Nara Prefecture: 189 people
Rikiō Takeshi (力皇 猛; born December 20, 1972 as Inoue Takeshi) is a Japanese retired professional wrestler, who worked…
Rikiō Takeshi (力皇 猛; born December 20, 1972 as Inoue Takeshi) is a Japanese retired professional wrestler, who worked for Pro Wrestling Noah. He is also a former sumo wrestler.
Kazumi Inamura (稲村 和美, Inamura Kazumi; born 10 November 1972) is a Japanese politician. She was the mayor of Amagasaki…
Kazumi Inamura (稲村 和美, Inamura Kazumi; born 10 November 1972) is a Japanese politician. She was the mayor of Amagasaki from 13 December 2010 until 1 December 2022. She is member of the Greens Japan political party and was its co-president from 2008 to 2010. She was a student at the University of Kobe during the 1995 Great Hanshin earthquake. She was a member of the Hyogo Prefectural Assembly.
Juichi Wakisaka (脇阪寿一, Wakisaka Juichi; born July 29, 1972 in Nara) is a Japanese former racing driver who was a 2002…
Juichi Wakisaka (脇阪寿一, Wakisaka Juichi; born July 29, 1972 in Nara) is a Japanese former racing driver who was a 2002, 2006 and 2009 champion in Japan's Super GT series in the GT500 category. Prior to the 1998 Formula One season he tested for the Jordan Grand Prix team. In 2002, Wakisaka raced the Toyota Supra GT with Akira Iida, in 2006 and 2009 Wakisaka raced the Lexus SC 430 with André Lotterer. He retired from driving after the conclusion of the 2015 Super GT Series season, becoming the team director of Lexus Team LeMans Wako's. Wakisaka was also a regular presenter of Best Motoring and is brother to Shigekazu, who also competes in Super GT.
Hisako Mizui (水井 妃佐子, Mizui Hisako; born 29 March 1972) is a Japanese badminton player, born in Nara, Nara. She…
Hisako Mizui (水井 妃佐子, Mizui Hisako; born 29 March 1972) is a Japanese badminton player, born in Nara, Nara. She competed in women's singles and women's doubles at the 1992 Summer Olympics, and in women's singles at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. She won a silver medal in women's singles at the 1994 Asian Games. She is a sister of badminton player Yasuko Mizui.
Tetsuji Nakamura (中村 哲治, Nakamura Tetsuji; born 24 July 1971) is a former Japanese politician of the Democratic Party…
Tetsuji Nakamura (中村 哲治, Nakamura Tetsuji; born 24 July 1971) is a former Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, who served as a member of the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature).
Tsutomu Nishino (西野 努, Nishino Tsutomu; born March 13, 1971) is a former Japanese football player.
Shigeru Joshima (城島 茂, Jōshima Shigeru; born November 17, 1970) is a Japanese musician, actor and agricultural…
Shigeru Joshima (城島 茂, Jōshima Shigeru; born November 17, 1970) is a Japanese musician, actor and agricultural entrepreneur. He was the leader and main guitarist of Tokio, a musical group of Starto Entertainment, formerly from Johnny & Associates, until its disbandment in 2025.
Norito Yashima (八嶋 智人, Yashima Norito; born September 27, 1970 in Nara) is a Japanese actor, TV personality, narrator…
Norito Yashima (八嶋 智人, Yashima Norito; born September 27, 1970 in Nara) is a Japanese actor, TV personality, narrator, voice actor and presenter. He is currently employed by ComeCome Miniki-Na Theater Company and SIS Company.
Takero Doi (土居 丈朗, Doi Takerō; born August 17, 1970 in Nara, Nara) is a Japanese economist. Doi received his B.A.…
Takero Doi (土居 丈朗, Doi Takerō; born August 17, 1970 in Nara, Nara) is a Japanese economist. Doi received his B.A. degree from Osaka University in 1993 and Ph.D. degree from the University of Tokyo in 1999. He has served as a professor of economics at Keio University since 2009. In 2007, Doi was awarded the Fiftieth Nikkei Prize for Excellent Books in Economic Science, Japan Center for Economic Research, and the Twenty-ninth Suntory Prize for Social Sciences, Suntory Foundation.
