Takuya Onishi (Japanese: 大西 卓哉, Hepburn: Ōnishi Takuya; born 22 December 1975) is a Japanese astronaut selected for the…Takuya Onishi (Japanese: 大西 卓哉, Hepburn: Ōnishi Takuya; born 22 December 1975) is a Japanese astronaut selected for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) in 2009. He spent four months on board the International Space Station in 2016. In March 2025, he arrived at the ISS as part of Expedition 72/73.
Ryō Fukawa (ふかわりょう, Fukawa Ryō; born August 19, 1974, in Yokohama, Kanagawa), also known as ROCKETMAN, is a Japanese…Ryō Fukawa (ふかわりょう, Fukawa Ryō; born August 19, 1974, in Yokohama, Kanagawa), also known as ROCKETMAN, is a Japanese comedian and musician. He belongs to Watanabe Entertainment. On television he generally takes minor roles and is characterized by his childlike temperament and boyish looks. He is also a member of the owarai group No Plan. Fukawa graduated from the Department of Economics at Keio University. He is cousin to manga artist Tetsuo Hara.
Satoko Kishimoto (Japanese: 岸本聡子; born 15 July 1974) is a Japanese politician and book editor. She is the first female…Satoko Kishimoto (Japanese: 岸本聡子; born 15 July 1974) is a Japanese politician and book editor. She is the first female mayor of Suginami, Tokyo. Kishimoto spent some of her adult life in Europe before returning to Japan and entering politics unaffiliated with any political party. She is the editor of an anti-water privatisation book.
Naomi Hosokawa (細川直美 Hosokawa Naomi; real name: Chiho Katsurayama (葛山知保 Katsurayama Chiho; born 18 June 1974 in…Naomi Hosokawa (細川直美 Hosokawa Naomi; real name: Chiho Katsurayama (葛山知保 Katsurayama Chiho; born 18 June 1974 in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese actress and singer.
Yukio Kagayama (加賀山就臣, Kagayama Yukio; born May 4, 1974) is a Japanese professional motorcycle road racer. He began his…Yukio Kagayama (加賀山就臣, Kagayama Yukio; born May 4, 1974) is a Japanese professional motorcycle road racer. He began his motorcycle racing career competing in the Japanese national championships before racing internationally in Grand Prix motorcycle racing, the Superbike World Championship as well as in the British Superbike Championship. Kagayama raced Suzuki motorcycles for the majority of his career.
Chikako Kumamae (born 11 April 1974) is a retired Japanese female volleyball player. Kumamae was part of the Japan…Chikako Kumamae (born 11 April 1974) is a retired Japanese female volleyball player. Kumamae was part of the Japan women's national volleyball team at the 1998 FIVB World Championship in Japan.
Daisuke Watanabe (渡辺 大祐, Watanabe Daisuke) is a Japanese video game writer employed by Square Enix. He is mostly known…Daisuke Watanabe (渡辺 大祐, Watanabe Daisuke) is a Japanese video game writer employed by Square Enix. He is mostly known for his work on the role-playing video game series Final Fantasy and the action RPG series Kingdom Hearts.
Shigenori Soejima (副島 成記, Soejima Shigenori; born February 24, 1974) is a Japanese character artist best known for his…Shigenori Soejima (副島 成記, Soejima Shigenori; born February 24, 1974) is a Japanese character artist best known for his work in the Persona series of role-playing video games by Atlus. He initially worked in minor roles on several games after joining Atlus and took over as series art director from his mentor Kazuma Kaneko with Persona 3 in 2006.
Hiroshi Nakamura (born 1974) is a Japanese architect, who designed the Kamikatsu Zero Waste Center, receiving the…Hiroshi Nakamura (born 1974) is a Japanese architect, who designed the Kamikatsu Zero Waste Center, receiving the Dezeen, Architectural Institute of Japan and Japan Institute of Architects awards for it.
Takenori Daita (代田 建紀, Daita Takenori; born February 4, 1974) is a former baseball player from Japan. He played for the…Takenori Daita (代田 建紀, Daita Takenori; born February 4, 1974) is a former baseball player from Japan. He played for the Chiba Lotte Marines, Yakult Swallows, Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes and many other teams of the Japan Pacific League.
