Kobayashi

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:

Film, television, theater and music

 * Ai Kobayashi (小林 愛), Japanese actress and voice actress
 * Akiji Kobayashi (小林 昭二), Japanese actor
 * Akira Kobayashi (小林 旭), Japanese actor
 * Chiaki Kobayashi (小林 千晃), Japanese voice actor
 * Chikahiro Kobayashi (小林 親弘), Japanese voice actor
 * Haru Kobayashi (小林 ハル), Japanese musician
 * Katsuya Kobayashi (小林 且弥), Japanese actor
 * Kei Kobayashi (小林 希唯), Japanese voice actress
 * Keiju Kobayashi (小林 桂樹), Japanese actor
 * Kendo Kobayashi (ケンドーコバヤシ), Japanese comedian and actor
 * Kentarō Kobayashi (小林 賢太郎), Japanese comedian, actor, dramaturge, theatre director and manga artist
 * Kiyoshi Kobayashi (小林 清志), Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator
 * Masaki Kobayashi (小林 正樹), Japanese film director
 * Michitaka Kobayashi (小林 通孝), Japanese voice actor
 * Naoki Kobayashi (小林 直己), Japanese dancer and actor
 * Nenji Kobayashi (小林 稔侍), Japanese actor
 * Ryoko Kobayashi (小林 涼子), Japanese actress
 * Satomi Kobayashi (小林 聡美), Japanese actress
 * Sayaka Kobayashi (小林 さやか), Japanese actress and voice actress
 * Seidō Kobayashi (小林 正道), Japanese musician
 * Seiran Kobayashi (小林 星蘭), Japanese actress
 * Shigeo Kobayashi (小林 成男), Japanese actor
 * Yasuhiro Kobayashi (小林 靖宏), Japanese musician
 * Yui Kobayashi (小林 由依), Japanese singer and model
 * Yukiko Kobayashi (小林 夕岐子), Japanese actress
 * Yuko Kobayashi (小林 優子), Japanese voice actress
 * Yumiko Kobayashi (小林 由美子), Japanese voice actress
 * Yūsuke Kobayashi (小林 裕介), Japanese voice actor

Literature

 * Audrey Kobayashi (born 1951), Canadian geographer and writer
 * Hideo Kobayashi (小林 秀雄), Japanese writer and literary critic
 * Katsuyo Kobayashi (小林 カツ代), Japanese chef and food writer
 * Kobayashi Issa (小林 一茶), Japanese poet
 * Takiji Kobayashi (小林 多喜二), Japanese writer and communist
 * Tamai Kobayashi (born 1965), Canadian writer
 * Yasuko Kobayashi (小林 靖子), Japanese screenwriter
 * Yasumi Kobayashi (小林 泰三), Japanese writer

Music

 * Aika Kobayashi (小林 愛香), Japanese singer and voice actress
 * Aimi Kobayashi (小林 愛実), Japanese classical pianist
 * Chie Kobayashi (小林 千絵), Japanese actress and singer
 * Hana Kobayashi (born 1982), Venezuelan singer
 * Kaori Kobayashi (小林 香織), Japanese jazz saxophonist and flautist
 * Key Kobayashi (小林 啓), Japanese music producer, better known as Kobametal
 * Megumi Kobayashi (小林 恵), Japanese model, actress and singer
 * Ron Kobayashi, American jazz pianist
 * Sachiko Kobayashi (小林 幸子), Japanese enka singer and voice actress
 * Sanae Kobayashi (小林 沙苗), 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), Japanese classical composer
 * Takeshi Kobayashi (小林 武史), Japanese keyboardist, lyricist, composer, arranger and record producer
 * Yo Kobayashi (小林 洋), Japanese roboticist
 * Yū Kobayashi (小林 ゆう), Japanese voice actress and singer

Other artists

 * Kobayashi Eitaku (小林 永濯), Japanese artist
 * Kobayashi Kiyochika (小林 清親), Japanese ukiyo-e painter and printmaker
 * Kokei Kobayashi (小林 古径), Japanese painter
 * Jin Kobayashi (小林 尽), Japanese manga artist
 * Kobayashi Keisei (小林 敬生), Japanese artist
 * Kunio Kobayashi (bonsai artist) (小林 國雄 born 1948), Japanese bonsai artist
 * Meison Kobayashi (小林 鳴村), Japanese photographer
 * Motofumi Kobayashi (小林 源文), Japanese manga artist
 * Naomi Kobayashi (小林 尚美), Japanese artist
 * Norio Kobayashi (小林 のりお), 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), Japanese anime director
 * Yoshinori Kobayashi (小林 善範), Japanese manga artist
 * Yūshi Kobayashi (小林 祐史), Japanese photographer

