50 Famous Japanese Celebrities in 2022

Do you know who the most popular celebrities are in Japan? Do you want to learn more about them? If so, this article is for you! In this article, you’ll find a list of Japan’s 50 most popular celebrities. You can learn about their lives, achievements, and what they’re up to now. Some are actors, and some are singers, but all of them have greatly impacted Japanese culture.

1. Hayao Miyazaki

Hayao Miyazaki is a Japanese animator, director, producer, screenwriter, author, and manga artist born on January 5, 1941, in the Bunkyō ward of Tokyo, Miyazaki. He is considered one of the most skilled directors in animation history and a co-founder of Studio Ghibli. He has won praise for his skill as a master storyteller and as the creator of Japanese animated feature films.

Date of Birth	January 5, 1941
Place of Birth	Bunkyō, Tokyo, Empire of Japan
Occupation	Animator; Filmmaker; Screenwriter; Author Manga artist
Years active	1963–present
Education/ Alma mater	Gakushuin University

2. Naomi Osaka

Naomi Osaka is a Japanese tennis player born on October 16, 1997. She is the first Asian player to hold the No. 1 singles ranking in the world, according to the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA). Osaka has won two Australian Open championships and two US Open crowns, making her a four-time Grand Slam singles champion. Two of her seven WTA Tour victories were at the Premier Mandatory level. Osaka won her first two major championships at the 2018 US Open and the 2019 Australian Open, which were held back-to-back. Since Serena Williams in 2015, she was the first woman to win consecutive major singles championships, and Jennifer Capriati in 2001 was the last.

Date of Birth	October 16, 1997
Place of Birth	Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Education	Broward Virtual School
Achievement	ESPY Award for Best Female Hand

3. Shinzō Abe

Shinzo Abe was a Japanese politician who held the positions of Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) from 2006 to 2007 and 2012 to 2020. He was born on September 21, 1954, and died on July 8, 2022. He served as prime minister of Japan for the longest period. In addition, Abe worked under Junichiro Koizumi as Chief Cabinet Secretary from 2005 to 2006, and in 2012, he briefly led the opposition.

Date of Birth	September 21, 1954
Place of Birth	Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
Education	USC Sol Price School of Public Policy (1978–1979); Seikei University and Faculty of Politics, University of Southern California
Married/ Couple	Abe Akie (married 1987–2022)
Occupation	Prime Minister of Japan

4. Ichiro Suzuki

Ichiro Suzuki, also known simply as Ichiro, is a retired Japanese professional baseball outfielder who played the game for 28 seasons. He was born on October 22, 1973. He began playing baseball for the NPB’s Orix BlueWave for nine years before spending 14 years with the Major League Baseball’s Seattle Mariners (MLB). Suzuki spent the first 12 years of his MLB career with the Mariners before spending three seasons with the Miami Marlins and another two and a half with the New York Yankees. He spent his final two seasons with the Mariners once more.

Date of Birth	22 October 1973
Place of Birth	Nishikasugai-gun, Aichi Prefecture, Japan
Educetion	Aikoudai Meiden (Nagoya, Japan)
Weight	79kg
Height	180cm

5. Yuzuru Hanyu

Yuzuru Hanyu is a former competitive figure skater from Japan born on December 7, 1994. He has won two Olympic titles (2014, 2018), two World titles (2014, 2017), four Grand Prix Final titles (2013–2016), the 2020 Four Continents title, the 2010 World Junior title, the 2009–10 Junior Grand Prix Final title, and six consecutive Japanese national titles.

Date of Birth	December 7, 1994
Place of Birth	Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
Height	1.72 m (5 ft 7+1⁄2 in)
Weight	57kg
Educetion	Waseda University School of Human Sciences (2013–2020)

6. Kanako Momota

Japanese singer and actress Kanako Momota was born on July 12, 1994. Stardust Promotion is her agent. The girl group Momoiro Clover Z, of which she is the leader, is best known for her. As of Black Panther, she has also provided the Japanese dub for Shuri in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Momota was listed by Nihon Keizai Shimbun as the 12th most well-liked Japanese idol of 2013.

Date of Birth	July 12, 1994
Place of Birth	Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan
Occupation	Singer; Actress
Years active	2008–present
Height	1.55m

7. Sora Tokui

Sora Tokui was born on December 26, 1989 in Minamibs. She is a Japanese voice actor, musician, and manga artist. She made her voice acting debut in 2009 as Himemiya in Weiß Survive R.

