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Most Famous Japanese Actors & Filmmakers

Film & TV 361
Japan 2,162
224 HM Hayao Miyazaki Hayao Miyazaki Japanese Film b. 1941
273 AK Akira Kurosawa Akira Kurosawa Japanese Film 1910–1998
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
2,766 IT Isao Takahata Isao Takahata Japanese Film 1935–2018
3,606 KW Ken Watanabe Ken Watanabe Japanese Actor b. 1959
4,096 RS Ryuichi Sakamoto Ryuichi Sakamoto Japanese Actor b. 1952
4,915 SK Satoshi Kon Japanese Animator 1963–2010
5,947 TM Takashi Miike Takashi Miike Japanese Film b. 1960
6,074 MO Mamoru Oshii Mamoru Oshii Japanese Film b. 1951
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
7,261 NA Namie Amuro Namie Amuro Japanese Actor b. 1977
7,422 KO Katsuhiro Otomo Katsuhiro Otomo Japanese Screenwriter b. 1954
7,778 MS Makoto Shinkai Makoto Shinkai Japanese Film b. 1973
7,929 TS Takashi Shimura Takashi Shimura Japanese Actor 1905–1982
8,001 HA Hideaki Anno Japanese Film b. 1960
9,227 SO Shun Oguri Shun Oguri Japanese Actor b. 1982
9,858 LM Leiji Matsumoto Japanese Film b. 1938
10,356 MN Mika Nakashima Mika Nakashima Japanese Actor b. 1983
10,389 CT Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa Japanese Actor b. 1950
10,757 ZM Zeami Motokiyo Japanese Actor 1363–1443
11,079 NM Nana Mizuki Nana Mizuki Japanese Seiyū b. 1980
11,246 KY Kōichi Yamadera Kōichi Yamadera Japanese Actor b. 1961
11,643 HS Hironobu Sakaguchi Hironobu Sakaguchi Japanese Film b. 1962
11,801 MK Meiko Kaji Meiko Kaji Japanese Actor b. 1947
11,921 CK Chiaki Kuriyama Chiaki Kuriyama Japanese Actor b. 1984
11,980 YA Yū Aoi Yū Aoi Japanese Actress b. 1985
12,569 YA Yasushi Akimoto Yasushi Akimoto Japanese Producer b. 1958
12,697 MN Masami Nagasawa Masami Nagasawa Japanese Actor b. 1987
13,092 ET Eiji Tsuburaya Eiji Tsuburaya Japanese Cinema 1901–1970
13,200 MO Maria Ozawa Maria Ozawa Japanese Actor b. 1986
13,822 KT Ken Takakura Japanese Actor 1931–2014
14,077 MH Mamoru Hosoda Mamoru Hosoda Japanese Film b. 1967
14,096 IH Ishirō Honda Japanese Film 1911–1993
14,289 SS Sion Sono Sion Sono Japanese Actor b. 1961
15,385 MK Meisa Kuroki Japanese Actor b. 1988
15,967 TF Tatsuya Fujiwara Japanese Seiyū b. 1982
16,371 MH Maki Horikita Maki Horikita Japanese Actor b. 1988
16,822 KM Kenichi Matsuyama Kenichi Matsuyama Japanese Actor b. 1985
16,828 NK Naomi Kawase Japanese Film b. 1969
16,992 KY Kōji Yakusho Kōji Yakusho Japanese Actor b. 1956
17,843 ES Erika Sawajiri Japanese Actor b. 1986
18,147 KO Ken Ogata Ken Ogata Japanese Actor 1937–2008
18,374 YY Yoji Yamada Yoji Yamada Japanese Film b. 1931
19,516 TT Tamlyn Tomita Tamlyn Tomita Japanese Actor b. 1966
19,777 TY Tomohisa Yamashita Tomohisa Yamashita Japanese Actor b. 1985
See all 152,953 rankings →

Ranked by cross-verified academic notability — how it works

By the numbers

Inside Japan Actors & Filmmakers

361 notable people in this slice of the dataset.

Through the Decades

One face per decade — the most globally famous japan actors & filmmakers born in each.

Notable Births by Decade

Notable births among Japan Actors & Filmmakers peaked in the 1980s with 70 people.

What Japan Actors & Filmmakers Are Known For

Click any row to drill into that filter.

Actor are Japan Actors & Filmmakers's biggest group — 63% of all notables (227).

Japan Actors & Filmmakers over-index on seiyū — 423.7× the global rate.

  1. Actor227
  2. Film46
  3. Seiyū42
  4. Screenwriter11
  5. Model11
  6. Animator7
  7. Actress3
  8. Producer3
  1. Seiyū42423.7×
  2. Animator7102.3×
  3. Model1115.5×
  4. Actor22713.6×
  5. Film4612.4×
  6. Screenwriter119.7×

City Hot Spots

Cities that over-produce Japan Actors & Filmmakers compared to the world average — multiplier shows how much more.