Japanese People Famous Athletes from Japan

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List of the most popular, renowned or famous athletes from Japan. List includes the most notable athletes from Japan, along with photos when available. This list of Japanese athletes is alphabetical, but can be sorted by any column and answers the question "what famous athletes are from Japan?" You can click on the names of the famous athletes of Japan in order to get more information about each one. The list you're viewing is made up of athletes like Ichiro Suzuki and Masako Hozumi. You may want to copy this fact-based list to build your own just like it, re-rank it to fit your opinions, then publish it to share it on Facebook, Twitter or any other social sites you frequent. (1669 items)

1

Robert Griffin III Robert Lee Griffin III, nicknamed RG3, is a professional American football quarterback for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. He played college football for Baylor ...more

2

Norifumi Yamamoto Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto is a Japanese mixed martial artist and kickboxer who competes in the Bantamweight division of the UFC. He quickly gained popularity in the Shooto organization ...more

3

Yushin Okami Yushin Okami is a Japanese mixed martial artist who competes for World Series of Fighting in the Middleweight division. As of June 15, 2014, he is ranked the #9 Middleweight in the world by ...more

4

Yoshihiro Akiyama Chu Seong-hoon, also known as Yoshihiro Akiyama, is a South Korean-Japanese mixed martial artist and judoka. Akiyama won the gold medal at the 2001 Asian Championships for South Korea, and for ...more

5

Hideki Matsui Hideki Matsui is a Japanese former professional baseball outfielder and designated hitter who played baseball in Japan and the United States. He batted left-handed and threw right-handed. After ...more

6

Hiroshi Ogawa Hiroshi Ogawa is a former Japanese pitcher of the Chiba Lotte Marines and convicted murderer. On November 18, 2004, Ogawa murdered a 67-year-old woman named Kazuko Nishiuchi.His uniform number, ...more

7

Sonny Chiba Shin'ichi Chiba, also known as Sonny Chiba, is a Japanese actor, singer, film producer, film director, and martial artist. Chiba was one of the first actors to achieve stardom through his skills ...more

8

Yuko Kavaguti Yuko Kavaguti is a pair skater who has represented Japan and Russia in international competition. In 2006, she began competing with Alexander Smirnov for Russia. They are two time European ...more

9

Ichiro Suzuki Seattle Mariners Ichiro Suzuki, usually known mononymously as Ichiro, is a Japanese professional baseball right fielder for the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball. Originally a player in Japan's Nippon ...more

10

Wong Pei Tty Wong Pei Tty is a female badminton player from Malaysia. Wong competed in badminton at the 2004 Summer Olympics in women's doubles with partner Chin Eei Hui. They defeated Shizuka Yamamoto and ...more

11

Lena Frier Kristiansen Lena Frier Kristiansen is a female badminton player from Denmark.

12

Ryoko Tani Ryoko Tani is a politician and former judoka.

13

Saori Yoshida Saori Yoshida is a Japanese wrestler. Starting from 1998 she won every major competition, including three Olympic Games, four Asian Games, and 12 world championships, and became the most ...more

14

Madoka Harada Madoka Harada is a Japanese luger who has competed since 2004. Competing in two Winter Olympics, she earned her best finish of 13th in the women's singles event at Turin in 2006. Harada's best ...more

15

Sessue Hayakawa Sessue Hayakawa was a Japanese Issei actor who starred in American, Japanese, French, German, and British films. Hayakawa was active at the outset of the American film industry. He was the first ...more

16

Takuya Kimura Takuya Kimura is a Japanese singer and actor. He is also a member of the Japanese idol group SMAP. Most of the TV dramas he starred in produced high ratings in Japan. He has become one of the ...more

17

Tae Satoya Tae Satoya is a Japanese freestyle skier. She won the Olympic title in the moguls event at the 1998 Winter Olympics, and she finished third at the 2002 games. Tae became the first Japanese woman ...more

18

Maki Tabata Maki Tabata is a speed skater and cycle racer. Maki Tabata won bronze at the World Allround Championships in 2000 and one month later, she won another bronze, this time on the 3000 m at the ...more

19

Fumie Suguri Fumie Suguri is a Japanese figure skater. She is a three-time World medalist, a three-time Four Continents champion, the 2003 Grand Prix Final champion, and a five-time Japanese national

20

Miyuki Hatanaka Miyuki Hatanaka is a freestyle skier.

21

Miki Ando Miki Ando is a Japanese former figure skater. She is the 2007 and 2011 World champion, 2011 Four Continents champion, 2004 World Junior champion, and a three-time Japanese national champion. ...more

22

Eri Yanetani Eri Yanetani is a professional snowboarder.