She is a member of the vocal quartet Milky Holmes, founded by the four leading voice actors from the Tantei Opera Milky Holmes franchise. She belongs to the singing collective created by the nine principal voice actors in Love Live! Franchise, just like Nico Yazawa does. And has made singles available under the fictitious name of “s.”

Date of Birth	26 December 1989
Place of Birth	Minamibōsō, Chiba, Japan
Years active	2009–present
Occupation	Voice; actress; singer; manga artist
Nickname/ Other Name/ Real name	SoramaruTokkunToku san

8. Daiki Arioka

Daiki Arioka, a member of the Japanese band Hey! Say! JUMP, a singer, actress, talent, and model, was born on April 15, 1991. His management is handled by Johnny & Associates. Along with the other Hey! Say! JUMP members Ryosuke Yamada, Yuto Nakajima, and Yuri Chinen appeared as Rin Takekura in the drama Sensei wa Erai! in October 2008.

Date of Birth	April 15, 1991
Place of Birth	Chiba, Japan
Occupation	Singer; actor; tarento; model
Years active	2001 – present
Education	Horikoshi High School

9. Kamakari Kenta

Kenta Kamakari is a Japanese actor, voice actor, and singer born in Osaka Prefecture on February 17, 1984. He is most known for playing Ryo Shishido in the Prince of Tennis Musicals. He could not play Minami Itsuki in Musical Air Gear vs. Bacchus Super Range Remix and make an appearance in Dream Live 4 “Extra” because he was admitted to the hospital on April 21, 2007. He noted in his blog that as of February 2008, he had fully recovered and would resume working. He is the band’s leader and lead vocalist for the rock group Cocoa Otoko, which made its debut in 2010 but later split up.

Date of Birth	February 17, 1984
Place of Birth	Osaka, Japan
Occupation	Actor; Singer
Education	High School Kagekidan – Otokogumi
Years active	2005–present

10. Tatsuya Fujiwara

Japanese actor Tatsuya Fujiwara was born on May 15, 1982. His leading performances as Shuya Nanahara in the Battle Royale films, Light Yagami in the Death Note films, Kaiji It in the Kaiji films, and Rikuhiko Yuki in Hideo Nakata’s The Incite Mill have made him well-known internationally. He played Shishio Makoto in the live-action Rurouni Kenshin movies in 2014.

Date of Birth	May 15, 1982
Place of Birth	Chichibu, Saitama, Japan
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1997–present
Awards	Japan Academy Award for Newcomer of the Year

11. Ai Takahashi

Ai Takahashi is a Japanese singer and actress once a member of the Hello! Project. She was most known for leading Morning Musume and the Hello! Project until 2011. She was formerly a part of the group’s well-liked subgroup Mini Moni. She made her group debut on the single “Mr. Moonlight: Ai no Big Band,” and their fourth studio album, 4th Ikimasshoi!, was her first full-length release with Morning Musume. She made her debut as a member of the Happy 7 group on the 2002 single “Shiawase Beam! Suki Suki Beam!” before joining the Hello! Project shuffling unit. 

Date of Birth	September 14, 1986
Place of Birth	Sakai, Fukui, Japan
Years active	2001–present
Occupation	Singer; Actress
Educetion	Meguro Nihon University Junior High and High School

12. Toma Ikuta

Toma Ikuta, a Japanese actor, was born on October 7, 1984. Ikuta is well-known for his work in the films Ouroboros, Honey & Clover, Sensei!, Ma, and Hanazakari no Kimitachi e. Additionally, he has starred in other movies, including Hanamizuki, Ningen Shikkaku, and Brain Man. Ikuta appeared in Tokio’s music video for the song NaNaNa on July 27, 2010. Ikuta had an appearance on the documentary TV show Jnetsu Tairiku in 2010.

Date of Birth	October 7, 1984
Place of Birth	Noboribetsu, Hokkaido, Japan
Occupation	Actor; Singer; Dancer
Years active	1996–present
Nickname/ Other Name/ Real name	Toma-chan, Tomasu

13. Akihito

Akihito, a member of the Imperial House of Japan, was born on December 23, 1933. He served as the country’s 125th emperor from January 7, 1989, until his abdication on April 30, 2019. He presided over the Heisei era, which represented the achievement of world peace. Emperor Shwa and Empress Kjun’s first child is Akihito. He relocated from Tokyo during the Second World War with his classmates and stayed in Nikk till 1945. Following the holding of his Coming-of-Age ceremony and investiture as crown prince, he started acting in that capacity in 1952.

