Gen Hoshino

Gen Hoshino (星野 源, Hoshino Gen, born January 28, 1981) is a Japanese singer-songwriter, musician, actor, and writer. Hoshino's movie debut, Lee Sang-il's 69, was an adaptation of the Ryū Murakami novel of the same name. He previously acted in various television dramas and stage plays. In 2012, he debuted as a voice actor, voicing Buddha in the original video animation (OVA) adaptation of Hikaru Nakamura's manga Saint Young Men, and also provided a theme song called "Gag" for its 2013 theatrical version, where he reprised his role. In 2013, he played the lead character in Masahide Ichii's Blindly in Love (箱入り息子の恋, Hakoiri Musuko no Koi) alongside Kaho, and starred in the Sion Sono film Why Don't You Play in Hell?. In 2016, Hoshino starred in TBS's The Full-Time Wife Escapist. With Yui Aragaki as his co-star, he portrayed a salaryman named Hiramasa Tsuzaki. The drama achieved steadily rising ratings, with a real-time viewership peak rating of 20.8% on the final episode, and an overall rating of 14.5%. Hoshino's performance earned him several Best Supporting Actor awards. He also provided the theme song for the drama, titled "Koi". In 2017, Hoshino lent his voice to the main character of award-winning animated film Night Is Short, Walk On Girl. He also became the voice of the Father in Mamoru Hosoda's Mirai, which was released into theaters in Japan on July 20, 2018. Idaten, NHK's 2019 Taiga drama, chosen for the theme to encourage the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Hoshino ...

69 (2004)

Hoping to catch a girl's attention, high school students Ken and Adama cook up an ambitious plan. They plan a festival that combines film, theater, and rock music, and develop their project into a school road block. This plan however catches the attention of ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Lee Sang-il
CAST:  Satoshi Tsumabuki  •  Masanobu Ando  •  Yuta Kanai  •  Asami Mizukawa

Hoping to catch a girl's attention, high school students Ken and Adama cook up an ambitious plan. They plan a festival that combines film, theater, and rock music, and develop their project into a school road block. This plan however catches the attention of ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Lee Sang-il
CAST:  Satoshi Tsumabuki  •  Masanobu Ando  •  Yuta Kanai  •  Asami Mizukawa

Non-ko (2008)

Nobuko tried to be successful as an actress in Tokyo (stage name ‘Nonko’), but wasn’t popular. She married her manager and soon divorced. Now a once-divorced woman in her mid-30s, she returns home to the Shinto shrine that her family runs, to help out with domestic ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Kazuyoshi Kumakiri
CAST:  Maki Sakai  •  Gen Hoshino  •  Shingo Tsurumi  •  Kanji Tsuda

Nobuko tried to be successful as an actress in Tokyo (stage name ‘Nonko’), but wasn’t popular. She married her manager and soon divorced. Now a once-divorced woman in her mid-30s, she returns home to the Shinto shrine that her family runs, to help out with domestic ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Kazuyoshi Kumakiri
CAST:  Maki Sakai  •  Gen Hoshino  •  Shingo Tsurumi  •  Kanji Tsuda

Blindly in Love (2013)

Kentaro is an unsocial 35-year-old who lives with his parents and has never dated a woman. When Kentaro’s parents set up an arranged marriage interview with a girl named Nahoko and her parents, he falls in love for the first time in his life. However, the pair soon ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Masahide Ichii
CAST:  Gen Hoshino  •  Kaho  •  Sei Hiraizumi  •  Ryoko Moriyama

Kentaro is an unsocial 35-year-old who lives with his parents and has never dated a woman. When Kentaro’s parents set up an arranged marriage interview with a girl named Nahoko and her parents, he falls in love for the first time in his life. However, the pair soon ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Masahide Ichii
CAST:  Gen Hoshino  •  Kaho  •  Sei Hiraizumi  •  Ryoko Moriyama

Why Don't You Play in Hell? (2013)

Action-packedFunGoofyLighthearted

In Japan, gonzo filmmakers hatch a three-pronged plan to save an actress's career, end a yakuza war and make a hit movie.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Sion Sono
CAST:  Jun Kunimura  •  Shinichi Tsutsumi  •  Fumi Nikaido  •  Tomochika

In Japan, gonzo filmmakers hatch a three-pronged plan to save an actress's career, end a yakuza war and make a hit movie.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Sion Sono
CAST:  Jun Kunimura  •  Shinichi Tsutsumi  •  Fumi Nikaido  •  Tomochika

Brass Knuckle Boys (2009)