Military

 * Kobayashi Torasaburō (小林 虎三郎), Japanese samurai
 * Masami Kobayashi (小林 仁), Imperial Japanese Navy admiral
 * Seizō Kobayashi (小林 躋造), 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), Japanese politician, 6th Mayor of Niitsu, Niigata
 * Masao Kobayashi (小林 正夫), Japanese politician
 * Mieko Kobayashi (小林 美恵子), Japanese politician

Scientists and engineers

 * Hisashi Kobayashi (小林 久志), Japanese electrical engineer and computer scientist
 * Kevin Wesley Kobayashi, American engineer
 * Kiyoshi Kobayashi (professor) (小林 潔司), Japanese academic
 * Shoshichi Kobayashi (小林 昭七), Japanese-American mathematician
 * Riki Kobayashi (1924–2013), American chemical engineer
 * Makoto Kobayashi (小林 誠 born 1944), Japanese physicist
 * Takao Kobayashi (小林 隆男), Japanese amateur astronomer
 * Tatsuo Kobayashi (小林 龍生), Japanese computer scientist
 * Toru Kobayashi (小林 徹), Japanese astronomer
 * Toshiyuki Kobayashi (小林 俊行), Japanese mathematician

Baseball

 * Masahide Kobayashi (小林 雅英), Japanese baseball player
 * Ryokan Kobayashi (小林 亮寛), Japanese baseball player
 * Seiji Kobayashi (小林 誠司), Japanese baseball player
 * Shigeru Kobayashi (小林 繁), Japanese baseball player

Football (soccer)

 * Daigo Kobayashi (小林 大悟), Japanese footballer
 * Fumiya Kobayashi (小林 史八), Japanese footballer
 * George Kobayashi (小林 ジョージ), Japanese footballer
 * Hidemasa Kobayashi (小林 秀征), Japanese footballer
 * Hiroki Kobayashi (小林 弘記), Japanese footballer
 * Hiroki Kobayashi (footballer, born 1992), Japanese footballer
 * Jun Kobayashi (小林 洵), Japanese footballer
 * Kan Kobayashi (小林 幹), Japanese footballer
 * Masamitsu Kobayashi (小林 成光), Japanese footballer
 * Minoru Kobayashi (小林 稔), Japanese footballer
 * Paulinho Kobayashi (born 1970), Brazilian footballer
 * Rikako Kobayashi (小林 里歌子), Japanese women's footballer
 * Riku Kobayashi (小林 里駆), Japanese footballer
 * Ryo Kobayashi (小林 亮), Japanese footballer
 * Ryota Kobayashi (小林 亮太), Japanese footballer
 * Seigo Kobayashi (小林 成豪), Japanese footballer
 * Shinji Kobayashi (小林 伸二), Japanese footballer and manager
 * Shota Kobayashi (古林 将太), Japanese footballer
 * Tadao Kobayashi (小林 忠生), Japanese footballer and manager
 * Takamichi Kobayashi (小林 高道), Japanese footballer
 * Tatsuki Kobayashi (小林 竜樹), Japanese footballer
 * Teruaki Kobayashi (小林 久晃), Japanese footballer
 * Tomomitsu Kobayashi (小林 智光), Japanese footballer
 * Yasutaka Kobayashi (小林 康剛), Japanese footballer
 * Yayoi Kobayashi (小林 弥生), Japanese women's footballer
 * Yoshiyuki Kobayashi (小林 慶行), Japanese footballer
 * Yōsuke Kobayashi (小林 陽介), Japanese footballer
 * Yu Kobayashi (footballer) (小林 悠), Japanese footballer
 * Yugo Kobayashi (footballer) (born 1991), Japanese footballer
 * Yuki Kobayashi (football, born 2000), Japanese footballer
 * Yuzo Kobayashi (小林 祐三), Japanese footballer
 * Zach Kobayashi (born 1997), American soccer player

Mind sports

 * Izumi Kobayashi (小林 泉美), Japanese Go player
 * Kenji Kobayashi (小林 健二), Japanese shogi player
 * Koichi Kobayashi (小林 光一), Japanese Go player
 * Reiko Kobayashi (Go player) (小林 禮子), Japanese Go player

