Cultural Production in
Present Day
Japan
Japan
Japan ranks 5th in number of biographies on Pantheon, behind United Kingdom, Germany, and France. Memorable people born in present day Japan include Hirohito, Matsuo Bashō, and Hokusai. Memorable people who died in Japan include Hirohito, Matsuo Bashō, and Hokusai. Japan has been the birth place of many soccer players, and actors and the death place of many politicians, and soccer players.
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asian mainland, it is bordered to the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea in the south. The Japanese archipelago consists of four major islands alongside 14,121 smaller islands. Japan is divided into 47 administrative prefectures and eight traditional regions, and around 75% of its terrain is mountainous and heavily forested, concentrating its agriculture and highly urbanized population along its eastern coastal plains. With a population of over 123 million as of 2025, it is the world's 11th most populous country. Tokyo is the country's capital and largest city. Read more on Wikipedia
People
Between 711 BC and 2009, present day Japan was the birth place of 6,861 globally memorable people, including Hirohito, Matsuo Bashō, and Hokusai. Additionaly, 881 globally memorable people have passed away in present day Japan including Hirohito, Matsuo Bashō, and Hokusai.
People Born in Present Day Japan
Go to all RankingsHirohito
POLITICIAN
1901 - 1989
HPI: 85.25
Rank: 6,457
Matsuo Bashō
WRITER
1644 - 1694
HPI: 85.14
Rank: 6,677
Hokusai
ARTIST
1760 - 1849
HPI: 84.61
Rank: 6,310
Hayao Miyazaki
FILM DIRECTOR
1941 - Present
HPI: 83.44
Rank: 2,996
Akihito
NOBLEMAN
1933 - Present
HPI: 83.28
Rank: 1,672
Oda Nobunaga
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1534 - 1582
HPI: 82.89
Rank: 6,200
Akira Kurosawa
FILM DIRECTOR
1910 - 1998
HPI: 82.76
Rank: 6,757
Tokugawa Ieyasu
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1542 - 1616
HPI: 82.57
Rank: 6,201
Emperor Meiji
POLITICIAN
1852 - 1912
HPI: 82.26
Rank: 91
Miyamoto Musashi
WRITER
1584 - 1645
HPI: 81.76
Rank: 5,611
Naruhito
NOBLEMAN
1960 - Present
HPI: 81.60
Rank: 1,029
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
POLITICIAN
1536 - 1598
HPI: 81.12
Rank: 3,560
Newly Added People Born in Present Day Japan
Go to all RankingsVanraure Hachinohe
POLITICIAN
HPI: 55.63
Rank: 5,940
Atsuko Tanaka
ACTOR
1962 - 2024
HPI: 55.59
Rank: 6,171
Miho Nakayama
ACTOR
1970 - 2024
HPI: 53.81
Rank: 6,119
Tomo Sakurai
ACTOR
1971 - 2025
HPI: 53.28
Rank: 6,109
Chiharu Shiota
ARTIST
1972 - Present
HPI: 53.24
Rank: 6,103
Takashi Yamazaki
1964 - Present
HPI: 53.09
Rank: 6,186
Hiroya Oku
COMIC ARTIST
1967 - Present
HPI: 52.73
Rank: 6,142
Hsiao Bi-khim
POLITICIAN
1971 - Present
HPI: 52.56
Rank: 6,114
Yūki Amami
ACTOR
1967 - Present
HPI: 52.02
Rank: 6,140
Ryukishi07
WRITER
1973 - Present
HPI: 51.89
Rank: 6,087
Ryōtarō Okiayu
ACTOR
1969 - Present
HPI: 51.60
Rank: 6,129
Ken Shimizu
PORNOGRAPHIC ACTOR
1979 - Present
HPI: 51.36
Rank: 6,035
People Deceased in Present Day Japan
Go to all RankingsHirohito
POLITICIAN
1901 - 1989
HPI: 85.25
Rank: 387
Matsuo Bashō
WRITER
1644 - 1694
HPI: 85.14
Rank: 582
Hokusai
ARTIST
1760 - 1849
HPI: 84.61
Rank: 262
Oda Nobunaga
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1534 - 1582
HPI: 82.89
Rank: 164
Akira Kurosawa
FILM DIRECTOR
1910 - 1998
HPI: 82.76
Rank: 646
Tokugawa Ieyasu
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1542 - 1616
HPI: 82.57
Rank: 165
Emperor Meiji
POLITICIAN
1852 - 1912
HPI: 82.26
Rank: 803
Miyamoto Musashi
WRITER
1584 - 1645
HPI: 81.76
Rank: 41
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
POLITICIAN
1536 - 1598
HPI: 81.12
Rank: 30
Yukio Mishima
WRITER
1925 - 1970
HPI: 79.92
Rank: 881
Yasunari Kawabata
WRITER
1899 - 1972
HPI: 79.61
Rank: 766
Toshiro Mifune
ACTOR
1920 - 1997
HPI: 79.11
Rank: 448
Newly Added People Deceased in Present Day Japan
Go to all RankingsMiho Nakayama
ACTOR
1970 - 2024
HPI: 53.81
Rank: 144
Tomo Sakurai
ACTOR
1971 - 2025
HPI: 53.28
Rank: 143
Hiroshi Maeue
EXTREMIST
1968 - 2009
HPI: 50.19
Rank: 145
Kōji Tsujitani
ACTOR
1962 - 2018
HPI: 47.79
Rank: 151
Shinji Aoyama
FILM DIRECTOR
1964 - 2022
HPI: 47.14
Rank: 149
Koh Masaki
CELEBRITY
1983 - 2013
HPI: 46.11
Rank: 141
Noboru Yamaguchi
WRITER
1972 - 2013
HPI: 45.57
Rank: 142
Russell Malone
MUSICIAN
1963 - 2024
HPI: 43.51
Rank: 150
Yumiko Shige
ATHLETE
1965 - 2018
HPI: 41.40
Rank: 148
Takahiro Shiraishi
EXTREMIST
1990 - 2025
HPI: 40.45
Rank: 139
Occupations
Most individuals born in present day Japan were soccer players (4248), actors (504), politicians (380), athletes (245), and singers (150), while most who died were politicians (254), soccer players (98), military personnels (85), writers (82), and actors (56).
Occupational Trends
Over the past 100 years, soccer players have been the top profession of globally memorable people born in present day Japan, including Kakuichi Mimura, Hiroaki Sato, and Kunishige Kamamoto. Whereas, throughout history, soccer players have been the profession with the most memorable people born in present day Japan, including Takashi Kasahara, Tameo Ide, and Kakuichi Mimura.
Places
Overlapping Lives
Below is a visual represetation of the lifespans of the top 25 globally memorable people born in present day Japan since 1700.



































