List of Japanese boxing world champions

This is a list of Japanese boxing world champions who have won major world titles from the "Big four" governing bodies in professional boxing namely the World Boxing Association (WBA), World Boxing Council (WBC), International Boxing Federation (IBF) and World Boxing Organization (WBO). It was in 1952 that Yoshio Shirai won the world flyweight crown, becoming the first Japanese world champion. Japan ranks fourth worldwide between countries with the most boxing world champions.

The most thriving period of Japan's boxing ran from the 1960s to the early 1970s. In the "golden 60s," Fighting Harada won championships in two divisions—flyweight and bantamweight. In the 1970s, Japan had 5 world champions for a short period at the same time. Notable achievements in that period were Kuniaki Shibata's attainment of 3 world championships in two divisions, Guts Ishimatsu captured the WBC lightweight championship becoming the first Japanese champion in the lightweight division. Koichi Wajima, one of the most popular boxers in Japan for his peculiar "Frog Jump" uppercut punch, also left a big footstep in Japan's boxing history by winning junior middleweight championship 3 times including 6 consecutive title defenses.

List of men's professional boxing world champions

The following is a list of Japanese boxing champions who have held titles from one or more of the "Big Four" organizations (WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO) and The Ring.

WBA has four recognized world champions, Super, Undisputed, Unified, and Regular. The highest tier title is considered the primary champion of the division. Only boxers who are in the primary champion lineage are listed.

The ranking of WBA's primary champions are as follows: Super/Undisputed Unified Regular

Other former international/national-world boxing commissions and organizations from the beginning of boxing are also included here: New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) National Boxing Association (NBA) - changed its name to World Boxing Association (WBA) in 1962

Inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame World titles from world and The Ring WBA Regular champion ‡ denotes that the WBA Super, Undisputed, and Unified is vacant/vacated during his title reign. The Regular title becomes the primary tile.