A record company office worker named Kanna discovers a punk rock band called Shonen Meriken Sakku 'Brass Knuckle Boys' through the internet and subsequently decides to represent them on behalf of her company. What Kanna did not know was that the Brass Knuckle Boys ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Kankuro Kudo  •  Kazunari Tanaka
CAST:  Aoi Miyazaki  •  Yuichi Kimura  •  Ryo Katsuji  •  Tomorowo Taguchi

A record company office worker named Kanna discovers a punk rock band called Shonen Meriken Sakku 'Brass Knuckle Boys' through the internet and subsequently decides to represent them on behalf of her company. What Kanna did not know was that the Brass Knuckle Boys ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Kankuro Kudo  •  Kazunari Tanaka
CAST:  Aoi Miyazaki  •  Yuichi Kimura  •  Ryo Katsuji  •  Tomorowo Taguchi

Love & Peace (2015)

A man, who once dreamed of becoming a punk rocker, is working as a low salaryman at a musical instrument parts company. He's secretly in love with his colleague. One day, he finds a little turtle on the rooftop, naming it Pikadon.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Sion Sono
CAST:  Kumiko Aso  •  Hiroki Hasegawa  •  Toshiyuki Nishida  •  Kiyohiko Shibukawa

A man, who once dreamed of becoming a punk rocker, is working as a low salaryman at a musical instrument parts company. He's secretly in love with his colleague. One day, he finds a little turtle on the rooftop, naming it Pikadon.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Sion Sono
CAST:  Kumiko Aso  •  Hiroki Hasegawa  •  Toshiyuki Nishida  •  Kiyohiko Shibukawa

Saint☆Young Men (2013)

Jesus Christ and Gautama Buddha, the founders of Christianity and Buddhism, are living together as roommates in a Tokyo apartment while taking a vacation on Earth. The comedy often involves jokes about Christianity, Buddhism, and all things related, as well as the ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Noriko Takao
CAST:  Gen Hoshino  •  Mirai Moriyama  •  Aiko Hibi  •  Fumihiko Tachiki

Jesus Christ and Gautama Buddha, the founders of Christianity and Buddhism, are living together as roommates in a Tokyo apartment while taking a vacation on Earth. The comedy often involves jokes about Christianity, Buddhism, and all things related, as well as the ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Noriko Takao
CAST:  Gen Hoshino  •  Mirai Moriyama  •  Aiko Hibi  •  Fumihiko Tachiki

Night Is Short, Walk On Girl (2017)

As a group of university students go out for a night on the town, a sophomore known only as "The Girl with Black Hair" experiences a series of surreal encounters with the local nightlife – all the while unaware of the romantic longings of "Senpai", a senior student ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Masaaki Yuasa
CAST:  Gen Hoshino  •  Kana Hanazawa  •  Ami Koshimizu  •  Aoi Yuki

As a group of university students go out for a night on the town, a sophomore known only as "The Girl with Black Hair" experiences a series of surreal encounters with the local nightlife – all the while unaware of the romantic longings of "Senpai", a senior student ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Masaaki Yuasa
CAST:  Gen Hoshino  •  Kana Hanazawa  •  Ami Koshimizu  •  Aoi Yuki

Chieri and Cherry (2015)

Chieri is a sixth grade girl whose only friend is a stuffed toy named Cherry, which she found while hiding in the cellar during her father's funeral. Chieri and Cherry undertake a journey on the border between fantasy and reality.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Makoto Nakamura
CAST:  Natsumi Takamori  •  Gen Hoshino  •  Machiko Ono  •  Kanichi Kurita

Chieri is a sixth grade girl whose only friend is a stuffed toy named Cherry, which she found while hiding in the cellar during her father's funeral. Chieri and Cherry undertake a journey on the border between fantasy and reality.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Makoto Nakamura
CAST:  Natsumi Takamori  •  Gen Hoshino  •  Machiko Ono  •  Kanichi Kurita

The Day Kouhaku Was Born (2015)

This drama focuses on the story of how NHK's famous New Year's Eve program "Kohaku Uta Gassen" came about in 1945, when the country was under General Headquarters.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Kentarō Horikirizono
CAST:  Kenichi Matsuyama  •  Tsubasa Honda  •  Reiko Kusamura  •  Gen Hoshino

This drama focuses on the story of how NHK's famous New Year's Eve program "Kohaku Uta Gassen" came about in 1945, when the country was under General Headquarters.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Kentarō Horikirizono
CAST:  Kenichi Matsuyama  •  Tsubasa Honda  •  Reiko Kusamura  •  Gen Hoshino

