Akira Kito (born 10 September 1974) is a Japanese table tennis player. He competed in the men's doubles event at the…Akira Kito (born 10 September 1974) is a Japanese table tennis player. He competed in the men's doubles event at the 2004 Summer Olympics, with Toshio Tasaki as his partner. They were eliminated in Round 3.
Buyūzan Takeyoshi (born July 29, 1974 as Takeyoshi Tominaga in Toyohashi, Aichi, Japan) is a former sumo wrestler. His…Buyūzan Takeyoshi (born July 29, 1974 as Takeyoshi Tominaga in Toyohashi, Aichi, Japan) is a former sumo wrestler. His highest rank was maegashira 1. He is now a sumo coach.
Tetsuya Hibino (日比野哲也, Hibino Tetsuya) (born 10 April 1974 in Aichi) is a Japanese professional drifting driver…Tetsuya Hibino (日比野哲也, Hibino Tetsuya) (born 10 April 1974 in Aichi) is a Japanese professional drifting driver, currently competing in the D1 Grand Prix series for Shibata Racing Team. Like many of the drivers in the D1 Grand Prix, Hibino is the owner of his own tuning shop called SunRise, and works on his car himself. Before starting in D1GP, he was part of a team called, "Dropout Racing". He is quite a popular driver as he is one of the best drivers of the Toyota AE86 chassis in the D1GP today. He began competing in the D1GP in the sixth round in 2002, though he did not get any recognition until round 3 of 2004 when out of nowhere he defeated many well known names to take second place, and first exhibited his jumping drift which took the crowd and judges by storm. Hibino has always drove the Toyota Corolla Levin since he began and the combination of its light weight and his aggressive driving style make him a formidable opponent. As he carried on in D1GP, he has another Levin which is a 3-door while his N.A. Cream-Beige Levin AE86 is a 2-door coupe. The 3-door Levin is heavily modified, featuring the SR20 engine from a Nissan Silvia which gives a significant performance advantage over the standard engine. Though some of the more hardcore AE86 fans do not like this Nissan transplant, it is fairly common, but he has stuck with the stock AE86 live-axle rear end as some would use a S13 rear end. In 2007, when he advanced to the finals in the Suzuka round, Hibino purposely swerved into Masao Suenaga's path during the start of their first run and the judges originally placed him as second but he was later disqualified after the tournament finished. He had a decent season but placed 11th overall. In 2009, Hibino changed to DRoo-P's AE85 which Toshiki Yoshioka had driven until the mid of 2008 for the newly built DRoo-P SC430. The AE85 was heavily changed with a new exterior design and a matte black. He earned his first win at Rd.3 in Okayama alongside Daigo Saito. He placed fifth overall in the series ranking. In 2010, Hibino picked up the sponsorship with UPGARAGE in collaboration with his main sponsor DRoo-P, which also required the change of his livery to grey and yellow. He earned his 2nd win Rd.5 in Ebisu going against Ken Nomura in the finals. Some would say it was considered a revenge match as Nomura had won at Rd.3 in Ebisu for the 2004 season. He also started to enter Drift Muscle races started by Keiichi Tsuchiya from 2011. He drives the Nissan Silvia S15 instead of the AE86 in the Drift Muscle series. In 2012, Hibino changed cars from the AE86 to the newer Toyota 86 from AE86. As Dunlop had dropped out of the series, he automatically changed tire sponsors with Falken. In 2013, Hibino earned his third win at Rd.5 in Huis Ten Bosch. This was also the first victory for a Toyota 86 in the series, At 2015, Hibino started to drive Toyota Supra and changed to Zestino Tyre. He entered RDS in Russia and won all championship during this year. He also won championship D1 PRIMRING GP in Russia. Hibino's result was 2nd place at D1GP Rd.6 and D1GP WORLD CHAMPIONS. He started to join drift race in China from 2015. His D1GP series ranking was 6th place this year. Hibino became a member of GULF RACING ZESTINO TIRE from 2017. He changed his car to Honda S2000. Hibino won TANSO Championship at 2017 D1GP TSUKUBA DRIFT Rd.3, D1GP China in Hefei and D1 PRIMRING GP in Russia. From 2019, Hibino changed his car to Nissan Silvia (S14). The front of this car is designed to look like a Plymouth Barracuda by Rocket Bunny parts.
