is a Japanese actor of Korean descent.
Early life
Ihara, a third-generation Zainichi Korean by birth, was born on November 6, 1963, in KitakyÃ
«shÃ
« as Yun Yu-gu () and grew up in Ikuno-ku "Korea Town" section of Osaka. He is a graduate of Imamiya Senior High School, Naniwa-ku, Osaka. He received his Japanese citizenship in 1995.
Career
Ihara joined Sonny Chiba's Japan Action Club 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.
Ihara authored a book, , published in Japan by Amoeba Books.
In 2016, he became an apprentice to Katsura. He made his debut as a rakugo artist.
Filmography
Films
- Kotaro Makaritoru (1984) - Sadoya Shunper
- BakayarÃ
Â! Watashi Okkote Masu (1988, KÃ
Âwa 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 KyÃ
Âshi Akiba, Shinken Desu! (1991, Toei and Nippon TV)
- Jingi (1991, Toei)
- Shura no Teiou (1994)
- Yonshima Monogatari (1995, Ezaki Guriko)
- ' (1995, Daiei) - Yoshinari Yonemori
- Abunai Deka Returns (1996, Nippon TV, Toei)
- Hiroin! Naniwa bombers (1998)
- ' (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
- ' (2012) - Kazuhiko Shima
- ' (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)
Television dramas
- Shadow WarriorsãÂÂ(Hattori HanzÃ
Â: Kage no Gundan series) (Fuji TV, 1980-)
- Kage no Gundan IV
- Kage no Gundan Bakumatsu-hen
- Takeda Shingen (1988 NHK Taiga drama; portraying Oda Nobuyuki)
- Oishii no ga suki (TBS, 1989)
- KyÃ
Â, Futari (1990 NHK morning drama)
- Yonimo KimyÃ
Âna 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 AimashÃ
 (2002, TV Asahi)
- Kochira Hon Ikegami Sho (2002, TBS)
- Mibu Gishi Den ~Shinsengumi de Ichiban Tsuyokatta Otoko~ (2002; portraying Hijikata ToshizÃ
Â)
- Koi wa Tattakai (2003, TV Asahi)
- Kochira Hon Ikegami Sho 2 (2003, TBS])
- ChÃ
«shingura ~ Ketsudan no Toki (2003, TV Tokyo; portraying Horibe Yasubei)
- Sky High 2 (2004, TV Asahi)
- Shinsengumi! (2004 NHK Taiga drama; portraying Sasaki TadasaburÃ
Â)
- 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 TaiyÃ
 (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 RyÃ
Âma)
- The Naked Director Season 2 (2021, Netflix)
Anime
Theater
- We Love JAC (1986)
- JÃ
Âji ta JAC KÃ
Âen
- Mayonaka no Party (1991)
- Honkon Rhapsody (1993)
- DÃÂ! DÃÂ! DÃÂ! (1993)
- Hikoma ga Yuku (2002)
- Blood Gets in Your Eyes (2003)
- RÃ
Ânin Gai (2004)
- KÃÂtenkÃ
Âru (2005)
- shuffle (2005)
- Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)
Other programs
Books
- Kokorozashite SÃ
ÂrÃ
 (author)
References
External links