20 Notable alumni of Yokohama National University
Updated: June 23, 2026 EliteDegrees
Yokohama National University is ranked #816 in the world and #35 in Japan by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 20 notable alumni from Yokohama National 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 Yokohama National University won Nobel Prizes for Peace, in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Economics.
1. Takako Ebata
1959-. (aged 67)
politician
Takako Ebata is a Japanese politician. She was a Member of the House of Representatives for Tokyo's 10th district from 2009 to 2012.
2. Takuzo Aida
1956-. (aged 70)
polymer chemist
chemist
Takuzo Aida is a Japanese polymer chemist specializing in supramolecular chemistry and materials science. He is deputy director of the RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science and a distinguished professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology at the University of Tokyo.
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3. Masayoshi Nataniya
1957-. (aged 69)
politician
Masayoshi Nataniya is a Japanese politician of the Constitutional Democratic Party and a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Yokohama, Kanagawa and graduate of Yokohama National University, he was elected for the first time in 2004.
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4. Tatsuo Itoh
1940-2021 (aged 81)
engineer
Tatsuo Itoh, was an electrical engineer who was professor and holder of the Northrop Grumman Chair in Microwave and Millimeter Wave Electronics in the Electrical Engineering Department at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he taught and conducted research on microwave and millimeter wave electronics, guided wave structures, low power wireless electronics, and integrated passive components and antennas.
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5. Jūkichi Yagi
1898-1927 (aged 29)
poet
writer
Jūkichi Yagi was a Japanese poet active in the late Taishō period and for the first few years of the Shōwa period, who focused on modern religious themes.
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6. Kimie Hatano
1957-. (aged 69)
politician
Kimie Hatano is a member of the Japanese Communist Party who served in both the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors. In the House of Representatives, she represented the 10th District of Kanagawa prefecture, while in the House of Councillors she represented the second seat of the Kanagawa at-large district. Hatano is opposed to the Technical Intern Training...
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7. Junji Sakamoto
1958-. (aged 68)
film director
screenwriter
Junji Sakamoto is a Japanese film director.
8. Ayako Kimura
1988-. (aged 38)
hurdler
long jumper
sprinter
track and field coach
athletics competitor
Ayako Kimura is a Japanese hurdler. She competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in the 100 meter hurdles, and failed to reach the final. She won a gold, a bronze and a silver medal in this event at the Asian championships in 2013, 2015 and 2017, respectively.
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9. Hiromichi Tanaka
1962-. (aged 64)
game designer
Hiromichi Tanaka is a Japanese video game developer, game producer, game director and game designer. He was Senior Vice President of Software Development at Square Enix (formerly Square) and the head of the company's Product Development Division-3.
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10. Shinichiro Sakurai
1929-2011 (aged 82)
engineer
Shinichiro Sakurai was a Japanese engineer inducted into the Japan Automotive Hall of Fame who originally worked for Prince Motor Company then later moved to Nissan. After graduating from Yokohama National University, Sakurai worked for the Shimizu Corporation before he was given the opportunity to work in the Japanese automotive industry, which was his first intent. He later joined Prince...
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11. Akira Fujishima
1942-. (aged 84)
university teacher
chemist
Akira Fujishima is a Japanese chemist and president of Tokyo University of Science. He is known for significant contributions to the discovery and research of photocatalytic and superhydrophilic properties of titanium dioxide (TiO2), which is also known as the Honda-Fujishima effect.
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12. Ryō Kurusu
1919-1945 (aged 26)
military flight engineer
Ryō Kurusu was an officer in the Imperial Japanese Army. He is noted for being the only Eurasian (American-Japanese Hāfu) person to be commemorated in Japan's Yasukuni Shrine.
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13. Kihachirō Kawamoto
1925-2010 (aged 85)
screenwriter
film director
puppet designer
animator
animated film maker
Kihachirō Kawamoto was a Japanese puppet designer, independent film director, screenwriter, animator and the second president of the Japan Animation Association, succeeding founder Osamu Tezuka in 1989 and serving until his own death. He is best-remembered in Japan as designer of the puppets for the long-running NHK live action television series of the Puppet theater, the Three Kingdoms in the...
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14. Shunji Iwai
1963-. (aged 63)
composer
film producer
lyricist
film director
film editor
Shunji Iwai is a Japanese filmmaker, video artist, editor, and composer.
15. Kaori Manabe
1980-. (aged 46)
blogger
tarento
actor
gravure idol
Kaori Manabe is a Japanese talent, gravure idol and actress. She was born on May 31, 1980, in Ehime Prefecture, Japan.
16. Hironobu Sakaguchi
1962-. (aged 64)
computer scientist
author
film director
video game producer
Hironobu Sakaguchi is a Japanese game designer, director, producer, and writer. Originally working for Square (later Square Enix) from 1983 to 2003, he departed the company and founded independent studio Mistwalker in 2004. He is known as the creator of the Final Fantasy franchise, in addition to other titles during his time at Square. At Mistwalker, he is known for...
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17. Masaya Katō
1963-. (aged 63)
actor
martial artist
model
stunt performer
film actor
Masaya Kato is a Japanese actor from Nara in the Kansai region.
18. Sumio Mabuchi
1960-. (aged 66)
civil engineer
engineer
politician
Sumio Mabuchi is a Japanese politician and a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature).
19. Hidetoshi Nishijima
1971-. (aged 55)
seiyū
television actor
narrator
actor
Hidetoshi Nishijima is a Japanese actor and model. He is widely regarded as one of Japan's leading actors, having appeared in a wide range of films from science fiction films such as Shin Ultraman (2022) to small-scale art films such as Dolls (2002). He gained international recognition for his critically acclaimed leading role in the 2021 film Drive My Car,...
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20. Koshi Inaba
1964-. (aged 62)
singer
singer-songwriter
DJ producer
lyricist
composer
Koshi Inaba is a Japanese singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the rock duo B'z, the best-selling music act in their native Japan. He also has a successful solo career, with six studio albums and five singles topping the Japanese music charts. Inaba collaborated with Slash on the latter's 2009 single "Sahara",...
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