Takanori Ōyama (大山 鎬則, Ōyama Takanori; born March 8, 1974) is a Japanese actor, voice actor and playwright from Aichi…Takanori Ōyama (大山 鎬則, Ōyama Takanori; born March 8, 1974) is a Japanese actor, voice actor and playwright from Aichi Prefecture, Japan. He is probably most known for the roles as Kanji Sasahara (Genshiken) and Yasunobu Hattori (Suzuka).
Mitsuyuki Masuhara (増原 光幸, Masuhara Mitsuyuki) is a Japanese anime film director. He joined the company Madhouse since…Mitsuyuki Masuhara (増原 光幸, Masuhara Mitsuyuki) is a Japanese anime film director. He joined the company Madhouse since 1999. Masuhara served as the episode director, before directing the short film Clamp in Wonderland 2 in 2007 and becoming a full series director on Chi's Sweet Home in 2008.
Ichiro Suzuki ( EE-chirr-oh; Japanese: 鈴木 一朗, romanized: Suzuki Ichirō, IPA: [sɯzɯki itɕiɾoː]; born October 22, 1973)…Ichiro Suzuki ( EE-chirr-oh; Japanese: 鈴木 一朗, romanized: Suzuki Ichirō, IPA: [sɯzɯki itɕiɾoː]; born October 22, 1973), also known mononymously as Ichiro (イチロー, Ichirō), is a Japanese former professional baseball outfielder who played for 28 seasons. He played the first nine years of his career with the Orix BlueWave of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) and the next 12 years with the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball (MLB). Suzuki then played two and a half seasons with the New York Yankees and three with the Miami Marlins before returning to the Mariners for his final two seasons. He won two World Baseball Classic titles with the Japan national team. One of the greatest contact hitters, leadoff hitters, and defensive outfielders in baseball history, he is also considered one of the greatest baseball players of all time. In his combined playing time in the NPB and MLB, Suzuki received 17 consecutive selections as an All-Star and Gold Glove winner, won nine league batting titles, and was named his league's most valuable player (MVP) four times. In NPB, he won seven consecutive batting titles and three consecutive Pacific League MVP Awards. In 2001, Suzuki became the first Japanese-born position player to be posted and signed to an MLB club. He led the American League (AL) in batting average and stolen bases en route to being named AL Rookie of the Year and AL MVP. Suzuki was the first MLB player to enter the Meikyukai (The Golden Players Club). He was a ten-time MLB All-Star and won the 2007 All-Star Game MVP Award for a three-hit performance that included the event's first-ever inside-the-park home run. Suzuki won a Gold Glove Award in each of his first 10 years in the majors and had an AL-record seven hitting streaks of 20 or more games, with a high of 27. He was also noted for the longevity of his career, continuing to produce at a high level with an on-base percentage above .300 in 2016, while approaching 43 years of age. Suzuki also set a number of batting records, including MLB's single-season record for hits with 262. He had 10 consecutive 200-hit seasons, the longest streak by any player in MLB history. In 2016, Suzuki notched the 3,000th hit of his MLB career, becoming the 30th player ever to do so. In total, he finished with 4,367 hits in his professional career across Japan and the United States, the most of any player in history at the top level of baseball. Since retiring as a player in 2019, he became the Mariners' special assistant to the chairman. In 2025, Suzuki was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. He became the first Japanese player and first Asian-born player to be elected into the Hall of Fame, receiving 99.7% of the vote, tied with Derek Jeter for the second-highest percentage ever. That same year, Suzuki was also elected to the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame. That August, the Mariners retired Suzuki's number 51.
Eiji Sugiyama (杉山 英司, Sugiyama Eiji; born 24 August 1973), better known by his stage name Sugi-chan (スギちゃん), is a…Eiji Sugiyama (杉山 英司, Sugiyama Eiji; born 24 August 1973), better known by his stage name Sugi-chan (スギちゃん), is a Japanese comedian. He has enjoyed success since 2012 with a comedy routine that frequently uses a catch line in which he describes his own antics as "wild".
Megumu Yoshida (吉田 恵, Yoshida Megumi; born April 13, 1973) is a former Japanese football player and manager. He is the…Megumu Yoshida (吉田 恵, Yoshida Megumi; born April 13, 1973) is a former Japanese football player and manager. He is the currently assistant manager of J1 League club Avispa Fukuoka.
