Tsuyoshi Kusanagi Explained

Tsuyoshi Kusanagi 草彅 剛
Background:	solo_singer
Birth Date:	9 July 1974
Origin:	Seiyo, Ehime, Japan
Genre:	J-pop
Occupation:	Actor, singer, television host
Years Active:	1987–present
Label:	Johnny & Associates
Current Member Of:	Atarashii Chizu
Past Member Of:	SMAP

^[1] is a Japanese actor, singer, television host, and a former member of SMAP, one of the best-selling boy bands in Asia.^[2]

Early life

Kusanagi grew up in Kasukabe, Saitama, Japan.

Career

Music

See main article: SMAP. In 1987, at age 13, Kusanagi auditioned to enter Johnny & Associates, a Japanese talent agency that recruits and trains young boys, preteens to teens, to become singers and members of boy bands. After five of the other band members auditioning individually from 1986 through 1987, in autumn 1987, twenty boys, from ages ten to seventeen, were put together into a group called The Skate Boys, which was initially created as backup dancers for a famous boy band, Hikaru Genji.^[3] In April 1988, producer Johnny Kitagawa chose six out of the twenty boys to create a new boy band and named them "SMAP".^[4]

A year after the dissolution of SMAP, Kusanagi, alongside former members Shingo Katori, and Goro Inagaki formed the group, Atarashii Chizu.^{[5] [6]}

Acting

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.

In 2020, Kusanagi took on the role of Nagisa, a transgender nightclub worker in Eiji Uchida's Midnight Swan. The film won numerous awards, such as Picture of the Year, and he was subsequently awarded the Japan Academy Film Prize for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role.^[7]

Television

As a member of the boyband SMAP, Kusanagi used to co-host the weekly variety show SMAP×SMAP alongside his bandmates for 20 years. In 2001, he hosted the variety show Chonangang on Fuji TV.^[8] Determined to debut in Korea, Kusanagi started learning the Korean language and appearing on Korean variety shows. This focus on Korean culture led to him adopting Chonangang as his Korean persona in various SMAP concerts, even releasing several singles. Originally, Chonangang was intended to focus on Kusanagi's journey in South Korea, however lasted eight years due to its popularity.^[9] Because of the show's success, the format shifted to feature interviews with popular Korean celebrities such as Lee Min-ho, and led to Kusanagi interviewing former South Korean Presidents Roh Moo-hyun, and Lee Myung-bak on TBS.^[10]

Personal life

Kusanagi announced his marriage on December 30, 2020.^[11]

Arrest

On April 23, 2009, at around 3 a.m., Kusanagi was arrested on suspicion of public indecency at Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo.^[12] On April 24, 2009, he held a press conference accompanied by his attorney and apologized for his misbehavior. Prosecutors decided not to indict Kusanagi because of his apology. He took a one-month-long hiatus and returned to the taping of SMAPxSMAP on May 28, 2009.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Ref.
1994	Shoot!	Kamiya Atsushi	Lead role
1995	Anne no Nikki	Peter (voice)
1999	Messengers	Hironori Suzuki	Lead role
2000	Séance	Fumio Hayasaka	Guest appearance
2003	Yomigaeri	Heita Kawada	Lead role
2004	The Hotel Venus	Chonan	Lead role
	The Taste of Tea	Projectionist	Cameo appearance
		Man	Cameo appearance
2006	Sinking of Japan	Toshio Onodera	Lead role
	Like a Virgin	Japanese teacher	Cameo appearance
2007	The Adventures of Super Monkey	Sagosho	Cameo appearance
2008	My Darling of the Mountains	Tokuichi	Lead role
	I Want to Be a Shellfish	Saburo Onishi	Cameo appearance
2009	Ballad	Matabe Ijiri	Lead role
2011	1,778 Stories of Me and My Wife	Sakutaro Makimura	Lead role
2012	A Ghost of a Chance	Teruo Hosho
	Dearest	Yuji Tamiya
	Ninkyo Helper	Hikoichi Tsubasa	Lead role
2013	Maruyama, the Middle Schooler	Tatsuo Shimoi	Lead role
2015	Attack on Titan	Grisha	Cameo appearance
	Attack on Titan End of the World	Grisha	Cameo appearance
2018	The Bastard and the Beautiful World	Osamu	Anthology film
2019	Makuko	Koichi Nagumo
	The Stormy Family	Kotetsu Suzuki	Lead role
2020	Midnight Swan	Nagisa	Lead role
2022	Sabakan / Summer Days 1986			^[13]
2024	Bushido	Yanagida Kakunoshin	Lead role	^[14]
(Date still undecided)	The Bullet Train		Lead role	^[15] ^[16]

