

Acting
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...

The Fearless Otojiro's Company

The Tempters: Smile After Tears

The Age of Undutiful Children

The Spiders' The Road to Bali
as Masaaki Sakai

The Spiders: Big Commotion!

The Wonderful Ones

The Spiders' The Noisy Parade
as Masaaki Sakai

My Sweetheart

The Spiders: The Reckless Operation
as Masaaki

The Greatest Challenge of All

The Sunset Is Crying

Youth A Go Go!

A Girl of the Plateau
as Sabu

Tokyo In Love

Flowering Maidens
as Sabu
Song of Happiness

High School Juniors (Part II)

Let's Dance Bon-Odori in Hawaii
as Masaya Matsui

Here Because of You
as Akira Tanaka

Friends

The School Cap
as Matsubara

High School Third Graders