Biography
Kōji Yakusho is a Japanese actor. Born Kōji Hashimoto on 1 January 1956 in Isahaya, he worked at a Tokyo municipal office before taking his professional name from the Japanese word for government office. He trained at an acting studio in the late 1970s and began with stage roles before moving into television.
He gained early film recognition for his role in Tampopo (1985). Yakusho has appeared in numerous Japanese and international productions, including Shall We Dance? (1996), Cure (1997), Babel (2006), 13 Assassins (2010) and Perfect Days (2023), in which he played Hirayama. For the latter he received the Best Actor award at the 76th Cannes Film Festival.
