Kobayashi
Japanese family name (小林)
Kobayashi (Japanese: 小林, lit. 'small woods') is the 8th most common Japanese surname. A less common variant is 古林. Notable people with the surname include:
Arts
Film, television, theater and music
Ai Kobayashi (小林 愛; born 1973), Japanese actress and voice actress
Akiji Kobayashi (小林 昭二; 1930–1996), Japanese actor
Akira Kobayashi (小林 旭; born 1938), Japanese actor
Chiaki Kobayashi (小林 千晃; born 1994), Japanese voice actor
Chikahiro Kobayashi (小林 親弘; born 1983), Japanese voice actor
Haru Kobayashi (小林 ハル; 1900–2005), Japanese musician
Izumi Kobayashi (小林 泉美; born 1957), Japanese musician
Katsuya Kobayashi (小林 且弥; born 1981), Japanese actor
Kei Kobayashi (小林 希唯; born 1976), Japanese voice actress
Keiju Kobayashi (小林 桂樹; 1923–2010), Japanese actor
Kendo Kobayashi (ケンドーコバヤシ; born 1972), Japanese comedian and actor
Kentarō Kobayashi (小林 賢太郎; born 1973), Japanese comedian, actor, dramaturge, theatre director and manga artist
Kiyoshi Kobayashi (小林 清志; 1933–2022), Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator
Masaki Kobayashi (小林 正樹; 1916–1996), Japanese film director
Michitaka Kobayashi (小林 通孝; born 1955), Japanese voice actor
Naoki Kobayashi (小林 直己; born 1984), Japanese dancer and actor
Nenji Kobayashi (小林 稔侍; born 1941), Japanese actor
Ryoko Kobayashi (小林 涼子; born 1989), Japanese actress
Satomi Kobayashi (小林 聡美; born 1965), Japanese actress
Sayaka Kobayashi (小林 さやか; born 1970), Japanese actress and voice actress
Seidō Kobayashi (小林 正道; born 1944), Japanese musician
Seiran Kobayashi (小林 星蘭; born 2004), Japanese actress
Shigeo Kobayashi (小林 成男; born 1970), Japanese actor
Yasuhiro Kobayashi (小林 靖宏; born 1959), Japanese musician
Yui Kobayashi (小林 由依; born 1999), Japanese singer and model
Yukiko Kobayashi (小林 夕岐子; born 1946), Japanese actress
Yuko Kobayashi (小林 優子; born 1961), Japanese voice actress
Yumiko Kobayashi (小林 由美子; born 1979), Japanese voice actress
Yūsuke Kobayashi (小林 裕介; born 1985), Japanese voice actor
Literature
Audrey Kobayashi (born 1951), Canadian geographer and writer
Hideo Kobayashi (小林 秀雄; 1902–1983), Japanese writer and literary critic
Katsuyo Kobayashi (小林 カツ代; 1937–2014), Japanese chef and food writer
Kobayashi Issa (小林 一茶; 1763–1828), Japanese poet
Takiji Kobayashi (小林 多喜二; 1903–1933), Japanese writer and communist
Tamai Kobayashi (born 1966), Canadian writer
Yasuko Kobayashi (小林 靖子; born 1965), Japanese screenwriter
Yasumi Kobayashi (小林 泰三; born 1962), Japanese writer
Music
Aika Kobayashi (小林 愛香; born 1993), Japanese singer and voice actress
Aimi Kobayashi (小林 愛実; born 1995), Japanese classical pianist
Chie Kobayashi (小林 千絵; born 1963), Japanese actress and singer
Hana Kobayashi (born 1982), Venezuelan singer
Kaori Kobayashi (小林 香織; born 1981), Japanese jazz saxophonist and flautist
Key Kobayashi (小林 啓, Kobayashi Kei), Japanese music producer, better known as Kobametal
Megumi Kobayashi (小林 恵; born 1977), Japanese model, actress and singer
Ron Kobayashi, American jazz pianist
Sachiko Kobayashi (小林 幸子; born 1953), Japanese enka singer and voice actress
Sanae Kobayashi (小林 沙苗; born 1980), Japanese voice actress and singer
Saori Kobayashi (小林 早織), Japanese video game composer and pianist
Satoru Kobayashi (disambiguation), multiple people
Sumio Kobayashi (小林 純生; born 1982), Japanese classical composer
