100 Notable alumni of Chuo University

Shinya Makabe is a Japanese rugby union player. He was named in Japan's squad for the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

Hikaru Matsunaga was a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) who briefly served as the Minister of Finance from 27 January to 30 July 1998.

Hideo Usui is a retired Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, who served as a member of the House of Representatives, the lower house of the National Diet. He served as Minister of Justice from 1999 to 2000.

Fumio Ueda was a Japanese politician who was the mayor of Sapporo, capital city of Hokkaido.

Hideshi Futori is a Japanese politician who currently serves as a member of the Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP) in the House of Representatives, representing Kanagawa 13th district.

Hosei Norota was a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Noshiro, Akita and graduate of Chuo University he joined the Ministry of Construction in 1953. Leaving the ministry, he was elected to the House of Councillors in the Diet for the first time in...

Yoshio Anabuki was a Japanese baseball player and former manager of the Nankai Hawks.

Tsutomu Kawara was a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party.

Kim Jong-oh was a South Korean army colonel and general in the Korean War. He was active in the First Republic of Korea and Third Republic of Korea. He was the 10th president of the Republic of Korea Military Academy (1952–1954) and commander of the Republic of Korea 1st Army.

Jiro Kimura is a Japanese politician who served as a member of the House of Representatives of Japan.

Hasegawa Manjirō, known by his pen name Hasegawa Nyozekan (長谷川 如是閑), was a Japanese social critic and journalist during the Taishō and Shōwa eras. He was one of the most important and widely read supporters of liberalism and democracy in inter-war Japan.

Kiyoshi Okuma is a former Japanese football player and manager. His younger brother Yuji Okuma is also a former footballer.

Masato Nakazawa is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher. He has played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows.

Megumi Hemphill known as Megu Hemphill and Meg Hemphill is a Japanese track and field athlete. She was the Japanese national champion in 2017 and she was placed second in the 2017 Asian Athletics Championships heptathlon.

Isao Okano is a retired judoka who competed in the middleweight division (‍–‍80 kg) in the 1964 Summer Olympics.

Tamakasuga Ryōji is a former sumo wrestler from Seiyo, Ehime Prefecture, Japan. A former amateur sumo champion, he made his professional debut in 1994 and reached a highest rank of sekiwake in 1997. He fought in the top makuuchi division for twelve years, won five special prizes and earned seven gold stars for defeating yokozuna. He retired in 2008 and...

Suehiro Nishio was a Japanese labor activist and party politician whose career extended across the prewar and postwar periods. A long-serving member of the National Diet (15 terms in total), he was a power broker in the Japan Socialist Party and one of the main leaders of the Right Socialists. He served as Deputy Prime Minister of Japan during the...

Yasuo Yamashita is a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, formerly a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Hubei, China and dropout of Chuo University, he was elected to the House of Councillors for the first time in 1998 after serving in the assembly of the House of Representatives for...

Osamu Watanabe was a Japanese freestyle wrestler. In 1962 (Toledo, Ohio), he debuted internationally and was the reigning world champion, when he capped off his career with a gold medal for Japan in freestyle wrestling at the 1964 Olympics, retiring from competition shortly afterwards as the only undefeated Olympic champion to date at 189–0. He is considered one of the...

Yūhi Nishidate is a professional Japanese baseball player. He plays pitcher for the Yomiuri Giants.

Okiharu Yasuoka was a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Kagoshima Prefecture and graduate of Chuo University, he was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 1972 as an independent. He later joined the LDP and served as the...

An Byong-jun is a former footballer who played as a striker.

Jiro Aichi is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature). He is the son of Kazuo Aichi. A native of Sendai, Miyagi and graduate of Chuo University, he was elected for the first time in 2001. He is affiliated to the revisionist lobby Nippon Kaigi.

Masakazu Fujiwara, in Japanese 藤原正和, is Japanese long-distance runner, who specializes in the marathon. He has a personal best of 2:08:12 hours for the event. He was the 2013 Japanese champion in the marathon and won the 2010 Tokyo Marathon. He trains at Honda Sports team.

Dejima Takeharu is a former sumo wrestler from Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan. A former amateur champion, he made his professional debut in 1996, reaching the top makuuchi division the following year. In July 1999 he won the yūshō or tournament championship and earned promotion to the second highest rank of ōzeki. He lost the rank in 2001 and, for the most...

Keiko Chiba is a former justice minister of Japan.

Kenichi Sako is a Japanese former basketball player and current coach. Nicknamed "Mr. Basketball", Sako played as point guard and is widely regarded as one of the best Japanese players in history, having won twelve Emperor's Cup titles and nine JBL championships. Representing the Japan national team, Sako played at one FIBA World Cup in 1998, and won one silver...

Toshiaki Endo is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature).

Kohei Suwama, also known mononymously as Suwama (諏訪魔, Suwa Ma; literally translated to "Suwa Evil Spirit"), is a Japanese professional wrestler and executive. He is the founder and president of Pro Wrestling Evolution, which was created in 2023. He is also signed to All Japan Pro Wrestling, where he is a former record eight-time Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion and an...

Hirofumi Hirano is a Japanese politician of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and a former member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). He is a native of Katsuragi, Wakayama and he started working for Panasonic Corporation in 1971 after graduating from Chuo University. He was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time...

Takekaze Akira is a former professional sumo wrestler from Akita Prefecture, Japan. A former amateur sumo champion, he turned professional in 2002, reaching the top makuuchi division the following year. He was a runner-up in one tournament, earned two special prizes for Fighting Spirit, and one gold star for defeating a yokozuna. Takekaze is in first place for the slowest...

Liao Zhongkai was a Chinese-American Kuomintang leader and financier. Liao was the principal architect of the first Kuomintang–Chinese Communist Party (KMT–CCP) United Front in the 1920s. He was assassinated in Canton in August 1925.

Yoshiyuki Kamei is a Japanese professional baseball player for the Yomiuri Giants in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball.

Masahiro Fukuda is a former Japanese football player. He played for Japan national team. He was normally a forward but sometimes also played in midfield.

Tatsuya Fukuzawa is a retired Japanese volleyball player who played for Japan men's national volleyball team. He announced his retirement on July 14, 2021 and competed in the retirement match with Panasonic Panthers teammates on August 14, 2021.

Misaki Emura is a Japanese fencer. She is a two-time gold medalist in the women's sabre event at the World Fencing Championships (2022 and 2023). She also won the gold medal in her event at the 2024 Asian Fencing Championships held in Kuwait City, Kuwait.

Yoshihide "Yoshi" Muroya is a Japanese aerobatics pilot and race pilot of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship. He started glider flight training in 1991 because it was an inexpensive way to fly. Muroya went to the United States privately to earn his airplane license at the age of twenty.

Manabu Terata is a Japanese politician serving in the House of Representatives in the Diet as a member of the Constitutional Democratic Party.

Junji Ogawa was a Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball player. He played for the Yakult Swallows and Nippon-Ham Fighters.

Shokei Matsui, also known by his Korean name of Moon Jang-gyu (Korean: 문장규; Hanja: 文章圭), is a South Korean martial artist in Japan. He is the master of Kyokushin karate and current Kancho (Director) of the International Karate Organization Kyokushin-kaikan, faction of the International Karate Organization (IKO) founded by Mas Oyama (1923–1994).

Shōta Iizuka is a Japanese sprinter who specializes in the 200 metres.

Natsuko Aso is a Japanese musician and actress.

Choi Hong-hi was a South Korean Army general, and martial artist who was an important figure in the history of the Korean martial art of Taekwondo, albeit controversial due to his introduction of taekwondo to North Korea.

Ichiro Tsukada is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party. He was a member of the House of Councillors between 2007 and 2019 and the House of Representatives from 2021 to 2024. A graduate of Chuo University and Boston University, he was elected to the House of Councillors for the first time in 2007 after unsuccessful runs in 2002...