Yoshimi Narita (Japanese: 成田 良美, Hepburn: Narita Yoshimi; born April 3, 1973) is a Japanese anime screenwriter, who is…Yoshimi Narita (Japanese: 成田 良美, Hepburn: Narita Yoshimi; born April 3, 1973) is a Japanese anime screenwriter, who is mostly known for writing Ojamajo Doremi and Pretty Cure series, as well as Kokuhaku Jikkō Iinkai: Ren'ai Series, Dakaichi, Dance Dance Danseur and Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie. Narita is a member of the Writers Guild of Japan.
Sayaka Aoki (青木 さやか or 青木 沙耶加, Aoki Sayaka; born March 27, 1973) is a Japanese entertainer, comedian, and actress from…Sayaka Aoki (青木 さやか or 青木 沙耶加, Aoki Sayaka; born March 27, 1973) is a Japanese entertainer, comedian, and actress from Owariasahi, Aichi Prefecture.
Wataru Sakata (坂田 亘, Sakata Wataru; born March 11, 1973 in Inazawa, Aichi, Japan) is a Japanese retired mixed martial…Wataru Sakata (坂田 亘, Sakata Wataru; born March 11, 1973 in Inazawa, Aichi, Japan) is a Japanese retired mixed martial artist and professional wrestler. A professional MMA competitor from 1994 until 2016, Sakata fought for Fighting Network RINGS, Pride FC, Deep and Rizin Fighting Federation, and holds notable victories over RINGS King of Kings 2000 Tournament runner up Valentijn Overeem, UFC 23 Middleweight Tournament winner Kenichi Yamamoto, ADCC bronze medallist and RINGS Light Heavyweight title contender Chris Haseman, and NCAA All-American and UFC veteran Branden Lee Hinkle.
Etsuko Nishio (西尾 悦子, Nishio Etsuko; born March 9, 1973 in Toyota, Aichi, Japan) is a Japanese singer, actress and…Etsuko Nishio (西尾 悦子, Nishio Etsuko; born March 9, 1973 in Toyota, Aichi, Japan) is a Japanese singer, actress and model, known for her songs Ja Ja Uma ni Sasenaide and Don't mind Lay Lay Boy from the Ranma ½ anime. In 1992 she became a gravure idol, releasing several nude photobooks and videos. She also starred in a couple feature films.
Jun Itoda (井戸田 潤, Itoda Jun; born 13 December 1972, in Komaki, Aichi Prefecture) is a Japanese comedian who performs…Jun Itoda (井戸田 潤, Itoda Jun; born 13 December 1972, in Komaki, Aichi Prefecture) is a Japanese comedian who performs tsukkomi in the comedy duo Speed Wagon. His partner is Kazuhiro Ozawa. Itoda is represented with Horipro Com.
Nobutaka Hirano (born December 5, 1972) is a former volleyball player from Ama, Aichi, Japan, who played for the Men's…Nobutaka Hirano (born December 5, 1972) is a former volleyball player from Ama, Aichi, Japan, who played for the Men's National Team in the 1990s. Nicknamed Heita he ended up in sixteenth place at the 1998 World Championship.
Minoru Tanaka (田中稔, Tanaka Minoru; born November 29, 1972), also known by the ring names Heat (ヒート, Hīto) and the…Minoru Tanaka (田中稔, Tanaka Minoru; born November 29, 1972), also known by the ring names Heat (ヒート, Hīto) and the mononymous Minoru (稔, Minoru), is a Japanese professional wrestler, shoot wrestler and mixed martial artist. He is currently signed to Gleat, predominantly performing in its G Prowrestling and Lidet UWF divisions; he also serves as Gleat's UWF Rules Technical Officer. Known as "The Special One", Tanaka first gained prominence in Pro Wrestling Fujiwara Gumi (PWFG) and Fighting Investigation Team Battlarts (Battlarts) before moving on to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he became a four time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion, a five time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion and the winner of the 2006 Best of the Super Juniors tournament. After leaving NJPW, he joined All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), where he found continued success in the junior heavyweight and tag team ranks upon winning the World Junior Heavyweight Championship once and the All Asia Tag Team Championship twice. From 2013 to 2016, Tanaka worked for Wrestle-1. He also performed for Pro Wrestling Noah (Noah), where he held the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship twice and is a former GHC Junior Heavyweight Champion, making him the second man (after Naomichi Marufuji) to hold all three major Japanese junior heavyweight singles titles as well as the only man to hold all five major junior heavyweight titles in Japan (counting the aforementioned tag team prizes).
