1. Overview
'Shuji Kashiwabara' (柏原 収史Kashiwabara ShūjiJapanese, born December 23, 1978) is a prominent Japanese actor, musician, and businessman. Hailing from Kofu, Yamanashi Prefecture, he has built a diverse career spanning over two decades in the entertainment industry. Kashiwabara is known for his extensive work in film, television drama, and stage productions. Beyond acting, he has also made significant contributions as a composer, music producer, and stage director. He is the younger brother of former actor Takashi Kashiwabara.
2. Personal Life
Shuji Kashiwabara's personal background includes his birth details, family connections, and physical attributes.
2.1. Birth and Family
Shuji Kashiwabara was born on December 23, 1978, in Kofu, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. He is the younger brother of Takashi Kashiwabara, who was also an actor. Their familial connection extended to their professional lives, as they co-starred in a FamilyMart commercial and formed the rock band `No'where`.
2.2. Physical Information
Kashiwabara's known physical attributes include a height of 69 in (174 cm) and a weight of 143 lb (65 kg). His blood type is A.
3. Career
Shuji Kashiwabara's career encompasses a wide range of activities within the entertainment industry, from his early acting debut to his later ventures in music production and business.
3.1. Early Career and Debut
Kashiwabara's entry into the entertainment industry occurred in 1993 when he was scouted while attending his elder brother Takashi Kashiwabara's final audition for the Junon Super Boy Contest. He subsequently joined Tristone Entertainment. In 1994, he made his acting debut in the television drama Ningen Shikkaku ~Tatoeba Boku ga Shindara~ on TBS. In 2003, he transferred to the talent agency Merry-Go-Round, the same agency as his brother.
3.2. Acting Career
Kashiwabara has an extensive acting career, appearing in numerous films, television dramas, and stage productions.
3.2.1. Films
Kashiwabara has appeared in a wide array of films throughout his career. His early film roles include Jun Takayanagi in Ashita (1995) and Hakkei Otomo in Gelände ga Tokeru Hodo Koi Shitai. (1995). In 1997, he played Koji Seki in Nerawareta Gakuen and Akira Ikeda in HAPPY PEOPLE "Pierce o Hazuse!". He took on a lead role as Michio Inamori in hood' (1998) and portrayed Ken Morimoto in Belle Époque (1998), followed by Kazuya in Hareta Hi ni wa... (1999).
In 2000, he starred as Kazuki Nunobe in the film Suri, a role for which he received the Newcomer Award at the Japan Film Critics Awards in 2001. He continued with roles such as Heath in Hi-Balance (2001), Takashi Emura in Jūsei LAST DROP OF BLOOD (2003), Kiichi in Tsuki no Sabaku (2003), and Tenpei in Seventh Anniversary (2003).
His work in 2004 included Ryohei Miyano in Shibuya Kaidan, Juro Suzukawa in Tange Sazen Yowa Hyakumanryō no Tsubo, Masamichi in Kyō no Dekigoto, and a lead role as Gen Asada in Overdrive. He also appeared as Chan San-myung in Blood and Bones and Star A in Nibamme no Kanojo. In 2005, he was featured in voices as a freelance writer and as Detective 596 (later 511) in Tantei Jimusho 5 ~5 Number de Yobareru Tantei-tachi no Monogatari~. He played Hayato Nanjo in Luna Heights (2005) and its sequel Luna Heights 2 (2006).
Further film appearances include Naoki Matsukawa in Who's Camus Anyway? (2006), lead roles as Shinichi Minami in Drift (2006) and Drift 2 (2006), Koga in Nihon Igai Zenbu Chinbotsu (2006), Ankichi Sakuma in Deguchi no Nai Umi (2006), and Shiro Nakaoka in Arigatō (2006). He made a friendship appearance as Shinichi Minami in Drift 3 Taka (2007) and played Takase in Ningyo Hime to Ōji. He was also shinichiro in Yoshimi Tokui's "nijiko" (2007) and the blind Iga ninja Rikyoku in Iga no Ran Kōsoku (2007).
