Kenji Urai

Kenji Urai (浦井 健治, Urai Kenji, born 6 August 1981) is a Japanese actor and singer.

Kenji Urai
浦井 健治
Born (1981-08-06) August 6, 1981
Tokyo, Japan
NationalityJapanese
Occupation(s)Actor, singer
Years active2000–present
AgentCandid
Known for
Height181 cm (5 ft 11 in)
WebsiteOfficial Profile

Career

Urai debuted as an actor in 2000 in Kamen Rider Kuuga television series. In 2001 he played Mamoru Chiba/Tuxedo Mask in Sailor Moon Musicals and started his career in theatre. In 2004 he portrayed Rudolf in Elisabeth and reprised the role multiple times until 2010. He is also known for portraying Matsukoma in Mr. Nietzsche in the Convenience Store television drama and Light Yagami in Death Note: The Musical.

In 2006, his performance in Flowers for Algernon and My Fair Lady earned Kikuta Kazuo Theatrical Award and in 2009, he received Kinokuniya Theatrical Award for his performance as Henry VI in Henry VI series at New National Theatre, Tokyo. In 2015, he received Yomiuri Theatrical Award for his performance in Flowers for Algernon and Constellations. He also earned The Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's Art Encouragement Prize for New Artists in Drama department in 2017 for his range of performances in previous year.

On 1 June 2008, he transferred to Candid from Office Palette.

In 2013, he formed StarS, a musical unit with Yoshio Inoue and Ikusaburo Yamazaki and is active as a singer as well. He released his third solo album Various on 15 March 2023.