Fujio Mitarai is the chairman and CEO of Canon inc. He studied law at Chuo University, and was President of Canon in the USA until 1989.

Kenji Sahara is a Japanese actor. He was born in Kawasaki City, Kanagawa as Masayoshi Kato (加藤 正好, Katō Masayoshi). Initially, Sahara used the professional name Tadashi Ishihara before changing it when he secured the lead role in Rodan (1956).

Kazuki Kamizato is a professional Japanese baseball player. He plays outfielder for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars.

Kiyoshi Kimura is known as the "Tuna King" of Japan. Kimura is the head of Kiyomura Corporation which runs the Sushi Zanmai chain of restaurants. In January 2019, Kimura paid a record 333.6 million yen for a 278 kg (613 lb) blue fin tuna and has been the highest bidder at the Japanese new year tuna auction in eight out...

Mitsuo Matayoshi, also known as Jesus Matayoshi (又吉 イエス, Matayoshi Iesu) or The Only God Matayoshi Jesus Christ (唯一神又吉光雄・イエス・キリスト, Yui'itsu-shin Matayoshi Mitsuo Iesu Kirisuto), was a Japanese political activist known for his perennial candidacy. He was the leader and founder of the World Economic Community Party (Sekai Keizai Kyōdōtai-tō (世界経済共同体党)).

Masahiko Kōmura is a Japanese politician who served as Vice President of the Liberal Democratic Party from 2012 to 2018. He served in several cabinet position, including as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1998 to 1999 and again from 2007 to 2008. He was a member of the House of Representatives from 1980 to 2017.

Jōsei Toda was a teacher, peace activist and second president of Soka Gakkai from 1951 to 1958. Imprisoned for two years during World War II under violating the Peace Preservation Law and the charge of lèse-majesté from against the war, he emerged from prison intent on rebuilding the Soka Gakkai. He has been described as the architect of the Soka...

Yohei Kagiya is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters and Yomiuri Giants. He debuted in 2013 for the Fighters.

Hwang Jang-yop was a North Korean politician who defected to South Korea. He served as the Chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly from 1972 to 1983 and was largely responsible for crafting Juche, the state ideology of North Korea. He defected in 1997, making him the highest-ranking North Korean to have defected.

Seiya Inoue, nicknamed "Aja", is a Japanese former professional baseball infielder. He played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) from 2014 to 2024 for the Chiba Lotte Marines.

Ichita Yamamoto is a Japanese politician who has been the governor of Gunma Prefecture since July 2019. He was a neoconservative member of the House of Councillors in Japan. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party, he served as the Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs from 2012 to 2019 on the second Abe cabinet.

Kei Tani was a Japanese comedian, actor and musician. Born in Tokyo, he learned to play the trombone and, while a student at Chuo University, began playing in jazz bands performing for American soldiers during the Occupation of Japan. He quit university and joined the City Slickers with Frankie Sakai in 1953. In 1956, he joined the comic-jazz band The...

Shinji Yamashita is a Japanese actor who is represented by the talent agency From First Production. He graduated from Shimonoseki Commercial High School and dropped out from Chuo University's Faculty of Letters.

Kei Igarashi is a Japanese professional basketball player. He plays for the Gunma Crane Thunders of the B.League. He also was a member of the Japan national basketball team, playing for the team in the 2006 FIBA World Championship and both the FIBA Asia Championship 2007 and FIBA Asia Championship 2009.

Susumu Kurobe is a television, film and stage actor from Kurobe, Toyama, Japan, widely known for his portrayal of Shin Hayata, the first Ultraman in the titular television series, a role he has played since 1966 and many other times during the franchise. In 2005, he played chief Kenzo Tomioka in Ultraman Max.

Kyōgo Furuhashi, often known mononymously as Kyōgo, is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a striker for EFL Championship club Birmingham City and the Japan national team.

Yutaka Takagi is a professional Japanese baseball player.