Uzi (pronounced as "Uji") is a popular Japanese hip-hop artist. He has released four major albums, most recently his…Uzi (pronounced as "Uji") is a popular Japanese hip-hop artist. He has released four major albums, most recently his “Natural 9” album released in March 2008. Uzi is one of the rappers to incorporate more overt elements of Japanese culture into his music and videos, specifically aspects referring to the samurai (to which he claims direct ancestry). He is a great example of an artist who maintains the localization of hip-hop music through his dependence on the incorporation of Japanese themes into his work. Such non-Americanization of his hip-hop music has been met with varying opinions; some view this as disrespectful of the origins of hip-hop culture, while there are those who appreciate Uzi’s apparent embracing of Japanese culture.
Narutaka Ozawa (小沢登高, Ozawa Narutaka) (born 1974) is a Japanese mathematician, known for his work in operator algebras…Narutaka Ozawa (小沢登高, Ozawa Narutaka) (born 1974) is a Japanese mathematician, known for his work in operator algebras and discrete groups. He has been a professor at Kyoto University since 2013. He earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics in 1997 from the University of Tokyo and a Ph.D. in mathematics in 2000 from the same institution. One year later he received a Ph.D. in mathematics from Texas A&M University. He was selected for one of the prestigious Sloan Research Fellowships in 2005 and was an invited speaker at the 2006 ICM in Madrid where he gave a talk on "Amenable actions and Applications". He has won numerous prizes including the Mathematical Society of Japan (MSJ) Spring Prize and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Prize. Before becoming a full professor at Kyoto University in 2013, he was an associate professor at the University of Tokyo and at University of California, Los Angeles.
Kenichi Ebina (蛯名 健一, Ebina Ken'ichi; born May 25, 1974) is a Japanese performance artist who is best known for winning…Kenichi Ebina (蛯名 健一, Ebina Ken'ichi; born May 25, 1974) is a Japanese performance artist who is best known for winning the eighth season of America's Got Talent on September 18, 2013. His solo act, labeled 'dance-ish' by Ebina, features his unique self-taught style which combines acting, storytelling, and a number of different dance styles, including freestyle, hip-hop, mime, martial arts, jazz, and ethnic dance. He frequently interacts with characters on a video screen behind him, who have all been created and played by himself.
Rumina Sato (佐藤 ルミナ, Satō Rumina; born December 29, 1973) (Japanese pronunciation: [satoː ɾɯmina], kanji for given…Rumina Sato (佐藤 ルミナ, Satō Rumina; born December 29, 1973) (Japanese pronunciation: [satoː ɾɯmina], kanji for given name: 留美奈) is a Japanese retired mixed martial artist, famous for his career in the Shooto organization. In the past he fought mostly in the 155 lb division, but he moved down to the 145 lb division.
Junko Ozawa (小澤 純子, Ozawa Junko; born 7 December 1973) is a former Japanese football player. She played for Japan…Junko Ozawa (小澤 純子, Ozawa Junko; born 7 December 1973) is a former Japanese football player. She played for Japan national team.
Ryugo Okamoto (岡本 隆吾, Okamoto Ryūgo; born December 5, 1973) is a former Japanese football player. He is the current…Ryugo Okamoto (岡本 隆吾, Okamoto Ryūgo; born December 5, 1973) is a former Japanese football player. He is the current physical coach J2 League club of Omiya Ardija.
Tadanobu Satō (佐藤 忠信, Satō Tadanobu; born November 27, 1973), better known by his stage name Tadanobu Asano (浅野 忠信…Tadanobu Satō (佐藤 忠信, Satō Tadanobu; born November 27, 1973), better known by his stage name Tadanobu Asano (浅野 忠信, Asano Tadanobu), is a Japanese actor, director, and musician, who has had an extensive career working in both Japanese and international cinema. He has been nominated for five Japan Academy Film Prizes, twice for Best Actor and three times for Best Supporting Actor, and is a winner of its Most Popular Performer award. Among his best-known roles are in Hirokazu Kore-eda's Maboroshi no Hikari (1995) and Distance (2001), Hyozo Tashiro in Gohatto (1999), Kakihara in Ichi the Killer (2001), Hattori Genosuke in Zatoichi (2003), Kenji in Last Life in the Universe (also 2003), and Temujin in Mongol (2007). He has also appeared in Hollywood films, notably as Hogun in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Lord Kira Yoshinaka in 47 Ronin (2013), the Interpreter in Silence (2016), Rear Admiral Tamon Yamaguchi in Midway (2019), and Raiden in Mortal Kombat (2021), based on the fighting video game of the same name. He gained additional recognition in 2024 for his portrayal of Lord Kashigi Yabushige on the American television series Shōgun, based on the James Clavell novel, for which he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film. Asano has worked with some of the most prominent and acclaimed directors in Japanese cinema, including Hirokazu Kore-eda, Takeshi Kitano, Nagisa Ōshima, Takashi Miike, Nobuhiko Obayashi and Kiyoshi Kurosawa, along with international directors Martin Scorsese, Kenneth Branagh, Wong Kar-wai, Roland Emmerich, Pen-ek Ratanaruang and Sergei Bodrov. Among other accolades, he has twice won the Best Actor Award at the Yokohama Film Festival, the Upstream Prize for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival, and the Best Actor Award at the Moscow International Film Festival.
