Japanese People Famous Boxers from Japan

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List of famous boxers from Japan, listed alphabetically with photos of the boxers when available. Japan has produced some very talented boxers over the years, including heavyweights, light heavyweights, cruiserweights, featherweights and flyweights. These are some of the best Japanese boxers to ever live, so if you're a native of Japan and are aspiring to box professionally then these people should be your idols. If you're searching for a particular popular boxer from Japan then you can use the "search" box to find who you're looking for.

This list contains boxers like Yasutsune Uehara and Akinobu Hiranaka.

This list answers the questions, "Who are the greatest Japanese boxers?" and "Which boxers are from Japan?"

You can click on the names of these legendary boxers of Japan in order to get more information about each one. If you box or just love the sport then use this list of talented Japanese boxers to find some new athletes to watch.

1

Fighting Harada age 75 Masahiko Harada, better known as Fighting Harada, is a former world boxing champion. He is currently the president of the Japanese boxing commission. Harada was arguably one of Japan's most ...more

2

Masao Ohba Died at 24 (1949-1973) Masao Ohba was a professional boxer from Tokyo, Japan. He was the WBA flyweight champion at the time of his death. Ohba is part of the 2015 class for the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

3

Yoshio Shirai Died at 80 (1923-2003) Yoshio Shirai was a professional boxer from Tokyo, Japan. He won the world flyweight title in 1952, becoming the first Japanese boxer to win a world title.

4

Kuniaki Shibata age 71 Kuniaki Shibata is a former Japanese professional boxer. He is a former WBC and WBA super featherweight champion.

5

Guts Ishimatsu age 69 Guts Ishimatsu is a former boxing world champion from Kanumashi, Japan. After retiring from boxing, he has gained popularity as an actor and comedian. As a boxer, he was known for his ...more

6

Katsuo Tokashiki age 58 Katsuo Tokashiki is a Japanese former WBA Light flyweight champion. He currently works as an actor and television persona, and runs own boxing gym in Tokyo, Japan.

7

Akinobu Hiranaka age 55 Akinobu Hiranaka is a former boxer in the Light welterweight division. He won the WBA Light welterweight title in 1992 and competed at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. He is one of the few ...more

8

Yasuei Yakushiji age 50 Yasuei Yakushiji is a former professional boxer who fought in the bantamweight division. He successfully defended the WBC bantamweight title four times during his career.

9

Satoshi Shimizu age 32 Satoshi Shimizu is a boxer from Japan, who won the bronze medal in the men's bantamweight division at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. He is currently an employee of a children’s clothing ...more

10

Takefumi Sakata age 38 Takefumi Sakata is a Japanese boxer in the flyweight division and a former WBA flyweight champion. Sakata was the premier boxer in the Kyoei boxing gym before the arrival of Kōki Kameda in 2005. ...more

11

Katsunari Takayama age 35 Katsunari Takayama is a Japanese professional boxer. He is the current IBF Minimumweight champion, as well as a former WBA Minimumweight interim champion, a former WBC Minimumweight champion and ...more

12

Kōki Kameda age 32 Kōki Kameda is a Japanese professional boxer and the former WBA Bantamweight Champion. He is the oldest of the three Kameda brothers and presided over the Kameda Promotions. His younger brother, ...more

13

Daisuke Naito age 44 Daisuke Naito is a former professional boxer from Japan. He is the former WBC flyweight champion, and former Japanese and OPBF flyweight champion.

14

Hiroshi Kawashima age 48 Hiroshi Kawashima is a former professional boxer. He defended the WBC super flyweight title six times.

15

Joichiro Tatsuyoshi age 48 Joichiro Tatsuyoshi is a former World Boxing Council world bantamweight champion from Kurashiki, Okayama, Japan. His record is 20–7–1. He is popular for his fight style and unique personality, ...more

16

Koichi Wajima age 75 Koichi Wajima was a professional boxer in the Junior Middleweight division. He is the former Undisputed Junior Middleweight Champion of the World, having both WBC and WBA titles.

