20 of the biggest Japanese actors that you will love to watch in 2024
Over the years, Japanese actors have provided the world with incredible films, putting their country into the spotlight. They have used their films to enlighten and notify the broader populace about their belief systems, customs, and heritage so that the rest of the world knows who they are and their daily activities.
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The Japanese film industry has steadily evolved into the premier origin of romantic drama, action-thriller, and science fiction films. Because of the global acclaim for their films, many famous Japanese actors are now working in Hollywood on massive projects.
20 of the most significant Japanese actors
Japanese films have consistently been distinct, and their actors have become big stars worldwide due to their skills and incredibly impactful activities. So, who are the most famous Japanese actors?
1. Ken Watanabe
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- Date of birth: 21 October 1959
- Place of birth: Koide in Niigata Prefecture, Japan
- Debut year: 1983
- Debut TV show: Mibu no Koiuta
He is one of the Japanese actors in Hollywood who debuted on television in 1983 in the TV series Mibu no koiuta. His big break arose after being cast as the lead in the 1987 Dokugan Ryu Masamune, a Japanese national television drama series. He became well-known in Japan for his portrayal of a samurai leader hero.
2. Tatsuya Nakadai
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- Date of birth: 13 December 1932
- Place of birth: Japan
- Debut year: 1954
- Debut film: Seven Samurai
He appeared in 11 Masaki Kobayashi films, along with The Human Condition series, in which he portrayed the main character Kaji, in addition to Harakiri (1962), Kwaidan (1964) and Samurai Rebellion (1967).
3. Brian Tee
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- Date of birth: 15 March 1977
- Place of birth: Okinawa Prefecture
- Debut year: 2000
- Debut TV show: The Pretender
He is a Japanese actor who has appeared in films and on television. Tee is best recognised for his role as Dr Ethan Choi on the NBC drama series Chicago Med (2015-2022) and its derivatives. He has also appeared in other films and TV series such as The Chronicle (2001), The Good Guys (2010) and Jurassic World (2015).
4. Hiroyuki Sanada
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- Date of birth: 12 October 1960
- Place of birth: Tokyo
- Debut year: 1965
- Debut film: Rokyoku komori-uta
He is a martial artist and actor from Japan. At five, he made his acting debut in 1965 in the film Rokyoku Komori-Uta. He has since been in several other movies and TV shows, such as The Twilight Samurai (2002), The Wolverine (2013) and Mortal Kombat (2021).
5. Tadanobu Asano
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- Date of birth: 27 November 1973
- Place of birth: Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
- Debut year: 1979
- Debut TV show: Mr Kinpachi in Class 3B
He is a Japanese actor who made his acting debut in 1979 in the TV series Mr Kinpachi in Class 3B. Asano is known for his roles in Mongol: The Rise of Genghis Khan (2007), Thor (2011), Battleship (2012) and Thor: Ragnarok (2017).
6. Takeshi Kaneshiro
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- Date of birth: 11 October 1973
- Place of birth: Taipei City, Taipei, Taiwan
- Debut year: 1988
- Debut TV show: Tian Xia
He is a famous singer and actor of Japanese and Taiwanese descent. He began his profession as a pop idol before transitioning to the film sector, where he accomplished both commercial and critical achievements. Takeshi is known for his roles in films such as House of Flying Daggers (2004) and Red Cliff (2008).
7. Mamoru Miyano
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- Date of birth: 8 June 1983
- Place of birth: Ōmiya, Saitama
- Debut year: 1992
- Debut TV show: Tokusou ekushiidorafuto
He is a singer and actor from Japan. Mamoru started his acting debut in 1992 in the TV series Tokusou ekushiidorafuto and is known for his roles in Wolf's Rain (2003-2004), Death Note (2006-2007) and Steins; Gate (2011-2015).
8. Masi Oka
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- Date of birth: 27 December 1974
- Place of birth: Shibuya City, Tokyo, Japan
- Debut year: 2001
- Debut TV show: Dharma & Greg
He is a Japanese producer, actor, and digital effects artist best recognised for his roles as Hiro Nakamura on NBC's Heroes (2006-2010) and Doctor Max Bergman on CBS's Hawaii Five-0 (2010-2019).
9. Kento Yamazaki
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- Date of birth: 7 September 1994
- Place of birth: Itabashi City, Tokyo, Japan
- Debut year: 2010
- Debut TV show: Atami no Sôsakan
He is an actor and famous model from Japan. Kento started his acting career in 2010 in the TV series Atami no Sôsakan (2010) and is widely recognised for his roles in Orange (2015), Jojo's Bizzare Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable –Chapter 1 (2017) and Theater (2020).
10. Daisuke Ono
- Date of birth: 4 May 1978
- Place of birth: Sakawa, Kochi, Japan
- Debut year: 1997
- Debut Video Game: Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers
He is one of the Japanese voice actors and singer who garnered best lead actor in the 9th and 4th Seiyu Awards for his roles as Sebastian Michaelis in Black Butler (2008-2010), Jotaro Kujo in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (2015) and Shukuro Tsukishima in Bleach (2005-2012), in addition to Best Personalities in the 9th Seiyu Awards.
11. Hiroshi Abe
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- Date of birth: 22 June 1964
- Place of birth: Kanagawa Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
- Debut year: 1989
- Debut movie: Yawara!
He is a Japanese actor and model. Hiroshi started his acting career in 1989 in the film Yowara! He is widely recognised for his roles in Still Walking (2008), Downtown Rocket (2015-2018), and After the Storm (2016).
