BADMINTON PLAYERS from Japan

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Japanese Badminton Players of all time. This list of famous Japanese Badminton Players is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Japanese Badminton Players.

1. Kento Momota (b. 1994)

With an HPI of 43.99, Kento Momota is the most famous Japanese Badminton Player.  His biography has been translated into 16 different languages on wikipedia.

Kento Momota (桃田 賢斗, Momota Kento, born 1 September 1994) is a former Japanese badminton player. He has won several major badminton tournaments including two World Championships titles, two Asian Championships titles, and one All England title. Momota has received a Guinness World Records certificate for "The most badminton men's singles titles in a season", for his achievements by winning 11 titles in the 2019 season.

2. Akane Yamaguchi (b. 1997)

With an HPI of 42.06, Akane Yamaguchi is the 2nd most famous Japanese Badminton Player.  Her biography has been translated into 18 different languages.

Akane Yamaguchi (山口茜, Yamaguchi Akane, born 6 June 1997) is a Japanese badminton player. She was a two-time world champion who won gold medals in the women's singles at the 2021 and 2022 World Championships. She was a member of the winning Japanese team at the Asian Junior Championships in 2012 and won the World Junior Championships in 2013 and 2014, the Asian Junior Championships in 2014, and the Asian Championships in 2019. At the Asia Team Championships, Yamaguchi helped Japan win by 3–0 in 2017, 2018, and 2020. In 2018, she won the Uber Cup, which Japan had not won for 37 years.

3. Nozomi Okuhara (b. 1995)

With an HPI of 42.04, Nozomi Okuhara is the 3rd most famous Japanese Badminton Player.  Her biography has been translated into 20 different languages.

Nozomi Okuhara (奥原 希望, Okuhara Nozomi, born 13 March 1995) is a Japanese badminton player. A former World's number 1 in the BWF rankings for the women's singles, she is well known for her speed, agility and endurance. She won a bronze at the 2016 Summer Olympics, and gold medal at the 2017 World Championships.

4. Misaki Matsutomo (b. 1992)

With an HPI of 39.99, Misaki Matsutomo is the 4th most famous Japanese Badminton Player.  Her biography has been translated into 19 different languages.

Misaki Matsutomo (松友 美佐紀, Matsutomo Misaki, born 8 February 1992) is a Japanese badminton player who is a doubles specialist. She won the gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympic women's doubles alongside Ayaka Takahashi. Despite playing doubles, she was also a finalist in girls' singles at the 2010 BWF World Junior Championships in Mexico.

5. Ayaka Takahashi (b. 1990)

With an HPI of 39.42, Ayaka Takahashi is the 5th most famous Japanese Badminton Player.  Her biography has been translated into 20 different languages.

Ayaka Takahashi (高橋 礼華, Takahashi Ayaka, born 19 April 1990) is a retired Japanese badminton player who was affiliated with Unisys badminton team. She is an Olympic Games gold medalist, two-time Asian Champion, two-time Asian Games silver medalist, and World Championship bronze medalist. Playing for the Unisys team with her regular partner Misaki Matsutomo in the women's doubles, she won five National Championships titles. In the international event, Takahashi and Matsutomo were ranked world number ones in October 2014. They won numerous international titles, including the year-end tournament finals in 2014 and 2018; the historical All England Open in 2016; the Olympic Games in 2016; and also the Asian Championships in 2016 and 2017. The duo won the Badminton World Federation's Female Player of the Year award in 2016. Takahashi was also a member of the victorious Japanese team at the 2017 Asia Mixed Team Championships and of the victorious women's team at the 2018 Asia Team Championships, 2018 Asian Games, and the 2018 Uber Cup.

6. Arisa Higashino (b. 1996)

With an HPI of 38.90, Arisa Higashino is the 6th most famous Japanese Badminton Player.  Her biography has been translated into 15 different languages.

Arisa Igarashi (五十嵐 有紗, Igarashi Arisa, née Higashino; born 1 August 1996) is a Japanese badminton player. She won bronze in the mixed team at the Asian Junior Championships in 2013 and 2014, and competed at the 2014 World Junior Championships, winning two bronzes in the mixed doubles and team event. Higashino won her maiden Super 1000 tournament at the 2018 and 2021 All England Open in the mixed doubles event, partnering with Yuta Watanabe, and had also won 2 consecutive bronze medals in mixed doubles at the 2020 and 2024 Summer Olympics.

7. Hiroyuki Endo (b. 1986)

With an HPI of 37.74, Hiroyuki Endo is the 7th most famous Japanese Badminton Player.  His biography has been translated into 13 different languages.

Hiroyuki Endo (遠藤 大由, Endō Hiroyuki, born 16 December 1986) is a retired Japanese badminton player. He competed at the 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics. In 2009, he joined the Unisys badminton team.

8. Yuki Fukushima (b. 1993)

With an HPI of 37.40, Yuki Fukushima is the 8th most famous Japanese Badminton Player.  Her biography has been translated into 12 different languages.

Yuki Fukushima (福島由紀, Fukushima Yūki, born 6 May 1993) is a Japanese badminton player affiliated with Gifu Bluvic. She and her partner Sayaka Hirota won the 2017 Most Improved Player of the Year award. The duo were ranked as world No. 1 at the BWF World Ranking in 21 June 2018.

9. Kodai Naraoka (b. 2001)

With an HPI of 36.97, Kodai Naraoka is the 9th most famous Japanese Badminton Player.  His biography has been translated into 12 different languages.

Kodai Naraoka (奈良岡 功大, Naraoka Kōdai, born 30 June 2001) is a Japanese badminton player affiliated with NTT East. Born in Aomori, he started playing badminton at the age of 5 with the influence of his father. He won the silver medal at the 2023 World Championships. In his junior career, Naraoka has won a silver at the World Junior Championships in 2018, where he previously claimed a bronze in 2017. He represented his country competed at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, Argentina, won the bronze medals in the boys' singles and mixed team event.

10. Mayu Matsumoto (b. 1995)

With an HPI of 36.32, Mayu Matsumoto is the 10th most famous Japanese Badminton Player.  Her biography has been translated into 11 different languages.

Mayu Matsumoto (松本 麻佑, Matsumoto Mayu, born 7 August 1995) is a Japanese badminton player. Born in Hokkaido, she graduated from Shiritsu Towanomorisanai High School. She was part of the Hokuto Bank team. Matsumoto was awarded as the 2018 Most Improved Player of the Year by the BWF together with her partner Wakana Nagahara. They obtained the honor after their win in the 2018 BWF World Championships title and improving their ranking from 14 to 3 in the world. In 30 April 2019, she reached a career high as a women's doubles world No. 1.