Yu Godai (五代 ゆう Godai Yū, born August 7, 1970) is a Japanese writer from Nara Prefecture. Her father was a Japanese…
Yu Godai (五代 ゆう Godai Yū, born August 7, 1970) is a Japanese writer from Nara Prefecture. Her father was a Japanese language teacher at Todaiji Gakunen middle school and high school. While Godai was still a university student her The Story of the Beginning of Bone was selected for the fourth annual Fantasy Novel Prize, which was sponsored by the Japanese publisher Fujimi Shobo. Godai was the first person to receive the grand prize. Before this novel was published, Godai made her debut with the story "Capital of Kyoshin", which appeared in the monthly Dragon Magazine. Godai was contracted by Atlus for drafting the story of Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga video game series. She left the project partway due to health issues but held the contract right to publish her own version of the novel based on the setting of the game, which later became the Quantum Devil Saga series.
Yugo Nakamura (中村 勇吾, Nakamura Yūgo) is a Japanese web designer.
Satoshi Fujii (藤井聡, Fujii Satoshi) is a Japanese civil engineer, economist and social critic, who served as a special…
Satoshi Fujii (藤井聡, Fujii Satoshi) is a Japanese civil engineer, economist and social critic, who served as a special advisor to the Abe cabinet until his voluntary Retirement. He is Professor of civil engineering at Kyoto University and the editor-in-chief of Hyogensha Criterion, an academic journal in Japan. Fujii defends nationalism, public works, and modern monetary theory, and is opposed to excessive globalization and neoliberalism. He is a proponent of pragmatism and conservatism. He, along with Takeshi Nakano, has spread MMT to Japan from a conservative standpoint.
Masako Usui (笛吹 雅子, Usui Masako; born May 2, 1968, in Nara, Nara) is a newscaster in Japan, and a former Nihon Terebi…
Masako Usui (笛吹 雅子, Usui Masako; born May 2, 1968, in Nara, Nara) is a newscaster in Japan, and a former Nihon Terebi announcer.
Yoshitaka Mizuo (水尾 嘉孝, Mizuo Yoshitaka; born May 2, 1968, in Toyonaka, Osaka) is a former Japanese baseball player. He…
Yoshitaka Mizuo (水尾 嘉孝, Mizuo Yoshitaka; born May 2, 1968, in Toyonaka, Osaka) is a former Japanese baseball player. He played professionally for the Yokohama BayStars and the Orix BlueWave. From 2003 to 2004, Mizuo played for minor league affiliates of Major League Baseball's Anaheim Angels.
Toru Taniguchi (谷口 徹, Taniguchi Tōru; born 10 February 1968) is a Japanese professional golfer born in Nara.
Naruyuki Naito (内藤 就行, Naito Naruyuki; born November 9, 1967) is a Japanese football coach and former player.
Masahiro Ishida (born May 20, 1967, in Nara Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese politician who has served as a member of…
Masahiro Ishida (born May 20, 1967, in Nara Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese politician who has served as a member of the House of Councillors of Japan since 2013. He represents the National proportional representation block and is a member of the Liberal Democratic Party.
Iwao Horii is a Japanese politician who is a member of the House of Councillors of Japan.
Shigeki Kobayashi (小林 茂樹, Kobayashi Shigeki; born 9 October 1964) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic…
Shigeki Kobayashi (小林 茂樹, Kobayashi Shigeki; born 9 October 1964) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, who serves as a member of the House of Representatives.
Masaya Kato (加藤 雅也, Katō Masaya; born April 27, 1963) is a Japanese actor from Nara in the Kansai region.
Kiyoshige Maekawa (前川 清成, Maekawa Kiyoshige; born December 22, 1962) is a Japanese politician and a former member of…
Kiyoshige Maekawa (前川 清成, Maekawa Kiyoshige; born December 22, 1962) is a Japanese politician and a former member of both the House of Representatives and House of Councillors in the Diet. He joined the Japan Innovation Party in 2020, but had previously been a member of the Democratic Party of Japan.
Norihiro Komada (駒田 徳広, born September 14, 1962, in Shiki District, Nara, Japan) is a former Nippon Professional…
Norihiro Komada (駒田 徳広, born September 14, 1962, in Shiki District, Nara, Japan) is a former Nippon Professional Baseball infielder. On April 10, 1983, making his major league debut, Komada hit a grand slam off Kazuhiko Migita of the Taiyo Whales. He is the first and currently only NPB player to hit a grand slam in their first career at-bat. Known as "Mr. Grand Slam", he went on to hit 13 grand slams as a player. He is one of 56 members of the 2,000 hit club.
Shinya Yamanaka (山中 伸弥, Yamanaka Shin'ya; born September 4, 1962) is a Japanese stem cell researcher and a Nobel Prize…
Shinya Yamanaka (山中 伸弥, Yamanaka Shin'ya; born September 4, 1962) is a Japanese stem cell researcher and a Nobel Prize laureate. He is a professor and the director emeritus of the Center for iPS Cell (induced Pluripotent Stem Cell) Research and Application, Kyoto University; as well as a senior investigator at the UCSF-affiliated Gladstone Institutes in San Francisco, California, and a professor of anatomy at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Yamanaka is also a past president of the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR). He received the 2010 BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in the biomedicine category, the 2011 Wolf Prize in Medicine with Rudolf Jaenisch, and the 2012 Millennium Technology Prize together with Linus Torvalds. In 2012, he and John Gurdon were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for the discovery that mature cells can be converted to stem cells. In 2013, he was awarded the $3 million Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences for his work.
Sumio Mabuchi (馬淵 澄夫, Mabuchi Sumio; born 23 August 1960) is a Japanese politician and a member of the House of…
Sumio Mabuchi (馬淵 澄夫, Mabuchi Sumio; born 23 August 1960) is a Japanese politician and a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature).
Kiyomi Tsujimoto (辻元 清美, Tsujimoto Kiyomi; born 28 April 1960) is a Japanese politician from the Constitutional…
Kiyomi Tsujimoto (辻元 清美, Tsujimoto Kiyomi; born 28 April 1960) is a Japanese politician from the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, and previous incarnations of Japanese center-left and social democratic parties. She is currenctly serving as a member of the House of Councillors, having previously served as a member of the House of Representatives from the 10th District of Osaka. Tsujimoto is also the current policy chief of the CDP.
Hirofumi Itō (伊藤 博文, Itō Hirofumi; February 8, 1960) is a Japanese retired professional shogi player who achieved the…
Hirofumi Itō (伊藤 博文, Itō Hirofumi; February 8, 1960) is a Japanese retired professional shogi player who achieved the rank of 7-dan.
Sadamasa Oue (Japanese: 尾上 定正, romanized: Oue Sadamasa, born May 31, 1959) is a Japanese strategist, retired Japan Air…
Sadamasa Oue (Japanese: 尾上 定正, romanized: Oue Sadamasa, born May 31, 1959) is a Japanese strategist, retired Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) Lieutenant General, and current Special Advisor to the Prime Minister of Japan (National Security and Nuclear Disarmament/Non-Proliferation Issues). Sadamasa Oue attended the National Defense Academy of Japan as part of the 26th term. He graduated in 1982 and was subsequently commissioned as an officer in the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. He formerly served as the Commander of the Northern Air Defense Force and the 24th Commander of the Air Logistics Command Following his retirement in 2017, he became a prominent advocate for defense reform, "Counterstrike Capabilities," and economic security integration. In October 2025, he was appointed as a Special Advisor to the Sanae Takaichi administration, focusing on national security and nuclear disarmament.
Nakayama Zenji (中山 善司, January 16, 1959) is the fourth and current Shinbashira of Tenrikyo. He has held the office…
Nakayama Zenji (中山 善司, January 16, 1959) is the fourth and current Shinbashira of Tenrikyo. He has held the office since October 25, 1998.
