Masao Kusakari's Beauty & Wellness Habits | Tennis, Diet & Sleep

With his tall, elegant figure, striking facial features, distinctive voice, and gentle smile, Masao Kusakari has captivated Japanese audiences for decades. Once celebrated as one of Japan's most handsome leading men, he continues to command attention in his seventies through a combination of warmth, sophistication, and unmistakable screen presence.

Born on September 5, 1952, in Fukuoka Prefecture, Kusakari began working as a model at the age of 17. He attracted widespread attention in 1970 through advertisements for Shiseido's MG5 men's grooming range. In the mid-1970s, he expanded into acting with films including Himiko and Okita Sōji. He later appeared in films such as Virus (Fukkatsu no Hi) and Dirty Hero (Yogoreta Eiyū). More recently, he has become familiar to new generations of viewers through his portrayal of Masayuki Sanada in the NHK historical drama Sanada Maru, Taiju Shibata in Natsuzora, and Hisao Tosaka in Shōjiki Fudōsan (The Honest Realtor).

Kusakari turned 74 in September 2026, marking more than half a century in entertainment. His career began in the glamorous world of fashion and advertising, yet interviews about his beauty, health, and everyday routines reveal someone considerably more relaxed than his polished public image might suggest.

He has enjoyed tennis since his thirties, often laughing with friends on the court. He appreciates the traditional Japanese breakfasts prepared by his wife, likes watching the morning sky brighten over a cup of coffee, and enjoys spending quiet days on his favorite sofa. Time with his family and beloved dogs is another important part of his life.

At the same time, Kusakari has long been attentive to changes in his physical condition. In a 2017 interview, he explained that he sought medical examinations when something concerned him and made a point of undergoing an annual comprehensive health checkup. His love of physical activity and his cautious approach to health reveal two sides of the same personality.

In recent years, tennis has also become a way to spend time with his younger daughter, actress Mayu Kusakari. With his granddaughter, he enjoys activities such as playing catch and soccer. The sports he has loved throughout his life have become another connection between generations.

His acting career has also been shaped by major transitions: early popularity, changes in the opportunities available to him in his thirties, a challenging move into stage acting, and renewed recognition in his sixties. In his seventies, he experienced another remarkable turning point when he learned the history of the American father he had known so little about.

Drawing on Kusakari's own interviews and publicly available television coverage, this article explores his approach to beauty, physical fitness, exercise, food, sleep, bathing, preventive health checkups, family life, and acting. Along the way, it reveals some unexpectedly funny and deeply human moments behind one of Japan's most enduring stars.

1. Masao Kusakari's Approach to Beauty: From Fashion Model to Accomplished Actor

Growing Up in Kokura and Entering the Modeling World at 17

Kusakari's remarkable career began with a modest childhood in Kokura, Fukuoka Prefecture.

Raised by his mother, he learned the importance of work at an early age. He delivered newspapers while still young and attended evening high school while holding down jobs to help support daily life.

Amid these responsibilities, one of his greatest pleasures was baseball. He played rubber-ball baseball during his school years and enjoyed the camaraderie of chasing a ball with teammates. He even participated in a national tournament, visiting Tokyo through baseball before traveling there for his modeling career.

His unusual height and handsome appearance eventually caught the attention of someone he knew through a part-time job, who suggested that he try modeling. Kusakari later recalled that he had not necessarily been dreaming of a glamorous career in show business. Rather, he was intrigued by an unexpected opportunity to pursue a different kind of work.

At around 17, he headed to Tokyo to begin his modeling career. In 1970, his appearance in advertising for Shiseido's MG5 men's grooming products brought him considerable attention. Men's cosmetics were becoming an increasingly visible part of Japanese consumer culture, and Kusakari's stylish, modern appearance made a strong impression.

Yet he was not naturally confident in front of the camera from the beginning. Looking back on those early shoots, he remembered feeling nervous, struggling to move as photographers wanted, and sometimes receiving stern directions from the people working around him.

The confident young man seen in the finished advertisements was still learning his profession behind the scenes. Those early years involved adapting to unfamiliar expectations and gradually building his experience.

He eventually moved into acting, appearing in films such as Himiko and Okita Sōji. The transition gave him an opportunity to develop an entirely different form of expression, moving beyond photographic appearances to portray characters on screen.