12. Takeshi Kitano
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- Date of birth: 18 January 1947
- Place of birth: Adachi City, Tokyo, Japan
- Debut year: 1980
- Debut movie: Makoto-chan
He is an actor, filmmaker and famous comedian from Japan. He started his acting career in 1980 in the film Makoto-chan, and he has since been featured in several other films and TV shows, such as Tokyo Eyes (1998) and Red Medaka (2015).
13. Junichi Suwabe
- Date of birth: 29 March 1972
- Place of birth: Tokyo, Japan
- Debut year: 1992
- Debut movie: Tenchi Muyo!
He is a voice actor from Japan. He started his acting career in 1992 in the TV series Tenchi Muyo! He has since been featured in several other films and TV shows, such as Kaleido Star (2003), Fullmetal Alchemist (2004) and Kamen Rider Ex-Aid (2016-2017).
14. Takuya Kimura
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- Date of birth: 13 November 1972
- Place of birth: Tokyo, Japan
- Debut year: 1990
- Debut movie: About Her Brother
He is a Japanese radio personality, singer, and actor. He started his acting career in 1990 in the TV movie About Her Brother. He has since been featured in many other TV series and movies, such as Beautiful Life (2000), Mr Brain (2009) and Lost Judgment (2021).
15. Takeru Satoh
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- Date of birth: 21 March 1989
- Place of birth: Iwatsuki, Saitama
- Debut year: 2006
- Debut movie: Purinsesu purinsesu D
He is one of the Japanese male actors best recognised for his roles in the Kamen Rider Den-O franchise as Ryotaro Nogami and the live-action Rurouni Kenshin film series as Himura Kenshin and its spin-offs. He has also been featured in other films, such as Goemon (2009) and Bakuman (2015).
16. Tomohisa Yamashita
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- Date of birth: 9 April 1985
- Place of birth: Funabashi, Chiba, Japan
- Debut year: 1999
- Debut TV show: Dangerous Relationship
He is an actor, TV host and famous singer from Japan. He started his acting career in 1999 in the TV series Dangerous Relationship. He has since been featured in several other films and TV series, such as Operation Proposal Special (2008), Monsters (2012) and The Man from Toronto (2022).
17. Tsutomu Yamazaki
- Date of birth: 2 December 1936
- Place of birth: Matsudo, Chiba, Japan
- Debut year: 1960
- Debut film: Matsudo, Chiba, Japan
He started his acting career in 1960 in the film Daigaku no sanzôkutachi. He has since been featured in several other movies and television series, such as High and Low (1963), Okappiki dobu (1972) and Space Battleship Yamato (2010).
18. Takahiro Sakurai
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- Date of birth: 13 June 1974
- Place of birth: Okazaki, Aichi, Japan
- Debut year: 1999
- Debut TV show: Master Keaton
He is an Aichi Prefecture, Japan-based voice actor, radio personality and narrator. He has 496 acting credits and is widely recognised for films such as Zatch Bell! (2003-2006), Code Geass (2006-2012) and Project X Zone (2012).
19. Yuji Okumoto
- Date of birth: 20 April 1959
- Place of birth: Los Angeles, California, United States
- Debut year: 1984
- Debut film: I Do Mind Dying
He is one of the Japanese American actors. Yuji started his acting career in 1984 in the short film I Do Mind Dying and is widely recognised for his roles in The Karate Kid Part II (1986), Johnny Tsunami (1999) and Inception (2010).
20. Shun Oguri
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- Date of birth: 26 December 1982
- Place of birth: Tokyo, Japan
- Debut year: 1995
- Debut TV show: Hachidai shôgun Yôshimune
He is one of the Japanese voice actors who speak English. Shun started his acting career in 1995 in the TV series Hachidai shôgun Yôshimune. He has since been featured in some other films and TV series, such as True Horror Stories (2004), Sukiyaki Western Django (2007) and Space Brothers (2012).
FAQs
- Who is the most popular actor in Japan? Takuya Kimura. He is one of Japan's and Asia's most popular singers, entertainers and actors. Most of the TV dramas he appeared in received high rankings in Japan.
- Who is the most handsome actor in Japan? Osamu Mukai is ranked as one of the most handsome Japanese actors.
- Can foreigners become actors in Japan? They can become actors in the country without restrictions, and all that is needed is the proper visa.
- How much do Japanese actors get paid? In Tokyo, Japan, the average salary for an actor is JPY 10,552,661 per year and JPY 5,073 per hour.
- What is Japan's most popular show? Japan has a diverse range of popular shows, and it can be difficult to determine the single most popular one as it can depend on the period and the audience you are looking at. Nonetheless, these are some of the popular ones; Kōhaku Uta Gassen, Terrace House, Sazae-san, and Gaki no Tsukai ya Arahende.
- What are the three most popular forms of drama in Japan? Noh, Kabuki, and Bunraku are Japan's three major traditional cinemas. These types of performances are UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritages.
- Why is Japan so famous? It is an enthralling nation with a long, rich heritage and intriguing social customs. It offers something to suit everyone, from its rich gastronomic culture and mesmerising natural features.
Above are some of the most prominent Japanese actors. However, the list is non-exhaustive. Their films have been continuously distinct. Most of them have become global celebrities due to their abilities.
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Yen.com.gh released an article about the all-time greatest athletes. The vast sports industry contains a wide range of activities that have developed individuals whose achievements have earned them the title of the all-time most outstanding athlete.
When the topic of all-time greatest athletes pops up, there is usually some controversy over whether or not to differentiate between male and female involvement. It can be even more difficult since several sports have been around for decades.
Source: YEN.com.gh