Munetaka Higuchi (樋口 宗孝, Higuchi Munetaka) (December 24, 1958 – November 30, 2008) was a Japanese musician and record…
Munetaka Higuchi (樋口 宗孝, Higuchi Munetaka) (December 24, 1958 – November 30, 2008) was a Japanese musician and record producer. He is best known as the original drummer of the heavy metal band Loudness, but first rose to prominence as a member of Lazy in the 1970s. In 2018, readers and professional musicians voted Higuchi the second best drummer in the history of hard rock and heavy metal in We Rock magazine's "Metal General Election".
Chubee Kagita (鍵田 忠兵衛, Kagita Chūbee; 6 August 1957 – 16 December 2011) was a Japanese politician of the Liberal…
Chubee Kagita (鍵田 忠兵衛, Kagita Chūbee; 6 August 1957 – 16 December 2011) was a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). Kagita was born in Nara, son of former House of Representative member Kagita Saburou Tadashi. Kagita graduated from Kokushikan University with a Bachelor's degree in Politics and Economics. He had served in the assembly of Nara Prefecture for three terms since 1995 and became the mayor of Nara in 2004. Resigning as mayor in 2005, he ran unsuccessfully for the mayor of Nara in the same year (defeated by current mayor Gen Nakagawa in the 2009 elections). He was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 2005 and resigned in 2009 to run as mayor of Nara.
Ryosuke Yasunami (born April 19, 1957) is a Japanese jurist who has served as an associate Justice of the Supreme Court…
Ryosuke Yasunami (born April 19, 1957) is a Japanese jurist who has served as an associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Japan since 2021.
Naoki Hyakuta (百田 尚樹, Hyakuta Naoki; born February 23, 1956) is a Japanese novelist, television producer, and…
Naoki Hyakuta (百田 尚樹, Hyakuta Naoki; born February 23, 1956) is a Japanese novelist, television producer, and politician. He is the co-founder and leader of the Conservative Party of Japan. He has been a member of the House of Councillors since 2025, after being elected in that year's election. Hyakuta is particularly known for his 2006 novel The Eternal Zero, which was adapted into an eponymous 2013 film. Other books of his, several of which have also been adapted into films, include Bokkusu and Monsuta. From 2013 to 2015, he served as a governor of the public broadcaster NHK. Hyakuta is known for his far-right political views, including his denial of Japanese war crimes before and during World War II, particularly the Nanjing Massacre. According to South Korean media, he also made hateful remarks against Koreans including, "Koreans are scum" and "I want to pick up a sword and go to war with South Korea".
Sanma Akashiya (明石家 さんま, Akashiya Sanma; born July 1, 1955) is a Japanese comedian, TV presenter, radio personality and…
Sanma Akashiya (明石家 さんま, Akashiya Sanma; born July 1, 1955) is a Japanese comedian, TV presenter, radio personality and actor most commonly known as Sanma-san. His real name is Takafumi Sugimoto (杉本 髙文, Sugimoto Takafumi). His talent agency is Yoshimoto Kogyo and his shishô (master) back when he studied rakugo is Shōfukutei Matsunosuke. Together with Beat Takeshi and Tamori, Sanma is said to be one of the "Big Three" television comedians of Japan. He is known for his ability to endlessly carry a conversation. His protruding front teeth are often ridiculed, even by himself. Akashiya married actress Shinobu Otake in September 1988. They met on the set of the drama series Danjo Shichinin Natsumonogatari. At the time, Otake had one son from her previous marriage with her husband who had died. The marriage lasted 4 years as they divorced in September 1992. The two remained friends after and are sometimes seen on variety television programs together. They have one daughter, Imalu Otake, born in 1989. Imalu went on to become a tarento in 2009 under the name IMALU.
Masahiro Tanaka (田中 昌宏, Tanaka Masahiro; born September 28, 1954) is a former Japanese baseball first baseman and…
Masahiro Tanaka (田中 昌宏, Tanaka Masahiro; born September 28, 1954) is a former Japanese baseball first baseman and outfielder.
