75 Notable alumni of
Nippon Sport Science University
Updated:
Nippon Sport Science University is 263rd in the world, 51st in Asia, and 22nd in Japan by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 75 notable alumni from Nippon Sport Science University sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff.
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Sonny Chiba
- Occupations
- composerstunt performerjudokaactorfilm producer
- Biography
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Shinichi Chiba, known internationally as Sonny Chiba, was a Japanese actor and martial artist. Chiba was one of the first actors to achieve stardom through his skills in martial arts, initially in Japan and later to an international audience.
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Keita Machida
- Occupations
- actortelevision actor
- Biography
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Keita Machida is a Japanese actor. He is a member of the theater group Gekidan Exile. Machida is represented by LDH.
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Kōhei Uchimura
- Occupations
- artistic gymnast
- Biography
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Kōhei Uchimura is a Japanese retired artistic gymnast. He is a seven-time Olympic medalist (team, all-around and floor exercise), winning three golds and four silvers, and a 21-time World medalist (team, all-around, floor exercise, parallel bars and the horizontal bar).
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Mandy Sekiguchi
- Occupations
- dancer
- Biography
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Mandy Sekiguchi is an American-born Japanese actor, dancer, rapper and a former member of J-Pop groups Generations from Exile Tribe, Exile and Honest Boyz.
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Ryoko Tani
- Occupations
- judokapolitician
- Biography
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Ryoko Tani is a Japanese politician and retired female judoka.
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Sara Takanashi
- Occupations
- ski jumper
- Biography
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Sara Takanashi is a Japanese ski jumper. She is one of the most successful female ski jumpers to date, as well as one of the most successful athletes in the history of the sport, having won four World Cup overall titles (an all-time female record), seven World Championship medals, and a Winter Olympic medal. As of February 2025, Takanashi holds the record for the most individual World Cup wins, male or female, with 63. She also has three Guinness World Records certificates for the most podium finishes in the Ski Jumping World Cup, the most individual victories by a female in the Ski Jumping World Cup, and the most Ski Jumping World Cup individual victories in a career (overall).
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Hifumi Abe
- Occupations
- judoka
- Biography
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Hifumi Abe is a Japanese judoka who competes in the Men's half-lightweight (66 kg) division. He won two consecutive gold medals in the Men's 66 kg competition at the 2020 and 2024 Summer Olympics, as well as two silver medals in a row with the Japanese team in those games' judo mixed team events. He is also a four-time world champion, having won the gold medal in his weight category at the World Judo Championships in 2017, 2018, 2022 and 2023.
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Abe Uta
- Occupations
- judoka
- Biography
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Uta Abe is a Japanese judoka who competes in the Women's half-lightweight (52 kg) division. She won the gold medal in the Women's 52 kg competition at the 2020 Summer Olympics and two silver medals in a row with the Japanese team in the judo mixed team events at the 2020 and 2024 Summer Olympics. Abe is also a four-time world champion, having won the gold medal in her weight category at the World Judo Championships in 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2023.
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Karina Maruyama
- Occupations
- association football player
- Biography
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Karina Maruyama is a Japanese tarento and former football player. She played for the Japanese national team. Since her retirement, Maruyama has been active as a television personality, represented by the talent agency Horipro.
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Rie Tanaka
- Occupations
- gymnastartistic gymnast
- Biography
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Rie Tanaka is a Japanese retired artistic gymnast. She won the 2010 Longines Prize for Elegance and competed at the 2012 London Olympics. Her brothers, Kazuhito Tanaka and Yusuke Tanaka, were also Olympic artistic gymnasts.
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Kosuke Kitajima
- Occupations
- swimmer
- Biography
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Kosuke Kitajima is a Japanese retired breaststroke swimmer. He won gold medals at the men's 100 m and 200 m breaststroke events at the 2004 Summer Olympics, and the 2008 Summer Olympics – becoming the first and only swimmer to sweep the breaststroke events at consecutive Olympic games.