Nobuko Motomura (Japanese: 本村 伸子, Hepburn: Motomura Nobuko; born 20 October 1972) is a Japanese politician of the…Nobuko Motomura (Japanese: 本村 伸子, Hepburn: Motomura Nobuko; born 20 October 1972) is a Japanese politician of the Japanese Communist Party who served as a member of the House of Representatives from 2014 to 2026.
Susanoumi Yoshitaka (須佐の湖 善誉), born August 30, 1972, and known by his shikona Susanoumi (須佐の湖) is a Japanese retired…Susanoumi Yoshitaka (須佐の湖 善誉), born August 30, 1972, and known by his shikona Susanoumi (須佐の湖) is a Japanese retired sumo wrestler from the city of Chita in Aichi Prefecture. His sumo stable was Kitanoumi. His real name is Zenji Kanesaku. His height is 184 cm (6 ft) and his peak weight was 240 kg. His highest rank was jūryō 2, achieved in the January 1998 wrestling tournament (basho in Japanese). One of his best results was in the November 1999 tournament in Kyushu when he defeated Hayateumi and Kotomitsuki. His hobby is sleeping. After retirement he ran a restaurant in Fukuoka near his in-laws' home, but thereafter closed it and worked as a security guard in Kyushu. At a peak weight of 240 kg (530 lb) reached in 1998, Susanoumi ranks seventh on the list of heaviest sumo wrestlers. He was the heaviest Japanese-born sumo wrestler until surpassed by Yamamotoyama, who peaked at 266 kg (586 lb) in 2010.
Raita Suzuki (鈴木 雷太, Suzuki Raita; born 11 August 1972) is a Japanese cyclist. He competed in the men's cross-country…Raita Suzuki (鈴木 雷太, Suzuki Raita; born 11 August 1972) is a Japanese cyclist. He competed in the men's cross-country mountain biking event at the 2000 Summer Olympics.
Nobuyuki Satō (佐藤 信之, Satō Nobuyuki; born 8 August 1972 in Kariya, Aichi) is a former Japanese marathon runner. After…Nobuyuki Satō (佐藤 信之, Satō Nobuyuki; born 8 August 1972 in Kariya, Aichi) is a former Japanese marathon runner. After finishing second in the Fukuoka Marathon 1998 with his career best of 2:08:48, he won the bronze medal at the 1999 World Championships in Athletics. At the Olympics 2000, he finished in 41st place.
Atsunori Inaba (稲葉 篤紀, born August 3, 1972) is a Japanese professional baseball manager, coach and former player. He…Atsunori Inaba (稲葉 篤紀, born August 3, 1972) is a Japanese professional baseball manager, coach and former player. He was the Most Valuable Player of the 2006 Japan Series. He is currently the general manager for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of Nippon Professional Baseball's Pacific League. As a player, he won the Japan Series MVP in 2006 and the Fighting Spirit Award in 2012. He is one of just eight players to win both Japan Series awards alongside Hiromichi Ishige, Hiroshi Oshita, Hisashi Yamada, Isao Shibata, Joe Stanka, Kazuhisa Inao, and Takashi Nishimoto. After the retirement, he became Japan national baseball team at the 2013 exhibition game against Chinese Taipei, 2014 MLB Japan All-Star Series, 2015 exhibition game against All Euro, 2015 WBSC Premier12, 2016 exhibition game against Chinese Taipei, 2016 exhibition game against Mexico and Netherlands, 2017 exhibition game against CPBL All-Stars, and 2017 World Baseball Classic. On July 31, 2017, he became Japan national baseball team manager. He managed at the 2017 Asia Professional Baseball Championship, 2018 exhibition game against Australia, 2018 U-23 Baseball World Cup and 2018 MLB Japan All-Star Series.
Kagari Yamada (山田 かがり, Yamada Kagari; born 4 June 1972) is a Japanese basketball player. She competed in the women's…Kagari Yamada (山田 かがり, Yamada Kagari; born 4 June 1972) is a Japanese basketball player. She competed in the women's tournament at the 1996 Summer Olympics.
