Toshio Imamura (今村 俊雄, Imamura Toshio; born (1979-12-25)25 December 1979 in Enzan) is a Japanese male weightlifter…Toshio Imamura (今村 俊雄, Imamura Toshio; born (1979-12-25)25 December 1979 in Enzan) is a Japanese male weightlifter, competing in the 62 kg category and representing Japan at international competitions. He participated at the 2004 Summer Olympics in the 62 kg event. He competed at world championships, most recently at the 2007 World Weightlifting Championships.
Noriko Miyagawa (Japanese: 宮川 典子, Hepburn: Miyagawa Noriko; April 5, 1979 – September 12, 2019) was a Japanese…Noriko Miyagawa (Japanese: 宮川 典子, Hepburn: Miyagawa Noriko; April 5, 1979 – September 12, 2019) was a Japanese politician. She was a member of the House of Representatives from 2012 until her death in 2019, and the Parliamentary Vice Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in the Fourth Abe Cabinet.
Yuichi Tsuchiya (土屋 裕一, Tsuchiya Yūichi; born February 6, 1979 in Minami-Alps, Yamanashi) is a Japanese actor and…Yuichi Tsuchiya (土屋 裕一, Tsuchiya Yūichi; born February 6, 1979 in Minami-Alps, Yamanashi) is a Japanese actor and full-time member of the 4-man theatre troupe *pnish*. His nickname is "Tuti". He is best known for his stage roles as Shuichiro Oishi of the Prince of Tennis musical series, Tenimyu, and as Gin Ichimaru in the rock musical Bleach.
Hidetoshi Nakata, OSSI (中田 英寿, Nakata Hidetoshi; born 22 January 1977) is a Japanese former professional footballer who…Hidetoshi Nakata, OSSI (中田 英寿, Nakata Hidetoshi; born 22 January 1977) is a Japanese former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Considered as one of the greatest Asian football players of all time and coming from an Asian Football Confederation (AFC) country in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Nakata became the first ever AFC player to be nominated for the Ballon d'Or. Nakata began his professional career in 1995 and won the Asian Football Confederation Player of the Year award in 1997 and 1998, the Scudetto with Roma in 2001, played for Japan in three World Cup tournaments (1998, 2002 and 2006) and competed in the Olympics twice (1996 and 2000). In 2005, he was made the Knight of the Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity, one of Italy's highest honors, for improving the country's image overseas. Nakata has also been involved in fashion, regularly attending runway shows and wearing designer clothing. Nakata announced his retirement at the age of 29 on 3 July 2006, after a ten-year career that included seven seasons in the Italian Serie A and a season in the English Premier League. In March 2004, Pelé named Nakata in his FIFA 100, a list of the top living footballers at the time. Nakata was one of only two Asian footballers on the list.
Yoshinobu Kanemaru (金丸義信, Kanemaru Yoshinobu; born September 23, 1976) is a Japanese professional wrestler and…Yoshinobu Kanemaru (金丸義信, Kanemaru Yoshinobu; born September 23, 1976) is a Japanese professional wrestler and backstage producer. He is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a member of House of Torture. Trained at the All Japan Pro Wrestling dojo, Kanemaru left the promotion to join Pro Wrestling Noah. Across two stints with Noah, he is a seven-time GHC Junior Heavyweight Champion, a four-time GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion, and won the 2009 Global Junior Heavyweight League and the 2009 Nippon TV Cup Jr. Heavyweight Tag League. In NJPW, he is a six-time Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion and won the 2021 Super Junior Tag League. In AJPW, he is a one-time World Junior Heavyweight Champion and a two-time All Asia Tag Team Champion. Stable wise, Kanemaru was a member of the first and third incarnations of AJPW's Burning. He later joined NJPW's Suzuki-gun during an invasion storyline, and remained with the stable until its disbandment in 2022. He was then a member of Just 5 Guys, before turning on the stable to join House of Torture, which was a sub-group of Bullet Club at the time.
