---
name: "Yūya Yagira"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/yuya-yagira"
fi1m_id: "yuya-yagira"
imdb_id: "nm1625874"
tmdb_id: 25648
wikidata_id: "Q1188884"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "26 March 1990"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 1
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 1
updated: "2026-10-02T22:10:35.886225+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Yūya Yagira

## Identity

Yūya Yagira

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/yuya-yagira
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** yuya-yagira
- **IMDb ID:** nm1625874
- **TMDB ID:** 25648
- **Wikidata ID:** Q1188884
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuya_Yagira, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1188884, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1625874/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/25648

Actor. Born 26 March 1990 in Tokyo, Japan.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 26 March 1990, Tokyo, Japan
- **Also known as:** Yuya Yagira, Yûya Yagira, Yuuya Yagira, Yagira Yuuya, Yagira Yūya, Yagira Yûya, Yagira Yuya, 柳楽 優弥, やぎら ゆうや, 柳樂優彌, 柳樂 優彌, 柳乐优弥
- **Cannes Film Festival:** 1 Cannes prize (1 won)
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuya_Yagira, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1188884, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1625874/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/25648

## Coming up

- *RYUJI ⻯⼆* (2026-10-30), as Ryuji
- *Sins of Kujo* (2027-01-08), as Taiza Kujo

## Streaming the US now

- **AMC+:** [*Nobody Knows*](https://film.one/film/nobody-knows.md) (87)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Yūya Yagira

> Yūya Yagira was handed a film at twelve and carried it by doing almost nothing: shopping, cooking, waiting. He has spent the years since playing men holding responsibility they did not ask for, and he is best when the script lets him keep quiet.

In *Nobody Knows* (2004) the boy does the shopping. He counts out his mother's cash, hauls the bags up to the flat, cooks for three younger children and deals with whichever adult is at the door, and Yūya Yagira plays all of it as if nobody were filming. Hirokazu Kore-eda found him through an open audition at twelve, with no acting behind him, and shot for long enough that we can watch him change: the face lengthens, the shoulders drop, the months pass on his body before they pass in the story. Watching that happen while the envelope of money thinned upset us more than any single scene in the film, because it is a childhood being used up in front of us and nobody on screen remarks on it. It is the best thing in a film we recommend without hesitation.

That is a hard act to grow out of. Child performers who are praised for stillness often find, as adults, that stillness alone is not a career, and the step from early acclaim to steady grown-up work is one Yagira was watched taking. He went straight into television and further films, then in the mid-2010s began taking harder leads in independent and genre pictures. *Unforgiven* (2013), a Japanese remake of the Western, put him in period costume as Goro Sawada. *Destruction Babies* (2016), as Taira Ashihara, turned the old reticence into something violent and blank, and it is the performance most often set beside *Nobody Knows* as proof the boy did not stop. We have not reviewed either and will not pretend to a verdict.

The pattern since is clear enough. He is cast as young men on their own, carrying something, or standing just outside the group: surrogate parents, outsiders, men whose morals are not settled. He speaks little and lets his body do the arguing. *His Lost Name* (2019) gave him Shinichi for Nanako Hirose, a Kore-eda associate making her first film, which looks like a return to the house he started in. *Asakusa Kid* (2021) asked him to play the young Takeshi Kitano, a very different job of impersonating a famous face. *Gannibal* (2022) moved him into a long-form horror series as Daigo Agawa, a man with a family, which he does not often get to play.

The weak spots are where you would expect. In broad commercial adaptations such as *Gintama* (2017) the fit has been questioned, and we can see why: a performer whose instrument is withholding does not obviously belong in a film built on noise. He has worked repeatedly with the director Yukihiko Tsutsumi, which suggests he values a director who knows what he does. Start with *Nobody Knows*, and start with the shopping. He plays men who are handed a job and get on with it, and the career has looked much the same.

## Biography

Yūya Yagira is a Japanese actor. He made his screen debut at the age of 12 as Akira in Hirokazu Kore-eda's *Nobody Knows* (2004). For the performance he received the Best Actor award at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival, becoming the youngest winner in the festival's history and the first Japanese recipient of the prize.