17

Celes Kobayashi age 45 Celes Kobayashi is a former professional boxer from Ibaraki, Japan. He is a former WBA Super flyweight champion. He got his ring name, "Celes," from a company he used to work for. ...more

18

Masashi Kudo age 67 Masashi Kudo is a former professional boxer. He was the WBA light middleweight champion from 1978-1979.

19

Hideki Todaka age 45 Hideki Todaka is a former professional boxer who fought in the super flyweight and bantamweight divisions. He is the former WBA super flyweight champion, and former WBA bantamweight interim

20

Shozo Saijo age 71 Shozo Saijo is a former professional boxer from Saitama, Japan. He is a former WBA featherweight champion.

21

Hideyuki Ohashi age 53 Hideyuki Ohashi is a former professional boxer and two-time minimumweight world champion.

22

Takanori Hatakeyama age 43 Takanori Hatakeyama is a former professional boxer. Hatakeyama turned pro in 1993 and captured the WBA Super Featherweight Title in 1998 with a majority decision win over Yong Soo Choi. He lost ...more

23

Toshiaki Nishioka age 42 Toshiaki Nishioka is a Japanese former professional boxer who won the WBC world championship at super bantamweight. He is known for his set of legendary bouts with the famous Veeraphol ...more

24

Hiroki Ioka age 49 Hiroki Ioka is a former WBC Minimumweight and WBA Lightweight champion. He was the first ever WBC Minimumweight champion, winning the title immediately after the minimumweight division was

25

Yōsuke Nishijima age 45 Yōsuke "Yōsukezan" Nishijima is a Japanese professional boxer who has also competed in kickboxing and mixed martial arts.

26

Yasutsune Uehara age 69 Yasutsune Uehara is a former professional boxer and former WBA super featherweight champion. He is one of the few Japanese boxers to have won the world title fighting outside of Japan.

27

Yoko Gushiken age 63 Yoko Gushiken is a Japanese former professional boxer from 1974-1981. His professional record is 23-1 and he held the title of WBA Light Flyweight champion 1976-1981. Following his retirement ...more

28

Katsushige Kawashima age 44 Katsushige Kawashima is a retired professional boxer who fought in the super flyweight division. He is a former WBC super flyweight champion.

29

Yoshiaki Numata age 73 Yoshiaki Numata is a former world Junior Lightweight boxing champion. Numata turned professional in 1962 and won the WBC and WBA super featherweight world titles by defeating Flash Elorde by ...more

30

Masatsugu Kawachi age 33 Masatsugu Kawachi is a Japanese boxer best known to win Bronze at the 2007 world championships at light welterweight.

31

Satoshi Shingaki age 54 Satoshi Shingaki is a Japanese ex-boxer and former world champion. To this day, he is one of only three boxers from Japan to win a title from the IBF.

32

Takashi Koshimoto age 47 Takashi Koshimoto is a former Japanese professional boxer in the featherweight division. He is a former WBC world featherweight champion.

33

Daiki Kameda age 29 Daiki Kameda is a Japanese professional boxer. He is a former WBA Flyweight Champion and a former IBF Super flyweight Champion.

34

Hiroyuki Enoki age 39 Hiroyuki Enoki is a Japanese professional boxer who fights at featherweight and is the current Japanese and OPBF featherweight champion.

35

Takahiro Ao age 34 Takahiro Ao is a Japanese professional boxer who fights at featherweight and is the former WBC Super Featherweight Champion.

36

Yusuke Kobori age 37 Yusuke Kobori is a retired professional boxer from Japan and a former WBA lightweight champion. Kobori won the Japanese super featherweight title on January 14, 2006 by knocking out Keita Manabe ...more

37

Iwao Hakamada age 82 Iwao Hakamada is a Japanese former professional boxer who was sentenced to death on September 11, 1968, for a 1966 mass murder that became known as the Hakamada Incident. On March 10, 2011, ...more

38

Nobuo Nashiro age 37 Nobuo Nashiro is a professional boxer in the Super flyweight division as well as the WBA super flyweight champion.

