This article appeared in Tokyo Weekender Vol. 2, 2025.
To read the entire issue, click here.
It’s safe to say that Takehiro Hira is one of Japan’s most sought-after actors right now. The 50-year-old Tokyo native, who currently resides in Hawaii, began his career in the Japanese entertainment industry just over 20 years ago, starring in a wide range of television dramas, films and stage productions. Known for his charisma and his powerful screen presence, he typically plays complex, morally ambiguous characters, often with a sense of quiet intensity.
In recent years, he’s been focusing more on international productions, winning critical acclaim for his performances in series like Giri/Haji and Shogun. Earlier this year, he reached a Hollywood milestone: appearing in a Marvel film, as Prime Minister Ozaki in Captain America: Brave New World.
As his career continues to skyrocket, Hira’s ability to seamlessly transition between Japanese and international roles demonstrates both his versatility and the growing global demand for talent. With a mix of critically acclaimed series and major Hollywood projects under his belt, Hira is positioning himself as a standout figure in the entertainment world — a true symbol of the changing tides in global representation and storytelling.
A Different Path
Hira comes from a family of actors. Both his parents were renowned stage and screen performers — his late father, Mikijiro Hira, was often described as “Japan’s best Shakespearean actor,” while his mother, Yoshiko Sakuma, debuted in 1958 and made her most recent film appearance in Earthquake Bird alongside Alicia Vikander more than six decades later.
Hira had no desire to follow in his parents’ footsteps as a child. “It was a bit like the situation with Michael Corleone in The Godfather,” he says. “For whatever reason, I just felt like I wanted to go in a completely different direction to them.”
At age 15, he decided to head to the United States, “to try and find myself,” as he puts it. He ended up staying for around 10 years, becoming fully fluent in English in the process. He studied in Rhode Island, first at Moses Brown School and then Brown University, where he entered the applied mathematics department. After graduating, he cycled through a variety of jobs, including as a care provider for autistic children, a tempura chef, a project manager at the health information provider WebMD and as a financial analyst at an investment company.
“The harder I worked, the emptier I felt,” he says. “The financial world was too cutthroat for me. I was 27 and felt it was time to ask myself what I really wanted to do in life. Without hesitation, it was acting. Even though it was a path I’d previously avoided going down, the influence of my parents was always there. I felt if I didn’t give it a try, I would always regret it.”
A Family Affair
Hira made his theatrical debut at age 27 in the 2002 stage production Rokumeikan, a drama written by Yukio Mishima. He appeared alongside his parents, though it was a bit of a complex situation. They’d all been cast separately; his mother and father hadn’t spoken to each other since their divorce 17 years earlier. And neither was initially pleased about Hira taking up acting — particularly his mother, who threatened to walk away from the production if he was in it. She relented, but, according to Hira, refused to look him in the eye even when they were on stage together.
The play was a success, and Sakuma eventually softened her position. Hira, meanwhile, went on to garner a strong reputation as a stage actor, appearing in several Shakespeare plays, including Yukio Ninagawa’s production of Hamlet at the Barbican in London in 2004. He later played Iago in a Japanese production of Othello and, off the back of that, was offered a starring role as Prince Tokugawa Yoshinobu in the NHK taiga drama Atsuhime.
“It told the story of the final three shogun, and I was the last one,” he explains. “The drama had been such a huge ratings success with the first two — I was worried about messing everything up. Every morning, I walked to Meiji Jingu to pray that I wouldn’t. Fortunately, the ratings remained consistent even with me in it.”
He is, of course, just being modest. Hira was lauded for his performance and went on to feature in several NHK dramas. Legendary director Takashi Miike was also impressed with his work and cast him in several films, including the 3D samurai drama Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai and the legal comedy flick Ace Attorney. Working with Miike — whom he describes as “crazy” in a positive way — boosted Hira’s career even further.
Going Global
In 2019, the former financial analyst made his international television debut alongside Kelly Macdonald and Will Sharpe in Joe Barton’s British-Japanese gangster drama series Giri/Haji, which loosely translates to “Duty/Shame.” Told in both English and Japanese, the stylish, cross-cultural thriller follows a Tokyo detective (played by Hira) who travels to London to track down his missing brother, uncovering a tangled web of crime and family ties; it was described by one BBC executive as “unlike anything we’ve ever seen before on British TV.” The program was nominated for six BAFTAs — including a leading actor nod for Hira.