Performance credits

Theatre
Title Role Duration Venue Ref.
Sailor Moon Musicals Mamoru Chiba/Tuxedo Mask Jun 2001 - Sep 2002 Sunshine Theatre, etc.
Would You Like Your Bento Heated Up? Jun 2002 Theatre V Akasaka
Marriage Scam Co., Ltd. Feb 2003 Tennozu Art Sphere
OKUNI Ichizo Jul - Aug 2003 Le Theatre Ginza, etc.
Elisabeth Rudolf Mar - Dec 2004
Sep 2005
May 2006
Aug 2008 - Feb 2009
Oct 2010		 Imperial Theatre, etc.
Shakespeare's R&J Feb - Mar 2005 Parco Theatre, etc. [1]
Cinderella Story Prince Charles May - Jun 2005 Le Theatre Ginza, etc.
My Fair Lady Freddy Eynsford-Hill Nov 2005
Apr - Jul 2007		 Imperial Theatre
Chunichi Theatre, etc.
Flowers for Algernon Charlie Gordon Feb - Mar 2006
Sep - Oct 2014
Apr - May 2023		 Hakuhinkan Theatre, etc.
The Galaxy Theatre, etc.
Nippon Seinenkan Hall, etc.
Dance of the Vampires Alfred Jul - Aug 2006
Jul - Aug 2009
Nov 2011 - Jan 2012		 Imperial Theatre, etc.
Burn This Larry Nov 2006 Aoyama Round Theatre
Titanic the Musical Jim Farrel Jan - Feb 2007 Tokyo International Forum Hall C
Wait Until Dark Roat Sep 2007 Theatre 1010
Kiss of the Spider Woman Valentin Nov 2007
Jan - Feb 2010		 Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre, etc.
WILDe・BEAUTY Oscar Wilde Mar 2008 Hakuhinkan Theatre, etc.
Rudolf Pupeteer May 2008
Jul 2012		 Imperial Theatre
Carousel Billy Mar - Apr 2009 The Galaxy Theatre
Cyrano de Bergerac Christian May 2009 Nissay Theatre
Henry VI, Part 1
Henry VI, Part 2
Henry VI, Part 3		 King Henry VI Oct - Nov 2009 New National Theatre, Tokyo
Gekidan☆Shinkansen
Goemon Rock 2: Rose and Samurai		 Charles of Boscogne Mar - May 2010 Akasaka ACT Theatre, etc.
Takarazuka Boys Kinzo Uehara Aug - Sep 2010 Theatre Creation, etc.
gargoyle 3 Dec 2010 Parco Theatre [2]
Édith Piaf Yves Montand/Théo Sarapo Jan - Feb 2011 The Galaxy Theatre
Bedge Pardon Grimsby Jun - Jul 2011 Setagaya Public Theater
Roméo et Juliette Benvolio Sep - Oct 2011 Akasaka ACT Theatre, etc.
CHESS in Concert The Arbiter Jan - Feb 2012 Aoyama Theatre
Cymbeline Guiderius Apr - Jun 2012 Saitama Arts Theater, etc.
Songs for a New World Aug 2012 Theater Creation, etc.
Richard III Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond Oct 2012 New National Theatre, Tokyo
Gekidan☆Shinkansen
Goemon Rock 3: Zipang Punk		 Charles of Boscogne Dec 2012 - Feb 2013 Tokyu Theatre Orb, etc.
A Tale of Two Cities Charles Darnay Jul - Aug 2013 Imperial Theatre [3]
NODA・MAP MIWA Oct - Dec 2013 Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre, etc.
Sherlock Holmes: Secret of the Anderson Family Adam Anderson/Eric Anderson Jan - Feb 2014 Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre, etc.
The Big Fellah Michael May - Jun 2014 Setagaya Public Theater
title of show Jeff Aug 2014 Theatre Creation
Constellations Roland Dec 2014 New National Theatre, Tokyo [4]
Bombay Dreams Akaash Feb 2015 Tokyo International Forum Hall C, etc.
Death Note: The Musical Light Yagami Apr 2015
Jun - Sep 2017		 Nissay Theatre, etc.
New National Theatre, Tokyo, etc.		 [5]
Troilus and Cressida Troilus Jul - Aug 2015 Setagaya Public Theater
Arcadia Valentine Coverly Apr - May 2016 Bunkamura Theatre Cocoon, etc.
'Tis Pity She's a Whore Giovanni Jun 2016 New National Theatre, Tokyo
Crest of the Royal Family Memphis Aug 2016
Apr - May 2017
Aug - Sep 2021		 Imperial Theatre, etc. [6]
Henry IV, Part 1
Henry IV, Part 2		 Prince Hal Nov - Dec 2016 New National Theatre, Tokyo
Big Fish William Bloom Feb 2017
Nov - Dec 2019		 Nissay Theatre
Theatre Creation, etc.
Peer Gynt Peer Gynt Dec 2017 Setagaya Public Theater
Bullets Over Broadway David Shayne Feb - Apr 2018 Nissay Theatre, etc.
Henry V King Henry V May - Jun 2018 New National Theatre, Tokyo
Ghost Sam Wheat Aug - Sep 2018
Mar - Apr 2021		 Theatre Creation, etc. [7]
Gekidan☆Shinkansen
Metal Macbeth		 Random Star/Macbeth Urai Nov - Dec 2018 IHI Stage Around Tokyo [8]
The Man Who Laughs - Eternal Love Gwynplaine Apr - May 2019
Feb - Mar 2022		 Nissay Theatre, etc.
Imperial Theatre, etc.		 [9]
Hedwig and the Angry Inch Hedwig Sep 2019 Ex Theater Roppongi, etc.
Shakespeare in 12th Year of Tenpou Era Kijirushi no Ouji Feb - Mar 2020 Nissay Theatre, etc.
Maybe Happy Ending Oliver Aug 2020 Theatre Creation
Richard II Henry Bolingbroke Oct 2020 New National Theatre, Tokyo
Two Men Touma Sutou Dec 2020 - Jan 2021 Theatre Creation, etc.
Time to Love, Time to Die Nov - Dec 2021 Theatre Tram, etc. [10]
Guys and Dolls Nathan Detroit Jun - Jul 2022 Imperial Theatre, etc. [11]
Color I / People Who Matter Sep - Oct 2022 New National Theatre, Tokyo, etc. [12]
La Légende du roi Arthur King Arthur Jan - Mar 2023 New National Theatre, Tokyo, etc. [13]
Pseudo Family Jul - Aug 2023 Theatre Creation [14]
Measure for Measure
All's Well That Ends Well		 Oct - Nov 2023 New National Theatre, Tokyo [15]

