Japanese Male Singers

Once a popular child actor, Haruma Miura stormed the Japanese film scene after an impactful performance as Hiro in Koizora. He had also tried his luck in singing and had starred in series such as Last Cinderella. He shocked his fans by committing suicide by hanging at age 30.

Best known for his award-winning voice role of Light Yagami in the manga series Death Note, Mamoru Miyano is an anime artist who has also released singles such as Kuon and Discovery. The artist, who is also known as Mamo, or Mamo-chan, is also a skilled harmonica/harp player.

Taiwanese-Japanese actor Takeshi Kaneshiro was not seen in any major projects after his successful stint in the romantic comedy This Is Not What I Expected, till he announced he was part of the much-delayed Sons of the Neon Night. He is also popular as Samanosuke from the Onimusha video games.

Miyavi is a Japanese singer-songwriter, guitarist, actor, and record producer. Apart from being an entertainer, Miyavi is also a volunteer at UNHCR; since 2013, he has been visiting several refugee camps across the world. He was made an official UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador in November 2017.   

Japanese voice actor Nobuhiko Okamoto is best known for his award-winning performances in anime series such as A Certain Magical Index and Persona: Trinity Soul. He is also a certified shogi player and has participated in several shogi events. He has also tried his luck in singing.

Takuya Kimura is a Japanese actor, radio personality, and singer. He is best known for his association with SMAP, one of East Asia's best-selling boy bands. After starting his career as a singer, Kimura found considerable success as an actor, which catapulted him to stardom and turned him into a Japanese icon. His acting skills have earned him several awards.

Though Daisuke Ono initially wished to build a career in TV broadcasting, criticism from one of his art institute professors made him move toward acting. The Seiyu Award-winning voice actor is now known for his performances in manga series such as Black Butler and JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.

Japanese singer-actor Sakura Miyawaki initially gained fame as part of groups such as HKT48 and Iz*One. The J-pop and K-pop icon apparently signed a deal with BTS’s agency HYBE in 2021. She was also the runner-up on the reality show Produce 48 and has a popular YouTube video gaming channel, too.

Scouted while still in high school, Takeru Satoh is best known as Ryotaro Nogami from the Kamen Rider Den-O franchise. He had earlier worked as a child actor and was also skilled in baseball and martial arts. He has also starred in the live-action movie Rurouni Kenshin, based on a popular manga.

Tomohisa Yamashita is a Japanese singer, TV host, and actor. After joining talent agency Johnny & Associates at the age of 11, Yamashita has been active on TV ever since. He is best known for his portrayal of Kusano Akira in the 2005 TV drama Nobuta Wo Produce. Over the years, he has won several Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix awards.

With his Billboard number one track Sukiyaki, Kyu Sakamoto became the first to score a pop number one with a song entirely sung in Japanese. Born to a restaurateur, he had started his career singing in jazz clubs. He died in a 1985 plane crash that killed over 500 people.

Takahiro Moriuchi, better known to fans a Taka, soared to fame as the lead singer of the Japanese rock band One Ok Rock. He was previously part of the boy band News. The eldest son of popular singers Shinichi and Masako Mori, he now owns a lavish home in Hollywood Hills.

Born in Germany, Tetsuya Kakihara later established himself as a fine voice actor in Japan. He now also owns his own agency. Best known for his performances in manga/anime productions such as Fairy Tail, he later also released singles. He has also worked in adult media as Raku Kaiou.

Kazunari Ninomiya is a Japanese singer, radio host, songwriter, voice actor, and actor. He is best known for his association with the popular boy band, Arashi. Over the course of his successful career, Kazunari Ninomiya has won several prestigious awards, such as Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix, Japan Broadcast Film Arts Award, Hochi Film Award, Hashida Award, and Galaxy Award.

Yūki Ono is a Japanese singer and voice actor best known for his work in video games and anime shows. After being inspired by Kishō Taniyama, Yūki Ono went on to establish himself as a popular voice actor, winning honors like the Seiyu Award.

Popularly known as the Clint Eastwood of Japan for playing brooding characters, Ken Takakura has mostly been part of yakuza movies that dealt with organized crime. He soared to fame with Abashiri Prison and later delivered award-winning performances in films such as Station, The Yellow Handkerchief, and Poppoya.

