List of Famous people born in Niigata Prefecture, Japan

Kaoru Hasuike is a Japanese citizen who was abducted by North Korean spies along with his girlfriend Yukiko Okudo. They were abducted from their hometown of Kashiwazaki in Niigata prefecture on July 19, 1978. Hasuike was a law student at the time. During their captivity, in May 1980, Hasuike and Okudo were married. They had two children: a daughter, Shigeyo, and a son, Katsuya. On October 15, 2002, the North Korean government allowed Hasuike, Okudo and other victims to leave North Korea to visit Japan. Once there, Hasuike and Okudo decided to remain in Japan and to plead for the release of their children, which was eventually allowed in 2004.

Keiko Nanba , better known by the stage name Keiko Yokozawa , is a Japanese voice actress. She is most known for the roles of Dorami (Doraemon), Mami Sakura, Benio Hanamura, and Sheeta.

Ken Katoh is a Nippon Professional Baseball player for the Yomiuri Giants in Japan's Central League.

Mikie Hara is a Japanese gravure idol and actress. Her debut role was in Cutie Honey: The Live as the lead role of Honey Kisaragi/Cutie Honey.

Motoei Shinzawa is a Japanese manga artist born June 10, 1958 in Kashiwazaki, Niigata Prefecture, Japan.

Ango Sakaguchi was a Japanese novelist and essayist. His real name was Heigo Sakaguchi.

Noriyoshi Sakai is a Japanese footballer who plays as a midfielder for Sagan Tosu. A versatile midfielder, Sakai can play in many different positions, although left wing is his preferred position.

Double is the stage name for Japanese R&B singer Takako Hirasawa . Double used to be the name for the two member R&B group consisting of Takako and her sister Sachiko. After the death of Sachiko, Takako started her solo career adopting Double as her stage name. Double has been titled as the "Queen of R&B" and is considered to be a pioneer for being the first artist to bring American-style R&B to Japan.

Hitomi Soga-Jenkins is a Japanese woman who was abducted to North Korea together with her mother, Miyoshi Soga, from Sado Island, Japan, in 1978. She married Charles Robert Jenkins, an American defector to North Korea, in 1980. Charles Robert Jenkins died in 2017, Hitomi currently lives in Japan with her children.

Minami Kato is a Japanese idol and actress. As of 2021, she is a former member of AKB48's sister group NGT48 as a kenkyūsei and was the 2nd captain of the former Team NIII.