Tsuyoshi Ihara

2.1. Early Life and Background

Tsuyoshi Ihara was born on November 6, 1963, in Kitakyūshū, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. His birth name was 윤유구_{Yun Yu-gu}^Korean. He is a third-generation Zainichi Korean, with his parents being second-generation Zainichi Koreans. At the age of four, he moved to Ikuno-ku, Osaka, where he was raised. His real name is Tsuyoshi Ihara (伊原 剛), with his stage name adding the character "志" (shi), meaning "will" or "ambition," a name reportedly given to him by the owner of an izakaya where he worked part-time during high school. He stands at 72 in ^{(184 cm)} tall and has O blood type. He is currently affiliated with Mai Promotion.

2.2. Education

Ihara attended and graduated from Imamiya Senior High School in Naniwa-ku, Osaka, before embarking on his acting career.

2.3. Nationality and Citizenship

As a third-generation Zainichi Korean, Ihara held Korean nationality by birth. He later obtained Japanese citizenship in 1995, becoming a naturalized Japanese citizen.

2.4. Personal Life

Tsuyoshi Ihara married actress Akiko Aitsuki in 1990. The couple divorced in 2000. In 2001, he remarried to a woman named Junko.

3.1. Early Career

After graduating from high school, Tsuyoshi Ihara joined the Japan Action Enterprise (JAE), a renowned theater troupe specializing in action and stunts, which was founded by martial artist and actor Sonny Chiba. His acting debut came in 1983 with the stage play Mayonaka no Party (Midnight Party). Soon after, he began to appear in numerous feature films and television dramas, steadily building his reputation in the Japanese entertainment industry.

3.2. Filmography

Ihara has appeared in a wide array of films, showcasing his versatility in various genres. His notable film roles include:

• Kotaro Makaritoru (1984) as Sadoya Shunper
• Bakayarō! Watashi Okkote Masu (1988) as Kazuki Numayama (Episode 1)
• Byôin e ikô (1990) as Hizaki
• Hong Kong Paradise (1990) as Ando
• Onna ga ichiban niau shokugyo (1990) as Fumio Tsukada
• Daida Kyōshi Akiba, Shinken Desu! (1991) as Masami Tsuji
• Jingi (1991) as Jin Kambayashi (leading role)
• Shura no Teiou (1994) as Atsuhiko Naoe
• Yonshima Monogatari (1995) as Jun Okita
• Gamera: Guardian of the Universe (1995) as Yoshinari Yonemori (leading role)
• Abunai Deka Returns (1996) as Makoto Hiiragi
• Hiroin! Naniwa bombers (1998) as Kuronosuke Ohashi
• Gamera 3: Awakening of Irys (1999)
• Drug (2001) as Masashi Kurata
• Minna no Ie (2001) as Arakawa Jr
• Shin Jingi Naki Tatakai: Bousatsu (2003) as Naoki Tsuge
• Hanochi (2004) as Saruo Sase
• Hinagon (2005) as Ichiro Igarashi (leading role)
• Retribution (2006) as Tôru Miyaji
• Letters from Iwo Jima (2006) as Baron Takeichi Nishi. This role, in Clint Eastwood's critically acclaimed and Academy Award-winning film, introduced Ihara to a wider international audience.
• Heat Island (2007) as Kakizawa
• Ginmaku ban Sushi ôji!: Nyûyôku e iku (2008) as Haruki / Rin
• Tsukiji uogashi sandaime (2008) as Eiji
• Ninja (2009) as Masazuka
• Nakumonka (2009) as Kenta Shimoigusa
• Thirteen Assassins (2010) as Kujuro Hirayama
• Dirty Hearts (2011), a Brazilian film, as Takahashi (leading role). His performance earned him the Best Actor award at the 15th Punta del Este International Film Festival.
• The Tang of Lemon (2011) as Kawachi
• Ai to makoto (2012) as Kenta Zaô
• Brave Hearts: Umizaru (2012) as Kazuhiko Shima
• Aibou: The Movie III (2014) as Tsukasa Kamuro
• Samurai Hustle (2014) as Danzo Kumogakure
• Last Knights (2015), a Hollywood film, as Ito
• Ashura 2003 (2015)
• Sutoreiyâzu kuronikuru (2015) as Koichiro Watase
• Kazoku no hi (2016) as Shinsuke Kimihara (leading role)
• Chô kôsoku! Sankin kôtai ritânzu (2016) as Danzo Kumogakure
• Iine! Iine! Iine! (2016)
• The Old Capital (2016)
• Lámen Shop (2018) as Kazuo
• They Say Nothing Stays the Same (2019) as Man in construction
• Signal: The Movie (2021) as Junki Aoki
• Yakuza Princess (2021) as Takeshi
• Sidonie in Japan (2023) as Kenzo Mizoguchi
• La Campanella (TBA, 2025) as Tokio Tokuda (leading role)