As a child, Kusakari had loved visiting cinemas with his mother. Historical Japanese films were particular favorites, and he admired performers such as Hashizō Ōkawa and Kinnosuke Nakamura. Years later, he would become a familiar face in period dramas himself, linking his childhood enthusiasm with a career that would span decades.

Surprisingly Casual: Jeans and T-Shirts Behind the Elegant Image

For decades, Kusakari has been associated with beautifully tailored suits and the image of a sophisticated gentleman. In a 2017 interview, however, he laughed about being far less knowledgeable about fashion than people might expect.

His everyday wardrobe was simple. He favored jeans, T-shirts in summer, and casual jackets when the weather turned cold.

In a 2019 interview with Fujinkoron, he described how people sometimes imagined that a former men's cosmetics model must spend his evenings at home wearing a luxurious dressing gown and holding a glass of brandy.

His actual preferences were rather different. He enjoyed unpretentious food and drinks, including shochu and small dried fish, and was happiest relaxing comfortably at home.

That contrast is one of his most engaging qualities. On screen, he can embody refined and commanding characters; in private, he appreciates ordinary clothes and uncomplicated pleasures.

In 2017, at the age of 64, Kusakari released his first photo book, Masao Kusakari FIRST PHOTO BOOK. It followed the remarkable reception to his performance in Sanada Maru the previous year. The photographs captured him in suits, casual clothes, and loungewear, as well as enjoying tennis.

He admitted being surprised that a photo book had been proposed at that stage of his life. Even so, he approached the project seriously and paid attention to getting himself into shape before the shoot.

Standing before a camera remained an opportunity to explore how he wanted to present himself. Rather than recreating his youthful appearance, the photo book revealed the expression, poise, and character that came with decades of experience.

For Kusakari, growing older has also meant finding new ways to communicate through his appearance, gestures, and personality.

2. Tennis Since His Thirties: An Exercise Habit Built Around Friendship and Family

How a Tennis Court Near Home Became the Beginning of a Lifelong Passion

Among Kusakari's health and fitness habits, tennis stands out as a particularly enduring passion.

He began playing in his thirties and described it in a 2017 interview as a hobby he had enjoyed for roughly three decades.

The beginning was wonderfully spontaneous. A tennis court happened to stand across from the house where he lived at the time. During a period when he had some flexibility in his work schedule, he went over to the facility and asked whether it was possible to play alone.

He was told that he could practice by hitting balls against a wall, so that was exactly how he started.

There was no elaborate training plan or ambitious sporting target. Curiosity about a nearby tennis court gradually turned into a pastime that would become an important part of his life.

Having enjoyed baseball as a boy, Kusakari was already comfortable with ball sports. That early interest may have made picking up a racket particularly appealing.

A casual experiment ultimately developed into a hobby that lasted for decades.

Why Laughter, Doubles, and Long Rallies Matter More Than Winning

When Kusakari discusses tennis, he frequently returns to one particular subject: laughter.

In a 2014 interview published by the Saiseikai medical organization, he explained that playing tennis and laughing with friends was one of his favorite ways to relieve the tensions of everyday life.

A good shot could be celebrated, but a mistake could be just as funny. He appreciated being able to laugh together regardless of how a particular point turned out.

In a 2017 interview with Healthy Life, he said that he actually preferred keeping a rally going to playing competitive games. The following year, he again spoke enthusiastically about doubles, rallies, and the pleasure of striking the ball freely.

His profession requires long periods of concentration. Actors must memorize dialogue, explore their characters, and coordinate their performances with directors, crew members, and fellow performers. A day on set can involve considerable mental pressure.

For Kusakari, the tennis court offered something different: a chance to move energetically while enjoying easygoing company.

The rhythm of a rally, the laughter after a missed shot, and the satisfaction of a well-hit ball all mattered to him. Tennis was not simply a matter of competitive achievement. It was also an enjoyable social occasion and a welcome change of pace.

Spending Long Hours on the Court with His Daughter Mayu

Over the years, tennis has become more than a hobby shared with friends. It has also become a way for Kusakari to spend time with his family.

In May 2024, his younger daughter, actress Mayu Kusakari, spoke at an event about occasionally playing tennis with her father on her days off.

According to Mayu, a tennis outing can last around four hours. When she goes with her father, they may spend approximately an hour rallying together before joining other members of the tennis club for games.

