Eiji Akaso

is a Japanese actor and model, known for playing Ryuga Banjou in Kamen Rider Build. He is represented by Tristone Entertainment.

Biography Akaso was born in Moriguchi City, Osaka Prefecture, but due to his father's work, Eiji briefly lived in Wisconsin, USA, at ages one to four. After that, his family relocated back to Japan, and he grew up in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture. His father, , graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and was a professor at the Faculty of Foreign Studies (Linguistic Department) at Nagoya Gakuin University and became the president of the said university in April 2020. His mother is a piano teacher. He has a younger brother, who is four years younger and is studying film production at Osaka University of Arts. In addition, his family's surname, "Akaso," is rare, with only about 200 people nationwide, and is said to have been bestowed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi on a swordsmith.

He was strongly influenced by his academic and artistic parents. He started playing piano at the age of three until Junior High School. He graduated from Toho High School, a private school, in Nagoya. After high school, Eiji majored in English at the same university, but later dropped out to move to Tokyo. His desire to become an actor sprouted in middle school and was also influenced by the habit of his family of having a movie night once a month. At the age of 19 or 20, he went to Tokyo and auditioned for a year. The trigger that lead Eiji to drop out of university and to enter the world of entertainment was a call from the CEO of his current agency in 2014. At that time, he was still in university and he had to make the decision either to start then or after graduation at the age of 23. He made a "now or never" decision and dropped out of university to join Tristone Entertainment. Health In 2019, Akaso revealed in a variety show that he had been diagnosed to be allergic to approximately 52 foods, saying, "I'm allergic to fruit, and I can't eat rice either..."

Career Eiji was affiliated with the Nagoya model office "FORM JAPAN" when he was in his teens. He was active as a model and talent under the name . In 2010, he joined the local idol group "BOYS AND MEN" in Nagoya, working on stage performances and regular appearances of variety shows. Eiji is said to have left BOYS AND MEN in 2011. Originally, he entered the entertainment agency because he wanted to be an actor and not an idol.

Eiji won the Grand Prix at the men's model audition of Samantha Thavasa in 2013, which became the turning point for him to audition in Tokyo at the age of 19. In 2015, he transferred to his current agency Tristone Entertainment, working as an actor and starring in television dramas and films in his current stage name.

Filmography Films Year Title Role Notes 2015 No Longer Heroine 2016 Scoop! 2017 Closest Love to Heaven Kamen Rider Heisei Generations Final: Build & Ex-Aid with Legend Rider Ryuga Banjo/Kamen Rider Cross-Z 2018 Kamen Rider Build the Movie: Be the One Ryuga Banjo/Kamen Rider Cross-Z Kamen Rider Heisei Generations Forever Ryuga Banjo/Kamen Rider Cross-Z 2020 Love Me, Love Me Not Kazuomi Inui Lead role Love Me, Love Me Not: The Animation A student (voice) Cameo Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! Kobayashi 2021 The Great Yokai War: Guardians Amanojaku 2022 The Sunday Runoff Yūki Iwabuchi Cherry Magic! the Movie Kiyoshi Adachi Lead role 2023 Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead Akira Tendo Lead role 2024 What If Shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa Was to Become the Prime Minister Sakamoto Ryōma 6 Lying University Students Shogo Hatano 2025 366 Days Minato Makiya Lead role Kinki Yūsei Ozawa Lead role 2026 Kyojo: Reunion Junji Urihara One Year to Live, Buy a Man Yoshitaka Sena Lead role Tokyo MER: Mobile Emergency Room – Capital Crisis Haru Ohgi

Television Year Title Role Notes 2015 High School Chorus Sho Ishikawa AKB Horror Night: Adrenalin no Yoru Episode 16 2016 Never Let Me Go Episode 2 Tokyo Women's Guidebook Kōhei Watashi ni Unmei no Koi nante arienai tte Omotteta TV movie 2017 Frankenstein's Love Episode 1 Samurai Gourmet Actor Episode 5 Kamen Rider Amazons Hiroki Nagase Season 2 2017–18 Kamen Rider Build Ryuga Banjo/Kamen Rider Cross-Z Lead role 2018 Kamen Rider Zi-O Ryuga Banjo/Kamen Rider Cross-Z Episodes 1-2 2019 Innocence, Fight Against False Charges Tokudori Isawa I Shared my Husband Hideaki Matsuda 2020 Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! Kobayashi Gourmet Detective Goro Akechi Nonaka Episode 3 Detective Yuri Rintaro Shota Satsuki Episode 2 Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?! Kiyoshi Adachi Lead role 2021 Cold Case Season 3 Yōsuke Hirayama Episode 6 Date My Daughter Yuto Super Rich Yu Haruno 2022 Hiru Yūki Shinomiya Lead role Ishiko and Haneo: You're Suing Me? Ao Ōba 2022–23Maiagare! Takashi Umezu Asadora 2023 Kazama Kimichika: Kyojo Zero Junji Urihara Pending Train Yūto Shirahama Turn to Me Mukai-kunSatoru MukaiLead role 2025 Inheritance DetectiveNao Haie Lead role 2026Gimbap and OnigiriTaiga HaseLead role

Stage Years Title Role 2010–11 Straight Drive! 2016 Kuroko's Basketball Ryo Sakurai "Letter" "Your Song"

Radio dramas Date Title Role Network Feb 2017 Saturday Drama House Binanshi Gekijō "Ma no tsubuyaki" Ryo Okada JFN

Modelling

Awards and nominations