is a Japanese actor and singer. He is best known for his role as Ryoma Echizen as part of the third generation Seigaku cast in The Prince of Tennis musicals, Tenimyu, and also for the role of Suguru Niragi in Netflix's survival drama Alice in Borderland.
Career Sakurada was born in December 7, 1991 in Tokyo, Japan. At age 11, while walking home with his mother, he was scouted and soon joined his current company, Amuse. He took singing, dancing and acting lessons while attending middle and high school. In 2005, he was chosen to play the lead protagonist Ryoma Echizen in a musical adapted from the popular anime The Prince of Tennis, Tenimyu. The decision generated a buzz, as at the age of 14, he was the youngest member to be cast. In the same year, he made his acting debut when he appeared in one episode of the TV drama, Ruri's Island. After his two year run as Ryoma Echizen, he got his big break in 2008 when he starred as Kotaro Nogami in Saraba Kamen Rider Den-O: Final Countdown, the third film adaptation of the popular Kamen Rider Series. The film was a success, ranking second on its opening week and earning a total of ¥720 million in the Japanese box office.
In 2013, went on hiatus to study in London, England. In a 2019 interview, he revealed that the decision came from the want to explore other career options, as he was slowly losing the passion and motivation, the path of acting not being his choice in the first place. However, he returned to Japan in just 6 months. He admitted his time away immediately changed his attitude towards work, renewed his hunger to succeed in the entertainment industry and that this time, it was his choice to be an actor. Since then, he has appeared in films such as Orange (2015) and Let Me Eat Your Panceas (2017), and in TV shows such as Scum's Wish (2017), Coffee & Vanilla (2019) and Alice in Borderland (2020).
Apart from acting, he writes and produces his own music, releasing his first EP, Sakura da Festa Best, in 2019. He performs live in his yearly fan event, Sakura da Festa, the first one held in 2016.
In 2020, he established his official fanclub, the Sakura da Space Society.
In 2022, he completed his first Zepp tour. Named Dori Sakurada ZEPP TOUR 2022: Anniversary to the next level, he performed in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Yokohama.
Personal life Named after Sakurada-dori Avenue in Tokyo, Dori has an older brother, older sister, and a younger sister. He attended Meguro Nihon University High School, where he often played tennis and basketball. In 2002, the same year he was scouted, he got a Dachshund which he named Fanta. After his pet's death in 2019, he centered his fanclub website theme and design around Fanta, along with his interest in outer space.
His favorite musician is the Japanese rock band, UVERworld. After meeting the band's lead vocalist TAKUYA∞ in one of his singing lessons, he became a fan, immediately buying all of their CDs on his way home. Since then, they've become close friends, with Dori often seen wearing a gold ring that was gifted to him by Takuya∞ for his 18th birthday, and UVERworld providing the theme song for Dori's 2014 movie, Marching: Ashita e.
He is close friends with Kento Yamazaki. The duo met on the set of Baseball Brainiacs (2014), and have worked in multiple movies and shows since. In the variety program The World's Ashtonishing News!, Kento revealed that him, Dori and both their mothers celebrated New Year's Day 2020 by going on a trip to Hakone, Japan. He is also close friends with former Amuse artists Takeru Satoh and Ryunosuke Kamiki.
Stages and musicals +YearTitleRoleVenue/DatesNotes2006Tenimyu: The Prince of Tennis Musical: Advancement Match Rokkaka feat. Hyotei GekuenRyoma EchizenNippon Seinen-kan Hall, Tokyo (August 3-13) Osaka Mielparque Hall, Osaka (August 16-19)
Meitetsu Hall, Nagoya (August 24-27)Debut of the 3rd Seigaku Cast2006-2007Tenimyu: The Prince of Tennis Musical: Absolute King Rikkai feat. Rokkaku ~ First ServiceRyoma EchizenNippon Seinen-kan Hall, Tokyo (December 13-25) Osaka Mielparque Hall, Osaka (December 28 - January 8)