Tatsuya Nakadai is a Japanese actor best known for his versatility and collaborations with popular Japanese film directors. One of the most celebrated actors, Nakadai has been honored with prestigious awards like the Blue Ribbon Award. In 2013, Tatsuya Nakadai received the Asahi Prize for his outstanding contribution to the field of art.

Kōji Wada was a Japanese pop singer best remembered for performing several theme songs for the popular anime television series, Digimon. He had contributed songs to six Digimon anime series, including his most famous single Butter-Fly. Kōji Wada went on to perform internationally before succumbing to cancer in 2016 at the age of 42.

Damo Suzuki is a Japanese musician best known for his association with the German experimental rock band Can where he was the lead singer from 1970 to 1973. Suzuki, who has been living in Germany since the 1970s, is an exponent of a genre of experimental rock called Krautrock, which was developed in the 1960s and 1970s in West Germany.

Toma Ikuta is a Japanese actor best known for playing important roles in TV series like Hanazakari no Kimitachi e: Ikemen Paradise. Over the course of his career, Ikuta has been honored with prestigious awards, such as Tokyo Drama Award, Television Drama Academy Award, and Blue Ribbon Award.

Akiyuki Nosaka was a Japanese novelist, lyricist, and singer. He is best remembered for his children's stories about wars. In 1967, two of his stories namely American Hijiki and Grave of the Fireflies won the prestigious Naoki Prize. Many of his works, including his novel, The Pornographers, and short story, Grave of the Fireflies, have been adapted into films.

Akira Fuse is a Japanese actor and singer who has been contributing immensely to the Japanese TV and music industry for many years now. From hosting a late-night talk show to performing in tours, Fuse has tried his hand at many things throughout his career.

Yōsuke Kubozuka is a Japanese musician and actor who worked as a model for TV commercials and magazines before starting his career as an actor. He then went on to establish himself as a reggae musician. Over the years, Kubozuka has been honored with many prestigious awards like the Japan Academy Film Prize, Television Academy Award, and Kinema Junpo Award.

Masayuki Suzuki is a Japanese singer renowned for his association with the popular blackface pop group Rats & Star where he was the lead vocalist. Suzuki is credited with forming the band, which was disbanded in 1996. Nicknamed Japan's King of Love Songs, Masayuki Suzuki is also known for his successful solo career.

Shintaro Katsu was a Japanese singer, actor, and filmmaker. He is remembered for playing important roles in popular film series like the Akumyo series and the Zatoichi series. Katsu's personal life, which included arrests in 1978, 1990, and 1992 for possession of drugs, overshadowed his professional achievements. Fujitora, a character from the manga series One Piece, is based on Katsu.

Killer Khan is a Japanese former professional wrestler best known for appearing alongside wrestlers like André the Giant in several high-profile matches during the 1980s in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). Khan also took part in Canada's Stampede Wrestling where he was the Stampede North American Heavyweight Champion for a couple of months.

Genki Sudo is a Japanese MMA fighter, singer, dancer, and politician. Known for his unorthodox fighting style and elaborate ring entrances, Sudo was a kickboxer before focusing on his career in the Japanese entertainment industry. He then became a member of a prominent political party in Japan in 2019. Sudo is currently serving as a Member of House of Councillors.

Hiroshi Tamaki is a Japanese actor, model, and singer. He is best known for his portrayal of Sato in the 2001 Japanese comedy film Waterboys. Tamaki is also known for his contribution to video games and TV shows.

Verbal is a Japanese recording artist, record producer, and music video director best known for his association with the popular hip hop group M-Flo. Verbal has played a huge role in helping M-Flo become an influential and iconic hip-hop production team in Asia. He has also worked with international stars like Kylie Minogue, Pharrell Lanscilo Williams, and Kanye West.

Tomoya Nagase is a Japanese retired actor and singer. He is best known for his association with Tokio, a musical group formed by the popular talent agency Johnny & Associates, where he was the primary vocalist. Apart from appearing in movies and contributing to music, Tomoya Nagase has also endorsed several brands and products like Xbox 360. 

Kō Machida is a Japanese author, poet, punk rock singer, and actor. He is credited with forming a band called Inu, which released its debut album Meshi Kuuna in 1981. When the band dissolved shortly after the release of the album, Kō Machida went on to form several other bands and came up with numerous albums.