{{Short description|Japanese comedian, actor and musician (1929–1996)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}} {{Infobox person | name = Frankie Sakai | image = Frankie Sakai Studio Still from Chika kara kita otoko 1956 Scan10015.jpg | image_size = 220px | caption = Frankie Sakai in 1956 | native_name = フランキー堺 | native_name_lang = ja | birth_name = {{nihongo|Masatoshi Sakai|堺 正俊|Sakai Masatoshi}} | birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1929|2|13}} | birth_place = [[Kagoshima, Kagoshima]], [[Japan]] | death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1996|6|10|1929|2|13}} | death_place = Japan | occupation = Film actor, comedian, musician | years_active = 1953–1996 | spouse = | domesticpartner = | website = }} {{nihongo|'''Frankie Sakai'''|フランキー堺|Furankī Sakai}} (13 February 1929 – 10 June 1996) was a Japanese comedian, actor, and musician.
==Career== From his days at [[Keio University]], Sakai worked as a [[jazz drummer]] at American Army camps during the [[Occupation of Japan]], often doing comic routines with his music.<ref name="j1">[http://www.lib.city.minato.tokyo.jp/yukari/e/man-detail.cgi?id=82 "Frankie Sakai"], Prominent People of Minato City</ref> Becoming a professional comedian, he appeared in many famous [[comedy film|film comedies]] such as ''[[Sun in the Last Days of the Shogunate]]'' and the ''Shachō'' and ''Ekimae'' series at the [[Toho Studios]]. He was named best actor at the [[Blue Ribbon Awards]] for his work in ''Sun in the Last Days of the Shogunate'' and ''Shiawase wa orera no negai''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Burū Ribon Shō hisutorī 57|url=http://cinemahochi.yomiuri.co.jp/b_award/1957/|publisher=Cinema Hochi|access-date=9 November 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081022074006/http://cinemahochi.yomiuri.co.jp/b_award/1957/|archive-date=22 October 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref>
He also appeared in [[musical film|musicals]] such as ''Kimi mo shusse ga dekiru'', serious dramas such as ''I Want to Be a Shellfish'', and [[monster movie|kaiju eiga]] like ''[[Mothra (film)|Mothra]]''. He was also known for his personal study of the [[ukiyo-e]] artist [[Sharaku]]<ref name="j1"/> and helped produce the film ''[[Sharaku (film)|Sharaku]]'' directed by [[Masahiro Shinoda]]. He is best known to American audiences for his dramatic role in the 1980s television production of [[Shōgun (1980 miniseries)|''Shōgun'']] in which he played the part of Lord Yabu.
He died of liver failure on 10 June 1996 at the age of 67.
==Selected filmography== ===Films=== {{Div col}} * ''Seishun jazu musume'' (1953) * ''Musume jûroku jazz matsuri'' (1954) * ''Jazz on Parade 1954 nen: Tokyo Cinderella musume'' (1954) * ''Hatsukoi kanariya musume'' (1955) - Furakichi * ''Ai no onimotsu'' (1955) * ''Jazz on Parade: Jazz musume kampai!'' (1955) - Fura-san * {{Nihongo|''[[Midori haruka ni]]''|緑はるかに||lit. "Beyond the Green"}} (1955) - Pierrot * ''Tokyo baka odori'' (1956) * ''Chika kara kita otoko'' (1956) - Shimpei Takiguchi * ''Zoku ueru tamashii'' (1956) * ''Gyûnyû ya Furankî'' (1956) - Rukuheita Sakai / Kogorô Sakai * ''Tange Sazen: Kenun no maki'' (1956) * ''Otemba san'nin shimai: Odoru taiyô'' (1957) - Kunio Yamato * ''Frankie Bûchan no Aa gunkanki'' (1957) * {{Nihongo|''Shiawase wa orera no negai''|倖せは俺等のねがい||lit. "Happiness Is Our Wish"}} (1957) - Gorô Sudô * {{Nihongo|''[[Sun in the Last Days of the Shogunate]]''|幕末太陽伝|Bakumatsu Taiyōden|lit. "Records of the Sun in [[Bakumatsu|the Last Days of the Shogunate]]"}} (1957) - Inokori Saheiji, the stayer * ''[[Sun in the Last Days of the