Gen Hoshino
Born January 28, 1981 is a Japanese singer-songwriter, musician, actor, and writer.
Also recorded as Hoshino Gen
Gen Hoshino

Space Shower Music · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Name
- Gen Hoshino
- Born
- 28 January 1981
- Birthplace
- Warabi, Saitama, Japan
- Occupation
- * Singer
- Awards
- Full list
- Nationality
- Japan
- Fields
- traditional folk music · J-pop
- Known for
- Koi · Sun · Comedy · Pop Virus · Baka no Uta · Yellow Dancer · Family Song · Doraemon
- Honours
- Elan d'or Award for Newcomer of the Year · Space Shower Music Video Awards · MTV Video Music Awards Japan · Juzo Itami Award
- Languages
- Japanese · English
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Documentary summary
Born January 28, 1981 is a Japanese singer-songwriter, musician, actor, and writer.
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Note VALÉORINE
Gen Hoshino was a Japanese actor, musician and radio personality, among other activities. The actor was born in Warabi. Gen Hoshino was a member of Sakerock.
Works include Baka no Uta, Comedy, Doraemon and Family Song, among others. Genres include J-pop and traditional folk music. Languages used include English and Japanese. The actor received Elan d'or Award for Newcomer of the Year, Juzo Itami Award and MTV Video Music Awards Japan, among others.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 26 September 2026
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Authority files
wikidata · Q11286857 · wikipedia · Gen Hoshino
In this article
Biography
Biography
The recorded working language is Japanese and English. Subjects and genres recorded for the work are traditional folk music and J-pop. Works named in the authority record are Koi, Sun, Comedy, Pop Virus, Baka no Uta and Yellow Dancer. Distinctions recorded are Elan d'or Award for Newcomer of the Year, Space Shower Music Video Awards, MTV Video Music Awards Japan and Juzo Itami Award.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Gen Hoshino • Native Name — 星野 源 • Born — 28 January 1981 • Birthplace — Warabi, Saitama, Japan • Occupation — * Singer • songwriter • musician • actor • writer • Agent — Amuse (music) Otona Keikaku (acting) • Awards — Full list
Music
Music
From its formation in 2000 until its disbandment in 2015, Hoshino led the instrumental band Sakerock, where he played marimba and guitar. They released over ten albums. As a solo artist, he debuted with his first album Baka no Uta on June 23, 2010. His first physical single, "Kudaranai no Naka ni" was released on March 2, 2011, and peaked at number 17 on the Oricon Singles Chart. The subsequent singles – "Film", "Yume no Soto e", "Shiranai" (2012), and "Gag" (2013) – all charted in the top 10. His second album, Episode, released on September 28, 2011, peaked at number five. Hoshino's third album, Stranger, followed on May 1, 2013. It peaked at number two on the Oricon Albums Chart and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ). Since 2011, Hoshino has co-hosted the Ustream program Sake no Sakana with Ichirō Yamaguchi of Sakanaction. In 2014, the program officially changed its name to Yoru no Television. Hoshino's fourth album, Yellow Dancer, was released on December 2, 2015, in Japan through Speedstar Records; it debuted atop both Oricon and Billboard Japans album charts. Yellow Dancer was certified platinum by the RIAJ that same month for surpassing 250,000 physical shipments, and became one of the few albums to receive a gold certification for digital downloads. On February 18, 2018, Hoshino uploaded a music video for his song "Doraemon", which was written in tribute to the Japanese franchise of the same name. The song was used as the theme of the 38th Doraemon movie, Nobita's Treasure Island, and as the opening theme of the Doraemon anime from October 5, 2019, to November 2, 2024. Pop Virus, Hoshino's fifth album, was released on December 17. It spent four consecutive weeks atop the Oricon Album Chart and was certified double platinum by the RIAJ that same month. The album's commercial performance, within just a few months of its release, earned Hoshino a Best Album prize at the 33rd Japan Gold Disc Awards in 2019, as well as a Best Song prize for the digital success of the single "Idea", which was used as a theme for Asadora. In