Michie Tomizawa (富沢 美智恵, Tomizawa Michie; born October 20, 1961) is a Japanese actress, voice actress and singer born…Michie Tomizawa (富沢 美智恵, Tomizawa Michie; born October 20, 1961) is a Japanese actress, voice actress and singer born in Maruko, Nagano Prefecture and raised in Shinmachi, Gunma.
Takashi Ikegami (born February 1961) is a professor at the University of Tokyo. He specializes in artificial life and…Takashi Ikegami (born February 1961) is a professor at the University of Tokyo. He specializes in artificial life and complexity, and has been known to engage on the border between art and science.
Masami Kikuchi (菊池 正美, Kikuchi Masami; born April 24, 1960) is a Japanese voice actor and narrator from Nagano. He was…Masami Kikuchi (菊池 正美, Kikuchi Masami; born April 24, 1960) is a Japanese voice actor and narrator from Nagano. He was affiliated with Troubadour Music Office until March 2010. He then worked as a freelancer until he was employed in April 2011 by Kenyu Office. He is most known for his anime voice roles such as the titular character in Tenchi Muyo!, Joe Kido in Digimon Adventure, Keiichi Morisato in Oh My Goddess!, Kazuhiko Hanawa in Chibi Maruko-chan, Kanchomé in Zatch Bell!, Wing in Hunter × Hunter, the titular character in Grappler Baki, and the titular character in the 1996 Sonic the Hedgehog OVA.
Hisao Oguchi (小口 久雄, Oguchi Hisao; born 5 March 1960) is a Japanese business executive. He was director, vice chairman…Hisao Oguchi (小口 久雄, Oguchi Hisao; born 5 March 1960) is a Japanese business executive. He was director, vice chairman, and chief creative officer of Sega Sammy Holdings Inc. Oguchi originally was president and CEO of Sega. He was president and CEO of Sega Sammy Creation. He is currently a director of UDream, a content production company.
Takeyuki Nakayama (中山 竹通, Nakayama Takeyuki; born December 20, 1959 in Ikeda, Nagano) is a former Japanese world-class…Takeyuki Nakayama (中山 竹通, Nakayama Takeyuki; born December 20, 1959 in Ikeda, Nagano) is a former Japanese world-class marathon runner. He represented his native country at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain and the 1986 Asian Games in Seoul, South Korea (gold medal). Nakayama's notable marathon wins include Fukuoka Marathon (1984, 1987), the Seoul marathon (1985), and the Tokyo marathon (1990). In 1985 Nakayama set the 2nd record in the world from the 1st World Cup Marathon (2:08:15). As of 2007, Nakayama is a coach at the Aichi Seiko Track Team.
Yasuhiro Kobayashi (小林 靖宏, Kobayashi Yasuhiro; born April 29, 1959), known professionally as coba, is a Japanese…Yasuhiro Kobayashi (小林 靖宏, Kobayashi Yasuhiro; born April 29, 1959), known professionally as coba, is a Japanese musician, accordionist, composer and arranger, born in Matsushiro, Nagano and brought up in Niigata, Niigata. His music has sold over 1,000,000 CDs. coba started playing accordion when he was nine. At the age of 18 he moved to Italy in order to hone his music skills in local educational institution and graduated with honours. In April 1979 coba won an accordionist contest in Japan; in September he did the same in Italy and in October 1980 he was recognized as the best in Austria. coba creates his own music and makes arrangements for famous compositions. In 1996 he collaborated with Björk recording her album Homogenic and touring in more than sixty countries. Throughout his career coba also worked with Goldie, 808 State, Underworld, Plaid and Howie B. In 1996 French magazine Nova Magazine named "Roots" album the best one. In 2001 coba was awarded "The Best Composer of the Year" for his soundtracks according to Japanese Award Academy. In 2002 he created music for Pokémon. In 2006 coba was awarded "Voce d’oro" - the prize of "the most active accordionist in the world". coba released more than 30 albums. He considers that his music doesn't belong to any genre.
