Megumi Yamano (山野仁, Yamano Megumi; formerly Furuya (降谷), born September 25, 1981), known mononymously as Megumi (めぐみ)…
Megumi Yamano (山野仁, Yamano Megumi; formerly Furuya (降谷), born September 25, 1981), known mononymously as Megumi (めぐみ), is a Japanese tarento, actress, singer, gravure idol and producer. She is currently affiliated with Suns Entertainment.
Japanese people database × places of origin
Famous People from Okayama Prefecture
Okayama Prefecture: 317 people
Yōichi Amano (天野 洋一, Amano Yōichi; born June 22, 1981) is a Japanese manga artist from Setouchi in Okayama Prefecture.
Mitsugu Yamamoto (山本光, Yamamoto Hikaru; born 12 May 1981) is a Japanese rugby union player who played as a prop or…
Mitsugu Yamamoto (山本光, Yamamoto Hikaru; born 12 May 1981) is a Japanese rugby union player who played as a prop or hooker. He's currently playing for Coca-Cola Red Sparks in Japan's domestic Top League. He was named in the Japan squad for the 2007 Rugby World Cup, but withdrew from the tournament due to injury. He made a further 10 appearances for Japan in his career, scoring three tries.
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Kōhei Yamamoto (山本 康平, Yamamoto Kōhei; born December 23, 1980, in Okayama Prefecture) is a Japanese actor who is…
Kōhei Yamamoto (山本 康平, Yamamoto Kōhei; born December 23, 1980, in Okayama Prefecture) is a Japanese actor who is affiliated with Ohta Production. He graduated from Komazawa University. He played the role of Kouta Bitou (Hurricane Yellow) in the 2002 Super Sentai TV series Ninpu Sentai Hurricanger.
Shachihoko Boy (しゃちほこBOY, Shachihoko Bōi) is a Japanese professional wrestler currently working for the Japanese…
Shachihoko Boy (しゃちほこBOY, Shachihoko Bōi) is a Japanese professional wrestler currently working for the Japanese promotion Dragon Gate where he is a former Open the Twin Gate Champion and Open the Triangle Gate Champion. Shachihoko Boy's real name is not a matter of public record, as is often the case with masked wrestlers in the Lucha Libre where their private lives are kept a secret from the wrestling fans.
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Hiroaki Sato (佐藤 弘明, Satō Hiroaki; born July 8, 1980) is a Japanese professional wrestler and mixed martial artist…
Hiroaki Sato (佐藤 弘明, Satō Hiroaki; born July 8, 1980) is a Japanese professional wrestler and mixed martial artist, better known by the ring name Hikaru Sato (佐藤 光留, Satō Hikaru). Sato started his MMA career in February 2000, fighting for Pancrase Hybrid Wrestling. During the next eight years, Sato fought, on average, five times a year, compiling a record of 18 wins, 19 losses and four draws, which included fights against the likes of Keiichiro Yamamiya, Nathan Marquardt, Ryo Chonan and Yushin Okami. In May 2008, Sato transitioned into the world of professional wrestling, when he was signed by the Dramatic Dream Team (DDT) promotion. He has since had ten MMA fights. In November 2010, Sato first became a triple crown trios champion with Michael Nakazawa and Tomomitsu Matsunaga and then also won DDT's top singles title, the KO-D Openweight Championship. Sato remained affiliated with DDT until January 2014. He is currently working for the All Japan Pro Wrestling promotion, where he is a former two-time World Junior Heavyweight Champion and four-time All Asia Tag Team Champion, while also being a five-time winner of the Jr. Tag Battle of Glory tournament.
Yoshihiro Nitta (新田佳浩, Nitta Yoshihiro; born 8 July 1980) is a Japanese Paralympic cross-country skier and biathlete.…
Yoshihiro Nitta (新田佳浩, Nitta Yoshihiro; born 8 July 1980) is a Japanese Paralympic cross-country skier and biathlete. He is regarded as one of the most experienced Japanese Paralympic competitors as he went onto represent Japan at the Paralympics in 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022. Yoshihiro Nitta has won 4 medals in his Paralympic career, including 2 gold medals at the 2010 Winter Paralympics. He achieved his 4th Paralympic medal in his career and the first medal since the 2010 Winter Paralympics after claiming a silver medal in the men's 1.5km sprint classic standing cross-country skiing event during the 2018 Winter Paralympics.