Nobuhiro Takashiro (高代 延博, Takashiro Nobuhiro; 27 May 1954 – 9 December 2025) was a Japanese Nippon Professional…
Nobuhiro Takashiro (高代 延博, Takashiro Nobuhiro; 27 May 1954 – 9 December 2025) was a Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball infielder. Takashiro died from esophageal cancer in Osaka, on 9 December 2025, at the age of 71.
Kazuyuki Izutsu (井筒 和幸, Izutsu Kazuyuki; born 13 December 1952) is a Japanese film director, screenwriter and film…
Kazuyuki Izutsu (井筒 和幸, Izutsu Kazuyuki; born 13 December 1952) is a Japanese film director, screenwriter and film critic.
Toyokazu Nomura (野村 豊和, Nomura Toyokazu; born 14 July 1949) is a retired judoka who competed in the half-middleweight…
Toyokazu Nomura (野村 豊和, Nomura Toyokazu; born 14 July 1949) is a retired judoka who competed in the half-middleweight (–70 kg) division.
Banmei Takahashi (高橋伴明, Takahashi Banmei) (or Tomoaki Takahashi) is a Japanese film director. Takahashi started his…
Banmei Takahashi (高橋伴明, Takahashi Banmei) (or Tomoaki Takahashi) is a Japanese film director. Takahashi started his career in the pink film industry, making his directorial debut in 1972 with Escaped Rapist Criminal. Due to a disagreement with his producer, Takahashi quit the film industry for a couple years. He joined pink film pioneer Kōji Wakamatsu's production studio in 1975, working as a script-writer until Wakamatsu produced Takahashi's second film, Delinquent File: Juvenile Prostitution (1976). For the next few years Takahashi averaged five films annually at Wakamatsu's studio, until Takahashi left to start his own production company in 1979. Takahashi married Nikkatsu Roman Porno and pink film actress Keiko Sekine who then changed her name to Keiko Takahashi and starred in several of Takahashi's films. Sekine appeared in Takahashi's Tattoo Ari (1982), a mainstream box-office hit which won Takahashi the award for Best Director at the 4th Yokohama Film Festival. With the success of this film, Takahashi dissolved Takahashi Productions to focus on mainstream filmmaking. Takahashi's 1994 film Ai no Shinsekai, inspired by photographer Nobuyoshi Araki's work, is significant as the first Japanese production to play uncensored and unfogged domestically.
Shigeko Kawanishi (川西 繁子, Kawanishi Shigeko; born 5 December 1948) is a Japanese former swimmer. She competed at the…
Shigeko Kawanishi (川西 繁子, Kawanishi Shigeko; born 5 December 1948) is a Japanese former swimmer. She competed at the 1968 Summer Olympics and the 1972 Summer Olympics.
Shinichi Kitaoka (北岡 伸一, Kitaoka Shin'ichi; born 20 April 1948) is a Japanese political scientist. He has held many…
Shinichi Kitaoka (北岡 伸一, Kitaoka Shin'ichi; born 20 April 1948) is a Japanese political scientist. He has held many roles such as the president of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), president of the International University of Japan, professor at Japan's GRIPS-Tokyo School of Security and International Studies, and Japanese ambassador to the United Nations. His area of expertise is the history of Japanese politics and diplomacy, as a political scientist and a historian.
Mikirō Sasaki (佐々木 幹郎, Sasaki Mikirō; October 20, 1947) is a Japanese poet and travel author, winner of the 2003…
Mikirō Sasaki (佐々木 幹郎, Sasaki Mikirō; October 20, 1947) is a Japanese poet and travel author, winner of the 2003 Yomiuri Prize for travel essays. Sasaki won the award for his book Ajia kaidō kikō: umi wa toshi de aru (A Travel Journal of the Asian Seaboard, 2002). He has published more than a score of poetry collections and travel books. His Demented flute: selected poems, 1967-1986 was published in English in 1988. In 2012, his poetry collection Ashita(Tomorrow) won the 2012 Sakutarō Hagiwara Prize, one of the most prestigious prizes in the world of Japanese poetry. He was a Part-time Lecturer in music literature at Tokyo University of the Arts, Graduate School of Music.
