# List of Waseda University people

This is a list of notable alumni, faculty, and students, from Waseda University. Those individuals who qualify for multiple categories have been placed under the section for which they are best known.

## Prime ministers

* Tanzan Ishibashi (1956–1957)
* Noboru Takeshita (1987–1989)
* Toshiki Kaifu (1989–1991)
* Keizō Obuchi (1998–2000)
* Mikio Aoki (Acting: 2000-2000)
* Yoshirō Mori (2000–2001)
* Yasuo Fukuda (2007–2008)
* Yoshihiko Noda (2011–2012)
* Fumio Kishida (2021–2024)

## Politics

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* Nobuaki Futami
* Takashi Hiraoka – Mayor of Hiroshima (1991–1999)
* Iccho Itoh – Mayor of Nagasaki (1995–2007)
* Yohei Kono - Speaker of the House of Representatives (2003-2009)
* Li Dazhao - co-founder of the Chinese Communist Party
* Hideo Higashikokubaru – Governor of Miyazaki Prefecture (2007-2011)
* Peng Pai - Chinese revolutionary
* Soichi Usui
* Hidehiko Noda
* Ichirō Kōno - Deputy Prime Minister (1964-1965)
* Bukichi Miki
* Hirohide Ishida
* Taro Hatoyama
* Kazumasa Okajima
* Fukushiro Nukaga
* Masahide Ota - Governor of Okinawa Prefecture (1990-1998)
* Hiroshige Seko
* Mosaburo Suzuki - 2nd chairman of the Japan Socialist Party (1955-1960)
* Tsutomu Takebe
* Makiko Tanaka - First female foreign minister of Japan
* Kisaburo Tokai
* Kiyomi Tsujimoto
* Kozo Watanabe
* Yoshimi Watanabe
* Yuji Yamamoto
* Taku Yamasaki
* Tōru Hashimoto – Mayor of Osaka and Osaka Restoration Association president
* Inejiro Asanuma – 3rd chairman of Japan Socialist Party

## Diplomats

* Chiune Sugihara
* Tsuneo Koizumi
* Katsuhiko Oku – rugby player and diplomat, promoted posthumously to ambassador

## Business leaders

* Takeo Fukui – CEO of Honda
* Norio Sasaki – CEO of Toshiba
* Soichiro Fukutake – president of Benesse
* Shuntaro Furukawa – president of Nintendo
* Masaru Ibuka – co-founder of Sony, recipient of the Order of Culture
* Nobuyuki Idei – ex-CEO of Sony
* Masafumi Miyamoto – founder of Square
* Yasujiro Tsutsumi
* Yoshiaki Tsutsumi
* Michael Kogan – founder of Taito
* Lee Byung-chul – Founder of Samsung
* Lee Kun-hee – current chairman of Samsung
* Kenichi Ohmae – founder and ex-Senior Partner of McKinsey & Co's Japan office
* Isao Okawa – ex-chairman of Sega
* Park Tae-joon – founder and chairman of Pohang Iron & Steels Corp, POSCO
* Masamitsu Sakurai – chairman of Ricoh, chairman of Japan Association of Corporate Executives
* Mikio Sasaki – chairman of Mitsubishi
* Shin Kyuk-Ho – founder and chairman of Lotte Group
* Shunsaku Tamiya – chairman of Tamiya Corporation
* Yoshiaki Tsutsumi – founder of Seibu Railway
* Hiroshi Yamauchi – president of Nintendo
* Tadashi Yanai – CEO of Fast Retailing and Uniqlo
* Kim Sang-hong - former chairman of Samyang Food Group
* Lee Dong-chan - founder and former chairman of Kolon Industries Group
* Cho Suk-rae - founder and former chairman of Hyosung Group
* Choi Doo-sun - former president of Dong-A Ilbo

