Mika Someya (染谷 美佳, Someya Mika; born 2 June 1983 in Atibaia, Brazil) is a Japanese softball player who won the gold…Mika Someya (染谷 美佳, Someya Mika; born 2 June 1983 in Atibaia, Brazil) is a Japanese softball player who won the gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Takayuki Terauchi (寺内 崇幸, Terauchi Takayuki; born May 27, 1983, in Tochigi, Japan) is a Japanese Nippon Professional…Takayuki Terauchi (寺内 崇幸, Terauchi Takayuki; born May 27, 1983, in Tochigi, Japan) is a Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball player for the Yomiuri Giants in Japan's Central League.
Yasushi Iihara (飯原 誉士, Iihara Yasushi; born April 26, 1983 in Oyama, Tochigi, Japan) is a professional Japanese…Yasushi Iihara (飯原 誉士, Iihara Yasushi; born April 26, 1983 in Oyama, Tochigi, Japan) is a professional Japanese baseball player. He plays outfielder for the Tochigi Golden Braves of Baseball Challenge League.
Tsuyoshi Kaneko (金子 剛, Kaneko Tsuyoshi; born April 8, 1983) is a Japanese football player. He plays for Tokyo Musashino…Tsuyoshi Kaneko (金子 剛, Kaneko Tsuyoshi; born April 8, 1983) is a Japanese football player. He plays for Tokyo Musashino City FC.
Tomomi Komori (小森 皆実; born February 18, 1983 in Nikkō, Tochigi) is a female field hockey player from Japan. She twice…Tomomi Komori (小森 皆実; born February 18, 1983 in Nikkō, Tochigi) is a female field hockey player from Japan. She twice represented her native country at the Summer Olympics (2004 and 2008). During the 2004 summer Olympics, the Japan women's field hockey team finished in 8th place, and in the 2008 Summer Olympics in 10th place. Komori became top scorer at the 2006 Women's Hockey World Cup Qualifier in Rome, Italy, alongside Kaori Chiba (Japan), Rhona Simpson (Scotland) and Maryna Vynohradova (Ukraine), scoring six goals.
Yoshiaki Fujita (藤田 義明, Fujita Yoshiaki; born 12 January 1983) is a Japanese former professional footballer who played…Yoshiaki Fujita (藤田 義明, Fujita Yoshiaki; born 12 January 1983) is a Japanese former professional footballer who played as a defender for JEF United Chiba, Oita Trinita and most notably Júbilo Iwata.
Yū Tejima (手島 優, Tejima Yū; born 27 August 1982, in Ashikaga, Tochigi, Japan) is a Japanese gravure idol, tarento, and…Yū Tejima (手島 優, Tejima Yū; born 27 August 1982, in Ashikaga, Tochigi, Japan) is a Japanese gravure idol, tarento, and actress. Tejima is represented with To-Win, and later Platinum Production.
Hirobumi Watanabe (渡辺紘文, Watanabe Hirobumi; born 1982) is a Japanese film director and actor. He writes the scripts for…Hirobumi Watanabe (渡辺紘文, Watanabe Hirobumi; born 1982) is a Japanese film director and actor. He writes the scripts for and performs as an actor in his films, while also sometimes acting in the films of other directors.
Hiroaki Takaya (高谷 裕亮, born November 13, 1981) is a Japanese former professional baseball catcher, and the current…Hiroaki Takaya (高谷 裕亮, born November 13, 1981) is a Japanese former professional baseball catcher, and the current first squad battery coach for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He played in NPB for the Hawks from 2007 to 2021.
Atsushi Abe (阿部 敦, Abe Atsushi; born March 25, 1981) is a Japanese voice actor and narrator represented by Ken…Atsushi Abe (阿部 敦, Abe Atsushi; born March 25, 1981) is a Japanese voice actor and narrator represented by Ken Production. Some of his major roles include Toma Kamijo in the A Certain Magical Index and A Certain Scientific Railgun series, Kukai Soma in Shugo Chara!, Moritaka Mashiro in Bakuman, Takashi Kosuda in B Gata H Kei, Koichi Sakakibara in Another, Touichirou Izumida in Yowamushi Pedal, and Kokonotsu Shikada in Dagashi Kashi. Abe has used aliases for some of his work, especially when voicing adult games, visual novels, and drama CDs. He has also been credited as Jun Teradake (寺竹 順, Teradake Jun), Hakana Kannagi (神凪 儚, Kannagi Hakana), Magic (マジック, Majikku), Kaoru Nagihara (凪原 薫, Nagihara Kaoru), and Tatsumi Shirogane (銀 巽, Shirogane Tatsumi).