Kagawa-ken Kenmin Hall, Kagawa (January 11-14)
Sunshine Theatre, Tokyo (January 18-21)
Nagoya Shinmin Kaikan-chuu Hall, Nagoya (January 25-27)2007FrogsKakeruGreen Theatre, Tokyo (March 14-21)Tenimyu: The Prince of Tennis Musical: Dream Live 4thRyoma EchizenPacifico Yokohama, Yokohama (March 30-31) Umeda Arts Theater (May 17-20)Online 2: RoomshareNobutoshi OyamaZenrosai Hall Space Zero, Tokyo (May 2-6)Tenimyu: The Prince of Tennis Musical: Absolute King Rikkai feat. Rokkaku ~ Second ServiceRyoma EchizenNippon Seinen-kan Hall, Tokyo (August 2-15) Osaka Mielparque Hall, Osaka (August 18-25)
Kagawa-ken Kenmin Hall, Kagawa (August 28-29)
Fukuoka Shimin Kaikan Dai Hall, Fukuoka (September 1-2)Frogs: ReplayKakeruTokyo Metropolitan Theatre Centre Hall (September 9, 21)2008Frogs: ReplayKakeruTennozu Galaxy Theater, Shinawaga (March 19- 23) Umeda Arts Theater, Osaka (March 28-30)2010Tenimyu: The Prince of Tennis Musical: Dream Live 7thRyoma EchizenWorld Memorial Hall, Kobe (May 7-9) Yokohama Arena, Yokohama (May 20-23)Guest AppearanceBlack & WhiteShiroSunshine Theater, Tokyo (August 8 - September 28)2011PinocchioYamanekoShibuya Cultural Center Owada, Tokyo (August 12-22) Theater Brava!, Osaka (August 25-28)Mystic TopazPhantom Thief "Michelle"Theater Sun Mall, Tokyo (October 1-16)2015Rock ☆ Opera "Psychedelic Pain"KaitoTennozu Galaxy Theater, Shinagawa (April 4-12) Canal City Theater, Fukuoka (April 17-19)
Umeda Arts Theater, Osaka (April 30 - May 4)
Filmography
Television YearTitleRoleNetworkNotes 2005 Ruri's Island Teppei Tsuchiya NTV Guest (episode 4)2008Tokyo Girl: Elena Mizusawa ~Kimi no UtaKeita HondaTBSGuest (episodes 1 & 2) Hobaken: Case Files of a Rookie LawyerTakeshi Fuda NTVGuest (episodes 5 & 6) 2009 Kamen Rider Decade Kotaro Nogami TV Asahi Guest (episode 15) Samurai High School Satoshi Ikeyama NTV Handsome Shirayuri Brother's Dining Table Shizuru Shirayuri QTV Lead role 2010 Arienai! Junichi Kanō MBS Guest (episode 11) 853: Detective Kamo Shinnosuke Shinichi Akamatsu TV Asahi Guest (episode 8) General Rouge no Gaisen Kento Yamazaki Fuji TV Guest (episode 6) Clone Baby Eita Tsubaki TBS Guest (episodes 1–3) 2011 Koi Choco: Bittersweet Angel Andō Anju TBS Lead roleSignYorimitsu MizumotoMBSLead role Misaki Number One!! Takumi Kashiwabara NTV Guest (episode 8) 2012 Sūgaku Joshi Gakuen Kazuki Sato NTVLead role Shiritsu Bakaleya Koukou Makoto Okamoto NTV Guest (episode 6)2014Koibumi BiyoriMitsuo YukiNTVGuest (episode 3)Baseball BrainiacsEisuke ShikataNTVRikei No HitobitoAdachiTBS 2015 Atelier Sōsuke Himeji Fuji TV 2016Hatsukoi GeininYuta SudoNHKOtoko to Onna no Mystery JidaigekiSeitaroBS TVGuest (episode 6)Koe Koi (Voice Love)Ryoichi SejimaTV TokyoHope: Kitai Zero no Shinnyu ShainKeita NiimuraFuji TVLove Love AlienAkira NogamiFuji TVOnnatachi no Tokusou SaizensenRyohei YanagisawaTV AsahiGuest (episode 4)2016-2018Good Morning CallDaichi ShinozakiFuji TV/ Netflix2 seasons 2017 Scum's Wish Mugi Awaya Fuji TV Lead role The Courage to be Disliked Takatoshi Miyake Fuji TV Maji de Kōkai Shitemasu Yamato Yagi TBS/ MBS Lead role CSI: Crime Scene Talks Season 4 Jun Konuma TV Asahi Guest (episode 7)Aishite tatte, Himitsu wa Aru (My Lover's Secret)Tomoya OikawaNTVGuest (episode 1)Sannin no Papa (Three Dads)Ryosuke NishikawaTBSGuest (episode 6)Keishicho Ikimono Gakari (MPD: Animal Unit)Natsuo NomaFuji TVGuest (episode 6) 2018 Seven Detectives: Season 4 Shinji Asakura TV Asahi Guest (episode 3)Road to EdenKenjiFuji TVHana Nochi Hare: Hanadan Next SeasonToru AoyamaTBSGuest (episodes 9–11) 2019 Perfect Crime Haruto Shinonome TV AsahiLead role Coffee & Vanilla Hiroto Fukami TV AsahiLead roleWatashi, Teiji de Kaerimasu (I Will Not Work Overtime, Period)Taneda Hiiragi/ShuTBS 2020 Guilty: Kono Koi wa Tsumi Desu ka Naomichi Moriya NTV Guest (episodes 8 & 9)Detective NoviceShirakiNTVGuest (episode 5) 2020–2022 Alice in Borderland Niragi Suguru Netflix 2 seasons 2021 3B no Koibito (The 3Bs You Shouldn't Date) Seichi Minami/Yoshi TV Asahi Lead roleThe Naked Director 2Ken HojoNetflixGuest (episode 2)2022Serial Drama W: IdentityAshikaga KiyoshiWOWOWGuest (episode 3 & 4)ChimudondonYoung Kento HigaNHKGuest (Episode 73 & 74)Fukumen D (Masked D)MasaAbema TV2023Play It Cool, GuysTakayuki MimaTV TokyoLead Role2026DoraemonKonroboTV AsahiGuest (Episode 930)
