Photo: Dick Thomas Johnson from Tokyo, Japan / CC BY 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Okay, Koji Yakusho is the kind of actor I'd happily watch read a phone book. The man literally worked at a ward office before chasing acting, then took the stage name "Yakusho" (ward office) as a wink at that past life, and somehow that humility is his whole superpower. He doesn't perform so much as quietly exist on screen until the story just starts happening around him. From the goofy salaryman finding ballroom dancing in Shall We Dance? to the toilet-cleaning zen of Perfect Days, he never reaches for flash, never asks you to admire him, and that's exactly why you do. Total craftsman, total mensch. One of the few actors I'd call genuinely irreplaceable.
This take was written by generative AI, one per person, from publicly reported facts (editorial policy). It is a reading of the record, not reporting.
Story
From a Ward Office Counter to the World Stage: Koji Yakusho and the Art of Playing an Ordinary Man
Overview
Koji Yakusho (born Koji Hashimoto on January 1, 1956, in Isahaya, Nagasaki) is a Japanese actor who trained at the Mumeijuku acting school under Tatsuya Nakadai, who also gave him his stage name based on his former job at a ward office. He gained wide recognition through the NHK historical drama Tokugawa Ieyasu (1983) and the hit film Shall We Dance? (1996), and earned international acclaim when The Eel (1997), directed by Shohei Imamura, won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. He won the Best Actor prize at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival for Perfect Days and won his fourth Japan Academy Prize for Best Actor in 2024.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Koji Yakusho
- Name (Japanese)
- 役所広司
- Reading
- やくしょ こうじ
- Real name
- 橋本広司
- Born
- January 1, 1956 (age 70)
- Origin
- Isahaya, Nagasaki, Japan
- Height
- 179 cm
- Occupation
- Actor / Narrator
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Capricorn / Monkey
- Blood type
- AB
- Agency
- Y.K. Office
- Agency history
- Mumeijuku (training school, from 1978)
- Active years
- 1980–present
2. Background
- High school
- Nagasaki Prefectural Omura Technical High School
- University
- Did not attend university (moved to Tokyo after high school and worked at a ward office)
- Debut
- 1980, television debut in NHK morning serial drama Natchan no Shashinkan
Awards & achievements
- 1997 Japan Academy Prize Best Actor (Shall We Dance?)
- 1998 Japan Academy Prize Best Actor (The Eel)
- 2019 Japan Academy Prize Best Actor (Unleashed / Korô no Chi)
- 2023 Cannes Film Festival Best Actor (Perfect Days)
- 2024 Japan Academy Prize Best Actor (Perfect Days)
Timeline
- 1956Born in Isahaya, Nagasaki
- 1978Enrolled in Mumeijuku, the acting school run by Tatsuya Nakadai
- 1980Television debut in NHK morning serial drama Natchan no Shashinkan
- 1983Played Oda Nobunaga in the NHK historical drama Tokugawa Ieyasu, drawing widespread attention
- 1996Starred in the hit film Shall We Dance?
- 1997The Eel, directed by Shohei Imamura, won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival
- 2006Appeared in Babel, directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu
- 2023Won Best Actor at the Cannes Film Festival for Perfect Days, the first Japanese actor to do so in 19 years
- 2024Won his fourth Japan Academy Prize for Best Actor, for Perfect Days
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Saeko Kawazu (former actress; married 1982)
4. Personality
Hobbies
- Guitar
- Watching combat sports
- Road cycling
Specialties
- Basketball (during junior and senior high school years)
5. Works & records
Works summary
- Appearances
- 269 (1979–2026)
- By year (titles with a known year)
- 1979: 3, 1980: 5, 1981: 7, 1982: 3, 1983: 3, 1984: 3, 1985: 2, 1986: 3, 1987: 8, 1988: 5, 1989: 1, 1990: 7, 1991: 8, 1992: 9, 1993: 7, 1994: 5, 1995: 4, 1996: 9, 1997: 5, 1998: 9, 1999: 8, 2000: 7, 2001: 4, 2002: 5, 2003: 5, 2004: 6, 2005: 3, 2006: 6, 2007: 6, 2008: 6, 2009: 7, 2010: 5, 2011: 4, 2012: 8, 2013: 5, 2014: 5, 2015: 3, 2016: 1, 2017: 8, 2018: 4, 2019: 5, 2020: 1, 2021: 7, 2022: 3, 2023: 6, 2024: 2, 2025: 5, 2026: 4, year unknown: 24
- Debut work
- The Last Game
Filmography / notable works
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drama | Tokugawa Ieyasu (NHK Taiga Drama) | Oda Nobunaga | 1983 |
| Film | Shall We Dance? | Lead (Masahiro Sugiyama) | 1996 |
| Film | The Eel | Lead (Takuro Yamashita) | 1997 |
| Film | Babel | Yasujiro Wataya | 2006 |
| Drama | Rikuou (TBS) | Lead | 2017 |
| Film | Blood of Wolves | Shogo Ogami | 2018 |
| Film | Perfect Days | Lead (Hirayama) | 2023 |
6. Links
- Official sitehttps://ykoffice.la.coocan.jp/actor/yakusho/profile.html
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/役所広司
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q975146
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. Works and profile fields sourced from Wikipedia reflect content as of 2026-08-26. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Koji Yakusho born?
Koji Yakusho was born on January 1, 1956 and is 70 years old.
Where is Koji Yakusho from?
Koji Yakusho is from Isahaya, Nagasaki, Japan.
What does Koji Yakusho do?
Koji Yakusho works as Actor, Narrator.
How tall is Koji Yakusho?
Koji Yakusho is 179 cm tall.
What is Koji Yakusho's blood type?
Koji Yakusho's blood type is AB.
Which high school did Koji Yakusho attend?
Koji Yakusho attended Nagasaki Prefectural Omura Technical High School.
What agency is Koji Yakusho with?
Koji Yakusho is with Y.K. Office.
How long has Koji Yakusho been active?
Koji Yakusho's recorded active years are 1980–present.
What is Koji Yakusho known for?
Koji Yakusho's notable works include Tokugawa Ieyasu (NHK Taiga Drama), Shall We Dance?, The Eel.
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