Widely known in China as the “riben guizi” (Japanese devil) for his portrayals of Imperial Japanese Army soldiers in local TV dramas, Koji Yano has become a popular emcee on a variety show watched by around 300 million Chinese.
It was a dream come true for the native Osakan, after a decade of ups and downs in Japan. Many consider Yano, 42, a trailblazer for the 20 to 30 Japanese actors and entertainers who have since pursued careers in China.
Unable to view this article?
This could be due to a conflict with your ad-blocking or security software.
Please add japantimes.co.jp and piano.io to your list of allowed sites.
If this does not resolve the issue or you are unable to add the domains to your allowlist, please see out this support page.
We humbly apologize for the inconvenience.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.