## Academics

* Kohki Abe – human rights activist and Dean of Kanagawa University School of Law
* Koji Aikyo – law professor at Nagoya University
* Hitoshi Arai – mathematician, professor at University of Tokyo
* Kanichi Asakawa – historian, professor at Yale University
* Shin Chiba – professor of political science at International Christian University
* Kunio Doi – professor of radiology at the University of Chicago
* Hidenori Fujita – educational sociologist, former professor at University of Tokyo, currently professor at International Christian University
* Toshio Fukuda – scholar of robotics, professor at Nagoya University
* Kunio Anzai
* Tatsuo Taniguchi
* Kazuhito Koizumi – medical doctor
* Hideo Furuido – scholar of theatre arts, professor at University of Tokyo
* Tatsuro Hanada – sociologist of media, professor at University of Tokyo, currently professor at Waseda
* Kazuomi Hirakawa – geographer, professor at Hokkaido University
* Takebumi Itagaki – professor of Computer Architecture at Brunel University
* Takehiko Kamo (1942–1996) – professor of political science at Waseda University and University of Tokyo
* Kang Sang-jung – scholar of history of political thought, professor at University of Tokyo
* Heita Kawakatsu – scholar of economic history, professor at International Research Center for Japanese Studies, president of Shizuoka University of Art and Culture
* Toshihide Kobayashi – Chief Scientist at the RIKEN Advanced Science Institute
* Hideo Kuroda – historian, professor emeritus at University of Tokyo
* Tien-Min Li – Chinese political historian
* Ichiro Masaki – director of the Intelligent Transportation Research Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
* Masako Mitamura – scholar of Japanese literature, The Tale of Genji expert, professor at Ferris University
* Tsunetsugu Muraoka (1884–1946) – scholar of history of Japanese philosophy, professor at Tohoku University
* Masahiro Nei – professor of history of economic thought at Kyoto University
* Yoshio Nishi – professor of electrical engineering at Stanford University, the 2002 IEEE Robert N. Noyce Medal recipient
* Toyohiro Nishimoto – archaeologist, professor at National Museum of Japanese History
* Ikujiro Nonaka – scholar of management, Knowledge Management theorist, co-author of The Knowledge-Creating Company, visiting professor at University of California, Berkeley
* Katsuyuki Shibayama – Financial Economics Scholar and Academic at the University of Kent
* Tetsuo Owada – historian, professor at Shizuoka University
* Shojiro Sakaguchi – law scholar, professor at Hitotsubashi University
* Minoru Sekishita – professor of economics at Ritsumeikan University
* Ryūsaku Tsunoda (1877–1964) – lecturer of Japanese studies at Columbia University
* Ginzo Uchida (1872–1919) – scholar of economic history, professor at Kyoto University
* Ungku Abdul Aziz Ungku Abdul Hamid – leading Malaysian academician
* Masayoshi Watanabe – professor at Yokohama National University
* Saburo Yamada (1869–1965) – scholar of private international law, professor at University of Tokyo
* Tokuo Yamamoto – professor of applied marine physics at the Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science at the University of Miami; recipient of the 2008 Alan Berman Research Publication Award
* Djakiah Bawie (1922–1988) – Head scientist and Nuclear Physicist of Indonesia's National Nuclear Agency; former Docent of Physics at University of Indonesia
* Sakuji Yoshimura – Egyptologist, president of Cyber University

## Authors

* Kunikida Doppo
* Taichi Yamada – screenwriter, novelist
* Maki Fukazawa – columnist
* Jun Henmi
* Masuji Ibuse*
* Masahiko Katsuya – columnist
* Hakushū Kitahara*
* Akira Kojima – manga artist
* Lee Hoesung
* Taku Miki – poet, novelist, translator
* Eto Mori
* Manabu Miyazaki*
* Megumi Mizusawa – manga artist
* Haruki Murakami – novelist, translator, writer, recipient of Franz Kafka Prize
* Kim Nae-sung – Korean author
* Kōgo Noda – screenwriter
* Yōko Ogawa – novelist
* Ichirō Ōkouchi – novelist, screenwriter
* Ototake Hirotada – sports writer
* Edogawa Rampo
* Hisae Sawaji
* Taneda Santoka*
* Yoko Tawada
* Tawara Machi
* Shuji Terayama*
* Miho Toshima
* Yajima Teruo*
* Yokomitsu Riichi*
* Risa Wataya
* Hisashi Yamanaka
* Hiroyuki Yoshino
* Rie Yoshiyuki
* Peter Chai – writer, columnist, poet