She also joked that the club has many older players, with an average age of around 60. It sounds like a setting where different generations can share their enthusiasm for the sport.

The story adds another dimension to a pastime that Kusakari has enjoyed for much of his adult life.

Mayu has followed her father into acting, and the two have worked together in films and television dramas. On set, they approach their work as performers; on weekends, they can stand across a tennis net and enjoy a rally together.

At the same 2024 event, Mayu described asking her father for advice before her first promotional appearance.

She had been wondering whether she needed to memorize every word of the script. Rather than giving her a complicated technique for learning lines, her father encouraged her to enjoy the experience.

It was a simple message from someone who had spent decades performing before cameras and audiences.

Whether on a tennis court or at work, Kusakari's appreciation of enjoyment and human connection seems to find its way into his relationship with his daughter.

In a 2021 interview, Kusakari acknowledged that being an actor meant remaining conscious of how he appeared to others, and that he paid attention to basic habits such as food and exercise.

He also emphasized the importance of continuing activities that he genuinely enjoyed at a manageable pace.

What began as wall practice in his thirties eventually became a lasting source of friendship and, later, family connection. Even as schedules and circumstances changed, tennis remained one of the activities most closely associated with his daily life.

3. Walking, Fitness, and Annual Medical Checkups: Taking Care of His Health as an Actor

Riverside Walks, Jogging, and Visits to the Gym

Tennis is not the only activity Kusakari has enjoyed over the years. He has also incorporated walking and jogging into his routine.

In a 2018 interview, he described walking and running alongside a river near his home. He sometimes visited a gym when it rained, adapting his activity to the weather and his work schedule.

Acting can make daily routines unpredictable. Filming hours vary between productions, extended shooting schedules can demand considerable time, and stage performances may require actors to devote weeks to rehearsals and performances.

Alongside tennis, walking and jogging offered Kusakari activities he could enjoy alone without arranging to meet other players.

During the filming of Sanada Maru in 2016, he sometimes went jogging after waking early in the morning.

His morning might then continue with a traditional breakfast prepared by his wife, followed by a visit to a café to work on memorizing dialogue.

Exercise, meals, and professional preparation formed part of the same daily rhythm rather than being treated as entirely separate activities.

Annual Comprehensive Checkups and a Cautious Attitude Toward Health

One of the clearest insights into Kusakari's approach to personal health comes from an interview published in July 2017 in Healthy Life, a magazine associated with the Health Check comprehensive medical screening centers.

During the interview, Kusakari discussed wanting to take care of himself so that he could continue working as an actor for years to come.

Although he enjoyed exercise through activities such as jogging and tennis, he also revealed how cautious he could be about his physical condition.

He explained that even a relatively small change sometimes made him worry that something serious might be wrong. As a result, he preferred to seek medical attention when he had concerns and said he underwent a comprehensive health checkup every year.

He had shared a similar, more humorous story in a 2014 Saiseikai interview, describing himself as rather easily frightened by possible health problems. He joked that even something as minor as a blister on his hand could make him want to visit a doctor.

This is an entertaining contrast with the fearless generals and authoritative figures he has played on screen.

In private, Kusakari has described himself as someone who notices small changes in his body and prefers to have concerns checked.

What makes the 2017 interview particularly interesting is that his concern for health was expressed through a specific practice rather than a vague philosophy. Annual health screening was something he said he took seriously.

His attitude combined a love of recreational sport with careful attention to his physical condition. Both were connected to his desire to keep acting.

These comments describe his habits at the time of the interviews. They nevertheless provide a valuable glimpse of how his approach to health developed alongside his long career.

How the Pandemic Changed His Opportunities to Exercise

In 2020, Kusakari experienced a significant change in daily life as the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted filming and prevented him from playing tennis as usual.

Although he normally enjoyed staying at home, the disappearance of work and sporting activities left him feeling low at times.

In comments reported that year, he said that his muscle mass had decreased by approximately five kilograms during the period of reduced activity.

This was a figure he reported himself, and the available account did not provide details about how the change had been measured. What matters to his story is that he personally felt the difference in his body.

He later spoke about receiving advice from a trainer on rebuilding muscle and thinking more carefully about his physical condition.

For someone accustomed to tennis, jogging, and the demands of working on set, the sudden reduction in activity was a striking change.

During a television appearance in 2023, he also acknowledged that he had begun feeling the physical demands of everyday life more noticeably after turning 60.

