20 promising Japanese actors in their 20s to look out for

The popularity of the Japanese entertainment scene has been gaining momentum internationally, with their dramas and films becoming more readily available on streaming platforms in recent years.

Looking to dive into J-dramas and movies? Here are 20 promising Japanese actors to keep your eyes on.

Fumiya Takahashi, 23

He was already a well-known actor to begin with, gaining public recognition when he made his debut in Kamen Rider Zero-One (2019) and later on playing the beloved Yuu Asamiya in 2021's Dearest.

But what shot Fumiya Takahashi to being one of the top rising actors in this generation of Japanese stars was his first lead role in the 2022 series I Will Be Your Bloom, where he played J-pop idol Dan Sagami, leader of the fictional boy band 8loom.

The seven-member group released five songs throughout the 10-episode drama and became massively popular, even holding a concert tour in real life and charting on Billboard Japan.

Since then, Fumiya, 23, has starred in multiple dramas and movies - playing a chef in Fermat's Cuisine, heartthrob high schooler in Our Secret Diary and even voice-acting for the anime film Black Clover: Sword of the Wizard King. More recently, Love You As The World Ends aired in Southeast Asian cinemas, including Singapore.

He's currently starring in the ongoing drama Legendary No Head Sho, as well as the live action movie of the popular animanga Blue Period, where he plays the genderqueer Ryuji Ayukawa.

Dearest, I Will Be Your Bloom, Fermat's Cuisine and Black Clover: Sword of the Wizard King are available on Netflix.

Ren Meguro, 27

Idol-actor Ren Meguro gained attention after starring in the 2021 boys' love series My Love Mix-Up! with labelmate Shunsuke Michieda.

The following year, the 27-year-old Snow Man member showed his acting prowess in the hit drama Silent, where he learned sign language to play a deaf character.

Since then, he has consistently taken on lead roles in successful projects - from the 2023 live-action film adaptation of the animanga My Happy Marriage to the series Trillion Game. He's also playing a single father in the drama Umi no Hajimari (transliterated to The Beginning of the Sea).

My Love Mix-Up! and Trillion Game are available on Netflix.

Mio Imada, 27

If you know Ren Meguro, you probably know Mio Imada too.

Co-starring as the female lead with the former in My Happy Marriage and Trillion Game, the two are a pairing loved by audiences.

But Mio herself is an outstanding actress. Since her breakout role in Boys over Flowers season 2 (2018), the 27-year-old has had a long list of movies and dramas to her name.

Besides the popular Tokyo Revengers movie franchise (2021-2023), she's taken on main roles in dramas Bad Girl: Glass Ceiling Crushers (2022), My Beloved Flower (2023) and Hanasaki Mai Speaks Out (2024).

Recently, she was cast as the lead in an asadora (morning) drama, known to be a significant stepping stone for Japanese actresses.

Trillion Game is streaming on Netflix.

Kento Yamazaki, 29

He's probably the most familiar face in this list for those who are new to Japanese dramas.

Kento Yamazaki is best known for the worldwide hit thriller Alice in Borderland (2020-2022) but his breakthrough happened in 2014.

That year, he gained attention after playing the lead character in the high school romance movie L.DK.

In 2015, he was in two box office hits, Heroine Shikkaku and Orange. The latter, which also stars Alice in Borderland's Tao Tsuchiya and Dori Sakurada, grossed nearly US$28 million (S$38 million).

His other notable roles include the dramas Death Note and Mare (both in 2015), Kiss that Kills (2018), Atom's Last Shot (2021) and the ongoing Kingdom movies (2019 to present). More recently, he led the 2024 film Golden Kamuy.

Alice in Borderland season three is currently in the works, so keep your eyes peeled for that!

Golden Kamuy, Alice in Borderland and the first three the Kingdom movies are available on Netflix. Atom's Last Shot is streaming on Disney+.

Tao Tsuchiya, 29

Similar to Kento, international audiences might know Tao Tsuchiya from Alice in Borderland, but she has been in showbiz for a much longer time.

The 29-year-old made her debut in the 2008 film Tokyo Sonata, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, and gained attention after starring in the 2014-2021 Rurouni Kenshin movies.

In 2014, Tao was reportedly chosen among 2,020 others to play the main character in the 2015 asadora Mare, which also starred Kento as her onscreen love interest.

Since her big break, Tao has taken on numerous lead roles in movies and dramas, her most recent one being the 2024 film Matched.

A woman of many talents - she's done stage plays, danced in Sia's Alive (2016) music video and even released her own music - Tao is an actress worth keeping up with.

The Rurouni Kenshin movies are available on Netflix and Prime Video.

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Suzu Hirose, 26

In 2013, she started her acting career with minor roles in dramas and movies.

Little did Suzu Hirose know that two years later, she would attend the Cannes Film Festival for Our Little Sister (2015) and quickly rise to fame.

The following year, the model-turned-actress took on her first main role in box-office hits Chihayaru Part 1 and 2 (2016) and became a household name after leading the 2019 asadora Natsuzora. More recently, the 26-year-old was in the series Hold My Hand at Twilight (2023).

Taishi Nakagawa, 26

If you enjoy the romance genre, Taishi Nakagawa might just be the actor for you.

Though he's had many dramas since his acting debut in 2014, the 26-year-old became well-known after starring in romantic films like Your Lie in April (2016) and Closest Love to Heaven (2017).

He rose to further fame for playing heartthrob second lead Tenma Hase in Boys over Flowers Season 2 (2018) and Suzu's onscreen love interest in Natsuzora.

Though he later explored other genres - from youth romance-thriller film My Blood & Bones in a Flowing Galaxy (2020) to historical drama The 13 Lords of the Shogun and mystery series Burn the House Down (2023) - it appears audiences love him in romance as he played the second lead again in Eye Love You (2024).

My Blood & Bones in a Flowing Galaxy, Burn the House Down and Eye Love You are available on Netflix.

Shunsuke Michieda, 22

Unlike most music idol-actors, Shunsuke Michieda made his showbiz debut with a drama.

The 22-year-old took on his first acting role in the 2017 drama Haha ni Naru and continued playing minor characters until debuting in the idol group Naniwa Danshi in 2021. Their first single Ubu Love was also part of the soundtrack for My Love Mix-Up! - Shunsuke's breakout role.

He has since starred in multiple dramas and movies, the most recent one being the 2024 drama Mars and movie 18x2 Beyond Youthful Days.

My Love Mix-Up! and 18x2 Beyond Youthful Days are available on Netflix.

Minami Hamabe, 23

Minami Hamabe's career began after she won the New Generation Award at the 7th Toho Cinderella Audition in 2011, a talent audition that aims to discover potential actresses.

Now at 23 years old, she has a number of blockbusters and dramas to her name.

She drew interest after her roles in Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day (2015) and Let Me Eat Your Pancreas (2017), the fifth highest grossing film in Japan that year. She continued to take on lead roles in dramas Kakegurui (2019), Cursed in Love (2020), Date My Daughter! (2021) and Dr White (2022).

More recently, she starred as the heroine in the 2023 asadora Ranman. Since then, she's had three films - Shin Masked Rider (2023), 2024's Godzilla Minus One and Silent Love.

Kakegurui, Cursed in Love, Date My Daughter! and Godzilla Minus One are available on Netflix, while Shin Masked Rider is available on Prime Video.

Nana Komatsu, 28

She's a face you might have seen in fashion magazines and commercials.

Actress-model Nana Komatsu made her acting debut in the 2013 short film Tadaima before making it to the big screens with The World of Kanako (2014) which won her three awards.

Her rise to fame was a quick one as she continued to star in films back to back afterwards, notable ones being 2016's Destruction Babies, Drowning Love, My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday as well as the live-action manga adaptations Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable (2017) and Kids on the Slope (2018).

She also played a minor role in 2016's Silence, directed by the critically acclaimed Martin Scorsese.

Her 2022 film The Last 10 Years became the eighth highest grossing Japanese movie of that year.

Parasite in Love is available on Netflix.

Hana Sugisaki, 26

We've mentioned a few cast members of Boys over Flowers Season 2, so of course we couldn't leave out the main character.

The drama marked Hana Sugisaki's first lead role, and since then she has landed more such as the 2020 asadora Ochoyan, Love's in Sight! (2021), Prism (2022) and more recently this year Unmet: A Neurosurgeon's Diary.

Looking at her filmography, she's had more lead roles in movies than dramas, most notable ones being her first, Perfect World (2018), followed by Blue, Painful and Brittle (2020), 99.9 Criminal Lawyer: The Movie (2021), Hotei Yugi (2023) and 52 Hertz Whales (2024).

With no upcoming dramas in sight so far, she'll be back on the big screens with A Cherry Tree that Never Rots (2024) on June 21 and Unrequited Love World (transliterated), which is expected to premiere in 2025.

Blue, Painful and Brittle is available on Netflix.

Jun Shison, 29

A power ranger, human pet, delinquent - Jun Shison has done it all.

The 29-year-old made his showbiz debut with the 2011 musical The Prince of Tennis before landing his first onscreen acting role in the 2012 drama The Reason We Can't Fall in Love (transliterated).

He started gaining attention after starring in the power ranger franchise Ressha Sentai ToQger (2014-2015) and 2015 romance film Her Senior.

He explored other genres afterwards, playing a quirky role as a dancer and human pet in You're My Pet (2017), a transgender woman in Life as a Girl (2018) and delinquent in High&Low: The Worst (2022).

In 2023, he starred in the dramas Fermat's Cuisine and Yu Yu Hakusho. While he only has a movie (52 Hertz Whales) lined up this year, fans can look forward to his upcoming 2025 Netflix series Glass Heart.

You're My Pet is available on iQiyi, while High&Low: The Worst, Fermat's Cuisine and Yu Yu Hakusho are available on Netflix.

Haruna Kawaguchi, 29

It all started with a beauty pageant.

Model-turned-actress Haruna Kawaguchi made her showbiz debut after winning the Grand Prix at the 11th Nicola audition in 2007, a contest held by the fashion magazine Nicola.

The following year, she became a regular cast member in children's variety programme Fitenshen TV and made her acting debut in the 2009 drama Tokyo Dogs.

Throughout her 15 years as an actress, Haruna, now 29, has built a name for herself with a long list of dramas and movies to her name. She was even named a CM (commercial) Queen in 2023 for reportedly signing with 25 companies for advertisements.

Her notable works include Ouran High School Host Club (2011-2012) which had an 11-episode drama and a movie, the 2017 film One Week Friends, and dramas The Way of the Househusband (2020), There's a Reason for the Love I'm Wearing (2021) and Silent (2022).

Her series 9 Border recently wrapped up with its final episode on June 21.

Kanna Hashimoto, 25

Idol-turned-actress Kanna Hashimoto made her showbiz debut in 2011 as a member of the J-pop girl group Rev. from DVL and later starring in the film I Wish that same year.

In 2013, she shot to fame after going viral for her looks while performing with her group.

In 2014, she had a guest role in her first drama Water Polo Yankees and landed her first main one in Sailor Suit and Machine Gun: Graduation (2016).

Kanna, now 25, left Rev. from DVL in 2017, and since then has been in numerous shows and films, notable ones being the Kingdom franchise (2019 to 2024), Gintama 2: Rules are Meant to be Broken (2018) and Kaguya-sama: Love is War (2019) as well as the dramas One Page Love (2019) and Influence (2021).

She last starred in the 2023 Netflix film Once Upon a Crime and dramas The Third Finger Offered to a King and Special Order! Metro Police Special Accounting Department. She'll be back with her first asadora Omusubi this August.

The first three Kingdom movies are streaming on Netflix.

Mei Nagano, 24

Mei Nagano started out as a child actress in the movie Hard Revenge, Milly: Bloody Battle (2009).

The 24-year-old gained attention after starring in romance films My Love Story!! (2015) and Daytime Shooting Star (2017) before landing a main role in the 2018 asadora Hanbun, Aoi.

She clinched the Best Supporting Actress award in 2019 at the 100th Japan Television Drama Academy Awards for the series Mr Hiiragi's Homeroom.

Since then, she's continued to show her capabilities with various shows of different genres, from 2022's heartbreaking My Broken Mariko to revenge series Burn the House Down (2023), and slice-of-life rom-com movie Teasing Master Takagi-san.