Takeshi Kobayashi (小林 武史; born 1959), Japanese keyboardist, lyricist, composer, arranger and record producer
Yo Kobayashi (小林 洋; born 1981), Japanese roboticist
Yū Kobayashi (小林 ゆう; born 1982), Japanese voice actress and singer
Other artists
Kobayashi Eitaku (小林 永濯; 1843–1890), Japanese artist
Kobayashi Kiyochika (小林 清親; 1847–1915), Japanese ukiyo-e painter and printmaker
Kokei Kobayashi (小林 古径; 1883–1957), Japanese painter
Jin Kobayashi (小林 尽; born 1977), Japanese manga artist
Kobayashi Keisei (小林 敬生; born 1944), Japanese artist
Kunio Kobayashi (bonsai artist) (小林 國雄 born 1948), Japanese bonsai artist
Meison Kobayashi (小林 鳴村; 1889–?), Japanese photographer
Motofumi Kobayashi (小林 源文; born 1951), Japanese manga artist
Naomi Kobayashi (小林 尚美; born 1945), Japanese artist
Norio Kobayashi (小林 のりお; born 1952), Japanese photographer
Shinichiro Kobayashi (小林 伸一郎), Japanese photographer
Robert Kobayashi (1925–2015), American artist
Tomoki Kobayashi (小林 智樹), Japanese anime director
Toshihiko Kobayashi (小林 俊彦), Japanese manga artist
Tsuneo Kobayashi (小林 常夫; born 1965), Japanese anime director
Yoshinori Kobayashi (小林 善範; born 1953), Japanese manga artist
Yūshi Kobayashi (小林 祐史; 1898–1988), Japanese photographer
Military
Kobayashi Torasaburō (小林 虎三郎; 1828–1877), Japanese samurai
Masami Kobayashi (小林 仁; 1890–1977), Imperial Japanese Navy admiral
Seizō Kobayashi (小林 躋造; 1877–1962), 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
Kazumi Kobayashi (小林 一三; born 1936), Japanese politician, 6th Mayor of Niitsu, Niigata
Masao Kobayashi (小林 正夫; born 1947), Japanese politician
Mieko Kobayashi (小林 美恵子; born 1958), Japanese politician
Scientists and engineers
Albert S. Kobayashi (born 1924), American engineer and scientist
Hisashi Kobayashi (小林 久志; 1938–2023), Japanese electrical engineer and computer scientist
Kevin Wesley Kobayashi, American engineer
Kiyoshi Kobayashi (professor) (小林 潔司), Japanese academic
Makoto Kobayashi (小林 誠 born 1944), Japanese physicist
Riki Kobayashi (1924–2013), American chemical engineer
Shoshichi Kobayashi (小林 昭七; 1932–2012), Japanese-American mathematician
Takao Kobayashi (小林 隆男; born 1961), Japanese amateur astronomer
Tatsuo Kobayashi (小林 龍生; born 1951), Japanese computer scientist
Toru Kobayashi (小林 徹), Japanese astronomer
Toshiyuki Kobayashi (小林 俊行; born 1962), Japanese mathematician
Sports
Baseball
Masahide Kobayashi (小林 雅英; born 1974), Japanese baseball player
Ryokan Kobayashi (小林 亮寛; born 1979), Japanese baseball player
Seiji Kobayashi (小林 誠司; born 1989), Japanese baseball player
Shigeru Kobayashi (小林 繁; 1952–2010), Japanese baseball player
Football (soccer)
Daigo Kobayashi (小林 大悟; born 1983), Japanese footballer
George Kobayashi (小林 ジョージ; born 1947), Japanese footballer
Hiroki Kobayashi (小林 弘記; born 1977), Japanese footballer
Hiroki Kobayashi (footballer, born 1992), Japanese footballer
Jun Kobayashi (小林 洵; born 1999), Japanese footballer
Kan Kobayashi (小林 幹; born 1999), Japanese footballer
Masamitsu Kobayashi (小林 成光; born 1978), Japanese footballer
Minoru Kobayashi (小林 稔; born 1976), Japanese footballer
Paulinho Kobayashi (born 1970), Brazilian footballer
Rikako Kobayashi (小林 里歌子; born 1997), Japanese women's footballer
Riku Kobayashi (小林 里駆; born 2001), Japanese footballer
Ryo Kobayashi (小林 亮; born 1982), Japanese footballer
Ryota Kobayashi (小林 亮太; born 1988), Japanese footballer