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Mari Motohashi
- Occupations
- curler
- Biography
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Mari Motohashi is a Japanese curler. She currently plays third on Team Honoka Sasaki.
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Kenzo Shirai
- Occupations
- artistic gymnast
- Biography
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Kenzō Shirai is a Japanese men's former athlete of artistic gymnastics (AG). Born in Yokohama, Kanagawa, he, a graduate of Kishine High School, joined the Nippon Sport Science University (Nittaidai). Shirai took the team gold, and a bronze on individual vault with the Japanese men's AG (MAG) national team at the 2016 Summer Olympics (OG) in Rio de Janeiro while more major wins were from the World Championships (WC).
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Yuji Nagata
- Occupations
- mixed martial arts fighterprofessional wrestler
- Biography
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Yuji Nagata is a Japanese professional wrestler, and former mixed martial artist and amateur wrestler signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). Considered one of the greatest Japanese wrestlers of all time, he is the fifth longest-reigning IWGP Heavyweight Champion with a reign of 392 days, and formerly held the record for most successful title defenses with 10, until Hiroshi Tanahashi broke the record at Wrestle Kingdom VI. He is the only wrestler to have won Japanese professional wrestling's three biggest singles tournaments; New Japan Pro-Wrestling's G1 Climax (in 2001), All Japan Pro Wrestling's Champion Carnival (in 2011) and Pro Wrestling Noah's Global League (in 2013). In addition, he is the only man to have held all four major heavyweight championships in Japanese professional wrestling, the IWGP, World, GHC and Triple Crown heavyweight championships, making him the only "Grand Slam" champion.
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Nahomi Kawasumi
- Occupations
- association football player
- Biography
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Nahomi Kawasumi is a Japanese footballer who plays either as a midfielder or forward for Japanese club Albirex Niigata. A full international since 2008, she won gold at the 2011 World Cup as well as silver at the 2012 London Olympics and 2015 World Cup. During the 2011 World Cup, she scored two goals—including a lob at 35 yards away against Sweden during the semifinals—helping Japan eventually win the tournament for the first time in its history.
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Yujiro Takahashi
- Occupations
- professional wrestler
- Biography
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Yujiro Takahashi, is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a member of Bullet Club and its sub-group House of Torture. He is one-third of the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champions with Ren Narita and Sho in their first reign as a team and fourth for Takahashi individually.
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Miho Takagi
- Occupations
- speed skater
- Biography
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Miho Takagi is a Japanese speed skater. She has won a total of seven medals at the Olympics, two of them gold.
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Yuko Arimori
- Occupations
- marathon runnersports commentatorlong-distance runnerathletics competitor
- Biography
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Yuko Arimori is a Japanese professional marathon runner and a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
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Kazuhito Sakae
- Occupations
- amateur wrestler
- Biography
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Kazuhito Sakae is a Japanese wrestling coach and retired wrestler who won several medals in the 62 kg category at the Asian and world level between 1983 and 1989. Remarkably, at the 1983 Asian Wrestling Championships, he won a gold medal in the freestyle wrestling and a silver in the Greco-Roman wrestling. After retiring from competitions he worked as a national coach, training Saori Yoshida, Kaori Icho, Hitomi Obara, Chiharu Icho and Eri Tosaka, among others.
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Shunichi Kawai
- Years
- 1963-.. (age 62)
- Occupations
- volleyball playertarento
- Biography
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Shunichi Kawai is a Japanese former volleyball player who competed at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. Kawai competed at the 1986 Goodwill Games in Moscow and won a bronze medal.