## Journalists

* Soichiro Tawara
* Yoh Henmi
* Satoshi Kamata
* Chang Deok-soo

## Performing arts

* Saeko – actress, model
* Kohei Ando – Video artist and experimental filmmaker
* Sharon Au – Singaporean actress, comedian and television presenter
* Rokusuke Ei – composer
* Naohito Fujiki – actor
* Yasuharu Hasebe – film director
* Mitsuhiro Hidaka – singer
* Ryōko Hirosue* – actress
* Toshiharu Ikeda – film director
* Shohei Imamura – film director, winner of two Palme d'Or awards at the Cannes Film Festival
* LaSalle Ishii* – comedian
* Akio Jissoji – film director
* Jyongri – singer
* Hitomi Kamanaka – film director
* Seiji Kameda – composer, producer
* Morio Kazama – actor
* Kinya Kitaoji – actor
* Hifumi Kato – Shogi player
* Demon Kogure – singer, sumo commentator
* Yoshio Kojima – comedian
* Shōji Kōkami – playwright, director, filmmaker
* Tetsuya Komuro* – musician
* Hirokazu Koreeda – film director
* Tatsumi Kumashiro – film director
* Matsumoto Kōshirō IX – kabuki actor
* Keisuke Minami – stage actor, model
* Tetsuya Murakami – musician, member of The Gospellers
* Shigeru Muroi* – actress
* Kie Nakai – actress
* Yuichi Nakamaru – actor, singer (member of KAT-TUN), distantly attending
* Kichitaro Negishi – film director
* Kazumasa Oda – musician, former member of Off Course
* Kohei Oguri – film director
* Kyosen Ōhashi – TV host and writer
* Eiichi Otaki – musician
* Masato Sakai* – actor
* Yuji Sakai – musician, member of The Gospellers
* Bunta Sugawara – actor
* Sunplaza Nakano* – musician
* Tamori* – comedian and television presenter
* Yuya Tegoshi – actor, singer (member of NEWS), distantly attending
* Shinya Ueda – comedian, member of Cream Stew
* Ken Utsui – actor
* Yutaka Yasuoka – musician, member of The Gospellers
* Sayuri Yoshinaga – actress
* Kota Yabu – actor, singer (member of Hey! Say! JUMP)
* Yoko Kanno – composer
* Hiromu Komagome – singer, composer (member of Root Five)
* Nao Tōyama – voice actress, singer
* Saori Hayami – voice actress, singer
* Aoi Yūki – voice actress, singer
* Yuuki Ono – voice actor, singer
* Kouki Uchiyama – actor, voice actor
* Sōma Saitō – voice actor, singer
* Shimizu Kunio – playwright
* Ichirō Ōkouchi – screenwriter, novelist, winner of two best screenplay awards at the Tokyo Anime Award festival.
* Yamada Tamaru — singer/songwriter
* Edmund Yeo – Malaysian film director
* Jerome Polin - YouTubers

## Scientists

* Shingo Futamura - rubber industry scientist

## Sports
### Baseball

* Tatsuro Hirooka
* Norichika Aoki
* Kenichi Yazawa
* Hiroo Ishii
* Kunikazu Ogawa
* Akira Ejiri
* Soroku Yagisawa
* Tamotsu Kimura
* Toru Mori
* Akinobu Okada – former manager for the Hanshin Tigers
* Hiroyasu Tanaka
* Takashi Toritani
* Tsuyoshi Wada
* Masumi Kuwata
* Yuki Saitō