In 2008, he appeared as Take in Yūbae Shōjo "Musumegokoro" and took a lead role as Akira Tachibana in Where Are We Going?. He also led Claimer case1 as Naoto Tsugimura and played Keita Otsuka in Kyūka. His 2009 roles include Sanja in Sengoku Iga no Ran, a friendship appearance as Detective 511 in The Code/Angō, Hideo Yukawa in Bokura no Wonderful Days, Kataoka in Tasogare no Begin, and Akio in Dai Gōtō ~Gang na Yatsura~.
In 2010, he appeared as Shu Kawajiri in I Am., Satoshi in Seishun Mandara!, Kotoko's live-in boyfriend in 28 1/2 Mōsō no Kyojin, and Uzumibi in Ninja. He played Kiichi Fukuda in Rock ~Wanko no Shima~ (2011) and appeared in Alien vs Ninja (2011). Other roles include appearances in 12twelve Tengan Daisuke no 12-maku Sono 4 / 12 (2012) and Tsuyano Yoru (2013). In 2017, he played Yoshio in Close-Knit. More recently, he appeared as Kenichi Kume in Naminori Office e Yōkoso (2019) and Mr. Yamamoto in WALKING MAN (2019). He portrayed Yasumasa (Yoshiyasu) Yanagisawa in Nobutora (2021). His recent film credits include Sergeant Ninomiya in The Setting Sun (2022), Isao Teranaka in Confess to Your Crimes (2023), and Ren Shiratori (Tasuke Shimoigusa) in Zagin de Shisu!? (2024). He also appeared in the DVD release Nihon Tōitsu Gaiden Yamazaki-gumi ~Joji to Yukai na Nakama-tachi~ (2024).
3.2.2. Television Dramas
Kashiwabara has an extensive list of television drama appearances. Following his debut in Ningen Shikkaku ~Tatoeba Boku ga Shindara~ (1994), he appeared in Nurse no Oshigoto (1996), Futari (1997), Nerawareta Gakuen (1997), D no Idenshi Final SP (1997), and Itoshino Mirai-chan New Cinema Paradise (1997). In 1998, he played Hideki in Jerry in the Merry-Go-Round, Masaki Oikawa in Kōritsuku Natsu, and appeared in Shōnen 15-sai and Rendezvous.
His 1999 roles include Ono in Bishōjo H2, Kogure in Tenshi no Oshigoto, and appearances in Udemakuri Kangofu Monogatari 9, Kyōshūjo Monogatari SP, and Shūmatsu Kon. In 2000, he was Shigeichi Nagae in YASHA, Tetsuro Mukoda in Nagai Yume, young Kosaku Tokura in Hyaku-nen no Monogatari, and Akinori Honda in Mō Ichido Kiss.
In the early 2000s, he appeared as Yohei Tajima in Kaizu no Nai Tabi (2002), in Bakuha.com (2002), Toshio Kihara in Nariagari (2002), Masato Kobayashi in Koi Suru Nichiyōbi (2003), Detective Miyashita in Time Limit (2003), Toru Furukawa in Dr. Kotō Shinryōjo (2003), and Katsuyoshi Inui in Suika (2003). He played Takashu Chiba in Ace o Nerae! (2004), Kiyoharu Nishiki in Order Made ~Shiawase Iro no Shinshifukuten~ (2004), and Tajima in Yo nimo Kimyō na Monogatari Spring SP (2004).
From 2005 to 2007, his roles included Taku Misawa in 87% Watashi no 5-nen Seizonritsu (2005), Wataru Aihara in M no Higeki (2005), Toshiya Otani in Rikon Bengoshi II (2005), Torao Natsuki in Meitantei Akahuji Taka (2005), Yoshitaka Sugao in Kazoku-tachi no Ashita (2006), Kyotaro Sakagami in Anna-san no Omame (2006), Yutaka Horii in Serendip no Kiseki (2007), lead role Satoshi Machida in Shinu ka to Omotta (2007), Yuji Kajino in Papa to Musume no Nanokakan (2007), Shinnosuke Kawade in Kagerō no Tsuji (2007), Tsubasa Goto in First Kiss (2007), and Miyazaki in Marumaru Chibi Maruko-chan (2007).