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Yoshikaze Masatsugu
- Occupations
- rikishi
- Biography
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Yoshikaze Masatsugu is a former sumo wrestler from Saiki, Oita Prefecture, Japan. His highest rank was sekiwake. A former amateur sumo champion, he turned professional in 2004, reaching the top division two years later. Until his promotion to komusubi in May 2014 he had the active record for the longest serving makuuchi wrestler who had never reached a titled rank. His best performance in a tournament came in July 2015 when he was the runner-up and scored twelve wins against three losses. In the following tournament in September 2015 he defeated two yokozuna and won special prizes for Outstanding Performance and Technique. Yoshikaze is in second place for the slowest promotion from makuuchi debut to the third highest sekiwake rank in history, behind only his stablemate Takekaze. He won ten special prizes in total, and eight gold stars for defeating yokozuna. He retired in September 2019 and is now an elder of the Japan Sumo Association, known as Nakamura Oyakata.
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Yasutaro Matsuki
- Occupations
- association football managerassociation football playersports commentator
- Biography
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Yasutaro Matsuki is a former Japanese football player and manager. He played for Japan national team. He also worked as a football commentator.
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Shinobu Ōta
- Occupations
- amateur wrestler
- Biography
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Shinobu Ota is a Japanese Greco-Roman wrestler and mixed martial artist. Throughout his career, he notably claimed the 2016 Olympic silver medal at 59kg, the '19 World Championship at 63kg, the '18 Asian Games Gold medal at 60kg and three Asian Championship medals (champion in 2018 at 60 kg).
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Kōnosuke Takeshita
- Occupations
- professional wrestler
- Biography
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Konosuke Takeshita is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is signed to the Japanese promotions DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT) and New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) – and is the reigning NEVER Openweight Champion in his first reign in the latter – and the American promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of the Don Callis Family and is the AEW International Champion in his first reign.
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Mitsuo Tsukahara
- Occupations
- artistic gymnast
- Biography
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Mitsuo Tsukahara is a Japanese artistic gymnast. He was five times an Olympic Gold Medalist. He remained active in the sport after his retirement from competition. He served as vice president of the Japan Gymnastic Association.
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Kenshiro Matsunami
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Kenshiro Matsunami is a retired Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, who served as a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Izumisano, Osaka, he attended Nippon Sport Science University, Eastern Michigan University and Nihon University. He was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 1996 as a member of the New Frontier Party. After losing his seat in 2003, he was re-elected in 2005 and served until 2009 as a member of the LDP.
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Yota Tsuji
- Occupations
- professional wrestler
- Biography
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Yota Tsuji is a Japanese professional wrestler signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a member of the Los Ingobernables de Japon stable and is the reigning IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion in his first reign. Tsuji is the winner of the 2024 New Japan Cup and is a one-time NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champion with Bushi and Hiromu Takahashi. He has also made appearances for Revolution Pro Wrestling (Revpro),Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), Westside Xtreme Wrestling (wXw), Over the Top Wrestling (OTT), and Pro Wrestling NOAH.
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Wataru Matsumoto
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
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Wataru Matsumoto is a professional Japanese baseball player. He plays pitcher for the Saitama Seibu Lions.
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Kentaro Minagawa
- Occupations
- alpine skier
- Biography
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Kentaro Minagawa is a Japanese alpine skier.
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Kazuo Ohno
- Occupations
- dance teacherdancerchoreographer
- Biography
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Kazuo Ohno was a Japanese dancer who became a guru and inspirational figure in the dance form known as Butoh. He is the author of several books on Butoh, including The Palace Soars through the Sky, Dessin, Words of Workshop, and Food for the Soul. The latter two were published in English as Kazuo Ohno's World: From Without & Within (2004).
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Akira Sasaki
- Occupations
- alpine skier
- Biography
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Akira Sasaki is a Japanese alpine skier.
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Azusa Iwashimizu
- Occupations
- association football player
- Biography
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Azusa Iwashimizu is a Japanese footballer who played as a defender for Tokyo Verdy Beleza in the WE League and the Japan national team.
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Hiroyuki Endo
- Occupations
- badminton playerOlympic competitor
- Biography
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Hiroyuki Endo is a retired Japanese badminton player. He competed at the 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics. In 2009, he joined the Unisys badminton team.