Takayuki Ito (伊藤 孝行, Takayuki Ito; born May 1, 1972) is a Japanese computer scientist who specialized in the fields of…Takayuki Ito (伊藤 孝行, Takayuki Ito; born May 1, 1972) is a Japanese computer scientist who specialized in the fields of artificial intelligence and multi-agent systems. He worked as assistant professor in the computer science department of Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology from 2001 until 2003, served as associate professor in the computer science department of Nagoya Institute of Technology (2006–2014), worked as full professor in the computer science department of Nagoya Institute of Technology (2014–2020). He also served as chair of the department (2016–2018)and also director the NITech Artificial Intelligence Research Center at Nagoya Institute of Technology. From October 2020, he is working as full Professor of Computer Science at Department of Social Informatics, Kyoto University; he is also working as Chief Technology Officer at AgreeBit Inc., Japan.
Koji Kondo (Japanese: 今藤 幸治, Hepburn: Kondō Kōji; April 28, 1972 – April 17, 2003) was a Japanese football player. He…Koji Kondo (Japanese: 今藤 幸治, Hepburn: Kondō Kōji; April 28, 1972 – April 17, 2003) was a Japanese football player. He played for Japan national team.
Hidehiko Tanizawa (born 5 December 1971) is a Japanese former professional tennis player. Tanizawa, a left-handed…Hidehiko Tanizawa (born 5 December 1971) is a Japanese former professional tennis player. Tanizawa, a left-handed player, won a national title as a 17-year old in 1989, when he defeated Tsuyoshi Fukui in the final of the All Japan Tennis Championships. In 1990 he featured in a Davis Cup tie against India in Chandigarh, to become Japan's youngest ever Davis Cup debutant. He lost his two singles rubbers, to Zeeshan Ali and Srinivasan Vasudevan. This was his only Davis Cup appearance and he continued competing in professional tournaments until 1996.
Tomonori Totani (戸谷 友則, Totani Tomonori, born November 21, 1971) is a Japanese astronomer and professor at the…Tomonori Totani (戸谷 友則, Totani Tomonori, born November 21, 1971) is a Japanese astronomer and professor at the University of Tokyo. He is a director of the FastSound Project for the Subaru Telescope, Hawaii. He specializes in cosmology, galaxy formation, and high-energy astrophysics.
Yasuko Mitsuura (光浦 靖子, Mitsuura Yasuko; born 20 May 1971) is a Japanese tarento and comedian. She was born in Tahara…Yasuko Mitsuura (光浦 靖子, Mitsuura Yasuko; born 20 May 1971) is a Japanese tarento and comedian. She was born in Tahara, Aichi, and is part of the comedy duo Oasiz, with Kayoko Okubo.
Kayoko Okubo (大久保 佳代子, Ōkubo Kayoko; born May 12, 1971, in Tahara, Aichi, Japan) is a Japanese comedian, tarento and…Kayoko Okubo (大久保 佳代子, Ōkubo Kayoko; born May 12, 1971, in Tahara, Aichi, Japan) is a Japanese comedian, tarento and actress who is a member of the comedy duo Oasiz with Yasuko Mitsuura.
Tomoko Watanabe (渡辺伴子, Watanabe Tomoko; born 14 April 1971) is a Japanese softball player. She competed in the women's…Tomoko Watanabe (渡辺伴子, Watanabe Tomoko; born 14 April 1971) is a Japanese softball player. She competed in the women's tournament at the 1996 Summer Olympics.
Masakazu Kagiyama (鍵山 正和, Kagiyama Masakazu; born April 12, 1971) is a Japanese figure skating coach and former…Masakazu Kagiyama (鍵山 正和, Kagiyama Masakazu; born April 12, 1971) is a Japanese figure skating coach and former competitive figure skater. He is the 1989 World Junior bronze medalist and a three-time Japanese national champion. He placed 13th at the 1992 Winter Olympics and 12th at the 1994 Winter Olympics. After retiring from competition, Kagiyama became a coach. He is the father and coach of Japanese figure skater, Yuma Kagiyama.
Gaku Hasegawa (長谷川 岳, Hasegawa Gaku; born 16 February 1971) is a member of the House of Councillors of Japan from…Gaku Hasegawa (長谷川 岳, Hasegawa Gaku; born 16 February 1971) is a member of the House of Councillors of Japan from Hokkaido. He belongs to the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).
Shigeru Toyama (藤山 茂, Tōyama Shigetu; born December 3, 1970) is a Japanese judoka. He was born in Ōbu, Aichi, and began…Shigeru Toyama (藤山 茂, Tōyama Shigetu; born December 3, 1970) is a Japanese judoka. He was born in Ōbu, Aichi, and began judo at the age of a first grader. After graduating from Tokai University, He entered the Sohgo Security Services. He won a gold medal at the -71 kg category of the Asian Championships in 1993 and silver medal at Asian Games in 1994. . Toyama retired in 1996 and as of 2009, Toyama coaches judo at his alma mater, Doho high school, where he previously studied as an undergraduate.
