Masaaki Sakai
Acting • Born 1946-08-06
Biography
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
55 credits
Toshigoro
Movie • 1973
Okabe
The Age of Undutiful Children
Movie • 1968
The Fearless Otojiro's Company
Movie • 2007
I Am A Man of Honor
Movie • 1977
Flowering Maidens
Movie • 1965
Sabu
A Girl of the Plateau
Movie • 1965
Sabu
The Greatest Challenge of All
Movie • 1967
The Tempters: Smile After Tears
Movie • 1969
Locomotive Teacher
Movie • 2004
喜劇 右向けェ左！
Movie • 1970
Japan Beauty Story
Movie • 1974
Spirit World
Movie • 2025
Yuzo Nobusawa
The Spiders: Big Commotion!
Movie • 1968
Road to Hawaii
Movie • 1954
A Hardest Night!!
Movie • 2005
Boss
Yunagi City, Sakura Country
Movie • 2007
Asahi Ishikawa (Old)
Beautiful World
Movie • 2012
Yuzo Tsutai
The Notorious Bored Samurai 2
Movie • 1988
Sasao Kinai
The Notorious Bored Samurai 9
Movie • 1994
Kinai
Song of Happiness
Movie • 1964
High School Third Graders
Movie • 1963
Here Because of You
Movie • 1964
Akira Tanaka
Let's Dance Bon-Odori in Hawaii
Movie • 1964
Masaya Matsui
High School Juniors (Part II)
Movie • 1964
The Spiders' The Road to Bali
Movie • 1968
Masaaki Sakai
The Spiders' The Noisy Parade
Movie • 1968
Masaaki Sakai
The School Cap
Movie • 1963
Matsubara
The Spiders: The Reckless Operation
Movie • 1967
Masaaki
The Sunset Is Crying
Movie • 1967
Youth A Go Go!
Movie • 1966
Machi no Hi
Movie • 1974
Chiyomatsu Sakanoshita
Bored Hatamoto: Letter of Death
Movie • 1993
Friends
Movie • 1964
My Sweetheart
Movie • 1967
The Castle of Crossed Destinies
Movie • 2012
Long Wedding Road! Tokyo vs. Osaka Wakeari Kon Monogatari
Movie • 2007
Kigeki dokkiri dai tōsō
Movie • 1970
Tokyo wa Koisuru
Movie • 1965
Trinacria: Porsche 959
Movie • 1987
Final Take: The Golden Age of Movies
Movie • 1986
Sayonara Sankaku Mata Kite Shikaku
TV • 1982
Monkey
TV • 1978
Monkey
Churasan
TV • 2001
Kohagura Keibun
Papa Survival
TV • 1995
The Black Swindler
TV • 2006
Furuhata Ninzaburo
TV • 1994
中村右近
Best Friend
TV • 1995
Kurosawa Michihiko
Tennō no Ryōriban
TV • 1980
パパ・サヴァイバル
TV
The TOP10
TV • 1981
ザッツ宴会テイメント
TV • 2008
Kono Subarashiki Sekai
TV • 2023
Impossible Love
TV • 2008
타치키 쇼고
The Most Useful School in the World
TV • 2004
Tokugawa Yoshinobu
TV • 1998