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Kōji Gushiken
- Occupations
- artistic gymnast
- Biography
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Kōji Gushiken is a former Olympic gymnast for Japan at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California, where he won a total number of five medals, including two gold. He broke an ankle in May 1985 which prevented him from training for 3 months and hindered his performances at the 1985 World Championships. Gushiken announced his retirement at the 1985 Chūnichi Cup. He currently coaches other Olympic contenders, including two-time Olympic individual all-around gold medallist Kōhei Uchimura.
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Yasuhiro Koseki
- Occupations
- swimmer
- Biography
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Yasuhiro Koseki is a Japanese competitive swimmer and breaststroke specialist. He won the 100-meter event at the 2013 Summer Universiade, 2013 East Asian Games, and the 2014 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships. He hold the Asian record in this event, set in February 2014.
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Yukari Kinga
- Occupations
- association football player
- Biography
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Yukari Kinga is a Japanese football player. She plays as a defender for Sanfrecce Hiroshima Regina in the WE League. She previously played for the Japan women's national football team, winning a World Cup and an Olympic silver medal before her international retirement in 2016.
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Rémi Feutrier
- Occupations
- handball player
- Biography
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Remi Anri Doi, also called Rémi Feutrier is a French-born Japanese handball player for C' Chartres Métropole handball and the Japanese national team.
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Kakizoe Tōru
- Years
- 1978-.. (age 47)
- Occupations
- rikishi
- Biography
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Kakizoe Tōru, is a former sumo wrestler. A former amateur champion, he turned professional in 2001 and reached the top division in 2003. His highest rank was komusubi, which he held for just one tournament. He won one special prize, for Technique. After injury problems he fell to the third makushita division in 2011 and retired in April 2012, becoming a sumo coach. He was part of ex-yokozuna Musashimaru's Musashigawa stable from 2013 until 2020, when he moved to Irumagawa stable. He is now a sumo elder, under the name Ikazuchi (雷).
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Jungo Morita
- Occupations
- volleyball player
- Biography
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Jungo Morita is a retired volleyball player from Japan. He competed at the 1968 and 1972 Olympics and won a silver and a gold medal, respectively. In 2003, he was inducted into the Volleyball Hall of Fame in Holyoke, Massachusetts.
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Shotaro Ashino
- Occupations
- professional wrestler
- Biography
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Shotaro Ashino is a Japanese professional wrestler who is signed to All Japan Pro Wrestling. He was trained by and best known for his time in Wrestle-1, where he was a former two time Wrestle-1 Champion.
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Sayaka Sato
- Occupations
- badminton playerOlympic competitor
- Biography
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Sayaka Sato is a Japanese badminton player. She competed for Japan at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
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Atsushi Ōno
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Atsushi Ono is the Head coach of the San-en NeoPhoenix in the Japanese B.League.
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Kazuyuki Nakane
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Kazuyuki Nakane is a former Japanese politician who served in the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature) as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. A native of Kōnosu, Saitama he attended Nippon Sport Science University as an undergraduate and Senshu University as a graduate student. He was elected to the Diet for the first time in 2005 after unsuccessfully running for mayor of his hometown Kōnosu in 2001.
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Saori Ariyoshi
- Occupations
- association football player
- Biography
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Saori Ariyoshi is a Japanese footballer who currently plays for Omiya Ardija Ventus in the WE League. She has played for the Japan national team.
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Yuji Takada
- Occupations
- amateur wrestler
- Biography
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Yuji Takada is a retired Japanese flyweight freestyle wrestler. He competed at the 1976 and 1984 Olympics and won a gold and a bronze medal, respectively. Takada held the world title in 1974, 1975, 1977 and 1979. In 2005 he was inducted into the FILA Hall of Fame.
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Narumi Miura
- Occupations
- association football player
- Biography
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Narumi Miura is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) club Washington Spirit and the Japan national team.
