Yakkun Sakurazuka facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Yakkun Sakurazuka
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| 桜塚 やっくん | |
Yakkun Sakurazuka as "Sukeban Kyoko" in April 2007
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| Born |
Saitō Yasuo
September 24, 1976 Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Japan
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| Died | October 5, 2013 (aged 37) Mine, Yamaguchi, Japan
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| Years active | 1999–2013 |
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Yasuo Saitō (斎藤 恭央, Saitō Yasuo), also known by his stage name Yakkun Sakurazuka (桜塚 やっくん, Sakurazuka Yakkun), was a Japanese comedian, singer, and voice actor. He was born on September 24, 1976, and sadly passed away on October 5, 2013.
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Early Life
Yakkun Saitō was born in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, on September 24, 1976. His parents were Mitsuru and Misao Saitō. He also had a younger brother named Masashi.
Yakkun studied at Nihon University's College of Art. When he was a teenager, he was part of a famous group called Johnny's, which is known for training young male performers.
Career
Comedy and "Sukeban Kyoko"
In 1999, Yakkun started a comedy group called Abare Nunchaku. He formed it with his friend and fellow comedian Kosuke Takeuchi. They performed together for several years until 2005.
In 2006, Yakkun became very famous for his character "Sukeban Kyoko." He first appeared as this character on a TV show called Enta no kami-sama. Sukeban Kyoko was a schoolgirl who always carried a shinai (bamboo sword). This character was very popular, and Yakkun even appeared as Sukeban Kyoko on the game show Quiz $ Millionaire in 2007.
Music
Yakkun also had a successful music career. He released his first song, "Geki Maji Mukatsuku," in 2006. During his career, he released seven albums. Some of his album titles included Christmaster and Sakura Revolution. He also sang with a band called Bijomen Z.
Voice Acting
Besides comedy and music, Yakkun was a talented voice actor. He lent his voice to characters in popular anime shows. These included Detective Conan and Inazuma Eleven. Sometimes, he used a different name, Hiromi Ueda, for his voice acting roles. In 2008, he also published his first book, which was called 桜塚やっくんの都市伝説工場 (Urban Legend Factory).
Passing Away
Yakkun Saitō was involved in a traffic accident on October 5, 2013. He was 37 years old at the time. The accident happened on the Chugoku Expressway in Mine, Yamaguchi, while he was traveling to a concert.
Voice Acting Roles
Yakkun lent his voice to many characters in anime and video games. Here are some of his notable roles:
- Detective Conan (1996) – He voiced Satan Onizuka in one episode.
- Full Moon o Sagashite (2002–2003) – He voiced Takuto Kira in 52 episodes.
- Absolute Boy (2005) – He voiced Ryôsuke Sakakura in 13 episodes.
- Eyeshield 21 (2005–2008) – He voiced Jeremy Watt and Ken Kamaguruma.
- Detective Conan: Jolly Roger in the Deep Azure (2007) – He was part of the Conan Ouendan.
- The Long Journey of Porphy (2008) – He voiced Leon in 3 episodes.
- Inazuma Eleven (2009) – He voiced Hijikata Raiden in 45 episodes.
- Jewelpet (2009–2011) – He voiced Aqua in both Jewelpet and Jewelpet: Twinkle.
- Hot Shot Tennis: Get a Grip (2010) – He voiced Yakkun in the Japanese version of this video game.
- Rainbow: The Seven from Compound Two, Cell Six (2010) – He voiced Mickey in 3 episodes.
He also did dubbing for foreign films, such as voicing Marty Mikalski (played by Fran Kranz) in The Cabin in the Woods.