March 2019, Hoshino also became the first artist to win four trophies at the Space Shower Music Awards. On August 30, all of Hoshino's music was made available on streaming services. In April 2022, Hoshino's song "Comedy" was used as the ending theme of the season one anime adaptation of Spy × Family. The following July, he released the single "I Wanna Be Your Ghost", as the main theme for the film Yokaipedia (2022). It debuted at number one on Oricon's weekly Digital Singles Chart. On December 27, 2023, Hoshino released the double A-side single "Why" / "Life" (光の跡/生命体). It features the song "Why", used in the end credits of the movie Spy × Family Code: White. • Illustration — Hoshino at a screening for Samurai Shifters in 2019
Acting
Acting
Hoshino's movie debut, Lee Sang-il's 69, was an adaptation of the Ryū Murakami novel of the same name. He previously acted in various television dramas and stage plays. In 2012, he debuted as a voice actor, voicing Buddha in the original video animation (OVA) adaptation of Hikaru Nakamura's manga Saint Young Men, and also provided a theme song called "Gag" for its 2013 theatrical version, where he reprised his role. In 2013, he played the lead character in Masahide Ichii's Hakoiri Musuko no Koi alongside Kaho, and starred in the Sion Sono film Why Don't You Play in Hell?. In 2016, Hoshino starred in TBS's The Full-Time Wife Escapist. With Yui Aragaki as his co-star, he portrayed a salaryman named Hiramasa Tsuzaki. The drama achieved steadily rising ratings, with a real-time viewership peak rating of 20.8% on the final episode, and an overall rating of 14.5%. Hoshino's performance earned him several Best Supporting Actor awards. He also provided the theme song for the drama, titled "Koi." Gen Hoshino created the parody character "Akira Nise" (ニセ明, Nise Akira, literally Fake Akira) as a tribute to Akira Fuse. In 2017, Hoshino lent his voice to the main character of award-winning animated film The Night Is Short, Walk On Girl. He also became the voice of the Father in Mamoru Hosoda's Mirai, which was released into theaters in Japan on July 20, 2018. On April 30, 2018, it was announced that Hoshino would star in Samurai Shifters, the film adaptation of Akihiro Dobashi's historical novel Hikkoshi Daimyo Sanzenri, set to premier on August 30, 2019. In the movie, he plays a bookworm samurai called Harunosuke Katagiri, who receives the mission to help a daimyo move. It would be Hoshino's first lead role in a live-action movie since Blindly in Love in 2013. In Idaten, NHK's 2019 Taiga drama, chosen for the theme to encourage the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Hoshino portrayed Kazushige Hirasawa, who delivered the persuasive speech that helped determine the venue for the Tokyo 1964 Olympic Games.
Personal life
Personal life
On December 22, 2012, Hoshino was diagnosed with a subarachnoid hemorrhage and underwent surgery. He officially returned to public life on February 28, 2013, with his appearance at the Tokyo J-Wave Awards. In 2021, Hoshino married actress Yui Aragaki, his co-star in the television series The Full-Time Wife Escapist.
Television drama
Television drama
• Year — Title — Role — Network — Notes — Reference • 2003 — Water Boys — TBS • Manhattan Love Story — TBS — Episode 6 • 2004 — Dollhouse — TBS — Episode 3 • Onna-tachi no Tsumi to Batsu — Fuji TV — Television special • Rikon Bengoshi — Fuji TV — Episode 2 • Tokio: Message Across Time — Koji Ookubo — NHK — Episode 1 • Otouto — TV Asahi — Episode 2 • 2005 — Affectionate Time — Yoichi Amano — Fuji TV — Episode 3 • Gekidan Engimono — Hiromi — Fuji TV — Mini-drama: "Nemureru Mori no Shitai" • Tiger & Dragon — Dontsuku Hayashiyatei — TBS • 2006 — Akihabara@Deep — Taiko — TBS • Mo Hitotsu no Sugar and Spice — Koyama — Fuji TV — Episode: "Saikou no Spice" • 2007 — Tokyo Tower — Fuji TV — Episode 2, 3, 4 • Detective School Q — Detective Nekota — NTV • Kyonen Renoir de — TV Tokyo — Lead role • 2008 — Mirai Koshi Meguru — Eguchi Hideo — TV Asahi • Weekly Yoko Maki — Hiroshi Inoue — TV Tokyo — Episode: "Chouchou no Mama de" • 2009 — Ghost Friends — Shinji — NHK — Episode 5 • 2010 — Gegege no Nyobo — Takashi Iida — NHK — Asadora • Shukujo – Season 2 — Himself — NHK — Episode 5 guest appearance • Kaiju o Yobu Otoko — Kota Soejima — NHK BShi — Lead role, television special • 2011 — Odd Family Eleven — Hiroyuki Sanada — TV Asahi • 2014 — Last Night's Curry, Tomorrow's Bread — Kazuki Terayama — NHK • 2015 — Kouhaku ga Umareta Hi — George Mabuchi — NHK — Television special • Dr. Storks — Haruki Shinomiya — TBS — Season 1 • 2016 — Sanada Maru — Hidetada Tokugawa — NHK — Taiga drama • The Full-Time Wife Escapist — Hiramasa Tsuzaki — TBS • 2017 — Plage — Takao Yoshimura — Wowow — Lead role • Dr. Storks — Haruki Shinomiya — TBS — Season 2 • 2019 — Idaten — Kazushige Hirasawa — NHK — Taiga drama • 2020 — MIU404 — Kazumi Shima — TBS — Lead role • 2022 — Teen Regime — Kiyoshi Taira — NHK — Mini-series