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Chihiro Igarashi
- Occupations
- swimmer
- Biography
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Chihiro Igarashi is a Japanese swimmer. She competed in the women's 400 metre freestyle event at the 2016 Summer Olympics. She qualified to represent Japan at the 2020 Summer Olympics.
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Eizō Kenmotsu
- Occupations
- artistic gymnast
- Biography
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Eizo Kenmotsu is a former Japanese artistic gymnast, who won seven world titles and three Olympic gold medals between 1968 and 1979. In retirement, he became a leading Japanese coach. He also served as sports director of the Nippon Sport Science University and vice president of the Japan Gymnastics Association. In 2006, Kenmotsu was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame.
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Yukinori Suzuki
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Yukinori Suzuki is the former head coach of the Shimane Susanoo Magic in the Japanese B.League. He played college basketball for Nippon Sport Science University. He was selected by the Oita Heat Devils with the 10th overall pick in the 2005 bj League draft.
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Haruhiro Yamashita
- Occupations
- artistic gymnast
- Biography
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Haruhiro Yamashita is a Japanese gymnast, who competed in the 1964 Summer Olympics. He won two gold medals, in the vault and team combined exercises.
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Masao Takemoto
- Occupations
- artistic gymnast
- Biography
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Masao Takemoto was a Japanese artistic gymnast who won two world titles and seven Olympic medals.
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Nobuyuki Aihara
- Occupations
- artistic gymnast
- Biography
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Nobuyuki Aihara was a Japanese gymnast. He was the father of Yutaka Aihara, also a gymnast.
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Satoru Furuta
- Occupations
- basketball playerbasketball coach
- Biography
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Satoru Furuta is a Japanese former basketball player.
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Tsutomu Hanahara
- Occupations
- amateur wrestler
- Biography
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Tsutomu Hanahara was a Japanese wrestler who won a gold medal in the flyweight class at the 1964 Olympics. He competed at the 1958 and 1967 world championships and finished in sixth and third place, respectively.
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Hiroshi Fukuda
- Occupations
- professional wrestler
- Biography
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Hiroshi Fukuda better known by his ring name Trans-Am★Hiroshi (トランザム★ヒロシ, Toranzamu Hiroshi) is a Japanese professional wrestler currently working as a freelancer and is best known for his tenure with the Japanese promotions DDT Pro-Wrestling and Kaientai Dojo.
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Shohei Yabiku
- Occupations
- amateur wrestler
- Biography
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Shohei Yabiku is a Japanese Greco-Roman wrestler. He qualified for the 2020 Summer Olympics, having finished runner-up to Akzhol Makhmudov in men's Greco-Roman 77 kg at the 2021 Asian Qualification Tournament in Almaty, Kazakhstan. In the 77 kg event, Yabiku won a bronze medal.
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Shuji Tsurumi
- Occupations
- artistic gymnast
- Biography
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Shuji Tsurumi is a Japanese gymnast and Olympic champion. He was part of the first Japanese team that succeeded to win gold medals in the team event at the Summer Olympics (1960) and World Championships (1962). In 2008 he was inducted to the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame.
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Ryūtarō Matsumoto
- Occupations
- amateur wrestler
- Biography
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Ryūtarō Matsumoto is a Japanese wrestler won a bronze medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in the Greco-Roman 60 kg category.
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Naomi Yashiro
- Occupations
- basketball playerflight attendant
- Biography
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Naomi Yashiro is a Japanese former basketball player who competed in the 2004 Summer Olympics. She has been working as a cabin crew at the Japan Airlines and joined its team JAL Rabbits.
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Takeshi Hotta
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Takeshi Hotta is the Head coach of the Aomori Wat's in the Japanese B.League.
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Hiroki Motoki
- Years
- 1992-.. (age 33)
- Occupations
- handball player
- Biography
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Hiroki Motoki is a Japanese handball player for Osaki Osol and the Japanese national team.