Toshiaki Fukuda (福田 敏昭, Fukuda Toshiaki; born September 1, 1980) is a field hockey player from Japan, who finished in…Toshiaki Fukuda (福田 敏昭, Fukuda Toshiaki; born September 1, 1980) is a field hockey player from Japan, who finished in ninth place with the Men's National Team at the 2006 Men's Hockey World Cup in Mönchengladbach. Before the start of the tournament he played 30 international matches for his native country, according to the official players list issued by the International Field Hockey Federation (FIH) just before the start of the tournament.
Nanae Chrono (Japanese: 黒乃 奈々絵, Hepburn: Kurono Nanae; born June 18, 1980) is a Japanese manga artist. He is best known…Nanae Chrono (Japanese: 黒乃 奈々絵, Hepburn: Kurono Nanae; born June 18, 1980) is a Japanese manga artist. He is best known as the creator of the manga series Peacemaker Kurogane, Momo Tama, and Vassalord. He is a trans man.
Mariko Masubuchi (増淵 まり子, Masubuchi Mariko) (born January 24, 1980) is a Japanese softball player who played as a…Mariko Masubuchi (増淵 まり子, Masubuchi Mariko) (born January 24, 1980) is a Japanese softball player who played as a pitcher. She won the silver medal for Japan in the 2000 Summer Olympics.
Manabu Wakabayashi (若林 学, Wakabayashi Manabu; born June 3, 1979) is a Japanese football player. He plays for Tochigi…Manabu Wakabayashi (若林 学, Wakabayashi Manabu; born June 3, 1979) is a Japanese football player. He plays for Tochigi Uva FC.
Yoko Shibui (渋井 陽子, Shibui Yōko; born March 14, 1979 in Kuroiso, now Nasushiobara, Tochigi) is a long-distance runner…Yoko Shibui (渋井 陽子, Shibui Yōko; born March 14, 1979 in Kuroiso, now Nasushiobara, Tochigi) is a long-distance runner from Japan, who is competing in the 5000 and 10,000 metres as well as the marathon race. She holds the Japanese record over 10,000 m with her best time of 30:48.89 minutes. Shibui is one of only a handful of women to have completed the marathon under two hours and twenty minutes – her personal best of 2:19.41 ranks her within the top ten fastest ever. She made a winning debut in the marathon in 2001, when she triumphed at the Osaka Ladies Marathon in 2:23:11 hours. She finished fourth at the 2001 World Championships in Edmonton. At the next global championships, the 2003 World Championships in Paris, she finished fourteenth in the 10,000 metres. One year later Shibui won the Berlin Marathon, clocking a personal best of 2:19:41. In 2008, she finished seventeenth in the 10,000 metres at the Olympic Games. Shibui won both the Osaka Ladies Marathon and the San Francisco Marathon in 2009. At the 2011 Tokyo Marathon she was in a leading position with only two kilometres to go but slowed to relinquish her lead, ending up in fourth place. She tried to gain a place on the 2012 Olympic marathon team, but her fourth-place finish at the 2012 Nagoya Women's Marathon was not enough for selection.
Hokutōriki Hideki (born October 31, 1977, as Hideki Kimura) is a former sumo wrestler, from Tochigi, Japan. He reached…Hokutōriki Hideki (born October 31, 1977, as Hideki Kimura) is a former sumo wrestler, from Tochigi, Japan. He reached the top makuuchi division in 2002 and was runner-up in three tournaments. He had four special prizes in his career and a gold star for defeating a yokozuna. The highest rank he reached was sekiwake. He retired in May 2011 and is an elder of the Japan Sumo Association and a coach at Kokonoe stable.
Takayuki Nishida (西田 隆維, Nishida Takayuki; born April 26, 1977) is a retired male long-distance runner from Japan who…Takayuki Nishida (西田 隆維, Nishida Takayuki; born April 26, 1977) is a retired male long-distance runner from Japan who mainly competed in the marathon race during his career. He set his personal best (2:08:45) in the classic distance on February 4, 2001 in Ōita. He has worked as an interpreter since his retirement.