Akinori Ogata (尾形 明紀, Ogata Akinori; born 14 August 1973) is a Japanese professional stock car racing driver. He last…Akinori Ogata (尾形 明紀, Ogata Akinori; born 14 August 1973) is a Japanese professional stock car racing driver. He last competed part-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driving the No. 63 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro for Akinori Performance. He has also competed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR K&N Pro Series East in the past.
Toshiki Okada (岡田 利規, Okada Toshiki; born July 3, 1973) is a Japanese playwright, theater director, novelist, and…Toshiki Okada (岡田 利規, Okada Toshiki; born July 3, 1973) is a Japanese playwright, theater director, novelist, and founder of the theatrical company chelfitsch. He is known for "his use of hyper-colloquial Japanese and his unique choreography."
Hidetaka Kawagoe (川越 英隆, born April 8, 1973), nicknamed "Goe", is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher, and…Hidetaka Kawagoe (川越 英隆, born April 8, 1973), nicknamed "Goe", is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher, and current the fourth squad pitching coach for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He played in NPB for the Orix BlueWave / Orix Buffaloes, and the Chiba Lotte Marines.
Hiroyuki Tanuma (田沼 広之, Tanuma Hiroyuki; born 24 May 1973 in Kanagawa) is a former Japanese rugby union player. He…Hiroyuki Tanuma (田沼 広之, Tanuma Hiroyuki; born 24 May 1973 in Kanagawa) is a former Japanese rugby union player. He played as lock.
Megumi Inoue (井上 恵, Inoue Megumi; born April 27, 1973 in Sagamihara, Kanagawa) is a Japanese sport shooter. She has…Megumi Inoue (井上 恵, Inoue Megumi; born April 27, 1973 in Sagamihara, Kanagawa) is a Japanese sport shooter. She has produced a career tally of six medals, including two golds in women's double trap shooting at the Asian Championships in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and also finished fifth at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. Inoue serves and trains full-time as a member of the Japanese Clay Target Shooting Association, under head coach Hiroshi Teranishi. Inoue came to prominence in the world shooting scene at the 2004 Asian Championships in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where she claimed the gold medal in the women's double trap final with a score of 138. Inoue's astonishing success and a minimum qualifying score of 106 led to her selection on the Japanese shooting team for her only Olympic debut. Six months after her illustrious victory from the Asian Championships, Inoue qualified for her first and only Japanese squad in the women's double trap at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. She put up a stringent top-level effort with an unparalleled qualifying score of 106 to seal a third seed in the six-woman final, but fell out of the medal podium by a two-point margin that ended her up in fifth. Inoue's total score of 140 proved to be more rewarding than her previous career feat from the Asian Championships by just two targets. With the women's double trap being officially removed from the Olympic program, Inoue decided to focus solely on trap shooting. In 2005, she held off a charge from the rest of the field to set a new world-record score of 88 hits for the gold medal victory at the ISSF World Cup meet in Changwon, South Korea.
Ayako Nakano (中野 亜弥子, Nakano Ayako; born 3 April 1973) is a Japanese former swimmer who competed in the 1988 Summer…Ayako Nakano (中野 亜弥子, Nakano Ayako; born 3 April 1973) is a Japanese former swimmer who competed in the 1988 Summer Olympics and in the 1992 Summer Olympics.
