Tsuyoshi Ihara

In this Korean name, the family name is Yun.

Tsuyoshi Ihara (いはら つよし, Ihara Tsuyoshi, Korean: 윤유구; born November 6, 1963) is a Japanese actor, martial artist, and writer of Korean descent.

Tsuyoshi Ihara
伊原 剛志
Ihara in 2015
Born	Yun Yu-gu (1963-11-06) November 6, 1963 (age 61) Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Japan
Nationality	Japanese
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1982–present
Height	1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)

Biography

Ihara is a Japanese person of Korean descent who was born on November 6, 1963, in Kitakyūshū as Yun Yu-gu (윤유구; 尹惟久) to second-generation Zainichi Koreans and grew up in Ikuno-ku, Osaka. He is a graduate of Imamiya Senior High School, Naniwa-ku, Osaka. He received his Japanese citizenship in 1995.

Career

Ihara joined the Japan Action Enterprise, a theater troupe founded by Sonny Chiba, after leaving high school. Soon after, he began to work in numerous feature films and television dramas, including the 1996 NHK series Futarikko. In 2006, Ihara appeared as the Baron Takeichi Nishi in Clint Eastwood's critically acclaimed Academy Award-winning film Letters from Iwo Jima, introducing him to a wider international audience.^[1]

Ihara authored a book, Kokorozashite Sōrō (志して候う), published in Japan by Amoeba Books.^[2]

In 2016, he became an apprentice to Katsura. He made his debut as a rakugo artist.^[3]。

Appearances

Films

• Kotaro Makaritoru (1984) - Sadoya Shunper
• Bakayarō! Watashi Okkote Masu (1988, Kōwa International and Shochiku) - Kazuki Numayama (Episode 1)
• Byôin e ikô (1990) - Hizaki
• Hong Kong Paradise (1990, Toho) - Ando
• Onna ga ichiban niau shokugyo (1990) - Fumio Tsukada
• Daida Kyōshi Akiba, Shinken Desu! (1991, Toei and Nippon TV)
• Jingi (1991, Toei)
• Shura no Teiou (1994)
• Yonshima Monogatari (1995, Ezaki Guriko)
• Gamera: Guardian of the Universe (1995, Daiei) - Yoshinari Yonemori
• Abunai Deka Returns (1996, Nippon TV, Toei)
• Hiroin! Naniwa bombers (1998)
• Gamera 3: Awakening of Irys (1999, Daiei)
• Drug (2001) - Masashi Kurata
• Minna no Ie (2001, Fuji TV, Toho) - Arakawa Jr
• Hanochi (2004)
• Hinagon (2005) - Ichiro Igarashi
• Retribution (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 (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 (2014) - Danzo Kumogakure
• Last Knights (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 (2016)
• Lámen Shop (2018) - Kazuo
• They Say Nothing Stays the Same (2019)
• Signal: The Movie (2021) - Junki Aoki
• Yakuza Princess (2021) - Takeshi
• Sidonie in Japan (2023) - Kenzo Mizoguchi
• La Campanella (TBA)^[4]

Television dramas

• Shadow Warriors　(Hattori Hanzō: Kage no Gundan series) (Fuji TV, 1980-)
  • Kage no Gundan IV
  • Kage no Gundam Bakumatsu-hen
• Takeda Shingen (1988 NHK Taiga drama; portraying Oda Nobuyuki)
• Oishii no ga suki (TBS, 1989)
• Kyō, Futari (1990 NHK morning drama)
• Yonimo Kimyōna Monogatari (1991, Fuji TV)
• 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)
• Kochira Hon Ikegami Sho (2002, TBS)
• Mibu Gishi Den ~Shinsengumi de Ichiban Tsuyokatta Otoko~ (2002; portraying Hijikata Toshizō)
• Koi wa Tattakai (2003, TV Asahi)
• Kochira Hon Ikegami Sho 2 (2003, TBS])
• Chūshingura ~ Ketsudan no Toki (2003, TV Tokyo; portraying Horibe Yasubei)
• Sky High 2 (2004, TV Asahi)
• Shinsengumi! (2004 NHK Taiga drama; portraying Sasaki Tadasaburō)
• 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 (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 (2014; portraying Ando Kippei, NHK Asadora)
• Hana Moyu (2015 NHK Taiga drama; portraying Sakamoto Ryōma)
• The Naked Director Season 2 (2021, Netflix)^[5]

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, Kansai Local)
• Ōra no Izumi (December 13, 2006, TV Asahi)

Books

• Kokorozashite Sōrō (author)^[2]