23

Tomoka Takeuchi Tomoka Takeuchi is a professional snowboarder.

24

Mao Asada Mao Asada is a Japanese competitive figure skater and an Olympic silver medalist noted for her flexibility, expressive step sequences and triple axel jumps. She is the only female figure skater ...more

25

Madoka Natsumi Madoka Natsumi is a Japanese cross country skier who has competed since 1995. She earned the best individual finish of the host nation Japan at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2007 in ...more

26

Noriaki Kasai Noriaki Kasai is a Japanese ski jumper. Kasai holds many World Cup records, including those for individual starts, team starts, and the most seasons performing in the World Cup. He has competed ...more

27

Daisuke Matsuzaka Boston Red Sox Daisuke Matsuzaka is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher for the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks. He has played for the Boston Red Sox, New York Mets and Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball ...more

28

Shizuka Arakawa Shizuka Arakawa is a Japanese figure skater. She is the 2006 Olympic Champion and the 2004 World Champion. Arakawa is the first Japanese skater to win an Olympic gold medal in figure skating and ...more

29

Masako Ishida Masako Ishida is a Japanese cross country skier who has competed since 1998. Her best World Cup finish was third in the 30 km event in Norway in 2009. Competing in two Winter Olympics, Ishida ...more

30

Takanobu Okabe Takanobu Okabe is a Japanese former ski jumper who competed in the ski jumping World Cup from 1990 to 2014. His debut World Cup performance was on December 16, 1989 in Sapporo and at the moment ...more

31

Yuka Fujimori Yuka Fujimori is a professional snowboarder.

32

Chiharu Icho Chiharu Icho is a Japanese wrestler who competed in the 48 kg weight class at the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics, winning the silver medal at both Games. Her younger sister Kaori is also a ...more

33

Chikako Fushimi Chikako Fushimi is a Japanese snowboarder. Born in Osaka Prefecture, her career-high has so far been a 3rd place finish in the 2005 Nokia Snowboard FIS World Cup held in Canada. She competed in ...more

34

Kazuyoshi Funaki Kazuyoshi Funaki is a Japanese ski jumper. He ranked among the most successful sportsmen of its discipline, particularly in the 1990s. Funaki is known for his special variant of the V-style, in ...more

35

Shiho Nakashima Shiho Nakashima is a professional snowboarder.

36

Kimiko Date-Krumm Kimiko Date-Krumm is a Japanese professional tennis player. She has won more than 200 tournament matches and won the Japan Open four times. In 1994, she was ranked in the top-ten women players ...more

37

Nobuko Fukuda Nobuko Fukuda is a cross-country skier.

38

Aiko Uemura Aiko Uemura is a Japanese freestyle skier. She participates in moguls and dual moguls. Her family moved to Hakuba town, Nagano Prefecture, Japan in 1986. She graduated from Hakuba High School in ...more

39

Ai Sugiyama Ai Sugiyama is a retired Japanese professional tennis player. She reached No. 1 in women's doubles on the WTA Tour. Her career-high singles ranking was No. 8, achieved on February 9, 2004. She ...more

40

Tomomi Okazaki Tomomi Okazaki is a Japanese speed skater who has competed in five Olympic Games. She won a bronze medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. Okazaki was the oldest member of the ...more

41

Chikage Tanaka Chikage Tanaka is a short track speed skater.

42

Reiko Nakamura Reiko Nakamura is a Japanese Olympic and Asian record-holding swimmer. She swam in the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games, winning the bronze medals in the 200m backstroke at both editions. At the 2008 ...more

43

Mai Nakamura Mai Nakamura is a former backstroke swimmer from Japan. At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Nakamura won the silver medal in the 100m Backstroke and a bronze medal as part of the Women's ...more

44

Homare Sawa Washington Freedom Homare Sawa is a Japanese professional football player. She was captain of the Japan women's national football team that won gold at the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup and led the team to the ...more

45

Akiko Morigami Akiko Morigami is a Japanese former professional tennis player. She turned professional in 1998. On August 15, 2005, Morigami reached her career-high singles ranking: World No. 41. Morigami has ...more

46

Daiki Ito Daiki Ito is a Japanese ski jumper who has competed since 2002. He won two bronze medals in the team large hill event at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships. He won four world cup individual ...more

47

Ayako Tsubaki Ayako Tsubaki is a short track speed skater.

48

Takahisa Oguchi Takahisa Oguchi is a Japanese luger who has competed since 1999. He finished 20th in the men's singles event at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. At the previous Winter Olympics in Salt Lake ...more

49

Mika Ozawa Mika Ozawa is a short track speed skater.