Shojiro Hiranuma (平沼正二郎, Hiranuma Shojiro; born 11 November 1979) is a Japanese politician serving as a member of the…
Shojiro Hiranuma (平沼正二郎, Hiranuma Shojiro; born 11 November 1979) is a Japanese politician serving as a member of the House of Representatives since 2021. He is the son of Takeo Hiranuma. Hiranuma was appointed director of the LDP Youth Division in October 2025.
Shinji Takahashi (髙橋 信二, Takahashi Shinji; born August 7, 1978 in Tsuyama, Okayama, Japan) is a Nippon Professional…
Shinji Takahashi (髙橋 信二, Takahashi Shinji; born August 7, 1978 in Tsuyama, Okayama, Japan) is a Nippon Professional Baseball catcher for the Orix Buffaloes in Japan's Pacific League.
Gakuto Coda (甲田 学人, Kōda Gakuto; born 1977) is a Japanese light novelist. His works can be found under both spellings…
Gakuto Coda (甲田 学人, Kōda Gakuto; born 1977) is a Japanese light novelist. His works can be found under both spellings of his name, his works in English translation under 'Coda' and his works in Japanese under 'Kouda'. His series Missing has been adapted into a manga, and Tokyopop released two in the series, 2007 to 2008, before it went bankrupt. He is known for basing his horror novels on research into psychology and folklore.
Keitaro Izawa (伊澤 啓太郎, Izawa Keitarō; born July 4, 1976), better known by his stage name Ichiyo Izawa (伊澤 一葉, Izawa…
Keitaro Izawa (伊澤 啓太郎, Izawa Keitarō; born July 4, 1976), better known by his stage name Ichiyo Izawa (伊澤 一葉, Izawa Ichiyō) is a Japanese pianist, vocalist and songwriter, best known for his work in the Ringo Sheena-helmed band Tokyo Jihen. He is also the lead vocalist and pianist of the band Appa.
Saburo Ohmura (大村 三郎, Ohmura Saburo; born June 1, 1976) also known as Saburo (サブロー) is a Japanese former professional…
Saburo Ohmura (大村 三郎, Ohmura Saburo; born June 1, 1976) also known as Saburo (サブロー) is a Japanese former professional baseball outfielder who currently serves as the manager for the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He played in NPB for the Marines and the Yomiuri Giants from 1995 to 2016.
Jō Odagiri (Japanese: 小田切 譲, romanized: Odagiri Jō; born 16 February 1976), better known by his stage name Joe Odagiri…
Jō Odagiri (Japanese: 小田切 譲, romanized: Odagiri Jō; born 16 February 1976), better known by his stage name Joe Odagiri (オダギリ ジョー, Odagiri Jō), is a Japanese actor. He is most famous for portraying Yusuke Godai, the titular hero of the 2000 tokusatsu series Kamen Rider Kuuga.
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Tomoe Makabe (真壁 友枝, Makabe Tomoe; born 28 November 1974) is a retired Japanese judoka.
Masashi Kishimoto (岸本 斉史, Kishimoto Masashi; born November 8, 1974) is a Japanese manga artist. His manga series…
Masashi Kishimoto (岸本 斉史, Kishimoto Masashi; born November 8, 1974) is a Japanese manga artist. His manga series, Naruto, which was in serialization from 1999 to 2014, has sold over 250 million copies worldwide in 46 countries as of May 2019. The series has been adapted into two anime and multiple films, video games, and related media. Besides the Naruto manga, Kishimoto also personally supervised the three anime films, Road to Ninja: Naruto the Movie, The Last: Naruto the Movie and Boruto: Naruto the Movie, and has written several one-shot stories. In 2019, Kishimoto wrote Samurai 8: The Tale of Hachimaru which ended in March 2020. From May 2016 through October 2020 he supervised the Boruto: Naruto Next Generations manga written by Ukyō Kodachi and illustrated by Mikio Ikemoto. In November 2020 it was announced that he had taken over as writer on the series, replacing Kodachi. A reader of manga from a young age, Kishimoto showed a desire to write his own manga, citing authors Akira Toriyama and Katsuhiro Otomo as his main influences. As a result, Kishimoto spent several years working to write his own shōnen manga for Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine which he was a fan of.
