33 Notable alumni of Kwansei Gakuin University
Updated: June 07, 2026 EliteDegrees
Kwansei Gakuin University is ranked #1,205 in the world and #75 in Japan by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 33 notable alumni from Kwansei Gakuin 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 Kwansei Gakuin University won Nobel Prizes for Peace, in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Economics.
1. Norikazu Fujii
1925-1992 (aged 67)
table tennis player
Norikazu Fujii was a former Japanese international table tennis player.
2. Kazuaki Kimura
1946-2015 (aged 69)
scientist
Kazuaki Kimura was a Japanese scholar of modern Japanese literature. He was a professor at Ritsumeikan University and held senior administrative roles at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University and Poole Gakuin University. His research focused on the writer Atsushi Nakajima, a writer at the beginning of the Shōwa period.
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3. Susumu Hamamura
1975-. (aged 51)
salaryman
politician
Susumu Hamamura is a member of Komeito serving in the Japanese House of Representatives, a position that he has been elected to two times. He is supportive of casinos in Japan, saying that they will help the economy and "will give foreigners something to do at night".
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4. Katsuya Nakano
1996-. (aged 30)
association football player
Katsuya Nakano is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for J3 League club Tochigi SC.
5. Yoshitaka Tokunaga
1992-. (aged 34)
rugby union player
Yoshitaka Tokunaga is a Japanese rugby sevens player. He competed for Japan 7s at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil.
6. Hara Otohiko
1925-2018 (aged 93)
businessperson
business executive
Otohiko Hara, formerly known as Otohiko Yabashi, was a Japanese corporate executive. He was a chief executive officer of Unitika Tsusho [:ja:] (later, Unitika Trading [:ja:]). One of the first Japanese businesspersons who led Dai Nippon Spinning Co., Ltd. (later, Unitika), one of Japan's three largest textile makers, to the first overseas expansion of Japanese corporations after World War II.
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7. Masakatsu Nishikawa
1987-. (aged 39)
rugby union player
Masakatsu Nishikawa is a Japanese rugby union player who plays as a Flanker. He currently plays for Sunwolves in Super Rugby and Suntory Sungoliath in Japan's domestic Top League.
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8. Liu Kuo-tsai
1911-1993 (aged 82)
politician
Liu Kuo-tsai was a Taiwanese politician. Elected to the Legislative Yuan in 1969, he was named deputy speaker in 1972. In 1988, he became the acting President of the Legislative Yuan. The interim designation was removed early next year and Liu stepped down from the position in 1990.
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9. Junko Hiramatsu
1942-. (aged 84)
figure skater
figure skating judge
technical controller
Junko Hiramatsu, née: Ueno is a Japanese former competitive figure skater who is now a coach and International Skating Union (ISU) official. She is a five-time Japanese national champion and represented Japan twice at the Winter Olympics, in 1960 and 1964. She was the flag bearer for Japan at the 1960 Winter Olympics.
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10. Tiger Okoshi
1950-. (aged 76)
composer
jazz musician
university teacher
trumpeter
Toru "Tiger" Okoshi is an American jazz fusion trumpeter born in Ashiya, Japan.
11. Hiroki Ogita
1987-. (aged 39)
athletics competitor
Hiroki Ogita is a Japanese athlete who specialises in the pole vault. He competed in the pole vault event at the 2015 World Championships in Athletics in Beijing, China. He finished 21st in the pole vault event at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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12. Yasuhiro Yoshigaki
1959-. (aged 67)
jazz musician
drummer
composer
bandleader
percussionist
From 1984 for three years he served as a regular drummer at the Osaka jazz club Royal Horse. Seeking to start a band he wanted to hear on the local scene, Yoshigaki conceived the ensemble First Edition in 1985 and launched it in 1986. The original members included Yutaka Ohara, Itayuki Shioya (as), Eiichiro Arasaki (ts), Makoto Aoyagi (p, as),...
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13. Iku Takenaka
1904-1982 (aged 78)
poet
Iku Takenaka was a Japanese poet from Hyogo prefecture. He graduated from Kwansei Gakuin University. His best-known work is a cinepoem Rugby.
14. Jiro Yoshihara
1905-1972 (aged 67)
painter
Jirō Yoshihara was a Japanese painter, art educator, curator, and businessman.
15. Takashi Shimizu
1984-. (aged 42)
baseball player
Takashi Shimizu is a professional baseball catcher for the Hanshin Tigers in Japan's Central League.
