Biography

Ihara Tsuyoshi was born on November 6, 1963, in Kokura, Kyushu. He grew up in Osaka, and after graduating high school, he joined JAC (Japan Action Club) which is headed by Shin'ichi Chiba (aka Chiba Shinichi), which is a company of stunt and action actors. He made his debut in 1983 in a stage drama called "The Midnight Party." Since then, he has appeared in many commercials, TV drama, and movies such as "Kochira Hon Ikegami-sho," "Koino Jikan," "Shiawase ni naritai," "Magari kado no kanojyo," "Kowloon de aimasho," and NHK's Taiga drama "Sinsengumi" etc. He continues to be a popular actor starring in both serious and comical roles.
- IMDb mini biography by: ebiros2

He is Korean-Japanese.

Tsuyoshi Ihara received an award of "Best Actor" for "Dirty Hearts" at Punta del Este International Film Festival in 2012.

He received his Japanese citizenship in 1995, despite being born in Japan to Zainichi Korean parents and being a native Japanese speaker having lived in Japan all his life.

Despite being born in Japan to Zainichi Korean parents and his first language being Japanese having lived in Japan all his life, he was born as Chosen-seki, meaning legal residence in Japan with neither Japanese or South Korean citizenship, and received his Japanese citizenship in 1995.