No.NameTitlesDateOpponentResult1Yoshio Shirai NYSAC Flyweight May 19, 1952 Dado Marino UD 15/15NBA FlyweightThe Ring Flyweight2Fighting HaradaNYSAC Flyweight Oct 10, 1962 Pone Kingpetch KO 11/15WBA FlyweightThe Ring FlyweightWBA Bantamweight May 18, 1965 Éder Jofre SD 15/15WBC BantamweightThe Ring Bantamweight 3Hiroyuki EbiharaWBA Flyweight Sep 18, 1963 Pone Kingpetch KO 1/15WBC FlyweightThe Ring Flyweight WBA Flyweight – (2) Mar 30, 1969 Jose Severino UD 15/154 Takeshi FujiWBA Light welterweight Apr 30, 1967 Sandro Lopopolo KO 2/15WBC Light welterweightThe Ring Light welterweight5Yoshiaki NumataWBA Super featherweight Jun 15, 1967 Flash Elorde MD 15/15WBC Super featherweight The Ring Super featherweightWBC Super featherweight – (2) Apr 5, 1970 Rene Barrientos SD 15/156Hiroshi KobayashiWBA Super featherweight Dec 14, 1967 Yoshiaki Numata MD 15/15WBC Super featherweightThe Ring Super featherweight7 Shozo SaijoWBA Featherweight Sep 27, 1968 Raul Rojas UD 15/158 Masao OhbaWBA Flyweight Oct 22, 1970 Berkrerk Chartvanchai TKO 13/159Kuniaki Shibata WBC Featherweight Dec 11, 1970 Vincente Saldivar RTD 12/15The Ring Featherweight WBA Super featherweightMar 12, 1973 Ben Villaflor UD 15/15The Ring Super featherweight WBC Super featherweightFeb 28, 1974 Ricardo Arredondo UD 15/1510 Koichi WajimaWBA Light middleweight Oct 31, 1971 Carmelo Bossi SD 15/15WBC Light middleweight The Ring Light middleweight WBA Light middleweight – (2) Jan 21, 1975 Oscar Albarado UD 15/15WBC Light middleweight – (2)The Ring Light middleweight – (2)WBA Light middleweight – (3) Jan 17, 1976 Yuh Jae-Doo KO 15/1511 Guts IshimatsuWBC Lightweight Apr 11, 1974 Rodolfo Gato González TKO 8/1512 Shoji OgumaWBC Flyweight Oct 1, 1974 Betulio González SD 15/15WBC Flyweight – (2) May 18, 1980 Park Chan-Hee KO 9/15The Ring Flyweight 13Susumu HanagataWBA Flyweight Oct 18, 1974 Chartchai Chionoi TKO 6/1514Royal KobayashiWBC Super bantamweight Oct 9, 1976 Rigoberto Riasco TKO 8/1515Yoko GushikenWBA Light flyweight Oct 10, 1976 Juan Antonio Guzmán KO 7/1516Masashi Kudo WBA Light middleweightAug 9, 1978 Eddie Gazo SD 15/15 The Ring Light middleweight 17Shigeo NakajimaWBC Light flyweight Jan 3, 1980 Kim Sung-Jun UD 15/1518Yasutsune Uehara WBA Super featherweight Aug 2, 1980 Samuel Serrano KO 6/15 The Ring Super featherweight19Tadashi MiharaWBA Light middleweight Nov 7, 1981 Rocky Frato MD 15/1520Katsuo TokashikiWBA Light flyweight Dec 16, 1981 Kim Hwan Jin UD 15/1521Jiro WatanabeWBA Super flyweight Apr 8, 1982 Rafael Pedroza UD 15/15WBC Super flyweight Nov 29, 1984 Payao Poontarat UD 12/1222Tadashi TomoriWBC Light flyweight Apr 13, 1982 Amado Ursúa UD 12/1223Kōji Kobayashi WBC FlyweightJan 18, 1984 Frank Cedeno TKO 2/12 The Ring Flyweight24Satoshi ShingakiIBF Bantamweight Apr 15, 1984 Elmer Magallano TKO 8/1225Tsuyoshi HamadaWBC Light welterweight Jul 24, 1986 René Arredondo KO 1/1226Takuya MugurumaWBA Bantamweight Mar 29, 1987 Azael Moran KO 5/1227Hiroki IokaWBC Mini flyweight Oct 18, 1987 Mai Thomburifarm UD 12/12WBA Light flyweight Dec 17, 1991 Yuh Myung-Woo SD 12/1228Hideyuki OhashiWBC Mini flyweight Feb 7, 1990 Choi Jum-Hwan TKO 5/12WBA Mini flyweight Oct 14, 1992 Choi Hi-Yong UD 12/1229Leopard TamakumaWBA Flyweight Jul 29, 1990 Lee Yul-Woo TKO 10/1230Kiyoshi HatanakaWBC Super bantamweight Feb 3, 1991 Pedro Rubén Décima TKO 8/1231Joichiro TatsuyoshiWBC Bantamweight Sep 19, 1991 Greg Richardson RTD 10/12WBC Bantamweight – (2) Nov 22, 1997 Sirimongkol Singwancha TKO 7/1232Katsuya OnizukaWBA Super flyweight Apr 10, 1992 Thanomsak Sithbaobay UD 12/1233Akinobu HiranakaWBA Light welterweight Apr 10, 1992 Edwin Rosario TKO 1/1234Yasuei YakushijiWBC BantamweightDec 23, 1993 Byun Jung-Il SD 12/1235Hiroshi KawashimaWBC Super flyweightMay 4, 1994 Jose Luis Bueno UD 12/1236Shinji TakeharaWBA Middleweight Dec 19, 1995 Jorge Castro UD 12/1237Keiji YamaguchiWBA Light flyweight May 21, 1996 Carlos Murillo SD 12/1238Satoshi IidaWBA Super flyweight Dec 23, 1997 Yokthai Sithoar UD 12/1239Takanori HatakeyamaWBA Super featherweight Sep 5, 1998 Choi Yong-Soo UD 12/12WBA Lightweight Jun 11, 2000 Gilberto Serrano TKO 8/1240Hideki TodakaWBA Super flyweight Mar 18, 1999 Jesus Kiki Rojas UD 12/1241Keitaro HoshinoWBA Mini flyweight Dec 6, 2000 Joma Gamboa UD 12/12WBA Mini flyweight – (2) Jan 29, 2002 Joma Gamboa UD 12/1242Celes KobayashiWBA Super flyweight