Miho Sato (佐藤 美保, Satō Miho; née Sugimori; born 14 April 1978) is a retired Japanese athlete specialising in…Miho Sato (佐藤 美保, Satō Miho; née Sugimori; born 14 April 1978) is a retired Japanese athlete specialising in middle-distance events. From Ise, Mie, she competed in the 800 metres at the 2004 Summer Olympics without reaching the semifinals. She is married to a long-distance runner, Atsushi Sato.
Mitsuru Hattori (はっとりみつる, Hattori Mitsuru; born October 8, 1977) is a Japanese manga artist. He is best known for his…Mitsuru Hattori (はっとりみつる, Hattori Mitsuru; born October 8, 1977) is a Japanese manga artist. He is best known for his works Kenkō Zenrakei Suieibu Umishō, Sankarea: Undying Love, and Wash It All Away, all of which were adapted into anime television series.
Tomoki Hoshino (星野 智樹, Hoshino Tomoki; born in Mie, Japan) is a professional Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball…Tomoki Hoshino (星野 智樹, Hoshino Tomoki; born in Mie, Japan) is a professional Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball player. He is currently with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in Japan's Pacific League.
Mipo O (吳美保, O Mipo; Korean: 오미보, born March 3, 1977, in Iga, Mie, Japan) is a Japanese-born Korean film director…Mipo O (吳美保, O Mipo; Korean: 오미보, born March 3, 1977, in Iga, Mie, Japan) is a Japanese-born Korean film director, screenwriter, and commercial director. Her name is also romanized Mipo Oh.
Naoki Hane (羽根 直樹, Hane Naoki; born 14 August 1976) is a professional Japanese 9 dan Go player currently affiliated…Naoki Hane (羽根 直樹, Hane Naoki; born 14 August 1976) is a professional Japanese 9 dan Go player currently affiliated with the Nihon Ki-in. He is both the son and student of Yasumasa Hane 9 dan.
Hiroki Shimowada (下和田 ヒロキ, Shimowada Hiroki; born April 8, 1976) is a Japanese voice actor and musician from Mie…Hiroki Shimowada (下和田 ヒロキ, Shimowada Hiroki; born April 8, 1976) is a Japanese voice actor and musician from Mie Prefecture. Currently affiliated with Kekke Corporation.
Jun Maeda (麻枝 准, Maeda Jun; born January 3, 1975) is a Japanese writer and composer. He is a co-founder of the visual…Jun Maeda (麻枝 准, Maeda Jun; born January 3, 1975) is a Japanese writer and composer. He is a co-founder of the visual novel brand Key under Visual Arts. He is considered a pioneer of nakige visual novels, and has mainly contributed as a scenario writer, lyricist, and musical composer for the games the company produces. After graduating with a degree in psychology from Chukyo University, Maeda contributed to the scripts and scores of games released under the Tactics brand of Nexton: Moon and One: Kagayaku Kisetsu e. He has contributed both to writing music and scripts to most games released under the Key brand, notably writing the majority of Air and Clannad. He also served as a screenwriter and composer for several anime series produced by P.A. Works, such as Angel Beats! and Charlotte.
Fumiaki Kobayashi (小林 史明, Kobayashi Fumiaki; born 10 December 1974) is a pole vaulter from Japan. His personal best…Fumiaki Kobayashi (小林 史明, Kobayashi Fumiaki; born 10 December 1974) is a pole vaulter from Japan. His personal best jump is 5.71 metres, achieved in July 2002 in Ichihara.
Shinji Kurano (倉野 信次, Kurano Shinji; born September 15, 1974 in Obata, Mie, Japan) is a Japanese former professional…Shinji Kurano (倉野 信次, Kurano Shinji; born September 15, 1974 in Obata, Mie, Japan) is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher, and current first squad pitching coach for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He played in NPB for the Hawks from 1997 to 2007.
Wasabi Mizuta (水田 わさび, Mizuta Wasabi; born August 4, 1974) is a Japanese voice actress and stage actress affiliated…Wasabi Mizuta (水田 わさび, Mizuta Wasabi; born August 4, 1974) is a Japanese voice actress and stage actress affiliated with Aoni Production. She was born in Aoyama, Mie. She is most well known for being the current voice actress of the titular character of Doraemon since 2005, starting with the Doraemon television series. Other notable voice acting roles of hers include Kintarō in Otogi Zoshi, Yūta Fukui in Hikaru no Go, Ash's Tepig in Pokémon, Buster in Hamtaro, and Monokuma in Danganronpa 2x2.