Kazue Ikura (伊倉 一恵, Ikura Kazue; born March 23, 1959) is a Japanese actress, voice actress and narrator who works for…Kazue Ikura (伊倉 一恵, Ikura Kazue; born March 23, 1959) is a Japanese actress, voice actress and narrator who works for Aoni Production. She was previously affiliated with theater groups/production companies 劇舎燐, 俳協, Production Baobab and NABEYA. She is most known for the roles of Kaori Makimura (City Hunter), Toraoh (Mashin Eiyuuden Wataru), Ryuunosuke Natsume (All Purpose Cultural Cat Girl Nuku Nuku), and Leni Milchstrasse (Sakura Wars). Kazue Ikura has even taken her voice acting skills on stage to perform, in costume, Leni Milchstrasse during several events starting in 1998 to the present.
George Iida (飯田 譲治, Iida Jōji; born 1 March 1959) is a Japanese film and television director, screenwriter, manga…George Iida (飯田 譲治, Iida Jōji; born 1 March 1959) is a Japanese film and television director, screenwriter, manga author, and novelist. Iida has worked continually in Japan's film, television, anime and manga industries since the early 1980s, predominantly in the genres of horror and science fiction.
Sumio Watanabe (渡辺 澄夫, Watanabe Sumio; born 1959) is a Japanese mathematician and engineer working in probability…Sumio Watanabe (渡辺 澄夫, Watanabe Sumio; born 1959) is a Japanese mathematician and engineer working in probability theory, applied algebraic geometry and Bayesian statistics. He is currently a professor at Tokyo Institute of Technology in the Department of Computational Intelligence and Systems Science. He is the author of the text, Algebraic Geometry and Statistical Learning Theory, which proposes a generalization of Fisher's regular statistical theory to singular statistical models.
Yoshihisa Tagami (田上喜久 Tagami Yoshihisa, usually written in hiragana たがみ よしひさ) is a Japanese manga artist. Tagami was…Yoshihisa Tagami (田上喜久 Tagami Yoshihisa, usually written in hiragana たがみ よしひさ) is a Japanese manga artist. Tagami was born on December 9, 1958, in Komoro, Nagano. He was the older brother of another manga artist, Iku Oyamada, who died in 2016. In 1978, Tagami received an Honorable Mention of the Shogakukan Manga Award in the Newcomer category for his manga Zashikiwarashi, which would become his first published manga in the January 10, 1979 issue of Shogakukan's Big Comic magazine.
Masachi Osawa (大澤 真幸, Ōsawa Masachi; born October 15, 1958 in Nagano, Japan) is a Japanese sociologist and philosopher.…Masachi Osawa (大澤 真幸, Ōsawa Masachi; born October 15, 1958 in Nagano, Japan) is a Japanese sociologist and philosopher. Outside Japan, he is best known as a social scientist, often mentioned in reference to sociological and philosophical research on otaku culture and popular Japanese animation series such as Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex.
Ichiro Miyashita (宮下 一郎, Miyashita Ichirō; born 1 August 1958) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party…Ichiro Miyashita (宮下 一郎, Miyashita Ichirō; born 1 August 1958) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Nagoya, Aichi and graduate of the University of Tokyo, he worked at The Sumitomo Bank from 1983 to 1991. He was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 2003. His father is former Health minister Sohei Miyashita. Miyashita was appointed minister of agriculture in the Kishida cabinet in September 2023, but resigned in December due to his faction's involvement in a slush fund scandal. In November 2024, he was appointed chairman of the LDP agriculture and forestry policy research council (総合農林政策調査会). In April 2026, he also became executive vice chairman of the Election Strategy Committee under Yasutoshi Nishimura.
