Tsuyoshi Kusanagi
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese entertainer. Kusanagi is a member of the popular Japanese idol
group SMAP
and has also appeared in a number of television drama
s, variety show
s and movies.
, Japan.
He made several long visits to South Korea
in 2003, auditioning and appearing on variety TV shows and commercials. He released a Korean language CD in Korea and Japan.
In 2004, he hosted his own variety show with Korean guests and themes. The show was named after himself, as Kusanagi uses Chonan Gang (초난강), the Korean reading of his name, as his stage name in South Korea. He has also hosted a program in which he talked with South Korean President Roh Mu-hyun in Korean, while the president was on an official visit to Japan in June 2003.
He had the lead role in the movie, (January 18, 2003; a Japan public presentation.) Moreover, his Korean-language-Japanese-produced movie (March 6, 2004 Japan public presentation) was submitted to the Moscow International Film Festival
on June 25, 2004.
Although not one of the more popular members of SMAP at first, following his well-received performances in a variety of roles, and riding the hanryū
wave in the wake of the success of Winter Sonata
in Japan, Kusanagi has come to be one of the more popular members of SMAP.
, Minato, Tokyo
. When confronted by police who were called to the spot he responded "", which went on to become an online meme in Japan
Kusanagi appeared at a press conference held on the night of April 24, 2009 accompanied by his attorney, and apologized for his misbehavior. "As an adult, my actions were embarrassing." "I drank too much, to the extent that I was out of control. I regret my actions very much." Prosecutors decided not to indict Kusanagi because of his apology and the embarrassment resulting from the incident.
For his actions, he was taken off the campaign for Japan's transition to digital television
in 2011, but was reinstated after a request from Kusanagi to do so, as well as promising to shoot the commercials for free.
Kusanagi returned to the entertainment business on the May 28 taping of the "SMAP×SMAP
" variety show. The show aired on Fuji Television on June 1 as he was seen holding back tears while singing the single Arigatou.
Japanese idol
In Japanese culture, are media personalities in their teens and early twenties who are considered particularly attractive or cute and who will, for a period ranging from several months to a few years, regularly appear in the mass media, e.g...
group SMAP
SMAP
SMAP is a Japanese boy band formed by Johnny & Associates. While originally consisting of six members, the current group members are Masahiro Nakai, Takuya Kimura, Goro Inagaki, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, and Shingo Katori...
and has also appeared in a number of television drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
s, variety show
Variety show
A variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is an entertainment made up of a variety of acts, especially musical performances and sketch comedy, and normally introduced by a compère or host. Other types of acts include magic, animal and circus acts, acrobatics, juggling...
s and movies.
Background
Kusanagi grew up in Kasukabe, SaitamaKasukabe, Saitama
is a city in eastern Saitama, Japan, approximately north of Tokyo. It was formerly located in Kitakatsushika and Minamisaitama districts. Kasukabe once prospered as part of the Nikkō Kaidō highway, an important trade route that linked Edo with Nikkō.-Overview:...
, Japan.
He made several long visits to South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
in 2003, auditioning and appearing on variety TV shows and commercials. He released a Korean language CD in Korea and Japan.
In 2004, he hosted his own variety show with Korean guests and themes. The show was named after himself, as Kusanagi uses Chonan Gang (초난강), the Korean reading of his name, as his stage name in South Korea. He has also hosted a program in which he talked with South Korean President Roh Mu-hyun in Korean, while the president was on an official visit to Japan in June 2003.
He had the lead role in the movie, (January 18, 2003; a Japan public presentation.) Moreover, his Korean-language-Japanese-produced movie (March 6, 2004 Japan public presentation) was submitted to the Moscow International Film Festival
Moscow International Film Festival
Moscow International Film Festival , is the film festival first held in Moscow in 1959. From its inception to 1995 it was held every second year in July, alternating with the Karlovy Vary festival. The festival has been held annually since 1995....
on June 25, 2004.