Daisuke Kishio (岸尾 だいすけ, Kishio Daisuke; born March 28, 1974) is a Japanese voice actor, singer and narrator from…Daisuke Kishio (岸尾 だいすけ, Kishio Daisuke; born March 28, 1974) is a Japanese voice actor, singer and narrator from Matsusaka, Mie. He changed his given name from 大輔 to だいすけ on June 1, 2007 with the pronunciation and romanization remaining the same. He joined Aoni Production on April 1, 2014. He used to belong to the Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society (Haikyou) and Horipro and worked as an independent voice actor in between switching agencies. His best known roles include the voice of Jet the Hawk in the Japanese version of the Sonic the Hedgehog series, Loke in Fairy Tail, Cabba in Dragon Ball Super, Junta Teshima in Yowamushi Pedal, and Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu in the Danganronpa series. His other roles include Taigong Wang in the Warriors Orochi series from 2 to 4 and Sima Zhao in the Dynasty Warriors and Warriors Orochi series. At the second Seiyu Awards, he has been nominated for "Best Actor in a Leading role", "Best Actor in a Supporting Role" and "Best Radio Personality".
Shuichi Mase (間瀬 秀一, Mase Shūichi; born October 22, 1973) is a Japanese football manager and former player. He…Shuichi Mase (間瀬 秀一, Mase Shūichi; born October 22, 1973) is a Japanese football manager and former player. He currently manager of Japan Football League club, Veertien Mie.
Yōtsukasa Dai (born Daishi Suzuki; 23 September 1973 – 11 August 2025) was a Japanese sumo wrestler from Matsusaka…Yōtsukasa Dai (born Daishi Suzuki; 23 September 1973 – 11 August 2025) was a Japanese sumo wrestler from Matsusaka, Mie. He made his professional debut in January 1996, and reached the top division in May 1999. His highest rank was maegashira 11. He retired in November 2005. He became an elder of the Japan Sumo Association and worked as a coach at Irumagawa stable, leaving in 2012.
Yūmi Yoshikawa (吉川有美, Yoshikawa Yūmi; born 4 September 1973) is a Japanese politician who is a former member of the…Yūmi Yoshikawa (吉川有美, Yoshikawa Yūmi; born 4 September 1973) is a Japanese politician who is a former member of the House of Councillors of Japan.
Takafumi Ogura (小倉 隆史, Ogura Takafumi; born July 6, 1973) is a former Japanese football player and manager. He played…Takafumi Ogura (小倉 隆史, Ogura Takafumi; born July 6, 1973) is a former Japanese football player and manager. He played for the Japan national team.
Eisuke Nakanishi (中西 永輔, Nakanishi Eisuke; born June 23, 1973) is a Japanese former professional footballer who played…Eisuke Nakanishi (中西 永輔, Nakanishi Eisuke; born June 23, 1973) is a Japanese former professional footballer who played as a defender. He played for the Japan national team.
Kota Sasaki (佐々木 孝太, Sasaki Kōta; born January 26, 1973 in Mie) is a Japanese racing driver who was the 2005 Super GT…Kota Sasaki (佐々木 孝太, Sasaki Kōta; born January 26, 1973 in Mie) is a Japanese racing driver who was the 2005 Super GT champion for the GT300 category. He raced a Toyota MR-S with Tetsuya Yamano to win the 2005 title. He also won the 1998 and 2023 Japan Formula 4 title.
Shingo Katsurayama (葛山 信吾, Katsurayama Shingo; born April 7, 1972, in Kameyama, Mie, Japan) is a Japanese actor who is…Shingo Katsurayama (葛山 信吾, Katsurayama Shingo; born April 7, 1972, in Kameyama, Mie, Japan) is a Japanese actor who is represented by the talent agency CES. He is known as Kaoru Ichijo in Kamen Rider Kuuga and Keisuke Okuni in Ju-On: The Grudge 2. Katsurayama's hobbies include recreational driving, collecting mini-cars, karaoke, outdoor sports, as well as playing the saxophone.