🎓 Kyushu Sangyo University🏫 Sakuyo Gakuen High School📅 Born November 8🎂 Born 1974📍 From Okayama Prefecture💼 Manga Artist
Seishi Kishimoto (Japanese: 岸本 聖史, Hepburn: Kishimoto Seishi; born November 8, 1974) is a Japanese manga artist. He is…
Seishi Kishimoto (Japanese: 岸本 聖史, Hepburn: Kishimoto Seishi; born November 8, 1974) is a Japanese manga artist. He is best known for O-Parts Hunter, which was serialized in Monthly Shōnen Gangan from 2001 to 2007. He has since completed four more manga series, Blazer Drive (2008–2011), Kurenai no Ōkami to Ashikase no Hitsuji (2011–2013), Sukedachi 09 (2014–2016), and Mad Chimera World (2017–2019).
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Hideyoshi Akita (秋田 英義, Akita Hideyoshi; born July 23, 1974) is a former Japanese football player.
Yūko Ōtsubaki (Japanese: 大椿 裕子, Hepburn: Ōtsubaki Yūko; born August 14, 1973) is a Japanese politician and labor…
Yūko Ōtsubaki (Japanese: 大椿 裕子, Hepburn: Ōtsubaki Yūko; born August 14, 1973) is a Japanese politician and labor activist. She was a member of the House of Councillors from 2023 to 2025, representing the Social Democratic Party (SDP), and served as a vice-chair of the party until 2026. She previously served as the chairperson of the Osaka Educational Workers' Union. She is married; her spouse is a Catalan from Barcelona.
Susumu Kobayashi (小林 晋, Kobayashi Susumu; born June 27, 1973 in Okayama) is a Japanese sport shooter. Kobayashi…
Susumu Kobayashi (小林 晋, Kobayashi Susumu; born June 27, 1973 in Okayama) is a Japanese sport shooter. Kobayashi represented Japan at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, where he competed in two pistol shooting events, along with his teammate Tomoyuki Matsuda. He scored a total of 577 targets in the preliminary rounds of the men's 10 m air pistol, by four points ahead of Poland's Wojciech Knapik from the final attempt, finishing only in twenty-third place. Three days later, Kobayashi placed tenth in his second event, 50 m rifle pistol, by one point behind Matsuda from the final attempt, with a total score of 558 targets.
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Daijiro Matsui (Japanese: 松井 大二郎, Matsui Daijirō; born December 5, 1972 in Okayama) is a Japanese mixed martial artist…
Daijiro Matsui (Japanese: 松井 大二郎, Matsui Daijirō; born December 5, 1972 in Okayama) is a Japanese mixed martial artist and professional wrestler. A professional MMA competitor since 1998, he has competed for the PRIDE Fighting Championships, Cage Rage, DEEP, Pancrase, and King of the Cage. As a professional wrestler, Matsui has wrestled for UWF International, Battlarts, New Japan Pro Wrestling, Inoki Genome Federation and most recently GLEAT. A former longtime training partner of Kazushi Sakuraba, Matsui is known for his toughness, conditioning, wrestling prowess and unorthodox offense. Despite his mixed success, he holds notable victories over former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton Jackson, former BAMMA World Middleweight Champion Tom Watson, former world kickboxing champion Jose Landi-Jons, BJJ black belt Rory Singer, and a draw against former Pancrase Light Heavyweight Champion and ADCC gold medallist Sanae Kikuta.
Michiyoshi Yunoki (柚木 道義, Yunoki Michiyoshi; born 28 May 1972) is a Japanese politician and a member of the House of…
Michiyoshi Yunoki (柚木 道義, Yunoki Michiyoshi; born 28 May 1972) is a Japanese politician and a member of the House of Representatives for the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan. A native of Kurashiki, Okayama and graduate of Okayama University, he worked at the publisher Yurindo from 1997 to 2002. He was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 2005 for the DPJ after an unsuccessful run in 2003.
