December 21:
Births
- 1909 - Seichō Matsumoto (d. 1992), journalist and author
- 1954 - Tsurutaro Kataoka, boxer, television personality, actor, and artist
- 1955 - Kazuyuki Sekiguchi, singer-songwriter and bass player
- 1961 - Ryūji Sasai, bass player and composer
- 1964 - Kunihiko Ikuhara, director
- 1965 - Masahiro Motoki, actor
- 1985 - Kotaro Yanagi, actor
Deaths
- 1959 - Rosanjin (b. 1883), calligrapher, engraver, and painter
Film and television