Morimoto (written: lit. "(one who lives) near the forest") is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: , Japanese cyclist Carlos Morimoto, Brazilian software engineer and author , Japanese footballer Kana Morimoto (born 1992), Japanese kickboxer Koji Morimoto, Japanese animator and anime director Kozueko Morimoto, manga author , Japanese middle-distance runner Masaharu Morimoto, Japanese chef Pedro Ken Morimoto, Brazilian footballer Ryōji Morimoto, Japanese actor Shigeki Morimoto, Japanese video game designer Takayuki Morimoto, Japanese footballer Tomo Morimoto, Japanese long-distance runner Japanese-language surnames