Tsuyoshi Kusanagi

Tsuyoshi Kusanagi
Also known as	Chonan Gang (in South Korea)
Born	July 9, 1974
Origin	Seiyo, Ehime, Japan
Genres	Japanese Pop
Occupation(s)	Actor, Singer
Years active	1991–present
Labels	Johnny & Associates
Website	Johnnys net

Tsuyoshi Kusanagi (草彅 剛 Kusanagi Tsuyoshi, born July 9, 1974 in Seiyo, Ehime, Japan)^[1] is a Japanese entertainer. Kusanagi is a member of the popular Japanese idol group SMAP and has also appeared in a number of television dramas, variety shows and movies.

Background

Kusanagi grew up in Kasukabe, Saitama, Japan.

He made several long visits to South Korea in 2003, auditioning and appearing on variety TV shows and commercials. He released a Korean language CD in Korea and Japan.

In 2004, he hosted his own variety show Chonan Gang (チョナン・カン Chonan Kan) with Korean guests and themes. The show was named after himself, as Kusanagi uses Chonan Gang (초난강), the Korean reading of his name, as his stage name in South Korea.^[2] He has also hosted a program in which he talked with South Korean President Roh Mu-hyun in Korean, while the president was on an official visit to Japan in June 2003.^[3]

He had the lead role in the movie, Yomigaeri (黄泉がえり) (January 18, 2003; a Japan public presentation). Moreover, his Korean-language-Japanese-produced movie Hotel Venus (ホテルビーナス Hoteru Bīnasu) (March 6, 2004 Japan public presentation) was submitted to the Moscow International Film Festival on June 25, 2004.

Although not one of the more popular members of SMAP at first, following his well-received performances in a variety of roles, and riding the hanryū wave in the wake of the success of Winter Sonata in Japan, Kusanagi has come to be one of the more popular members of SMAP.

Arrest

Around 3 am on April 23, 2009, Kusanagi was arrested on suspicion of public indecency. Reportedly he was dancing naked while under the influence of alcohol in Hinokicho park in Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo. When confronted by police who were called to the spot he responded "What's wrong with being naked? (裸だったら何が悪い Hadaka dattara naniga warui)", which went on to become an online meme in Japan^[4][5][6]

Kusanagi appeared at a press conference held on the night of April 24, 2009 accompanied by his attorney, and apologized for his misbehavior.^[7] "As an adult, my actions were embarrassing... I drank too much, to the extent that I was out of control. I regret my actions very much."^[7] Prosecutors decided not to indict Kusanagi because of his apology and the embarrassment resulting from the incident.^[8]

For his actions, he was taken off the campaign for Japan's transition to digital television in 2011, but was reinstated after a request from Kusanagi to do so, as well as promising to shoot the commercials for free.^[9]

Kusanagi returned to the entertainment business on the May 28 taping of the SMAP×SMAP variety show. The show aired on Fuji Television on June 1 as he was seen holding back tears while singing the single "Arigatou".^[8]

Filmography

Dramas

• Kekkon shiyō yo (結婚しようよ, 1996)
• Oishii kankei (おいしい関係, 1996)
• Ii Hito. (いいひと。, 1997)
• Drama special: Sashō Taeko – kikan no aisatsu (ドラマスペシャル沙粧妙子－帰還の挨拶－, 1997)
• Narita rikon (成田離婚, 1997)
• Sensei shiranai no? (先生知らないの?, 1998)
• JinbÄ“ (じんべえ, 1998)
• TEAM (TEAM, annual drama series between 1999–2003)
• Food Fight (フードファイト, 2000)
• Star no koi (スタアの恋, 2001)
• Boku no ikiru michi (僕の生きる道, 2003)
• Taikōki – Saru to yobareta otoko (太閤記〜サルと呼ばれた男, 2003)
• Boku to kanojo to kanojo no ikiru michi (僕と彼女と彼女の生きる道, 2004)
• Shinsengumi! (新選組!, 2004)
• Tokugawa Tsunayoshi – Inu to yobareta otoko (徳川綱吉〜イヌと呼ばれた男, 2004)
• Kaikyō o wataru Violin (海峡を渡るバイオリン, 2004)
• Koi ni Ochitara – Boku no Seikō no Himitsu (2005)
• Ai to Shi o Mitsumete (2006)
• Boku no aruku michi (僕の歩く道, 2006)
• Ryōkiteki na Kanojo (猟奇的な彼女, 2008)
• Ninkyo Helper (任侠ヘルパー, 2009)
• Love of 99 Years: JAPANESE AMERICANS(99年の愛〜JAPANESE AMERICANS〜, 2010)
• Fuyu no Sakura (2011)
• Ninkyo Helper SP (2011)
• Suteki na Kakushidori ~Kanzen Muketsu no Concierge~ (2011)
• 37-sai de Isha ni Natta Boku ~Kenshui Junjou Monogatari~ (2012)
• Dokushin Kizoku (独身貴族, 2013)
• honto ni atta kowai hanashi-who is the criminal- (2014)
• zeni no sensou (銭の戦争) (2015)
• shin naniwa kinyudo (2015)
• Specialist 3 (2015)
• Specialist (2016)^[10]

