Yamanaka is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include:Akira Joe Yamanaka, singer for the Flower Travellin' Band Akiko Yamanaka, Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party Chihiro Yamanaka, Japanese jazz pianist and composer Daichi Yamanaka, Japanese speed-skater Hirofumi Yamanaka, professional Japanese baseball player Hiroko Yamanaka, retired Japanese female mixed martial arts fighter Lisa Yamanaka, Japanese Canadian actress and voice actress Lois-Ann Yamanaka, Japanese American poet and novelist from Hawaii Miwako Yamanaka, retired Japanese long-distance runner Noriko Yamanaka , Japanese female table tennis player Norio Yamanaka Rikiko Yamanaka , Japanese diver Ryoji Yamanaka, former Japanese football player Ryosuke Yamanaka, Japanese football player Ryujiro Yamanaka , Japanese footballer Ryuya Yamanaka, Japanese boxer Sadajirō Yamanaka (1866-1936), Japanese art dealer Sadao Yamanaka (1909–1938), Japanese film director and screenwriter Sawao Yamanaka, the frontman of the bands The Pillows Seiko Yamanaka, Japanese football player Shino Yamanaka, Japanese modern pentathlete Shinsuke Yamanaka, Japanese professional boxer Shinya Yamanaka, Japanese Nobel Prize-winning stem cell researcher Takeshi Yamanaka , Japanese ice hockey player Tsuyoshi Yamanaka, Japanese olympic swimmer Yamanaka Yukimori (1545–1578), Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period