Satoshi Shiki (士貴智志, Shiki Satoshi) is a Japanese manga artist and illustrator, whose works include Kamikaze and Riot.…Satoshi Shiki (士貴智志, Shiki Satoshi) is a Japanese manga artist and illustrator, whose works include Kamikaze and Riot. He's also an artist of hentai manga, and this influence can be seen even in his non-hentai works like Kamikaze and Daphne in the Brilliant Blue. He worked on XBlade in the magazine Monthly Shōnen Sirius, and then illustrated the manga adaptation of Attack on Titan: Before the Fall, a light novel that acts as a prequel to the Attack on Titan manga series, also serialized at Monthly Shōnen Sirius.
Chikako Murakami (born 10 October 1970) is a Japanese basketball player. She competed in the women's tournament at the…Chikako Murakami (born 10 October 1970) is a Japanese basketball player. She competed in the women's tournament at the 1996 Summer Olympics.
Hiromitsu Kanehara (Japanese: 金原弘光, Kanehara Hiromitsu; born Kim Wang-hong on October 5, 1970 in Owariasahi, Aichi) is…Hiromitsu Kanehara (Japanese: 金原弘光, Kanehara Hiromitsu; born Kim Wang-hong on October 5, 1970 in Owariasahi, Aichi) is a former Japanese mixed martial artist and professional wrestler of Korean descent. A professional MMA competitor from 1998 until 2012, he found success in Fighting Network RINGS, gaining notable victories over Valentijn Overeem, Alexandre Ferreira, former King of the Cage Light Heavyweight Champion Jeremy Horn, former RINGS Light-Heavyweight Champion Masayuki Naruse and former UFC Middleweight Champion Dave Menne. He later competed for PRIDE Fighting Championships, DEEP, Pancrase and K-1 HERO'S to mixed success. Kanehara also once competed in professional kickboxing. Kanehara initially started his career as a professional wrestler and competed mostly in shoot style wrestling with UWF International and its successor Kingdom. He later made appearances for Pro Wrestling Zero1 and Real Japan Pro Wrestling before retiring in 2020.
Reiko Matsushita (松下 玲子) (born September 26, 1970) is a Japanese politician and member of the House of Representatives…Reiko Matsushita (松下 玲子) (born September 26, 1970) is a Japanese politician and member of the House of Representatives (1 term) for the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan. Her married surname is Uchida (内田). She served as the sixth mayor of Musashino City, Tokyo, and as a member of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly (two terms).
Ryuji Kimura (木村 龍治, Kimura Ryūji; born September 1, 1970 in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan) is a Japanese former Nippon…Ryuji Kimura (木村 龍治, Kimura Ryūji; born September 1, 1970 in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan) is a Japanese former Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher.
Yutaka Akita (秋田 豊, Akita Yutaka; born 6 August 1970) is a Japanese football manager and former player who played as a…Yutaka Akita (秋田 豊, Akita Yutaka; born 6 August 1970) is a Japanese football manager and former player who played as a defender. He is currently manager of J3 League club Kochi United. He played for Japan national team until 2003.
Masafumi Takada (高田 雅史, Takada Masafumi; born August 2, 1970) is a Japanese composer and sound designer, best known for…Masafumi Takada (高田 雅史, Takada Masafumi; born August 2, 1970) is a Japanese composer and sound designer, best known for his work on the soundtracks for killer7, God Hand, No More Heroes, and the Earth Defense Force and Danganronpa series. Takada has worked on multiple projects for Goichi Suda's studio Grasshopper Manufacture and co-founded Too Kyo Games in 2017.
