is a popular Japanese performer from Tokyo. He is best known to English-speaking audiences as the title star of the TV show ''Monkey''.

Biography

Masaaki Sakai is a Japanese actor, singer and martial artist. Born the son of , a famous comedian in Japan, Sakai initially came to fame by fronting the

group sounds , often abbreviated as GS, is a genre of Japanese rock music which became popular in the mid to late 1960s and initiated the fusion of Japanese ''kayōkyoku'' music and Western rock music. Their music production techniques were regarded as playin ...

band The Spiders. This group, formed in 1962, was popular throughout the 1960s; they spawned several hit songs as well as thirteen

situation comedy A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...

films featuring their music. He took the title role of ''Son Goku'' (literally meaning "Descendant Aware of Vacuity", but the Chinese character for "descendant" is a punning reference to a similar character meaning "Monkey") in the 1970s Japanese TV program '' Saiyūki'' (lit. "

Journey to the West ''Journey to the West'' () is a Chinese novel published in the 16th century during the Ming dynasty and attributed to Wu Cheng'en. It is regarded as one of the Classic Chinese Novels, great Chinese novels, and has been described as arguably the ...

"). This gained him fame in many English-speaking countries in the early 1980s when it was dubbed by the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

and retitled ''Monkey''. Due to his fame playing the mythical character ''Songoku,'' Sakai created a dance called "the Monkey" which became a craze in Japan. Prior to taking the role in Monkey, Sakai learnt the art of staff known as

Bōjutsu () is the martial art of stick fighting using a bō, which is the Japanese word for staff. Staffs have been in use for thousands of years in Asian martial arts like Silambam. Some techniques involve slashing, swinging, and stabbing with the ...

for 2 years. Sakai went on to a successful solo career after The Spiders disbanded, and continued acting in films and on television. In 1999, he formed the band Sans Filtre with two former Spiders, Hiroshi Kamayatsu and Takayuki Inoue. They released their first album ''Yei Yei'' in 2000. Sakai is known in Japan as a car enthusiast and regularly took part in the annual

Mille Miglia The Mille Miglia (, ''Thousand Miles'') was an open-road, motorsport Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance race established in 1927 by the young Counts :it:Franco Mazzotti, Francesco Mazzotti and Aymo Maggi. It took place in Italy 24 times f ...

race in Italy with his wife as a co-driver. He won a similar Japanese road race on October 18, 2000 driving a 1947 Cisitalia 202 MM with Inoue Takayuki (the guitarist from Sans Filtre) as co-driver. Due to business commitments he gave up racing in 2002 and gave his

Alfa Romeo Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. () is an Italian carmaker known for its sports-oriented vehicles, strong auto racing heritage, and iconic design. Headquartered in Turin, Italy, it is a subsidiary of Stellantis Europe and one of 14 brands of mu ...

race car to Masahiko Kondō who is also a singer and race enthusiast. He is also a hobby archer. Sakai has been married and divorced twice, and has two daughters. He is an active supporter of

AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...

charities. His show-business nickname is "Machaaki".

TV shows

Sakai starred in a series about travelling around Europe as well as the following series: * ''Saiyūki'' (

Monkey Monkey is a common name that may refer to most mammals of the infraorder Simiiformes, also known as simians. Traditionally, all animals in the group now known as simians are counted as monkeys except the apes. Thus monkeys, in that sense, co ...

) * ''Hakkutsu! Aruaru Daijiten'' * ''Chubaw Desu yo!'' (titled in English as ''Saturday Night Chubaw'') from 1994 to the present, where Sakai and a guest attempt to cook the dishes of famous restaurants. * ''Shinano no Columbo'' (as the lead character in Japan's version of

Columbo ''Columbo'' is an American crime drama television series starring Peter Falk as Columbo (character), Lieutenant Columbo, a homicide detective with the Los Angeles Police Department. After two pilot episodes in 1968 and 1971, the show originall ...

)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sakai, Masaaki 1946 births Living people Japanese male actors Japanese male singers Nippon Columbia artists Singers from Tokyo