Yūya Yagira

is a Japanese actor. In 2004, he became the youngest winner of the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of 12-year-old Akira in the highly acclaimed Nobody Knows.

Career Yagira was 12 years old and not a professional actor, when filming began for Nobody Knows in 2002. He then immediately went on to television projects and other films. He co-starred with Eriko Sato in Akane Yamada's All to the Sea which was released in 2010 and co-starred with Kie Kitano in Taro Hyugaji's Under the Nagasaki Sky, released in 2013.

In 2021, Yagira played young Takeshi Kitano in the biopic Asakusa Kid.

Personal life Yagira was hospitalized on August 29, 2008 for a drug overdose, with early reports calling it a suicide attempt. Yagira later denied that he had been trying to kill himself, noting that he was the one who called an ambulance after he began feeling ill from taking the pills. According to his blog: "The incident followed an argument with my family. In a fit of anger I took a larger than usual dosage of my prescription tranquilizers. As a result I felt ill and asked for an ambulance to be called." On January 15, 2010, Yagira and Toyota held their wedding ceremony at Tokyo's Meiji Shrine. They had registered their marriage on January 14. They have one daughter together, born October 13, 2010.

The two met when Toyota was a senior at Horikoshi High School, and Yagira was a junior. Yagira also revealed that he had proposed to her when he was seventeen. He was not aware at that time that people could not legally marry until they were eighteen, and so Toyota rejected his proposal.

Brand endorsements In 2018, Yagira became the brand ambassador for Japanese men's grooming brand GATSBY. He starred in the TV Commercial "GATSBY Cop", together with popular Japanese actor Mackenyu Arata.

Filmography Film Year Title RoleNotes 2004 Nobody Knows Fukushima Akira Lead role 2016 Destruction Babies Ashihara Taira Lead role 2021 Asakusa Kid Takeshi Kitano Lead role 2022 The Fish Tale Hiyo 2023 We're Millennials. Got a Problem? International Michigami Maribu 2024 A Conviction of Marriage Natsume Arata Lead role 2026 Shin Gekijōban Keroro Gunsō: Fukkatsu Shite Sokkō Chikyū Metsubō no Kiki de Arimasu! Toshiro Hijikata (voice) Ryuji Ryuji Lead role 2027 Sins of Kujo: The Movie Taiza Kujo Lead role

Television Year Title RoleNotes 2010 Tokyo 23: Survival City Arai Noboru 2011 Lady: The Last Criminal Profile Tatsumi Satoshi Episodes 4 and 5 2014 Aoi Honō Moyuru Honoo Lead role Nobunaga Concerto Oda Nubuyuki Episode 1 2015 Masshiro Nakano Kotaro Mare Ikehata Daisuke Asadora 2017 Naotora: The Lady Warlord Ryun Maru Taiga drama 2020 A Day-Off of Kasumi Arimura Takeda Kevin Episode 4 2021 Nigatsu no Shosha: Zettai Gokaku no Kyoshitsu Kuroki Kurodo 2022–25 Gannibal Agawa Daigo Lead role; 2 seasons 2024 Light of My Lion Komori Hiroto Lead role 2026 Sins of Kujo Taiza Kujo Lead role

Awards and nominations + Name of the award ceremony, year presented, category, nominee of the award, and the result of the nomination Award Year Category Work(s) Result Cannes Film Festival 2004 Best Actor Nobody Knows Kinema Junpo Award 2004 Best New Actor 2017 Best Actor Destruction Babies Yokohama Film Festival 2005 Best New Actor Nobody Knows 2017 Best Actor Destruction Babies Elan d'or Awards 2022 Newcomer of the Year Himself Asia Contents Awards & Global OTT Awards 2023 Best Lead Actor Gannibal Asian Excellence Award