16. Kiyoshi Tanimoto
1909-1986 (aged 77)
Methodist pastor
Kiyoshi Tanimoto was a Japanese Methodist minister famous for his humanitarian work for the Hiroshima Maidens. Tanimoto was a U.S educated Methodist minister and moved to Hiroshima with his wife during the midst of World War II. He survived the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and was one of the six Hiroshima survivors whose experiences of the bomb and...
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17. Yoshihiro Seki
1965-. (aged 61)
cashier
politician
Yoshihiro Seki is a Japanese politician serving in the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature) as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. A native of Komatsushima, Tokushima and graduate of Kwansei Gakuin University School of economics, he was elected for the first time in the 2005 general election.
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18. Tokuzō Tanaka
1925-2007 (aged 82)
film director
Tokuzō Tanaka was a Japanese film director. He is well known for directing several installments of the Zatoichi and Nemuri Kyōshirō film series.
19. Oniroku Dan
1931-2011 (aged 80)
novelist
screenwriter
Oniroku Dan was a Japanese author who has been called, "the most celebrated writer of popular SM novels in Japan." Many of his stories have been filmed, most notably by Nikkatsu studio in their Roman Porno series. Dan had a close professional association with actress Naomi Tani throughout her career. He died on May 6, 2011.
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20. Yoshihiko Miyauchi
1935-. (aged 91)
businessperson
Yoshihiko Miyauchi is a Japanese businessman. He is Senior Chairman of ORIX Corp. and was a former CEO of Orix. Miyauchi served as President of the Council for Promoting Regulatory Reform in Japan. As of 2007, ORIX was Japan's largest leasing and leading diversified financial services conglomerate with assets in excess of US$69 billion and subsidiaries & associates in 24...
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21. Shinsuke Suematsu
1955-. (aged 71)
politician
Shinsuke Suematsu is a Japanese politician who serves as a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet of Japan. He has represented the Hyogo at-large district as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party since 2004. He served as Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology from 2021 to 2022.
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22. Hideyuki Yokoyama
1981-. (aged 45)
politician
Hideyuki Yokoyama is a Japanese economist and politician who has served as the incumbent mayor of Osaka since 9 April 2023. He graduated from Kwansei Gakuin University with a degree in economics in 2004 and immediately began a career under the Osaka prefectural government. He was elected to the Osaka Prefectural Assembly in April 2011 and won a further two...
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23. Hiroto Goya
1994-. (aged 32)
association football player
Hiroto Goya is a Japanese football player. He currently plays for JEF United Chiba.
24. Ken Naganuma
1930-2008 (aged 78)
association football player
association football coach
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.
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25. Tadao Takashima
1930-2019 (aged 89)
television presenter
television actor
tarento
actor
film actor
Tadao Takashima was a Japanese actor and jazz musician. He appeared in more than 100 films, including the Toho productions King Kong vs. Godzilla, Atragon, and Frankenstein vs. Baragon. He also performed in stage musicals such as My Fair Lady and appeared in several television shows.
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26. Ura Kazuki
1992-. (aged 34)
rikishi
Ura Kazuki is a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Neyagawa, Osaka. After winning a gold medal in sumo at the 2013 World Combat Games, he made his professional debut in 2015, wrestling with the Kise stable and he won the jonokuchi division championship in his first tournament. He reached the top makuuchi division in March 2017, but a pair of...
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27. So Taguchi
1969-. (aged 57)
baseball player
So Taguchi is a Japanese former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Orix BlueWave / Buffaloes, and in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies, and Chicago Cubs.
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28. Naoki Miyanishi
1985-. (aged 41)
baseball player
Naoki Miyanishi is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
29. Takashi Ogino
1985-. (aged 41)
baseball player
Takashi Ogino is a Japanese professional baseball outfielder and shortstop for the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball.
30. Etsushi Toyokawa
1962-. (aged 64)
actor
screenwriter
Etsushi Toyokawa is a Japanese actor.
31. Yūmi Nagashima
1991-. (aged 35)
announcer
television presenter
Yūmi Nagashima is a Japanese former announcer for Fuji TV. She is known for being the main presenter of Mezamashi TV.
32. Takayuki Shimizu
1974-. (aged 52)
announcer
politician
Takayuki Shimizu is a former professional baseball outfielder for Nippon Professional Baseball. He was the Number 3 draft pick by the Yomiuri Giants in 1996 and played for them until 2008. After retiring as a player, he was a Giants coach.
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33. Yuriko Koike
1952-. (aged 74)
politician
Yuriko Koike is a Japanese politician who has served as the Governor of Tokyo since 2016. Previously, she also served as a member of the House of Councillors from 1992 to 1993, a member of the House of Representatives from 1993 to 2016, Minister of the Environment under Junichiro Koizumi from 2003 to 2006, and Minister of Defense under Shinzo...
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