Japan has one of the greatest famous icons in the world. They have great directors, authors, sportsmen, actors, etc., who have honed their skills to the finest quality. These celebrities are the pride of Japan and an inspiration to the world. Their works are irreplaceable and extraordinary and worthy of awe and appreciation. They are appreciated not only in Japan but worldwide. Below are some Japanese celebrities who won international awards for their skills:
1. Hayao Miyazaki
Hayao Miyazaki is a legendary filmmaker who established the famous Studio Ghibli. He makes fantasy movies with a vivid imagination, which are award-winning. He gave life to these animated movies, because his film Spirited Away won an Oscar. He loves to indulge in his movies so much as to make the storyboards himself.
2. Yoko Ono
Yoko Ono is a legendary Japanese singer, songwriter, multimedia artist and peace activist. She was the wife of John Lennon. She makes inspiring performance art and filmmaking. She won a Grammy for her work Gimme Some Truth – The Making of John Lennon’s Imagine Album. She received the Lifetime Achievement award at the Golden Awards for her excellent work. She remains an icon and inspiration to us.
3. Hideo Kojima
58-year-old Hideo Kojima is a Japanese video game designer, producer, director, and writer. He is considered the auteur of video games. His most notable works include Metal Gear, Snatcher, Policenauts, Zone of the Enders and Death Stranding. He achieved the AIAS Hall of Fame Award at the D.I.C.E Awards, Lifetime Achievement award at the Brasil Game Show, and many more.
4. Akira Kurosawa
Akira Kurosawa is considered one of the renowned directors of Japan. His work inspired the Star Wars series and turned into western movies like Last Man Standing. His famous works include Rashomon, Ikiru, Seven Samurai, Yojimbo, and many more. He received the Lifetime Achievement award at the Academy Awards.
5. Takeshi Kitano
The legendary Takeshi Kitano is a comedian, filmmaker, author, and television presenter. He is well-known worldwide for his acting, filmmaking, and hosting. He hosted the all-time favorite show Takeshi’s Castle. He won the Golden Award for his film Hanabi at the 30th Moscow International Film Festival. He also achieved the Lifetime achievement award.
6. Yuzuru Hanyu
One of the most significant male figures of all time, Yuzuru Hanyu, is a legendary Japanese figure. He is the only figure skater who achieved the Olympic gold medals successively. He is the only men’s singles skater who received the Super Slam. He has also broken world records nineteen times. He is a sensation and a phenomenon.
7. Yuya Yagira
Yuya Yagira is a Japanese actor well-known for his role in Nobody Knows. He wasn’t even a professional actor when filming for the movie but a twelve-year-old child. Yet he received the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival.
8. Tadanobu Asano
48-year-old Tadanobu Asano is a famous Japanese actor. He is well-known for his roles in Electric Dragon 80.000 V, Last Life in the Universe, The Taste of Tea, etc. His legendary works are Harmonium and Journey to the Shore. Internationally, he won the Best Actor award at the Venice Film Festival and the Moscow International Film Festival.
9. Koji Fukada
Koji Fukada is a Japanese film director and screenwriter. He hit the jackpot with his film Harmonium. It won the Prix du Jury in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival.
10. Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Kiyoshi Kurosawa is a famous Japanese film director, screenwriter, film critic, and professor at the Tokyo University of Arts. He is popularly known as the “David Cronenberg of Japan” for his horror genre contributions. He won the Best Director awards at the Cannes Film Festivals and Venice International Film Festival.