Youichi Imamura (今村陽一, Imamura Yôichi; 11 May 1976, Yamanashi) is a Japanese professional drifting driver, currently…Youichi Imamura (今村陽一, Imamura Yôichi; 11 May 1976, Yamanashi) is a Japanese professional drifting driver, currently serving as a judge in Formula Drift Japan after he stopped competing in 2019. Besides driving and drifting, his other passion is flowers as his parents ran a florist business. When he is not drifting he is working as a florist in Yamanashi. His favourite time of the week is when he and his wife drive out to collect stock. Imamura has been competing in the D1 Grand Prix series since it began in October 2000. His first successful year was the 2003 season where he won the series title in his A'PEXi Mazda RX-7 (FD3S). After A'PEXi left the series he switched to ORC and has been working with the team to improve the performance of the Nissan Fairlady Z coming in sixth in the 2007 series. In 2008, he switched to the newly formed team Auto Produce Boss with Potenza D-1 Project, driving their Nissan Silvia S15 which was actually Yasuyuki Kazama's 2005 Championship car. He went on to win the 2009, 2010 and 2011 Series Championship in this car, making him the only driver with the most championship titles at four, the first driver to win titles in consecutive years, the second driver with the most wins at 16 after Daigo Saito. He remained compete in D1 driving for Nichiei Racing, OTG Motorsports and MMM Racing, he stopped competing after 2019 season and now became one of the judge for Formula Drift Japan. Like rival drifter who he was team mate to, Ryuji Miki, Imamura also competed in the Net'z Cup, a one make series for the Toyota Altezza between 2005 and its final season in 2006, his racing antics were documented twice on Video Option.
Hidekazu Ichinose (市瀬 秀和, Ichinose Hidekazu; born March 16, 1975 in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese voice…Hidekazu Ichinose (市瀬 秀和, Ichinose Hidekazu; born March 16, 1975 in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese voice actor. His most notable role was playing Hayato Gokudera in Reborn!.
Masao Amino (網野 正大,, Amino Masao) (born in Yamanashi Prefecture, on 14 October 1974) is a Japanese former rugby union…Masao Amino (網野 正大,, Amino Masao) (born in Yamanashi Prefecture, on 14 October 1974) is a Japanese former rugby union player and currently coach.
Masahide "Masa" Kobayashi (小林 雅英, Kobayashi Masahide; born May 24, 1974 in Ōtsuki, Yamanashi, Japan) is a former…Masahide "Masa" Kobayashi (小林 雅英, Kobayashi Masahide; born May 24, 1974 in Ōtsuki, Yamanashi, Japan) is a former professional baseball pitcher and pitching coach. From 1997 to 2007, Kobayashi played in the Nippon Professional Baseball league for the Chiba Lotte Marines. From 2008 to 2009, he played for Major League Baseball's Cleveland Indians. He was a member of the Japanese Olympic baseball team for the 2004 Summer Olympics and won a bronze medal. Kobayashi led the Pacific League in saves in 2005, with 29. He earned his 200th career save in 2006, becoming the third player in Japanese baseball to reach the mark, after Kazuhiro Sasaki and Shingo Takatsu. In 2007, his final season with the Marines, Kobayashi finished 2–7 with 27 saves and a 3.61 ERA in 49 relief appearances. He became the only Japanese professional pitcher to record 20 or more saves seven straight years. On November 2, 2007, Kobayashi declared free agency and expressed his interest in playing for a major league club for the 2008 season. On November 20, Kobayashi signed a two-year, $6.25 million deal with the Cleveland Indians. The deal included a $3.25 million club option for a third year. During the 2008 season, Kobayashi had an average season, going 4–5 with six saves and a 4.53 ERA in 57 relief appearances. He had a 3.05 ERA in the first half, but regressed in the second half, posting a 10.32 ERA in 15 games after the All-Star break. In 2009, Kobayashi made 10 appearances (9+2⁄3 innings) with no decisions or saves, and an ERA of 8.38. On May 16, he was removed from Cleveland's 40-man roster. He later cleared waivers and accepted an assignment to the Triple-A Columbus Clippers. He was released on July 18, 2009. Kobayashi signed a one-year contract with the Yomiuri Giants for the 2009 season. He made 16 appearances with the Giants, posting a 2.25 ERA. He later joined the Orix Buffaloes for the 2011 season.
