Born the son of Shunji Sakai, a famous comedian in Japan, Sakai initially came to fame by fronting the group sounds band The Spiders. This group, formed in 1962, was popular throughout the 1960s; they spawned several hit songs as well as thirteen situation comedy films featuring their music.
Born the son of Shunji Sakai, a famous comedian in Japan, Sakai initially came to fame by fronting the group sounds band The Spiders. This group, formed in 1962, was popular throughout the 1960s; they spawned several hit songs as well as thirteen situation comedy films featuring their music.
He took the title role of Songoku (Monkey) in the 1970s Japanese TV program Saiyūki. This gained him fame in many English-speaking countries in the early 1980s when it was dubbed by the BBC and retitled Monkey. Due to his fame playing the mythical character Songoku, Sakai created a dance called "the Monkey" which became a craze in Japan. Sakai went on to a successful solo career after The Spiders disbanded, and continued acting in films and on television.
In 1999, he formed the band Sans Filtre with two former Spiders, Hiroshi Kamayatsu and Takayuki Inoue. They released their first album Yei Yei in 2000.
Sakai is known in Japan as a car enthusiast and regularly took part in the annual Mille Miglia race in Italy with his wife as a co-driver. He won a similar Japanese road race on October 18, 2000 driving a 1947 Cisitalia 202 MM with Inoue Takayuki (the guitarist from Sans Filtre) as co-driver. Due to business commitments he gave up racing in 2002 and gave his Alfa Romeo race car to Masahiko Kondō who is also a singer and race enthusiast. He is also a hobby archer.
Sakai has been married and divorced twice, and has two daughters. He is an active supporter of AIDS charities. His show-business nickname is "Machaaki".
External links
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/nm0757006
Wikipedia: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3544761
Facebook: No data
Instagram: No data
X: No data
Filmography (Movies)
Spirit World
Character:Yuzo Nobusawa
Release Date:26/02/2025
The Castle of Crossed Destinies
Character:
Release Date:22/12/2012
Beautiful World
Character:Yuzo Tsutai
Release Date:16/11/2012
The Fearless Otojiro's Company
Character:
Release Date:07/11/2007
Long Wedding Road! Tokyo vs. Osaka Wakeari Kon Monogatari
Character:
Release Date:30/07/2007
Yunagi City, Sakura Country
Character:Asahi Ishikawa (Old)
Release Date:28/07/2007
A Hardest Night!!
Character:Boss
Release Date:22/10/2005
Locomotive Teacher
Character:
Release Date:31/07/2004
The Notorious Bored Samurai 9
Character:Kinai
Release Date:03/01/1994
Bored Hatamoto: Letter of Death
Character:
Release Date:27/03/1993
The Notorious Bored Samurai 2
Character:Sasao Kinai
Release Date:29/12/1988
Trinacria: Porsche 959
Character:
Release Date:01/11/1987
Final Take: The Golden Age of Movies
Character:
Release Date:02/08/1986
I Am A Man of Honor
Character:
Release Date:24/12/1977
Japan Beauty Story
Character:
Release Date:13/07/1974
Machi no Hi
Character:Chiyomatsu Sakanoshita
Release Date:27/04/1974
Toshigoro
Character:Okabe
Release Date:14/04/1973
喜劇 右向けェ左！
Character:
Release Date:31/12/1970
Kigeki dokkiri dai tōsō
Character:
Release Date:17/10/1970
The Tempters: Smile After Tears
Character:
Release Date:29/03/1969
The Age of Undutiful Children
Character:
Release Date:07/12/1968
The Spiders' The Road to Bali
Character:Masaaki Sakai
Release Date:28/08/1968
The Spiders: Big Commotion!
Character:
Release Date:18/05/1968
The Spiders' The Noisy Parade
Character:Masaaki Sakai
Release Date:03/01/1968
My Sweetheart
Character:
Release Date:03/11/1967
The Spiders' The Reckless Operation
Character:Masaaki
Release Date:26/08/1967
The Greatest Challenge of All
Character:
Release Date:05/08/1967
The Sunset Is Crying
Character:
Release Date:20/05/1967
Las Vegas Free-For-All
Character:
Release Date:28/04/1967
Youth A Go Go!
Character:
Release Date:27/03/1966
A Girl of the Plateau
Character:Sabu
Release Date:04/12/1965
Tokyo wa Koisuru
Character:
Release Date:18/09/1965
Flowering Maidens
Character:Sabu
Release Date:24/01/1965
Song of Happiness
Character:
Release Date:19/12/1964
High School Juniors (Part II)
Character:
Release Date:22/08/1964
Let's Dance Bon-Odori in Hawaii
Character:Masaya Matsui
Release Date:01/08/1964
Here Because of You
Character:Akira Tanaka
Release Date:23/05/1964
Friends
Character:
Release Date:14/03/1964
The School Cap
Character:Matsubara
Release Date:15/12/1963
High School Third Graders
Character:
Release Date:16/11/1963
Road to Hawaii
Character:
Release Date:14/09/1954
Television Appearances
Kono Subarashiki Sekai
Character:
Impossible Love
Character:타치키 쇼고
ザッツ宴会テイメント
Character:
The Black Swindler
Character:
The Most Useful School in the World
Character:
Churasan
Character:Kohagura Keibun
Tokugawa Yoshinobu
Character:
Best Friend
Character:Kurosawa Michihiko
Papa Survival
Character:
Furuhata Ninzaburo
Character:中村右近
Sayonara Sankaku Mata Kite Shikaku
Character:
The TOP10
Character:
Tennō no Ryōriban
Character:
Monkey
Character:Monkey
Images