His experiences illustrate a practical approach to growing older: recognizing changes in his body and adjusting activities to suit his circumstances.

As a former model, Kusakari has spent much of his career in a profession where physical appearance matters. At the same time, his favorite sports have always offered pleasures beyond maintaining his figure.

Friendship, enjoyment, movement, and taking his health concerns seriously have all played roles in his personal approach to wellness.

In the 2017 interview, he connected these habits with a straightforward wish: to remain well enough to continue doing the acting work he loved.

4. Diet and Everyday Meals: His Wife's Traditional Japanese Breakfasts

A Familiar Breakfast and His Wife's Thoughtful Attention to Detail

Among the most revealing details of Kusakari's everyday diet is his fondness for traditional Japanese breakfasts.

In a 2016 interview, he described himself as a lover of Japanese food. His breakfast often included rice, miso soup, grilled horse mackerel, and pickles.

He also enjoyed mentaiko, the seasoned cod roe that is particularly familiar in the Fukuoka region.

In a 2017 appearance on NHK's Gogo Nama, it was revealed that his breakfast had remained largely unchanged for around 30 years.

The person preparing those meals was his wife, Etsuko Otsuka.

During the program, a photograph of the breakfast table led to a surprising discovery. Etsuko had arranged the dishes and chopsticks to accommodate her husband's left-handedness.

Kusakari had not realized that she had been making this adjustment for so many years. When it was pointed out during the program, he reacted with genuine surprise.

It was a small detail, yet one that beautifully captured the everyday consideration that can become part of a long marriage.

His wife also revealed that he was particularly sensitive to differences in the taste of fish.

If she bought salmon from a different shop, he could notice the change and comment on it. She teasingly observed that he had strong opinions about the taste despite not doing the shopping himself.

Kusakari responded with laughter, recognizing a familiar part of his home life.

These stories suggest a man who genuinely enjoys the meals prepared for him, while occasionally displaying rather exacting preferences about his favorite foods.

Rice Porridge When He Feels Unwell and Moderation at Dinner

During an interview connected with the 2017 television drama Bakumatsu Gourmet Bushimeshi!, Kusakari also spoke about a dish his wife would prepare when he was feeling unwell.

It was Japanese rice porridge, or okayu.

He liked it simply seasoned with salt, sometimes with a little kombu or mentaiko added for flavor.

He also joked about his own tendency to become preoccupied with feeling ill. When he sensed that something was wrong, he could become so absorbed in the idea of being unwell that eating his wife's porridge made him feel even more like a patient.

It was another example of how readily he could turn his cautious personality into a humorous story.

At the same time, the meal reflected his appreciation of familiar home cooking.

Whether eating grilled fish and miso soup for breakfast or a simple bowl of porridge when feeling under the weather, he valued dishes that had long been part of his family's daily life.

In interviews around the age of 65, Kusakari also described trying not to eat too much in the evening.

He referred to a similar habit in 2021, explaining that he remained conscious of his food intake because acting was a profession in which appearance mattered.

That did not mean he had lost his enjoyment of food. His interviews also reveal a fondness for everyday dishes, especially fish and other familiar Japanese foods.

Having spent decades in the public eye, Kusakari developed a balance between enjoying his meals and paying attention to how eating fitted into his working life.

5. Sleep, Bathing, and Rest: Morning Coffee and Relaxing After Filming

Waking at 4:30 or 5 a.m. and Enjoying the Quiet Morning

In a 2018 interview, Kusakari explained that he had begun waking earlier as he grew older.

At the time, he sometimes woke around 4:30 or 5 a.m. and enjoyed drinking coffee while watching the sky gradually brighten.

His working days could involve long hours surrounded by fellow actors, directors, and crew members. Those quiet moments at the beginning of the day offered a different atmosphere, allowing him to move at his own pace.

There was nothing elaborate about the ritual. A cup of coffee and the changing morning light were enough to make it a pleasant part of his routine.

During particularly demanding periods of work, however, sleep could also become a concern.

While filming Sanada Maru in 2016, he had substantial amounts of dialogue to memorize. Sometimes, thoughts about the next day's scenes stayed with him late into the evening and made it difficult to settle down.

He explained that he tried to sleep and eat properly during the lengthy production.

One of his preferred places for memorizing lines was a café near a train station.

