is a Japanese actor,

martial artist Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; and the preserv ...

, and writer of Korean descent.

Biography

Ihara is a Japanese person of Korean descent, born on November 6, 1963, in

Kitakyūshū is a city located in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of June 1, 2019, Kitakyushu has an estimated population of 940,978, making it the second-largest city in both Fukuoka Prefecture and the island of Kyushu after the city of Fukuoka. It is one o ...

as Yun Yu-gu (윤유구/尹惟久) and who grew up in

Ikuno-ku, Osaka 250px, A typical residential area of Ikuno-ku is one of 24 wards of Osaka, Japan. The area of Ikuno-ku is well known for the large number of Koreans,Ryall, Julian.Big trouble in Little Korea: spiral of race hate grips Tokyo" (print title: "B ...

. He is a graduate of Imamiya Senior High School,

Naniwa-ku, Osaka is one of 24 wards of Osaka, Japan. It has an area of 4.37 km², and a population of 51,567. General information Largely a residential area itself, Naniwa-ku is adjacent to and has in recent years blurred into the Namba district, w ...

Career

Ihara joined the Japan Action Enterprise, a theater troupe founded by

Sonny Chiba , known internationally as Sonny Chiba, was a Japanese actor and martial artist. Chiba was one of the first actors to achieve stardom through his skills in martial arts, initially in Japan and later before an international audience. Born in Fuk ...

, after leaving high school. Soon after, he began to work in numerous

feature films A feature film or feature-length film is a narrative film (motion picture or "movie") with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation in a commercial entertainment program. The term ''feature film'' originall ...

and television dramas, including the 1996

NHK , also known as NHK, is a Japanese public broadcaster. NHK, which has always been known by this romanized initialism in Japanese, is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee. NHK operates two terrestri ...

series ''Futarikko''. In 2006, Ihara appeared as the Baron Takeichi Nishi in

Clint Eastwood Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western TV series '' Rawhide'', he rose to international fame with his role as the " Man with No Name" in Sergio Leone's "'' D ...

's critically acclaimed

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment in ...

-winning film '' Letters from Iwo Jima'', introducing him to a wider international audience. Ihara authored a book, , published in Japan by Amoeba Books.

Appearances

Films

*'' Kotaro Makaritoru'' (1984) - Sadoya Shunper *''Bakayarō! Watashi Okkote Masu'' (1988, Kōwa International and

Shochiku () is a Japanese film and kabuki production and distribution company. It also produces and distributes anime films, in particular those produced by Bandai Namco Filmworks (which has a long-time partnership—the company released most, if not ...

) - Kazuki Numayama (Episode 1) *''Byôin e ikô'' (1990) - Hizaki *''Hong Kong Paradise'' (1990,

Toho is a Japanese film, theatre production and distribution company. It has its headquarters in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. Outside of Japan, it is best known as the produc ...

) - Ando *''Onna ga ichiban niau shokugyo'' (1990) - Fumio Tsukada *''Daida Kyōshi Akiba, Shinken Desu!'' (1991, Toei and

Nippon TV JOAX-DTV (channel 4), branded as , is the flagship station of the Nippon News Network and the Nippon Television Network System, owned-and-operated by the which is a subsidiary of the certified broadcasting holding company , itself a listed ...

) *''Jingi'' (1991, Toei) *''Shura no Teiou'' (1994) *''Yonshima Monogatari'' (1995, Ezaki Guriko) *'' Gamera: Guardian of the Universe'' (1995,

Daiei , based in Kobe, is one of the largest supermarket chains in Japan. In 1957, Isao Nakauchi founded the chain in Osaka near Sembayashi Station on the Keihan train line. Daiei is now under a restructuring process supported by Marubeni Corporatio ...

) - Yoshinari Yonemori *''Abunai Deka Returns'' (1996,

, Toei) *''Hiroin! Naniwa bombers'' (1998) *'' Gamera 3: Awakening of Irys'' (1999, Daiei) *''Drug'' (2001) - Masashi Kurata *''

Minna no Ie (also known as ''All About Our House'') is a 2001 comedy film written and directed by Japanese director Kōki Mitani. The film is about an affluent couple who decide to build a new house, and the clash between traditional Japanese and modern we ...

'' (2001,

Fuji TV JOCX-DTV (channel 8), branded as and colloquially known as CX, is a Japanese television station based in Odaiba, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Owned and operated by the it is the key station of the Fuji News Network (FNN) and the Fuji Network S ...

) - Arakawa Jr *''Hanochi'' (2004) *''Hinagon'' (2005) - Ichiro Igarashi *''

Retribution Retribution may refer to: * Punishment * Retributive justice, a theory of justice ** Divine retribution, retributive justice in a religious context * Revenge, a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance Film and televis ...