Video games
Video games
• Year — Title — Role — Note • 2025 — Death Stranding 2: On the Beach — Himself — His songs are featured in the game
Variety shows
Variety shows
• Year — Title — Network — Note — Reference • 2012– — The Comedy of Life — NHK • 2017–18 — Ogen-san to Issho — NHK — 2 episodes • 2023 — Lighthouse — Netflix — Co-presenter
TV commercials
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
Original video animation
• Onna no Sono no Hoshi (2022), Hoshi
Concerts and tours
Concerts and tours
• 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) • Hoshino Gen Pop Virus World Tour (2019) • Gen Hoshino presents Reassembly (2022) • Gen Hoshino presents Mad Hope Japan Tour / Asia Tour (2025) • Concerts • Live in Japan 2018 Gen Hoshino & Mark Ronson
Works and production
Works and production
The following works and productions are recorded by name or by count. It is also recorded that gen Hoshino is recorded with the occupation singer. It is also recorded that gen Hoshino is recorded with the occupation actor. Institutional cataloguing adds that gen Hoshino is recorded with the occupation musician. Recorded with the occupation songwriter. Institutional cataloguing adds that gen Hoshino is recorded with the occupation recording artist. It is also recorded that gen Hoshino is recorded with the occupation writer. Recorded as a citizen of Japan. Recorded with the gender male. Institutional cataloguing adds that gen Hoshino was born on 28 January 1981. Classed in the genre traditional folk music. Classed in the genre J-pop. It is also recorded that gen Hoshino is recorded with a height of 168.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Gen Hoshino was born at Warabi.
Birthplace
Warabi.
Birth place
Film
• Year — Title — Role — Notes — Reference • 2004 — 69 — Yuzuru Nakamura • 2008 — Nonko 36-sai — Masaru — Lead role • 2009 — Brass Knuckle Boys — Band member • 2013 — Saint Young Men — Buddha — Lead role, voice • Blindly in Love — Kentaro Amanoshizuku — Lead role • Why Don't You Play in Hell? — Koji Hashimoto • 2015 — Love & Peace — PC-300 — Voice • 2016 — Chieri and Cherry — Chieri — Lead role, voice • 2017 — The Night Is Short, Walk On Girl — Senpai — Lead role, voice • 2018 — Mirai — Father — Voice • 2019 — Samurai Shifters — Harunosuke Katagiri — Lead role • No Smoking — Narrator • 2020 — The Voice of Sin — Toshiya Sone — Lead role • 2024 — Last Mile — Kazumi Shima • 2026 — Grotesqqque — Kento Kunikura — Voice
Discography
Studio albums • Baka no Uta (2010) • Episode (2011) • Stranger (2013) • Yellow Dancer (2015) • Pop Virus (2018) • Gen (2025)
Primary material
Documents and archives
Institutional database
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q11286857: Gen Hoshino
Scholarly · Wikimedia Foundation
reference work
- “Gen Hoshino”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Stranger.
- 2.En.barks.jp. Sakanaction : Ichiro Yamaguchi and Gen Hoshino's USTREAM Program 'Sake no Sakana', Back on Air for First Time in 9 Months BARKS News.
- 3.Yellow Dancer.
- 4.Yellow Dancer.
- 5.アニメハック.
- 6.スポーツ報知. October 6, 2019.
- 7.cinra.net.
- 8.Pop Virus. 2.
- 9.RIAJ. Best 5 Songs By Download.
- 10.RIAJ. Best 5 Albums in Japan.
- 11.Space Shower Networks. Winners of the Space Shower Music Awards 2019.
- 12.All of Gen Hoshino's Music Now Available for Streaming.
- 13.Pineda, Rafael Antonio. Spy×Family Anime's Video Reveals, Previews Theme Songs. Anime News Network. March 17, 2022.
- 14.Oricon. May 25, 2022.
- 15.Oricon. July 27, 2022.
- 16.December 27, 2023.
- 17.Anime News Network. Gen Hoshino to Perform Saint Young Men Film's Theme Song – Interest. September 30, 2013.
- 18.Sponichi. December 21, 2016.