Konami Kanata (こなみ かなた) is a Japanese manga artist best known for her cat manga Chi's Sweet Home. Her first manga…Konami Kanata (こなみ かなた) is a Japanese manga artist best known for her cat manga Chi's Sweet Home. Her first manga Buchineko JamJam (ブチねこジャムジャム) was published in the magazine Nakayoshi in 1982. Chi's Sweet Home, FukuFuku: Kitten Tales (ふくふくふにゃ～ん子猫だにゃん, Fuku Fuku Funyan Koneko Da Nyan), and Sue & Tai-chan (スーと鯛ちゃん, Suu to Taichan) have been published in English by Vertical Inc. Manga artist Risa Itō and Kanata are from the same small town and Kanata's father was Itō's homeroom teacher in elementary school. Kanata has a blood type of O.
Ikuo Takahara (高原 郁夫, Takahara Ikuo; born October 14, 1957) is a former Japanese football player. He played for Japan…Ikuo Takahara (高原 郁夫, Takahara Ikuo; born October 14, 1957) is a former Japanese football player. He played for Japan national team.
Kazuaki Ichimura (市村 和昭, Ichimura Kazuaki; born 11 August 1957) is a Japanese speed skater. He competed in two events…Kazuaki Ichimura (市村 和昭, Ichimura Kazuaki; born 11 August 1957) is a Japanese speed skater. He competed in two events at the 1980 Winter Olympics.
Tomohisa Takei (武居 智久, Takei Tomohisa; born January 12, 1957) is a retired Japanese admiral who served as the 32nd…Tomohisa Takei (武居 智久, Takei Tomohisa; born January 12, 1957) is a retired Japanese admiral who served as the 32nd Chief of Staff, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. Born in the Japanese prefecture of Nagano, Takei was commissioned into the JMSDF in March 1979 following his graduation from the 23rd class of National Defense Academy. After 35 years of service, Takei assumed position of JMSDF Chief of Staff in 2014.
Shunsuke Mutai (務台 俊介, Mutai Shunsuke; born 3 July 1956) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party who…Shunsuke Mutai (務台 俊介, Mutai Shunsuke; born 3 July 1956) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party who served in the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). He was first elected in the 2012 general election. He is a former career bureaucrat in the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (briefly serving as Director of the CLAIR London Office) and graduate of University of Tokyo. Having unsuccessfully contested the Nagano 2nd district in the 2009 general election, he then served as a professor of local administration at Kanagawa University. Mutai was Secretary to the Alliance of Legislators who wish to legislate for Mountain Day, which was inaugurated in August 2016. In 2016 Mutai was appointed Parliamentary Vice Minister for Reconstruction and shortly after hit global headlines concerning an incident concerning a ministerial visit to a disaster-hit region. Half year later at a campaign party Mutai joked about the incident only to be criticized by Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga. Mutai resigned from his post on the following day. At the 2017 general election Mutai was defeated in his Nagano constituency but re-elected to the Diet under his party's proportional representation bloc. He was reappointed to government as a State Minister for the Environment in October 2021 but relieved of his position in the August 2022 Kishida reshuffle .
Yasuo Tanaka (田中 康夫, Tanaka Yasuo; born 12 April 1956) is a Japanese novelist and politician. He served as the governor…Yasuo Tanaka (田中 康夫, Tanaka Yasuo; born 12 April 1956) is a Japanese novelist and politician. He served as the governor of Nagano Prefecture from 2000 to 2006, became president of New Party Nippon, and has been elected to Japan's legislatures.