Rei Hiroe (広江 礼威, Hiroe Rei; born 5 December 1972) is a Japanese manga artist, best known for his manga Black Lagoon.…Rei Hiroe (広江 礼威, Hiroe Rei; born 5 December 1972) is a Japanese manga artist, best known for his manga Black Lagoon. When he is working on doujin comics, he goes by the name Red Bear. Hiroe's manga were originally published by Kadokawa Shoten in the 1990s, but none were complete. As a response, Hiroe transferred to Shogakukan in the early 2000s, where all of his manga released before Black Lagoon were republished and re-released.
Saki Takaoka (高岡 早紀 (たかおか さき); born December 3, 1972) is a Japanese actress. She won the award for best actress at the…Saki Takaoka (高岡 早紀 (たかおか さき); born December 3, 1972) is a Japanese actress. She won the award for best actress at the 19th Hochi Film Award for Crest of Betrayal.
Kuniaki Takahashi (高橋邦明, Takahashi Kuniaki; born 27 October 1972, Kanagawa Prefecture) is a retired Japanese…Kuniaki Takahashi (高橋邦明, Takahashi Kuniaki; born 27 October 1972, Kanagawa Prefecture) is a retired Japanese professional drifting driver. He competed in the D1 Grand Prix series for his own team, Team Kunny'z. Alongside D1, he also competed in Formula Drift Japan events. He currently served as a judge for D1GP.
Hiroshi Nagano (長野 博, Nagano Hiroshi) is a Japanese singer, actor, and television host. He is a former member of V6, a…Hiroshi Nagano (長野 博, Nagano Hiroshi) is a Japanese singer, actor, and television host. He is a former member of V6, a dance-vocal group formed in 1995 by Johnny & Associates, and its subunit 20th Century. He is best-known for his role in the popular tokusatsu series Ultraman Tiga, as the lead character, Daigo Madoka/Ultraman Tiga.
Shinya Makabe (真壁 伸也, Makabe Shin'ya; born September 29, 1972), better known by his ring name Togi Makabe (真壁 刀義…Shinya Makabe (真壁 伸也, Makabe Shin'ya; born September 29, 1972), better known by his ring name Togi Makabe (真壁 刀義, Makabe Tōgi) is a Japanese professional wrestler, trained by and performing for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a former one-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion, two-time IWGP Tag Team Champion, two-time NEVER Openweight Champion and one-time NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champion. Debuting in 1997, Makabe originally wrestled under his birthname as a junior heavyweight (100 kilograms (220 lb), before gaining several kilograms during a global excursion in 2001 and 2002. He changed his given name to "Togi" during the 2004 G1 Climax tournament. His status in New Japan rose significantly in 2007, making it to the finals of the New Japan Cup and the semifinals of the G1 Climax, and challenging Yuji Nagata for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. After a number of unsuccessful challenges at the title, Makabe finally won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship on May 3, 2010, by defeating Shinsuke Nakamura. Makabe's wrestling style and character is heavily influenced by the late Bruiser Brody. Known as the "Unchained Gorilla", Makabe is known for his violent, bloody style of wrestling, often illegally employing steel chairs and chains into his offense, including a lariat with a chain wrapped around his arm (like Brody). He also uses Brody's Japan theme "Immigrant Song" (albeit a cover made by Tomoyasu Hotei) as his own.
Noriko Narazaki (楢崎 教子, Narazaki Noriko; née Sugawara Sugawara (菅原); born on 27 September 1972 in Yamato, Kanagawa…Noriko Narazaki (楢崎 教子, Narazaki Noriko; née Sugawara Sugawara (菅原); born on 27 September 1972 in Yamato, Kanagawa, Japan) is a retired Japanese judoka.
Nanpei Yamada (山田南平, Yamada Nanpei; born September 2, 1972 in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese manga author.…Nanpei Yamada (山田南平, Yamada Nanpei; born September 2, 1972 in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese manga author. As of 2018 her latest series, Sakura no Hana no Kōcha Ōji (Tea Prince of Cherry Blossoms) is being serialized in Bessatsu Hana to Yume.
Anjunabeats Volume Five is the fifth album in the Anjunabeats Volume compilation series mixed and compiled by British…Anjunabeats Volume Five is the fifth album in the Anjunabeats Volume compilation series mixed and compiled by British trance group Above & Beyond, released on 21 May 2007.
