Masaaki Sakai
Acting
1946-08-06
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".
Filmography
Spirit World
2025 · Movie
Kono Subarashiki Sekai
2023 · Series
The Castle of Crossed Destinies
2012 · Movie
Beautiful World
2012 · Movie
Family Song
2012 · Series
Impossible Love
2008 · Series
ザッツ宴会テイメント
2008 · Series
The Fearless Otojiro's Company
2007 · Movie
Long Wedding Road! Tokyo vs. Osaka Wakeari Kon Monogatari
2007 · Movie
Yunagi City, Sakura Country
2007 · Movie
The Black Swindler
2006 · Series
A Hardest Night!!
2005 · Movie
The Most Useful School in the World
2004 · Series
Locomotive Teacher
2004 · Movie
Churasan
2001 · Series
Tokugawa Yoshinobu
1998 · Series
Best Friend
1995 · Series
Papa Survival
1995 · Series
Furuhata Ninzaburo
1994 · Series
The Notorious Bored Samurai 9
1994 · Movie
Bored Hatamoto: Letter of Death
1993 · Movie
バラ色の日々に
1990 · Movie
The Notorious Bored Samurai 2
1988 · Movie
Trinacria: Porsche 959
1987 · Movie
Final Take: The Golden Age of Movies
1986 · Movie
Sayonara Sankaku Mata Kite Shikaku
1982 · Series
The TOP10
1981 · Series
Tennō no Ryōriban
1980 · Series
Monkey
1978 · Series
I Am A Man of Honor
1977 · Movie
Japan Beauty Story
1974 · Movie
Machi no Hi
1974 · Movie
Toshigoro
1973 · Movie
喜劇 右向けェ左！
1970 · Movie
Kigeki dokkiri dai tōsō
1970 · Movie
時間ですよ
1970 · Series
The Tempters: Smile After Tears
1969 · Movie
The Age of Undutiful Children
1968 · Movie
The Spiders' The Road to Bali
1968 · Movie
The Spiders: Big Commotion!
1968 · Movie
The Wonderful Ones
1968 · Movie
The Spiders' The Noisy Parade
1968 · Movie
My Sweetheart
1967 · Movie
The Spiders: The Reckless Operation
1967 · Movie
The Greatest Challenge of All
1967 · Movie
The Sunset Is Crying
1967 · Movie
Youth A Go Go!
1966 · Movie
A Girl of the Plateau
1965 · Movie
Tokyo In Love
1965 · Movie
Flowering Maidens
1965 · Movie
Song of Happiness
1964 · Movie
High School Juniors (Part II)
1964 · Movie
Let's Dance Bon-Odori in Hawaii
1964 · Movie
Here Because of You
1964 · Movie
Friends
1964 · Movie
The School Cap
1963 · Movie
High School Third Graders
1963 · Movie
Road to Hawaii
1954 · Movie
パパ・サヴァイバル
Series
隅田川・夢運河
Series