Tsuyoshi Kusanagi

Tsuyoshi Kusanagi (草彅 剛, Kusanagi Tsuyoshi, born July 9, 1974 in Seiyo, Ehime, Japan) is a Japanese entertainer. Kusanagi is a member of the popular Japanese idol group SMAP and has also appeared in a number of television dramas, variety shows and movies.

Background

Kusanagi grew up in Kasukabe, Saitama, Japan.

He made several long visits to South Korea in 2003, auditioning and appearing on variety TV shows and commercials. He released a Korean language CD in Korea and Japan.

In 2004, he hosted his own variety show Chonan Gang (チョナン・カン, Chonan Kan) with Korean guests and themes. The show was named after himself, as Kusanagi uses Chonan Gang (초난강), the Korean reading of his name, as his stage name in South Korea. He has also hosted a program in which he talked with South Korean President Roh Mu-hyun in Korean, while the president was on an official visit to Japan in June 2003.

He had the lead role in the movie, Yomigaeri (黄泉がえり) (January 18, 2003; a Japan public presentation). Moreover, his Korean-language-Japanese-produced movie Hotel Venus (ホテルビーナス, Hoteru Bīnasu) (March 6, 2004 Japan public presentation) was submitted to the Moscow International Film Festival on June 25, 2004.