Seigo Kobayashi (小林 成豪; born 1994), Japanese footballer
Shinji Kobayashi (小林 伸二; born 1960), Japanese footballer and manager
Shota Kobayashi (古林 将太; born 1991), Japanese footballer
Tadao Kobayashi (小林 忠生; born 1930), Japanese footballer and manager
Tatsuki Kobayashi (小林 竜樹; born 1985), Japanese footballer
Teruaki Kobayashi (小林 久晃; born 1979), Japanese footballer
Yasutaka Kobayashi (小林 康剛; born 1980), Japanese footballer
Yayoi Kobayashi (小林 弥生; born 1981), Japanese women's footballer
Yoshiyuki Kobayashi (小林 慶行; born 1978), Japanese footballer
Yōsuke Kobayashi (小林 陽介; born 1983), Japanese footballer
Yu Kobayashi (footballer) (小林 悠; born 1987), Japanese footballer
Yugo Kobayashi (footballer) (born 1991), Japanese footballer
Yuki Kobayashi (football, born 2000), Japanese footballer
Yuzo Kobayashi (小林 祐三; born 1985), Japanese footballer
Mind sports
Izumi Kobayashi (小林 泉美; born 1977), Japanese Go player
Kenji Kobayashi (小林 健二; born 1957), Japanese shogi player
Koichi Kobayashi (小林 光一; born 1952), Japanese Go player
Reiko Kobayashi (Go player) (小林 禮子; 1939–1996), Japanese Go player
Winter sports
Junshirō Kobayashi (小林 潤志郎; born 1991), Japanese ski jumper
Miki Kobayashi (小林 美貴; born 1987), Japanese biathlete
Norihito Kobayashi (小林 範仁; born 1982), Japanese Nordic combined skier
Reiko Kobayashi (小林 れい子; born 1961), Japanese figure skater and coach
Ryōyū Kobayashi (小林 陵侑; born 1996), Japanese ski jumper
Ryuichi Kobayashi (小林 竜一; born 1976), Japanese bobsledder
Wrestling
Abdullah Kobayashi (アブドーラ小林; born 1976), or Yosuke Kobayashi, Japanese professional wrestler
Eita Kobayashi (小林 瑛太; born 1991), Japanese professional wrestler
Kaho Kobayashi (小林 香萌; born 1992), Japanese professional wrestler
Kenta Kobayashi (小林 健太; born 1981), also known as Hideo Itami, Japanese professional wrestler
Kuniaki Kobayashi (小林 邦昭; 1956–2024), Japanese professional wrestler
Takeshi Kobayashi (wrestler) (小林 武; born 1948), Japanese sport wrestler
Other athletes
Chisa Kobayashi (小林 千紗; born 1987), Japanese synchronized swimmer
Celes Kobayashi (born 1974), Japanese boxer
Daisuke Kobayashi (小林 大祐; born 1987), Japanese basketball player
Dawn Kobayashi (born 1971), Jamaican sport shooter
Etsuko Kobayashi (born 1992), Japanese cricketer
Fujio Kobayashi (小林 富士夫; born 1944), Japanese golfer
Fumikazu Kobayashi (小林 史和; born 1978), Japanese middle-distance runner
Hideo Kobayashi (canoeist) (小林 英男; born 1943), Japanese sprint canoeist
Hiroko Kobayashi (小林 弘子; born 1970), Japanese slalom canoeist
Kai Kobayashi (小林 快; born 1993), Japanese racewalker
Kamui Kobayashi (小林 可夢偉; born 1986), racing driver
Kazuo Kobayashi (小林 一男; 1908–?), Japanese diver
Kenya Kobayashi (小林 研也; born 1983), Japanese gymnast
Kunio Kobayashi (karateka) (小林 國雄 born 1967), Japanese karateka
Maki Kobayashi (小林 眞樹; born 1965), Japanese rower
Marino Kobayashi (小林 海; born 1994), Japanese cyclist
Masanori Kobayashi (小林 正則; born 1976), Japanese golfer
Misaki Kobayashi (小林 海咲; born 1990), Japanese squash player
Miwako Kobayashi (小林 美和子; born 1952), Japanese swimmer
Nobuaki Kobayashi (小林 伸明; 1942–2019), Japanese three-cushion billiards player
Royal Kobayashi (1949–2020), Japanese boxer
Ryosei Kobayashi (born 1994), Japanese squash player
Susumu Kobayashi (小林 晋; born 1973), Japanese sport shooter
Takako Kobayashi (小林 貴子; born 1968), Japanese judoka