3.3. Television Dramas

Ihara has made numerous appearances in television dramas, including:

• Shadow Warriors (Hattori Hanzō: Kage no Gundan series) (Fuji TV, 1980-)
  • Kage no Gundan IV (1985) as Zenkyu
  • Kage no Gundam Bakumatsu-hen (1985)
• Taiga drama series (NHK):
  • Takeda Shingen (1988) portraying Oda Nobuyuki
  • Shinsengumi! (2004) portraying Sasaki Tadasaburō
  • Hana Moyu (2015) portraying Sakamoto Ryōma
• Hana Henro: Kaze no Showa Nikki Part 3 (NHK, 1988)
• Kayo Suspense Gekijo (Nippon TV):
  • Onna no Naka no Kaze (1988)
  • Kofuku na Choshoku (1988)
  • Kakei Toshi (1989) as Hishida (Genichi Hidaka)
  • Fuzai Shomei (1991)
  • Tonari no Onna (1996) as Genichi Taniguchi
• Oishii no ga suki (TBS, 1989)
• Dramatic 22: Shibuya Seishun Zaka Love Hotel (TBS, 1990) as Takashi Shimada
• Morning drama series (NHK):
  • Kyō, Futari (1990) as Mamoru Tashiro
  • Futarikko (1996) as Masao Kuroiwa, a role that brought him national recognition.
  • Hanako to An (2014) portraying Ando Kippei
• Matsumoto Seicho Sakka Katsudo 40nen Kinen: Suna no Utsuwa (TV Asahi, 1991) as Hiroshi Yoshimura
• Ai wa Doda (TBS, 1992)
• News na Aitsu (Yomiuri TV, 1992)
• Mo Namida wa Misenai (Fuji TV, 1993) as Katsumi Kasuga
• Drama Shin Ginga: Aozora ni Chindon (NHK, 1994) as Toru Hoshiyama
• 17sai -at seventeen- (Fuji TV, 1994) as Master (Matsuoka)
• Only You ~Aisarete~ (Nippon TV, 1996) as Keishi Saito
• Gokenin Zankuro Season 2, Episode 5: Kumogakure (Fuji TV, 1997) as Koheita Kawazoe
• Singles (Fuji TV, 1997) as Kazushi Yano
• Tsumetai Tsuki (Yomiuri TV, 1998) as Mansaku Morishita
• Kenkaku Shobai Season 1, Episode 3: Mayuzumi no Kin-chan (Fuji TV, 1998) as Kintaro Miura
• Kin'yobi no Koibito-tachi e (TBS, 2000) as Takumi Kishimoto
• Ichigen no Koto (NHK, 2000) as Tatsunoshin Susaki
• Ikiru Tame no Jonetsu to Shite no Satsujin (TV Asahi, 2001) as Takao Sugiyama
• Star no Koi (Fuji TV, 2001)
• Kowloon de Aimashō (TV Asahi, 2002) as Kosuke Akazawa
• Kochira Hon Ikegami Sho (TBS, 2002) as Koichi Dosho
• Mibu Gishi Den ~Shinsengumi de Ichiban Tsuyokatta Otoko~ (TV Tokyo, 2002) portraying Hijikata Toshizō
• Koi wa Tattakai! (TV Asahi, 2003) as Keisuke Akutagawa
• Kochira Hon Ikegami Sho 2 (TBS, 2003)
• Chūshingura ~ Ketsudan no Toki (TV Tokyo, 2003) portraying Horibe Yasubei
• Sky High 2 (TV Asahi, 2004)
• Last Christmas (Fuji TV, 2004) as Goro Shintani
• Kochira Hon Ikegami Sho 4 (TBS, 2004)
• Tokumei Kakaricho Tadano Hitoshi 2nd Season, Episode 14: Samurai (TV Asahi, 2005) as Koji Murakami
• Magari Kado no Kanojo (Fuji TV, 2005) as Masamitsu Horiuchi
• Shiawase ni Naritai! (TBS, 2005) as Yuya Sakuma
• Koi no Jikan (TBS, 2005) as Satoshi Shioda
• Grave of the Fireflies (Nippon TV, 2005) as Genzo Sawano (Hisako's husband)
• Umeko (TBS, 2005)
• Kuroi Taiyō (TV Asahi, 2006) as Takeshi Todo
• Jotei (TV Asahi, 2007) as Yuichiro Onoue
• Team Batista no Eiko (Fuji TV, 2008) as Kiryu Kyoichi
• 252 Seizonsha Ari episode.ZERO (Nippon TV, 2008) as Daisuke Ono
• Keishicho Keizoku Sosa Han (TV Asahi, 2010) as Akihiko Nitta
• Good Life: Arigato, Papa. Sayonara (Kansai TV, 2011) as Minato Maruyama
• Hatsukoi (NHK, 2012) as Tadashi Mishima
• Ten no Hakobune (WOWOW, 2012-2013) as Kazuki Miyazato
• Tokubou Keishichou Tokushu Bouhanka (Yomiuri TV, 2014) as Sohei Asakura (first leading role in a continuous TV drama)
• Ishitachi no Renai Jijo (Fuji TV, 2015) as Yusuke Jinshi
• Suiyo Mystery 9: Hanzai Kagaku Bunsekishitsu Denshi no Hyoteki (TV Tokyo, 2015) as Yasuhiro Fujie (leading role)
• Kakkou no Tamago wa Dare no Mono (WOWOW, 2016) as Hiromasa Hida
• Yassan: Tsukiji Hatsu! Oishii Jikenbo (TV Tokyo, 2016) as Yassan (leading role)
• Yukoku Mystery Chokessaku: Norizuki Rintaro Ichi no Higeki (Fuji TV, 2016) as Shiro Yamakura
• Honoo no Keieisha (Fuji TV, 2017) as Taizo Yatabe (leading role)
• Gosaigyo (Kansai TV/Fuji TV, 2019) as Yoshinori Honda
• The Naked Director Season 2 (Netflix, 2021) as Koichi Umino
• Shinso wa Mimi no Naka (TV Tokyo, 2022) as George Imai (leading role)

