List of Famous people born in Akita Prefecture, Japan

Ayako Fuji , born May 10, 1961, is a Japanese enka singer. She is signed onto Sony Music Japan. Born in Kakunodate, Akita, Fuji graduated from Akita Prefectural Kakunodate South High School.

Katsutoshi Kaneda is a Japanese politician who served as the Japanese Minister of Justice in 2016–2017. He studied and graduated at the Hitotsubashi University.

Miya Sato (born 7 March 1990} is a Japanese female volleyball player.

Hisashi Yamada is a retired Japanese professional baseball submarine pitcher. He played with the Hankyu Braves in Nippon Professional Baseball from 1969 to 1988.

Tatsuki Fujimoto is a Japanese manga artist, known for his works Fire Punch and Chainsaw Man.

Toshiro Yanagiba is a Japanese actor.

Masumi Asano is a Japanese voice actress, singer and narrator who worked for Aoni Production. But now as of January, 2021 a Freelancer.

Kazuo Koike was a prolific Japanese manga writer (gensakusha), novelist, screenwriter, lyricist and entrepreneur. He is best known for his violent, artful seinen manga, notably Lone Wolf and Cub, Lady Snowblood and Crying Freeman, which − along with their numerous media adaptations − have been credited for their influence on the international growth of Japanese popular culture.

Kazushi Sakuraba is a Japanese mixed martial artist, submission grappler and professional wrestler, currently signed to Rizin Fighting Federation and Pro Wrestling NOAH, where he is one-half of the current GHC Tag Team Champions with Takashi Sugiura. He has also competed in traditional puroresu for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and shoot-style competition for UWFi and Kingdom Pro Wrestling (KPW). He has fought in MMA competition in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Pride Fighting Championships, Hero's and Dream. He is known as the "Gracie Hunter" or the "Gracie Killer" due to his wins over four members of the famed Gracie family: Royler Gracie, Renzo Gracie, Ryan Gracie, and Royce Gracie. In particular, Sakuraba is famous for his initial fight with Royce, which lasted ninety minutes and ended after Royce was unable to continue due to damage received from Sakuraba. This was Gracie's first loss in mixed martial arts.

Tadashi Settsu is a Japanese baseball player. He has been with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks since 2009, and plays as pitcher, wearing number 50. In 2009, he was voted Most Valuable Rookie. The next year, he became the first pitcher ever to make 70 or more appearances in his first two seasons in the league.