50

Ai Fukuhara Ai Fukuhara is a Japanese table tennis player and Olympic medallist, winning silver at the 2012 Summer Olympics. She is sponsored by All Nippon Airways.

1 Robert Griffin III Robert Lee Griffin III, nicknamed RG3, is a professional American football quarterback for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. He played college football for Baylor ...more

2 Norifumi Yamamoto Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto is a Japanese mixed martial artist and kickboxer who competes in the Bantamweight division of the UFC. He quickly gained popularity in the Shooto organization ...more

3 Yushin Okami Yushin Okami is a Japanese mixed martial artist who competes for World Series of Fighting in the Middleweight division. As of June 15, 2014, he is ranked the #9 Middleweight in the world by ...more

4 Yoshihiro Akiyama Chu Seong-hoon, also known as Yoshihiro Akiyama, is a South Korean-Japanese mixed martial artist and judoka. Akiyama won the gold medal at the 2001 Asian Championships for South Korea, and for ...more

5 Hideki Matsui Hideki Matsui is a Japanese former professional baseball outfielder and designated hitter who played baseball in Japan and the United States. He batted left-handed and threw right-handed. After ...more

6 Hiroshi Ogawa Hiroshi Ogawa is a former Japanese pitcher of the Chiba Lotte Marines and convicted murderer. On November 18, 2004, Ogawa murdered a 67-year-old woman named Kazuko Nishiuchi.His uniform number, ...more

7 Sonny Chiba Shin'ichi Chiba, also known as Sonny Chiba, is a Japanese actor, singer, film producer, film director, and martial artist. Chiba was one of the first actors to achieve stardom through his skills ...more

8 Yuko Kavaguti Yuko Kavaguti is a pair skater who has represented Japan and Russia in international competition. In 2006, she began competing with Alexander Smirnov for Russia. They are two time European ...more

9 Ichiro Suzuki Seattle Mariners Ichiro Suzuki, usually known mononymously as Ichiro, is a Japanese professional baseball right fielder for the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball. Originally a player in Japan's Nippon ...more

10 Wong Pei Tty Wong Pei Tty is a female badminton player from Malaysia. Wong competed in badminton at the 2004 Summer Olympics in women's doubles with partner Chin Eei Hui. They defeated Shizuka Yamamoto and ...more

11 Lena Frier Kristiansen Lena Frier Kristiansen is a female badminton player from Denmark.

12 Ryoko Tani Ryoko Tani is a politician and former judoka.

13 Saori Yoshida Saori Yoshida is a Japanese wrestler. Starting from 1998 she won every major competition, including three Olympic Games, four Asian Games, and 12 world championships, and became the most ...more

14 Madoka Harada Madoka Harada is a Japanese luger who has competed since 2004. Competing in two Winter Olympics, she earned her best finish of 13th in the women's singles event at Turin in 2006. Harada's best ...more

15 Sessue Hayakawa Sessue Hayakawa was a Japanese Issei actor who starred in American, Japanese, French, German, and British films. Hayakawa was active at the outset of the American film industry. He was the first ...more

16 Takuya Kimura Takuya Kimura is a Japanese singer and actor. He is also a member of the Japanese idol group SMAP. Most of the TV dramas he starred in produced high ratings in Japan. He has become one of the ...more

17 Tae Satoya Tae Satoya is a Japanese freestyle skier. She won the Olympic title in the moguls event at the 1998 Winter Olympics, and she finished third at the 2002 games. Tae became the first Japanese woman ...more

18 Maki Tabata Maki Tabata is a speed skater and cycle racer. Maki Tabata won bronze at the World Allround Championships in 2000 and one month later, she won another bronze, this time on the 3000 m at the ...more

19 Fumie Suguri Fumie Suguri is a Japanese figure skater. She is a three-time World medalist, a three-time Four Continents champion, the 2003 Grand Prix Final champion, and a five-time Japanese national

20 Miyuki Hatanaka Miyuki Hatanaka is a freestyle skier.

21 Miki Ando Miki Ando is a Japanese former figure skater. She is the 2007 and 2011 World champion, 2011 Four Continents champion, 2004 World Junior champion, and a three-time Japanese national champion. ...more

22 Eri Yanetani Eri Yanetani is a professional snowboarder.

23 Tomoka Takeuchi Tomoka Takeuchi is a professional snowboarder.

24 Mao Asada Mao Asada is a Japanese competitive figure skater and an Olympic silver medalist noted for her flexibility, expressive step sequences and triple axel jumps. She is the only female figure skater ...more

