Rui Machida (町田瑠唯; born 8 March 1993) is a Japanese basketball player who plays for the Fujitsu Red Wave of the Women's…Rui Machida (町田瑠唯; born 8 March 1993) is a Japanese basketball player who plays for the Fujitsu Red Wave of the Women's Japan Basketball League (WJBL). She represented Japan in the women's tournament at the 2016 Summer Olympics and at the women's tournament at the 2020 Summer Olympics, winning a silver medal. At the 2020 Summer Olympics, she set an Olympic record with 18 assists in Japan's 87–71 semifinals win against France.
Yu Nakajima (中島 悠; born February 15, 1991 in Ebetsu, Hokkaidō) is a Japanese Rubik's Cube solver. Yu held the former…Yu Nakajima (中島 悠; born February 15, 1991 in Ebetsu, Hokkaidō) is a Japanese Rubik's Cube solver. Yu held the former world record for Rubik's Cube average (11.28 seconds) and single (8.72 seconds). He beat the previous world record holder Edouard Chambon, who had a single solve record of 9.18 seconds. Both records were set on May 5, 2008, at the Kashiwa Open 2008. On May 23, 2008 Yu posted a video on YouTube where he completed the cube in 6.57 seconds. He also solved the Rubik's magic in 1.05 seconds. He set the World Record for the Professor's Cube at 54.86 seconds in April 2012.
Akira Sasaki (佐々木 明, Sasaki Akira; born September 26, 1981) is a Japanese alpine skier. At the 2002 Winter Olympics…Akira Sasaki (佐々木 明, Sasaki Akira; born September 26, 1981) is a Japanese alpine skier. At the 2002 Winter Olympics, Sasaki ranked 34th in the giant slalom. He did not finish in the slalom event. His best result in the Alpine Skiing World Cup is from 2003 slalom in Wengen, where he finished in a surprising second place with starting number 65. His other best results are fourth places in Kranjska Gora in 2004 and in Beaver Creek in 2005, fifth in Sestriere 2004 and 2005, and second in Schladming and in Shigakōgen in 2006. In giant slalom, his best result in the World Cup was the 24th place in Sölden in 2004. Sasaki represented Japan at the 2006 Winter Olympics participating in slalom and giant slalom, but did not finish in these events. In Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics Sasaki placed 14th in the men's slalom
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.
Hiroyasu Shimizu (清水 宏保, Shimizu Hiroyasu; born 27 February 1974) is a Japanese speed skater. A five-time world…Hiroyasu Shimizu (清水 宏保, Shimizu Hiroyasu; born 27 February 1974) is a Japanese speed skater. A five-time world champion in the 500 meters, Shimizu became the first Japanese speed skater to win a gold medal with his performance at the 1998 Winter Olympics. At the 1998 World Championships, Shimizu set a world record (34.82) and became the first person to break the 35-second barrier in the event. Shimizu later broke this record at the 2001 World Championships with a time of 34.42. He was married to Japanese fashion model Reiko Takagaki.
Takahiro Ueno (上野高広, Ueno Takahiro; born 5 November 1971, Hokkaido) is a Japanese professional drifting driver and…Takahiro Ueno (上野高広, Ueno Takahiro; born 5 November 1971, Hokkaido) is a Japanese professional drifting driver and businessman, the former, currently competing in the D1 Grand Prix series for Car Make T&E. Ueno started his career with a Toyota Soarer JZZ30. Starting his Tuning shop Car Make T&E in October 1996. Founding the aero part branch, Vertex, he personally approves every new design. Most of the company's time when it was starting out was spent on developing the Toyota Soarer JZZ30 and this still continues today, using the D1 Grand Prix as a showcase. Ueno began competing in the D1 Grand Prix in his Toyota Soarer JZZ30 in the first round in 2001. Going on to win round 4 of the season and finishing in third overall in the championship. He has gone on to score points in every year since, though has never quite matched his original success. From 2009 to 2015, Ueno had used BMW M3 (E92). In 2016, Ueno celebrated the 20th anniversary of Car Make T&E, as he started using Toyota Soarer JZZ30 again. Currently, Ueno has been competing in the D1GP, driving Lexus RC since 2019.