39

Katsuya Onizuka age 48 Katsuya Onizuka is a former WBA Super Flyweight champion from Kitakyushu, Japan. Onizuka was an extremely popular boxer in Japan, creating a boxing boom in Japan during the early 1990s along ...more

40

Shinji Takehara age 46 Shinji Takehara was a professional boxer in the Middleweight division. He was the first and only boxer from Japan to capture a World Middleweight Title. Takehara turned pro in 1989 and had a ...more

1 Fighting Harada age 75 Masahiko Harada, better known as Fighting Harada, is a former world boxing champion. He is currently the president of the Japanese boxing commission. Harada was arguably one of Japan's most ...more

2 Masao Ohba Died at 24 (1949-1973) Masao Ohba was a professional boxer from Tokyo, Japan. He was the WBA flyweight champion at the time of his death. Ohba is part of the 2015 class for the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

3 Yoshio Shirai Died at 80 (1923-2003) Yoshio Shirai was a professional boxer from Tokyo, Japan. He won the world flyweight title in 1952, becoming the first Japanese boxer to win a world title.

4 Kuniaki Shibata age 71 Kuniaki Shibata is a former Japanese professional boxer. He is a former WBC and WBA super featherweight champion.

5 Guts Ishimatsu age 69 Guts Ishimatsu is a former boxing world champion from Kanumashi, Japan. After retiring from boxing, he has gained popularity as an actor and comedian. As a boxer, he was known for his ...more

6 Katsuo Tokashiki age 58 Katsuo Tokashiki is a Japanese former WBA Light flyweight champion. He currently works as an actor and television persona, and runs own boxing gym in Tokyo, Japan.

7 Akinobu Hiranaka age 55 Akinobu Hiranaka is a former boxer in the Light welterweight division. He won the WBA Light welterweight title in 1992 and competed at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. He is one of the few ...more

8 Yasuei Yakushiji age 50 Yasuei Yakushiji is a former professional boxer who fought in the bantamweight division. He successfully defended the WBC bantamweight title four times during his career.

9 Satoshi Shimizu age 32 Satoshi Shimizu is a boxer from Japan, who won the bronze medal in the men's bantamweight division at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. He is currently an employee of a children’s clothing ...more

10 Takefumi Sakata age 38 Takefumi Sakata is a Japanese boxer in the flyweight division and a former WBA flyweight champion. Sakata was the premier boxer in the Kyoei boxing gym before the arrival of Kōki Kameda in 2005. ...more

11 Katsunari Takayama age 35 Katsunari Takayama is a Japanese professional boxer. He is the current IBF Minimumweight champion, as well as a former WBA Minimumweight interim champion, a former WBC Minimumweight champion and ...more

12 Kōki Kameda age 32 Kōki Kameda is a Japanese professional boxer and the former WBA Bantamweight Champion. He is the oldest of the three Kameda brothers and presided over the Kameda Promotions. His younger brother, ...more

13 Daisuke Naito age 44 Daisuke Naito is a former professional boxer from Japan. He is the former WBC flyweight champion, and former Japanese and OPBF flyweight champion.

14 Hiroshi Kawashima age 48 Hiroshi Kawashima is a former professional boxer. He defended the WBC super flyweight title six times.

15 Joichiro Tatsuyoshi age 48 Joichiro Tatsuyoshi is a former World Boxing Council world bantamweight champion from Kurashiki, Okayama, Japan. His record is 20–7–1. He is popular for his fight style and unique personality, ...more

16 Koichi Wajima age 75 Koichi Wajima was a professional boxer in the Junior Middleweight division. He is the former Undisputed Junior Middleweight Champion of the World, having both WBC and WBA titles.

17 Celes Kobayashi age 45 Celes Kobayashi is a former professional boxer from Ibaraki, Japan. He is a former WBA Super flyweight champion. He got his ring name, "Celes," from a company he used to work for. ...more

18 Masashi Kudo age 67 Masashi Kudo is a former professional boxer. He was the WBA light middleweight champion from 1978-1979.