Date of Birth	23 December 1933
Place of Birth	Tokyo Imperial Palace, Tokyo City, Tokyo Prefecture, Empire of Japan
Married/ Couple	Empress Dowager Michiko (married 1959)
Position	Emperor Akihito
Child	Emperor Naruhito, Fumihito, Kuroda Sayako

14. Matsudaira Ken

Japanese actor and musician Ken Matsudaira was born in Toyohashi, Aichi, on November 28, 1953. Sueshichi Suzuki is his real name. He started working for Shintaro Katsu’s production firm in 1974 and made his on-screen debut as a guest on the show Zatoichi. He played the title role, Tokugawa Yoshimune, for a quarter of a century in the television series The Unfettered Shogun. In Kamen Rider OOO Wonderful, he, too, had a similar duty.

Date of Birth	November 28, 1953
Place of Birth	Toyohashi, Aichi, Japan
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1974 – present
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)

15. Hideo Kojima

Hideo Kojima, a Japanese video game designer, director, producer, and writer, was born on August 24, 1963. He is considered a video game auteur. [2] He became deeply passionate about action/adventure books and films throughout his childhood and teens. Konami employed him in 1986, and it was for them that he conceived and wrote Metal Gear (1987), a game for the MSX2 that served as the inspiration for later stealth games and the Metal Gear series, two of his best-known and most well-liked creations.

Date of Birth	August 24, 1963
Place of Birth	Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan
Occupation	Video game designer, writer, director, producer
Years active	1986–present
Established organization	Kojima Productions, Kojima Productions Los Angeles

16. Shigeru Miyamoto

Japanese video game inventor, producer, and director Shigeru Miyamoto was born on November 16, 1952. He currently works as one of Nintendo’s representative directors. Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Donkey Kong, Star Fox, and Pikmin are just a few of the most well-known and successful game brands ever created by one of the most prolific and influential creators in the history of video games.

Date of Birth	November 16, 1952
Place of Birth	Sonobe, Kyoto, Japan
Occupation	Game designer; game producer; game director
Educetion	Kanazawa College of Art
Reward	BAFTA Award – Fellowship Award

17. Haruki Murakami

Japanese author Haruki Murakami was born on January 12, 1949. His books have sold millions of copies outside of Japan and have been bestsellers domestically and abroad. His novels, essays, and short stories have been translated into 50 languages. He has won numerous honors for his writing, including the Franz Kafka Prize, the Jerusalem Prize, the World Fantasy Award, the Gunzou Prize for New Writers, and the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award.

Date of Birth	January 12, 1949
Place of Birth	Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Japan
Occupation	Novelist; Short-story; writer; essayist; translator
Educetion	Waseda University
Reward	The Gunzou Prize for New Writers, the World Fantasy Award, the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award, the Franz Kafka Prize, and the Jerusalem Prize

18. Shohei Ohtani

Shohei Ohtani, also known by his stage moniker “Shotime,” is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher, designated hitter, and outfielder who plays for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was born on July 5, 1994. Before joining the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, he competed in the Pacific League of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). The 2012 draft saw the Fighters choose Ohtani first overall. From 2013 until 2017, he was an outfielder and pitcher for the Fighters in the NPB.

Date of Birth	July 5, 1994
Place of Birth	Ōshū, Iwate, Japan
Occupation	Professional baseball pitcher
Height	6’4″ (1.93 meters)
weight	92 kg (203 lbs)

19. Hiroyuki Sanada

Hiroyuki Sanada is a Japanese-American actor and martial artist born on October 12, 1960. The roles of Genbu in Ninja in the Dragon’s Den (1982), Ryuji Takayama in Ring (1998), Seibei Iguchi in The Twilight Samurai (2002), Ujio in The Last Samurai (2003), Kenji in Rush Hour 3 (2007), and Scorpion in Mortal Kombat are among of his most well-known performances to audiences abroad (2021). Additionally, he received significant theatrical attention in the UK for his performance as “The Fool” in the Shakespearean drama King Lear. Sanada is well-known in Japan for both the songs he performed for the general public and the songs he recorded for the films he appeared in.

