Kobayashi ( Japanese: , 'small woods') is the 8th most common Japanese surname. A less common variant is . Notable people with the surname include:

Arts

Film, television, theater and music

*, Japanese actress and voice actress *, Japanese actor *, Japanese actor *, Japanese voice actor *, Japanese voice actor *, Japanese musician *, Japanese actor *, Japanese voice actress *, Japanese actor *, Japanese comedian and actor *, Japanese comedian, actor, dramaturge, theatre director and manga artist *, Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator *, Japanese film director *, Japanese voice actor *, Japanese dancer and actor *, Japanese actor *, Japanese actress *, Japanese actress *, Japanese actress and voice actress *, Japanese musician *, Japanese actress *, Japanese actor *, Japanese musician *, Japanese singer and model *, Japanese actress *, Japanese voice actress *, Japanese voice actress *, Japanese voice actor

Literature

* Audrey Kobayashi (born 1951), Canadian geographer and writer *, Japanese writer and literary critic *, Japanese chef and food writer *, Japanese poet *, Japanese writer and communist * Tamai Kobayashi (born 1965), Canadian writer *, Japanese screenwriter *, Japanese writer

Music

*, Japanese singer and voice actress *, Japanese classical pianist *, Japanese actress and singer * Hana Kobayashi (born 1982), Venezuelan singer *, Japanese jazz saxophonist and flautist *, Japanese music producer, better known as Kobametal *, Japanese model, actress and singer * Ron Kobayashi, American jazz pianist *, Japanese enka singer and voice actress *, Japanese voice actress and singer *, Japanese video game composer and pianist * Satoru Kobayashi (disambiguation), multiple people *, Japanese classical composer *, Japanese keyboardist, lyricist, composer, arranger and record producer *, Japanese roboticist *, Japanese voice actress and singer

Other artists

*, Japanese artist *, Japanese ukiyo-e painter and printmaker *, Japanese painter *, Japanese manga artist *, Japanese artist * Kunio Kobayashi (bonsai artist) (小林國雄 born 1948), Japanese bonsai artist *, Japanese photographer *, Japanese manga artist *, Japanese artist *, Japanese photographer *, Japanese photographer * Robert Kobayashi (1925–2015), American artist *, Japanese anime director *, Japanese manga artist *, Japanese anime director *, Japanese manga artist *, Japanese photographer

Military

*, Japanese samurai *, Imperial Japanese Navy admiral *, Imperial Japanese Navy admiral and Governor-General of Taiwan

Politics and law

* Ann Kobayashi (born 1937), American politician and businesswoman * Bert T. Kobayashi (1916–2005), Justice of the Supreme Court of Hawaii * Bertrand Kobayashi (fl. 2010s), American politician * Leslie E. Kobayashi (born 1957), American judge *, Japanese politician, 6th Mayor of Niitsu, Niigata *, Japanese politician *, Japanese politician

Scientists and engineers

* Albert S. Kobayashi (1924–2025), American engineer and scientist *, Japanese electrical engineer and computer scientist * Kevin Wesley Kobayashi, American engineer *, Japanese academic * Makoto Kobayashi (小林誠 born 1944), Japanese physicist * Riki Kobayashi (1924–2013), American chemical engineer *, Japanese-American mathematician *, Japanese amateur astronomer *, Japanese computer scientist *, Japanese astronomer *, Japanese mathematician

Sports

Baseball

*, Japanese baseball player *, Japanese baseball player *, Japanese baseball player *, Japanese baseball player

Football (soccer)

*, Japanese footballer *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese footballer * Hiroki Kobayashi (footballer, born 1992), Japanese footballer *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese footballer * Paulinho Kobayashi (born 1970), Brazilian footballer *, Japanese women's footballer *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese footballer and manager *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese footballer and manager *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese women's footballer *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese footballer * Yugo Kobayashi (footballer) (born 1991), Japanese footballer * Yuki Kobayashi (football, born 2000), Japanese footballer *, Japanese footballer * Zach Kobayashi (born 1997), American soccer player

Mind sports

*, Japanese Go player *, Japanese shogi player *, Japanese Go player *, Japanese Go player

Winter sports

*, Japanese ski jumper *, Japanese biathlete *, Japanese Nordic combined skier *, Japanese figure skater and coach *, Japanese ski jumper *, Japanese bobsledder

Wrestling

*, or Yosuke Kobayashi, Japanese professional wrestler *, Japanese professional wrestler *, Japanese professional wrestler *, also known as Hideo Itami, Japanese professional wrestler *, Japanese professional wrestler *, Japanese sport wrestler

Other athletes

* , Japanese synchronized swimmer * Celes Kobayashi (born 1974), Japanese boxer *, Japanese basketball player * Dawn Kobayashi (born 1971), Jamaican sport shooter * Etsuko Kobayashi (born 1992), Japanese cricketer *, Japanese golfer *, Japanese middle-distance runner *, Japanese sprint canoeist *, Japanese slalom canoeist *, Japanese racewalker *, racing driver *, Japanese diver *, Japanese gymnast * Kunio Kobayashi (karateka) (小林國雄 born 1967), Japanese karateka *, Japanese rower *, Japanese cyclist *, Japanese golfer *, Japanese squash player *, Japanese swimmer *, Japanese three-cushion billiards player * Royal Kobayashi (born 1949), Japanese boxer * Ryosei Kobayashi (born 1994), Japanese squash player *, Japanese sport shooter *, Japanese judoka *, Japanese competitive eater *, Japanese aikidoka *, Japanese softball player *, Japanese badminton player *, Japanese cyclist *, Japanese middle- and long-distance runner *, Japanese basketball player

Others

*, Japanese gravure idol * Hannah Kobayashi (born 1994), American missing person *, Japanese AV idol *, Japanese industrialist *, Japanese idol *, Japanese economist *, Japanese businessman *, Japanese conductor and composer * Sanzaburo Kobayashi (小林参三郎, 1863–1926), Japanese surgeon *, Japanese journalist *, Japanese businessman *, Japanese fashion model

Fictional characters

*, a character in the manga series ''The Law of Ueki'' *, the protagonist in the manga series '' Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid'' *Kobayashi, a character in the film ''

The Usual Suspects ''The Usual Suspects'' is a 1995 crime thriller film directed by Bryan Singer and written by Christopher McQuarrie. It stars Stephen Baldwin, Gabriel Byrne, Benicio del Toro, Kevin Pollak, Chazz Palminteri, Pete Postlethwaite and Kevin S ...

'' *, a character in the manga series '' Doki Doki School Hours'' * Amiko Kobayashi, a character in Marvel Comics *Atari Kobayashi, a character in the film '' Isle of Dogs'' *Daigo Kobayashi, a character in the film ''Departures'' *, a character in the anime series ''Mobile Suit Gundam'' *, a character in the manga series '' Cheeky Angel'' * and , characters in the manga series ''Angelic Layer'' *Koji Kobayashi, a character in the film '' Godzilla Raids Again'' *Masafumi Kobayashi, a character in the film '' Noroi: The Curse'' *, a character in the media franchise '' Project 575'' *, a character in the manga series ''Please Save My Earth'' *, protagonist of the manga series '' Kemeko Deluxe!'' *Sashi Kobayashi, a character in the Disney XD animated series '' Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero'' *, a character in the manga series ''Case Closed'' *Tamami Kobayashi (小林玉美) a side character in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable *, also known as Washu Hakubi, a character in ''Tenchi Muyō!'' media

References

{{Surname Japanese-language surnames