Atsushi Yoneyama (米山 篤志, Yoneyama Atsushi; born November 20, 1976) is a former Japanese football player and manager who…Atsushi Yoneyama (米山 篤志, Yoneyama Atsushi; born November 20, 1976) is a former Japanese football player and manager who played once for the Japan national team.
Miyo Yamada (山田 美葉, Yamada Miyō) (born September 11, 1976) is a Japanese softball player who played as a catcher. She…Miyo Yamada (山田 美葉, Yamada Miyō) (born September 11, 1976) is a Japanese softball player who played as a catcher. She won the silver medal for Japan in the 2000 Summer Olympics.
Shunsuke Watanabe (渡辺 俊介, Watanabe Shunsuke; born August 27, 1976) is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher.…Shunsuke Watanabe (渡辺 俊介, Watanabe Shunsuke; born August 27, 1976) is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Chiba Lotte Marines from 2001 to 2013. His submarine pitching form was noted during the 2006 World Baseball Classic.
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.
Koki Tanaka (田中 功起, born December 6, 1975) is a Japanese artist and videographer. He was a visiting scholar at Tokyo…Koki Tanaka (田中 功起, born December 6, 1975) is a Japanese artist and videographer. He was a visiting scholar at Tokyo Zokei University. His work is Minimalist, and primarily focused with finding the unusual in everyday objects and situations.
Taeko Ishikawa (石川 多映子, Ishikawa Taeko) (born October 14, 1975) is a Japanese softball player who played as a pitcher.…Taeko Ishikawa (石川 多映子, Ishikawa Taeko) (born October 14, 1975) is a Japanese softball player who played as a pitcher. She won the silver medal in the 2000 Summer Olympics.
Toshie Tsukui (born 30 July 1975) is a Japanese former field hockey player who competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics.…Toshie Tsukui (born 30 July 1975) is a Japanese former field hockey player who competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics. She was part of the Japanese team that won the 2007 Asia Cup.
Kuniomi Haneishi (羽石 国臣, Haneishi Kuniomi; born 6 January 1975) is a Japanese speed skater. He competed in the men's…Kuniomi Haneishi (羽石 国臣, Haneishi Kuniomi; born 6 January 1975) is a Japanese speed skater. He competed in the men's 500 metres event at the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Kyogo Kawaguchi (河口 恭吾, Kawaguchi Kyōgo; born October 1, 1974, in Sano, Tochigi) is a Japanese singer-songwriter. He is…Kyogo Kawaguchi (河口 恭吾, Kawaguchi Kyōgo; born October 1, 1974, in Sano, Tochigi) is a Japanese singer-songwriter. He is currently working with "Chikyukyoudai" ("World Siblings"). His notable works include Sakura and the album Hibi Sansan.
Shungo Oyama (Japanese: 大山 峻護 Ōyama Shungo [oːjama ɕɯŋɡo]; born April 11, 1974) is a Japanese former professional mixed…Shungo Oyama (Japanese: 大山 峻護 Ōyama Shungo [oːjama ɕɯŋɡo]; born April 11, 1974) is a Japanese former professional mixed martial artist. A professional competitor from 2001 to 2014, he competed for the PRIDE Fighting Championships, Pancrase, RINGS, DREAM, K-1, and King of the Cage.
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.
Yusaku Ueno (上野 優作, Ueno Yusaku; born November 1, 1973) is a former Japanese football player. He was most recently…Yusaku Ueno (上野 優作, Ueno Yusaku; born November 1, 1973) is a former Japanese football player. He was most recently manager of J3 League club FC Gifu.
Nobuharu Saito (齋藤 信治, Saitō Nobuharu; born 29 September 1973) is a Japanese volleyball player. He competed in the…Nobuharu Saito (齋藤 信治, Saitō Nobuharu; born 29 September 1973) is a Japanese volleyball player. He competed in the men's tournament at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Haruka Watanabe (渡邉 はる香, Watanabe Haruka; born 13 December 1972) is a retired Japanese ice hockey goaltender. She…Haruka Watanabe (渡邉 はる香, Watanabe Haruka; born 13 December 1972) is a retired Japanese ice hockey goaltender. She competed in the women's tournament at the 1998 Winter Olympics.
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.
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.
Shoichi Maruyama (丸山 昭一, Maruyama Shōichi), better known by his ring name Kamikaze (sometimes stylized in capital…Shoichi Maruyama (丸山 昭一, Maruyama Shōichi), better known by his ring name Kamikaze (sometimes stylized in capital letters as KAMIKAZE), is a Japanese professional wrestler currently working as a freelancer and is best known for his tenure with the Japanese promotions Pro Wrestling Zero1 and Big Japan Pro Wrestling (BJW).
