- Frequently cast by director Kiyoshi Kurosawa; he is one of his favorite actors.
- In 1988, he was given a special award for work in cinema by the Japanese Minister of Education, Science, Sports and Culture.
- In the 2011 war drama Isoroku Yamamoto, the Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet (2011) Yakusho portrayed Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto. Reportedly, he was the only actor considered for the role; had he not accepted it, the film would have been canceled.
- His name Yakusho (a Japanese word meaning "public office") originates from the fact that he worked at Chiyoda Ward Office of Tokyo before starting his acting career.
- He won the prestigious Hochi Film Award for Best Actor for his performance in Bounce Ko Gals (1997), a film which deals with high school prostitution specifically, as well as the worship of money.
- Was inspired to become an actor after watching a production of Maxim Gorky's The Lower Depths, starring Tatsuya Nakadai.
- In the spring of 1978 he auditioned for the Mumeijuku (Studio for Unknown Performers) acting studio, run by Tatsuya Nakadai and was one of four chosen out of 800 applicants.
- He won the Best Actor award at the 43rd Hochi Film Awards for his performance in The Blood of Wolves (2018).
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