Yoko Taro (横尾 太郎, Yokoo Tarō; born June 6, 1970) is a Japanese director and scenario writer for video games. Starting…Yoko Taro (横尾 太郎, Yokoo Tarō; born June 6, 1970) is a Japanese director and scenario writer for video games. Starting his career at the now defunct game developer Cavia, his best-known work is on the action role-playing video game series Drakengard, and its spin-offs, Nier and Nier: Automata. Yoko was born in Nagoya, Aichi, and studied at the Kobe Design University in the 1990s. While he did not initially intend to pursue a career in video games, after working at Namco and Sony, he joined Cavia and became the director and scenario writer for the first Drakengard game. He has since worked extensively on every game in the series (except Drakengard 2), and on mobile titles after becoming a freelancer following Cavia's absorption into AQ Interactive. Furthermore, Yoko Taro has been assigned as the writer of the upcoming Neon Genesis Evangelion series teased in 2026. Critics have noted Yoko's unconventional game design and writing style. One of the main aspects of his work is exploring the darker aspects of humanity, such as why they are motivated to kill each other, although he typically does not share a common opinion on his story's dark natures. His writing technique, described as "backwards scriptwriting", involves outlining the ending of the story first and building the narrative backward from that point. Due to his disdain for being photographed, he generally wears a mask when giving interviews or presenting games.
Takashi Sugiura (杉浦 貴, Sugiura Takashi; born May 31, 1970) is a Japanese professional wrestler and former freestyle…Takashi Sugiura (杉浦 貴, Sugiura Takashi; born May 31, 1970) is a Japanese professional wrestler and former freestyle wrestler. As of 2000, he is signed to Pro Wrestling Noah (Noah). Known mostly as the "Killing Machine", he is a four-time, longest reigning and most successfully-defensive GHC Heavyweight Champion. He is currently a member of Team 2000X. Sugiura, an accomplished amateur wrestler, joined the AJPW dojo in 1999, and later the Noah dojo after the exodus, making his professional debut on December 23, 2000, and thus becoming the first wrestler to make their debut in Noah. He has also competed in mixed martial arts with a notable victory over Giant Silva. Sugiura wrestled as a junior heavyweight in his earlier pro career and is a former GHC Junior Heavyweight Champion. Sugiura moved up to heavyweight and became the second longest reigning GHC Heavyweight Champion in his first reign, having held the title for 581 days between December 2009 and July 2011.
Yoshifumi Ayukawa (鮎川 義文, Ayukawa Yoshifumi; born April 2, 1970 in Aichi, Japan) is a retired Nippon Professional…Yoshifumi Ayukawa (鮎川 義文, Ayukawa Yoshifumi; born April 2, 1970 in Aichi, Japan) is a retired Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher. He played for the Hanshin Tigers and the Chiba Lotte Marines.
Hiroyuki Amano (天野 ひろゆき, 天野 博之, Amano Hiroyuki; born 24 March 1970, in Okazaki, Aichi) is a Japanese comedian, actor…Hiroyuki Amano (天野 ひろゆき, 天野 博之, Amano Hiroyuki; born 24 March 1970, in Okazaki, Aichi) is a Japanese comedian, actor, voice actor, television presenter, film director and film critic. He is nicknamed Amanocchi (天野っち). He performs tsukkomi and make stories in the comedy duo Kyaeen. His partner is Udo Suzuki. Amano is represented with Asai Kikaku. He graduated from Okazaki City South Junior High School, Aichi University of Education University High School and Nihon University College of International Relations International Cultural Department (now International Liberal Arts Department).
Hiroyuki Abe (Japanese: 阿部裕幸, Abe Hiroyuki; born February 9, 1970), also known as Abe Ani, is a Japanese mixed martial…Hiroyuki Abe (Japanese: 阿部裕幸, Abe Hiroyuki; born February 9, 1970), also known as Abe Ani, is a Japanese mixed martial artist currently fighting in the featherweight division for Shooto as well as teaching at his gym, Abe Ani Combat Club. Abe is most notable for training female mixed martial arts veteran and Bellator Fighting Championships finalist, Megumi Fujii. Abe has fought in many high-level MMA organizations, including Shooto, Pride FC, Deep, King of the Cage and Cage Rage. He has also competed at ADCC. He holds notable bouts against UFC standouts Urijah Faber and Brad Pickett, as well as Pride veteran Luiz Firmino. He made his return to Shooto after 5 years on September 30, 2012, vs. Shigeki Osawa. He lost the bout via TKO.
Hisatsugu Suzuki (鈴木 久嗣, Suzuki Hisatsugu; born 22 November 1970) is a retired Japanese athlete who specialised in…Hisatsugu Suzuki (鈴木 久嗣, Suzuki Hisatsugu; born 22 November 1970) is a retired Japanese athlete who specialised in sprinting events. He represented his country at the 1992 Summer Olympics as well as one indoor and two outdoor World Championships.
