Yoshimasa Kondo

Yoshimasa Kondo (Japanese: 近藤芳正) is a prominent Japanese actor born on August 13, 1961, in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Throughout a career spanning several decades, he has built an extensive portfolio of appearances in Japanese feature films, television dramas, and television movies, frequently recognized for his memorable supporting performances across diverse genres.

Film Career

Kondo has appeared in a wide array of cinematic productions ranging from historical dramas to contemporary comedies and thrillers. His film credits include notable works such as Koki Mitani's Welcome Back, Mr. McDonald (1997) as Shiro Suzuki, The Wow-Choten Hotel (2006), and A Ghost of a Chance (2011). He has also taken on roles in historical and action films, including Oba: The Last Samurai (2011), the period drama Unforgiven (2013) as Kihachi, Wood Job! (2014), and more recent projects such as The Women in the Lakes (2024) and The Samurai and the Prisoner (2026) as Shinpachiro Nakanishi.

Television Work

In addition to his film work, Kondo has maintained a prolific presence on Japanese television, appearing in numerous broadcast network series and streaming dramas. His television credits feature appearances in major hits like GTO: Great Teacher Onizuka (both in the 1998 series and subsequent iterations), historical taiga dramas such as Strategist Kanbe (2014) as Katsuie Shibata, and morning television serials including Natsuzora (2019) as Kenya Nogami. His versatile acting career continues through ongoing television and streaming roles.