Tatsuya Fujiwara

Encyclopedia

Tatsuya Fujiwara Fujiwara Tatsuya, born May 15, 1982 is a Japanese actor. Internationally, he is best known for his leading roles as Shuya Nanahara in the Battle Royale films, Light Yagami in the Death Note films, Kaiji Itō in the Kaiji films, and Rikuhiko Yuki in Hideo Nakata’s The Incite Mill. In 2014, he portrayed the villain Shishio Makoto in the live action Rurouni Kenshin films.

Early life

Born in Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture, Fujiwara has had an interest in acting from a young age. In 2013, he married his long-term girlfriend. In the summer of 2016, they became parents. The name and gender of their child is unknown.

Career

He is famous for acting the part of Shuya Nanahara in Kinji Fukasaku’s controversial 2000 film Battle Royale. He continues the character as a leader of the Wild Seven in the sequel, Battle Royale II: Requiem.

He stars as Light Yagami, the leading role in Death Note and Death Note: The Last Name, films based on the manga of the same name. He also has a cameo appearance in L: Change the World, an L spin-off movie for the Death Note series. Fujiwara stated during filming that it was difficult to portray a character with such restrained emotions. During the filming of Death Note: The Last Name, Tatsuya became close friends with Kenichi Matsuyama, who plays L. Matsuyama mentioned that Tatsuya had done a good job.

In theatrical works, he is known for collaborating with Yukio Ninagawa, one of the most influential directors in Japan. He started his career in theatre, before his screen debut, with the title role of Shintoku-maru, the boy who has an obsessive relationship with his step mother. He has also acted in Shakespeare plays, including Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet. Fujiwara played one of the lead roles in Hideo Nakata’s psychological thriller film The Incite Mill. Fujiwara has also done voice dubbing for IRIS along with Meisa Kuroki, Yuu Shirota and his Death Note co-star Hikari Mitsushima when Fujiwara plays Kim Hyun-jun played by Lee Byung-hun

He portrayed the role of Shishio Makoto in the sequels of Rurouni Kenshin in 2014. From January to February 2015, he will appear in Hamlet directed by Yukio Ninagawa at Sai-no-Kuni Saitama Arts Theater in Saitama and at Umeda Arts Theater in Osaka for the first time in 12 years. After that, he is scheduled to play the role in Taiwan in March and at Barbican Theatre in May 2015.

Hidayah Idris wrote in the Singapore edition of the magazine Cleo that Fujiwara is “probably one of the most recognisable Japanese stars” in Singapore.

Filmography

Films

  • Kamen Gakuen (2000) – Akira Dojima
  • Battle Royale (2000) – Shuya Nanahara
  • Sabu (2002) – Eiji
  • Battle Royale II: Requiem (2003) – Shuya Nanahara
  • Dark Fist (2003) – Takimo Usato
  • Sweet Happenings (2004) – Yukio Watanabe
  • Moonlight Jellyfish (2004) – Seiji Terasawa
  • Electric Magnet (Girl) (2006) – Yuichiro Kazama
  • Chain Movements (2004) – Nagato Sone
  • Sea Ghost (2006) – Yukoni Chinari
  • Death Note (2006) – Light Yagami
  • Death Note 2: The Last Name (2006) – Light Yagami
  • It’s Only You (2007) – Hiro Kamikaze
  • L: Change the World (2008) (cameo) – Light Yagami
  • My First Love Goes to Past (2008) – Yuriko Dosu
  • Chameleon (2008) – Gorō Noda
  • Snakes and Earrings (2008)
  • Zen (2009) – Hojo Tokiyori
  • Kaiji (2009) – Kaiji Itō
  • Parade (2010) – Naoki
  • The Incite Mill (2010)
  • You Dance With The Summer (2010) – Shiro Takaki
  • The Borrower Arrietty (2010) – Spiller (voice)
  • Kaiji 2 (2011) – Kaiji Itō
  • Okaeri Hayabusa (2012) – Kento Ohashi
  • I’m Flash! (2012)
  • Wara no Tate (2013) – Kunihide Kiyomaru
  • In His Chart 2 (2014) – Dr. Tatsuya Shindo
  • Sanbun no Ichi (2014) – Shu
  • Monsterz (2014)
  • Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno (2014) – Shishio Makoto
  • Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends (2014) – Shishio Makoto
  • ST ‘Scientific Task Force’ Aka to Shiro no Sosa File – The Movie (2015)
  • Pokémon the Movie: Hoopa and the Clash of Ages (2015) – Barza (voice)
  • Erased (2016) – Satoru Fujinuma
  • Death Note: Light Up the New World (2016) – Light Yagami
  • Memoirs of a Murderer (2017) – Sonezaki
  • Million Dollar Man (2018)
  • The Miracle of Crybaby Shottan (2018)
  • Diner (2019)
  • No Longer Human (2019) – Ango Sakaguchi
  • Lupin the Third: The First (2019)
  • Kaiji: Final Game (2020) – Kaiji Itō
  • The Sun Stands Still (2021) – Kazuhiko Takano

Television

  • That’s the Answer (1997)
  • Cyber Bishōjo Telomere (1998)
  • Feeling Relief Is Easy (1998)
  • Frozen Summer (1998)
  • Change! (1998)
  • LxIxVxE (1999)
  • Kiss of Heaven (1999)
  • The Things You Taught Me (2000)
  • Saintly Springtime of Life (2001)
  • Ikutsumono Umi o Koeru Te (2001)
  • Heaven’s Coins 3 (2001)
  • I Cannot Say I Love You (2002)
  • Night of Being Concerned (2002)
  • Ai Gorin (2003)
  • Shinsengumi! (2004) – Okita Sōji
  • Yatsuhakamura (2004)
  • Red Doubt (2005)
  • SunLight (2005)
  • Furuhata Ninzaburo (2006)
  • Sengoku Jieitai: Sekigahara no Tatakai (2006)
  • Tokyo Daikushu (2008)
  • Ojiichan wa 25-sai (2010)
  • Wagaya no Rekishi (2010) – Osamu Tezuka
  • Piece Vote (2011) – Yu Wakitan
  • ST ‘Scientific Task Force’ Keishichou Kagaku Tokusouhan (2013)
  • ST ‘Scientific Task Force’ Aka to Shiro no Sosa File (2014)
  • Sherlock Holmes (2014) – Windibank and Hosmar Angel
  • Lost ID (2016) – Shinichi Todo
  • Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit (2016) – The Emperor
  • Reverse (2017) – Kazuhisa Fukase
  • The Sun Stands Still: The Eclipse (2020) – Kazuhiko Takano

Video games

  • Yakuza 3 (2009) – Rikiya Shimabukuro
  • Yakuza 6: The Song of Life (2016) – Yuta Usami

Japanese dub

  • Stuart Little film series (2000) – Stuart Little (voiceover for Michael J. Fox)
  • The Emperor’s New Groove (2001) – Emperor Kuzco (voiceover for David Spade)
  • Independence Day: Resurgence (2016) – Jake Morrison (voiceover for Liam Hemsworth)
  • Iris – Kim Hyun-jun (voiceover for Lee Byung-hun)