The world keeps on introducing new actors and actresses to us. Many iconic actors in the entertainment industry have come a long way by working hard. Japanese manga and anime have become famous throughout the world for years and many people know these great authors, but the world of Japanese movies and dramas have not yet become so well known. In recent years many people have taken an interest in Japanese theater and films. We will look at the top 10 iconic actors in Japan who are still working in films.
1. Hiroshi Abe
Hiroshi Abe is a Japanese model and actor who is well known for his roles in Still Walking, Chocolate, and Godzilla 2000: Millennium. He also starred in Dragon Zakura, which had captured Japan’s entire television viewing on the night it aired. He started his career as a model and eventually transitioned to acting. Hiroshi has become one of the most regularly visible presences in Japanese media. He is also currently starring in the drama Deep Crime Unit.
2. Kento Hayashi
Kento Hayashi is a Japanese actor who has appeared in more than 30 films since 2007. Hayashi got scouted during a school trip at the platform of Shibuya station, through which he entered the entertainment world. He made his debut in 2007 in the movie Battery. Hayashi is also the star of the movie Inubu.
3. Hiroshi Tamaki
Hiroshi Tamaki is a Japanese singer, actor, and model. During High School, he was discovered by a Telang agent while out shopping with friends. Tamaki's debut was in the drama Am I Weird? in 1998. In the 2001 appearance in Film Waterboys, he became better known. Currently, he starred in the Japanese Drama My Family.
4. Tsuyoshi Kusanagi
Tsuyoshi Kusanagi is a Japanese singer, actor, television host, and former member of SMAP, one of the best-selling Asian boy bands ever. In 2009, he got arrested on suspicion of public indecency, and after apologizing for his misbehavior on national television, prosecutors somehow agreed not to indict him for it. He is well known for his performance as the historical figure Yoshinobu Tokugawa in NHK’s historical drama Reach Beyond the Blue Sky.
5. Masato Sakai
Masato Sakai is a Japanese actor who is well known. He won the best actor award for The Wonderful World of Captain Kuhio and The Chef of South Polar. Masato is famous all over the world as a hard-working actor because of his drama Hanzawa Naoki who is a banker who tries to stop all the wrongdoings for the largest bank in Japan.
6. Koji Hashimoto
Kōji Hashimoto, known professionally as Kōji Yakusho, is a Japanese actor. Koji is well known for starring in Shall We Dance?, Cure, The Third Murder, The Blood of Wolves, and Under the Open Sky. Koji is also known internationally for playing the role of Takuro Yamashita in Shōhei Imamura's The Eel and as Yasujiro Wataya in Alejandro González Iñárritu's Babel. He is currently starring in the film The Pass: Last Days of the Samurai.
7. Ken Watanabe
Ken Watanabe is a Japanese actor. To the international audience, he is known for playing the tragic hero in Iwo Jima and The Last Samurai. He has twice won the Japan Academy Film Prize for Best Actor. He is currently starring in the American drama series Tokyo Vice.
8. Teruyuki Kagawa
Teruyuki Kagawa is a Japanese kabuki actor, actor, and boxing commentator. His father is Ichikawa Ennosuke III, a kabuki actor, and his mother is a cinema actress Yuko Hama. His grandmother is the film actress Sanae Takasugi. For Mt. Tsurugidake, Teruyuki won the award for the best supporting actor at the 33rd Japan Academy Prize. He is currently starring in the movie 99.9 Criminal Lawyer.
9. Yutaka Matsushige
Yutaka Matsushige is a Japanese actor who has appeared in films like Adrenaline Drive, Last Life in the Universe, and Outrage Beyond. He is known for his roles in Shinobi: Heart Under Blade, The Princess Blade, and Talk Talk Talk. He is currently starring in the drama Jizoku Kanona Koi Desuka: Chichi to Musume no Kekkon Koushinkyoku.
10. Ebizo Ichikawa
Ichikawa Ebizō XI is a Japanese Kabuki, actor and stage producer. Ebizo is the eldest son and is the eleventh holder of the Ebizō name. Ebizo is known for being a renowned Tachiyaku (a person who specializes in Aragoto roles), a tradition which existed in his family since 1660. He is known for his role in Musashi, Blade of the Immortal, and Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai. Previously he was married to Mao Kobayashi.