At home, it was easy for him to slip into relaxation mode. A café with a little background noise and the presence of other people could actually help him concentrate.

This unexpected preference illustrates how, after decades in the profession, he had learned to recognize the conditions that worked best for him.

Hot Springs After a Cold Location Shoot with Koji Seto

Another appealing glimpse of Kusakari's approach to rest comes from an interview about Bakumatsu Gourmet Bushimeshi! in 2017.

Filming in Nikkō involved bitterly cold conditions, and he remembered looking forward to visiting the hot spring baths after the day's work.

The accommodation had an on-site hot spring, making a relaxing bath one of the most enjoyable parts of the experience.

He also mentioned bathing with fellow cast member Koji Seto.

Actors often spend long hours working outdoors in uncomfortable weather, regardless of how pleasant the finished scenes may appear on screen. Kusakari's anticipation of a warm bath after filming made the experience immediately relatable.

He also explained that he had agreed to appear in the drama because the script had struck him as entertaining when he first read it.

Enjoying a new acting project and then unwinding in a hot spring with a colleague offered two different kinds of pleasure during the same production.

A True Homebody Who Once Tanned Only One Side of His Face

Despite his enthusiasm for tennis and jogging, Kusakari has described himself as remarkably inactive when relaxing at home.

During a 2017 appearance on Gogo Nama, his wife revealed that he sometimes moved so little at home that getting up to fetch a drink was almost the extent of his physical activity.

Kusakari admitted that once he settled onto his favorite sofa, he could spend hours watching television.

In another television appearance, he told an especially amusing story about sitting in the same place for so long that only one side of his face became tanned.

Sunlight had been streaming through the window. Even though he noticed the heat, he preferred to stay where he was rather than move.

For a man who had originally become famous through a cosmetics advertisement, it is an unexpectedly funny image.

In comments reported in 2020, Kusakari also described experiencing significant dizziness after spending time in a very hot room. He wondered whether he had experienced something resembling heat exhaustion and later asked family members to check on him occasionally.

That episode was his personal recollection rather than a publicly documented medical diagnosis.

These stories show the contrast in Kusakari's everyday life. On set he focuses intensely on his work; on the tennis court he moves energetically and laughs with friends. At home, he appreciates the freedom to remain comfortable and relax.

6. Acting and Growing Older: Lessons from Sadako Sawamura and Ayako Wakao

The Challenge of Moving Beyond the Handsome Leading-Man Image

Kusakari found fame relatively young, and his striking appearance helped establish him as one of Japan's leading handsome actors.

In interviews published in 2017 and 2023, however, he spoke frankly about a more difficult period beginning around his mid-thirties, when leading roles became less frequent.

For someone accustomed to being at the center of a production, taking more supporting roles represented a significant professional adjustment.

During this period, he came to appreciate advice he had once received from the respected actress Sadako Sawamura.

Sawamura had warned that a handsome actor needed to work particularly hard on his acting skills. In his younger years, Kusakari had not fully understood what she meant.

As his opportunities changed, he began to recognize the importance of developing his abilities beyond the image that had first made him famous.

In fact, he had already felt frustrated with being confined to handsome roles in his twenties.

In a 2017 Healthy Life interview, he recalled working with Kunie Tanaka on the television detective series Karei Naru Keiji.

The drama paired Tanaka's earthy detective from Kagoshima with Kusakari's smart, Los Angeles-connected detective, creating a contrast between two very different personalities.

But Kusakari was a great admirer of Tanaka and wanted to explore more humorous acting himself. Gradually, he found himself imitating some of Tanaka's comic style.

If both detectives became comic figures, however, the original contrast between them began to disappear.

Looking back, Kusakari laughed at his younger self and recognized how eager he had been to escape the limitations of his public image.

Even at the height of his popularity, he wanted opportunities to portray a wider range of human personalities. That desire would eventually help guide him toward the stage and increasingly varied character roles.

Ayako Wakao's Encouragement, the Stage, and Working with Koki Mitani

Another important figure in Kusakari's professional development was actress Ayako Wakao.

Wakao suggested that his tall frame would work beautifully on stage and encouraged him to try theatrical acting.

At the time, Kusakari was intimidated by the prospect.

Film and television productions allow performances to be divided into individual shots and scenes. Theater requires actors to sustain their characters before a live audience, often for long stretches without interruption.