🎓 Okayama University🏫 Konko Gakuen High School📅 Born May 28🎂 Born 1972📍 From Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture💼 Politician・Legislator
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Katsushi Ōta (太田 克史, Ōta Katsushi; born March 22, 1972) is a Japanese editor. As of 2020, he is president of Seikaisha…
Katsushi Ōta (太田 克史, Ōta Katsushi; born March 22, 1972) is a Japanese editor. As of 2020, he is president of Seikaisha, a publishing company established as a wholly owned subsidiary of Kodansha.
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Takashi Watari (Japanese: 亘崇詞; born 8 March 1972) is a Japanese former footballer who played as a midfielder. He played…
Takashi Watari (Japanese: 亘崇詞; born 8 March 1972) is a Japanese former footballer who played as a midfielder. He played for Peruvian side Sporting Cristal. After retiring from professional football, he worked as a manager. He has also worked as a translator, and obtained a JFA S Class Coaching License. Watari was born in Okayama but moved to Argentina at a young age.
🏫 Tsuyama Technical High School📅 Born March 8🎂 Born 1972📍 From Tsuyama, Okayama Prefecture💼 Football (Soccer)💼 Futsal
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Keisuke Tsumura (津村 啓介, Tsumura Keisuke; born 26 October 1971) is a Japanese politician who served in the House of…
Keisuke Tsumura (津村 啓介, Tsumura Keisuke; born 26 October 1971) is a Japanese politician who served in the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature) as a member of the Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP).
🎓 University of Tokyo🏫 Azabu High School📅 Born October 27🎂 Born 1971📍 From Tsuyama, Okayama Prefecture💼 Politician・Legislator
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Kenji Nomura (乃村 健次, Nomura Kenji; born July 23, 1970) is a Japanese voice actor from Okayama Prefecture affiliated…
Kenji Nomura (乃村 健次, Nomura Kenji; born July 23, 1970) is a Japanese voice actor from Okayama Prefecture affiliated with Aksent. Known for playing characters large in size, he has starring roles in anime shows, including Mitsunori Kugayama in Genshiken, Chairman Harabote in Kinnikuman: Ultimate Muscle, Lorenzo in Ristorante Paradiso, and Gilles de Rais in Drifters. He also voices in a bunch of supporting roles in anime series including Battle Spirits, First Love Limited, Jormungand, Kanokon, Valkyria Chronicles, Yes! PreCure5, and Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's. He voices several villain characters in One Piece.
🏫 Kurashiki Amaki High School📅 Born July 23🎂 Born 1970📍 From Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture💼 Voice Actor
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Joichiro Tatsuyoshi (辰吉丈一郎, Tatsuyoshi Jōichirō; born May 15, 1970) is a former World Boxing Council (WBC) world…
Joichiro Tatsuyoshi (辰吉丈一郎, Tatsuyoshi Jōichirō; born May 15, 1970) is a former World Boxing Council (WBC) world bantamweight champion from Kurashiki, Okayama, Japan. His record is 20–7–1 (14 KOs). He is popular for his fight style and unique personality, and has appeared in several television variety shows. He is named after Joe Yabuki, the main character of the boxing anime, Ashita no Joe (Tomorrow's Joe). Coincidentally, he fights in the same weight class (bantamweight) as the character he is named after. He has a large reach in comparison with his height (Tatsuyoshi is 164 cm tall with a reach of 178 cm) and is known for his distinctively low guard. He often keeps his hands in front of his chest, unlike other boxers who usually keep their hands closer to the head. He is managed by the Osaka Teiken boxing gym.
Kiyoshi Tamura (田村潔司, Tamura Kiyoshi; born December 17, 1969 in Okayama, Okayama) is a Japanese retired professional…
Kiyoshi Tamura (田村潔司, Tamura Kiyoshi; born December 17, 1969 in Okayama, Okayama) is a Japanese retired professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. Once a student of legendary professional wrestlers Billy Robinson, Lou Thesz and Akira Maeda, Tamura was known for his skills in catch wrestling and is considered to be one of the greatest shoot wrestlers of all time. Competing exclusively in shoot style wrestling, Tamura began his career with UWF Newborn and later joined its successor group UWF International before transitioning to mixed martial arts. A professional MMA fighter from 1995 until 2008, he competed for the PRIDE Fighting Championships, RINGS, DEEP, DREAM, and fought at K-1's 2007 and 2008 Dynamite!! events. He is a two-time RINGS Openweight Champion and holds notable wins over Renzo Gracie, former UFC Welterweight Champion Pat Miletich, former UFC Middleweight Champion Dave Menne, former Pancrase Super Heavyweight Champion Tsuyoshi Kosaka, former Pancrase Openweight Champion Masakatsu Funaki, Olympic judo gold medallist Makoto Takimoto, three-time sambo champion Volk Han, and Kazushi Sakuraba. Tamura currently serves as an executive director for LIDET Entertainment's professional wrestling promotion GLEAT.