Variety programs

• "SMAP×SMAP"
• "Kagayake! Uwasano Tenbest Show" (輝け!噂のテンベストSHOW)
• "New Tenbest Show" (新テンベストSHOW)
• "Dotch Cooking Show" (どっちの料理ショー)
• "New Dotch Cooking Show" (新どっちの料理ショー)
• "「Pu」sma" (『ぷっ』すま)
• "Morita Kazuyoshi Hour Waratte iitomo! (Friday)"
• "Waratte Iitomo! Special number"
• "Chonan Gang" (チョナン・カン)

Movies

• Messenger (メッセンジャー, 1999)
• Yomigaeri (黄泉がえり, 2003)
• Chanoaji (茶の味, 2003)
• The Hotel Venus (ホテルビーナス, 2004)
• Nihon Chinbotsu (日本沈没, 2006)
• Sinking of Japan (2006)
• Like a Virgin (Korean movie, small cameo role as a Japanese teacher, 2006)
• Strings (ストリングス, as a voice actor, 2007)
• Yamanoanata (山のあなた, 2008)
• Ballad (BALLAD 名もなき恋のうた, 2009)
• 1,778 Stories of Me and My Wife (僕と妻の1778の物語, 2011)
• Beautiful World (任侠ヘルパー , 2012)
• Chuugakusei Maruyama (中学生円山, 2013)

Other

• Chikyuu fushigi daisezen (地球ふしぎ大自然!, Earth wonderful Nature!)" (Narrator)
• Convenience store "SHOP99" (CM)
• Hime-chan no Ribbon (姫ちゃんのリボン, Animation, 1992/93, Hasekura senior's CV, also as himself in episode 13)"
• Kamata Koshinkyoku (stage play, 蒲田行進曲)
  • Premiere: February 20 to 28 and March 5 to 27, 1999)
  • Second performance: January 15 to 25 and 28 to 30 and February 4 to 20, 2000
• VOICE Reading/Tsubakihime (椿姫)
  • Premiere: February 13 to 16, 2002)
  • Second performance: June 22 to 23 and 30, 2002)
• Chichi Kaeru/Okujyo No Kyoujin (stage play, 父帰る／屋上の狂人, From April 1 to 30, 2006)
• Mabuta no Haha (stage play, 瞼の母, From May 10 to June 8, 2008)
• K2 (stage play, From November 2 to 28, 2010)
• Boku ni Honoo no Sensha wo (stage play, ぼくに炎の戦車を, From November 3 to December 1, 2012: Akasaka ACT Theater / December 8 to 11, 2012, Umeda Arts Theater / January 30, 2013 - February 3, National Theater of Korea)
• Ni to Monogatari (stage play, 二都物語, From April 3 to 30, 2013)
• Burst! ~Kiken na Futari (stage play, burst！～危険なふたり, From April 28 to June 2, 2015)

References

1. The second character 彅 in his Japanese name is composed of a thinned 弓 the left of a 剪. (It does not appear correctly in some cases.)
2. "SMAP's Kusanagi dropped from commercials, TV appearances in wake of arrest". The Mainichi Daily News (The Mainichi Newspapers). April 23, 2009. Archived from the original on April 27, 2009. Retrieved April 23, 2009.
3. dongA.com
4. "SMAP member Kusanagi arrested for stripping naked in Tokyo park". Japan Today. Kyodo. April 23, 2009.
5. "SMAP Member Kusanagi Arrested For Public Indecency". NIKKEI.com (Nikkei Inc.). Kyodo News. April 23, 2009. Retrieved April 23, 2009.
6. "SMAP member Kusanagi arrested for public indecency". The Mainichi Daily News (The Mainichi Newspapers). April 23, 2009. Archived from the original on April 27, 2009. Retrieved April 23, 2009.
7. "Disgraced SMAP star apologizes for drunken, nude romp in park". The Mainichi Daily News (The Mainichi Newspapers). April 25, 2009. Archived from the original on May 14, 2009. Retrieved April 25, 2009.
8. "Kusanagi returns to TV on May 28". The Japan Times. Kyodo News. May 15, 2009. Retrieved May 15, 2009.
9. Kusanagi returns as face of digital TV campaign
10. 草なぎ剛主演、連ドラ版『スペシャリスト』に夏菜＆和田正人が新加入 (in Japanese). oricon ME inc. Retrieved 2016-04-12.

External links

• Tsuyoshi Kusanagi at the Internet Movie Database