Date of Birth	12 October 1960
Place of Birth	Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1965–present
Nickname/ Other Name/ Real name	Hiroyuki Shimozawa

20. Honoka Miki

Honoka Yahagi, formerly Honoka Miki, is a Japanese actress, fashion model, and voice actor. She was born on March 7, 1997, in Chiba Prefecture. Yahagi is most remembered for her performances as Kotoko Aihara and Kotoko Irie in the films Mischievous Kiss: Love in Tokyo and Mischievous Kiss 2: Love in Okinawa. According to Yahagi’s blog, she changed her name from Honoka Miki to Honoka Yahagi in 2016 since she didn’t like it.

Date of Birth	March 7, 1997
Place of Birth	Chiba Prefecture, Japan
Occupation	Actress; Fashion model; Voice actress
Years active	2010–present
Nickname/ Other Name/ Real name	Honoka Miki

21. Tasuku Honjo

Tasuku Honjo is a Japanese physician-scientist and immunologist born on January 27, 1942. He is well known for discovering the programmed cell death protein 1, for which he received the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (PD-1). He is also credited with the molecular characterization of the cytokines IL-4 and IL-5, as well as the identification of the enzyme activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID), which is crucial for somatic hypermutation and class switch recombination.

Date of Birth	27 January 1942
Place of Birth	Kyoto, Japan
Occupation	Physician-scientist and immunologist
Awards	Imperial Prize (1996); Koch Prize (2012); Order of Culture (2013); Tang Prize (2014); Kyoto Prize (2016); Alpert Prize (2017)Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (2018)
Education	Kyoto University (BS, MD, PhD)

22. Sky Brown

Sky Brown, a British-Japanese professional skateboarder and surfer who competes for Great Britain was born on July 7, 2008. She has won the American television competition Dancing with the Stars: Juniors and is the youngest professional skateboarder in the world. She represented Great Britain at the 2020 Summer Olympics, where she competed in the park event and took the bronze medal, becoming the nation’s youngest-ever medalist.

Date of Birth	7 July 2008
Place of Birth	Miyazaki, Japan
Occupation	Professional skateboarder and surfer
Years active	2016–present
Education	Local Primary School in Miyazaki, JapanLocal High School in Miyazaki, Japan

23. Koyuki

Koyuki Kato, better known by her stage name Koyuki, was born in Japan on December 18, 1976. She became quite well-known after starring with Jun Matsumoto in the drama Kimi wa Petto and the blockbuster The Last Samurai. Pulse, a 2001 movie directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa, featured Koyuki. She achieved enormous popularity after costarring in the drama Kimi wa Petto (2003) with Jun Matsumoto. In the 2003 movie The Last Samurai, she played Taka, the wife of a Samurai who was killed by Tom Cruise’s character Nathan Algren.

Date of Birth	December 18, 1976
Place of Birth	Zama, Kanagawa, Japan
Occupation	Actress, model
Years active	1995–present
Education	Tokyo Women’s Medical University

24. Kane Tanaka

The third daughter and seventh child of her parents, Kumayoshi and Kuma Ota, Tanaka was born on January 2, 1903, as Kane Ota in the town of Wajiro, Kyushu’s southernmost island (it is now a part of Higashi-Ku, Fukuoka). Until her passing on July 22, 2018, at the age of 119 years and 107 days, she was a Japanese supercentenarian who had surpassed Chiyo Miyako as the oldest person still alive. The second-oldest verified person ever after Jeanne Calment, she is the oldest verified Japanese person.

Date of Birth	2 January 1903
Place of Birth	Wajiro Village, Fukuoka, Empire of Japan
Occupation	Store owner
Famous for	The world’s oldest person; (from July 22, 2018 – 2022)
Nickname/ Other Name/ Real name	Kane Ota

25. Naruhito

The reigning emperor of Japan is Naruhito, who was born there on February 23, 1960. Following the abdication of his father, Akihito, he ascended to the Chrysanthemum Throne on May 1, 2019, officially ushering in the Reiwa era. According to Japan’s customary succession rules, he is the 126th monarch. When his father succeeded Emperor Shwa on January 7, 1989, he immediately assumed the role of heir apparent. In 1991, he was formally invested in the position of the crown prince. He attended Gakushin schools in Tokyo and went on to study English and history at Merton College in Oxford and Gakushuin University, respectively.