Yagira has since appeared in numerous films and television series. His credits include *Crows Explode* (2014), *Unforgiven* (2013), the live-action *Gintama* (2017) and its sequel (2018), *The Fable* (2019), *Asakusa Kid* (2021) and *Gannibal* (2022). He is represented by Stardust Promotion.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (1)

- *Nobody Knows* (2004), Fi1m 87, as Akira — [page](https://film.one/film/nobody-knows.md)

## Complete filmography (63)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Sins of Kujo* (2027), as Taiza Kujo
- *RYUJI ⻯⼆* (2026), as Ryuji
- *Sgt. Frog* (2026), as Hijikata Toshiro (voice)
- *Sins of Kujo* (2026), series, as Taiza Kujo
- *Light of My Lion* (2024), series, as Komori Hiroto
- *A Conviction of Marriage* (2024), as Arata Natsume
- *We're Millennials. Got a problem?: The Movie* (2023), as Michigami Maribu
- *I Am Dead!* (2023), series, as Sakurada Kazuhiko
- *Gannibal* (2022), series, as Daigo Agawa
- *The Fish Tale* (2022), as Hiyo
- *Asakusa Kid* (2021), as Takeshi Kitano
- *Pay to Ace* (2021), series, as Kurodo Kuroki
- *Gift of Fire* (2021), as Osamu Ishimura
- *HOKUSAI* (2021), as Hokusai Katsushika (Young)
- *Under the Turquoise Sky* (2021), as Takeshi
- *4 Mysterious Stories* (2020), as Tajima Ryosuke
- *From Today, It's My Turn!!: The Movie* (2020), as Eiji Yanagi
- *A Day-Off of Kasumi Arimura* (2020), series, as Takeda
- *The Fable* (2019), as Kojima
- *Don't Cry, Mr. Ogre* (2019), as Tomoyuki Saito
- *Doraemon: Nobita's Chronicle of the Moon Exploration* (2019), as Goddard (voice)
- *His Lost Name* (2019), as Shinichi
- *The Mother Returns? AI's Will* (2019), as Noda Naoto
- *From Today, It's My Turn!!* (2018), series, Actor
- *Falling Camellia* (2018), Actor
- *Hibiki* (2018), as Kohei Tanaka
- *Gintama 2: The Exceedingly Strange Gintama-chan* (2018), series, as Hijikata Toshiro
- *Gintama 2: Rules Are Made to Be Broken* (2018), as Toshiro Hijikata
- *Duality* (2018), as Man
- *Gintama: Mitsuba Arc* (2017), series, as Hijikata Toshiro
- *Gintama* (2017), as Toshiro Hijikata
- *I'm Yamagishi. Got a Problem?* (2017), series, Actor
- *Frankenstein's Love* (2017), series, as Seiya Inaniwa
- *Mom, May I Quit Being Your Daughter?* (2017), series, as Taichi Matsushima
- *Ninkyo Yaro* (2016), Actor
- *Destruction Babies* (2016), as Taira Ashihara
- *HK: Hentai Kamen 2 - Abnormal Crisis* (2016), as Tadashi Makoto
- *We're Millennials. Got a Problem?* (2016), series, as Maribu Michigami
- *Pink and Gray* (2016), as Suzuki Shingo
- *Gassoh* (2015), as Kiwamu Akitsu
- *Masshiro* (2015), series, as 仲野孝太郎
- *Saigo no Inochi* (2014), as Keito Myose
- *Nobunaga Concerto* (2014), series, as Nobuyuki Oda
- *Blue Blazes* (2014), series, as Moyuru Honô
- *Ushijima the Loan Shark Part 2* (2014), as Ebinuma
- *Crows Explode* (2014), as Toru Goura
- *Again* (2013), as Ryutaro Noguchi
- *Unforgiven* (2013), as Goro Sawada
- *Under the Nagasaki Sky* (2013), as Yuichi Hirose
- *Galileo XX* (2013), as Kento Touma
- *ブリザード* (2011), series, Actor
- *Blizzard* (2011), series, as Masato Sakitani
- *TOKYO23 ~ Survival City* (2010), series, Actor
- *All to the Sea* (2010), as Koji Otaka
- *The Shock Labyrinth* (2009), as Ken
- *The Bandage Club* (2007), as Tatsuya 'Dino' Ideno
- *Genius Party* (2007), Actor
- *Sugar & Spice* (2006), as Shiro Yamashita
- *Shining Boy & Little Randy* (2005), as Tetsumu Ogawa
- *A Making of Nobody Knows* (2004), Actor
- *Nobody Knows* (2004), as Akira — Fi1m 87, [page](https://film.one/film/nobody-knows.md)
- *Till the Battery Runs Out* (2004), series, Actor
- *Young Thugs: Going My Way* (2004), Actor