Fans can look forward to Cells at Work! where she stars alongside veteran actor Takeru Satoh. The live-action movie adaptation of the manga of the same name is scheduled to premiere in December this year.

Mr Hiiragi's Homeroom is available on Netflix.

Taisei Kido, 27

After four years in the acting industry, Taisei Kido finally had his big break in the series First Love (2022) where he played the younger version of Takeru Satoh.

Since then, Taisei, 27, has starred in a number of shows - taking on small roles in 2023 dramas Draft King and Yuria's Red String of Fate as well as 2024's House of Ninjas and 9 Border.

He's only had one main role so far - 2023's Our School Broadcast (transliterated) - and is currently taking on yet another supporting role in the ongoing drama The Beginning of the Sea.

While Taisei beefs up with filmography, fans can surely look forward to what he has in store next.

First Love and House of Ninjas are available on Netflix.

Fumi Nikaido, 29

She juggled school and acting in the early days of her career, but still managed to clinch awards in the process.

Fumi Nikaido made her debut as an actress at the age of 13 in the 2007 drama Juken no Kamisama.

At the time, Fumi, now 29, was living and studying in Okinawa but would travel to Tokyo for work. She eventually moved to Tokyo for high school and continued balancing her studies and acting career.

In 2011, she won her first accolades for the films Ringing in Their Ears and Himizu. The latter was shown at the 68th Venice International Film Festival that year, and Fumi and her co-star Sometani Shota became the first Japanese to win the Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Newcomer.

Fumi continued acting and won awards the following years. With her busy schedule, she reportedly brought textbooks to film sets and passed the entrance exams for Keio University in 2014.

Now an established actress, Fumi has recently been in numerous hit dramas such as Vivant (2023) and 2024's Eye Love You and Shogun.

Vivant and Eye Love You are available on Netflix while Shogun is available on Disney+.

Natsuki Deguchi, 22

She's a new face in the industry but her charms are not to be underestimated.

China-born actress Natsuki Deguchi was a regular 16-year-old high school student when she was scouted in Tokyo by a staff member of entertainment agency Incent.

The 22-year-old made her debut in the 2019 drama Cocoa and made her first movie appearance in 2020's The Promised Neverland.

Since then, Natsuki has starred in numerous shows and films, starting from supporting roles and slowly working her way up to main ones in dramas Bakayarou no Kiss (2022), The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House (2023) and Blue Moment (2024), to name a few.

In 2023, she gained attention for playing the protagonist in the live-action series of the popular animanga Ao Haru Ride. The drama aired its second season this year.

She landed her first movie lead role in Netflix's Drawing Closer - which premiered on the platform on June 27 - and is back on the big screens with Honeko Akanabe's Bodyguards in August.

The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House and Drawing Closer are available on Netflix.

Rihito Itagaki, 22

Rihito Itagaki took on guest and supporting roles for seven years before landing his first main one in the 2020 movie The Promised Neverland and 2021 series My Androgynous Boyfriend.

Though 22-year-old doesn't have many lead roles, he stands out even with little screen time, seeing as how he's best known for works where he has minor roles - Kamen Rider Zi-O (2018), Silent (2022) and Alice in Borderland season 1 (2020), to name a few.

He recently starred in the drama Mars: Zero's Revolution, the film Love You as The World Ends: The Movie, and the currently airing movie Blue Period.

Alice in Borderland is streaming on Netflix.

Koshi Mizukami, 25

Koshi Mizukami wasn't interested in showbiz initially - he was scouted by an agency in his first year of junior high school and turned down their offers for five years.

In his third year of high school, the drama club's advisor offered him a role in a play which he agreed to. This piqued his interest in acting and he made the decision to cancel his plans of going to college and playing baseball.

He auditioned for the drama Meet Me After School (2018) and was selected to star alongside popular actress Kasumi Arimura. Though it was his first ever acting role, Koshi won a Newcomer Award at the 28th TV Life Drama Grand Prize.

Since then, Koshi, now 25, has starred in a long list of dramas and movies, notable ones being 2020 dramas Miu404, Oeda's Ghost Story and the 2023 film Till We Meet Again on the Lily Hill.

Meet Me After School and Miu404 are available on Netflix.

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syarifahsn@asiaone.com

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