'' (2006) - Tôru Miyaji *'' Letters from Iwo Jima'' (2006) - Baron Takeichi Nishi *''Heat Island'' (2007) - Kakizawa *''Ginmaku ban Sushi ôji!: Nyûyôku e iku'' (2008) - Haruki / Rin *''Tsukiji uogashi sandaime'' (2008) - Eiji *''

Ninja A or was a covert agent or mercenary in feudal Japan. The functions of a ninja included reconnaissance, espionage, infiltration, deception, ambush, bodyguarding and their fighting skills in martial arts, including ninjutsu.Kawakami, pp ...

'' (2009) - Masazuka *''Nakumonka'' (2009) *'' Thirteen Assassins'' (2010) - Kujuro Hirayama *'' Dirty Hearts'' (2011, Shindo Renmei) - Takahashi *''The Tang of Lemon'' (2011) *''Ai to makoto'' (2012) - Kenta Zaô *'' Brave Hearts: Umizaru'' (2012) - Kazuhiko Shima *'' Aibou: The Movie III'' (2014) *''

Samurai Hustle is a 2014 Japanese jidaigeki comedy film directed by Katsuhide Motoki and starring Kuranosuke Sasaki, Kyoko Fukada and Tsuyoshi Ihara. It was released on 21 June 2014. It featured in the Japanese Film Festival in Australia in 2014 under the n ...

'' (2014) - Danzo Kumogakure *''

Last Knights ''Last Knights'' is a 2015 action drama film directed by Kazuaki Kiriya and written by Michael Konyves and Dove Sussman, based loosely on (and Westernizing, for the most part) the Japanese legend of the forty-seven rōnin. The film, a joint pro ...

'' (2015) - Ito *''Ashura 2003'' (2015) *''Sutoreiyâzu kuronikuru'' (2015) - Koichiro Watase *''Kazoku no hi'' (2016) *''Chô kôsoku! Sankin kôtai ritânzu'' (2016) - Danzo Kumogakure *''Iine! Iine! Iine!'' (2016) *''

The Old Capital is a novel by Japanese writer Yasunari Kawabata first published in 1962. It was one of three novels cited by the Nobel Committee in their decision to award Kawabata the 1968 Nobel Prize in Literature. ''The Old Capital'' was first translated ...

'' (2016) *''Lámen Shop'' (2018) - Kazuo *''They Say Nothing Stays the Same'' (2019) *''Signal: The Movie'' (2021) - Junki Aoki *''

Yakuza Princess ''Yakuza Princess'' is a 2021 Brazilian action thriller film directed by Vicente Amorim, with an screenplay by Amorim, Fernando Toste, Kimi Lee and Tubaldini Shelling, based on the graphic novel ''Samurai Shiro'' by Danilo Beyruth. The film sta ...

'' (TBA) - Takeshi

Television dramas

*'' Shadow Warriors　(Hattori Hanzō: Kage no Gundan'' series) (

, 1980-) **''Kage no Gundan IV'' **''Kage no Gundam Bakumatsu-hen'' *''

Takeda Shingen , of Kai Province, was a pre-eminent ''daimyō'' in feudal Japan. Known as the "Tiger of Kai", he was one of the most powerful Daimyo, daimyō with exceptional military prestige in the late stage of the Sengoku period. Shingen was a warlord of ...

'' (1988

Taiga drama; portraying

Oda Nobuyuki , also known as , was the son of Oda Nobuhide and younger brother of Oda Nobunaga, who lived during the Sengoku period of Japan. Nobuyuki conspired against his brother Nobunaga with the Hayashi clan (Owari), which Nobunaga viewed as treason. No ...

) *''Oishii no ga suki'' ( TBS, 1989) *''Kyō, Futari'' (1990 NHK morning drama) *''Yonimo Kimyōna Monogatari'' (1991,

) *''Futarikko'' (1996, NHK morning drama) - Masao kuroiwa *''Only You ~Aisarete~'' (1996, Nippon TV) *''Ichigen no Koto'' (2000, NHK) *''Star no Koi'' (2001, Fuji TV) *''Kowloon de Aimashō'' (2002,

TV Asahi JOEX-DTV (channel 5), branded as (also known as EX and and stylized as TV asahi), is a television station that is owned and operated by the subsidiary of certified broadcasting holding company , itself controlled by The Asahi Shimbun Com ...

) *''Kochira Hon Ikegami Sho'' (2002, TBS) *'' Mibu Gishi Den ~Shinsengumi de Ichiban Tsuyokatta Otoko~'' (2002; portraying

Hijikata Toshizō was a Japanese warrior. As of the '' Shinsengumi'', he resisted the Meiji Restoration and fought to his end. Background was born on May 31, 1835, in the Ishida village, Tama region of Musashi Province (present day Ishida, Hino, Tokyo), Jap ...