Ken Akamatsu is a Japanese manga artist and politician who has served since 2022 as a member of the House of Councillors. He made his professional manga debut in 1993, and is best known as the author of Love Hina (1998–2001) and Negima! Magister Negi Magi (2003–2012), both serialized in Weekly Shōnen Magazine; a sequel to Negima!, UQ Holder!, was...

Kazuo Koike was a prolific Japanese manga writer (gensakusha), novelist, screenwriter, lyricist and entrepreneur. He is best known for his violent, artful seinen manga, notably Lone Wolf and Cub (with Goseki Kojima, 1970–6), Lady Snowblood (with Kazuo Kamimura, 1972–3) and Crying Freeman (with Ryoichi Ikegami, 1986–8), which – along with their numerous media adaptations − have been credited for their...

Kengo Nakamura is a Japanese former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. A one-club man, Nakamura signed with Kawasaki Frontale in 2003 and helped the then J2 outfit earn promotion back to the top flight in 2004, and became a fixture in the ambitious Frontale side that finished second in the J1 League in 2006, 2008 and 2009.

Manabu Mima is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles and Chiba Lotte Marines from 2011 to 2025.

Shugo Maki is a Japanese professional baseball infielder for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).

Daniel Yuji Yabuki Schmidt is a professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for the J1 League club, Nagoya Grampus. Born in the United States, he represents the Japan national team.

Ryu Matsumoto was a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature).

Tetsurō Tamba, born Shozaburo Tanba (丹波 正三郎, Tanba Shōzaburō; July 17, 1922 – September 24, 2006), was a Japanese actor with a career spanning five decades. He appeared in nearly 300 film and television productions, both in leading and supporting roles, and was the winner of the 1981 Japan Academy Film Prize for Best Supporting Actor.

Yūki Ishikawa is a Japanese male professional volleyball player from Okazaki City, Aichi Prefecture. He is the captain of the Japan men's national volleyball team, and plays as an outside hitter. At club-level, he currently plays for Sir Susa Vim Perugia at the SuperLega (The highest level of the Italian Volleyball League).

Kiyoshi Atsumi, born Yasuo Tadokoro (田所 康雄, Tadokoro Yasuo; 10 March 1928 – 4 August 1996), was a Japanese actor. He is best known for portraying Tora-san in the Japanese comedy film series Otoko wa Tsurai yo, a role he played 48 times over 26 years.

Shinnosuke Abe is a Japanese former professional baseball player and current manager. He spent his entire 19-year career with Nippon Professional Baseball's Yomiuri Giants, serving as the team's captain from 2007 to 2014. He has twice been named the MVP of the Nippon Professional Baseball All-Star Series, in 2007 (Game 1) and 2010 (Game 1). Currently, he serves as the...

Ryo Kase is a Japanese actor.

Hirokazu Sawamura is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has previously played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Yomiuri Giants and Chiba Lotte Marines, and in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox. Listed at 6 feet 0 inches (1.83 m) and 212 pounds (96 kg), he throws and bats right-handed.

Hiroyuki Nishimura is a Japanese internet entrepreneur. He founded the message board 2channel, and is an administrator of 4chan. He is also a self-help author and TV personality. He is often known by his given name, hiroyuki (ひろゆき), which he uses, rendered intentionally in lowercase, both as a pen name and as a username.

Hiroshi Abe is a Japanese model and actor. He is known for his roles in TRICK and Godzilla 2000: Millennium.

Hiroki Hasegawa, nicknamed Hasehiro-sama (ハセヒロ様), (born March 7, 1977, in Tokyo) is a Japanese stage, film, and television actor. Trained as a stage actor at the Bungaku-za after graduating from Chuo University, he first began to appear on Japanese TV in small roles in 2008, and then in films in 2011.

Yasushi Akimoto is a Japanese record producer, lyricist, and television writer, best known for creating and producing some of Japan's top idol groups, Onyanko Club and the AKB48 franchise. Total sales of the singles he has written exceed 100 million copies, making him the best-selling lyricist in Japan.