3.4. Stage Appearances

Ihara's stage career includes:

• We Love JAC (1986)
• Jōji ta JAC Kōen
• Mayonaka no Party (1991) as Donald (reprise of his 1983 debut role)
• Honkon Rhapsody (1993), directed by Amon Miyamoto
• Dā! Dā! Dā! (1993)
• Hikoma ga Yuku (2002)
• Blood Gets in Your Eyes (2003) as Abe Jaku
• Rōnin Gai (2004)
• Kātenkōru (2005)
• shuffle (2005)
• Gas Ningen Daiichigo (2009)
• The Tragedy of King Lear (2024) as Earl of Gloucester

3.5. Other Activities

Beyond his extensive acting career, Tsuyoshi Ihara has engaged in various other ventures:

• Literary Work**: He authored a book titled Kokorozashite Sōrō (志して候う_{Kokorozashite Sōrō}^Japanese), which was published in Japan by Amoeba Books in 2006.
• Rakugo Artist**: In 2016, Ihara became an apprentice to the renowned rakugo performer Katsura Jaku-jaku. He subsequently made his debut as a rakugo artist under the stage name Jajaya Gōgō (雀々や剛々_{Jajaya Gōgō}^Japanese).
• Voice Acting**: He has lent his voice to animated productions, including the 1995 anime film Karasu (Crow) by Toei Company. In 2022, he also appeared in the audio drama BATMAN: The Buried Truth as Thomas Wayne, released on Spotify.
• Business Ventures**: He is also known for operating an okonomiyaki restaurant chain named "Gottsui" (formerly "Bochibochi").
• Commercials**: Ihara has appeared in numerous commercials for major Japanese companies, including House Foods (Tokusen Honkaori Nama Wasabi), Coca-Cola ("I Feel Coke," 1987), UCC Ueshima Coffee ("THE COFFEE," 1989), Kao ("Clear Clean," 1990), ANA (check-in counter and in-flight themes), Gekkeikan (2006), Toyota (Vanguard, 2007-2010), Kowa (Colgen Kowa IB Transparent Capsule, 2007; Colgen Kowa Rhinitis Soft Mini Capsule, 2008), and Gyu-Kaku (2009).
• Other Television Programs**: He has also participated in other television programs such as Kimama ni Toygyazā (Mainichi Broadcasting System, Kansai Local), Ōra no Izumi (TV Asahi, December 13, 2006), the documentary Action Star wa Kou Shite Tsukurou!! -Ase to Namida no Tokkun Gasshuku- (Nippon TV, 1985), and NHK's High Vision Special series, including Taste Labyrinth Korea: Passionate Kimjang (2001) and World Mountain Railways: Run Through the Grand Canyon - China's Chengkun Railway 1100km (2001).