Nevertheless, a production of Dracula in the 1980s helped open the door to a new form of expression.

In a 2017 interview, he remembered demanding aspects of the staging, including being suspended above the stage, and the challenge of performing for an extended period before an audience.

Yet he also discovered how exciting live theater could be.

Each performance could take on a slightly different quality depending on the audience and the interaction between actors. This sense of immediacy broadened his understanding of his craft.

Later, Kusakari developed another important creative relationship through work with playwright and director Koki Mitani.

In 2014, he appeared in several stage productions, including Nihon no Omokage, written by Taichi Yamada, and Mitani's Kimi to Nara.

In Kimi to Nara, he played a humorous father figure, revealing a side of his acting quite different from the elegant leading-man roles that had defined his early career. His interactions with cast members including Yuko Takeuchi brought an engaging comic energy to the stage.

Then came Sanada Maru in 2016.

As Masayuki Sanada, Kusakari combined the authority and strategic intelligence of a historical commander with humor, warmth, and unpredictable human behavior.

His relationships with his on-screen sons, Nobushige Sanada, played by Masato Sakai, and Nobuyuki Sanada, played by Yo Oizumi, were among the drama's defining elements.

In a 2017 interview, Kusakari described the role as particularly meaningful within his acting career.

There was also a remarkable personal connection to the story. In the 1985 television drama Sanada Taiheiki, Kusakari had played Yukimura Sanada, while the veteran actor Tetsuro Tamba played Masayuki Sanada.

Approximately three decades later, Kusakari found himself playing Masayuki, the father of the character he had once portrayed.

Taking on two different generations of the same historical family became a memorable milestone in a career spanning many decades.

During preparations for Sanada Maru, he found that putting on Masayuki's costume helped him grasp the character more clearly.

Another revealing detail emerged in a discussion with co-star Masato Sakai.

Sakai reportedly asked what Masayuki was thinking during scenes in which he appeared to deceive or manipulate others. Kusakari explained that he approached the character as someone who was completely serious about each decision in the moment.

That interpretation helped shape a character who was cunning but also strangely lovable.

In the 2019 morning drama Natsuzora, Kusakari went on to portray Taiju Shibata, a Hokkaido ranch owner whose stern exterior concealed considerable affection.

In Shōjiki Fudōsan, he took on the role of a real estate company president, portraying an experienced leader alongside younger characters.

From romantic leading man to father, mentor, company executive, and comic character, his range has expanded alongside his life experience.

Kusakari's long career has been shaped by periods of popularity, uncertainty, advice from respected colleagues, and the willingness to try unfamiliar work.

In 2017, he spoke about wanting to avoid becoming trapped in a fixed image and remaining open to new roles and people.

That curiosity has continued to shape his acting as he has grown older.

7. His Wife, Daughters, and Granddaughter: The Family Life Behind the Famous Face

Marriage to Etsuko Otsuka and His Experiences as a Father

Kusakari's wife is Etsuko Otsuka, a former model.

After a long relationship, the couple married in 1988. They had known each other since they were young and shared the years in which Kusakari developed from a successful model into a well-established actor, as well as the more difficult periods that followed.

In interviews, Kusakari has often spoken humorously about his behavior at home.

He enjoys the meals prepared by his wife and readily admits that he has often relied on her for household responsibilities. Family members occasionally tease him about this tendency.

Their long marriage includes reassuring everyday traditions, such as familiar breakfasts, as well as small gestures of care that Kusakari did not always notice at the time.

The couple had three children: their eldest daughter Kuran, their younger daughter Mayu, and their son Yushi, who died in 2015.

Kuran has worked as a television personality and entrepreneur, while Mayu has pursued acting.

Kusakari and Mayu appeared together in productions including the film 0093: Joō Heika no Kusakari Masao and the NHK drama Bakumatsu Gourmet Bushimeshi!.

Watching his daughter develop professionally has brought him pride, along with the slightly awkward experience of working beside his own child.

In 2024, Mayu publicly shared advice she had received from her father about approaching a promotional event, suggesting that their conversations about acting continue beyond the productions on which they have worked together.

Kusakari has also spoken candidly about the more difficult aspects of family life.

In a 2023 interview with Bunshun Online, he reflected on periods when work had taken priority and he had struggled to spend as much time with his family as he wished.

The death of his son in 2015 became a profound event that led him to reconsider his relationships with those closest to him.