Television (as actor)

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Ref.
1988–1989	Abunai Shonen III	Himself	Main role
1989	Jikan desuyo Heisei Gannen	Hattori
1990	P.S. Oboetokeyo	Tsuyoshi
1991	Furimukeba Kimi...	Takashi Kobayashi
1992	Motto, Tokimeki wo	Himself	Guest appearance
1992–1993	Hime-chan's Ribbon	Koichi Shikura / Himself (voice)
1995	Inochi Uruwashiku	Daisuke Tsugawa
	Tsuki Uma-ya Oen Jikencho	Seinosuke Ikeda
	Ienakiko 2	Tsuyoshi Kuroiwa
	Mada Koi wa Hajimaranai	Hiroshi Ochiai
	Mokuyou no Kaidan	Shinichi Imamura	Main role
1996	Nagoya Yomeiri Monogatari 8	Ichiro Hiraoka
	Kekkon Shiyouyo	Jyunya Sugimura
	Oishii Kankei	Kazuma Kimura
1997	Boku ga Boku de Arutame ni	Etsuro Mizoguchi	Main role
	Sasho Taeko	Sadatsugu Yurioka
	Ii Hito	Yuji Kitano	Main role
	Gift	Yuji Kitano	Guest appearance; episode 7
	Yonimo Kimyou na Monogatari	Ichiro Kawashima	Main role
	Narita Rikon	Ichiro Hoshino	Main role
1998	Sensei Shiranaino?	Yusaku Kinoshita	Main role
	Jinbē	Shin Teranishi
1999	Furuhata Ninzaburo vs SMAP	Himself	Main role
	Bakayaro 1999	Masato Yamaguchi	Main role
	Kourei	Fumio Hayasaka	Cameo appearance
1999–2003	Team	Yusuke Kazami	Main role
2000	Yonimo Kimyouna Monogatari	Taro Tanaka	Main role
2000–2001	Food Fight	Mitsuru Ihara	Main role
2001	Yonimo Kimyouna Monogatari	Kenichiro Honda	Main role
	Star no Koi	Sosuke Nakata	Main role
2002	Saranheyo	Chonan Kan	Main role
2003	Boku no Ikiru Michi	Hideo Nakamura	Main role
	Taikouki Saru to Yobareta Otoko	Hideyoshi Toyotomi	Main role
2004	Shinsengumi!	Enomoto Takeaki	Taiga drama
	Kaikyou wo Wataru Violin	Chanhyon Chin	Main role
	X’smap	Master	Main role
	Tokugawa Tsunayoshi Inu to Yobareta Otoko	Tsunayoshi Tokugawa	Main role
2005	Koi ni Ochitara	Shimao Suzuki	Main role
	Chiisana Untenshu	Yohei Takanashi	Guest appearance
2005–present	PythagoraSwitch	Himself (voice)
2006	Ai to Shi wo Mitsumete	Minoru Kono	Main role
	Boku no Aruku Michi	Teruaki Otake	Main role
2008	Suzuki Fusai no Jingi naki Tatakai	Lawyer	Cameo appearance; episode 1 and 2
	Ryokiteki na Kanojo	Saburo Masaki	Main role
2009	Yume wo Kanaeru Zou	Fumio Fumiyama (voice)	Main role
	Crayon Shin-chan	Mataro (voice)	Guest appearance
2009–2011	Ninkyo Helper	Hikoichi Tsubasa	Main role
2010	99 Years of Love: Japanese Americans	Nagayoshi / Ichiro Hiramatsu	Main role
	Dokutomato Satsujin Jiken	Himself	Main role
2011	Fuyu no Sakura	Tasuku Inaba	Main role
2012	37sai de Isha ni natta Boku	Yuta Konno	Main role
	Yonimo Kimyou na Monogatari	Makoto Saeki	Main role
2013	Aji Ichi Monme	Yoshito Takuma	Cameo appearance
	Kamisama no Belebou	Osamu Tezuka	Main role
	Dokushin Kizoku	Mamoru Hoshino	Main role
	Furuhata vs SMAP The Aftermath	Himself	Main role
2013–2016	Specialist	Yoshito Takuma	Main role
2014	Honto ni Atta Kowai Hanashi	Kenta Misawa	Main role
	Oretachi ni Asu wa aru	Himself	Main role
	Sazae-san	Himself (voice)	Guest appearance; episode 7148
2015	Zeni no Sensou	Tomio Shiraishi	Main role
	Shin Naniwa Kinyudo	Tomio Shiraishi	Guest appearance
2017	Uso no Sensou	Koichi Ichinose	Main role
2021	Reach Beyond the Blue Sky	Tokugawa Yoshinobu	Taiga drama	^[17]
2022	Lost Man Found	Takeshi		^[18]
2023	War of Traps	Washizu Toru	Main role	^[19]
2023–2024	Boogie Woogie	Zen'ichi Hatori	Asadora	^[20]