Kazuyoshi Shirahama (白浜 一良, Shirahama Kazuyoshi; born July 6, 1947) is a Japanese politician of the New Komeito Party…
Kazuyoshi Shirahama (白浜 一良, Shirahama Kazuyoshi; born July 6, 1947) is a Japanese politician of the New Komeito Party, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Yamatokōriyama, Nara and graduate of Kyoto University, he was elected to the House of Councillors for the first time in 2001.
Shinsuke Okuno (奥野 信亮, Okuno Shinsuke; born 5 March 1944) is a former Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic…
Shinsuke Okuno (奥野 信亮, Okuno Shinsuke; born 5 March 1944) is a former Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, who served as a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature).
Ryotaro Tanose (田野瀬 良太郎, Tanose Ryōtarō; born 31 October 1943) is a retired Japanese politician of the Liberal…
Ryotaro Tanose (田野瀬 良太郎, Tanose Ryōtarō; born 31 October 1943) is a retired Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, who served as a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature).
Yukio Takeuchi (竹内 行夫, Takeuchi Yukio; born 20 July 1943) is a Japanese diplomat and jurist who served as a justice of…
Yukio Takeuchi (竹内 行夫, Takeuchi Yukio; born 20 July 1943) is a Japanese diplomat and jurist who served as a justice of the Supreme Court of Japan from 2008 to 2013. Before his appointment to the court, he served as vice minister for foreign affairs from 2002 to 2005 and ambassador to Indonesia from 2001 to 2002.
Masahiro Morioka (森岡 正宏, Morioka Masahiro) is a former Japanese politician who served in the House of Representatives…
Masahiro Morioka (森岡 正宏, Morioka Masahiro) is a former Japanese politician who served in the House of Representatives as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. He was the secretary for the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare. He claimed that family is the foundation of securing the nation of Japan. He disputed the legitimacy of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, saying that the tribunal helped place a masochistic view of history in the Japanese people's minds.
Koji Kinutani (Japanese: 絹谷 幸二, January 24, 1943 – August 1, 2025) was a Japanese Yōga painter. He was a recipient of…
Koji Kinutani (Japanese: 絹谷 幸二, January 24, 1943 – August 1, 2025) was a Japanese Yōga painter. He was a recipient of the Order of Culture and a member of the Japan Art Academy. He served as a professor at Osaka University of Arts and as an emeritus professor at Tokyo University of the Arts. He was also recognized as a Person of Cultural Merit. Kinutani had previously held positions such as professor at Tokyo University of the Arts and director of the Japan Artists Association.
Yukiyo Toake (十朱幸代, Toake Yukiyo) is a Japanese actress. She won the award for best actress at the 23rd Blue Ribbon…
Yukiyo Toake (十朱幸代, Toake Yukiyo) is a Japanese actress. She won the award for best actress at the 23rd Blue Ribbon Awards for Furueru Shita and at the 29th for Gray Sunset.
Sachio Semmoto (千本 倖生, Senmoto Sachio; born 1942-09-09 in Nara Prefecture) is the current chairman and CEO of eAccess…
Sachio Semmoto (千本 倖生, Senmoto Sachio; born 1942-09-09 in Nara Prefecture) is the current chairman and CEO of eAccess and eMobile, a Japanese telecommunication company. On March 24, 2009, he was also appointed as a director to the Telecom Corporation of New Zealand Limited. Semmoto has also served on the Board of Directors for Softbank and the Sega Corporation. Semmoto received his bachelor's degree from Kyoto University and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Florida.
Kenzo Tsujimoto (辻本憲三, Tsujimoto Kenzō; born December 15, 1940) is a Japanese businessman who founded the video game…
Kenzo Tsujimoto (辻本憲三, Tsujimoto Kenzō; born December 15, 1940) is a Japanese businessman who founded the video game companies Capcom and Irem. He has also served as president of the Computer Software Copyright Association since 1997, and was president of Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association from 2002 to 2006.