning the –70 kg women's judo event. She also won the Olympic Gold Medal in 2008. Ueno has two younger sisters who are also judokas. Yoshie Ueno became World champion in 2009 and Tomoe Ueno became World junior champion in 2006.
Yukari Konishi (小西ゆかり, Yukari KONISHI; born 11 January 1979) is a Japanese female sport shooter. At the 2004 Summer…Yukari Konishi (小西ゆかり, Yukari KONISHI; born 11 January 1979) is a Japanese female sport shooter. At the 2004 Summer Olympics, she competed in the women's 25 metre pistol. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, she competed in the Women's 10 metre air pistol and the Women's 25 metre pistol.
Masami Tanaka (田中 雅美, Tanaka Masami; born January 5, 1979 in Engaru, Hokkaidō) is a former breaststroke swimmer from…Masami Tanaka (田中 雅美, Tanaka Masami; born January 5, 1979 in Engaru, Hokkaidō) is a former breaststroke swimmer from Japan. She won the bronze medal in the 4 × 100 m Medley Relay at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. Her winning teammates in that race were Mai Nakamura, Junko Onishi, and Sumika Minamoto. She competed in three consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 1996.
Kotomi Ishizaki (石崎 琴美, Ishizaki Kotomi; born January 4, 1979) is a Japanese curler from Sapporo. She won a silver…Kotomi Ishizaki (石崎 琴美, Ishizaki Kotomi; born January 4, 1979) is a Japanese curler from Sapporo. She won a silver medal at the 2022 Winter Olympics as the alternate of the team skipped by Satsuki Fujisawa.
Ayumi Ogasawara (小笠原 歩, Ogasawara Ayumi) is a Japanese curler, born November 25, 1978, as Ayumi Onodera (小野寺 歩, Onodera…Ayumi Ogasawara (小笠原 歩, Ogasawara Ayumi) is a Japanese curler, born November 25, 1978, as Ayumi Onodera (小野寺 歩, Onodera Ayumi). She skipped her own team in Sapporo, Hokkaido, until 2015, which represented Japan at the 2014 Winter Olympics before retiring from competitive sports. Currently she is working as a curling coach.
Kumiko Kashiwagi (柏木 久美子, Kashiwagi Kumiko; born 9 October 1978 in Tokyo) is a Japanese alpine skier. She competed in…Kumiko Kashiwagi (柏木 久美子, Kashiwagi Kumiko; born 9 October 1978 in Tokyo) is a Japanese alpine skier. She competed in slalom, giant slalom, and super-G at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano.
Kiyofumi Ohno (オーノキヨフミ, 大野清文, Ôno Kiyofumi; born September 29, 1978) is a Japanese pop singer-songwriter from Kitami…Kiyofumi Ohno (オーノキヨフミ, 大野清文, Ôno Kiyofumi; born September 29, 1978) is a Japanese pop singer-songwriter from Kitami, Hokkaido. He came out with the song "Heibon" in 2004.
Tatsuhiko Takimoto (滝本 竜彦, Takimoto Tatsuhiko; born September 20, 1978) is a Japanese author best known for his novel…Tatsuhiko Takimoto (滝本 竜彦, Takimoto Tatsuhiko; born September 20, 1978) is a Japanese author best known for his novel Welcome to the N.H.K.
Madoka Natsumi (夏見 円, Natsumi Madoka; born July 2, 1978) is a Japanese cross-country skier who has competed since 1995.…Madoka Natsumi (夏見 円, Natsumi Madoka; born July 2, 1978) is a Japanese cross-country skier who has competed since 1995. She earned the best individual finish of the host nation Japan at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2007 in Sapporo with a fifth-place finish in the women's sprint event which was also her best individual finish at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships. Natsumi's best individual finish at the Winter Olympics was 12th in the individual sprint at Salt Lake City in 2002. Her best individual World Cup finish was third at a sprint event in Sweden in 2008.
Hirotaka Yokoi (横井宏考) (born June 8, 1978) is a Japanese former mixed martial artist and professional wrestler. A…Hirotaka Yokoi (横井宏考) (born June 8, 1978) is a Japanese former mixed martial artist and professional wrestler. A professional MMA competitor from 2000 until 2007, Yokoi fought for PRIDE, Shooto, RINGS, and DEEP, while in professional wrestling he wrestled mainly for Pro Wrestling Zero1.
