Most Famous People from Japan

100 Japanese people in view out of 2,165

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

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.

15001550160016501700175018001850190019502000
  • Sports
  • Film & TV
  • Politics & Law
  • Art & Design
  • Writing
  • Music
  • Other

Top Cities

Biggest birthplaces in this slice — click any to explore.