Nao Ikeyama (born 18 September 1969) is a Japanese boxer who held the WBO atomweight title from 17 May 2014 until 29…
Nao Ikeyama (born 18 September 1969) is a Japanese boxer who held the WBO atomweight title from 17 May 2014 until 29 July 2018. She made her professional debut on 30 November 2003, where she defeated Satoko Kamimura by unanimous decision. Ikeyama made six successful title defenses for her belt, with her sixth title defense coming against Saemi Hanagata on 12 July 2017. In 2015, Ikeyama participated in the first ever professional boxing event in Sri Lanka, where she defended her title against Jujeath Nagaowa.
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Shigeaki Yokota (横田茂昭, Yokota Shigeaki) (born May 1, 1969 in Okayama, Japan) is a professional Go player.
Koji Bonishi (坊西 浩嗣, Bōnishi Kōji) (born December 30, 1968) is a former baseball player based in Japan. He played for…
Koji Bonishi (坊西 浩嗣, Bōnishi Kōji) (born December 30, 1968) is a former baseball player based in Japan. He played for the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks in the Japan Pacific League.
🏫 Okayama Minami High School📅 Born December 30🎂 Born 1968📍 From Tamano, Okayama Prefecture💼 Baseball
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Hideyuki Kurata (倉田 英之, Kurata Hideyuki; born July 9, 1968 in Ibara, Okayama Prefecture) is a Japanese anime…
Hideyuki Kurata (倉田 英之, Kurata Hideyuki; born July 9, 1968 in Ibara, Okayama Prefecture) is a Japanese anime screenwriter, light novelist, and manga artist, noted for authoring the series composition of such works as Read or Die, Now and Then, Here and There, Kamichu!, and Gun Sword. He has been a member of Yōsuke Kuroda's creative group Studio Orphee since 2003, and has collaborated with Kuroda on many series, including Hellsing Ultimate, Drifters, and Goblin Slayer.
Kōyū Amano (天野 高雄, 1968 - present) is a Japanese Buddhist monk of Kōyasan Shingon-shū. He currently serves as abbot at…
Kōyū Amano (天野 高雄, 1968 - present) is a Japanese Buddhist monk of Kōyasan Shingon-shū. He currently serves as abbot at Kōzō-ji (高蔵寺) in Okayama Prefecture and has been active as a missionary, artist, sculptor and radio personality.
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Daisuke Katayama (born 6 October 1966) is a Japanese politician who is a member of the House of Councillors of Japan.
🎓 Keio University🏫 Aoyama High School📅 Born October 6🎂 Born 1966📍 From Kasaoka, Okayama Prefecture💼 Politician・Legislator💼 Journalist
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Ryoko Fujimoto (born 18 April 1966) is a Japanese judoka. She competed in the women's middleweight event at the 1992…
Ryoko Fujimoto (born 18 April 1966) is a Japanese judoka. She competed in the women's middleweight event at the 1992 Summer Olympics.
Zen Kajihara (梶原 善, Kajihara Zen; born 25 February 1966 in Okayama), is a Japanese theatre actor. Originally a member…
Zen Kajihara (梶原 善, Kajihara Zen; born 25 February 1966 in Okayama), is a Japanese theatre actor. Originally a member of the Tokyo Sunshine Boys theatrical troupe, he now works mainly with the Gekidan Shinkansen troupe. He is known for being very short in stature, but very noisy and wild on stage, specializing in comedy. He had a problem reading kanji (Chinese characters) and insists that his roles have long, complicated, difficult-to-remember names.