Keiichi Tsuchiya (土屋圭市, Tsuchiya Keiichi; born January 30, 1956) is a Japanese professional race car driver. He is…Keiichi Tsuchiya (土屋圭市, Tsuchiya Keiichi; born January 30, 1956) is a Japanese professional race car driver. He is known as the Drift King (ドリキン, Dorikin) for his nontraditional use of drifting in non-drifting racing events and his role in popularizing drifting as a motorsport. In professional racing, he is a two-time 24 Hours of Le Mans class winner and the 2001 All Japan GT Championship runner-up. He is also known for tōge driving. The car Tsuchiya drives, a Toyota AE86 Sprinter Trueno, has become one of the most popular sports cars; the car is also known as "Hachi-Roku" in Japan (hachi-roku meaning "eight-six"); his car is also called "The Little Hachi that could." A 2-part video known as 'The Touge' produced by Pluspy (styled as +P) documents Tsuchiya's touge driving with his AE86. Tsuchiya was a consultant for the popular manga and anime series, Initial D, in which he makes several cameos. He also served as a stunt coordinator and stuntman on The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, where he also made a cameo appearance.
Mitsu Shimojo (下条 みつ, Shimojō Mitsu; born 29 December 1955) is a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan…Mitsu Shimojo (下条 みつ, Shimojō Mitsu; born 29 December 1955) is a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Matsumoto, Nagano and graduate of Shinshu University, he was elected for the first time in 2003 after an unsuccessful run in 2000.
Mikio Katagiri (片桐 幹雄, Katagiri Mikio; born 9 January 1955) is a Japanese alpine skier. He competed in the 1976 Winter…Mikio Katagiri (片桐 幹雄, Katagiri Mikio; born 9 January 1955) is a Japanese alpine skier. He competed in the 1976 Winter Olympics and the 1980 Winter Olympics.
Kunimitsu Itō (伊藤 国光, Itō Kunimitsu; born January 6, 1955 in Ina, Nagano) is a retired long-distance runner from Japan…Kunimitsu Itō (伊藤 国光, Itō Kunimitsu; born January 6, 1955 in Ina, Nagano) is a retired long-distance runner from Japan, who finished second in the 1981 edition of the Fukuoka Marathon on December 6, 1981.
Norihiko Kitahara (北原 憲彦, Kitahara Norihiko; 11 December 1954 – 30 May 2026) was a Japanese basketball player. He…Norihiko Kitahara (北原 憲彦, Kitahara Norihiko; 11 December 1954 – 30 May 2026) was a Japanese basketball player. He competed in the men's tournament at the 1976 Summer Olympics. Kitahara died on 30 May 2026, at the age of 71.
Chieko Ito (伊東 千恵子, Itō Chieko; born 2 April 1954) is a Japanese speed skater. She competed in two events at the 1976…Chieko Ito (伊東 千恵子, Itō Chieko; born 2 April 1954) is a Japanese speed skater. She competed in two events at the 1976 Winter Olympics.
Reiko Aonuma (青沼 令子, Aonuma Reiko; born 28 January 1954) is a Japanese basketball player. She competed in the women's…Reiko Aonuma (青沼 令子, Aonuma Reiko; born 28 January 1954) is a Japanese basketball player. She competed in the women's tournament at the 1976 Summer Olympics.
Sumie Awara (湶 純江, Awara Sumie; 19 August 1952 – 17 October 2007) was a Japanese track and field athlete. She competed…Sumie Awara (湶 純江, Awara Sumie; 19 August 1952 – 17 October 2007) was a Japanese track and field athlete. She competed in the women's long jump at the 1976 Summer Olympics.
Ushio Torikai (鳥養潮; surname Torikai; born July 11, 1952, in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese composer…Ushio Torikai (鳥養潮; surname Torikai; born July 11, 1952, in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese composer of contemporary classical music. She is known for her highly individual musical voice, developed over many years of research and compositional experience in diverse musical fields including European classical music, traditional Japanese music, ancient Japanese music and computer/electronics.