- 19.Overall rating of popular TV drama 'Nigehaji' hits 30%. The Mainichi. December 16, 2016.
- 20.Oricon.
- 21.Kadokawa Corporation.
- 22.Nikkan Sports News.
- 23.GPlus Media Co. Ltd. New 'Love Dance' takes Japan by storm, thanks to a Japanese drama and a handsome J-Pop star. Japan Today. December 9, 2016.
- 24.Yahoo!ニュース.
- 25.Gen Hoshino created the parody character "Akira Nise". crgresourcing.uk.com. September 18, 2024.
- 26.Japan, Billboard. Watch Gen Hoshino's Quirky Music Video for 'Doraemon' Japanese Comic. Billboard. February 23, 2018.
- 27.Japan, Billboard. Gen Hoshino Announces World Tour, Surprise Streams Entire Catalog. Billboard. August 31, 2019.
- 28.Suponichi Annex.
- 29.University of Tsukuba(OPOP). Olympic Invitation and Bunkyo City, Professor Hisashi SANADA (Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba)/Kazushige HIRASAWA. August 30, 2018.
- 30.tokyohive.com. Hoshino Gen announces his hiatus due to subarachnoid hemorrhage. December 23, 2012.
- 31.デイリースポーツ社. Daily.co.jp.
- 32.Oricon.
- 33.Natalie. October 24, 2008.
- 34.Natalie. February 12, 2009.
- 35.Saint Young Men Official Website.
- 36.Hakoiri Musuko no Koi Official Website.
- 37.Jigoku de Naze Warui Official Website.
- 38.Asmik Ace, inc.
- 39.Cinema Today. December 31, 2015.
- 40.Natalie. May 30, 2016.
- 41.Natalie. December 15, 2016.
- 42.Natalie. April 11, 2018.
- 43.Cinema Today. April 30, 2018.
- 44.Hikkoshi Daimyo Official Website. 映画『引っ越し大名!』 公式サイト.
- 45.Cinemacafe. September 24, 2019.
- 46.eiga.com.
- 47.Oricon. April 19, 2024.
- 48.Natalie. July 27, 2026.
- 49.Fuji TV. Affectionate Time.
- 50.Fuji TV.
- 51.Nippon Broadcasting System.
- 52.ja:タイガー&ドラゴン. TBS. dead.
- 53.Akihabara@Deep Official Website.
- 54.Fuji TV.
- 55.Fuji TV.
- 56.Nippon TV.
- 57.TV Tokyo.
- 58.TV Asahi.
- 59.TV Tokyo.
- 60.ja:ドラマ8「ゴーストフレンズ」. NHK.
- 61.NHK. November 12, 2009.
- 62.ja:私が初めて創ったドラマ-怪獣を呼ぶ男-. NHK. dead.
- 63.Cinra. July 12, 2017.
- 64.TV Asahi.
- 65.TV Asahi.
- 66.ja:プレミアムドラマ「昨夜のカレー、明日のパン」 NHKドラマ. NHK.
- 67.ja:登場人物 紅白が生まれた日. NHK. dead.
- 68.Oricon. August 10, 2015.
- 69.Sponichi. December 2, 2016.
- 70.Natalie. August 17, 2016.
- 71.Oricon. May 16, 2017.
- 72.Natalie. June 22, 2017.
- 73.Suponichi Annex.
- 74.University of Tsukuba(OPOP). Olympic Invitation and Bunkyo City, Professor Hisashi SANADA (Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba)/Kazushige HIRASAWA. August 30, 2018.
- 75.Natalie.
- 76.Mantan-web. January 11, 2022.
- 77.ja:おげんさんといっしょ. NHK.
- 78.Brzeski, Patrick. Netflix Unveils Five Japanese Reality Series. The Hollywood Reporter. August 9, 2023.
- 79.dataway. March 14, 2019.
- 80.dataway. March 16, 2019.
- 81.Yama Wayama's Onna no Sono no Hoshi Comedy Manga Gets Anime Blu-ray. Anime News Network. August 7, 2022.
- 82.Gen Hoshino official website. LIVE / EVENT 星野源 オフィシャルサイト.
- 83.Billboard Japan. Japan's Gen Hoshino Wraps First Domestic Dome Tour With 3-Hour Set /March 12,2019.
- 84.rockinon.com.
- 85.Gen Hoshino & Mark Ronson Announce Double Headliner Show in Japan. Billboard. August 17, 2018.
- 86.Billboard Japan. January 23, 2019.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
Institutional database
Wikidata, structured authority record Q11286857: Gen HoshinoWikimedia Foundation
Institutional witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
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