Mar 11, 2001 Leo Gámez TKO 10/1243Yutaka NiidaWBA Mini flyweight Aug 25, 2001 Chana PorpaoinUD 12/12WBA Mini flyweight – (2) Jul 3, 2004 Noel Arambulet UD 12/1244Osamu SatoWBA Super bantamweight May 18, 2002 Yoddamrong Sithyodthong KO 8/1245Katsushige KawashimaWBC Super flyweight Jun 28, 2004 Masamori Tokuyama KO 1/1245Katsunari TakayamaWBC Mini flyweight Apr 4, 2005 Isaac Bustos UD 12/12IBF Mini flyweight Mar 30, 2013 Mario Rodríguez UD 12/12IBF Mini flyweight – (2)Dec 31, 2014 Go Odaira TKO 7/12WBO Mini flyweightWBO Mini flyweight – (2)Aug 20, 2016 Riku Kano TD 6/1246 Hozumi Hasegawa WBC Bantamweight Apr 16, 2005 Veeraphol Sahaprom UD 12/12WBC Featherweight Nov 26, 2010 Juan Carlos Burgos UD 12/12WBC Super bantamweightSep 16, 2016 Hugo Ruiz RTD 9/1247Takashi KoshimotoWBC Featherweight Jan 29, 2006 Chi In-Jin UD 12/1248Nobuo NashiroWBA Super flyweight Jul 22, 2006 Martín Castillo TKO 10/1249Koki KamedaWBA Light flyweight Aug 2, 2006 Juan Jose LandaetaSD 12/12WBC FlyweightNov 29, 2009 Daisuke Naito UD 12/1250Takefumi SakataWBA FlyweightMar 19, 2007 Lorenzo Parra TKO 3/1251Daisuke NaitoWBC FlyweightJul 18, 2007 Pongsaklek WonjongkamUD 12/1252Toshiaki NishiokaWBC Super bantamweightJan 3, 2009 Genaro García TKO 12/1253Takahiro AoWBC FeatherweightMar 12, 2009 Óscar Larios UD 12/12WBC Super featherweightNov 26, 2010 Vitali Tajbert UD 12/1254Takashi UchiyamaWBA (Regular) Super featherweight Jan 11, 2010 Juan Carlos Salgado TKO 12/12Feb 15, 2015Promoted55Daiki KamedaWBA Flyweight Feb 7, 2010 Denkaosan Kaovichit UD 12/12IBF Super flyweight Sep 3, 2013 Rodrigo Guerrero UD 12/1256Akifumi ShimodaWBA (Regular) Super bantamweightJan 31, 2011 Ryol Li Lee UD 12/1257Kazuto IokaWBC Mini flyweight Feb 11, 2011 Oleydong Sithsamerchai TKO 5/12WBA Mini flyweightJun 20, 2012 Akira YaegashiUD 12/12WBA (Regular) Light flyweight Jan 14, 2014Primary champion vacant WBA (Regular) FlyweightSep 14, 2016Primary champion vacantWBO Super flyweight Jun 19, 2019 Aston Palicte TKO 10/12WBA Super flyweightJun 24, 2023 Joshua FrancoUD 12/1258Tomonobu ShimizuWBA (Regular) Super flyweight Aug 31, 2011 Hugo Cázares SD 12/1259Akira Yaegashi WBA Mini flyweight Oct 24, 2011 Pornsawan Porpramook TKO 10/12WBC FlyweightApr 8, 2013 Toshiyuki Igarashi UD 12/12The Ring FlyweightIBF Light flyweight Dec 29, 2015 Javier Mendoza UD 12/1260Shinsuke YamanakaWBC BantamweightNov 6, 2011 Christian Esquivel TKO 11/1261Yota SatoWBC Super flyweight Mar 27, 2012 Suriyan Sor Rungvisai UD 12/1262Toshiyuki IgarashiWBC Super flyweightJul 16, 2012 Sonny Boy Jaro SD 12/12The Ring Super flyweight 63Kohei KonoWBA (Regular) Super flyweightDec 31, 2012 Tepparith Singwancha TKO 4/12WBA (Regular) Super flyweight – (2)Mar 26, 2014 Denkaosan Kaovichit KO 8/1264Ryo MiyazakiWBA Mini flyweight Dec 31, 2012 Pornsawan Porpramook SD 12/1265Takashi MiuraWBC Super featherweight Apr 8, 2013 Gamaliel Díaz TKO 9/1266Tomoki KamedaWBO Bantamweight Aug 1, 2013 Paulus Ambunda UD 12/1267Naoya InoueWBC Light flyweight Apr 6, 2014 Adrián Hernández TKO 6/12WBO Super flyweight Dec 12, 2014 Omar Narváez KO 2/12IBF Bantamweight May 18, 2019 Emmanuel Rodríguez TKO 2/12The Ring BantamweightWBA (Super) BantamweightNov 7, 2019 Nonito DonaireUD 12/12WBC BantamweightJun 7, 2022 Nonito DonaireTKO 2/12WBO BantamweightDec 14, 2022 Paul ButlerTKO 11/12WBC Super bantamweightJul 25, 2023 Stephen Fulton TKO 8/12 WBO Super bantamweightWBA (Super) Super bantamweightDec 26, 2023 Marlon Tapales KO 10/12 IBF Super bantamweight The Ring Super bantamweight68Ryoichi Taguchi WBA (Regular) Light flyweight Dec 31, 2014 Alberto RosselUD 12/12Dec 31, 2017 Milan MelindoUD 12/12IBF Light flyweightDec 31, 2017 Milan Melindo UD 12/12 The Ring Light flyweight69Kosei TanakaWBO Mini flyweight May 30, 2015 Julian Yedras UD 12/12WBO Light flyweight Dec 31, 2016 Moisés Fuentes TKO 5/12 WBO Flyweight Sep 24, 2018 Sho Kimura MD 12/12 WBO Super flyweight Feb 24, 2024 Christian Bacasegua UD 12/1270Yu KimuraWBC Light flyweight Nov 28, 2015 Pedro GuevaraSD 12/1271Yukinori OguniIBF Super bantamweightDec 31, 2016 Jonathan GuzmánUD 12/1272Tatsuya FukuharaWBO Mini flyweightFeb 26, 2017 Moises CallerosSD 12/1273Daigo HigaWBC Flyweight May 20, 2017 Juan Hernández TKO 6/1274Kenshiro TerajiWBC Light flyweight May 20, 2017 Ganigan López MD 12/12WBC Light flyweight – (2) Mar 19, 2022Masamichi Yabuki KO 3/12WBA Light flyweight