List of Famous people born in Japan

Tasuku Honjo is a Japanese physician-scientist and immunologist. He shared the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine and is best known for his identification of programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1). He is also known for his molecular identification of cytokines: IL-4 and IL-5, as well as the discovery of activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) that is essential for class switch recombination and somatic hypermutation.

Yoko Ono Lennon is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter and peace activist. Her work also encompasses performance art, which she performs in both English and Japanese, and filmmaking. She was married to English singer-songwriter John Lennon of the Beatles from 1969 until his murder in 1980.

Mako Komuro , formerly Princess Mako , is the first child and elder daughter of Prince Fumihito and Princess Kiko, and a former member of the Japanese imperial family. She is the niece of Emperor Naruhito, and is the eldest grandchild of Emperor Emeritus Akihito and Empress Emerita Michiko. She married Kei Komuro, a lawyer, on 26 October 2021. As a result of her marriage, she gave up her imperial title and left the imperial family, as required by the Imperial Household Law.

Naomi Osaka is a Japanese professional tennis player. Osaka has been ranked No. 1 by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA), and is the first Asian player to hold the top ranking in singles. She is a three-time Grand Slam singles champion, and is the reigning champion at the US Open. Her six WTA titles on the WTA Tour also include two at the Premier Mandatory level. At the 2018 US Open and the 2019 Australian Open, Osaka won her first two Grand Slam singles titles in back-to-back Grand Slam tournaments, and is the first player to achieve this feat since Jennifer Capriati in 2001.

Naruhito is the Emperor of Japan. He acceded to the Chrysanthemum Throne on 1 May 2019, beginning the Reiwa era, following the abdication of his father, Akihito. He is the 126th monarch according to Japan's traditional order of succession.

Fumihito, Crown Prince Akishino is the younger brother and heir presumptive of Emperor Naruhito of Japan and the younger son of Emperor emeritus Akihito and Empress emerita Michiko. Since his marriage in June 1990, he has had the title Prince Akishino and has headed his own branch of the imperial family. In November 2020, Fumihito was officially declared heir presumptive to the throne, during the Ceremony for Proclamation of Crown Prince (Rikkōshi-Senmei-no-gi) in Tokyo.

Shohei Ohtani , nicknamed "Sho Time", is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher and designated hitter for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of Nippon Professional Baseball's (NPB) Pacific League.

Nana Komatsu is a Japanese actress and model.

Tsuyoshi Shinjo is a former Japanese professional baseball outfielder. Shinjo is the second Japanese-born position player to play a Major League Baseball game and was the first Japanese-born player to appear in the World Series.

Aiko, Princess Toshi is the only child of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan.