Although he started his career as a member of boy band V6, Junichi Okada has become more well-known in recent years for the macho roles he plays as an actor.
"In all of my acting gigs over the past three years I've been either samurai or (20th century) military figures," he says with a laugh. "To be honest, it's a bit of a worry!"
Still, Okada has an idea of why he is chosen for such roles as two of his most recent — that of the 16th century military strategist Kuroda Kanbei in NHK's new Sunday evening drama "Gunshi Kanbei (Strategist Kanbei)" and that of a Pacific War-era kamikaze pilot in the film "Eien no Zero (Eternal Zero)."