Takeshi Saiki (斉木武志, Saiki Takeshi; born 13 May 1974) is a Japanese politician. He has been a member of the House of…Takeshi Saiki (斉木武志, Saiki Takeshi; born 13 May 1974) is a Japanese politician. He has been a member of the House of Representatives since 2024, having previously served from 2009 to 2012 and from 2017 to 2021. He previously worked as an announcer at NHK.
Yū Suzunoki (Japanese: 鈴ノ木ユウ, Hepburn: Suzunoki Yū; born September 4, 1973 in Kōfu, Yamanashi, Japan) is a Japanese…Yū Suzunoki (Japanese: 鈴ノ木ユウ, Hepburn: Suzunoki Yū; born September 4, 1973 in Kōfu, Yamanashi, Japan) is a Japanese manga artist and singer-songwriter. His real name is Yūki Suzunoki (鈴木祐樹, Suzunoki Yūki). He is married to singer Reina Hayashi—a member of Mimizuguzu—and lives in Nakano, Tokyo. He won the 2016 Kodansha Manga Award for his manga Kōnodori.
Tatsuya Ide (井出 竜也, Ide Tatsuya; born October 1, 1971) is a Japanese former professional baseball outfielder, and…Tatsuya Ide (井出 竜也, Ide Tatsuya; born October 1, 1971) is a Japanese former professional baseball outfielder, and current first squad outfield defense and base running coach for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He previously played for the Nippon-Ham Fighters, Yomiuri Giants, and the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.
Masao Inoue (井上雅央, Inoue Masao; born March 6, 1970 in Chūō, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese professional…Masao Inoue (井上雅央, Inoue Masao; born March 6, 1970 in Chūō, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese professional wrestler who currently works for Pro Wrestling Noah as a freelancer. He started his career in All Japan Pro Wrestling in 1991, before jumping to Pro Wrestling Noah during a mass exodus in 2000. Inoue spent the next 12 years with Noah before returning to AJPW in 2012. Since then, he has competed regularly for both promotions as a freelancer.
Shin Nakagomi (中込 伸, Nakagomi Shin; born February 16, 1970) is a retired Japanese professional baseball player and the…Shin Nakagomi (中込 伸, Nakagomi Shin; born February 16, 1970) is a retired Japanese professional baseball player and the former manager of Brother Elephants. In 2010, he was convicted of 5 charges of match fixing as a part of the 2009 game-fixing scandal and sentenced to 20 months in prison.
Masahiko Kobe (神戸 勝彦, Kōbe Masahiko; October 15, 1969 – March 14, 2019) was a celebrity chef specializing in Italian…Masahiko Kobe (神戸 勝彦, Kōbe Masahiko; October 15, 1969 – March 14, 2019) was a celebrity chef specializing in Italian cuisine, most notable as the "Iron Chef Italian" on the television series Iron Chef, where he appeared wearing a chef's uniform decorated like the Italian Flag (green, white and red) and holding a tomato (in some episodes, an apple).
Chie Tsuji (辻 知恵; born 9 August 1969) is a former volleyball player from Japan. Her maiden name was Chie Natori (名取 知恵…Chie Tsuji (辻 知恵; born 9 August 1969) is a former volleyball player from Japan. Her maiden name was Chie Natori (名取 知恵, Natori Chie). Tsuji competed with the Japan women's national volleyball team at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, where she finished in fifth place. She won a bronze medal at the 1994 Goodwill Games in Saint Petersburg. Tsuji played as a setter.