### Figure skating

* Shizuka Arakawa – 2006 Winter Olympics gold medalist
* Rena Inoue – Pairs skater
* Yukari Nakano
* Fumie Suguri
* Yuzuru Hanyu – Men's singles figure skater, 2014, 2018 Winter Olympics gold medalist and two-times world champion

### Football

* Kunishige Kamamoto
* Saburo Kawabuchi – ex-President of Japan football association and ex-Chairman of Japan professional soccer league
* Yuki Soma

### Martial arts

* Negishi Yuichi – Chief Instructor Waseda University Karatedo Shitokai Club
* Yoriko Okamoto – taekwondo, 2000 Sydney Olympics bronze medalist
* Kisshomaru Ueshiba
* Mitsusuke Harada – head of KDS
* Shigeru Egami – founder of Shōtōkai karate
* Tsutomu Ohshima – Chief Instructor of Shotokan Karate of America
* Kenji Tomiki – judo and aikido, founder of Shodokan Aikido
* Hironori Ōtsuka – founder of Wadō-ryū karate
* AnnMaria De Mars – 1984 Judo World Champion

### Rugby

* Katsuyuki Kiyomiya – player and coach
* Hiroaki Shukuzawa – player and coach
* Ayumu Goromaru
* Yoshikazu Fujita

### Swimming

* Natsumi Hoshi – Olympic bronze medalist
* Toshio Irie – Olympic silver medalist
* Shozo Makino – Olympic silver medalist
* Yoshihiko Osaki – Olympic silver medalist
* Masato Sakai – Olympic silver medalist
* Daiya Seto – Olympic bronze medalist
* Katsuo Takaishi – Olympic bronze medalist
* Tsuyoshi Yamanaka – Olympic silver medalist

### Volleyball

* Yoko Zetterlund – former player of United States women's national volleyball team
* Ryuta Homma – former roster of men's national volleyball team and active in V.League Division 1 player for JTEKT Stings
* Taichi Fukuyama – former roster of men's national volleyball team and active V.League Division 1 Player for JTEKT Stings
* Yuto Fujinaka – former roster of Japan U-21 and U-23 national volleyball team and currently active in V.League Division 1
* Mitsuki Kobayashi – former roster of Japan U-21 and universiade national team, competing in 2019 Summer Universiade. Currently active in V.League Division 1
* Kento Miyaura – current roster of men's national volleyball team and player for Paris Volley
* Tatsunori Otsuka – current roster of men's national volleyball team and active V.League Division 1 player for Panasonic Panthers

### Miscellaneous

* Hajime Itoi
* Suishu Tobita [ja] — so-called "God of Japanese baseball"
* Toshihisa Nishi
* Motoi Onuki
* Keijiro Matsumoto
* Mikio Oda – athletics, Japan's first Olympic gold medalist
* Kenji Ogiwara – Nordic combined, 1992/1994 Winter Olympics gold medalist
* Michito Sakaki – Australian rules football
* Jiro Sato – tennis
* Takuma Sato* – Formula One driver
* Toshihiko Seko – marathon runner
* Ōnishiki Uichirō – sumo, 26th yokozuna
* Ai Fukuhara – table tennis
* Yu Hirayama – badminton
* Kenta Matsudaira – table tennis
* Suguru Osako – long-distance runner

## Other

* Einosuke Akiya – 5th president of Soka Gakkai
* Nancy Andrew – translator, junior year, 1967–1968
* Akihito Hirose - Professional shogi player, former Ōi title holder.
* Yuji Horii – video game designer
* Tomonobu Itagaki – video game designer, School of Law, 1985–92
* Katsuhiro Harada – video game designer
* Yuichi Matsushima – electrical engineer
* Taichi Nakamura - Professional shogi player, current Ōza title holder.
* Tensai Okamura – director
* Kyohei Sakaguchi
* Yoshio Shirai
* Shizuo Tsuji

