Kanai (written: , ) is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: *, Japanese javelin thrower * Hiroyuki Kanai, Japanese philatelist *

Katsu Kanai is a Japanese experimental and avant-garde film director. The Harvard Film Archive has called him "one of the most vital and inventive filmmakers in the history of Japanese underground film". Career Born the son of a farmer in Kanagawa Prefectur ...

, Japanese film director *

Kikuko Kanai was a Japanese composer and one of the first Japanese women to compose classical music in the Western tradition. Biography Kikuko Kawahira was born on the Ryukyu island of Miyako-jima, Okinawa Prefecture, Okinawa, and studied voice at the Niho ...

(1911–1986), Japanese composer *, Japanese shogi player * Kiyotaka Kanai, astronomer * Lincoln Kanai, Japanese-American activist *

Mieko Kanai is a Japanese writer, poet, and literary critic. Biography Mieko Kanai was born in Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture, November 3, 1947. Her father died when she was six years of age. She has a sister who is a painter and illustrator. Kanai graduated f ...

, fiction writer *, voice actress, also known as Mika Yamadera *

Mitsunari Kanai Mitsunari Kanai (1939 – March 28, 2004) was an aikido and iaido teacher born in Japan, who spent most of his teaching career in the United States. He was an 8th dan teacher with the title shihan in the organisation Aikikai. Life Kanai Sensei ...

, aikido teacher *

Norishige Kanai is a Japanese doctor and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA astronaut. He is a lieutenant and Diving Medical Officer in the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (Medical Service Division, 1st Service School). He served as a crew member on boar ...

, Japanese astronaut *, Japanese businessman *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese hurdler *

Yuta Kanai is a Japanese actor. Personal life Kanai was born and raised in Fussa, Tokyo, Japan. In late 2012, Kanai announced on his blog that he had registered his marriage to his non-celebrity partner. He has two children, a son born on June 17, 2013, a ...

, actor *

Yutaka Kanai was a Japanese long-distance runner. He competed in the men's 10,000 metres at the 1984 Summer Olympics The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and commonly known as Los Angeles 1984) were an international mul ...

(1959–1990), Japanese long-distance runner

Fictional characters

Izumi Kanai The following is a list of characters that appear in the novel, manga and film versions of ''Battle Royale''. Primary characters Shuya Nanahara * Assigned weapon: Army Knife (novel and manga); Pot lid (film) Boy #15 has witnessed a good d ...

, a character in the film ''Battle Royale'' *Kamon Kanai, antagonist in

Yakuza 5 is a 2012 action-adventure game developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and published by Sega for the PlayStation 3. The game is the fifth main entry in the ''Yakuza'' series. The game was released in December 2012 in Japan, and localized for North A ...

{{surname Japanese-language surnames