Masaaki Sakai
Born the son of Shunji Sakai, a famous comedian in Japan, Sakai initially came to fame by fronting the group sounds band The Spiders. This group, formed in 1962, was popular throughout the 1960s; they spawned several hit songs as well as thirteen situation comedy films featuring their music. He took the title role of Songoku (Monkey) in the 1970s Japanese TV program Saiyūki. This gained him fame in many English-speaking countries in the early 1980s when it was dubbed by the BBC 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. 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 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 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 charities. His show-business nickname is "Machaaki".
Known For
Credits
- 2025 · Spirit World as
- 2023 · Kono Subarashiki Sekai as
- 2012 · Beautiful World as Yuzo Tsutai
- 2008 · Impossible Love as 타치키 쇼고
- 2008 · ザッツ宴会テイメント as
- 2007 · The Fearless Otojiro's Company as
- 2007 · Yunagi City, Sakura Country as Asahi Ishikawa (Old)
- 2006 · The Black Swindler as
- 2005 · A Hardest Night!! as Boss
- 2004 · The Most Useful School in the World as
- 2004 · Locomotive Teacher as
- 2001 · Churasan as Kohagura Keibun
- 1998 · Tokugawa Yoshinobu as
- 1995 · Best Friend as Kurosawa Michihiko
- 1995 · Papa Survival as
- 1994 · Furuhata Ninzaburo as
- 1994 · The Notorious Bored Samurai 9 as Kinai
- 1993 · Bored Hatamoto: Letter of Death as
- 1988 · The Notorious Bored Samurai 2 as Sasao Kinai
- 1982 · Sayonara Sankaku Mata Kite Shikaku as
- 1981 · The TOP10 as
- 1980 · 天皇の料理番 as
- 1978 · Monkey as Monkey
- 1977 · I Am A Man of Honor as
- 1974 · Japan Beauty Story as
- 1974 · Machi no Hi as Chiyomatsu Sakanoshita
- 1973 · Toshigoro as Okabe
- 1970 · 喜劇 右向けェ左! as
- 1969 · The Tempters: Smile After Tears as
- 1968 · The Age of Undutiful Children as
- 1968 · The Spiders' The Road to Bali as Masaaki Sakai
- 1968 · The Spiders: Big Commotion! as
- 1968 · The Spiders' The Noisy Parade as Masaaki Sakai
- 1967 · The Spiders' The Reckless Operation as Masaaki
- 1967 · The Greatest Challenge of All as
- 1967 · The Sunset Is Crying as
- 1967 · Las Vegas Free-For-All as
- 1966 · Youth A Go Go! as
- 1965 · A Girl of the Plateau as Sabu
- 1965 · Flowering Maidens as Sabu
- 1964 · Song of Happiness as
- 1964 · High School Juniors (Part II) as
- 1964 · Let's Dance Bon-Odori in Hawaii as Masaya Matsui
- 1964 · Here Because of You as Akira Tanaka
- 1964 · Nakamatachi as
- 1963 · High School Third Graders as
- Future · パパ・サヴァイバル as
- 1963 · The School Cap as Matsubara
- 1954 · Road to Hawaii as