Date of Birth	23 February 1960
Place of Birth	Imperial Household Agency Hospital, Tokyo Imperial Palace, Tokyo, Japan
Educetion	Merton College in Oxford and Gakushuin University, respectively.
Married/ Couple	Empress Masako (married 1993)
Position	Emperor Naruhito

26. Beni Arashiro

Beni Arashiro is a Japanese R&B singer who made her debut in 2004 on the Avex Trax label. She was born on March 30, 1986, in Okinawa Prefecture. Arashiro departed Avex Trax in 2008 and moved to Universal Music Japan, where she began to perform under the name Beni (stylized as BENI). Her 2004 single “Here Alone” was initially her biggest hit, but subsequent releases following her switch to Universal have eclipsed it.

Date of Birth	March 30, 1986
Place of Birth	Okinawa Prefecture, Japan
Occupation	Singer; actress; model; TV personality
Years active	2004–present
Nickname/ Other Name/ Real name	Beni; Beni Arashiro

27. Chiaki Kuriyama

Chiaki Kuriyama is a Japanese actress, singer, and model born on October 10, 1984, in Tsuchiura, Ibaraki. She is best known in the West for her performances as Takako Chigusa in the 2000 film Battle Royale and Gogo Yubari in the 2003 film Kill Bill: Volume 1 by Quentin Tarantino. Kuriyama was a well-known child model in Japan during the mid-1990s child model boom. She was featured in the Kishin Shinoyama photobooks Shinwa-Shjo (Girl of Myth) and Shjokan (Girl’s Residence) in 1997.

Date of Birth	October 10, 1984
Place of Birth	Tsuchiura, Ibaraki, Japan
Occupation	Actress, model, singer
Years active	1995–present
Height	1.62 m (5 ft 4 in)

28. Emi Takei

Emi Takei is a Japanese actress and model born on December 25, 1993. Nagoya is where Takei was born. When she started junior high school, she told her parents that she would become a model in three years because she wanted to be one. She competed in the 11th Japan Bishjo Contest in 2006 and took first place in not just one but two categories: the Multi-Media Award and the Model Division Award.

She then made her modeling debut in Seventeen magazine’s November 2006 issue, landing her first position in the entertainment industry. She signed on as a model exclusively for the magazine in February 2007 and earned her first solo cover in the issue published on February 15.

Date of Birth	December 25, 1993
Place of Birth	Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
Occupation	Actress, model
Years active	2007 – present
Height	1.63 m (5 ft 4 in)

29. Akira Toriyama

Akira Toriyama is a Japanese manga artist and character designer born on April 5, 1955. Before creating Dragon Ball, his best-known work, and serving as a character designer for several well-known video games like the Dragon Quest series, Chrono Trigger, and Blue Dragon, he initially came into the public eye with his hugely popular manga series Dr. Slump. Due to the popularity and influence of his works, particularly Dragon Ball, which many manga artists acknowledge as an inspiration, Toriyama is considered one of the authors who helped shape the course of manga history.

Date of Birth	April 5, 1955
Place of Birth	Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
Occupation	Manga artist, character designer, model designer
Years active	1978–present
Education	Okoshi Technical High School

30. Mariya Nishiuchi

Mariya Nishiuchi, a Japanese model, actor, and singer-songwriter associated with Rising Production was born on December 24, 1993, in Fukuoka Prefecture. She is the younger sister of Hiromi Nishiuchi, a model, actor, and BeForU participant.

Date of Birth	December 24, 1993
Place of Birth	Fukuoka Prefecture
Occupation	Model; actress; singer-songwriter
Years active	2008-present
Education	Yakumo Gakuen Senior and Junior High School

31. Shinsuke Nakamura

Shinsuke Nakamura, a Japanese professional wrestler, presently affiliated with WWE and competing on the SmackDown brand, was born on February 24, 1980. As the youngest IWGP Heavyweight Champion, Nakamura is well-known for his tenure in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he was a three-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion. His first reign began when he was just 23 years and nine months old. Among his other achievements within the organization are his victories in the 2011 G1 Climax and the 2014 New Japan Cup, as well as his titles as the last IWGP Third Belt Champion, the last NWF Heavyweight Champion, and the IWGP Intercontinental Champion with the longest reign during his first reign (he formerly held the record for most reigns at five).

