Frankie Sakai

Frankie Sakai was a Japanese comedian, actor, and jazz drummer whose career bridged popular comedy, film, television, and music. Born Masatoshi Sakai in Kagoshima, he studied law at Keio University before gaining experience as a drummer and performer at U.S. military camps during Japan’s postwar occupation. He became especially associated with Toho’s Ekimae series and acclaimed dramatic-comic performances in films including The Sun in the Last Days of the Shogunate and I’d Rather Be a Shellfish.