Akira Fuse
Birth dateDecember 18, 1947 (age 78)
Birth placeMitaka, Tokyo, Japan
OccupationSinger · actor
Years active1965–present
SpouseOlivia Hussey (m. 1980; ended 1989)Yukari Morikawa (m. 2013)
Websitebeta.universal-music.co.jp/fuse-akira
Akira Fuse
GenreKayōkyoku Western pop music Jazz
LabelUniversal Japan

Akira Fuse (布施 明, Fuse Akira, born December 18, 1947) is a Japanese singer and actor. He debuted in 1965 with the single "Kimi ni Namida to Hohoemi o" (君に涙とほほえみを, "Tears and Smiles to You").

Early life

Fuse was born in Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan, on December 18, 1947. He is of Korean ancestry.[1]

Fuse had one older brother, Tsutomu Fuse, who was a Law Professor.[2] He grew up near Yokata Air Base, and later attended Miyakofuchu High School nearby before transferring to Teshima Jitsugyo High School (now Teshima Gakuin High School).[3]

Career

His greatest hits are "Cyclamen no Kahori" (シクラメンのかほり, Shikuramen no Kahori, "The Scent of Cyclamen") and "Kimi wa Bara Yori Utsukushii" (君は薔薇より美しい, "You Are More Beautiful than a Rose").[4] He currently makes consistent appearances on television, performs occasional seasonal tours, hosts a late night talk show, and is involved in a number of stage plays. In 2005, he enjoyed a revival when his music was used in the popular Japanese TV-series Kamen Rider Hibiki with its ending theme "Shōnen yo" (少年よ, "Boy!") and later its second opening theme "Hajimari no Kimi e" (始まりの君へ, "To the Original You").

Personal life

He married the actress Olivia Hussey on February 14, 1980, in Florida and later divorced in 1989 after he was unable to attain work in the United States and Olivia was unable to relocate her first-born son, Alexander Gunther Martin, to Japan.[5] They met while she was filming a commercial for Kanebo Cosmetics.[1][6] The wedding was attended by over 2,000 guests and lots of Japanese press.[7] They had one child together, son Maximillian Fuse.[5]

On April 15, 2013, his marriage to singer and actress Yukari Morikawa was announced.[8][9]

Trivia

Gen Hoshino created the parody character "Akira Nise" (ニセ明, Nise Akira, literally Fake Akira) as a tribute to Akira Fuse.[10][11][12]

Television

  • Kamen Rider Hibiki, as senior former Oni master, who gifts Hibiki the Armed Saber (episodes 32–33).
  • Everyone's Best Kouhaku 100th Anniversary of Broadcasting Special (NHK, 2025) (cast)[13]

Film

References

  1. ^ "Olivia Hussey has half-Korean son - The Korea Times". www.koreatimes.co.kr. 2014-10-25. Retrieved 2026-01-17.
  2. ^ "布施　勉、元“サイレント・マジョリティー”教授が横浜市立大学長に　『産経ニュース』（2008". www.kit.hi-ho.ne.jp. Retrieved 2026-01-17.
  3. ^ "⊘ 物語が始まる ⊘THE STORY BEGINS – vol.23 布施 明さん | 神戸っ子". kobecco.hpg.co.jp. Retrieved 2026-01-17.
  4. ^ "布施明インタビュー". bs-asahi. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  5. ^ Laufenberg, Norbert B. (2005), Entertainment Celebrities, Trafford Publishing, p. 318, ISBN 978-1-4120-5335-8
  6. ^ ksoik (2009-05-02). 1979 カネボウ オリビア来日予告. Retrieved 2026-01-17. – via YouTube.
  7. ^ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  8. ^ "布施明と森川由加里が結婚　「二人寄り添い歩いてまいります」" (in Japanese). Billboard Japan. 15 April 2013. Archived 25 January 2026 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
  9. ^ "布施明と森川由加里が結婚「協力して頑張ってまいる所存」" (in Japanese). Oricon. 15 April 2013. Archived 25 January 2026 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
  10. ^ "星野源 今度はニセ明 大人気キャラを１週間アップ"
  11. ^ "Hoshino Gen Int'l @hoshinogen_intl"
  12. ^ "Watch Gen Hoshino's Quirky Music Video for 'Doraemon' Japanese Comic". Billboard
  13. ^ "みんなのベスト紅白 みなさんの心に残る"ベスト紅白"ソングをキャンペーンと連動してお届け！" (in Japanese). NHK official site. Archived 6 March 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 6 March 2025.
  14. ^ Kore ga seishun da! (1966) - Full cast & crew - IMDb. Retrieved 2026-01-17. – via www.imdb.com.
  15. ^ Katsumata, Tomoharu; Masuda, Toshio; Matsumoto, Leiji (1980-08-02), "Yamato yo towa ni", Office Academy, Toei Doga, retrieved 2026-01-17