Global Leaderboard 100 in view

Most Famous People from Japan

All 152,953
Japan 2,162
224 HM Hayao Miyazaki Hayao Miyazaki Japanese Film b. 1941
273 AK Akira Kurosawa Akira Kurosawa Japanese Film 1910–1998
569 HM Haruki Murakami Haruki Murakami Japanese Writer b. 1949
941 H Hirohito Hirohito Japanese Emperor 1901–1989
1,194 TK Takeshi Kitano Takeshi Kitano Japanese Film b. 1947
1,458 OT Osamu Tezuka Osamu Tezuka Japanese Film 1928–1989
1,533 TM Toshiro Mifune Toshiro Mifune Japanese Actor 1920–1997
1,569 YK Yasunari Kawabata Yasunari Kawabata Japanese Writer 1899–1972
1,920 MB Matsuo Bashō Matsuo Bashō Japanese Poet 1644–1694
1,966 A Akihito Akihito Japanese Monarch b. 1933
2,303 KŌ Kenzaburō Ōe Kenzaburō Ōe Japanese Writer b. 1935
2,447 ON Oda Nobunaga Oda Nobunaga Japanese Daimyo 1534–1582
2,678 H Hiroshige Hiroshige Japanese Painter 1797–1858
2,766 IT Isao Takahata Isao Takahata Japanese Film 1935–2018
3,062 AH Ayumi Hamasaki Ayumi Hamasaki Japanese Singer b. 1978
3,092 MM Miyamoto Musashi Miyamoto Musashi Japanese Writer 1584–1645
3,141 YK Yayoi Kusama Yayoi Kusama Japanese Artist b. 1929
3,206 TH Toyotomi Hideyoshi Toyotomi Hideyoshi Japanese Politician 1536–1598
3,332 NS Natsume Sōseki Natsume Sōseki Japanese Writer 1867–1916
3,334 TA Tadao Ando Tadao Ando Japanese Architect b. 1941
3,458 SA Shinzō Abe Shinzō Abe Japanese Politician b. 1954
3,592 AT Akira Toriyama Akira Toriyama Japanese Manga b. 1955
3,606 KW Ken Watanabe Ken Watanabe Japanese Actor b. 1959
3,617 OD Osamu Dazai Osamu Dazai Japanese Writer 1909–1948
3,713 TI Tokugawa Ieyasu Tokugawa Ieyasu Japanese Tokugawa 1543–1616
4,096 RS Ryuichi Sakamoto Ryuichi Sakamoto Japanese Actor b. 1952
4,140 KT Kenzō Tange Kenzō Tange Japanese Architect 1913–2005
4,160 HT Hideki Tojo Hideki Tojo Japanese Politician 1884–1948
4,218 G Gackt Gackt Japanese Singer b. 1973
4,525 SI Shintaro Ishihara Shintaro Ishihara Japanese Author b. 1932
4,703 JH Joe Hisaishi Joe Hisaishi Japanese Composer b. 1950
4,723 IY Isoroku Yamamoto Isoroku Yamamoto Japanese Officer 1884–1943
4,915 SK Satoshi Kon Japanese Animator 1963–2010
4,964 EM Empress Michiko Empress Michiko Japanese Consort b. 1934
5,282 SM Shigeru Miyamoto Shigeru Miyamoto Japanese Video Game b. 1952
5,438 MK Masashi Kishimoto Japanese Manga b. 1974
5,561 MU Morihei Ueshiba Morihei Ueshiba Japanese Martial Art 1883–1969
5,562 TM Takashi Murakami Takashi Murakami Japanese Sculptor b. 1962
5,565 KH Keisuke Honda Keisuke Honda Japanese Football b. 1986
5,586 HY Hideki Yukawa Hideki Yukawa Japanese Physicist 1907–1981
5,603 MH Megumi Hayashibara Japanese Singer b. 1967
5,704 IH Itō Hirobumi Itō Hirobumi Japanese Politician 1841–1909
5,907 N Nichiren Nichiren Japanese Bhikkhu 1222–1282
5,947 TM Takashi Miike Takashi Miike Japanese Film b. 1960
6,074 MO Mamoru Oshii Mamoru Oshii Japanese Film b. 1951
6,315 ER Edogawa Ranpo Edogawa Ranpo Japanese Writer 1894–1965
6,415 KM Kenji Miyazawa Kenji Miyazawa Japanese Poet 1896–1933
6,435 TA Tadanobu Asano Japanese Guitar b. 1973
6,634 MŌ Mori Ōgai Mori Ōgai Japanese Poet 1862–1922
6,676 NU Naoki Urasawa Naoki Urasawa Japanese Manga b. 1960
6,704 IS Ichiro Suzuki Ichiro Suzuki Japanese Baseball b. 1973
6,831 RK Rinko Kikuchi Rinko Kikuchi Japanese Actor b. 1981
6,997 TK Takeshi Kaneshiro Takeshi Kaneshiro Japanese Actor b. 1973
7,027 RH Ryōko Hirosue Ryōko Hirosue Japanese Actor b. 1980
7,067 SH Sessue Hayakawa Sessue Hayakawa Japanese Actor 1889–1973
7,176 RT Rumiko Takahashi Rumiko Takahashi Japanese Manga b. 1957
7,227 ES Eisaku Satō Eisaku Satō Japanese Politician 1901–1975
7,253 ET Emperor Taishō Emperor Taishō Japanese Emperor 1879–1926
7,261 NA Namie Amuro Namie Amuro Japanese Actor b. 1977