Mitsuru Manaka (真中 満, born January 6, 1971, in Tochigi, Tochigi, Japan) is a former Nippon Professional Baseball…Mitsuru Manaka (真中 満, born January 6, 1971, in Tochigi, Tochigi, Japan) is a former Nippon Professional Baseball outfielder. On October 8, 2014, he was named manager of the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, replacing Junji Ogawa. Manaka had previously been managing the Swallows' farm team.
Ryota Kuwakubo (born 1971) is a Japanese multimedia artist. Kuwakubo was born in Tochigi Prefecture. In 1998 he…Ryota Kuwakubo (born 1971) is a Japanese multimedia artist. Kuwakubo was born in Tochigi Prefecture. In 1998 he co-produced the project BITMAN with the art unit Maywa Denki. Kuwakubo works with varying mediums, most commonly utilizing digital or electronic aspects, and a typical theme his works center on is contrasting matter. In 2010 Kuwakubo exhibited at Cyber Arts Japan, a special media art exhibition hosted by the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo. A 2011 interactive art piece of his, The Tenth Sentiment, was displayed at the "Ways of Worldmaking" exhibit at the National Museum of Art, Osaka. In The Tenth Sentiment the viewers walk around a room as a model train with an LED light maneuvers along a set of tracks, focusing a light at commonplace objects on the ground which subsequently cast large shadows on the walls of the room. These shadows change from crowds of people, to cityscapes, to tunnels as the piece continues. The Tenth Sentiment was awarded a prize of excellence at the 14th Japan Media Arts Festival which described it as an "attractive work" which avoids the "cliché interactive art works that tend to depend too much on technology", and described by art critic for The Japan Times, Matthew Larking, as "arguably the most attractive work" of the exhibit.
Takako Tezuka (手塚 貴子, Tezuka Takako; born 6 November 1970) is a former Japanese football player and manager. She played…Takako Tezuka (手塚 貴子, Tezuka Takako; born 6 November 1970) is a former Japanese football player and manager. She played for Japan national team.
Yukinaga Maeda (前田 幸長, Maeda Yukinaga; born August 26, 1970 in Chikushi District, Fukuoka, Japan) is a professional…Yukinaga Maeda (前田 幸長, Maeda Yukinaga; born August 26, 1970 in Chikushi District, Fukuoka, Japan) is a professional Japanese baseball player.
Takuro Ishii (石井 琢朗, Ishii Takurō; born August 25, 1970 in Sano, Tochigi, Japan) is a retired Japanese professional…Takuro Ishii (石井 琢朗, Ishii Takurō; born August 25, 1970 in Sano, Tochigi, Japan) is a retired Japanese professional baseball player. He currently is a coach for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars. He batted left-handed and threw right-handed. Ishii was regarded as one of the best Japanese shortstops of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Though late in his career his stats declined due to age, he still contributed with his precise fielding and solid batting abilities, as well as his veteran leadership. Ishii entered the professional leagues with the Yokohama Taiyo Whales, and played with the franchise for most of his career. (The team changed its name to the Yokohama BayStars in 1993.)
Kōji Kakinuma (柿沼康二 Kakinuma Kōji, born July 16, 1970) is a Japanese calligrapher. Kakinuma was born in Yaita, Tochigi…Kōji Kakinuma (柿沼康二 Kakinuma Kōji, born July 16, 1970) is a Japanese calligrapher. Kakinuma was born in Yaita, Tochigi Prefecture. He began his calligraphy training at the age of five first under his father, Suiryū Kakinuma, and then under Yūkei Teshima, who is considered one of the Sanpitsu (“Three Brushes”) of the Shōwa Era, and Ichijō Uematsu. In 1993, Kakinuma graduated from the Department of Visual and Performing Arts, Tokyo Gakugei University, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Before becoming a full-time fine artist, he worked as a high-school teacher. From 2006 to 2007 he held a visiting fellowship at Princeton University. Two trademarks of his calligraphy work are oversized formats of up to 750 × 1100 cm painted with giant brushes, and the frequent repetition of the same character or phrase, which he calls "trance work". Kakinuma considers himself not only a calligrapher but also "a contemporary artist, using tools other than my brush or expressing something other than writing, happily working in genres outside calligraphy, such as performing art, installation, etc." For instance, he has used masking tape in the creation of some of his works. Kakinuma has held solo exhibitions at, among other places, the Tarō Okamoto Memorial Museum (in both 2010 and 2021/2022) and the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa (2013) where he was the first living calligrapher to do so. He has performed his calligraphy to live audiences around the world, at venues such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., and the 2005 Earth Celebration festival at Sado island. He has won numerous awards including two Mainichi Calligraphy Exhibition awards in 1996 and 1999, the Dokuritsu Shojin-dan award in the "huge work" category in 2002, and the 4th Teshima Yukei Award in 2009. Kakinuma is one of twelve artists who are the subject of the 2018 documentary film Traces of the Soul about contemporary calligraphy worldwide. He also appears in the 2022 documentary The Colour of Ink, creating work using handmade ink from inkmaker Jason Logan. He was the only calligrapher besides Shōko Kanazawa to contribute to the Tokyo 2020 Official Art Posters Collection.