## Gallery

- ![第35回 東京国際映画祭 オープニングイベント レッドカーペット 柳楽優弥 (ガンニバル) (2022)](https://film.one/media/person/5493805/gallery-5755d5062413.jpg) 第35回 東京国際映画祭 オープニングイベント レッドカーペット 柳楽優弥 (ガンニバル) (2022) — Dick Thomas Johnson from Tokyo, Japan, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0c/Yagira_Yuya_from_%22Gannibal%22_at_Red_Carpet_of_the_Tokyo_International_Film_Festival_2022_%2852461362115%29.jpg/1280px-Yagira_Yuya_from_%22Gannibal%22_at_Red_Carpet_of_the_Tokyo_International_Film_Festival_2022_%2852461362115%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![第35回 東京国際映画祭 オープニングイベント レッドカーペット 柳楽優弥 (ガンニバル) (2022)](https://film.one/media/person/5493805/gallery-40228ed50f4b.jpg) 第35回 東京国際映画祭 オープニングイベント レッドカーペット 柳楽優弥 (ガンニバル) (2022) — Dick Thomas Johnson from Tokyo, Japan, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bf/Yagira_Yuya_from_%22Gannibal%22_at_Red_Carpet_of_the_Tokyo_International_Film_Festival_2022_%2852461443328%29.jpg/1280px-Yagira_Yuya_from_%22Gannibal%22_at_Red_Carpet_of_the_Tokyo_International_Film_Festival_2022_%2852461443328%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![第35回 東京国際映画祭 オープニングイベント レッドカーペット 柳楽優弥 (ガンニバル) (2022)](https://film.one/media/person/5493805/gallery-2beefb9bc769.jpg) 第35回 東京国際映画祭 オープニングイベント レッドカーペット 柳楽優弥 (ガンニバル) (2022) — Dick Thomas Johnson from Tokyo, Japan, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ef/Yagira_Yuya_from_%22Gannibal%22_at_Red_Carpet_of_the_Tokyo_International_Film_Festival_2022_%2852460912011%29.jpg/1280px-Yagira_Yuya_from_%22Gannibal%22_at_Red_Carpet_of_the_Tokyo_International_Film_Festival_2022_%2852460912011%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![第35回 東京国際映画祭 オープニングイベント レッドカーペット 柳楽優弥 (ガンニバル) (2022)](https://film.one/media/person/5493805/gallery-8767d9a63471.jpg) 第35回 東京国際映画祭 オープニングイベント レッドカーペット 柳楽優弥 (ガンニバル) (2022) — Dick Thomas Johnson from Tokyo, Japan, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6c/Yagira_Yuya_from_%22Gannibal%22_at_Red_Carpet_of_the_Tokyo_International_Film_Festival_2022_%2852461361705%29.jpg/1280px-Yagira_Yuya_from_%22Gannibal%22_at_Red_Carpet_of_the_Tokyo_International_Film_Festival_2022_%2852461361705%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Yūya Yagira](https://film.one/media/person/5493805/gallery-4743f0ce9ff5.jpg) Yūya Yagira — Image via TMDB
- ![Yūya Yagira](https://film.one/media/person/5493805/gallery-f829fe87a900.jpg) Yūya Yagira — Ogiyoshisan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/Yuya_Yagira_IMG_5407-1_20191020.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![第35回 東京国際映画祭 オープニングイベント レッドカーペット 柳楽優弥 (ガンニバル) (2022)](https://film.one/media/person/5493805/gallery-917102beafee.jpg) 第35回 東京国際映画祭 オープニングイベント レッドカーペット 柳楽優弥 (ガンニバル) (2022) — Dick Thomas Johnson from Tokyo, Japan, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/14/Yagira_Yuya_from_%22Gannibal%22_at_Red_Carpet_of_the_Tokyo_International_Film_Festival_2022_%2852460392392%29.jpg/1280px-Yagira_Yuya_from_%22Gannibal%22_at_Red_Carpet_of_the_Tokyo_International_Film_Festival_2022_%2852460392392%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)

## Awards

### Cannes Film Festival — 1 won

- 2004: Best Actor (won)

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/yuya-yagira