Although not one of the more popular members of SMAP at first, following his well-received performances in a variety of roles, and riding the hanryū
Korean wave
The Korean Wave, also known as the Hallyu , refers to spread of South Korean culture around the world. The term was coined in China in mid-1999 by Beijing journalists surprised by the fast growing popularity of Korean entertainment and culture in China...
wave in the wake of the success of Winter Sonata
Winter Sonata
Winter Sonata is a South Korean television drama series broadcast by KBS in 2002. It is the second part of the Endless Love installment directed by Yoon Seok-Ho...
in Japan, Kusanagi has come to be one of the more popular members of SMAP.
Incident
Around 3 a.m. on April 23, 2009, Kusanagi was arrested on suspicion of public indecency. Reportedly he was dancing naked while under the influence of alcohol in Hinokicho park in AkasakaAkasaka, Tokyo
is a residential and commercial district of Minato, Tokyo, located west of the government center in Nagatachō and north of the Roppongi nightlife district....
, Minato, Tokyo
Minato, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 1 March 2008, it had an official population of 217,335 and a population density of 10,865 persons per km². The total area is 20.34 km².Minato hosts 49 embassies...
. When confronted by police who were called to the spot he responded "", which went on to become an online meme in Japan
Kusanagi appeared at a press conference held on the night of April 24, 2009 accompanied by his attorney, and apologized for his misbehavior. "As an adult, my actions were embarrassing." "I drank too much, to the extent that I was out of control. I regret my actions very much." Prosecutors decided not to indict Kusanagi because of his apology and the embarrassment resulting from the incident.
For his actions, he was taken off the campaign for Japan's transition to digital television
Digital television
Digital television is the transmission of audio and video by digital signals, in contrast to the analog signals used by analog TV...
in 2011, but was reinstated after a request from Kusanagi to do so, as well as promising to shoot the commercials for free.
Kusanagi returned to the entertainment business on the May 28 taping of the "SMAP×SMAP
SMAP×SMAP
SMAP×SMAP is an ongoing weekly Japanese variety show on Kansai TV and Fuji TV starring the members of SMAP. The show began on April 15, 1996 and it airs from 22:00 to 22:54 every Monday...
" variety show. The show aired on Fuji Television on June 1 as he was seen holding back tears while singing the single Arigatou.
Dramas
- Kekkon shiyō yo (結婚しようよ, 1996)
- Oishii kankei (おいしい関係, 1996)
- Ii Hito. (いいひと。, 1997)
- Drama special: Sashō Taeko - kikan no aisatsu (ドラマスペシャル沙粧妙子－帰還の挨拶－, 1997)
- Narita rikon (成田離婚, 1997)
- Sensei shiranai no? (先生知らないの?, 1998)
- JinbēJinbeis a romance manga by Mitsuru Adachi. It appeared irregularly in the manga magazine Big Comic Original from 1992 through 1997, and was republished in one tankōbon volume in May 1997. In 1998, it was adapted as an 11-episode television drama series by Fuji TV.Jinbē is the story of the relationship...
(じんべえ, 1998) - TEAM (TEAM, annual drama series between 1999–2003)
- Food FightFood Fight (television series)s a Japanese television drama starring Kyoko Fukada and Kusanagi Tsuyoshi. It first aired in Japan from 1 July 2000 to 30 September 2000. Moderately successful, its average rating was 17.5% while its peak rating reached 21.5%.-Casts:...
(フードファイト, 2000) - Star no koi (スタアの恋, 2001)
- Boku no ikiru michiBoku no Ikiru Michi-Awards:6th Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix*Won: Best Supporting Actress - Akiko Yada...
(僕の生きる道, 2003) - Taikōki - Saru to yobareta otoko (太閤記〜サルと呼ばれた男, 2003)
- Boku to kanojo to kanojo no ikiru michi (僕と彼女と彼女の生きる道, 2004)
- Shinsengumi!Shinsengumi!is a Taiga drama television series produced by Japanese broadcaster NHK. It was a popular drama about shinsengumi, the Japanese special police from the Shogun period....