Mamoru Fujisawa (Japanese: 藤澤 守, Hepburn: Fujisawa Mamoru; born December 6, 1950), known professionally as Joe Hisaishi…Mamoru Fujisawa (Japanese: 藤澤 守, Hepburn: Fujisawa Mamoru; born December 6, 1950), known professionally as Joe Hisaishi (久石 譲, Hisaishi Jō), is a Japanese composer, musical director, conductor and pianist, known for over 100 film scores and solo albums dating back to 1981. Hisaishi's music has been known to explore and incorporate different genres, including minimalist, experimental electronic, Western classical, and Japanese classical. He has also worked as a music engraver and arranger. He has been associated with director and animator Hayao Miyazaki since 1984, having written scores for all but one of Miyazaki's films. He is also recognized for his music for filmmaker 'Beat' Takeshi Kitano, including A Scene at the Sea (1991), Sonatine (1993), Kids Return (1996), Hana-bi (1997), Kikujiro (1999), Brother (2000), and Dolls (2002), and for the video game series Ni no Kuni. He composed the score for the Oscar-winning film Departures (2008). He was a student of anime composer Takeo Watanabe.
Satomi Koike (小池 里美, Koike Satomi; born 19 October 1950) is a Japanese speed skater. She competed in two events at the…Satomi Koike (小池 里美, Koike Satomi; born 19 October 1950) is a Japanese speed skater. She competed in two events at the 1972 Winter Olympics.
Toeko Tatsuno (Japanese: 辰野登恵子; born Toeko Naka (Japanese: 中 登恵子); 13 January 1950 – 19 September 2014) was a Japanese…Toeko Tatsuno (Japanese: 辰野登恵子; born Toeko Naka (Japanese: 中 登恵子); 13 January 1950 – 19 September 2014) was a Japanese abstract painter, printmaker, and former professor at Tama Art University in Japan.
Masafumi Matsui (松井 正文; born 1950) is a Japanese zoologist and herpetologist, and a professor emeritus at Kyoto…Masafumi Matsui (松井 正文; born 1950) is a Japanese zoologist and herpetologist, and a professor emeritus at Kyoto University. He is a leading researcher in amphibian studies and a recipient of the Zoological Society of Japan Prize. He also served as president of the Herpetological Society of Japan.
Shuji Ikeguchi (池口 修次, Ikeguchi Shūji; born November 10, 1949) is a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of…Shuji Ikeguchi (池口 修次, Ikeguchi Shūji; born November 10, 1949) is a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Kiso, Nagano and graduate of Waseda University, he joined Honda in 1972 and was elected to the House of Councillors for the first time in 2001.
Sumihiro Tomii (富井 澄博, Tomii Sumihiro; 20 October 1949 – 17 January 2013) was a Japanese alpine skier. He competed at…Sumihiro Tomii (富井 澄博, Tomii Sumihiro; 20 October 1949 – 17 January 2013) was a Japanese alpine skier. He competed at the 1972 Winter Olympics and the 1976 Winter Olympics.
Daijiro Morohoshi (諸星 大二郎, Morohoshi Daijirō; born July 6, 1949, in Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese…Daijiro Morohoshi (諸星 大二郎, Morohoshi Daijirō; born July 6, 1949, in Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese manga artist. He is well known for science fiction comics, allegorical comics and horror/mystery comics based on pseudohistory and folklore. The indirect influence by Cthulhu Mythos also appears here and there in his works.
Yōichi Sai (崔 洋一, Sai Yōichi; 6 July 1949 – 27 November 2022) was a Korean film director who worked in Japan. He was…Yōichi Sai (崔 洋一, Sai Yōichi; 6 July 1949 – 27 November 2022) was a Korean film director who worked in Japan. He was the president of the Directors Guild of Japan.
Osamu Naito (14 April 1949 – 22 October 2016 ) was a Japanese speed skater. He competed in two events at the 1972…Osamu Naito (14 April 1949 – 22 October 2016 ) was a Japanese speed skater. He competed in two events at the 1972 Winter Olympics.
Miyuki Katagiri (片桐 美雪, Katagiri Miyuki; born 26 October 1948) is a Japanese alpine skier. She competed in three events…Miyuki Katagiri (片桐 美雪, Katagiri Miyuki; born 26 October 1948) is a Japanese alpine skier. She competed in three events at the 1972 Winter Olympics.