Later television work includes Soichi Tachibana in Lupin no Shōsoku (2008), Shogo Nemoto in Aibō Season 6 (2008), Nobuyasu Tokugawa in Tokugawa Ieyasu to Sannin no Onna (2008), Kohei Ishimaru in Drama W Tobira wa Tozasareta Mama (2008), Yuji Komine in Top Sales (2008), Ryosuke Hoshino in Kasōken no Onna Shin Season 4 (2008), Seiya Mizushima in Tsujitsuma (2008), Itaru Kondo in Yume o Kanaeru Zō (2008), Tadashi Fudo in RESCUE (2009), and an appearance in DOOR TO DOOR (2009). He also appeared in the Taiwanese drama Mulan's Angel (2009, broadcast cancelled), Maid Deka (2009), and Tomoya Bando in Drama Special "Danzetsu" (2009).
In 2010, he played Yuya Sakuma in Nishimura Kyōtarō Travel Mystery 53, Katsumi Segawa in Paper Rikon, Tsuyoshi Yuzawa in Drama W Yokoyama Hideo Suspense "Gohō" and "Jiden", Taku Shinozuka in Shinzanmono, and Toru Akaishi in Keishichō Shissōjin Sōsaka. He also appeared in Gekai Hatōmura Shūgorō Chi Nurareta Chōsenjō III and Sanka-i Ōkōchi Akane. From 2010 to 2011, he was Jun Iwasaki in the Asadora Teppan and its spin-off. He also played Hayato Misawa in Guilty Akuma to Keiyaku Shita Onna (2010).
His roles in 2011 include an appearance in LADY ~Saigo no Hanzai Profile~, Shinichi Moriguchi in Don★Quixote, Ryosuke Hasegawa in Meitantei Conan Kudō Shin'ichi e no Chōsenjō, and Mochida's brother in HUNTER. In 2012, he was Sato in Stepfather Step, Ryoichi Hagino in Toshi Densetsu no Onna, Daiki Kurahashi in Shin Omiyasan, Naofumi Makabe in Shugoshin Bodyguard Shindō Hikaru, Prosecutor Sato in Matsumoto Seichō Botsugo 20-nen Tokubetsu Kikaku Drama Special Nami no Tō, Yuki Tsutsumi in Sōmatō Kabushikigaisha, and Jun Oikawa in Kuro no Onna Kyōshi.
From 2013 onwards, he played Renjo Takino in Biblia Koshodō no Jiken Techō (2013), Hitoshi Kataoka in Kyūmei Byōtō 24-ji Season 5 (2013), Akihiko Ozaki in Keiji no Manazashi (2013), Daisuke Miike in HAMU (2014), Keisuke Tateishi in Hotel G-Men Gushiken Yōko no Satsujin Suiri 2 (2014), and appeared in Drama W Higashino Keigo "Henshin" (2014). He was Norihiro Hirato in ST Aka to Shiro no Sōsa File (2014), Kota Aizawa in Hottokenai Majotachi (2014), Haruki Koganezawa in DOCTORS3 Saikyō no Meii (2015), Tomohiro Arai in Sanmen Kiji no Onnatachi (2015), a bartender in Tenshi no Knife (2015), Tsukasa Wakimoto in Do S Deka (2015), Tetsuya Oda in Tantei no Tantei (2015), and Kyosuke Higuchi in Death Note (2015).
He also appeared as an Imperial Navy Officer in Massan (2014-2015) and notably portrayed Ōkubo Toshimichi in the Asadora Asa ga Kita (2015-2016). Recent roles include Detective Shimoda in Suteki na Sen Taxi SPECIAL (2016), Sōnosuke Makino in Nezumi, Edo o Hashiru 2 (2016), Ando in Shizumanu Taiyō (2016), Shingo Asahina in Hokkaidōkei Jiken File Keibuho Gojō Seiko 5 (2017), Keisuke Baba in 4-gō Keibi (2017), Ryosuke Okuzaki in Ai no Kekkon Sōdansho (2017), Daigo Nishimura in Zenryoku Shissō (2017), and Yoshihiro Tomoda in Haken no Cabajō Ayaka (2017).