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Tomohiro Inoue
- Occupations
- amateur wrestler
- Biography
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Tomohiro Inoue is a Japanese Greco-Roman wrestler. He competed in the men's Greco-Roman 66 kg event at the 2016 Summer Olympics, in which he lost the bronze medal match to Shmagi Bolkvadze.
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Ginko Abukawa-Chiba
- Occupations
- artistic gymnast
- Biography
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Ginko Abukawa-Chiba is a retired Japanese gymnast. She competed in all artistic gymnastics events at the 1960 and 1964 Olympics and won a team bronze medal in 1964. Her best individual achievement was tenth place on the vault in 1964.
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Sayaka Akase
- Occupations
- swimmer
- Biography
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Sayaka Akase is a Japanese competitive swimmer who specializes in backstroke. She won the gold medal in the 200 meter backstroke at the 2014 Asian Games. She also won the bronze medal in the 200 meter backstroke and the 4x100 meter relay at the 2014 FINA Short-Course Swimming Championships. She has also competed in the 2013 and 2015 World Aquatics Championships, and the 2014 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships. She has produced a total of 3 international medals, with 1 gold and 2 bronze.
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Toshiko Shirasu-Aihara
- Occupations
- artistic gymnast
- Biography
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Toshiko Shirasu-Aihara is a retired Japanese gymnast. She competed in all artistic gymnastics events at the 1960 and 1964 Olympics and won a team bronze medal in 1964. Her best individual achievements were fourth places on the vault and uneven bars in 1964. Born Toshiko Shirasu, she changed her last name after marrying Nobuyuki Aihara, a fellow Olympic gymnast. Their son Yutaka Aihara won a bronze medal in gymnastics at the 1992 Olympics.
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Yoshinori Shimizu
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Yoshinori Shimizu is a Japanese professional basketball executive and former player, currently serving as the general manager of the Osaka Evessa of the Japanese B.League.
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Masahiro Fujita
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Masahiro Fujita is the former head coach of the Mitsubishi Electric in the Japanese JBL.
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Hideo Fujimoto
- Occupations
- amateur wrestler
- Biography
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Hideo Fujimoto is a retired Greco-Roman wrestler from Japan. He competed at the 1968 and 1972 Olympics and won a silver medal in 1968, placing fourth in 1972. At the world championships he won a gold medal in 1970 and bronze medals in 1967 and 1971.
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Shōko Nihon'yanagi
- Occupations
- ice hockey player
- Biography
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Shoko Ono is a Japanese ice hockey player for Mikage Gretz and the Japanese national team. She participated at the 2016 IIHF Women's World Championship.
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Akihito Kai
- Occupations
- handball player
- Biography
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Akihito Kai is a Japanese handball player for Toyota Auto Body and the Japanese national team.
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Seiya Adachi
- Occupations
- water polo playerswimmer
- Biography
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Seiya Adachi is a water polo player from Japan. He was part of the Japanese team at the 2016 Summer Olympics, where the team was eliminated in the group stage.
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Risako Oga
- Enrolled in Nippon Sport Science University
- Studied in 2015-2019
- Occupations
- association football player
- Biography
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Risako Oga is a Japanese footballer who plays as a defender. She plays for Nojima Stella in the Nadeshiko Division 1 and for the Japan national team.
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Mitsuaki Shiga
- Occupations
- water polo player
- Biography
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Mitsuaki Shiga is a water polo player from Japan. He was part of the Japanese team at the 2016 Summer Olympics, where the team was eliminated in the group stage.
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Miyuki Matsuhisa
- Occupations
- artistic gymnast
- Biography
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Miyuki Matsuhisa-Hironaka is a retired Japanese artistic gymnast who competed at the 1968, 1972 and 1976 Summer Olympics. She had her best results in 1968, when her team placed fourth and she shared ninth place on the balance beam.
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Akira Yanase
- Occupations
- water polo playerteacher
- Biography
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Akira Yanase is a Japanese water polo player. He competed in the men's tournament at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
