Yakusho Koji on 48 Years in Japanese Cinema and How ‘Shall We Dance?’ Brought Him to Wim Wenders’ ‘Perfect Days’

Yakusho Koji has been involved in Japanese cinema for 48 years. He was previously known as Hashimoto Koji before Nakadai Tatsuya, a celebrated actor, suggested a name change due to the dullness of his original surname. Before auditioning for Nakadai’s acting school, Yakusho worked at a Tokyo municipal office. His role in 'Shall We Dance?' led to his involvement in Wim Wenders’ film 'Perfect Days.'