Takashi Shinohara (篠原 孝, Shinohara Takashi; born 17 July 1948) is a Japanese politician who served as a member of the…Takashi Shinohara (篠原 孝, Shinohara Takashi; born 17 July 1948) is a Japanese politician who served as a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature).
Mitsuyoshi Yanagisawa (柳沢 光美, Yanagisawa Mitsuyoshi; born May 5, 1948) is a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party…Mitsuyoshi Yanagisawa (柳沢 光美, Yanagisawa Mitsuyoshi; born May 5, 1948) is a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Tōmi, Nagano and graduate of Seijo University, he was elected to the House of Councillors for the first time in 2004 after an unsuccessful run in 2001.
Okihide Hikosaka is a neuroscience research professor who specializes in the mechanisms of motivation, learning, skill…Okihide Hikosaka is a neuroscience research professor who specializes in the mechanisms of motivation, learning, skill, decision-making, attention, and oculomotor control. His research into neuronal mechanisms of voluntary behavior and basal ganglia function created breakthroughs in the understanding of the neurochemistry behind information-seeking behavior and the efficacy of grouping motor sequence learning actions (otherwise known as “chunking”) in order to remember more than individual actions. Hikosaka’s research proved that the brain is chemically wired to be rewarded with dopamine for learning information about the future. “This result supports the notion that midbrain dopamine neurons are coding for both primitive and cognitive rewards. So why do dopamine neurons treat information as a reward? It’s easy to see how treating information this way might be a useful evolutionary adaptation. For many animals, each day consists of numerous decisions that pertain to eating, reproducing and socializing. Obviously, having access to more relevant information – such as knowing where the food is located - allows animals to make better decisions. Furthermore, having access to such information might give us better control over our environment, thus increasing our chances of survival.” Hikosaka's research impacts the understanding of drug abuse, Parkinson’s and many other aspects of behavior and brain function and dysfunction.
Yoshiyuki Okamura (Japanese: 岡村 善行, Hepburn: Okamura Yoshiyuki; born June 16, 1947), known by the pen names Buronson…Yoshiyuki Okamura (Japanese: 岡村 善行, Hepburn: Okamura Yoshiyuki; born June 16, 1947), known by the pen names Buronson (武論尊) and Sho Fumimura (史村 翔, Fumimura Shō), is a Japanese manga writer. Making his debut in 1972, he first found success with the hardboiled detective manga series Doberman Deka (1975–1979) alongside illustrator Shinji Hiramatsu. He is best-known for creating the post-apocalyptic martial arts series Fist of the North Star (1983–1988) with artist Tetsuo Hara, which is one of the best-selling manga in history with over 100 million copies in circulation. He has since worked with Ryoichi Ikegami on several series, including Heat (1998–2004), which won the 2002 Shogakukan Manga Award for general manga. Buronson received a Special Award at the 2021 Saito Takao Awards for his continued contributions to manga, including his training of younger artists.
Tamio Dejima (born 21 February 1947) is a Japanese speed skater. He competed in the men's 500 metres event at the 1968…Tamio Dejima (born 21 February 1947) is a Japanese speed skater. He competed in the men's 500 metres event at the 1968 Winter Olympics.
Naoki Inose (猪瀬 直樹, Inose Naoki; born 20 November 1946) is a Japanese politician, journalist, historian, social critic…Naoki Inose (猪瀬 直樹, Inose Naoki; born 20 November 1946) is a Japanese politician, journalist, historian, social critic and biographer of literary figures such as Yukio Mishima and Osamu Dazai. He served as Lieutenant Governor of Tokyo from June 2007 until becoming Acting Governor on 1 November 2012 following the resignation of Shintaro Ishihara. He was elected Governor in a historical landslide victory in December 2012, but announced his resignation on December 19, 2013, following a political funds-related scandal; his resignation was approved and became effective December 24, 2013.