Teruyoshi Kuji (久慈 照嘉, Kuji Teruyoshi; born April 19, 1969 in Kōfu, Yamanashi, Japan) is a former Nippon Professional…Teruyoshi Kuji (久慈 照嘉, Kuji Teruyoshi; born April 19, 1969 in Kōfu, Yamanashi, Japan) is a former Nippon Professional Baseball infielder.
Kazuhito Iwaike (Japanese: 岩池 一仁, Hepburn: Iwaike Kazuhito; born on October 11, 1968), known exclusively by his stage…Kazuhito Iwaike (Japanese: 岩池 一仁, Hepburn: Iwaike Kazuhito; born on October 11, 1968), known exclusively by his stage name K.A.Z, is a Japanese musician and songwriter. He is known for his work with Oblivion Dust, hide with Spread Beaver and Vamps.
Makoto Yamashita (山下真, Yamashita Makoto; born June 1968) is a Japanese politician and the current governor of Nara…Makoto Yamashita (山下真, Yamashita Makoto; born June 1968) is a Japanese politician and the current governor of Nara Prefecture in Japan.
Mika Yamamoto (山本 美香, Yamamoto Mika) (26 May 1967 – 20 August 2012) was a Japanese video and photojournalist for the…Mika Yamamoto (山本 美香, Yamamoto Mika) (26 May 1967 – 20 August 2012) was a Japanese video and photojournalist for the news agency Japan Press. Yamamoto was killed on 20 August 2012 while covering the Syrian Civil War in Aleppo, Syria. She was the first Japanese and fourth foreign journalist killed in the Syrian Civil War that began in March 2011. She was the fifteenth journalist killed in Syria in 2012. Yamamoto was a recipient of the Vaughn-Uyeda Memorial Prize of the Japanese Newspaper Publishers and Editors Association for her reporting of international affairs in 2004.
Hiroyuki Kajihara (梶原宏之, Kajihara Hiroyuki) (born 28 September 1966 in Yamanashi, Japan) is a former rugby union…Hiroyuki Kajihara (梶原宏之, Kajihara Hiroyuki) (born 28 September 1966 in Yamanashi, Japan) is a former rugby union footballer who played for Japan. Playing at flanker, Kajihara played 21 Tests for Japan between 1989 and 1997. He scored 19 points from his four tries. Kajihara played in both the 1991 and 1995 Rugby World Cups for Japan. He played three games in each World Cup including matches against Scotland, Ireland and the All Blacks.
Norio Tanabe (田辺 徳雄, Tanabe Norio; born May 11, 1966 in Yamanashi, Japan) is a former Japanese Nippon Professional…Norio Tanabe (田辺 徳雄, Tanabe Norio; born May 11, 1966 in Yamanashi, Japan) is a former Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball player. He played for the Seibu Lions and Yomiuri Giants. In 1986, Tanabe was one of several Lions players who played on loan for the San Jose Bees. He led the club in hits, home runs, and runs batted in. In 2002, Tanabe rejoined the Lions as a coach. He was serving as the club's hitting coach when he took over as manager in June 2014. On September 27, 2016, Tanabe announced he would resign at the end of the season.
Kazufumi Miyazawa (宮沢和史, Miyazawa Kazufumi; born January 18, 1966) is the founder of the Japanese bands The Boom and…Kazufumi Miyazawa (宮沢和史, Miyazawa Kazufumi; born January 18, 1966) is the founder of the Japanese bands The Boom and Ganga Zumba. The former was noted in the 1990s for a fusion of rock, pop, and local Okinawan folk music. Miyazawa is responsible for virtually all lyrics and music for The Boom, who are best known for their 1993 hit song "Shima Uta". In 2006, he founded the band Ganga Zumba which includes Marcos Suzano and incorporates Brazilian and other Latin American and Caribbean influences in its music.
Harunobu Yonenaga (米長 晴信, Yonenaga Harunobu) (21 October 1965 – 16 June 2026) was a Japanese politician of the…Harunobu Yonenaga (米長 晴信, Yonenaga Harunobu) (21 October 1965 – 16 June 2026) was a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature). A graduate of Sophia University, he was elected to the House of Councillors for the first time in 2007, after working at Fuji Television for 17 years. He died on 16 June 2026, at the age of 60.