Masahiro Nakai (中居 正広, Nakai Masahiro; born August 18, 1972) is a Japanese former television personality, actor, radio…Masahiro Nakai (中居 正広, Nakai Masahiro; born August 18, 1972) is a Japanese former television personality, actor, radio personality, and singer. He debuted as the leader of the boy band SMAP, which had been the best-selling boy band in Asia. While working as a member of a boy band, he worked extensively as a television presenter, hosting many of his own talk shows, variety shows, music shows, news programs, and several Olympic games as a sportscaster. He is credited for changing the Japanese entertainment industry, becoming the first non-comedian celebrity to have a career as a television host and expanding the capacity of a boy band. He is one of the wealthiest and highest-paid celebrities in Japan, identified as the highest tax payer in the Japanese entertainment industry by the Japanese National Tax Bureau in 2003. In December 2024 reports surfaced in Japanese tabloids that Nakai sexually assaulted a woman in her twenties in June 2023. Despite Nakai issuing an apology the following month, many of his TV and radio programs were suspended, cancelled, or removed Nakai as a presenter following the withdrawal of numerous sponsors. Nakai subsequently announced his retirement on January 23, 2025.
Hikaru Nishida (西田 ひかる, Nishida Hikaru; born August 16, 1972) is a Japanese pop singer and actress. She was born in…Hikaru Nishida (西田 ひかる, Nishida Hikaru; born August 16, 1972) is a Japanese pop singer and actress. She was born in Fujisawa, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, and made her singing debut on April 6, 1988 with the release of the single "Fifteen", named after her age at the time. Nishida is affiliated with Manase Productions.
Masaki Tsuchihashi (土橋 正樹, Tsuchihashi Masaki; born July 23, 1972) is a former Japanese football player. He played for…Masaki Tsuchihashi (土橋 正樹, Tsuchihashi Masaki; born July 23, 1972) is a former Japanese football player. He played for Japan national team.
Moomin (むーみん) (born July 13, 1972) and styled as MOOMIN is a Japanese reggae artist. Along with a number of colleagues…Moomin (むーみん) (born July 13, 1972) and styled as MOOMIN is a Japanese reggae artist. Along with a number of colleagues, he is responsible for the growth and popularity of Japan's reggae scene. He is originally from Chigasaki, Kanagawa, and is married with two children. He works at Overheat Studios, and keeps his real name secret. Moomin first appeared on the reggae scene in 1992, and traveled to Jamaica the following year. His official debut with a record label was in 1997 (under Kioon Records), and since 2003 he has been with Universal Music Group.
Keiichiro Yamamiya (born July 12, 1972) is a Japanese former professional mixed martial artist. A veteran of 90 fights…Keiichiro Yamamiya (born July 12, 1972) is a Japanese former professional mixed martial artist. A veteran of 90 fights who began his career in 1996 and last competed in 2015, he fought in the UFC, Pancrase, DEEP, and World Victory Road. He was the inaugural King of Pancrase Light Heavyweight Champion.
Shōsuke Tanihara (谷原 章介, Tanihara Shōsuke; born July 8, 1972) is a Japanese actor probably best known outside Japan for…Shōsuke Tanihara (谷原 章介, Tanihara Shōsuke; born July 8, 1972) is a Japanese actor probably best known outside Japan for his portrayal of Riki Fudoh in Fudoh: The New Generation and Hajime Kudo in Godzilla vs. Megaguirus. Tanihara hosts Tokyo Twenty-Four Living Supported by FLET'S Hikari, a podcast produced by TOKYO FM. The podcast began airing on January 7, 2006, with a guest appearance by the former Yokohama Bay Stars pitcher Takashi Saitō. He made the announcement at the 8th Best Formalist Award ceremony.
Hiroshi Tanaka (田中 衆史, Tanaka Hiroshi; born May 29, 1972 in Yokohama, Japan) is a Japanese figure skating coach and…Hiroshi Tanaka (田中 衆史, Tanaka Hiroshi; born May 29, 1972 in Yokohama, Japan) is a Japanese figure skating coach and former competitor. He competed in Ice Dancing with Aya Kawai and Kayo Shirahata. Tanaka and Kawai placed 23rd in the 1998 Winter Olympic Games. They were two-time Japanese national champions.
Megumi Odaka (小高恵美, Odaka Megumi; born May 9, 1972, in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan) is a former Japanese idol, actress…Megumi Odaka (小高恵美, Odaka Megumi; born May 9, 1972, in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan) is a former Japanese idol, actress and singer. She is best known for the role of Miki Saegusa in six Godzilla films released from 1989 to 1995.
