Mana Sakura (Japanese: 紗倉まな, Hepburn: Sakura Mana; born March 23, 1993) is a Japanese AV idol, gravure model, novelist…Mana Sakura (Japanese: 紗倉まな, Hepburn: Sakura Mana; born March 23, 1993) is a Japanese AV idol, gravure model, novelist and singer. Originally debuting as a model, she transitioned to AV in 2012, becoming an exclusive performer for Soft On Demand and starred over 150 adult films since her debut. Sakura is considered one of the most popular and recognizable contemporary AV idols as she managed to crossover into mainstream entertainment with regular appearances in television, films and even video games as well. She also became an accomplished author, publishing several novels, magazine essays and running columns.
Natsuki Koyata (古谷田 奈月, Koyata Natsuki; born 1981) is a Japanese writer. She has won the Mishima Yukio Prize, the Japan…Natsuki Koyata (古谷田 奈月, Koyata Natsuki; born 1981) is a Japanese writer. She has won the Mishima Yukio Prize, the Japan Fantasy Novel Award, and the Oda Sakunosuke Prize.
Moe Oshikiri (押切 もえ, Oshikiri Moe; born December 29, 1979 in Ichikawa, Chiba, Japan) is a Japanese model best known her…Moe Oshikiri (押切 もえ, Oshikiri Moe; born December 29, 1979 in Ichikawa, Chiba, Japan) is a Japanese model best known her work with fashion magazine AneCan and its sister magazine CanCam, which Oshikiri was a former top model for. She is also a designer, starting her own Kimono line branded under her name, as well as a hosiery line with CanCam model Yuri Ebihara called f*ing motesto. Her husband is Japanese baseball player Hideaki Wakui.
Akira Kuroda (黒田 晶, Kuroda Akira), born 1977, is a Japanese novelist. She was born in Chiba Prefecture and studied Art…Akira Kuroda (黒田 晶, Kuroda Akira), born 1977, is a Japanese novelist. She was born in Chiba Prefecture and studied Art at Meiji Gakuin University before dropping out and going on to study at the University of Brighton. In 2000 she won the 37th Bungei Prize for her novel, You Love Us, though the title has since been changed to Made in Japan. In 2003 she was nominated for the 16th Yukio Mishima Prize for her novel, Sekai ga Hajimaru Asa.
Shōgo Kawashima (川島 省吾, Kawashima Shōgo; born 2 February 1977, in Hanamigawa-ku, Chiba, Chiba), known by the stage name…Shōgo Kawashima (川島 省吾, Kawashima Shōgo; born 2 February 1977, in Hanamigawa-ku, Chiba, Chiba), known by the stage name Gekidan Hitori (劇団ひとり; 'one-person troupe') is a Japanese comedian, lyricist, actor, novelist, and film director. Gekidan is mainly known his improvisational ability and for his style of physical comedy. He is represented with Ohta Production.
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.
Takashi Takeuchi (武内 崇, Takeuchi Takashi; born August 28, 1973) is a Japanese artist. He is notable as the co-founder…Takashi Takeuchi (武内 崇, Takeuchi Takashi; born August 28, 1973) is a Japanese artist. He is notable as the co-founder of the visual novel, anime development, and production enterprise Type-Moon, and for his illustrations on the visual novels, Tsukihime and Fate/stay night, which were adapted into an anime and manga series. He has frequently collaborated with fellow game designer Kinoko Nasu. In 2008, they contributed the special scenario to the Sega/Chunsoft visual novel 428: Shibuya Scramble, which subsequently received a sequel anime titled Canaan. His real name is Tomotaka Takeuchi (竹内 友崇).
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).
Kouhei Kadono (上遠野 浩平, Kadono Kōhei; born December 12, 1968) is a Japanese author, best known for the Boogiepop series…Kouhei Kadono (上遠野 浩平, Kadono Kōhei; born December 12, 1968) is a Japanese author, best known for the Boogiepop series which has received multiple manga adaptations, a live action film, and two television anime.