Masasumi Kakizaki (Japanese: 柿崎正澄, Hepburn: Kakizaki Masasumi; born May 18, 1978) is a Japanese manga artist. He…Masasumi Kakizaki (Japanese: 柿崎正澄, Hepburn: Kakizaki Masasumi; born May 18, 1978) is a Japanese manga artist. He debuted in 2001 with the one-shot Two Tops prior to launching his first series, X-Gene, in 2002. Rainbow: Nisha Rokubō no Shichinin, which he illustrated, won the Shogakukan Manga Award in the general category in 2005.
Saori Obata (Japanese: 小畑沙織, Obata Saori; born 23 April 1978) is a former tennis player from Japan. She turned…Saori Obata (Japanese: 小畑沙織, Obata Saori; born 23 April 1978) is a former tennis player from Japan. She turned professional in April 1996, and in February 2004, she achieved a career-high singles ranking of 39, and on the same day, she reached her best doubles ranking of 98.
Akiko Sekiwa (Japanese: 関和 章子; born April 6, 1978, in Tokoro, Hokkaido, Japan as Akiko Katoh, Japanese: 加藤 章子) is a…Akiko Sekiwa (Japanese: 関和 章子; born April 6, 1978, in Tokoro, Hokkaido, Japan as Akiko Katoh, Japanese: 加藤 章子) is a Japanese curler and curling coach, a four-time Pacific-Asian champion (1994, 1996, 1997, 1998) and a four-time Japan women's champion (1997, 1998, 1999, 2001). She played for Japan at the 1998 Winter Olympics, where the Japanese team finished in fifth place. Also, she competed at the 2002 Winter Olympics, where the Japanese team finished in eighth place.
Hiroshi Sato (佐藤 浩, Satō Hiroshi; born January 30, 1978) is a Japanese curler and curling coach from Tokoro, Hokkaido…Hiroshi Sato (佐藤 浩, Satō Hiroshi; born January 30, 1978) is a Japanese curler and curling coach from Tokoro, Hokkaido, Japan. He represented Japan at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, where the Japanese men's team placed 5th.
Daisuke Ikezaki (池崎 大輔, Ikezaki Daisuke; born January 23, 1978 in Hakodate, Hokkaido) is a Japanese wheelchair rugby…Daisuke Ikezaki (池崎 大輔, Ikezaki Daisuke; born January 23, 1978 in Hakodate, Hokkaido) is a Japanese wheelchair rugby player. On the club level, he currently plays for the Tokyo Suns.
Erina Takahashi, born in the city of Kushiro in Hokkaidō, Japan, is a Lead Principal dancer with the English National…Erina Takahashi, born in the city of Kushiro in Hokkaidō, Japan, is a Lead Principal dancer with the English National Ballet. She was the Critics Circle Best Female Newcomer in 2001.
Makoto Tsuruga (敦賀 信人, Tsuruga Makoto; born November 3, 1977 in Kitami, Hokkaido) is a Japanese curler. He represented…Makoto Tsuruga (敦賀 信人, Tsuruga Makoto; born November 3, 1977 in Kitami, Hokkaido) is a Japanese curler. He represented Japan at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, where the Japanese team placed 5th. He was the skip for the Japanese team at the 2010 World Men's Curling Championship.
Seigo Saito (齋藤 制剛, Saitō Seigō; born 4 May 1977) is a retired Japanese judoka. Saito is from Sapporo, Hokkaidō. He…Seigo Saito (齋藤 制剛, Saitō Seigō; born 4 May 1977) is a retired Japanese judoka. Saito is from Sapporo, Hokkaidō. He belonged to Asahi Kasei after graduation from Kokushikan University in 2000. Saito was good at Uchimata and Newaza in high-school days and was expected to get medal of Olympic Games or World Championships in the future. But he was not able to use the skill of them by the trouble of knee like Anterior cruciate ligament injury since 2000. In 2005, he won a gold medal at the Asian Championships and All-Japan Selected Championships with the skill that he learned newly like Kata guruma, Ōuchi gari and Kuchiki taoshi. But he was not chosen as a Japanese representative at the World Championships held in Cairo. He has coached judo at Asahi Kasei since 2010. Among his students is Tatsuki Masubuchi Yohei Takai and so on. His younger brother, Masamichi (順道) is also famous judoka and won a gold medal at the Kodokan Cup in 2001.
Masahiro Matsuoka (松岡 昌宏, Matsuoka Masahiro; born January 11, 1977) is a Japanese drummer, actor and YouTuber. Former…Masahiro Matsuoka (松岡 昌宏, Matsuoka Masahiro; born January 11, 1977) is a Japanese drummer, actor and YouTuber. Former member of Tokio, a musical group under Starto Entertainment, formerly of Johnny & Associates. His nicknames are Mabo and Maa-kun. He starred as Shinichi Ozaki in Godzilla: Final Wars, and comedy series Yasuko to Kenji.