In 2018, he played Takaaki Sakai in Fukatsudan, Matsudaira Katamori in the Taiga drama Segodon, and Nagio Ishikawa in Yūnagi no Machi Sakura no Kuni. He was Yoshiyuki Saeki in Totsugawa Keibu Series 7 (2018), Sadanori Okegawa in Shitsuji Saionji no Meisuiri 2 (2019), Shinichi Nomura in Yuganda Hamon (2019), and Shinya Harada in Rika (2019). His 2020 roles include Naoya Takayanagi in Mikaiketsu no Onna Keishichō Bunsho Sōsakan Season 2 and Kensuke Uno in Aibō Season 19.
More recently, he played Yasunori Okada in Yo nimo Kimyō na Kimi Monogatari (2021), Kento Watari in Keishichō Sōsa Ichikachō season 5 (2021), Tetsuya Tamaru in Rasen no Meikyu ~DNA Kagaku Sōsa~ (2021), and Amehiko Haitani / Planaria Deadman in Kamen Rider Revice (2021). In 2022, he appeared as Naoki Yagawa in Drama W Shōtai, Kengo Togo in Mental Tsuyome Bijo Shirakawa-san, Kojiro Takanashi in Keiji 7-nin Season 8, and Daigo Iriyama in Teppachi!. In 2023, he played Ki-oni / Kōmei Settsu in Dai Byōin Senkyo and Hiei Hayashi in Gifted Season 1. His latest appearances include Shusuke Kitamoto in Great Gift (2024), Toru Satake in Re: Revenge -Yokubō no Hate ni- (2024), and Ichiro Deguchi in Tokusō 9 season 7 (2024).
3.2.3. Stage and Other Acting
Kashiwabara has also performed on stage and in various digital formats. His stage debut was as Proteus in The Two Gentlemen of Verona (2007). He also appeared in Hako no Naka no Onna (2008) and Ano Koro Bokura wa Penny Lane de (2014).
In net cinema, he held lead roles as Detective 596 (later 511) in Tantei Jimusho 5 (2005), Tantei Jimusho 5 "Norainu" (2006), Tantei Jimusho 5 "Owaranai Wakare" (2006), and in the 2nd season of Tantei Jimusho 5 ("Cain to Abel", "Countdown ~Ippon no Sen~", "Countdown ~Ground Zero~" in 2007). He also appeared in Tantei Jimusho 5 "Log-in" (2005) and Jamp! -Watashi no Venture Nikki- (2007).
His streaming drama credits include Suteki na Otoko to Busu na Onna, Kirei na Onna to Gesu na Otoko (2017) and Haken no Cabajō Ayaka (2017), both on AbemaTV. He also appeared as Ozawa in The Naked Director 2 (2021) on Netflix.
3.3. Music Career
Kashiwabara is a versatile musician involved in band activities, songwriting, and music production for various artists and media.
3.3.1. Musician and Band Activities
Kashiwabara has been involved in several musical groups. He formed the rock band `No'where` with his brother Takashi Kashiwabara, though the band is currently on hiatus. After `No'where`'s hiatus, he formed `STEEL` with NESMITH in 2001, which went on hiatus in 2002. In 2011, he co-founded the band `Uguisudani Philharmonic` with Yoshimi Tokui of the comedy duo Tutorial.
3.3.2. Songwriting and Music Production
Kashiwabara is an active songwriter and music producer. He provides songs to various artists, including Ryu Si-won, Chef Kawagoe, Kae, Hakuhō & Kae, Yua Shinkawa, P♡ttya, PPP! PiXiON, Tokiwoikiru, Maki Itō, Itō Respect Gundan, Spindle, LANA, Karia Nomoto, HelloYouth, himawari (Funabashi) (co-produced with ISAKICK), Natsu Amano, We=MUKASHIBANASHI, Ayaka Oba, mikako from Nagie Lane, Cony, Sena, Chelu, it's sunny, JADE, Millie Wapp, momoca, and Kim Yong-seok.