Date of Birth	February 24, 1980
Place of Birth	Mineyama, Kyōto, Japan
Height	1,88 m
Weight	104 kg
Married/ Couple	Ainosuke Kataoka (kết hôn 2016), Tomonori Jinnai

32. Maria Ozawa

Maria Ozawa, a Japanese model and former porn star of Canadian and Japanese descent, was born on January 8, 1986. She also went under the name Miyabi when she first started modeling. As Ozawa watched sex films she had taken from a friend’s brother, she came upon adult videos (AV). Ozawa was not scouted like the majority of AV actresses. She first learned about the field through a buddy who had acted in AVs. She started by doing some modeling in June 2005 for the pornographic website Shirouto-Teien.com under the name Miyabi. This led to many images and a brief hardcore gonzo distributed as a video in CD-R and DVD-R formats.

Date of Birth	8 January 1986
Place of Birth	Hokkaido, Japan
Years active	2002–2010
Occupation	Model and a former pornographic film actress
Education	Christian Academy in Japan

33. Marie Kondo

Marie Kondo, commonly known as Konmari, is a Japanese organizing expert, author, and TV host born on October 9, 1984. Kondo has authored four organizing books, all of which have sold millions of copies worldwide. Her novels have been published in more than 30 countries after being translated from Japanese into several languages. Her most recent book is The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up (2011). It was released in the US in 2014 and was a bestseller in Europe.

Date of Birth	9 October 1984
Place of Birth	Tokyo, Japan
Occupation	Organizing; consultant author
Years active	1997–present
Educetion/ Alma mater	Tokyo Woman’s Christian University

34. Meisa Kuroki

Satsuki Shimabukuro is a Japanese actress, model, and singer better known by her stage name Meisa Kuroki. She was born on May 28, 1988, in Okinawa Prefecture. She is signed to Sony Music Japan and is represented by the firm Sweet Power. In 2004, she made her acting debut. She has worked as a model for numerous publications, including the well-known Japanese fashion magazine JJ, and she currently represents Epson and Giorgio Armani in Japan. She has made several appearances in television dramas, advertisements, movies, and theatrical performances.

Date of Birth	28 May 1988
Place of Birth	Nago, Okinawa, Japan
Occupation	Actress; Singer; Model
Years active	2004–present
Nickname/ Other Name/ Real name	Satsuki Shimabukuro

35. Fujiwara Norika

Norika Fujiwara was born in Nishinomiya, Hygo Prefecture, on June 28, 1971. She is a model, actress, and Japanese beauty queen. In 1992, she crowned Miss Nippon and only modeled for CanCam magazine. She has appeared in various Japanese films, TV shows, and advertisements. After working as a model for a while, she transitioned into journalism. She worked as a spokesperson, serving as an ambassador of friendship between Japan and Korea during the 2002 FIFA World Cup, reporting from the 2004 Summer Olympics in Greece, and visiting Afghanistan to hold a photo exhibition.

Date of Birth	June 28, 1971
Place of Birth	Nishinomiya, Hyogo, Japan
Occupation	Actress; Model
Years active	1993–present
Height	1,71 m

36. Junji Ito

Junji Ito is a Japanese horror manga creator born on July 31, 1963. His most well-known works include Tomie, a series about an immortal girl who drives her bewildered admirers insane; Uzumaki, a three-volume series about a town obsessed with spirals; and Gyo, a two-volume tale about fish that are under the control of a sentient bacterial strain known as “the death stench.” His other works include Junji Ito’s Cat Diary: Yon & Mu, a self-parody about him and his wife living in a home with two cats, and The Junji Ito Horror Comic Collection, a collection of his numerous short stories.

Date of Birth	July 31, 1963
Place of Birth	Nakatsugawa, Gifu, Japan
Occupation	Writer, penciller, inker, manga artist
Married/ Couple	Ayako Ishiguro
Featured work	Tomie; Uzumaki; Gyo

37. Masashi Kishimoto

Masashi Kishimoto is a Japanese manga artist born on November 8, 1974. As of May 2019, his manga series Naruto, serialized from 1999 to 2014, had sold more than 250 million copies across 46 nations. Two anime, numerous movies, video games, and other related media have all been made from the series. In addition to writing the Naruto manga, Kishimoto oversaw the two canonical anime movies, The Last: Naruto the Movie and Boruto: Naruto the Movie, and has written several one-shot stories. Samurai 8: The Tale of Hachimaru, written by Kishimoto in 2019, concluded in March 2020. He oversaw the Boruto: Naruto Next Generations manga, written by Uky Kodachi and illustrated by Mikio Ikemoto, from May 2016 to October 2020.