19 Hideki Todaka age 45 Hideki Todaka is a former professional boxer who fought in the super flyweight and bantamweight divisions. He is the former WBA super flyweight champion, and former WBA bantamweight interim

20 Shozo Saijo age 71 Shozo Saijo is a former professional boxer from Saitama, Japan. He is a former WBA featherweight champion.

21 Hideyuki Ohashi age 53 Hideyuki Ohashi is a former professional boxer and two-time minimumweight world champion.

22 Takanori Hatakeyama age 43 Takanori Hatakeyama is a former professional boxer. Hatakeyama turned pro in 1993 and captured the WBA Super Featherweight Title in 1998 with a majority decision win over Yong Soo Choi. He lost ...more

23 Toshiaki Nishioka age 42 Toshiaki Nishioka is a Japanese former professional boxer who won the WBC world championship at super bantamweight. He is known for his set of legendary bouts with the famous Veeraphol ...more

24 Hiroki Ioka age 49 Hiroki Ioka is a former WBC Minimumweight and WBA Lightweight champion. He was the first ever WBC Minimumweight champion, winning the title immediately after the minimumweight division was

25 Yōsuke Nishijima age 45 Yōsuke "Yōsukezan" Nishijima is a Japanese professional boxer who has also competed in kickboxing and mixed martial arts.

26 Yasutsune Uehara age 69 Yasutsune Uehara is a former professional boxer and former WBA super featherweight champion. He is one of the few Japanese boxers to have won the world title fighting outside of Japan.

27 Yoko Gushiken age 63 Yoko Gushiken is a Japanese former professional boxer from 1974-1981. His professional record is 23-1 and he held the title of WBA Light Flyweight champion 1976-1981. Following his retirement ...more

28 Katsushige Kawashima age 44 Katsushige Kawashima is a retired professional boxer who fought in the super flyweight division. He is a former WBC super flyweight champion.

29 Yoshiaki Numata age 73 Yoshiaki Numata is a former world Junior Lightweight boxing champion. Numata turned professional in 1962 and won the WBC and WBA super featherweight world titles by defeating Flash Elorde by ...more

30 Masatsugu Kawachi age 33 Masatsugu Kawachi is a Japanese boxer best known to win Bronze at the 2007 world championships at light welterweight.

31 Satoshi Shingaki age 54 Satoshi Shingaki is a Japanese ex-boxer and former world champion. To this day, he is one of only three boxers from Japan to win a title from the IBF.

32 Takashi Koshimoto age 47 Takashi Koshimoto is a former Japanese professional boxer in the featherweight division. He is a former WBC world featherweight champion.

33 Daiki Kameda age 29 Daiki Kameda is a Japanese professional boxer. He is a former WBA Flyweight Champion and a former IBF Super flyweight Champion.

34 Hiroyuki Enoki age 39 Hiroyuki Enoki is a Japanese professional boxer who fights at featherweight and is the current Japanese and OPBF featherweight champion.

35 Takahiro Ao age 34 Takahiro Ao is a Japanese professional boxer who fights at featherweight and is the former WBC Super Featherweight Champion.

36 Yusuke Kobori age 37 Yusuke Kobori is a retired professional boxer from Japan and a former WBA lightweight champion. Kobori won the Japanese super featherweight title on January 14, 2006 by knocking out Keita Manabe ...more

37 Iwao Hakamada age 82 Iwao Hakamada is a Japanese former professional boxer who was sentenced to death on September 11, 1968, for a 1966 mass murder that became known as the Hakamada Incident. On March 10, 2011, ...more

38 Nobuo Nashiro age 37 Nobuo Nashiro is a professional boxer in the Super flyweight division as well as the WBA super flyweight champion.

39 Katsuya Onizuka age 48 Katsuya Onizuka is a former WBA Super Flyweight champion from Kitakyushu, Japan. Onizuka was an extremely popular boxer in Japan, creating a boxing boom in Japan during the early 1990s along ...more

40 Shinji Takehara age 46 Shinji Takehara was a professional boxer in the Middleweight division. He was the first and only boxer from Japan to capture a World Middleweight Title. Takehara turned pro in 1989 and had a ...more