Having grown up with his mother and without a father present, he had sometimes found it difficult to know exactly how to fulfill the role of a father himself.

His recollections reveal a man who has continued to learn about family relationships alongside the demands of a very public career.

Playing Catch and Soccer with His Granddaughter

In recent years, spending time with his granddaughter has become one of Kusakari's great pleasures.

She is the daughter of his eldest daughter Kuran and was seven years old when he appeared on Tetsuko's Room in May 2026.

Kusakari spoke warmly about playing catch and soccer with her.

Having enjoyed baseball in his youth and tennis throughout adulthood, he continues to find pleasure in ball sports, now through time spent playing with his granddaughter.

There is also an amusing family detail involving what she calls him.

At home, she apparently calls Kusakari "Papa."

Kuran calls her own parents Papa and Mama, so Kusakari believes the granddaughter may simply have adopted the same names.

When introducing him to her school friends, however, she knows to call him her grandfather.

He spoke with delight about her ability to distinguish between the two situations.

He also brought a portrait of himself drawn by his granddaughter to the television program, proudly sharing her artwork.

During an earlier television appearance in 2023, he had already described how much he enjoyed spending time with her. As she has grown older, their shared activities have expanded.

For a man who has reflected on the time he devoted to work during his children's early years, the opportunity to experience family life through a new generation has brought a different kind of happiness.

8. Discovering His Father's Story in His Seventies: Family History and a New Perspective on Life

Learning the Truth About His American Father

In 2023, Kusakari learned something extraordinary about his own life.

Research conducted for NHK's Family History program revealed the story of the American father he had known very little about.

Kusakari was born to a Japanese mother, Sueko, and an American serviceman.

Growing up, he had been told by his mother that his father had died during the Korean War. For many years, he accepted that account as part of his family's history.

The television investigation, however, established that his father, Robert H. Tolar, had survived the war and lived in the United States until the age of 83.

For much of his life, Kusakari had never seen a photograph of his father and knew little about the kind of person he had been.

His childhood had also included painful experiences connected with his family circumstances. He and his mother worked hard to build their lives together, and that background remained an important part of his personal history.

When the opportunity arose to investigate his father's story, Kusakari had to confront memories and feelings that had been with him for decades.

For the first time in his seventies, he could begin to see a fuller picture of his origins.

Meeting His American Relatives and Reconsidering the Past

After his father's history came to light, Kusakari was offered an opportunity to meet relatives living in the United States.

He did not immediately agree.

In a 2023 interview with Bunshun Online, he explained that after filming the television program, he had been asked whether he wanted to visit America. He initially felt unsure about what he could possibly say to relatives he had never met.

Both of his parents had already died, and the idea of meeting an entirely unfamiliar branch of his family brought complicated emotions.

A message from his paternal aunt, Janita, helped him make his decision. She wanted very much to meet him.

In July 2023, Kusakari traveled to North Carolina and met members of his father's family for the first time.

In later television appearances, he reflected on the words exchanged during that meeting and the feelings he had carried for so many years.

Learning about a family history that had been hidden from him for more than seven decades, and then choosing to meet relatives he had never known, became a deeply personal turning point.

For an actor who had portrayed so many fictional and historical lives, this was a remarkable new chapter in his own story.

Another aspect of Kusakari's gentle personality can be seen in his affection for animals.

In an interview connected with the 2021 drama Ojisama to Neko (A Man and His Cat), he revealed that he was living with two small dogs at the time.

He spoke about how seeing his family and dogs after a difficult day at work could lift his spirits.

He also admitted that he could become so concerned about the dogs that his daughters sometimes told him he was worrying too much.

Animals had been part of his life since childhood. His mother loved cats, and there had been periods when several cats lived in their home.

In Ojisama to Neko, he played a widower whose life becomes intertwined with that of a cat. His own familiarity with animals gave him another personal point of connection with the story.

While continuing to work as an actor in his seventies, Kusakari has also found happiness in quieter moments with his family and pets.

During his younger years, the demands of his career sometimes left him with complicated feelings about family time. Today, watching his granddaughter grow and sharing tennis with his daughter offer new pleasures.

His meeting with his father's relatives was another opportunity to reflect on what family means to him.

The refined actor familiar to audiences and the affectionate family man seen in personal interviews are both essential parts of Masao Kusakari's life at 74.