Shogunate]]'' (1957) - Inokori Saheiji, the stayer * ''Frankie Bûchan no zoku aa gunkaki: Nyogo ga-shima funsenki'' (1957) * ''[[Man Who Causes a Storm]]'' (1957) - Man in jail (uncredited) * ''A Boy and Three Mothers'' (1958) - Seiji, the Farher * ''Buttsuke homban'' (1958) - Tetsuo Matsumoto * ''Kigeki ekimae ryokan'' (1958) - Kinichi Koyama * ''Furanki no sannin mae'' (1958) * ''Gurama-to no yuwaku'' (1959) - Tamenaga * ''Aisaiki'' (1959) * ''Moro no Ichimatsu yûrei dochu'' (1959) * ''Abarenbo miri ni Ishimatsu'' (1959) * {{Nihongo|''[[Hanayome-san wa sekai-ichi|The Bride from Japan]]''|花嫁さんは世界一|Hanayome-san wa Sekaiichi|lit. "Mrs. Bride Is the Number One in the World"}} (1959) * {{Nihongo|''I Want to Be a Shellfish''|[[:ja:私は貝になりたい|私は貝になりたい]]|Watashi wa Kai ni Naritai}} (1959) * ''Kashima ari'' (1959) * ''Shiranami gonin otoko: tenka no ô-dorobô'' (1960) * ''Hito mo arukeba'' (1960) - Keima Sunagawa * ''Yurei Hanjo-ki'' (1960) - Hachigogo * ''Dokuritsu gurentai nishi-e'' (1960) * '''Akasaka no shimai' yori: yoru no hada'' (1960) - Junpei Tanabe * ''Â jonan'' (1960) * ''Shima no sehiro no oyabun-shû'' (1961) * ''Tokkyu Nippon'' (1961) - Kiichi * ''Tôkyô yawa'' (1961) - Ken-chan * ''Onna wa nido umareru'' (1961) - Nozaki * {{Nihongo|''[[Mothra (film)|Mothra]]''|モスラ|Mosura}} (1961) - Senichiro 'Sen-chan' Fukuda * ''Kigeki: ekimae danchi'' (1961) * ''Minami no shima ni yuki ga furu'' (1961) * {{Nihongo|''[[The Last War (1961 film)|The Last War]]''|世界大戦争|Sekai Daisensō||lit. "Great World War"}} (1961) - Mokichi Tamura * ''Kigeki ekimae bentô'' (1961) * ''Salary man Shimizu minato'' (1962) - Kyû Rokkan * ''Hagure kigeki mandara'' (1962) * ''Shachô yôkôki'' (1962) * ''Zoku shachô yôkôki'' (1962) * ''Heso no taisho'' (1962) * ''Ao beka monogatari'' (1962) - Goro * ''Kigeki ekimae onsen'' (1962) - Jirô Sakai * ''Shin kitsune to tanuki'' (1962) * ''Chikata nikki'' (1962) * ''[[Chūshingura: Hana no Maki, Yuki no Maki]]'' (1962) - Heigorô * ''Kigeki ekimae hanten'' (1962) * ''Kigeki: Detatoko shôbu - 'Chinjarara monogatari' yori'' (1962) - Nadare no Sabu * ''Shachô manyûki'' (1963) * ''Onna ni tsuyoku naru kufû no kazukazu'' (1963) - Nobuo Koyama * ''Zoku shachô manyûki'' (1963) * ''Shachô gaiyûki'' (1963) - Willie Tanaka * ''Kigeki: Tonkatsu ichidai'' (1963) - Shinichi Tamaki * ''Kawachi udoki-Oiroke hanjoki'' (1963) * ''Zoku shachô gaiyûki'' (1963) * ''Charan boran monogatari'' (1963) * ''Daidokoro taiheiki'' (1963) * ''Kigeki ekimae chagama'' (1963) * ''Todan Goro ichiza'' (1963) * ''Wanpaku tenshi'' (1963) * ''Shachô shinshiroku'' (1964) * ''Kigeki ekimae okami'' (1964) - Jirô Ban'no * ''Misuta jaiantsu'' (1964) * ''Zoku shachô shinshiroku'' (1964) * ''Kigeki: Yôki-na mibôjin'' (1964) - Ghost / Shunji Ogata / Assistant Professor Kida / Junji Shimamichi / an acupressure therapist / Haruo Taniyama / Middle-aged Man * {{Nihongo|''Kimi mo shusse ga dekiru''|[[:ja:君も出世ができる|君も出世ができる]]||lit. "You Can Succeed, Too"}} (1964) - Zenta Yamakawa * ''Kigeki ekimae kaidan'' (1964) * ''Kigeki ekimae ondo'' (1964) * ''Kigeki ekimae tenjin'' (1964) * ''Shachô ninpôchô'' (1965) * ''Kigeki ekimae iin'' (1965) * ''Zoku shachô ninpôchô'' (1965) - Tsuyoshi Kebanai * ''Kigeki ekimae kinyû'' (1965) * ''Rokunin no onna o koroshita otoko'' (1965) * ''Hana no o-Edo no hôkaibô'' (1965) - Hokaibo * ''Kigeki ekimae daigaku'' (1965) * ''Anma taiheiki'' (1965) * ''Shachô gyôjôki'' (1966) * ''Kigeki ekimae benten'' (1966) * ''Zoku shachô gyôjôki'' (1966) - Tsuyoshi Kebanai * ''Kigeki ekimae manga'' (1966) - Jiro Sakai * ''Kigeki ekimae bantô'' (1966) * ''Dark the Mountain Snow'' (1966) - Jiro * ''Kigeki ekimae