Masahito Ozawa (born August 13, 1965, in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese politician who has served as a…Masahito Ozawa (born August 13, 1965, in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese politician who has served as a member of the House of Councillors of Japan since 2019. He represents the National Proportional Representation Block as a member of the Constitutional Democratic Party. Ozawa graduated high school in 1984 and worked as a postal worker. He participated in the formation of a postal workers' union and served as its deputy chairperson. As of 2023, he is a member of the following committees: Committee on General Affairs (which he directs) Committee on Oversight Special Committee on Consumer Affairs
Hidenohana Yukihide (born 10 February 1965 as Yukihide Kikushima) is a former sumo wrestler from Nirasaki, Yamanashi…Hidenohana Yukihide (born 10 February 1965 as Yukihide Kikushima) is a former sumo wrestler from Nirasaki, Yamanashi, Japan. One of the few professional sumo wrestlers from Yamanashi Prefecture, he was recruited by yokozuna Wajima of the Hanakago stable. He made his professional debut in March 1980, alongside Kotofuji and future professional wrestler Hanaarashi but never reached the top division. His highest rank was jūryō 5. He reached the second division eight years after his professional debut. He won the jūryō division yūshō or championship in his debut tournament in the division (the first wrestler to achieve this since Kotochitose in 1979), but then never won another bout as a sekitori, as he suffered a left knee medial collateral ligament injury in training with members of the Nihon University sumo club (including later top division wrestler Daishoyama) and was forced to withdraw from the next tournament after ten straight losses. He had been ineligible for the kōshō seido rank protection as the injury had not taken place in a tournament, and he was demoted to makushita. He never managed to return to jūryō and retired from active competition in March 1994. He performed the yumitori-shiki bow-twirling ceremony from November 1990 to July 1991.
Hideka Koshimizu (輿水 秀香, Koshimizu Hideka; born 16 October 1964) is a Japanese swimmer. She competed in two events at…Hideka Koshimizu (輿水 秀香, Koshimizu Hideka; born 16 October 1964) is a Japanese swimmer. She competed in two events at the 1984 Summer Olympics.
Keiji Muto (武藤 敬司, Mutō Keiji; born December 23, 1962) is a Japanese professional wrestling executive, actor and…Keiji Muto (武藤 敬司, Mutō Keiji; born December 23, 1962) is a Japanese professional wrestling executive, actor and retired professional wrestler. He is known for his work under his real name and as his alter ego The Great Muta (グレート・ムタ, Gurēto Muta) in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW) during the 1980s and 1990s. He is also known for his runs in both All Japan Pro-Wrestling (AJPW) between 2001 and 2013, and his run in Pro Wrestling Noah (NOAH) from 2020 to 2023. He was the president of All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) from 2002 to 2013 and representative director of Wrestle-1 (W-1) from 2013 until its closure in 2020. Considered one of the greatest and most influential wrestlers of all time, Muto is one of the first Japanese wrestlers (puroresura) to gain an international fanbase in the 1990s and beyond, thanks in large part to his Great Muta gimmick. The gimmick is one of the most influential in puroresu, emulated by many wrestlers, and seen as the most prevalent of Muto's alter ego's. Many wrestlers copied or modified some of the moves that he popularized or innovated, such as the Shining Wizard, Moonsault (also known as the Rounding Body Press), Muta Lock, and the Dragon-screw leg-whip. He took part in what was generally considered to be one of the bloodiest professional wrestling matches at the time against Hiroshi Hase, leading to the creation of the "Muta scale", which rates the bloodiness of matches relative to this one's 1.0 value. Muto is one of the five wrestlers to win the three major championships of puroresu (AJPW's Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship, NJPW's IWGP Heavyweight Championship, and Pro Wrestling Noah's