Films +YearTitleRoleNotes2007Ashita no Watashi no Tsukurikata (How to Become Myself)Jun Kanai2008Aquarian Age: Juvenile OrionKaname KusakabeLead roleFrogs on screenKakeruLead roleFarewell, Kamen Rider Den-O: Final CountdownKotaro Nogami/Kamen Rider NEW Den-OLead role2009Cho Kamen Rider Den-O & Decade Neo Generations: The Onigashima WarshipKotaro Nogami/Kamen Rider NEW Den-OLead roleCafe Daikanyama III: Sorezore no AshitaKotohisa MiuraUmi no Ue no Kimi wa, Itsumo EgaoRiku KobayakawaLead role2010Shokudo Katatsumuri (Rinco's Restaurant)SatoruBeckMasaru HyodoKamen Rider × Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider The Movie: Cho-Den-O Trilogy – Episode BlueKotaro Nogami/Kamen Rider NEW Den-OLead role2011Ōsama Game (King's Game)Nobuaki KanazawaLead roleOOO, Den-O, All Riders: Let's Go Kamen RidersKotaro Nogami/Kamen Rider NEW Den-OLead role2014Marching: Ashita eTadanobu SonLead roleThe Werewolf Game: The Beast SideYukihiko TodoGajimaru Shokudo no Koi (Gajimaru Restaurant's Love)Shota ShimabukuroLead roleAs the Gods WillClass PresidentCameo2015OrangeSaku Hagita2016ShûkatsuLead roleZenin, Kataomoi: Boku no Sabotin (My cactus)Toru KinoshitaLead role in segment2017Let Me Eat Your PancreasChairman Takahiro2018Baachan Rodo (Walking with My Grandma)Tetsuya ShojiEven: Kimi ni Okuru UtaTakehitoLead role2019Science Fell in Love, So I Tried to Prove ItYu KannagiBack Street Girls: GokudolsSeiji KoizumiLaShinpei OkahamaLead role2022Grown-upsMasato2023We're Broke, My Lord!Matsudaira Kisaburō
Music Video Appearances Winter Love Story – Jyongri (2008) Ame ni Utaeba – monobright (2010) Gingham Check – AKB48 (2012) I Still Love You – Lisa Halim (2012) Tsubasa wa Iranai – AKB48 (2016) Aoi Signal - Magic of Life (2016) Kumu wo Nuketa Aozora - Da-iCE (2019)
Animation Scum's Wish (Fuji TV, 2017) as Ori Kurada
Discography
Extended Plays +Release dateTitleDetailsTrack listNotesMay 30, 2018Even: A Song for You (Complete Edition) - EPLabel: Universal Music Format: CD, CD+DVD (Limited first press edition), Digital Download, Streaming アイノウタ (Aino Uta) フェロウ (Fellow) Sabishiku Narujyan 会いたい (Aitai) Carry on!Released under the band name "Even", from the 2018 movie Even: Kimi ni Okuru UtaFebruary 22, 2019Sakura da Festa Best - EPLabel: Amuse Format: Digital Download, Streaming きっと今日より (Kitto Kyouyori) 涙Realize (Namida Realize) NOISE FICTION 限りある日々(Kagiri Aru Hibi) それでいい (Soredeii)
Singles +Release dateTitleDetailsNotesMarch 20, 2019から新曲 (Seize the Day)Label: Amuse Format: Digital Download, StreamingFebruary 28, 2020Don't step on meあの空へ (Anosorahe)KodouFrom the 2019 film "La"March 3, 2020KibounorizumuFrom the 2019 film "La"October 4, 2021One Word
Other participating works +Release dateTitleDetailsNotesDecember 16, 2006The Prince of Tennis Musical: Best Actors Series 005 (Dori Sakurada as Ryoma Echizen) - AlbumLabel: FEEL MEE/ TY Entertainment Inc. Format: CD10 tracksApril 22, 2009超 Climax Jump (Super Climax Jump) - SingleLabel: Avex Trax Format: -The theme song recorded by the "Den-O All Stars" for the movie Cho Kamen Rider Den-O & Decade Neo Generations: The Onigashima WarshipJune 9, 2010Double-Action Strike Form - Single/EPLabel: Avex Trax Format: CDThe ending theme song from Kamen Rider Den-OMarch 3, 2011Sign - SingleLabel: Amuse Format: CD/ DVDThe theme song from the 2011 TV drama, Sign
Bibliography
Photobooks 20th Anniversary limited edition Doriblog (November 2011, Amuse) Dori Sakurada first photo book "Sakurada" (June 2014, Wani Books) Sakura da Festa 2016～Music for my friends～ CD&Photobook (July 2016, Amuse)