35.0134° N, 135.7647° E
KYOTO
Most Famous People Born in Kyoto, Japan
- Notable people
- 824
- Peak decade
- 1970s
- Median birth year
- 1947
- Most distinctive
- Imperial 132.4×
Imperial Japan's old capital, with the dataset to prove it. Kyoto is the only city in the world with double-digit emperors and imperial princes among its notables, and they're joined by Buddhist monks, classical novelists from the Heian court, and a long modern tail of manga artists, voice actors, and film directors. The city's earliest dated notables are from the 9th century — no other Japanese city has anything like that depth.
One face per century — the most globally famous figure born in Kyoto during each.
Notable Births by Decade
Click a decade to filter the list below. Peak: 1970s with 97 notable births.
What Kyoto Is Known For
Click any row to filter the list of people below.
Football is Kyoto's biggest profession — 11% of all notables (88).
Kyoto over-indexes on imperial — 132.4× the global rate.
Kyoto under-produces politician — only 0.3× the global rate.
Profession Mix Over Time
Each band shows a profession family's share of Kyoto's notable births by decade. Hover the chart for the breakdown at any decade.
- Sports
- Film & TV
- Art & Design
- Music
- Writing
- Politics & Law
- Other
- Field: Writer Clear ×
Haruki Murakami
Born 1949
Yoshida Kenkō
1283 - 1350
Risa Wataya
Born 1984
Toshiko Kishida
1863 - 1901
Yoshiko Yuasa
1896 - 1990
Masakazu Yamazaki
1934 - 2020
Ejima Kiseki
1666 - 1735
Mikio Andō
1930 - 1990
Hélène Iswolsky
1896 - 1975
Midori (author)
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