20 Notable alumni of Kokugakuin University
Updated: June 07, 2026 EliteDegrees
Kokugakuin University is ranked #3,010 in the world and #194 in Japan by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 20 notable alumni from Kokugakuin University sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff. Many individuals affiliated with Kokugakuin University won Nobel Prizes for Peace, in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Economics.
1. Yōko Hanabusa
mangaka
Yōko Hanabusa is a Japanese shōjo manga artist. She debuted in 1978 with the short story Koi wa Happy Snow ni Notte (monthly HITOMI, AKITA Publishing Co., Ltd.).
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2. Oh Young-su
1909-1979 (aged 70)
writer
prose writer
O Yeong-su or Oh Young-Soo was a South Korean writer.
3. Tsunetane Oda
1892-1955 (aged 63)
judoka
Tsunetane Oda was a judoka who was influential in the development of Kosen judo. His correct name was Tsunetane Oda, but through a misinterpretation of the kanji 常胤 he is more commonly known as Join.
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4. Kouki Yamasita
1993-. (aged 33)
baseball player
baseball coach
Kōki Yamashita is a professional Japanese baseball player. He plays infielder for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars.
5. Natsuki Takeuchi
2001-. (aged 25)
professional baseball player
Natsuki Takeuchi is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher for the Saitama Seibu Lions of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
6. Hitomi Yamaguchi
1923-1995 (aged 72)
literary critic
essayist
novelist
writer
professional shogi player
Hitomi Yamaguchi was a novelist and essayist in Shōwa period Japan.
7. Nao-cola Yamazaki
1978-. (aged 48)
novelist
essayist
lyricist
Nao-Cola Yamazaki is the professional name of Naoko Yamazaki (山崎 直子, Yamazaki Naoko), a Japanese writer. Yamazaki claims to write "things no one else can say in words anyone can understand". Yamazaki's writing, however, won the Bungei Prize and the Shimase Award for Love Stories, being nominated multiple times for the Akutagawa Prize. Nao-Cola has suggested to use something like...
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8. Chōgorō Kaionji
1901-1977 (aged 76)
novelist
screenwriter
writer
Tōsaku Suetomi, known by his pen name Chōgorō Kaionji (海音寺 潮五郎, Kaionji Chōgorō), was a Japanese author. Noted for his historical novels, he was active during the Shōwa era of Japan.
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9. Akimasa Ishikawa
1972-. (aged 54)
politician
Akimasa Ishikawa is a former Japanese politician who served as a member of the House of Representatives.
10. Shunsuke Watanabe
1976-. (aged 50)
baseball player
Shunsuke Watanabe is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Chiba Lotte Marines from 2001 to 2013.
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11. Megumi Igarashi
1972-. (aged 54)
sculptor
artist
women's rights activist
mangaka
Megumi Igarashi, who uses the pseudonym Rokudenashiko (ろくでなし子 or 碌でなし子), is a Japanese sculptor and manga artist who creates works that feature female genitalia and are often modeled after her own vulva. Rokudenashiko considers it her mission to reclaim female genitalia as part of women's bodies and demystify them in Japan's male dominated society, where she believes that they are...
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12. Shinobu Orikuchi
1887-1953 (aged 66)
theologian
novelist
linguist
university teacher
poet
Shinobu Orikuchi, also known as Chōkū Shaku (釋 迢空, Shaku Chōkū), was a Japanese ethnologist, linguist, folklorist, novelist, and poet. As a disciple of Kunio Yanagita, he established an original academic field named "Orikuchiism" (折口学, Orikuchigaku), which is a mixture of Japanese folklore, Japanese classics, and Shintō. He produced many works in a diversity of fields covering the history of...
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13. Hideo Ōnishi
1946-. (aged 80)
politician
Hideo Ōnishi is a former Japanese politician and member of the House of Representatives, who represented Tokyo 16th district from 2012 to 2024. He is a member of the Liberal Democratic Party.
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14. Ryo Hijirisawa
1985-. (aged 41)
baseball player
Ryo Hijirisawa is a Japanese professional baseball outfielder for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball.
15. Toshihiro Sugiura
1992-. (aged 34)
baseball player
Toshihiro Sugiura is a professional Japanese baseball player who currently pitches for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.
16. Motohiro Shima
1984-. (aged 42)
baseball player
Motohiro Shima is a Japanese former professional baseball catcher. He played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles and Tokyo Yakult Swallows from 2007 to 2022. He is currently a coach for the Chunichi Dragons.
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17. Toshiki Kashū
1979-. (aged 47)
tarento
actor
television actor
Toshiki Kashu is a Japanese actor, best known for his role as Shouichi Tsugami, the main character of the Kamen Rider series Kamen Rider Agito.
18. Momoko Tsugunaga
1992-. (aged 34)
singer
child actor
actor
Momoko Tsugunaga is a Japanese former singer, actress, and radio personality. Tsugunaga joined Hello! Project as a member of Hello! Project Kids at the age of 10 and later became part of the girl groups Berryz Kobo and Buono! Following Berryz Kobo's hiatus, she became the playing manager of Country Girls. In 2017, Tsugunaga retired from entertainment to become a...
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19. Matsumoto Kōshirō X
1973-. (aged 53)
kabuki actor
actor
nihon-buyō dancer
Matsumoto Kōshirō X is a Japanese actor and kabuki actor. His yagō is the Kōraiya. His mon is the Mitsu Ichō, and his kaemon (the alternative emblem) is Yotsu Hana-bishi.
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20. Yoshihiro Ito
1982-2025 (aged 43)
baseball player
baseball coach
Yoshihiro Ito was a Japanese professional baseball pitcher. He played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) from 2008 to 2015 for the Chiba Lotte Marines.
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