He also works as a music producer through the unit `ShAbo`, which he formed with ABOTTO Leo in 2011. Kashiwabara is highly involved in creating musical scores (劇伴) for films, dramas, and stage productions. His score credits include the stage plays `Seinen K no Kyōji`, `Nankuru Surfer`, `Shibuya Sanctuary`, `Tsuyu no Murasaki`, `Oedo no Omocha`, `Sengoku Gakuen ~Reiwa Kessen! Tenkatori~`, `Asakusa Ichigoza Monogatari`, `Uragawa no Jikenbo` (Tokyo & Fukuoka), `Shinri Shiken`, `Love on Ride ~Tsūkin Kareshi~`, `Sotsugyō-go no Atatamekata`, `Ginga Tetsudō no Yoru`, `Home`, `Kimi no Yoko wa Attakai`, `Eikyūho Kiichi no Kiwamete Kowai Hanashi`, `Ōkami no Yūwaku`, `Rokudenashi Chorus`, `Tokiwoikiru 5th Anniversary`, `Yasashisa yo Wareru Hodo`, `Same wa Sakura ni Koi o Suru`, `Futsū no Ren'ai`, `again ~Te ga Todokisō na Tōi Mirai ni~`, `Takkyū★Wars 2023`, `Meido in Sharehouse`, `Watashi ga Tenka o Toru! ~Kino no Maki~`, `Asakusa Kaidan Yashiki "Yūjin ni Sasowarete"`, `Kumoranai Yakusoku`, and `Tokiwoikiru 7th Anniversary`. He has also composed for short films like `MATSUZAKI`, films such as `Ningyo Hime to Ōji` and `FUKUSHIMA DAY`, and the drama `Shōgeki Gouraigan!!`.
3.4. Other Ventures
Beyond his acting and music careers, Kashiwabara has engaged in entrepreneurial activities and contributed as a stage director and idol group producer.
3.4.1. Business Activities
On May 1, 2019, Kashiwabara opened "Asakusa Ichigoza," a specialty strawberry sweets shop in Asakusa, Tokyo. This venture was launched as a reconstruction support initiative following the Great East Japan Earthquake, with cooperation from strawberry farmers in Yamamoto-cho, Miyagi Prefecture. The shop and Kashiwabara's involvement have been featured in television programs.
3.4.2. Stage Direction
Kashiwabara made his debut as a stage director with "Tomoshibi no Naka, Anata o Omou" in 2017. Since then, he has directed numerous stage productions, primarily for the Fukuoka-based entertainment group `Tokiwoikiru`. His directorial works include `Tokiwoikiru`'s 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th performances, joint performances with `Tatakatte Shine` such as `Setouchi Shōjo Radio Kyoku` (Tokyo and Fukuoka), and `Tokiwoikiru`'s produce performance `Amayo no Hoshikuzu`. He also directed the stage play `Rokudenashi Chorus` (2024) and is slated to direct the musical `My Bucket List` in 2025. Additionally, he has provided live direction for THE HOOPERS' tours and shows.
3.4.3. Idol Group Production
Kashiwabara has taken on a significant role in producing and sound-producing various idol groups. In 2015, he produced the idol group `P♡ttya`, which disbanded in December 2017. From 2017, he sound-produced the roller skate idol group `Spindle`, which dissolved in June 2022. In 2018, he co-produced the idol group `Pojitibu` with ISAKICK of 175R, though this group has since disbanded. Since March 2019, he has been sound-producing `himawari (Funabashi)`, a local idol group from Funabashi City, also in collaboration with ISAKICK.
4. Awards and Recognition
Shuji Kashiwabara has received recognition for his contributions to the film industry.
4.1. Major Awards
In 2001, Shuji Kashiwabara was honored with the Newcomer Award at the Japan Film Critics Awards for his performance in the 2000 film Suri, directed by Kazuo Kuroki.