Kazuhiro Soda (想田 和弘, Sōda Kazuhiro; born 1970 in Tochigi Prefecture) is a Japanese documentary filmmaker and author…Kazuhiro Soda (想田 和弘, Sōda Kazuhiro; born 1970 in Tochigi Prefecture) is a Japanese documentary filmmaker and author based in New York City. He is known for his observational method of documentary filmmaking. Soda obtained a degree in religious studies from the University of Tokyo in 1993 and a BFA in filmmaking from the School of Visual Arts in New York, where he has remained since, in 1997.
Yasushi Ishii (石井 妥師, Ishii Yasushi; born 10 March 1970) is a Japanese musician from Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture…Yasushi Ishii (石井 妥師, Ishii Yasushi; born 10 March 1970) is a Japanese musician from Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. He specializes in experimental, jazz fusion and hard rock. He is famous for his work with anime scores. He composed music for and scored the first Hellsing anime, with the music released as two separate soundtracks. He also was the voice for the Intelligencer in the video game Chaos Legion. In 1991, he debuted as a composer for Epic Records Japan, and started composing music for Misato Watanabe, Takashi Utsunomiya, and went on tour with the band T.utu with the Band. It was at this time that Ishii changed how he wrote his given name from (恭史) to (妥師), though the pronunciation stayed the same. In 1994, T.utu put out their first album, and Utsunomiya, as one of the members of the former members of T.utu, split off into another band named Boyo-Bozo which Ishii also helped compose music for. After Boyo-Bozo broke up, Ishii composed music for a number of other artists including Lazy Knack, Tomoe Shinohara, Masayuki Suzuki, and V6. He also helped produce Naoto Kine's album Liquid Sun, Crystal Kay's first album C.L.L～Crystal Lover Light, and Daisuke Asakura's Siren's Melody single. He also composed the soundtrack for Darker than Black: Origins OVA. In 2012 both he and Hayato Matsuo composed the music for the short anime adaptation of Drifters, a manga series by Hellsing creator Kouta Hirano, this was included as part of the Hellsing: The Dawn OVA series showing up at the end of the final episode and lasting only 150 seconds, later on he composed music for the 2016 anime television series adaptation of Drifters. He maintains a blog since 2007 where he shares new compositions on a monthly basis - some of which (SKY WALKER, BLUES OF FOREVER) are new renditions of songs from his work on Hellsing.
Kiyoshi Igarashi (五十嵐 清, Igarashi Kiyoshi; born 14 December 1969) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic…Kiyoshi Igarashi (五十嵐 清, Igarashi Kiyoshi; born 14 December 1969) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, who serves as a member of the House of Representatives.
Hiroshi Takamura (髙村 祐, born September 2, 1969) is a Japanese former Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher, pitching…Hiroshi Takamura (髙村 祐, born September 2, 1969) is a Japanese former Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher, pitching coach. He previously played for the Kintetsu Buffaloes, the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles.
Manabu Yamada (山田学, born May 18, 1969, in Tochigi, Japan) is a retired Japanese mixed martial arts fighter. He is best…Manabu Yamada (山田学, born May 18, 1969, in Tochigi, Japan) is a retired Japanese mixed martial arts fighter. He is best known for his participation in Shooto and Pancrase fighting organizations. On December 17, 1994, Yamada advanced to the finals of the King of Pancrase Tournament where he lost to Ken Shamrock via unanimous decision.