Miki Sasaki (佐々木 みき, Sasaki Miki, born 15 December 1976) is a former volleyball player from Japan, who competed at the…Miki Sasaki (佐々木 みき, Sasaki Miki, born 15 December 1976) is a former volleyball player from Japan, who competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, wearing the No. 4 jersey. There she and the Japan women's national team took fifth place. She participated in the 2003 FIVB World Grand Prix. Sasaki played as a wing-spiker.
Aya Umemura (梅村 礼, Umemura Aya; born 4 December 1976) is a Japanese table tennis player and coach. She was born in…Aya Umemura (梅村 礼, Umemura Aya; born 4 December 1976) is a Japanese table tennis player and coach. She was born in Tomakomai, Hokkaido. She competed in women's singles and women's doubles at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.
Nobuyuki Zaizen (財前 宣之, Zaizen Nobuyuki; born 19 October 1976) is a Japanese former professional footballer who played…Nobuyuki Zaizen (財前 宣之, Zaizen Nobuyuki; born 19 October 1976) is a Japanese former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.
Takashi Uwano (宇和野 貴史, Uwano Takashi; born October 3, 1976) is a retired Japanese professional wrestler most famous for…Takashi Uwano (宇和野 貴史, Uwano Takashi; born October 3, 1976) is a retired Japanese professional wrestler most famous for competing with NJPW (New Japan Pro Wrestling) and Pro Wrestling Zero1. Uwano has a background in the martial art, Judo.
Yuki Sasaki (佐々木 有生, Sasaki Yūki; born September 12, 1976) is a Japanese professional mixed martial artist that has…Yuki Sasaki (佐々木 有生, Sasaki Yūki; born September 12, 1976) is a Japanese professional mixed martial artist that has fought for Shooto, DEEP, World Victory Road, Pancrase and the UFC.
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.
Yuko Yamagata (山縣優子, Yamagata Yūko) better known by her ring name Yuu Yamagata (山縣優, Yamagata Yuu) is a Japanese…Yuko Yamagata (山縣優子, Yamagata Yūko) better known by her ring name Yuu Yamagata (山縣優, Yamagata Yuu) is a Japanese professional wrestler currently working as a freelancer and is best known for her tenure with the Japanese promotions Kaientai Dojo and Pro Wrestling Wave.
Shigenobu Shima (嶋 重宣, born June 16, 1976, in Kamifukuoka, Saitama, Japan) is a former Nippon Professional Baseball…Shigenobu Shima (嶋 重宣, born June 16, 1976, in Kamifukuoka, Saitama, Japan) is a former Nippon Professional Baseball outfielder.
Tomo Sugawara (菅原 智, Sugawara Tomo; born June 3, 1976) is a former Japanese football player, he is currently assistant…Tomo Sugawara (菅原 智, Sugawara Tomo; born June 3, 1976) is a former Japanese football player, he is currently assistant manager of Vissel Kobe.
Yusuke Kaneko (金子 祐介, Kaneko Yūsuke; born 18 April 1976) is a Japanese ski jumper. In the World Cup his highest place…Yusuke Kaneko (金子 祐介, Kaneko Yūsuke; born 18 April 1976) is a Japanese ski jumper. In the World Cup his highest place was number 17 from February 2005 in Sapporo.
Makiko Kishi is a Japanese politician who is a member of the House of Councillors of Japan. Kishi was elected for the…Makiko Kishi is a Japanese politician who is a member of the House of Councillors of Japan. Kishi was elected for the first time in the 2019 House of Councillors election. As of October 2023, she serves as a member of several important committees within the House of Councillors, including the Committee on General Affairs, the Committee on Fiscal Affairs, and the Special Committee on Regional Revitalization and the Formation of a Digital Society, where she holds the position of chief director.
Yasuyuki Takishita (滝下 靖之, Takishita Yasuyuki; born 31 January 1976 in Rumoi, Hokkaidō) is a Japanese alpine skier. He…Yasuyuki Takishita (滝下 靖之, Takishita Yasuyuki; born 31 January 1976 in Rumoi, Hokkaidō) is a Japanese alpine skier. He competed at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano and at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
Masumi Ono (小野真澄, Ono Masumi; born 5 December 1975 in Hokuto, Hokkaido) is a retired Japanese athlete who specialised…Masumi Ono (小野真澄, Ono Masumi; born 5 December 1975 in Hokuto, Hokkaido) is a retired Japanese athlete who specialised in the pole vault. She was the first Japanese female vaulter to jump over 4 metres. She won multiple medals at the continental level. She has personal bests of 4.21 metres outdoors (2003) and 4.30 metres indoors (2002).