🏫 Okayama Rika University Affiliated High School📅 Born February 25🎂 Born 1966📍 From Okayama, Okayama Prefecture💼 Actor
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Akihiko Yamashita (山下 明彦, Yamashita Akihiko; born February 6, 1966, in Okayama Prefecture, Chūgoku, Japan) is a Studio…
Akihiko Yamashita (山下 明彦, Yamashita Akihiko; born February 6, 1966, in Okayama Prefecture, Chūgoku, Japan) is a Studio Ghibli animator who is famous for Howl's Moving Castle and Giant Robo (OVA).
Takashi Yamashita (山下 貴司, Yamashita Takashi; born 8 September 1965) is a Japanese prosecutor and politician who has…
Takashi Yamashita (山下 貴司, Yamashita Takashi; born 8 September 1965) is a Japanese prosecutor and politician who has served in the House of Representatives since 2012. He was Minister of Justice from 2018 to 2019.
Koichi Mizushima (水島 宏一, Mizushima Kōichi; born 1 August 1965) is a Japanese former gymnast who competed in the 1988…
Koichi Mizushima (水島 宏一, Mizushima Kōichi; born 1 August 1965) is a Japanese former gymnast who competed in the 1988 Summer Olympics.
Hiroshi Yagi (八木 裕; born June 8, 1965) is a retired Japanese baseball player for the Hanshin Tigers. He was an All-Star…
Hiroshi Yagi (八木 裕; born June 8, 1965) is a retired Japanese baseball player for the Hanshin Tigers. He was an All-Star in 1990 and a member of the Tigers' 2003 championship team. In the later years of his career, he was known as the team's "God of Pinch Hitting". After retiring at the end of the 2004 season, he spent some time in the media before becoming a hitting coach for Hanshin in 2009. He was named as the hitting coach for the club's second team for the 2015 season. Yagi was hospitalized with swelling and bleeding on the brain after being hit in the head by a broken bat while in the dugout during a game on September 9, 2025.
🏫 Okayama Higashi Commercial High School📅 Born June 8🎂 Born 1965📍 From Tamano, Okayama Prefecture💼 Baseball
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Shimako Iwai (岩井 志麻子, Iwai Shimako; born 5 December 1964) is a Japanese writer, tarento, and pornographic director.…
Shimako Iwai (岩井 志麻子, Iwai Shimako; born 5 December 1964) is a Japanese writer, tarento, and pornographic director. From June 2009 she is represented with Horipro. She serves as a regular commentator in the Tokyo MX series 5-Ji ni Muchū!
Keizo Nakanishi (中西 圭三, Nakanishi Keizō; born 11 November 1964, in Nadasaki, Kojima District (now Minami-ku, Okayama)…
Keizo Nakanishi (中西 圭三, Nakanishi Keizō; born 11 November 1964, in Nadasaki, Kojima District (now Minami-ku, Okayama), Okayama Prefecture) is a Japanese singer-songwriter and composer. He graduated from Okayama Prefectural Kurashiki Amagi High School and Nihon University College of Economics. In 2017, Nakanishi participated as a guest artist at the annual touring ice show Fantasy on Ice in Makuhari. He performed in the show opening to the song "Choo Choo Train" amongst others.
Masahiro Kawai (川相 昌弘, Kawai Masahiro; born September 27, 1964) is a Japanese former professional baseball infielder…
Masahiro Kawai (川相 昌弘, Kawai Masahiro; born September 27, 1964) is a Japanese former professional baseball infielder, who currently is a coach for the Yomiuri Giants. He played for 23 years in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), primarily with the Yomiuri Giants. Known for his defense and bunting, he won several Gold Gloves, made two All-Star teams and set several sacrifice hit records. Kawai was a pitcher in high school. In 1982, the Giants took him in the first round of the draft. He was moved to the infield and debuted for the Giants in 1984, mostly as a defensive substitute and pinch-hitter, getting only 126 plate appearances over 159 games in his first four years. He got 81 plate appearances at age 23 in 1988, hitting .268/.307/.423. Masahiro became a regular for the 1989 Giants, batting .254/.312/.361 and won his first Gold Glove as the top defensive shortstop in the Central League. He hit .190/.261/.238 for Yomiuri as they won the 1989 Japan Series. The next season, he set a new Nippon Professional Baseball record with 58 sacrifice hits and put up a good .288/.356/.450 line with career highs in slugging, home runs (9) and steals (9). He made the first of his two All-Star appearances and won another Gold Glove. In the 1990 