Winter sports

 * Junshirō Kobayashi (小林 潤志郎), Japanese ski jumper
 * Miki Kobayashi (小林 美貴), Japanese biathlete
 * Norihito Kobayashi (小林 範仁), Japanese Nordic combined skier
 * Reiko Kobayashi (小林 れい子), Japanese figure skater and coach
 * Ryōyū Kobayashi (小林 陵侑), Japanese ski jumper
 * Ryuichi Kobayashi (小林 竜一), Japanese bobsledder

Wrestling

 * Abdullah Kobayashi (アブドーラ小林), or Yosuke Kobayashi, Japanese professional wrestler
 * Eita Kobayashi (小林 瑛太), Japanese professional wrestler
 * Kaho Kobayashi (小林 香萌), Japanese professional wrestler
 * Kenta Kobayashi (小林 健太), also known as Hideo Itami, Japanese professional wrestler
 * Kuniaki Kobayashi (小林 邦昭), Japanese professional wrestler
 * Takeshi Kobayashi (wrestler) (小林 武), Japanese sport wrestler

Other athletes

 * Chisa Kobayashi (小林 千紗), Japanese synchronized swimmer
 * Celes Kobayashi (born 1974), Japanese boxer
 * Daisuke Kobayashi (小林 大祐), Japanese basketball player
 * Dawn Kobayashi (born 1971), Jamaican sport shooter
 * Etsuko Kobayashi (born 1992), Japanese cricketer
 * Fujio Kobayashi (小林 富士夫), Japanese golfer
 * Fumikazu Kobayashi (小林 史和), Japanese middle-distance runner
 * Hideo Kobayashi (canoeist) (小林 英男), Japanese sprint canoeist
 * Hiroko Kobayashi (小林 弘子), Japanese slalom canoeist
 * Kai Kobayashi (小林 快), Japanese racewalker
 * Kamui Kobayashi (小林 可夢偉), racing driver
 * Kazuo Kobayashi (小林 一男), Japanese diver
 * Kenya Kobayashi (小林 研也), Japanese gymnast
 * Kunio Kobayashi (karateka) (小林 國雄 born 1967), Japanese karateka
 * Maki Kobayashi (小林 眞樹), Japanese rower
 * Marino Kobayashi (小林 海), Japanese cyclist
 * Masanori Kobayashi (小林 正則), Japanese golfer
 * Misaki Kobayashi (小林 海咲), Japanese squash player
 * Miwako Kobayashi (小林 美和子), Japanese swimmer
 * Nobuaki Kobayashi (小林 伸明), Japanese three-cushion billiards player
 * Royal Kobayashi (born 1949), Japanese boxer
 * Ryosei Kobayashi (born 1994), Japanese squash player
 * Susumu Kobayashi (小林 晋), Japanese sport shooter
 * Takako Kobayashi (小林 貴子), Japanese judoka
 * Takeru Kobayashi (小林 尊), Japanese competitive eater
 * Yasuo Kobayashi (小林 保雄), Japanese aikidoka
 * Yoshimi Kobayashi (小林 良美), Japanese softball player
 * Yugo Kobayashi (小林 優吾), Japanese badminton player
 * Yuka Kobayashi (小林 優香), Japanese cyclist
 * Yuriko Kobayashi (小林 祐梨子), Japanese middle- and long-distance runner
 * Yuta Kobayashi (小林 祐太), Japanese basketball player

Others

 * Emi Kobayashi (小林 恵美), Japanese gravure idol
 * Hitomi Kobayashi (小林 ひとみ), Japanese AV idol
 * Ichizō Kobayashi (小林 一三), Japanese industrialist
 * Kana Kobayashi (小林 香菜), Japanese idol
 * Keiichiro Kobayashi (小林 慶一郎), Japanese economist
 * Ken Kobayashi (小林 健), Japanese businessman
 * Ken-Ichiro Kobayashi (小林 研一郎), Japanese conductor and composer
 * Sanzaburo Kobayashi (小林 参三郎, 1863–1926), Japanese surgeon
 * Maya Kobayashi (小林 麻耶), Japanese journalist
 * Yotaro Kobayashi (小林 陽太郎), Japanese businessman
 * Yumi Kobayashi (小林 優美), 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! media