CYCLISTS from Japan

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Japanese Cyclists of all time. This list of famous Japanese Cyclists is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography's online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Japanese Cyclists.

1. Chris Horner (b. 1971)

With an HPI of 48.85, Chris Horner is the most famous Japanese Cyclist.  His biography has been translated into 24 different languages on wikipedia.

Christopher Brandon Horner (born October 23, 1971) is an American retired professional road racing cyclist, who rode professionally between 1996 and 2019. A current resident of Bend, Oregon, Horner dominated the American road racing scene by winning the points standings in the 2002, 2003 and 2004 USA Cycling National Racing Calendar. He won the Vuelta a España in 2013, becoming the oldest winner of any of cycling's grand tours in the process.

2. Yukiya Arashiro (b. 1984)

With an HPI of 42.11, Yukiya Arashiro is the 2nd most famous Japanese Cyclist.  His biography has been translated into 22 different languages.

Yukiya Arashiro (新城幸也, Arashiro Yukiya; born 22 September 1984) is a Japanese road bicycle racer, who currently rides for UCI ProTeam Team Solution Tech–Vini Fantini.

3. Maki Tabata (b. 1974)

With an HPI of 41.81, Maki Tabata is the 3rd most famous Japanese Cyclist.  Her biography has been translated into 18 different languages.

Maki Tabata (田畑 真紀, Tabata Maki; born 9 November 1974 in Mukawa, Hokkaido, Japan) is a Japanese speed skater and track cyclist. 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 World Single Distance Championships. The next year (2001), she won silver on the 1500 m and bronze on the 5000 m at the World Single Distance Championships. In 2003, she won another World Single Distance silver on the 1500 m. In addition, Tabata has won numerous titles and medals at the Asian Championships that are used to qualify for the World Allround Championships, at the Asian Single Distance Championships, and at Japanese Championships (both in Allround and Single Distance). She also has a few World Cup victories, both in individual events and in the team pursuit. As a track cyclist she competed in four events at the 2012 UCI Track Cycling World Championships and won medals in four disciplines at the 2012 Asian Cycling Championships, including a gold medal in the individual pursuit.

4. Tsutomu Sakamoto (b. 1962)

With an HPI of 40.90, Tsutomu Sakamoto is the 4th most famous Japanese Cyclist.  His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.

Tsutomu Sakamoto (坂本 勉, Sakamoto Tsutomu) (born 3 August 1962) is a racing cyclist from Japan. He competed for Japan in the 1984 Summer Olympics held in Los Angeles, United States in the individual sprint event, where he finished in third place.

5. Fumiyuki Beppu (b. 1983)

With an HPI of 39.43, Fumiyuki Beppu is the 5th most famous Japanese Cyclist.  His biography has been translated into 20 different languages.

Fumiyuki Beppu (Japanese: 別府史之; born 10 April 1983) is a Japanese former professional road bicycle racer, who last rode for UCI WorldTeam EF Education–Nippo. His older brother is the cyclist Takumi Beppu.

6. Takashi Miyazawa (b. 1978)

With an HPI of 37.77, Takashi Miyazawa is the 6th most famous Japanese Cyclist.  His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.

Takashi Miyazawa (宮澤崇史, Miyazawa Takashi) (born 27 February 1978 in Nagano City) is a Japanese former professional racing cyclist, who competed as a professional between 2003 and 2014.

7. Kiyofumi Nagai (b. 1983)

With an HPI of 35.64, Kiyofumi Nagai is the 7th most famous Japanese Cyclist.  His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.

Kiyofumi Nagai (永井 清史, Nagai Kiyofumi) (born 18 May 1983) is a track cyclist from Japan. He won a bronze medal in the Keirin race at the 2008 Olympic Games.

8. Toshiaki Fushimi (b. 1976)

With an HPI of 34.92, Toshiaki Fushimi is the 8th most famous Japanese Cyclist.  His biography has been translated into 14 different languages.

Toshiaki Fushimi (伏見俊昭, Fushimi Toshiaki; born February 4, 1976) is a Japanese cyclist. He won the Silver Medal in the Men's team sprint in the 2004 Summer Olympics along with Masaki Inoue and Tomohiro Nagatsuka. In Japan, he is mostly known as a keirin cyclist, with over 400 victories.

9. Masaki Inoue (b. 1979)

With an HPI of 34.77, Masaki Inoue is the 9th most famous Japanese Cyclist.  His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.

Masaki Inoue (井上昌己, Inoue Masaki; born July 25, 1979) is a Japanese cyclist. He won the silver medal in the Men's team sprint in the 2004 Summer Olympics along with Toshiaki Fushimi and Tomohiro Nagatsuka. In Japan, he is mostly known as a keirin cyclist. In 2008, he won the Keirin Grand Prix and was the year's top money winner.

10. Nariyuki Masuda (b. 1983)

With an HPI of 34.40, Nariyuki Masuda is the 10th most famous Japanese Cyclist.  His biography has been translated into 12 different languages.

Nariyuki Masuda (増田 成幸, Nariyuki Masuda; born 23 October 1983) is a Japanese professional racing cyclist, who rides for UCI Continental team JCL Team Ukyo.