GHC Heavyweight Championship) with Kensuke Sasaki, Yoshihiro Takayama, Satoshi Kojima, and Yuji Nagata. He also held the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship, making him an overall nine-time world champion. He is also a 13-time world tag team champion with five AJPW World Tag Team Championships, six IWGP Tag Team Championships, one GHC Tag Team Championship, and one WCW World Tag Team Championship. In total, he held 32 championships throughout his 38-year career. In 2013, Muto founded W-1, where he also wrestled semi-regularly. He made special appearances for the American promotion Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA, renamed Impact Wrestling in 2017) from 2014 to 2019, as part of a talent exchange with W-1. In June 2022, Muto announced that he would retire in 2023. His retirement matches occurred on February 21, 2023, in the Tokyo Dome during Noah's Keiji Muto Grand Final Pro-Wrestling "Last-Love" event, first against his scheduled opponent Tetsuya Naito, and second in an impromptu double-retirement match against Masahiro Chono. In April 2023, Muto was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
Kenji Watanabe (渡邊賢司, Watanabe Kenji; born August 8, 1962) is a Japanese material scientist. He is a Specially…Kenji Watanabe (渡邊賢司, Watanabe Kenji; born August 8, 1962) is a Japanese material scientist. He is a Specially Appointed Researcher at the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS).
Masaaki Akaike (赤池 誠章, Akaike Masaaki; born 19 July 1961) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, who…Masaaki Akaike (赤池 誠章, Akaike Masaaki; born 19 July 1961) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, who served as a member of the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature).
Masayuki Kojima (小島 正幸, Kojima Masayuki; born March 11, 1961) is a Japanese animator, storyboard artist, and director…Masayuki Kojima (小島 正幸, Kojima Masayuki; born March 11, 1961) is a Japanese animator, storyboard artist, and director, best known for directing the acclaimed anime series Monster and Made in Abyss.
General Kōji Yamazaki (山崎 幸二, Yamazaki Kōji) is a Japanese retired general who served as the Chief of Staff, Joint…General Kōji Yamazaki (山崎 幸二, Yamazaki Kōji) is a Japanese retired general who served as the Chief of Staff, Joint Staff of the Japan Self-Defense Forces from April 2019 to March 2023. He previously served as the Chief of the Ground Staff at the JGSDF from August 2017 to March 2019.
Fumihiko Imamura (今村文彦, Imamura Fumihiko; born September 24, 1961) is a Japanese academic, civil engineer, and Director…Fumihiko Imamura (今村文彦, Imamura Fumihiko; born September 24, 1961) is a Japanese academic, civil engineer, and Director of the International Research Institute of Disaster Science at Tohoku University in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture. After the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, Imamura was prominent amongst those who proposed that December 26 should be an international day of commemoration. He argued that the simple idea could be effective in preparing people for the giant waves.
Shinichi Ishihara (石原 慎一, Ishihara Shin'ichi; born May 26, 1960) is a Japanese singer, voice actor and actor from…Shinichi Ishihara (石原 慎一, Ishihara Shin'ichi; born May 26, 1960) is a Japanese singer, voice actor and actor from Yamanashi Prefecture. He is famous for singing the theme songs of Guyver, Kamen Rider Agito and Kyuukyuu Sentai GoGo-V, among other theme songs as well as the entire soundtrack to Juukou B-Fighter.
Ōnohana Taketora (born 23 June 1958 as Hisayoshi Ono) is a former sumo wrestler from Yatsushiro, Kumamoto, Japan. He…Ōnohana Taketora (born 23 June 1958 as Hisayoshi Ono) is a former sumo wrestler from Yatsushiro, Kumamoto, Japan. He made his professional debut in March 1974 and reached the top division in March 1988. His highest rank was maegashira 13. Upon retirement from active competition he became an elder in the Japan Sumo Association, under the name Onoe. He left the Sumo Association in April 2004. He won a third-division title in September 1983, in an eight-way playoff, defeating both future ōzeki Konishiki and future yokozuna Futahaguro.