Kōji Ishikawa (石川 浩二, Ishikawa Kōji; pen name: いしかわ こうじ, born October 4, 1963) is a Japanese children's book author and…Kōji Ishikawa (石川 浩二, Ishikawa Kōji; pen name: いしかわ こうじ, born October 4, 1963) is a Japanese children's book author and illustrator. His work includes advertisements, magazine illustration, web, character design and book design. In recent years he has made children's books. He lives in Tokyo with his wife and two children.
Kei Nakazawa (中沢 けい, Nakazawa Kei; born 1959) is the professional name of Emiko Honda (本田 恵美子, Honda Emiko), a Japanese…Kei Nakazawa (中沢 けい, Nakazawa Kei; born 1959) is the professional name of Emiko Honda (本田 恵美子, Honda Emiko), a Japanese writer and professor. Nakazawa has won the Gunzo Prize for New Writers and the Noma Literary New Face Prize, and two of her novels have been adapted for film. Since 2005 she has been a professor of literature at Hosei University.
Hideyuki Kikuchi (菊地 秀行, Kikuchi Hideyuki; born September 25, 1949) is a Japanese author known for his horror novels.…Hideyuki Kikuchi (菊地 秀行, Kikuchi Hideyuki; born September 25, 1949) is a Japanese author known for his horror novels. His most famous works include the Vampire Hunter D series, Darkside Blues and Wicked City.
Aiko Kitahara (北原 亞以子; January 20, 1938 – March 12, 2013) was a Japanese novelist. She is best known for writing…Aiko Kitahara (北原 亞以子; January 20, 1938 – March 12, 2013) was a Japanese novelist. She is best known for writing historical novels.
Doppo Kunikida (国木田 独歩, Kunikida Doppo; 30 August 1871 – 23 June 1908) was a Japanese author of novels and romantic…Doppo Kunikida (国木田 独歩, Kunikida Doppo; 30 August 1871 – 23 June 1908) was a Japanese author of novels and romantic poetry during the Meiji period, noted as one of the inventors of Japanese naturalism.
Itō Sachio (伊藤 左千夫; 18 September 1864 - 30 July 1913) was the pen-name of Itō Kōjirō (伊藤 幸次郎), a Japanese tanka poet…Itō Sachio (伊藤 左千夫; 18 September 1864 - 30 July 1913) was the pen-name of Itō Kōjirō (伊藤 幸次郎), a Japanese tanka poet and novelist active during the Meiji period of Japan.
Shiba Shirō (柴四郎), better known for his pen name Tōkai Sanshi (東海散士, Wanderer of the Eastern Sea), (21 June 1852 – 13…Shiba Shirō (柴四郎), better known for his pen name Tōkai Sanshi (東海散士, Wanderer of the Eastern Sea), (21 June 1852 – 13 December 1922) was a political activist and novelist during the Meiji period. He was born into a samurai family and fought for domain of Aizu during the Boshin War from 1868 to 1869, after which the Aizu domain was abandoned. He was educated at different facilities in Japan and in the United States, and he served in the military during the First Sino-Japanese War and Russo-Japanese War. His major works include Strange Encounters with Beautiful Women (Kajin no Kigū), first serialized in 1885 and concluded in 1897.
Sayaka Murata (村田沙耶香 Murata Sayaka; born August 14, 1979) is a Japanese writer. She is best known for the international…Sayaka Murata (村田沙耶香 Murata Sayaka; born August 14, 1979) is a Japanese writer. She is best known for the international bestseller Convenience Store Woman (2016) which has been translated into more than thirty languages worldwide. Murata has won many major literary prizes in Japan, including the Gunzo Prize for New Writers in 2003, the Noma Literary New Face Prize in 2009, the Mishima Yukio Prize in 2013, and the Akutagawa Prize for Convenience Store Woman in 2016. All the English translations of her work are done by Ginny Tapley Takemori. In addition to Convenience Store Woman, Murata's first book to be published in English, Takemori has translated the novels Earthlings and Vanishing World, the short-story collection Life Ceremony, the short stories "Faith", "Survival", and "A Clean Marriage", as well as the New York Times published opinion piece "The Future of Sex Lives in All of Us", among others. Murata's latest book to be published in English is the 2025 novel Vanishing World, originally published in Japan in 2015. Her latest work in Japanese has been the 2022 short-story collection Faith, of which two stories were translated by Takemori individually.