List of Famous people born in Japan

Mayumi Aoki is a Japanese swimmer. She competed at the 1972 Summer Olympics in the 100 m and 200 m butterfly and 4 × 100 m medley relay and won a gold medal in the 100 m butterfly. She won a bronze medal in this event at the 1973 World Aquatics Championships. In 1972 she twice broke the world record in the 100 m butterfly. After retiring from competition she worked as a swimming coach and a high school teacher. In 1989 she was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.

Kazushi Watanabe is a Japanese professional shogi player ranked 4-dan.

Tsuyoshi Kikuchihara is a former professional Japanese baseball player.

Hiroaki Sato is a Japanese professional wrestler and mixed martial artist, better known by the ring name Hikaru Sato . Sato started his MMA career in February 2000, fighting for Pancrase Hybrid Wrestling. During the next eight years, Sato fought, on average, five times a year, compiling a record of 18 wins, 19 losses and four draws, which included fights against the likes of Keiichiro Yamamiya, Nathan Marquardt, Ryo Chonan and Yushin Okami. In May 2008, Sato transitioned into the world of professional wrestling, when he was signed by the Dramatic Dream Team (DDT) promotion. He has since had ten MMA fights. In November 2010, Sato first became a triple crown trios champion with Michael Nakazawa and Tomomitsu Matsunaga and then also won DDT's top singles title, the KO-D Openweight Championship. Sato remained affiliated with DDT until January 2014. He is currently working for the All Japan Pro Wrestling promotion, where he is a former two-time World Junior Heavyweight Champion and three-time All Asia Tag Team Champion, while also being a three-time winner of the Jr. Tag Battle of Glory tournament.

Megumi Toda is a Japanese voice actress from Tokyo. She is affiliated with Kenyu Office. She was regular on the Animate Pia Channel, which was broadcast on Nico Nico. Her major roles include Hajime Shinoda in New Game!, Kiitan in Etotama and Yuzu Iizuka in Sakura Trick. As part of the Etotama cast, she sang on the theme song under the group Soruaru BOB on a single called "blue moment" that reached number 49 on the Oricon charts. She also sang the theme songs for New Game! under the group forfolium; the singles "Sakura" and "Now Loading!!" reached numbers 33 and 42 on Oricon. As part of the Idolmaster cast, she sang on one of the singles which reached number 22.

Yohei Matsumoto is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet. A native of Setagaya, Tokyo and graduate of Keio University, he worked at Sanwa Bank, from 1996 to 2003. He was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 2005 after an unsuccessful run in 2003.

Hideo Jinpu is a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet. A native of Koga, Ibaraki and graduate of Hosei University, he ran unsuccessfully for the assembly of Ibaraki Prefecture in 1994. He was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 2003.

A number of individuals whose backgrounds are important to the understanding of the Olympus scandal, which was precipitated on 14 October 2011 when the company's British-born chief executive, Michael Woodford was suddenly ousted as chief executive of Olympus Corporation. He had been only two weeks into the job when he exposed "one of the biggest and longest-running loss-hiding arrangements in Japanese corporate history", according to the Wall Street Journal. The US$2.2 billion deal in 2008 to acquire British medical equipment maker Gyrus Group, and the US$687 million paid to a middle-man were questioned. After initial denials, the company admitted that prior acquisitions had been used to cover investment losses. As regulators and police on three continents begin to investigate and trace the movement of the money, there was speculation that organised crime was involved in the missing millions. Olympus defended itself against allegations of impropriety, citing its Audit Board's view that "no dishonesty or illegality is found in the transaction itself, nor any breach of obligation to good management or any systematic errors by the directors recognised."

Norihiro Yagi is a Japanese manga writer and artist from Okinawa Prefecture. He started making manga in 1990.

Asako Tajimi is a former Japanese volleyball player.