Frankie Sakai

Frankie Sakai was born on 13 February 1929 and died on 10 June 1996. He was a Japanese comedian, actor, and musician. While a student at Keio University, he performed as a jazz drummer at American Army camps during the Occupation of Japan, often mixing comedy into his music. He became a professional comedian and appeared in many popular film comedies at Toho Studios, including Sun in the Last Days of the Shogunate and the Shachō and Ekimae series.

He won the Blue Ribbon Award for best actor for his roles in Sun in the Last Days of the Shogunate and Shiawase wa orera no negai. His filmography also includes musicals like Kimi mo shusse ga dekiru, serious dramas such as I Want to Be a Shellfish, and kaiju films like Mothra.

He personally studied the ukiyo-e artist Sharaku and helped produce the film Sharaku, directed by Masahiro Shinoda. American audiences know him best for his dramatic role as Lord Yabu in the 1980s television production of Shōgun. He died of liver failure at age 67.