Tanaka is a fairly common surname in Japan. But to also have the same first name with the exact same kanji characters — Hirokazu Tanaka, 田中宏和 — is pretty rare, even for a Tanaka.
One of the Hirokazu Tanakas, this one 48 years old and living in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, is fascinated by this and has taken to tracking them down and inviting them to events. The latest was held last month in Tokyo.
Eighty-seven souls named Hirokazu Tanaka with the same kanji, from teenagers up to the age of 75, showed up. Though they couldn't break the Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of people with the same first and last name, many media outlets came to cover the humorous event. (The current record is held by the 164 Martha Stewarts who gathered in 2005.)