Kazuhiro "Kaz" Ayabe (綾部 和弘, Ayabe Kazuhiro; born 1965) is a Japanese video game developer. He is the founder of the…Kazuhiro "Kaz" Ayabe (綾部 和弘, Ayabe Kazuhiro; born 1965) is a Japanese video game developer. He is the founder of the video game company Millennium Kitchen and is best known as the creator of the video game series Boku no Natsuyasumi.
Tetsuya Mizuguchi (水口 哲也, Mizuguchi Tetsuya; born May 22, 1965) is a Japanese video game designer, producer, and…Tetsuya Mizuguchi (水口 哲也, Mizuguchi Tetsuya; born May 22, 1965) is a Japanese video game designer, producer, and businessman. Along with ex-Sega developers he is one of the co-founders of the video game development firm Q Entertainment. He formerly worked for Sega as a producer in their Sega AM3 'arcade machines' team, developing games like Sega Rally Championship and Sega Touring Car Championship, before moving on to become the head of Sega's United Game Artists division, the team responsible for Rez and Space Channel 5. Mizuguchi is better known for creating video games that incorporate interactive synesthesia into his game design, regardless of genre, evidenced by Rez, Lumines, Child of Eden, and Tetris Effect. He left Q Entertainment in 2013. He is currently the CEO of Enhance, Inc., a company he founded in 2014. In 2009, he was chosen by IGN as one of the top 100 game creators of all time.
Osamu Yamazaki (山崎 修, Yamazaki Osamu; born 25 December 1964) is a Japanese freestyle skier. He competed in the men's…Osamu Yamazaki (山崎 修, Yamazaki Osamu; born 25 December 1964) is a Japanese freestyle skier. He competed in the men's moguls event at the 1992 Winter Olympics.
Takahiro Nishikawa (西川隆宏, Nishikawa Takahiro; born 26 May 1964) is a Japanese keyboardist, music producer, and…Takahiro Nishikawa (西川隆宏, Nishikawa Takahiro; born 26 May 1964) is a Japanese keyboardist, music producer, and businessman. He was a member of Dreams Come True from 1988 to 2002. While with the band, they released eleven studio albums and thirty-three singles. Nine of those albums and ten of the singles debuted at #1 on the Oricon charts. While Nishikawa was a member of the band, Dreams Come True won two The Television Drama Academy Awards for theme songs, once in 1995 and again in 1999. After he left the band, he was arrested and convicted twice for possession of illegal stimulants, once in October 2002 and again in February 2006. He opened a bar in Sapporo in 2009, where he regularly holds events themed around his former band, including after-concert parties. Nishikawa is also known by the nickname Nihya (ニーヒャ, Nīhya). His younger sister, Ayumi Nishikawa (西川歩, Nishikawa Ayumi), is a model.
Hidehiko Tezuka (Japanese: 手塚 秀彦, Hepburn: Tezuka Hidehiko; born April 26, 1961, in Ikeda), better known as Kazuhiko…Hidehiko Tezuka (Japanese: 手塚 秀彦, Hepburn: Tezuka Hidehiko; born April 26, 1961, in Ikeda), better known as Kazuhiko Shimamoto (島本 和彦, Shimamoto Kazuhiko), is a Japanese manga artist. He attended college at the Osaka University of Arts in the fine arts department. While in college in February 1982, he debuted in the spring special issue of Weekly Shōnen Sunday with Hissatsu no Tenkōsei. At this point, he dropped out of college and devoted his energy to becoming a manga artist. Shimamoto is responsible for several long-running and well-known manga series. He drew Honō no Tenkōsei from 1983 to 1985, as well as the Moeyo Pen saga, which began as a one-volume manga published in 1990 but was continued in two more series totaling 24 volumes. He also worked with Shotaro Ishinomori on a Skull Man manga based on Ishinomori's intended storyline, which was licensed in the US by Tokyopop. His baseball manga Gyakkyō Nine was adapted into a live-action Japanese film in 2005. His past assistants include Katsu Aki, Masaaki Fujihara, Eisaku Kubonouchi, and Tetsuo Sanjō. Some of his college classmates include Gainax founders Hideaki Anno and Hiroyuki Yamaga, among others. They later appeared as characters in his manga Aoi Honō.