7,408 K Kūkai Kūkai Japanese Monk 774–835
7,422 KO Katsuhiro Otomo Katsuhiro Otomo Japanese Screenwriter b. 1954
7,527 DT D. T. Suzuki D. T. Suzuki Japanese Philosopher 1870–1966
7,560 EO Eiichiro Oda Japanese Manga b. 1975
7,671 SY Shigeru Yoshida Shigeru Yoshida Japanese Politician 1878–1967
7,778 MS Makoto Shinkai Makoto Shinkai Japanese Film b. 1973
7,805 HN Hideyo Noguchi Hideyo Noguchi Japanese Physician 1876–1928
7,929 TS Takashi Shimura Takashi Shimura Japanese Actor 1905–1982
7,961 JK Junichiro Koizumi Junichiro Koizumi Japanese Politician b. 1942
8,001 HA Hideaki Anno Japanese Film b. 1960
8,215 AM Akio Morita Akio Morita Japanese Business 1921–1999
8,626 NK Nobusuke Kishi Nobusuke Kishi Japanese Politician 1896–1987
8,748 HK Hideo Kojima Hideo Kojima Japanese Game b. 1963
8,760 D Dōgen Dōgen Japanese Bhikkhu 1200–1253
9,204 SO Shinji Okazaki Shinji Okazaki Japanese Football b. 1986
9,227 SO Shun Oguri Shun Oguri Japanese Actor b. 1982
9,290 YN Yuto Nagatomo Yuto Nagatomo Japanese Football b. 1986
9,407 YK Yoko Kanno Japanese Composer b. 1964
9,552 KK Kisho Kurokawa Kisho Kurokawa Japanese Architect 1934–2007
9,609 TH Tōgō Heihachirō Japanese Officer 1848–1934
9,690 RM Ryū Murakami Ryū Murakami Japanese Writer b. 1952
9,763 Y( Yoshiki (musician) Yoshiki (musician) Japanese Drummer b. 1965
9,858 LM Leiji Matsumoto Japanese Film b. 1938
9,876 YN Yasuhiro Nakasone Yasuhiro Nakasone Japanese Politician 1918–2019
9,994 HK Hiroshi Kiyotake Hiroshi Kiyotake Japanese Football b. 1989
10,007 SŌ Satoshi Ōmura Satoshi Ōmura Japanese Biochemist b. 1935
10,052 CS Chiune Sugihara Chiune Sugihara Japanese Diplomat 1900–1986
10,070 HA Hiromu Arakawa Japanese Manga b. 1973
10,159 K Kitarō Kitarō Japanese Composer b. 1953
10,187 MS Masaoka Shiki Masaoka Shiki Japanese Poet 1867–1902
10,230 BY Banana Yoshimoto Japanese Writer b. 1964
10,356 MN Mika Nakashima Mika Nakashima Japanese Actor b. 1983
10,389 CT Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa Japanese Actor b. 1950
10,598 AU Atsuto Uchida Atsuto Uchida Japanese Football b. 1988
10,607 KP Kyary Pamyu Pamyu Kyary Pamyu Pamyu Japanese Blogger b. 1993
10,757 ZM Zeami Motokiyo Japanese Actor 1363–1443
10,882 TI Takashi Inui Takashi Inui Japanese Football b. 1988
10,915 NT Naoko Takeuchi Japanese Manga b. 1967
11,079 NM Nana Mizuki Nana Mizuki Japanese Seiyū b. 1980
11,224 AT Akebono Tarō Akebono Tarō Japanese Rikishi b. 1969
11,246 KY Kōichi Yamadera Kōichi Yamadera Japanese Actor b. 1961
See all 152,953 rankings →

Ranked by cross-verified academic notability — how it works

By the numbers

Inside Japan

2,162 notable people in this slice of the dataset.

Through the Centuries

One face per century — the most globally famous figure born in Japan during each.

Notable Births by Decade

Notable births in Japan peaked in the 1980s with 348 people.

What Japan Is Known For

Click any row to drill into that filter.

Sports is Japan's biggest group — 31% of all notables (668).

Japan over-indexes on film & tv — 2.4× the global rate.

Japan under-produces politics & law — only 0.5× the global rate.

  1. Sports668
  2. Film & TV361
  3. Politics & Law209
  4. Art & Design194
  5. Other189
  6. Writing168
  7. Music140
  8. Science89
  1. Film & TV3612.4×
  2. Art & Design1941.6×
  1. Politics & Law2090.5×
  2. Science890.5×
  3. Writing1680.7×

Profession Mix Over Time

Each band shows a profession family's share of Japan's notable births by decade. Hover the chart for the breakdown at any decade.

  • Sports
  • Film & TV
  • Politics & Law
  • Art & Design
  • Writing
  • Music
  • Other

Datelines

The biggest birthplaces of fame — every city is a doorway.