List of Famous people born in Japan

Naohisa Inoue is a fantasy artist influenced by both the Surrealism and Impressionism movements. Most of his paintings are set in the fantastical land of Iblard . He created reference and background art for the Studio Ghibli film Whisper of the Heart and also provided a cameo appearance as the voice of Minami. More recently, his works were given a more direct adaptation in the short film The Day I Harvested a Star which is shown exclusively at the Ghibli Museum. He directed the 2007 OVA Iblard Jikan, produced by Studio Ghibli.

Gōzō Yoshimasu is a prolific Japanese poet, photographer, artist and filmmaker active since the 1960s. He has received a number of literary and cultural awards, including the Takami Jun Prize (1971), the Rekitei Prize, the Purple Ribbon Medal in 2003, the 50th Mainichi Art Award for Poetry (2009), and the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays in 2013.

Naruyuki Hatakeyama is a Japanese professional shogi player, ranked 8-dan.

Tatsuya Shinhama is a Japanese speed skater who is specialized in the sprint distances.

Ōikari Tsuyoshi is a former sumo wrestler from Kyoto, Japan. He made his professional debut in March 1995, and reached the top division in November 1998. His highest rank was maegashira 11. He retired in November 2004, and as of 2016 he is an elder in the Japan Sumo Association under the name Kabutoyama.