Toshimitsu Funabashi is a Japanese politician and businessman currently serving as a member of the Senate from…Toshimitsu Funabashi is a Japanese politician and businessman currently serving as a member of the Senate from Hokkaido, an office he has held since 2022. Prior to his election to the Senate, he served as a member of the House of Representatives for two periods from 2012 to 2014 and 2017 to 2021; and also as a member of the Hokkaido Legislative Assembly from 1995 to 2012. In the Senate, Funabashi is the chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), he is the director of the Fisheries Division in the Policy Research Council of the Liberal Democratic Party. Thoroughout his time in the National Diet, Funabashi has held two roles in the Cabinet of Japan, serving as the Vice-Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications during the second reshuffle of the Second Kishida cabinet and Vice-Minister of Finance during the Suga cabinet.
Satoru Iwata (Japanese: 岩田 聡; December 6, 1959 – July 11, 2015) was a Japanese businessman, video game programmer, and…Satoru Iwata (Japanese: 岩田 聡; December 6, 1959 – July 11, 2015) was a Japanese businessman, video game programmer, and producer. Beginning in 2002, Iwata served as the fourth president of Nintendo, as well as the chief executive officer (CEO) of Nintendo of America from 2013 until his death in 2015. Iwata was a major contributor in broadening the appeal of video games by focusing on novel and entertaining software rather than top-of-the-line hardware. Born in Sapporo, Iwata expressed interest in video games from an early age and created his first simple game while in high school. He majored in computer science at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. In 1980, he joined the game developer HAL Laboratory while attending the university. At HAL, he worked as a programmer and closely collaborated with Nintendo, coding his first commercial console game in 1983 and programming early Nintendo Entertainment System titles including Pinball, Golf, and Balloon Fight. Later games to which he contributed include EarthBound and numerous installments in the Kirby series. Following a financial downturn and near-bankruptcy, Iwata became the president of HAL in 1993 at the insistence of Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi and restored the company's financial stability. In the following years, he assisted in the development of the Pokémon and Super Smash Bros. series. Iwata joined Nintendo as the head of its corporate planning division in 2000. Nintendo saw strong growth under Iwata, and when Yamauchi retired in May 2002, Iwata succeeded him as the company's president, becoming the first president unrelated to the Yamauchi family. Under Iwata's leadership, Nintendo developed the Nintendo DS and Wii game consoles, helping the company achieve massive financial success. As a self-declared gamer, he focused on expanding the appeal of video games across demographics through a "blue ocean" business strategy and the Touch! Generations brand. Nintendo attained record profits by 2009, and Barron's placed Iwata among the top 30 CEOs worldwide. Iwata expanded his strategy by defining a quality-of-life product line for the Wii that evolved into a ten-year strategy to create standalone products. Later hardware such as the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U proved far less profitable than the Wii, and Nintendo's net sales fell by two-thirds from 2009 to 2012, with the company recording its first operating losses in 30 years during this period. Refusing to lay off employees, Iwata voluntarily halved his salary in 2011 and again in 2014. In 2015, after several years of decline, Iwata directed a portion of Nintendo's focus into the rapidly growing mobile game market through a landmark partnership with mobile provider DeNA established that March, while overseeing early development of the Nintendo Switch. Throughout his tenure, Iwata built a close relationship with Nintendo fans through social media and his regular appearances in Iwata Asks and Nintendo Direct, becoming the public face of the company. In June 2014, a tumor in Iwata's bile duct was discovered during a routine physical exam. It was removed, and Iwata returned to work in October of that year. The illness resurfaced in 2015, and Iwata died at the age of 55 from its complications on July 11. Members of the gaming industry and players worldwide offered tributes through public announcements and social media, and fans established temporary memorials around the globe. Iwata was posthumously awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2015 Golden Joystick Awards and the 2016 D.I.C.E. Awards.
Maki Kaji (鍜治 真起, Kaji Maki; 8 October 1951 – 10 August 2021) was a Japanese businessman who was the president of…Maki Kaji (鍜治 真起, Kaji Maki; 8 October 1951 – 10 August 2021) was a Japanese businessman who was the president of Nikoli, a puzzle manufacturer. He is widely known as "the father of Sudoku" for his role in popularizing the number game.
Masatsugu Nagato (born 18 November 1948) is a Japanese businessman who was the president and CEO of Japan Post Holdings…Masatsugu Nagato (born 18 November 1948) is a Japanese businessman who was the president and CEO of Japan Post Holdings from 2016 to 2020, having previously been president and CEO of Japan Post Bank.
Wakio Mitsui (三井 辨雄, Mitsui Wakio; 24 November 1942 – 1 April 2021) was a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party…Wakio Mitsui (三井 辨雄, Mitsui Wakio; 24 November 1942 – 1 April 2021) was a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Sapporo, Hokkaido and graduate of Showa Pharmaceutical University, he was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 2000 after an unsuccessful run in 1996.
Yoshimasa Sugawara (菅原 義正, Sugawara Yoshimasa; born 31 May 1941) is a retired Japanese rally driver, having been on the…Yoshimasa Sugawara (菅原 義正, Sugawara Yoshimasa; born 31 May 1941) is a retired Japanese rally driver, having been on the podium seven times at the Dakar Rally in the trucks category. He has competed in 36 Dakar Rally competitions as of the 2019 edition, which he participated in at the age of 77. In 2017 he was mentioned in Guinness World Records for racing the most consecutive Dakar Rallies. His entry has since been updated to reflect his current record of 36.
Naotake Okubo (born 16 March 1940) is a Japanese rower. He competed in the men's coxed four event at the 1960 Summer…Naotake Okubo (born 16 March 1940) is a Japanese rower. He competed in the men's coxed four event at the 1960 Summer Olympics.
Takashi Kawamura (川村隆, Kawamura Takashi; born December 19, 1939) is a director and the chairman of Tokyo Electric Power…Takashi Kawamura (川村隆, Kawamura Takashi; born December 19, 1939) is a director and the chairman of Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc. (TEPCO), a semi-nationalized electric utility company, and the former chairman and president of Hitachi, Ltd., the Japanese multinational electronics and engineering conglomerate. He had worked at Hitachi for his entire business career and retired as senior adviser to the company in June 2016. On request of the Japanese government, Kawamura has served as chairman of the electric power company since June 2017, after it was found responsible for the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.
Kozo Igarashi (五十嵐 広三, Igarashi Kōzō; 15 March 1926 – May 7, 2013) was a Japanese politician from Asahikawa, Hokkaido.…Kozo Igarashi (五十嵐 広三, Igarashi Kōzō; 15 March 1926 – May 7, 2013) was a Japanese politician from Asahikawa, Hokkaido. He was the mayor of Asahikawa City from 1963 to 1974, member of the House of Representatives, construction minister in the Hosokawa Cabinet from 1993 to 1994, and chief Cabinet secretary in the government of Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama from 1994 to 1995. In 1975 and 1979, Igarashi ran for governor of Hokkaidō as a united front candidate (JSP, JCP, Kōmeitō), and lost both elections to incumbent Naohiro Dōgakinai.
Usaburō Chisaki III (Japanese: 地崎宇三郎 (三代); 1919–1987) was a Japanese politician. He was a member of the House of…Usaburō Chisaki III (Japanese: 地崎宇三郎 (三代); 1919–1987) was a Japanese politician. He was a member of the House of Representatives of Japan from Hokkaido. He was the son of Usaburō Chisaki II.
Motohiko Ban (1 January 1905 – 3 September 1998) was a Japanese ski jumper. He competed in the individual event at the…Motohiko Ban (1 January 1905 – 3 September 1998) was a Japanese ski jumper. He competed in the individual event at the 1928 Winter Olympics.