Japan Series, he went 2 for 10 with a walk and a game four home run, a rare bright spot as the Giants were swept. In 1991, the Yomiuri shortstop took home his third Gold Glove while hitting .251/.330/.312 with a career-best 36 RBI. He laid down 66 successful sacrifice hits, breaking his own record; his mark would later be topped by Shinya Miyamoto. The next year, Masahiro had a .258/.312/.345 and led the Central League with 42 sacrifice hits. Takahiro Ikeyama broke his Gold Glove run at short. Kawai hit .290/.350/.381 in 1993 and made his second All-Star appearance while winning his fourth Gold Glove. His 176 total bases and 23 doubles were career highs and his 45 sacrifice hits gave him the Central League lead for a fourth consecutive year. Masahiro scored a career-high 69 runs in 1994 and hit .302/.376/.357, setting highs in average and OBP as well. He finished 9th in the Central League in average and won his fifth Gold Glove. He only batted .091/.160/.136 in the 1994 Japan Series but Yomiuri still won. In 1995, the 30-year-old veteran produced at a .261/.348/.313 rate and lost the Gold Glove to Kenjiro Nomura. His 47 sacrifice hits led the league. The next season, Kawai batted just .232/.310/.277 and won his sixth and final Gold Glove; he also led in sacrifice hits for the sixth time (56). He was 4 for 13 with 4 walks in the 1996 Japan Series. He capped his 7th sacrifice hit title in 8 years and the last of his career by laying down 45 in 1997, when he hit .288/.355/.392. Masahiro batted .256/.301/.327 during the 1998 season and he failed to reach 100 games played for the first time in six years as Daisuke Motoki was used regularly at short; Kawai remained the starter. He became the chairman of the board of the Japan Professional Baseball Players Association that winter; he would hold the job for three years before Kazuyoshi Tatsunami took his place. By 1999, though, he was on the bench usually, hitting .295/.371/.302 in 149 AB and 82 games, in a backup role again after a decade as the starter. Tomohiro Nioka was now the starting shortstop and would hold the role for years. Kawai had only 58 AB in 54 games in 2000, batting .190/.294/.207 (he was 0 for 1 with a sacrifice in the 2000 Japan Series) and 52 AB in 73 games the next season, hitting .288/.315/.462. His career had come full-circle from defensive sub in the 1980s to starter in the 1990s to defensive sub in the 2000s. In 2002, the 37-year-old produced at a .219/.246/.289 rate in 132 AB over 88 games, backing up Nioka at short, Motoki at third and Toshihisa Nishi at second base. In the 2002 Japan Series, he played one game at third as a defensive sub. His brightest moment may have been in 2003; though he hit only .238/.247/.300 in 80 AB over 72 games and was rarely playing short (primarily subbing for Akira Eto and Motoki at third), he won national acclaim when he laid down his 512th career sacrifice hit. This broke Eddie Collins' world record and got significant media attention in Japan. Robert Whiting, perhaps using a fair bit of hyperbole, says that it "was greeted with as much fanfare as if he had surpassed the home run record. There were fireworks on the Tokyo Dome electronic scoreboard and a flowery ceremony involving Kawai's wife and children, accompanied by tears of joy all around." Yomiuri then tried to pressure him to retire but he refused and the club released him after 20 years with them. Kawai caught on with the Chunichi Dragons for 2004 and hit .261/.393/.391 in 23 AB, playing 80 games, almost exclusively as Tatsunami's backup at third base. In the 2004 Japan Series, he played three games at third and did not bat. In 2005, the 40-year-old again was the defensive substitute at third. He hit .294/.294/.412 in 17 AB over 69 games. For his final season, he batted .273/.304/.273 in 22 AB in 51 games. He played one game in the 2006 Japan Series and, very fittingly, laid down a successful sacrifice bunt in his final plate appearance after 23 years in Nippon Professional Baseball. His career offensive line read .266/.333/.345 with 533 sacrifice hits in 1,909 games. Ken Hirano (451) was second all-time in Nippon Professional Baseball in sacrifice hits at the time of Kawai's retirement with no other player within 200. Kawai retired after the 2006 season and was hired by Chunichi as a coach.