) *''Koi wa Tattakai'' (2003, TV Asahi) *''Kochira Hon Ikegami Sho 2'' (2003, TBS]) *''Chūshingura ~ Ketsudan no Toki'' (2003,

TV Tokyo JOTX-DTV (channel 7), branded as and known colloquially as , is a television station headquartered in the Sumitomo Fudosan Roppongi Grand Tower in Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, owned and operated by the subsidiary of listed certif ...

; portraying Horibe Yasubei) *'' Sky High 2'' (2004, TV Asahi) *''

Shinsengumi! is a 2004 Taiga drama historical fiction television series produced by Japanese broadcaster NHK. It was a popular drama about the Shinsengumi, a Japanese special police force from the Bakumatsu period. Actors include Koji Yamamoto, Tatsuya ...

'' (2004 NHK Taiga drama; portraying

Sasaki Tadasaburō Sasaki () is the 13th most common Japanese surname. Less common variants are 佐咲, 佐佐木 and 笹木. Notable people with the surname include: Overview *, Japanese figure skater *, Japanese alpine skier *, Japanese idol and singer *, Japane ...

) *''Last Christmas'' (2004, Fuji TV) *''Kochira Hon Ikegami Sho 4'' (2004, TBS) *''Magari Kado no Kanojo'' (2005, Fuji TV) - Masamitsu Horiuchi *''Shiawase ni Naritai!'' (2005, TBS) *''Koi no Jikan'' (2005, TBS) *''

Grave of the Fireflies is a 1988 Japanese animated war tragedy film based on a 1967 short story by Akiyuki Nosaka. It was written and directed by Isao Takahata, and animated by Studio Ghibli for Shinchosha Publishing. The film stars , , and . Set in the city ...

'' (2005, Nippon TV) - Genzo Sawano (Hisako's husband) *''Umeko'' (2005, TBS) *''Kuroi Taiyō'' (2006, TV Asahi) *''Jotei'' (2007, TV Asahi) *'' Team Batista no Eiko'' (2008, Fuji TV) - Kiryu Kyoichi *''

Hanako to An is a Japanese television drama series, the 90th Asadora series broadcast on NHK. It debuted on March 31, 2014, and is broadcast Monday through Saturday mornings, with a scheduled to end of September 27, 2014. It is based on the novel ''An no Yu ...

'' (2014; portraying Ando Kippei, NHK Asadora) *''

Hana Moyu is a 2015 Japanese historical drama television series, the 54th NHK ''taiga'' drama. The series stars Mao Inoue as Sugi Fumi, a sister of Meiji Restoration scholar Yoshida Shōin. It premiered on January 4, 2015, and ended on December 13, 2 ...

'' (2015 NHK Taiga drama; portraying

Sakamoto Ryōma was a Japanese ''samurai'', a '' shishi'' and influential figure of the '' Bakumatsu'' and establishment of the Empire of Japan in the late Edo period. He was a low-ranking ''samurai'' from the Tosa Domain on Shikoku and became an active op ...

) *'' The Naked Director Season 2'' (2021,

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...

)

Anime

*''Karasu'' (1995, Toei)

Theater

*''We Love JAC'' (1986) *''Jōji ta JAC Kōen'' *''Mayonaka no Party'' (1991) *''Honkon Rhapsody'' (1993) *''Dā! Dā! Dā!'' (1993) *''Hikoma ga Yuku'' (2002) *''Blood Gets in Your Eyes'' (2003) *''Rōnin Gai'' (2004) *''Kātenkōru'' (2005) *''shuffle'' (2005) *''Letters from Iwo Jima'' (2006)

Other programs

*''Kimama ni Toygyazā'' (

Mainichi Broadcasting System , or MBS, is a radio and television broadcasting company headquartered in Osaka, Japan, affiliated with Japan Radio Network (JRN), National Radio Network (NRN), Japan News Network (JNN) and TBS Network, serving in the Kansai region. It ...

Kansai The or the , lies in the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshū. The region includes the prefectures of Nara, Wakayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyōgo and Shiga, often also Mie, sometimes Fukui, Tokushima and Tottori. The metropolitan ...

Local) *''Ōra no Izumi'' (December 13, 2006,

)

Books

*''Kokorozashite Sōrō'' (author)

References

External links

K DashDrive Music
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ihara, Tsuyoshi 21st-century Japanese male actors Japanese male film actors Japanese male actors of Korean descent Japanese male television actors Japanese male stage actors People from Kitakyushu Male actors from Osaka Zainichi Korean people 1963 births Living people