Takeru Kobayashi (小林 尊; born 1978), Japanese competitive eater
Yasuo Kobayashi (小林 保雄; born 1936), Japanese aikidoka
Yoshimi Kobayashi (小林 良美; born 1968), Japanese softball player
Yugo Kobayashi (小林 優吾; born 1995), Japanese badminton player
Yuka Kobayashi (小林 優香; born 1994), Japanese cyclist
Yuriko Kobayashi (小林 祐梨子; born 1988), Japanese middle- and long-distance runner
Yuta Kobayashi (小林 祐太; born 1987), Japanese basketball player
Others
Emi Kobayashi (小林 恵美; born 1983), Japanese gravure idol
Hannah Kobayashi (born 1994), American missing person
Hitomi Kobayashi (小林 ひとみ; born 1965), Japanese AV idol
Ichizō Kobayashi (小林 一三; 1873–1957), Japanese industrialist
Kana Kobayashi (小林 香菜; born 1991), Japanese idol
Keiichiro Kobayashi (小林 慶一郎; born 1966), Japanese economist
Ken Kobayashi (小林 健; born 1949), Japanese businessman
Ken-Ichiro Kobayashi (小林 研一郎; born 1940), Japanese conductor and composer
Sanzaburo Kobayashi (小林 参三郎, 1863–1926), Japanese surgeon
Sosaku Kobayashi (小林 宗作; 1863–1963), Japanese educator
Maya Kobayashi (小林 麻耶; born 1979), Japanese journalist
Yotaro Kobayashi (小林 陽太郎; 1933–2015), Japanese businessman
Yumi Kobayashi (小林 優美; born 1988), Japanese fashion model
Fictional characters
Kobayashi (小林), a character in the manga series The Law of Ueki
Kobayashi (小林), the protagonist in the manga series Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid
Kobayashi, a character in the film The Usual Suspects
Akane Kobayashi (小林 あかね), 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
Hayato Kobayashi (ハヤト・コバヤシ), a character in the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam
Hitomonji Kobayashi (小林 一文字), a character in the manga series Cheeky Angel
Hatoko Kobayashi (小林 鳩子) and Kotaro Kobayashi (小林 虎太郎), 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
Matcha Kobayashi (小林 抹茶), a character in the media franchise Project 575
Rin Kobayashi (小林 輪), a character in the manga series Please Save My Earth
Sanpeita Kobayashi (小林 三平太), protagonist of the manga series Kemeko Deluxe!
Sashi Kobayashi, a character in the Disney XD animated series Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero
Sumiko Kobayashi (小林 澄子), 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
Washu Kobayashi (小林 鷲羽), also known as Washu Hakubi, a character in Tenchi Muyō!
“Kobayashi” enters the record as japanese family name (小林). Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Kobayashi, Japanese and family can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“Kobayashi” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Kobayashi, Japanese and family provides the most credible route into that argument.
The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Apr 25, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q947991. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1973, 1930, 1996 and 1938.
A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
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The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Kobayashi”, its source revision and the description used here.
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- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
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This entry incorporates text from “Kobayashi” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.