25 Madoka Natsumi Madoka Natsumi is a Japanese cross country skier who has competed since 1995. She earned the best individual finish of the host nation Japan at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2007 in ...more

26 Noriaki Kasai Noriaki Kasai is a Japanese ski jumper. Kasai holds many World Cup records, including those for individual starts, team starts, and the most seasons performing in the World Cup. He has competed ...more

27 Daisuke Matsuzaka Boston Red Sox Daisuke Matsuzaka is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher for the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks. He has played for the Boston Red Sox, New York Mets and Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball ...more

28 Shizuka Arakawa Shizuka Arakawa is a Japanese figure skater. She is the 2006 Olympic Champion and the 2004 World Champion. Arakawa is the first Japanese skater to win an Olympic gold medal in figure skating and ...more

29 Masako Ishida Masako Ishida is a Japanese cross country skier who has competed since 1998. Her best World Cup finish was third in the 30 km event in Norway in 2009. Competing in two Winter Olympics, Ishida ...more

30 Takanobu Okabe Takanobu Okabe is a Japanese former ski jumper who competed in the ski jumping World Cup from 1990 to 2014. His debut World Cup performance was on December 16, 1989 in Sapporo and at the moment ...more

31 Yuka Fujimori Yuka Fujimori is a professional snowboarder.

32 Chiharu Icho Chiharu Icho is a Japanese wrestler who competed in the 48 kg weight class at the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics, winning the silver medal at both Games. Her younger sister Kaori is also a ...more

33 Chikako Fushimi Chikako Fushimi is a Japanese snowboarder. Born in Osaka Prefecture, her career-high has so far been a 3rd place finish in the 2005 Nokia Snowboard FIS World Cup held in Canada. She competed in ...more

34 Kazuyoshi Funaki Kazuyoshi Funaki is a Japanese ski jumper. He ranked among the most successful sportsmen of its discipline, particularly in the 1990s. Funaki is known for his special variant of the V-style, in ...more

35 Shiho Nakashima Shiho Nakashima is a professional snowboarder.

36 Kimiko Date-Krumm Kimiko Date-Krumm is a Japanese professional tennis player. She has won more than 200 tournament matches and won the Japan Open four times. In 1994, she was ranked in the top-ten women players ...more

37 Nobuko Fukuda Nobuko Fukuda is a cross-country skier.

38 Aiko Uemura Aiko Uemura is a Japanese freestyle skier. She participates in moguls and dual moguls. Her family moved to Hakuba town, Nagano Prefecture, Japan in 1986. She graduated from Hakuba High School in ...more

39 Ai Sugiyama Ai Sugiyama is a retired Japanese professional tennis player. She reached No. 1 in women's doubles on the WTA Tour. Her career-high singles ranking was No. 8, achieved on February 9, 2004. She ...more

40 Tomomi Okazaki Tomomi Okazaki is a Japanese speed skater who has competed in five Olympic Games. She won a bronze medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. Okazaki was the oldest member of the ...more

41 Chikage Tanaka Chikage Tanaka is a short track speed skater.

42 Reiko Nakamura Reiko Nakamura is a Japanese Olympic and Asian record-holding swimmer. She swam in the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games, winning the bronze medals in the 200m backstroke at both editions. At the 2008 ...more

43 Mai Nakamura Mai Nakamura is a former backstroke swimmer from Japan. At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Nakamura won the silver medal in the 100m Backstroke and a bronze medal as part of the Women's ...more

44 Homare Sawa Washington Freedom Homare Sawa is a Japanese professional football player. She was captain of the Japan women's national football team that won gold at the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup and led the team to the ...more

45 Akiko Morigami Akiko Morigami is a Japanese former professional tennis player. She turned professional in 1998. On August 15, 2005, Morigami reached her career-high singles ranking: World No. 41. Morigami has ...more

46 Daiki Ito Daiki Ito is a Japanese ski jumper who has competed since 2002. He won two bronze medals in the team large hill event at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships. He won four world cup individual ...more

47 Ayako Tsubaki Ayako Tsubaki is a short track speed skater.

48 Takahisa Oguchi Takahisa Oguchi is a Japanese luger who has competed since 1999. He finished 20th in the men's singles event at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. At the previous Winter Olympics in Salt Lake ...more

49 Mika Ozawa Mika Ozawa is a short track speed skater.

50 Ai Fukuhara Ai Fukuhara is a Japanese table tennis player and Olympic medallist, winning silver at the 2012 Summer Olympics. She is sponsored by All Nippon Airways.