## Notable current students
### Sports

* Tatsuki Machida – Figure skater
* Shingo Nishiyama – Figure skater
* Rika Kihira – Figure skater
* Miyabi Onitsuka – Snowboarder
* Kanako Watanabe – Swimmer
* Ippei Watanabe – Swimmer
* Tatsunori Otsuka – Men's national volleyball player, being a part of 2020 Olympics men's tournament

### Performing arts

* Jyongri – singer
* Natsuki Sato – idol singer, former member of AKB48
* Yui Ogura – voice actor, roles include Toki Onjōji (Saki Achiga-hen Episode of Side-A)

## Notable faculty members

* Yaichi Aizu, poet, scholar of ancient Chinese and Japanese art, and namesake of Aizu Museum
* Tameyuki Amano, economics scholar and educator
* Kohei Ando, Professor Emeritus of Cinema
* Yasunobu Fujiwara, scholar of political science
* Lafcadio Hearn, novelist, literary scholar, professor of English literature
* Smimasa Idditti (Sumimasa Idichi ), professor of English
* Kenji Imai, architect
* Tokio Kimura, historian
* Kunitake Kume, historian
* Tachu Naito, architect
* Naoyoshi Nakamura, historian
* Haruo Nishihara, law professor, former president
* Takayasu Okushima, law professor, former president
* Hajime Ōnishi, philosopher
* Ikuo Ōyama, scholar of political science
* Yaso Saijo, poet
* Masasada Shiozawa, scholar of economics, former president
* Sanae Takata, scholar of political science, former president
* Ōdō Tanaka, philosopher
* Shoyo Tsubouchi, playwright, critic, translator, educator, professor of English literature, and namesake of Tsubouchi Memorial Theater Museum
* Sokichi Tsuda, historian, recipient of the Order of Culture
* Kazutami Ukita, scholar of political science
* Shujiro Urata, economist
* Yoshio Yamanouchi, translator, scholar of French literature
* Akira Yonekura, law professor
* Takamasa Yoshizaka, architect

## Principals, de facto presidents (1907–1923), and presidents
### Principals

* Hidemaro Ōkuma, 1882–1886
* Hisoka Maejima, 1886–1890
* Kazuo Hatoyama, 1890–1907

### De facto presidents (1907–1923)

* Sanae Takata, 1907–1915
* Tameyuki Amano, 1915–1917
* Yoshiro Hiranuma, 1918–1921
* Masasada Shiozawa, 1921–1923

### Presidents

* Shigenobu Ōkuma, 1907–1922
* Masasada Shiozawa, 1923
* Sanae Takata, 1923–1931
* Hozumi Tanaka (public finance scholar, Doctor of Laws, 1876—1944), 1931–1944
* Tomio Nakano, 1944–1946
* Koichi Shimada, 1946–1954
* Nobumoto Ōhama, 1954–1966
* Kenichi Abe, 1966–1968
* Tsunesaburo Tokikoyama, 1968–1970
* Sukenaga Murai, 1970–1978
* Tsukasa Shimizu, 1978–1982
* Haruo Nishihara, 1982–1990
* Chūmaru Koyama, 1990–1994
* Takayasu Okushima, 1994–2002
* Katsuhiko Shirai, 2002–2010
* Kaoru Kamata, 2010–Present

## Trustees

* Ryuhoku Narushima, poet, journalist, and one of the first trustees of Waseda
* Azusa Ono (1852–1886), law scholar and one of the first trustees of Waseda

## Benefactors

Waseda University has had numerous benefactors, including:
* Eiichi Shibusawa, businessman and philanthropist
* Ichizaemon Morimura, businessman
* Koichiro Kagami, businessman
* Kenkichi Kodera, presenter of over thirty-six thousand foreign books to the Library
* Kisaku Maekawa, businessman and philanthropist
* Masaru Ibuka, after whom Masaru Ibuka Auditorium (Hall) is named.
* Robert J. Shillman, founder & CEO of Cognex Corporation, namesake of Robert Shillman Hall