Mirai (2018)

Unhappy after his new baby sister displaces him, four-year-old Kun begins meeting people and pets from his family's history in their unique house in order to help him become the big brother he was meant to be.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Mamoru Hosoda
CAST:  Moka Kamishiraishi  •  Haru Kuroki  •  Gen Hoshino  •  Kumiko Aso

Unhappy after his new baby sister displaces him, four-year-old Kun begins meeting people and pets from his family's history in their unique house in order to help him become the big brother he was meant to be.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Mamoru Hosoda
CAST:  Moka Kamishiraishi  •  Haru Kuroki  •  Gen Hoshino  •  Kumiko Aso

GEN HOSHINO STADIUM TOUR "POP VIRUS" (2019)

Singer-songwriter Gen Hoshino takes the stage at the sold out Tokyo Dome in his highly anticipated 2019 Pop Virus dome tour.  (more)

DIRECTION: 
CAST:  Gen Hoshino

Singer-songwriter Gen Hoshino takes the stage at the sold out Tokyo Dome in his highly anticipated 2019 Pop Virus dome tour.  (more)

DIRECTION: 
CAST:  Gen Hoshino

Samurai Shifters (2019)

Shunnosuke Katagiri is a samurai and a bookworm. He receives a mission to help a daimyo move. With the assistance of Genemon Takamura and Oran, Shunnosuke Katagiri carries out his mission.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Isshin Inudo
CAST:  Gen Hoshino  •  Issey Takahashi  •  Mitsuki Takahata  •  Yukiyoshi Ozawa

Shunnosuke Katagiri is a samurai and a bookworm. He receives a mission to help a daimyo move. With the assistance of Genemon Takamura and Oran, Shunnosuke Katagiri carries out his mission.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Isshin Inudo
CAST:  Gen Hoshino  •  Issey Takahashi  •  Mitsuki Takahata  •  Yukiyoshi Ozawa

No Smoking (2019)

A documentary about Haruomi Hosono, a musician respected around the world and the music composer of Cannes Palme d'Or winner Shoplifters. The footage traces his encounter with music in early childhood to his days in bands Happy End and YMO to his solo activities. ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Taketoshi Sado
CAST:  Haruomi Hosono  •  Van Dyke Parks  •  Keigo Oyamada  •  Ryuichi Sakamoto

A documentary about Haruomi Hosono, a musician respected around the world and the music composer of Cannes Palme d'Or winner Shoplifters. The footage traces his encounter with music in early childhood to his days in bands Happy End and YMO to his solo activities. ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Taketoshi Sado
CAST:  Haruomi Hosono  •  Van Dyke Parks  •  Keigo Oyamada  •  Ryuichi Sakamoto

The Voice of Sin (2020)

Eiji Akutsu is a newspaper reporter. He is working on unsolved case that took place 30 years ago.The case involved a group of people extorting several companies for money. The group sent cassette tapes to the companies. Eiji Akutsu comes across a mysterious ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Nobuhiro Doi
CAST:  Shun Oguri  •  Gen Hoshino  •  Mikako Ichikawa  •  Meiko Kaji

Eiji Akutsu is a newspaper reporter. He is working on unsolved case that took place 30 years ago.The case involved a group of people extorting several companies for money. The group sent cassette tapes to the companies. Eiji Akutsu comes across a mysterious ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Nobuhiro Doi
CAST:  Shun Oguri  •  Gen Hoshino  •  Mikako Ichikawa  •  Meiko Kaji

Nigeru wa Haji da ga Yaku ni Tatsu: Ganbare Jinrui! Shinshun Special!! (2021)

Mikuri and Hiramasa both work and share housework duties. They have peaceful days together. One day, Mikuri learns that she is pregnant. They decide to marry, but they soon face problems. Mikuri suffers from pregnancy sickness and Hiramasa decides to take a ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Fuminori Kaneko
CAST:  Yui Aragaki  •  Gen Hoshino  •  Ryohei Otani  •  Takashi Fujii

Mikuri and Hiramasa both work and share housework duties. They have peaceful days together. One day, Mikuri learns that she is pregnant. They decide to marry, but they soon face problems. Mikuri suffers from pregnancy sickness and Hiramasa decides to take a ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Fuminori Kaneko
CAST:  Yui Aragaki  •  Gen Hoshino  •  Ryohei Otani  •  Takashi Fujii

 (more)

DIRECTION:  Mamoru Hatakeyama
CAST:  Gen Hoshino  •  Mamoru Miyano  •  Yumi Uchiyama  •  Hisako Kanemoto