Television (as personality)

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1994–2014	Waratte Iitomo	Himself
1995–1996	Tamori’s The World of Music	Himself
1996–1997	Oh! El Club	Himself (host)
1996–2016	SMAP×SMAP	Himself (host, chef, performer)
1997	Scratch	Himself (host)
1997–2005	Docchi no Ryori Show	Himself
1998	Muchu Sengen Ganbarimasu	Himself (host)
1998–2018	Pussma	Himself (host)
2001–2003	Chikyu Fushigi Daishizen	Himself (narrator)
2001–2010	Chonan Kan	Himself (host)
2003–2016	Tsuyoshi Kusanagi’s Ganbatta Taishou	Himself (host)
2004–2014	Bokura no Ongaku	Himself (host)
2005	24 Hour Television	Himself (host)	Telethon
2005–2014	FNS Music Festival	Himself (host)	TV special; 15 episodes
2007–2016	Baby Smap	Himself (host)
2012–2014	FNS Music Fes. In Summer	Himself (host)	TV special; 3 episodes
2014–2015	SmaShip	Himself (host)	TV special; 2 episodes
2015–present	Bura Tamori	Himself (narrator)
2022-present	Waruiko Atsumare	Himself (host, performer)	2 episodes in 2021; 1 episode in 2022; become a regular show from April 2022
2022-present	Kusanagi Yasutomo no Usagi to Kame	Himself (host)	4 episodes in 2021; become a regular show from May, 2022

Web program

Year	Title	Role	Notes
02-05/11/2017	72 Hour Honne TV	Host
01/01/2018	27 Hun Hon no chotto TV	Host
30-31/01/2018	72 Hun mou chotto TV - Shingo Katori Birthday Special	Himself	Appeared on phone
May, 2018-present	7.2 Atarashii Betsu no Mado	Himself (host, performer)
16/09/2018	Namie Amuro Densetsu's Live Video Revival: WE ▼ NAMIE FINAL Encore LIVE	Host
2019-2021	Nagisuke!	Host	With Yusuke Santamaria

Japanese dub

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Ref.
2005	Robots	Rodney		^[21]
2007	Strings	Hal
2018	Mutafukaz	Angelino		^[22]

Radio

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1994–2016	Ohayo SMAP	Himself
1995–present	SMAP POWER SPLASH → ShinTsuyo POWER SPLASH	Himself	Changed to "ShinTsuyo POWER SPLASH" since 2017

Theatre

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1991	Saint Seiya	Shiryu	Lead role
1992	Dragon Quest	Atlas	Lead role
1993	Another	Shunichi	Lead role
	Hime-chan's Ribbon	Daichi Kobayashi	Lead role
1995	Haisenkoku no Oji	Taketoshi Hanezawa	Lead role
1999–2000	Kamata Koshin-kyoku	Yasuji Muraoka	Lead role
2002	Tsubaki Hime	Himself	Lead role
2006	Chichi Kaeru	Kenichiro Kuroda	Lead role
2008	Mabuta no Haha	Chutaro	Lead role
2010	K2	Taylor	Lead role
2012–2013	Boku ni Honou no Sensha wo	Naoki Yanagihara	Lead role
2013	Nito Monogatari	Sukune	Lead role
2015	burst!	Himself	Lead role
2018	Ballyturk
2018	Musical Drama: La Strada	Zampano
2019	Family Story PART1	Nakaji Nobuhiro	Lead role
2021	Family Story PART1	Nakaji Nobuhiro	Replay
2020	Musical Drama: The rise of Arturo Ui	Arturo Ui	Lead role
2021-2022	Musical Drama: The rise of Arturo Ui	Arturo Ui	Replay
2022	burst!	Himself	Replay