keiba'' (1966) * ''Shachô senichiya'' (1967) * ''Kigeki ekimae mangan'' (1967) - Jiro Sakai * ''Râmen taishi'' (1967) * ''Kigeki ekimae gakuen'' (1967) * ''Zoku shachô senichiya'' (1967) * ''Kigeki ekimae tanken'' (1967) * ''Kigeki ekimae hyakku-nen'' (1967) * ''Kigeki ekimae kaiun'' (1968) * ''Kigeki ekimae kazan'' (1968) - Jiro Sakai * ''Kawachi fûten zoku'' (1968) - Fûkichi * ''Hakuchû dôdô'' (1968) - Lawyer Sakashita * ''Kigeki: Otto urimasu'' (1968) * ''Dorifutazu desu yo! Totte totte torimakure'' (1968) * ''Kigeki ekimae sanbashi'' (1969) - Jiro Sakai * ''Yotarô senki'' (1969) - Yotarô Akimoto * ''Yosakoi ryoko'' (1969) - Goichi Hasegawa * ''Gyakuten ryoko'' (1969) - Goichi Hasegawa * ''[[Mastermind (1976 film)|Mastermind]]'' (1969) - Captain Yamada * ''Shin Yotarô senki'' (1969) - Yotarô Akimoto * ''Gokudô petenshi'' (1969) * ''Chibikko Remi to meiken Capi'' (1970) - Kapi (voice) * ''Kigeki aa gunka'' (1970) * ''Onna kumichô'' (1970) * ''Kigeki Kaiun ryokô'' (1971) * ''Kigeki: Inochi no nedan'' (1971) * ''Kawaii akujo: Koroshi no mae nikuchidzukeo'' (1972) - Deputy head * ''Kigeki kaidan ryokô'' (1972) * ''Love of a Bad Woman-Kiss Before the Killing'' (1972) * ''Kigeki otoko no komoriuta'' (1972) * ''Miyamoto Musashi'' (1973) - Honiden Matahachi * ''Machi no hi'' (1973) - Cosmetic surgery * ''[[Orenochi wa Taninnochi]]'' (1974) - Rokosuke Sawamura * ''Miyamoto Musashi II'' (1974) * ''Miyamoto Musashi'' (1974) * ''Kigeki-otoko no ude dameshi'' (1974) * ''Ganbare! Wakadaishô'' (1975) * ''Hana no kô-ni trio: Hatsukoi jidai'' (1975) - Ippei Yazawa * ''Gekitotsu! Wakadaishô'' (1976) * ''Kigeki hyakkuten manten'' (1976) * ''Nihon no jingi'' (1977) * ''Dainamaito don don'' (1978) - Tokuemon * ''Tsubasa wa kokoro ni tsukete'' (1978) - Nobuo Suzuki * ''Hawaian rabu: Kikenna hanemûn'' (1978) - Frank Ômori * ''[[Vengeance Is Mine (1979 film)|Vengeance Is Mine]]'' (1979) - Inspector Kawai * ''Hokusai manga'' (1981) - Nakajima Ise * ''Arashi o yobu otoko'' (1983) - Raymond * ''Kokushi muso'' (1986) - Isenokami * {{Nihongo|''[[Shinran: Path to Purity]]''|親鸞 白い道|Shinran: Shiroi Michi}} (1987) - Yorishige Inada * ''Ore wa otokoda! kanketsu-hen'' (1987) * ''Aitsu'' (1991) - Tadashi Ono * ''Sono kido o tootte'' (1993) - Gonemon Tahara * ''Kowagaru hitobito'' (1994) - Man of iron pot, man of water-bus * ''Chounouryoku-sha - Michi eno tabibito'' (1994) * {{Nihongo|''[[Sharaku (film)|Sharaku]]''|写楽|Sharaku}} (1995) - [[Tsutaya Jūzaburō]] * ''Shakuhachi'' (1995) * ''Setouchi munraito serenade'' (1997) - (final film role) {{div col end}}
===Television=== * ''[[Taikōki (TV series)|Taikōki]]'' (1965) * ''[[Shōgun (1980 miniseries)|Shōgun]]'' (1980) - Lord Kashigi Yabu, Daimyo of Izu * ''Onna Taikōki'' (1981) - [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]] * ''[[Taiheiki (TV series)|Taiheiki]]'' (1991) - Nagasaki Enki
== Honours == *[[Medals of Honor (Japan)|Medal with Purple Ribbon]] (1994)
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb name|id=0756998|name=Frankie Sakai}} * {{jmdb name|id=0017910|name=Frankie Sakai}}
{{Blue Ribbon Award for Best Actor}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sakai, Frankie}} [[Category:Japanese male comedians]] [[Category:Japanese jazz musicians]] [[Category:Japanese male jazz musicians]] [[Category:1929 births]] [[Category:1996 deaths]] [[Category:20th-century Japanese male actors]] [[Category:Keio University alumni]] [[Category:Deaths from liver failure in Japan]] [[Category:20th-century Japanese musicians]] [[Category:Recipients of the Medal with Purple Ribbon]] [[Category:20th-century Japanese comedians]] [[Category:People from Kagoshima]]