Toshihiro Nikai is a former Japanese politician for the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the leader of the LDP Shisuikai faction (informally called the Nikai faction), who served as the Secretary-General of the LDP from 2016 to 2021. He was previously the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry. Nikai is currently retired, after thirteen terms in the Lower House representing...

Makoto Niitsu, known as Makoto Shinkai (新海 誠, Shinkai Makoto), is a Japanese filmmaker and novelist. A founder of CoMix Wave Films, he is known for his anime feature films enriched with visually-appealing animation and romantic stories depicting teenagers and high school students.

Issei Tajima is a former Japanese politician who served in the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature) as a member of the Democratic Party of Japan. A native of Hikone, Shiga he earned his undergraduate degree in Chuo University, study-abroad credit in Carleton College in Minnesota, United States and master's degree in Doshisha University. He was elected for...

Yoshiyuki Shinoda is a former Japanese football player and manager.

Ken Naganuma was a Japanese football player and manager. A forward, he earned four caps for the Japan national team between 1954 and 1961 and later also served as the team's manager. He was also the president of the Japan Football Association from 1994 to 1998.

Kenya Akiba is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Miyagi Prefecture, he attended Chuo University as an undergraduate and received his master's degree from Tohoku University. He was elected to the first of his three terms in the assembly of Miyagi Prefecture in...

Ryumo Ono is a Japanese professional basketball player for the Shinshu Brave Warriors club of the B.League in Japan.

Yoshio Kimura is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party and a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature).

Hiroshi Imazu is a former 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 Asahikawa on Hokkaido and graduate of Chuo University, he was elected to the first of his two terms in the city assembly of Asahikawa in 1975, to the first of...

Shigeru Hori was a prominent Japanese politician who served in various cabinet positions, including Chief Cabinet Secretary, and was also Speaker of the House of Representatives of Japan. He was also the founder of the Liberal Party, and later served in senior positions in the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan.

Sadao Yamahana was a Japanese politician who served as chairman of the Japan Socialist Party from January 1993 to September 1993.

Mitsunari Musaka is a Japanese former professional footballer who played as a midfielder for Japanese clubs Shimizu S-Pulse and Giravanz Kitakyushu.

Ryota Nagaki is a Japanese footballer who plays as a midfielder for Iwaki FC.

Rachmad Gobel is an Indonesian businessman and politician from Gorontalo. His family controls the company, Gobel Group which is now called PT. Panasonic Gobel Indonesia, an Indonesian division of Panasonic. He is also the former Minister of Trade and the Indonesian President's Special Envoy to Japan. Currently, he is the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Michihiro Ishibashi is a Japanese politician from the Constitutional Democratic Party and a former trade union leader. He currently serves as members of the House of Councillors being elected from the National Representation list in 2010.

Yoshio Mochizuki was a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature), and a Minister of the Environment.

Hisashi Shinma was a Japanese professional wrestling booker and professional wrestling promoter. Shinma is noted for having been an on-screen authority for the World Wrestling Federation, from 1978 to 1984, billed as the President of the promotion. He was succeeded by Jack Tunney.

Masaru Wakasa is a Japanese lawyer, politician and former member of the House of Representatives in Japan.

Yoshimi Watanabe is a former Japanese politician. He was formerly a member of the Liberal Democratic Party and later the founder of Your Party, after which he became a member of Nippon Ishin no Kai until 2019 when he then became an independent politician. He was a member of the House of Representatives from 1996 to 2014, and returned to...

Toshiki Kaifu was a Japanese politician who served as prime minister of Japan from 1989 to 1991.

Chūya Nakahara, born Chūya Kashimura (柏村 中也, Kashimura Chūya), was a Japanese poet active during the early Shōwa period. Originally shaped by Dada and other forms of European (mainly French) experimental poetry, he was one of the leading renovators of Japanese poetry. Although he died at the young age of 30, he wrote more than 350 poems throughout his life....