Gen Hoshino facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gen Hoshino
星野 源
Born	(1981-01-28) January 28, 1981 (age 44) Warabi, Saitama, Japan
Occupation	Singer songwriter musician actor voice actor writer
Agent	Otona Keikaku (acting) Amuse (music)
Height	1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
Spouse(s)	Yui Aragaki ​ (m. 2021)​
Musical career
Genres	J-Pop folk dance Smooth jazz
Instruments	Vocals marimba guitar
Years active	2000–present
Labels	Daisyworld Discs Speedstar Records
Associated acts	Sakerock

Gen Hoshino (星野 源, Hoshino Gen, born January 28, 1981) is a talented Japanese artist. He is known for many things, like being a singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. He also writes books and does voice acting for animated movies.

Gen Hoshino's Career Journey

Gen Hoshino started his career in music and acting. He has become very popular in Japan and around the world.

His Music Adventures

Gen Hoshino began his music journey in 2000 with an instrumental band called Sakerock. He played the marimba and guitar in the band. Sakerock released more than ten albums before the band stopped playing together in 2015.

As a solo artist, Gen Hoshino released his first album, Baka no Uta, in 2010. His first single, "Kudaranai no Naka ni", came out in 2011. It quickly became popular, reaching number 17 on the Oricon Singles Chart. Many of his next songs, like "Film" and "Yume no Soto e", also made it into the top 10.

His second album, Episode, was released in 2011 and reached number five on the charts. His third album, Stranger, came out in 2013. This album was very successful, reaching number two and earning a "gold" award for its sales.

Since 2011, Gen Hoshino has also co-hosted a fun online show called Sake no Sakana. Later, the show's name changed to Yoru no Television.

In 2015, Gen Hoshino released his fourth album, Yellow Dancer. This album was a huge hit! It went straight to number one on both the Oricon and Billboard Japan album charts. Yellow Dancer sold over 250,000 copies and even got a "platinum" award. It was also one of the first albums to get a "gold" award for digital downloads.

In 2018, Gen Hoshino released a special song called "Doraemon". He wrote this song as a tribute to the famous Japanese cartoon character, Doraemon. The song was used in a Doraemon movie and later became the opening theme for the Doraemon TV show.

His fifth album, Pop Virus, came out in December 2018. This album was incredibly popular, staying at the top of the Oricon Album Chart for four weeks. It earned a "double platinum" award for its amazing sales. Because of this album's success, Gen Hoshino won a "Best Album" prize at the 33rd Japan Gold Disc Awards in 2019. He also won a "Best Song" prize for his digital hit "Idea".

In March 2019, Gen Hoshino made history by winning four awards at the Space Shower Music Awards. Later that year, all of his music became available on streaming services, making it easier for fans to listen.

In 2022, Gen Hoshino's song "Comedy" was chosen as the ending theme for the first season of the popular anime show Spy × Family. The next year, he released the song "I Wanna Be Your Ghost", which was the main theme for the movie Yokaipedia. This song quickly reached number one on Oricon's Digital Singles Chart.

In December 2023, he released a double single with the songs "Why" and "Life". The song "Why" was featured in the end credits of the movie Spy × Family Code: White.

His Acting Roles

Hoshino at a screening for Samurai Shifters in 2019

Gen Hoshino has also had a successful acting career. His first movie was 69 in 2004. Before that, he acted in many TV shows and plays.

In 2012, he started voice acting, playing the role of Buddha in an animated movie called Saint Young Men. He also sang the theme song "Gag" for the movie's theatrical version in 2013.

In 2013, he played the main character in the movie Blindly in Love. He also starred in the film Why Don't You Play in Hell?.

A big moment in his acting career was in 2016 when he starred in the TV drama The Full-Time Wife Escapist. He played a character named Hiramasa Tsuzaki alongside actress Yui Aragaki. The show was very popular, and his acting earned him several "Best Supporting Actor" awards. He also sang the theme song for the drama, called "Koi".

Gen Hoshino even created a funny character called "Akira Nise" (which means "Fake Akira") as a tribute to another famous singer, Akira Fuse.

He continued his voice acting, lending his voice to the main character in the award-winning animated film Night Is Short, Walk On Girl in 2017. In 2018, he voiced the Father in the animated movie Mirai.

In 2019, Gen Hoshino took on a lead role in the movie Samurai Shifters. He played a bookworm samurai named Harunosuke Katagiri. This was his first main role in a live-action movie since 2013. He also appeared in Idaten, a historical drama about the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Gen Hoshino's Personal Life

In 2012, Gen Hoshino had a health issue and needed surgery. He recovered well and returned to public life in early 2013.

In 2021, Gen Hoshino married actress Yui Aragaki. They had worked together on the popular TV series The Full-Time Wife Escapist.

Gen Hoshino's Music Albums

Studio albums

• Baka no Uta (2010)
• Episode (2011)
• Stranger (2013)
• Yellow Dancer (2015)
• Pop Virus (2018)
• Untitled sixth album (2025)

Gen Hoshino's Filmography

Movies He Has Been In

TV Shows He Has Been In

Television drama

Variety shows

TV commercials

• NTT DOCOMO, "ZeniCrazy Ver1.0" (February 2019)
• NTT DOCOMO, "ZeniCrazy Ver2.0" (March 2019)
• Nintendo, "Super Mario Bros. 35th Anniversary" (September 2020)

Original video animation

• Onna no Sono no Hoshi (2022), Hoshi

Concerts and Tours

Gen Hoshino has performed in many concerts and tours for his fans.

Headlining tours

• Baka no Uta Hatsubai Kinen no Live (2010)
• Hoshino Gen no Aisatsu Mawari Tour (2010)
• Hoshino Gen no Betsu Episode: Heya (2011)
• Episode Hatsubai Kinen Tour: Episode 2 Ikou (2012)
• Hoshino Gen One-Man no Aki (2012)
• Hoshino Gen no Fukkatsu Live Tour (2014)
• Hoshino Gen Live Tour 2016: Yellow Voyage (2016)
• Hoshino Gen Live Tour 2017: Continues (2017)
• Hoshino Gen Dome Tour 2019: Pop Virus (2019)

Concerts

• Live in Japan 2018 Gen Hoshino & Mark Ronson

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Gen Hoshino para niños