Date of Birth	November 8, 1974
Place of Birth	Nagi, Japan
Occupation	Manga artist
Years active	1997–present
Reward	Brush Prize for Visual Novel

38. Shinji Kagawa

Shinji Kagawa, a professional footballer from Japan born on March 17, 1989, competes for the Japan national team and the Belgian First Division A club Sint-Truiden as a midfielder. He is one of the greatest Japanese players of all time and is highly recognized. Kagawa started his professional career with Cerezo Osaka in his native country before transferring to Borussia Dortmund in 2010. Kagawa signed a four-year deal with Manchester United after spending two years at Dortmund. Two years later, he visited Dortmund once more. Kagawa is the Japanese footballer with the most appearances and goals in UEFA club competitions.

Date of Birth	17 March 1989
Place of Birth	Kobe, Japan
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight	68kg
Occupation	Professional footballer

39. Takeru Satoh

Actor Takeru Satoh was born in Iwatsuki-ku Saitama, on March 21, 1989. Most notably, he played the title character Ryotaro Nogami in the Kamen Rider Den-O series and Himura Kenshin in the live-action Rurouni Kenshin movie and its follow-ups.

Satoh temporarily worked as a child actor for three or four years for commercials and magazine picture shoots. He decided to stop acting like a youngster after moving up to primary school because of his “shy personality.”

Date of Birth	21 March 1989
Place of Birth	Iwatsuki-ku, Saitama, Japan
Occupation	Actor
Years active	2006–present
Education/ Alma mater	Koshigaya Kita High School

40. Mao Inoue

Mao Inoue is a Japanese actress born on January 9, 1987. When she was five years old, she made her acting debut. Her roles as Akane Imai in Kids War, Makino Tsukushi in the well-liked Hana Yori Dango series, and Sugi Fumi in the 54th taiga drama Hana Moyu are best known to viewers of Japanese television dramas. Her work in movies like I Give My First Love to You, Rebirth, and The Snow White Murder Case are also well known.

Date of Birth	January 9, 1987
Place of Birth	Yokohama, Japan
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1992–present
Education	Meiji University

41. Sonoya Mizuno

Sonoya Mizuno, a Japanese-British actress, model, and ballet dancer, was born on July 1, 1986. She was a notable star in the miniseries Maniac and the Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon. She also appeared in all of Alex Garland’s films and miniseries, including Ex Machina, Annihilation, and Men. Minor roles can also be found in Crazy Rich Asians, Beauty and the Beast, and La La Land.

Date of Birth	1 July 1986
Place of Birth	Tokyo, Japan
Years active	2012–present
Occupation	Actress; Model; Dancer
Education	Royal Ballet School

42. Satomi Ishihara

Japanese actress Kuniko Ishigami, better known by her stage name Satomi Ishihara, was born in Tokyo on December 24, 1986. At 17, Satomi made her acting debut in the drama Kimi wa Petto, which also starred Jun Matsumoto and Koyuki. She has spent the same amount of time watching movies and television serials. Satomi was nominated for several awards, including Best Supporting Actress at the 45th Japan Academy Film Prize for her work in the film. So the baton is passed, and she Best Actress at the 46th Blue Ribbon Awards for her role in the movie My Grandpa.

Date of Birth	December 24, 1986
Place of Birth	Tokyo, Japan
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2003–present
Height	157 cm (5 ft 2 in)

43. Suzuka Nakamoto

Suzuka Nakamoto is a Japanese musician, singer, songwriter, and model. She was born on December 20, 1997, and goes by the stage names Suzuka and Su-metal (both stylized in all caps). She is best known for being a part of the adorable metal group Babymetal. She is a member of the musical groups Karen Girls, Sakura Gakuin, and Babymetal and is represented by the talent agency Amuse, Inc.

Date of Birth	December 20, 1997
Place of Birth	Hiroshima, Japan
Occupations	Musician; Singer; Songwriter; Model
Years active	2007–present
Height	1,56 m

44. Airi Suzuki

Japanese singer, actor, model, and radio host Airi Suzuki was born on April 12, 1994. She is a member of the Up-Front Works collective. She first joined Hello! Project in 2002 as a member of Hello! Project Kids before making her vocal debut in 2005 as one of the lead singers of the Japanese girl group Cute. Suzuki joined the girl group Buono as a vocalist throughout her singing career. She started working exclusively as a model for the fashion publication Ray in June 2015. Suzuki left. Hello! Project when Cute and Buono! Split up in 2017 and made his solo debut with the album Do Me a Favor, which featured “Distance” as its lead single.

