List of Famous people born in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan

Haruki Nishikawa is a Japanese professional baseball player for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).

Toshihiro Nikai is a Japanese politician for the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), the leader of the LDP Shisuikai faction, and currently serving as the Secretary-General of Prime Minister Suga's first cabinet. He was previously the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry. Nikai is currently serving in his eighth term in the Lower House representing Wakayama's Third District.

Katsuyuki Konishi is a Japanese voice actor from Wakayama, Wakayama. He is affiliated with Ken Production. His debut role was Volfogg/Big Volfogg in GaoGaiGar. He's mostly known for giving his voice to two tall blonde and strong heroes, Laxus Dreyar from Fairy Tail and Tanktop Master from One Punch Man. He's also known for voicing the two characters from the same anime, Keigo Asano and Shuhei Hisagi, both from Bleach. Recently, he's been gaining recognition as Diavolo from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind and Tengen Uzui from Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.

Takao Saito is a Japanese manga artist, although he rejects the term and considers his work gekiga. He is best known for Golgo 13, which has been serialized in Big Comic since 1968, making it the oldest manga still in publication.

Sanma Akashiya is a Japanese comedian, TV presenter, radio personality and actor most commonly known as Sanma-san. His real name is Takafumi Sugimoto . His talent agency is Yoshimoto Kogyo and his shishô (master) back when he studied rakugo is Shōfukutei Matsunosuke.

Hideto Takarai , known by his stage name Hyde, is a Japanese musician, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor. Best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band L'Arc-en-Ciel since 1991, he is also the lead vocalist of Vamps and has a solo career.

Heizō Takenaka is a Japanese economist, retired politician, and political activist. last serving as Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications and Minister of State for Privatization of the Postal Services in the cabinet of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. As of July 2007, he is a professor at Keio University and an advisor for other academic institutions and companies.

Yoshitomo "Yoshi" Tsutsugo is a Japanese professional baseball left fielder for the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Yokohama BayStars/Yokohama DeNA BayStars of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), where he was the youngest player in BayStars franchise history to reach 100, 150, and 200 home runs. On July 22, 2016 Tsutsugo became the first player in Nippon Professional Baseball history to have three straight multiple home run games, and in the same month he also became the first to have six multiple home run games in a month.

Junko Terashima , known professionally as Sumiko Fuji is a Japanese actress. She originally began acting under the name Junko Fuji , becoming famous as the female lead in yakuza films opposite such stars as Kōji Tsuruta and Ken Takakura. She even starred in her own series as the sword-wielding gambler Red Peony in the Hibotan Bakuto series. Initially retiring in 1972 after getting married, she began appearing on TV in 1974 under her real name. She later returned to films in 1989 using the name Sumiko Fuji, and expanded her acting repertoire. She won a Blue Ribbon Award for best supporting actress in 1999 and 2006. She is married to the kabuki actor Onoe Kikugorō VII and is the mother of the actress Shinobu Terajima and the kabuki actor Onoe Kikunosuke V.

Rei Okamoto is Japanese model and actress who stars as Mia Amagishi in Akai Ito. She also appears in the NHK Asadora Jun to Ai (2012).