(新選組!, 2004) - Tokugawa Tsunayoshi - Inu to yobareta otoko (徳川綱吉〜イヌと呼ばれた男, 2004)
- Kaikyō o wataru Violin (海峡を渡るバイオリン, 2004)
- Koi ni Ochitara - Boku no Seikō no Himitsu (2005)
- Ai to Shi o Mitsumete (2006)
- Boku no aruku michi (僕の歩く道, 2006)
- Ryōkiteki na KanojoRyokiteki na Kanojo (Japanese television drama)is a Japanese television drama based on the South Korean movie My Sassy Girl. It narrates the story between Saburo Masaki, a marine biologist, and Riko Takami, an aspiring writer with a short temper. While the two are at odds with each other at first, they eventually become attracted to each other...
(猟奇的な彼女, 2008) - Ninkyo Helper (任侠ヘルパー, 2009)
- Love of 99 Years: JAPANESE AMERICANS(99年の愛〜JAPANESE AMERICANS〜, 2010)
Variety programs
- "SMAP×SMAP"
- "Kagayake! Uwasano Tenbest Show" (輝け!噂のテンベストSHOW)
- "New Tenbest Show" (新テンベストSHOW)
- "Dotch Cooking ShowDotch Cooking ShowThe was a Japanese cooking show produced by the Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation and known for its use of highest quality and most expensive food ingredients domestic and international to Japan...
" (どっちの料理ショー) - "New Dotch Cooking Show" (新どっちの料理ショー)
- "「Pu」sma" (『ぷっ』すま)
- "Morita Kazuyoshi Hour Waratte iitomo! (Friday)"
- "Waratte IitomoWaratte Iitomois a Japanese variety show aired every weekday on Fuji TV. The show is hosted by Tamori and has run since 1982. The show is produced in the Studio Alta building located in Shinjuku, Tokyo...
! Special number" - "Chonan Gang" (チョナン・カン)
Movies
- Messenger (メッセンジャー, 1999)
- YomigaeriYomigaeriis a Japanese film directed by Akihiko Shiota, and release on 18 January 2003. It features Tsuyoshi Kusanagi and Yuko Takeuchi in the lead roles, and stars a number of actors in smaller roles who are well-known in Japanese film and television...
(黄泉がえり, 2003) - Chanoaji (茶の味, 2003)
- The Hotel VenusThe Hotel VenusThe Hotel Venus is a Japanese-made film, performed in the Korean language. It was released on March 6, 2004 in Japan, Tokyo and in South Korea September 10, 2004...
(ホテルビーナス, 2004) - Nihon Chinbotsu (日本沈没, 2006)
- Sinking of Japan (2006)
- Like a VirginLike a Virgin (film)Like a Virgin is a 2006 South Korean film, written and directed by Lee Hae-joon and Lee Hae-yeong. Ryu Deok-hwan stars in the lead role as transgendered teenager Oh Dong-ku, and was nominated for the Asia Pacific Screen Award Best Performance by an Actor...
(Korean movie, small cameo role as a Japanese teacher, 2006) - Strings (ストリングス, as a voice actor, 2007)
- Yamanoanata (山のあなた, 2008)
- Ballad (BALLAD 名もなき恋のうた, 2009)
- 1,778 Stories of Me and My Wife1,778 Stories of Me and My Wifeis a 2011 Japanese film based on the true story of the science fiction writer Taku Mayumura. It was directed by Mamoru Hoshi, and stars actor Tsuyoshi Kusanagi and actress Yuko Takeuchi....
(僕と妻の1778の物語, 2011)
Other
- Chikyuu fushigi daisezen (地球ふしぎ大自然!, Earth wonderful Nature!)" (Narrator)
- Convenience store "SHOP99" (CM)
- Hime-chan no Ribbon (姫ちゃんのリボン, Animation, 1992/93, Hasekura senior's CV, also as himself in episode 13)"
- Kamata Koshinkyoku (stage play, 蒲田行進曲)
- Premiere: February 20 to 28 and March 5 to 27, 1999)
- Second performance: January 15 to 25 and 28 to 30 and February 4 to 20, 2000
- VOICE Reading/Tsubakihime (椿姫)
- Premiere: February 13 to 16, 2002)
- Second performance: June 22 to 23 and 30, 2002)
- Chichi Kaeru/Okujyo No Kyoujin (stage play, 父帰る／屋上の狂人, From April 1 to 30, 2006)