Date of Birth	April 12, 1994
Place of Birth	Gifu, Japan
Occupation	Singerp; actress; model; radio host
Years active	2002–present
Education	Faculty of Environment and Information Studies (2013–2017), Keio . University

45. Rinko Kikuchi

Japanese actress Rinko Kikuchi was born Yuriko Kikuchi on January 6, 1981. For her role in Babel, she became the first Japanese actress to be nominated for an Academy Award in 50 years (2006). Other significant movies by Kikuchi include Pacific Rim, a science fiction action movie directed by Guillermo del Toro, and Norwegian Wood (2010), which screened in competition at the 67th Venice Film Festival (2013). The drama movie Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter (2014) earned Kikuchi a nomination for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead. She starred in the 2022 HBO Max crime drama Tokyo Vice season.

Date of Birth	January 6, 1981
Place of Birth	Hadano, Kanagawa, Japan
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1999–present
Height	1.69 m (5 ft 6+1⁄2 in)

46. Tomoe Shinohara

Japanese singer, actress, fashion designer, producer, and artist Tomoe Shinohara was born on March 29, 1979, in Higashimurayama, Tokyo. Her extravagant sense of style, cheerful (and even goofy) demeanor and distinctive screaming speaking voice make her stand out. Eiko Matsumoto, a singer, is another close friend of hers. On the FujiTV music variety program “LOVE LOVE Aishiteru,” Shinohara debuted as a regular hostess in October 1996.

Date of Birth	March 29, 1979
Place of Birth	Higashimurayama, Tokyo
Occupation	Singer, actress, fashion designer, record producer, artist
Years active	1995–present
Education	Bunka Fashion College, Ome Shiritsu Kasumidai Junior High School, Ome Municipal Wakakusa Elementary School

47. Yu Darvish

Yu Darvish is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball. He was born Farid Yu Darvishsefat on August 16, 1986. (MLB). Darvish has also played for the Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Chicago Cubs in Major League Baseball and the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of Nippon Professional Baseball. As a member of the Japanese national team competing internationally, Darvish pitched in the 2009 World Baseball Classic and the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Date of Birth	16 August 1986
Place of Birth	Habikino, Osaka, Japan
Occupation	Professional baseball pitcher
Height	1,96 m
Weight	102kg

48. Sayumi Michishige

Sayumi Michishige, a Japanese singer, actress, and model, was born on July 13, 1989. She was the former leader and sixth-generation member of the J-pop group Morning Musume. Since fifth-generation member Risa Niigaki left the group on October 12, 2013, Michishige has been a part of the group the longest. Eri Kamei, Miki Fujimoto, and Reina Tanaka all made their debuts with Morning Musume on the group’s nineteenth song, “Shabondama,” when she joined the group in 2003.

Date of Birth	July 13, 1989
Place of Birth	Ube, Yamaguchi, Nhật Bản
Occupation	Singer; Model; Dancer; Actress; Radio host
Height	1,6 m
Weight	45kg

49. Satoshi Ohno

Satoshi Ohno, a Japanese idol, dancer, actor, radio host, artist, and choreographer, was born on November 26, 1980. He goes by the moniker Leader because he is the lead singer and the band’s leader of the boy band Arashi.

When Ohno joined the Japanese talent agency Johnny & Associates in 1994 at 13, he started his career in the entertainment industry. In 1997, he began his acting career after being chosen to participate in the stage production Kyo to Kyo. Ohno received his first leading role in a Japanese television drama, Ma, for which he won several Best Actor awards. He also became the first and only artist from Johnny’s to host his art exhibition, titled “Freestyle.”

Date of Birth	November 26, 1980
Place of Birth	Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan
Occupation	Singer; actor radio host; dancer; choreographer
Years active	1994–2020
Education	Tokai University Bosei Senior High School; Nishimitaka Gakuen Daini Junior High School.

50. Eiichiro Oda

One Piece was created by Japanese manga artist Eiichiro Oda, born on January 1, 1975. One Piece is the best-selling manga in history and the best-selling comic book series printed in volume, with more than 516.5 million tanks of copies in circulation worldwide. This makes Oda one of the best-selling fiction authors. Because of the series’ success, Oda was recognized as one of the manga artists who altered the course of manga history.

Date of Birth	January 1, 1975
Place of Birth	Kumamoto, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan
Occupation	Manga artist
Years active	1992–present
Nickname/ Other Name/ Real name	Eiichirō Oda (尾田 栄一郎)