“I’m truly happy to have come this far over the past eight years or so.” Japan’s busiest actor, Kento Yamazaki, makes a grand entrance in a suit

The “Kingdom” series, the “Golden Kamuy” series, and the 2028 NHK Taiga drama “John Man”—Japan’s busiest leading actor continues his unstoppable run.

Dressed sharply in a suit, I thought he might be on a date…

One afternoon in early June . Actor Kento Yamazaki (31), with a refreshing presence that seemed to dispel the overcast sky, emerged from a modern building in Tokyo.Dressed in a chic gray suit and black shirt, Yamazaki entered an adjacent restaurant under the watchful eyes of countless people in the industry.

What on earth was the reason for his visit to this restaurant on a weekday afternoon?

“On this day, the variety show ‘Guruguru Ninety-Nine’ (Nippon TV) was being recorded in the afternoon, and Yamazaki was a guest on the show.　Before Yamazaki headed to the restaurant, he met with “Ninety-Nine” members Takashi Okamura (56) and Hiroyuki Yabe (54)—who had changed into school uniforms—“Gochi members”—including Seiya (33) of “SHIMOFURI MYOJO,” a regular on the show, and Takahisa Masuda (40) of “NEWS”—as well as freelance announcer Shinichi Hatori (55)—had already arrived on set,” said an entertainment industry source.

Yamazaki made a strong impression with his polite greetings to his co-stars and the staff. A short while later, when a light rain began to fall, he briefly looked surprised at the umbrella a staff member held out to him, but immediately broke into his signature handsome smile. I’m truly impressed by his ability to switch gears so quickly.

Yamazaki has appeared as a guest on this segment several times in the past, with his last appearance being three years ago. He joined the show alongside co-star Jun Kaname (45) to promote the release of the third installment in the “Kingdom” series, “Kingdom: Flames of Destiny.”They ended up in last place and had to pay a hefty 158,300 yen out of their own pockets for the meal. But for Yamazaki, paying out of pocket is probably no big deal at all…

The series’ popularity is phenomenal; the box office revenue for the first three films all exceeded 5 billion yen, and the fourth installment, *Kingdom: The Return of the General*, released in 2024, broke the series record by surpassing 8 billion yen.And now, the latest installment—the fifth film in the series, *Kingdom: Battle of Souls*—is finally set to be released on July 17. Ahead of the release, Yamazaki took the stage at the world premiere held on June 2 at Tokyo Ariake Arena (Koto Ward), where he said,

“Over the past eight years or so, I’ve been able to walk alongside the growth of the character ‘Shin’ (the protagonist)—alongside my own growth—as if it were another life of my own. I’m truly happy. Knowing that everyone has come to love this series and that we’re able to deliver the fifth installment has really fired me up. We’ve completed the best new *Kingdom* yet.This summer, I hope everyone will get fired up and have a great time with ‘Kingdom.’”

he said, receiving a huge round of applause from the audience.

Earlier this year, in March, the latest installment of the *Golden Kamuy* series, *Golden Kamuy: The Abashiri Prison Raid*, in which he stars, was released.At the “2028 Taiga Drama Production and Lead Actor Announcement Press Conference” held the following month, it was announced that he had been cast in the lead role—his first appearance—in *John Man*, scheduled to air in ’28. It’s no exaggeration to say he is truly one of Japan’s top actors, both in name and in reality.

At the press conference announcing the production and lead role, Yamasaki himself remarked,

“I was surprised. The more I learn about John Manjiro, the more fascinating he becomes, and I’m happy to have the opportunity to portray his life over the course of a year. Please look forward to it,”

he said with a smile, expressing both his surprise at the casting and his enthusiasm for the role.

From movies to TV dramas to variety shows—Yamazaki’s meteoric rise shows no signs of stopping, and we’re already looking forward to this “Taiga drama,” where he’s sure to fully showcase his true talents.