The following year, he appeared in William Olsson’s erotic drama film Lost Girls & Love Hotels, as the yakuza love interest of a troubled American expat drifting through Tokyo’s nightlife, played by Alexandra Daddario. The Chicago Sun-Times described his acting as “mesmerizing.” At this point in his career, Hira had made the decision to focus all of his attention overseas.
“I decided to quit Japan the day I auditioned for Lost Girls & Love Hotels,” he says. “Of course, I didn’t have the part at that point, but I felt it was the kind of acting I wanted to do, and to work in international productions.” He was so committed to this vision that he decided to move abroad. “My wife, who was four months pregnant then, said fine. As it was my decision to leave, she chose the place, opting for Hawaii.
“It was a risk, but I’m glad we did it,” continues Hira. “Hawaii’s amazing and I love being part of global productions. However, there were times early on when I felt out of my depth as everyone was so good. I remember on my first day filming for Giri/Haji, I had a scene with Will Sharpe. It seemed to flow so effortlessly for him. I thought I should just go home, as these actors were on a different level.”
The Shogun Effect
Then came Shogun, where Hira starred alongside a host of Japanese legends and rising talents. The epic historical drama, based on James Clavell’s 1975 novel of the same name, follows the collision of cultures in 1600s Japan as an English navigator washes ashore and becomes entangled in a fierce power struggle between feudal lords. Hira took on the role of Ishido Kazunari, a powerful and calculating rival to Lord Yoshii Toranaga.
As soon as it premiered, the series took the world by storm. At the 2024 Emmy Awards, it received the most nominations of any show that year — including an outstanding supporting actor in a drama series nod for Hira. His castmate, Tadanobu Asano, was nominated in the same category.
In contrast to Kazunari — a cold and cunning political antagonist, brought to life through Hira’s measured, commanding performance — Asano plays Kashigi Yabushige, a flamboyant and unpredictable daimyo who straddles the line between comic relief and genuine menace. Although both actors were widely praised for their work, neither got the Emmy in the end. “I was hoping Asano would win it,” says Hira. “He had to work so hard, falling from cliffs and things like that, whereas my character just sits in the ceremonial hall the whole time bitching about Toranaga.”
With his characteristic modesty, the actor admits that he was uncertain about even attending the awards. “It was a big surprise when I heard I was nominated, and I was in two minds about going because it felt too big-league for me,” he recalls. Shogun ended up taking home the prize for best drama, and Hira joined the rest of the cast onstage to accept it. “Looking down to see people like Meryl Streep and Robert Downey Jr. in the audience felt surreal,” he recalls.
Hira says he’s been invited back for the second season, though his tenure in the role may be limited by circumstance: “My character is based on Ishida Mitsunari, who was executed after the Battle of Sekigahara, so I probably won’t be around long.”
A Bright Path Forward
At least he knows what to expect. That wasn’t the case with Captain America: Brave New World, part of the ever-expanding and tightly guarded Marvel Cinematic Universe. The studio is famously secretive, and Hira only received his lines a day and a half before he was due to start filming. All he knew ahead of time was that he was playing the Japanese prime minister.
The role was small, but it marked a major career breakthrough — appearing in a Marvel film, one of the most globally visible and commercially influential franchises in modern cinema, is no small feat. It also saw him working alongside Harrison Ford, who plays the US president. “He’s such a gentleman and a real professional, who works the camera perfectly,” says Hira. “Acting with him was special.”
By now, Hira is accustomed to working alongside legendary talents. In the period action drama Tornado, out this spring, he appears alongside revered British actors like Tim Roth and Jack Lowden. In the comedy film Rental Family, also slated for release this year, he features alongside Oscar-winner Brendan Fraser. His next project is Karoshi, which has been described as a corporate thriller with a samurai twist. Confirmed cast members so far include Teo Yoo, Cynthia Erivo and Isabel May. According to sources, Hira will play the villain.
Hollywood has long struggled with representation for Asian actors, but Hira’s rising profile suggests that the tide may be turning. His continued success serves not only as inspiration for other actors but also as a reflection of a changing industry. “It’s a good time for Asian actors to be working internationally, as there are many more parts these days,” he says. “Being able to speak English helps a lot, and I’m still working hard to improve my language skills. I’m also determined to become a better actor. If I don’t do that, I won’t get the roles and, as I don’t really have any hobbies, that would be a big problem.”
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