
Masaaki Sakai
Born
August 6, 1946 (78 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
Born the son of Shunji Sakai, a famous comedian in Japan, Sakai initially came to fame by fronting the group sounds band The Spiders. This group, formed in 1962, was popular throughout the 1960s; they spawned several hit songs as well as thirteen situation comedy films featuring their music.
He took the title role of Songoku (Monkey) in the 1970s Japanese TV program Saiyūki. This gained him fame in many English-speaking countries in the early 1980s when it was dubbed by the BBC and retitled Monkey. Due to his fame playing the mythical character Songoku, Sakai created a dance called "the Monkey" which became a craze in Japan. Sakai went on to a successful solo career after The Spiders disbanded, and continued acting in films and on television.
In 1999, he formed the band Sans Filtre with two former Spiders, Hiroshi Kamayatsu and Takayuki Inoue. They released their first album Yei Yei in 2000.
Sakai is known in Japan as a car enthusiast and regularly took part in the annual Mille Miglia race in Italy with his wife as a co-driver. He won a similar Japanese road race on October 18, 2000 driving a 1947 Cisitalia 202 MM with Inoue Takayuki (the guitarist from Sans Filtre) as co-driver. Due to business commitments he gave up racing in 2002 and gave his Alfa Romeo race car to Masahiko Kondō who is also a singer and race enthusiast. He is also a hobby archer.
Sakai has been married and divorced twice, and has two daughters. He is an active supporter of AIDS charities. His show-business nickname is "Machaaki".

Spirit World
Yuzo Nobusawa
2025

Kono Subarashiki Sekai
(3 episodes)
2023

The Castle of Crossed Destinies
2012

Beautiful World
Yuzo Tsutai
2012

Impossible Love
타치키 쇼고 · (8 episodes)
2008
ザッツ宴会テイメント
(2 episodes)
2008

The Fearless Otojiro's Company
2007

Long Wedding Road! Tokyo vs. Osaka Wakeari Kon Monogatari
2007

Yunagi City, Sakura Country
Asahi Ishikawa (Old)
2007

The Black Swindler
(1 episode)
2006

A Hardest Night!!
Boss
2005

The Most Useful School in the World
(1 episode)
2004

Locomotive Teacher
2004

Churasan
Kohagura Keibun · (169 episodes)
2001

Tokugawa Yoshinobu
(49 episodes)
1998

Best Friend
Kurosawa Michihiko · (9 episodes)
1995
Papa Survival
(12 episodes)
1995

Furuhata Ninzaburo
中村右近 · (1 episode)
1994
The Notorious Bored Samurai 9
Kinai
1994

Bored Hatamoto: Letter of Death
1993
The Notorious Bored Samurai 2
Sasao Kinai
1988

Sayonara Sankaku Mata Kite Shikaku
(1 episode)
1982
The TOP10
(1 episode)
1981

Tennō no Ryōriban
(19 episodes)
1980

Monkey
Monkey · (52 episodes)
1978

I Am A Man of Honor
1977

Japan Beauty Story
1974

Machi no Hi
Chiyomatsu Sakanoshita
1974

Toshigoro
Okabe
1973

喜劇 右向けェ左!
1970

Kigeki dokkiri dai tōsō
1970

The Tempters: Smile After Tears
1969

The Age of Undutiful Children
1968

The Spiders' The Road to Bali
Masaaki Sakai
1968

The Spiders: Big Commotion!
1968

The Spiders' The Noisy Parade
Masaaki Sakai
1968

My Sweetheart
1967

The Spiders' The Reckless Operation
Masaaki
1967

The Greatest Challenge of All
1967

The Sunset Is Crying
1967

Las Vegas Free-For-All
1967

Youth A Go Go!
1966

A Girl of the Plateau
Sabu
1965

Tokyo wa Koisuru
1965

Flowering Maidens
Sabu
1965
Song of Happiness
1964

High School Juniors (Part II)
1964

Let's Dance Bon-Odori in Hawaii
Masaya Matsui
1964

Here Because of You
Akira Tanaka
1964

Friends
1964

The School Cap
Matsubara
1963

High School Third Graders
1963

Road to Hawaii
1954

パパ・サヴァイバル
(1 episode)