Publications

• Kore ga Boku desu. (April 1997)
• Okiraku (March 2007)
• Kusanagiron (May 2008)
• Okiraku 2 (March 2016)
• Jeongmal Book (December 2002)
• Jeongmal Book Hangul (December 2002)
• Jeongmal Book 2 (November 2004)
• Jeongmal Book 2.5 (November 2004)
• Tsuki no Machi Yama no Machi (February 2011)
• Document Kusanagi Tsuyoshi in Yomigaeri (2003)
• The Hotel Venus Starring Kusanagi Tsuyoshi (2004)
• Nippon Chinbotsu Photo Book featuring Kusanagi Tsuyoshi (2006)
• Yama no Anata Tokushi no Koi (2008)

Notes and References

1. The second character 彅 in his Japanese name is composed of a thinned 弓 the left of a 剪. (It does not appear correctly in some cases.)
2. Web site: SMAP. Japan-Zone. 2010-01-23.
3. Web site: SMAP. Japan-Zone. 2009-12-13.
4. Web site: SMAPの前身「スケートボーイズ」に所属していた豪華メンバーたち. Excite News. Nikkan Taishu. Aug 26, 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20170127041002/http://www.excite.co.jp/News/entertainment_g/20150826/Taishu_17130.html. January 27, 2017. mdy-all.
5. Web site: Ronald. 2017-09-22. A New Group Rises Out of SMAP's Ashes. 2021-07-12. ARAMA! JAPAN. en-US.
6. Web site: Former SMAP members announce new project with clues. 2021-07-12. SBS PopAsia. en.
7. Web site: Schilling. Mark. 2021-03-19. Japan Academy Awards Hand Top Honor to Indie Hit 'Midnight Swan' While 'Fukushima 50' Triumphs. 2021-07-12. Variety. en-US.
8. Web site: チョナン・カン. 2021-07-12. フジテレビ. ja.
9. Min. Yuen Shu. 2011-03-01. Kusanagi Tsuyoshi x Chonangang: Transcending Japanese/Korean Ethnic Boundaries in Japanese Popular Culture. Asian Studies Review. 35. 1. 1–20. 10.1080/10357823.2011.552708. 218621789 . 1035-7823.
10. Web site: SMAP草彅くん、韓国大統領と直接対話。2代に渡る。. 2021-07-12. ライブドアニュース. ja.
11. Web site: 草なぎ剛、一般女性と結婚「今までと変わらぬスタンスで仕事を続けていきたい」. Oricon. December 30, 2020. July 31, 2021.
12. News: SMAP member Kusanagi arrested for stripping naked in Tokyo park. https://web.archive.org/web/20110605135019/http://www.japantoday.com/category/crime/view/smap-member-kusanagi-arrested-for-stripping-naked-in-tokyo-park. dead. June 5, 2011. Japan Today. Kyodo. April 23, 2009.
13. Web site: 尾野真千子＆貫地谷しほり＆草彅剛らが出演『サバカンSABAKAN』製作決定. December 15, 2021. Cinema Cafe. December 15, 2021.
14. Web site: 碁盤斬り. March 1, 2023. eiga.com.
15. Web site: 29 February 2024 . 草なぎ剛主演でパニック映画の金字塔『新幹線大爆破』リブート「高倉健さんの気持ちを受け継ぎ、全力で」 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240229063106/https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2316316/full/ . 29 February 2024 . 29 February 2024 . Oricon . Japanese.
16. Web site: 29 February 2024 . 「新幹線大爆破」リブート決定、監督・樋口真嗣×主演・草なぎ剛のNetflix映画に . https://web.archive.org/web/20240229064940/https://natalie.mu/eiga/news/562904 . 29 February 2024 . 29 February 2024 . Natalie Eiga . Japanese.
17. Web site: 青天を衝け:草なぎ剛は「天性」 慶喜役で改めて増す存在感 CP「こういう人だったのでは」と. May 19, 2022. Mantan-web. December 19, 2021.
18. Web site: 「拾われた男」に薬師丸ひろ子、北村有起哉、要潤、田辺桃子、夏帆ら19名出演. May 19, 2022. Natalie.
19. Web site: 罠の戦争. July 5, 2023. TV drama database.
20. Web site: 草なぎ剛、朝ドラ初出演に喜び 『ブギウギ』で"ヒロインの師匠"役【コメント全文】. July 5, 2023. Oricon.
21. Web site: 『ロボッツ』. June 13, 2005. December 30, 2021. Cinema Today.
22. Web site: 『ムタフカズ』声優陣に上坂すみれ、桜庭和志、Creepy Nuts、吉田尚記ら. September 8, 2018. CINRA.NET.