Satoshi Saida (斎田 悟司, Saida Satoshi; born March 26, 1972 in Yokkaichi, Mie) is a Japanese pioneering wheelchair tennis…Satoshi Saida (斎田 悟司, Saida Satoshi; born March 26, 1972 in Yokkaichi, Mie) is a Japanese pioneering wheelchair tennis player and 2004 Summer Paralympics gold medalist (Men's doubles with Shingo Kunieda). Saida, a big baseball enthusiast in his childhood, lost his left leg because of bone cancer at age twelve. At first, he used to play wheelchair basketball with his friends. Saida started his career in wheelchair tennis when he was fourteen years old. As a competitor, his first Paralympics was the 1996 Summer Paralympics in Atlanta, USA; at the succeeding games in Sydney, Australia, he got eighth place. With Shingo Kunieda, he participated in the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens, Greece, and won the men's doubles event. The two competed together again at the 2008 Beijing Games and took bronze in the doubles event.
Akiko Iwasaki (岩崎明子, Iwasaki Akiko) is a Sterling Professor of Immunobiology and Molecular, Cellular and Developmental…Akiko Iwasaki (岩崎明子, Iwasaki Akiko) is a Sterling Professor of Immunobiology and Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology at Yale University. She is also a principal investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Her research interests include innate immunity, autophagy, inflammasomes, sexually transmitted infections, herpes simplex virus, human papillomavirus, respiratory virus infections, influenza infection, T cell immunity, commensal bacteria, COVID-19, and long COVID. Iwasaki was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2018. She was the 2023–2024 president of the American Association of Immunologists.
Yoshikazu Yahiro (born July 5, 1970 in Tsu, Mie, Japan), better known by his stage name Panther and formerly as Circuit…Yoshikazu Yahiro (born July 5, 1970 in Tsu, Mie, Japan), better known by his stage name Panther and formerly as Circuit V. Panther, is a Japanese metal guitarist. His stage name was comes from the place he was born, Mie Prefecture where the Suzuka racing circuit is, his favorite guitarist, Steve Vai from which he adopted the letter V, and the panther. He joined Sex Machineguns in April 2001 as a tour supporter and became an official member in September 2001. When Sex Machineguns went on hiatus in 2004 most of the members, including Panther, formed Elleguns. On September 26, 2003, he released a six track instrumental solo album, named Sexy Finger. On September 15, 2004, Sexy Finger II, another six track instrumental solo album, was released. Sexy Finger III, once again a six track instrumental solo album, was released on April 13, 2011. Panther's style encompasses a wide variety of musical genres, including blues, hard rock, and different genres of metal; speed, power, neo-classical. He demonstrates the qualities of a guitar virtuoso; fluid sweep-picking, tapping, etc. He has also been featured in Young Guitar magazine. Panther uses ESP guitars, of which he has his own signature line of custom designed guitars. He is currently in the band Cycle (or The Cycle) since December 2006, with other former Sex Machineguns members of the 4th stage; such as Samurai.W.Kenjilaw and Speed Star Sypan Joe.
Noriyoshi Omichi (大道 典良, Ōmichi Noriyoshi; born October 28, 1969) is a Japanese former professional baseball infielder…Noriyoshi Omichi (大道 典良, Ōmichi Noriyoshi; born October 28, 1969) is a Japanese former professional baseball infielder, and current third squad hitting coach for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He was called the last Nankai Warrior during his active player era because he was drafted in his final year as a member of the Nankai Hawks. He played in NPB for the Hawks and Yomiuri Giants.
Keiichi Yabu (藪 恵壹, Yabu Keiichi; real name: 藪 恵一) (born September 28, 1968) is a Japanese baseball pitching coach for…Keiichi Yabu (藪 恵壹, Yabu Keiichi; real name: 藪 恵一) (born September 28, 1968) is a Japanese baseball pitching coach for the Hanshin Tigers and a former baseball pitcher. He played eleven seasons in Japan, and parts of two seasons in Major League Baseball for the Oakland Athletics in 2005 and the San Francisco Giants in 2008.
Kishu Izuchi (井土紀州, Izuchi Kishū; born 1968) is a film director and screenwriter from Japan. He has often collaborated…Kishu Izuchi (井土紀州, Izuchi Kishū; born 1968) is a film director and screenwriter from Japan. He has often collaborated with Takahisa Zeze.
Yōsuke Kuroda (Japanese: 黒田 洋介, Hepburn: Kuroda Yōsuke; born 29 March 1968) is a Japanese anime screenwriter from Mie…Yōsuke Kuroda (Japanese: 黒田 洋介, Hepburn: Kuroda Yōsuke; born 29 March 1968) is a Japanese anime screenwriter from Mie Prefecture, Japan. He has his own studio, Studio Orphee. Kuroda is noted for his work on authoring the scenario, screenplay, and story composition of the anime series Excel Saga, Please Teacher! and its sequel Please Twins!, Honey and Clover, Mobile Suit Gundam 00, and numerous others. In 2003, Kuroda won the Individual Award at the 8th Animation Kobe event. He has collaborated with fellow screenwriter and novelist Hideyuki Kurata on multiple series, including Goblin Slayer, Hellsing Ultimate, and Drifters.
