Photo: Dick Thomas Johnson from Tokyo, Japan / CC BY 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Akaji Maro is a reminder that Japanese screen acting has roots in something far stranger than film. Born in Kanazawa in 1943 and educated at Waseda, he made his life in butoh, the white-painted postwar dance form, and founded the company Dairakudakan, working as performer, choreographer and director. Film audiences know him as a face that changes the temperature of a scene without needing lines. He is past eighty and still treats his body as the instrument. His sons became well-known figures in Japanese film themselves, and the fact that they are still introduced in relation to him tells you how much presence the man carries.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Akaji Maro
- Name (Japanese)
- 麿赤兒
- Born
- January 23, 1943 (age 83)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aquarius / Goat
- Origin
- Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan
- Occupation
- actor / choreographer / dancer
2. Background
- University
- Waseda University
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%BA%BF%E8%B5%A4%E5%85%92
Frequently asked questions
When was Akaji Maro born?
Born January 23, 1943 (age 83).
Where is Akaji Maro from?
Akaji Maro is from Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan.
What does Akaji Maro do?
Akaji Maro works as actor, choreographer, dancer.
Actor — see all → · Choreographer — see all → · More people from Japan →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-07-26
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.