Television
Year Title Role Network Notes
2000 Kamen Rider Kuuga N Daguva Zeba TV Asahi
2014 Blue Flame Kentaro Yano TV Tokyo
2015 MOZU: Ohsugi Detective Bureau Tsuneyoshi Sato WOWOW [16]
2016 Mr. Nietzsche in the Convenience Store Matsukoma Hulu, ytv
Love That Makes You Cry Shohei Kanbe Fuji TV
Wine, Dine and Woo Me Season 2 Hideyuki Seta MBS Episode 7
Unlock for Infinity Matoda TV Tokyo Episode 4, 5
The Brave Yoshihiko and The Seven Driven People Police officer TV Tokyo Guest
2017 Tsuribaka Nisshi Season 2 Yuichiro Fujioka TV Tokyo
Idol × Warrior Miracle Tunes! Okada TV Tokyo Episode 14
2019 My Middle-Aged Guardian Angel Shinto Kowatari TV Asahi Episode 6

Voice acting
Year Title Role Notes
2001 Kamen Rider Kuuga Special Chapter N Daguva Zeba
2014 Sherlock Holmes (puppetry) Arthur Morstan
2020 Kamen Rider Battle: Ganbarizing N Daguva Zeba Arcade Game
2021 Today's Uraken Uraken

Radio

Discography

Solo albums
Title Release Date Label Notes
1 Wonderland 3 Aug 2016 Avex Trax
2 Piece 24 Mar 2021 Pony Canyon
3 Various 15 Mar 2023 Pony Canyon

Cast recordings
  • Elisabeth - Highlight Live Recordings (Seiyo Uchino ver.) (2004) as Rudolf
  • Cinderella Story - Live Recording (2005) as Prince Charles
  • Flowers for Algernon - Premiere CD (2006) as Charlie Gordon
  • Dance of the Vampires - Highlight Live Recordings (2006) as Alfred
  • WILDe・BEAUTY (2009) as Oscar Wilde
  • Roméo et Juliette - Highlight Live Recordings (Yuu Shirota ver.) (2011) as Benvolio
  • Roméo et Juliette - Highlight Live Recordings (Ikusaburo Yamazaki ver.) (2011) as Benvolio
  • Flowers for Algernon (2014) as Charlie Gordon
  • Death Note: The Musical - Highlight Live Recordings (Kenji Urai ver.) (2015) as Light Yagami
  • The Man Who Laughs - Eternal Love - Highlight Live Recordings (2019) as Gwynplaine

Videos

VHS

  • Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon - The Birth! The Princess of Darkness Black Lady
  • Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon - The Birth! The Princess of Darkness Black Lady (Revised Edition) - The Enigma of Planet Nemesis
  • Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon 10th Anniversary Festival - Sanctuary of Love
  • Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon - Mugen Academy - Mistress Labyrinth
  • Would You Like Your Bento Heated Up?

DVD

  • WILDe・BEAUTY
  • Takarazuka Boys
  • Rose and Samurai
  • Cymbeline
  • Goemon Rock 3: Zipang Punk
  • Sherlock Holmes: Secret of the Anderson Family
  • Crest of the Royal Family Ra version
  • Crest of the Royal Family Hapi version
  • Shakespeare in 12th Year of Tenpou Era
  • Kenji Urai 20th Anniversary Concert ~Piece~ at Tokyo International Forum 2021.4.20

References
  1. Parco Stage
  2. Parco Stage
  3. Asahi Commentary
  4. Life's the star in new 'Constellations' | The Japan Times
  5. "Kenji Urai, Hayato Kakizawa Star in Death Note Musical | Anime News". Archived from the original on 2015-05-03. Retrieved 2014-12-01.
  6. Crest of the Royal Family Gets Musical Adaptation | Anime News
  7. Toho Stage
  8. IHI Stage Around Tokyo
  9. Toho Stage
  10. Setagaya Theatre
  11. Toho Stage
  12. Horipro Stage
  13. "Horipro Stage". Archived from the original on 2022-06-15. Retrieved 2022-06-18.
  14. Toho Stage
  15. New National Theatre, Tokyo
  16. WOWOW
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