Yukijiro Hotaru: Japanese Actor and Filmography Profile

Yukijiro Hotaru (螢雪次朗) is a veteran Japanese actor born on August 27, 1951, in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. Standing at 170 cm with blood type B, Hotaru has maintained a prolific career spanning decades, appearing in numerous feature films, direct-to-video productions, and television drama series.

Portrait of Yukijiro Hotaru — Yukijiro Hotaru

Career and Notable Roles

Hotaru is widely recognized by international and domestic audiences for his recurring role as Inspector Osako in the Heisei Gamera trilogy directed by Shusuke Kaneko, starting with Gamera: The Guardian of the Universe (1995), followed by Gamera 2: Advent of Legion (1996), and Gamera 3: Iris Awakening (1999). In addition to his tokusatsu and monster film appearances—which include Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001) and the Reigo and Raiga monster features—Hotaru has built a reputation as a versatile character actor in mainstream Japanese cinema and television.

Selected Filmography

Cure (1997) - Ichiro Kuwano
Gamera 3: Iris Awakening (1999) - Inspector Osako
Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001) - Cameo appearance
The Letters (2006)
The Summit: A Chronicle Of Stones to Serenity (2009) - Kinsaku Iwamoto
A Man With Style (2011)
The Little House (2014) - Bar owner
When I Get Home, My Wife Always Pretends to be Dead (2018) - Shinichi
Goodbye Cruel World (2022) - Miyawaki

Selected Television Dramas

In addition to his film work, Hotaru has maintained an active presence on Japanese television across major networks such as Fuji TV, TV Asahi, and NHK. His television credits span contemporary dramas, suspense series, and mystery programs, showcasing his adaptability across various genres.