Takahiro Kasahara (笠原 隆弘, Kasahara Takahiro; born 31 July 1967) is a Japanese sprinter. He competed in the men's 100…Takahiro Kasahara (笠原 隆弘, Kasahara Takahiro; born 31 July 1967) is a Japanese sprinter. He competed in the men's 100 metres at the 1988 Summer Olympics.
Yuji Sakakura (阪倉 裕二, Sakakura Yūji; born June 7, 1967) is a former Japanese football player and manager. He played for…Yuji Sakakura (阪倉 裕二, Sakakura Yūji; born June 7, 1967) is a former Japanese football player and manager. He played for Japan national team.
Kazuo Echigo (越後 和男, Echigo Kazuo; born December 28, 1965) is a former Japanese football player and manager. He also…Kazuo Echigo (越後 和男, Echigo Kazuo; born December 28, 1965) is a former Japanese football player and manager. He also played for the Japanese National Team.
Masahiko Mori (森 昌彦, Mori Masahiko; born August 25, 1965 in Mie Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese baseball pitcher who…Masahiko Mori (森 昌彦, Mori Masahiko; born August 25, 1965 in Mie Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese baseball pitcher who won a silver medal in the 1996 Summer Olympics.
Norihisa Tamura (田村 憲久, Tamura Norihisa; born 15 December 1964) is a Japanese politician who served as the Minister of…Norihisa Tamura (田村 憲久, Tamura Norihisa; born 15 December 1964) is a Japanese politician who served as the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare from September 2020 to October 2021. He is also a member of the House of Representatives representing Mie Prefecture since 1996.
Kiriko Isono (磯野 貴理子, Isono Kiriko; born February 1, 1964, in Nansei, Mie (now Minamiise), Japan) is a Japanese…Kiriko Isono (磯野 貴理子, Isono Kiriko; born February 1, 1964, in Nansei, Mie (now Minamiise), Japan) is a Japanese comedian, entertainer, and actress represented by Ishii-Mitsuzo Office.
Shigeyuki Aikyo (Japanese: 愛敬 重之; born 29 January 1964) is a Japanese former track and field athlete who specialised in…Shigeyuki Aikyo (Japanese: 愛敬 重之; born 29 January 1964) is a Japanese former track and field athlete who specialised in the 3000 metres steeplechase. He was the gold medallist at the 1986 Asian Games and the 1985 Asian Athletics Championships. He was also a two-time Universiade bronze medallist and a two-time national champion. Aikyo was Asia's only steeplechase competitor at the World Championships in Athletics in both 1983 and 1987. He competed for Asia at the 1985 IAAF World Cup. His personal best of 8:31.27 minutes was a Japanese junior national record until it was broken by Ryuji Miura in 2020.
Tomoya Ito (伊藤 智也, Itō Tomoya) (born 16 August 1963) is a professional Japanese wheelchair Paralympic athlete from…Tomoya Ito (伊藤 智也, Itō Tomoya) (born 16 August 1963) is a professional Japanese wheelchair Paralympic athlete from Suzuka, Mie, Japan, and a former entrepreneur.
Kōji Kitao (Japanese: 北尾 光司; August 12, 1963 – February 10, 2019) was a Japanese sumo wrestler (rikishi), professional…Kōji Kitao (Japanese: 北尾 光司; August 12, 1963 – February 10, 2019) was a Japanese sumo wrestler (rikishi), professional wrestler, and mixed martial artist. As Futahaguro Kōji (双羽黒 光司) he was sumo's 60th yokozuna, and the only one in sumo history not to win a top division tournament championship. He was forced to leave sumo at the end of 1987 after a falling-out with his stable master Tatsunami, and became a professional wrestler in 1990, primarily for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and Super World of Sports (SWS). He also had a short film career as an actor, portraying a sumo wrestler in Jean-Claude Van Damme's 1996 martial arts film The Quest.
Katsuyuki Ichimi (一見 勝之, Ichimi Katsuyuki; born 30 January 1963) is a Japanese politician. He currently serves as…Katsuyuki Ichimi (一見 勝之, Ichimi Katsuyuki; born 30 January 1963) is a Japanese politician. He currently serves as governor of Mie Prefecture since 2021.