Koshi Inaba (Japanese: 稲葉浩志, Hepburn: Inaba Kōshi; born September 23, 1964) is a Japanese singer, songwriter and…
Koshi Inaba (Japanese: 稲葉浩志, Hepburn: Inaba Kōshi; born September 23, 1964) is a Japanese singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the rock duo B'z, the best-selling music act in their native Japan. He also has a successful solo career, with six studio albums and five singles topping the Japanese music charts. Inaba collaborated with Slash on the latter's 2009 single "Sahara", and with Stevie Salas on the albums Chubby Groove (2017) and Maximum Huavo (2020).
🎓 Yokohama National University🏫 Tsuyama High School📅 Born September 23🎂 Born 1964📍 From Tsuyama, Okayama Prefecture💼 Singer・Vocalist💼 Lyricist
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Katsuya Terada (寺田 克也, Terada Katsuya; born December 7, 1963), is a Japanese illustrator and cartoonist from the town…
Katsuya Terada (寺田 克也, Terada Katsuya; born December 7, 1963), is a Japanese illustrator and cartoonist from the town of Tamano, Okayama. His alias is the portmanteau Rakugakingu (ラクガキング, "Doodle King"). Terada's prolific visual arts practice uniquely straddles the lines between manga, fine art, and digital design. His work ranges widely from highly detailed comics and novel illustrations to expressive, futuristic character designs for video games and anime. Terada posts actively on Facebook as Katsuya "t e r r a" Terada, as well as on his web blog terra's book.
Harumi Honda (born 12 November 1963) is a Japanese former track cyclist.
Hiroto Kōmoto (甲本 ヒロト, Kōmoto Hiroto; born 17 March 1963) is a Japanese rock singer who has fronted bands such as The…
Hiroto Kōmoto (甲本 ヒロト, Kōmoto Hiroto; born 17 March 1963) is a Japanese rock singer who has fronted bands such as The Blue Hearts, The High-Lows and The Cro-Magnons.
Kiyoshi Shigematsu (重松 清, Shigematsu Kiyoshi; born 6 March 1963) is a contemporary Japanese writer. He is one of the…
Kiyoshi Shigematsu (重松 清, Shigematsu Kiyoshi; born 6 March 1963) is a contemporary Japanese writer. He is one of the best-selling authors in Japan, and the major theme of his novels is about family. His most notable works include Naifu (ナイフ) (1997), Eiji (エイジ) (1999) and Bitamin F (ビタミンF) (2000). Shigematsu's works in other genre including journals, editorials and critics are highly commended. He also worked in novelising screenplays.
🎓 Waseda University🏫 Yamaguchi High School📅 Born March 6🎂 Born 1963📍 From Okayama Prefecture💼 Writer・Novelist
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Kōzō Arimori (有森 浩三, Arimori Kōzō; February 13, 1963) is a Japanese retired professional shogi player who achieved the…
Kōzō Arimori (有森 浩三, Arimori Kōzō; February 13, 1963) is a Japanese retired professional shogi player who achieved the rank of 8-dan.
🌐 Wikipedia in other languages:Japanese (ja) ↗
On November 5, 1989, Tsutsumi Sakamoto (坂本 堤, Sakamoto Tsutsumi; April 6, 1956 – November 5, 1989), a lawyer working on…
On November 5, 1989, Tsutsumi Sakamoto (坂本 堤, Sakamoto Tsutsumi; April 6, 1956 – November 5, 1989), a lawyer working on a class action lawsuit against Aum Shinrikyo, a doomsday cult in Japan, was murdered, along with his wife Satoko and his son Tatsuhiko, by perpetrators who broke into his apartment. Six years later, following the 1995 attack on the Tokyo subway, the murderers were uncovered and it was established that the murderers had been members of Aum Shinrikyo at the time of the crime.
Hakase Suidobashi (水道橋 博士, Suidōbashi Hakase; born 18 August 1962 in Kurashiki, Okayama, Japan) is a Japanese comedian…
Hakase Suidobashi (水道橋 博士, Suidōbashi Hakase; born 18 August 1962 in Kurashiki, Okayama, Japan) is a Japanese comedian who is a member of the comedy duo Asakusa Kid. His real name is Masayoshi Ono (小野 正芳, Ono Masayoshi). Suidobashi is represented with Office Kitano. He is also a manzai comedian, commentator, and a writer in magazine columns and essays.