Lance Joseph Martinez

10 Must-Know Facts About Sota Fukushi, the Star Stealing Hearts in 'Can This Love Be Translated?'

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<p>We couldn’t contain our <em>kilig</em> while watching <strong><em>Netflix’s</em></strong> limited series <strong><em>Can This Love Be Translated?</em></strong>, especially as <strong>Joo Ho-jin </strong>(Kim Seonho) <strong></strong>and <strong>Cha Mu-hee</strong>’s (Go Youn Jung)<strong></strong> love story gently unfolded onscreen. But as with any K-drama that knows exactly how to pull at our heartstrings, it wasn’t just the lead couple who had us hooked—another male character, the second lead, quietly made his way into our hearts.</p><p><strong>Hiro Kurosawa</strong>, played by Japanese heartthrob <strong>Sota Fukushi</strong>, is that scene-stealer.</p><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-0" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DSooMcEDzkK/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=1080&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A530809%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="881" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-0" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><p>In the series, Hiro is Japan’s ultimate romantic prince, a once-celebrated actor whose charming image made him a household name. Now, his star is slowly dimming, and beneath his flawless smile is a man growing tired of the constant performance required to uphold his carefully curated public persona.</p><p>In hopes of reviving his career, Hiro reluctantly joins a show titled <em>Romantic Trip</em>, fully expecting to work alongside the over-the-top Cha Mu-hee (played by Go Youn Jung) he knew only from the screen. But as the days go by, his guarded walls begin to fall, and he finds himself drawn to the sincere, gentle woman behind the larger-than-life character.</p><p>And just as viewers began falling for Hiro, curiosity naturally shifted to the man behind the role. Fans are now eager to get to know Sota Fukushi—the Japanese actor who’s making hearts flutter in this K-drama.</p><p>With that, here are 10 things you should know about Sota Fukushi, the second lead star of <em>Can This Love Be Translated? </em></p><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-2" src="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTHRcdmDw5v/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=1080&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A2%2C%22os%22%3A1097494%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="881" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-2" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><div><strong>He was born in 1993.</strong></div><p>Japanese actor Sota Fukushi, born on May 30, 1993, in <strong></strong>Tokyo, Japan, has officially turned 32 years old.<strong></strong></p><div><br/></div><div><strong>He stayed active in school sports</strong></div><p>Long before he captured hearts onscreen, Sota Fukushi was already an active, athletic student. During his school years, the Japanese actor was part of the <strong></strong>Basketball Club until middle school, before switching things up in high school when he joined the Double Dutch club.<strong></strong><strong></strong></p><p>Double Dutch is a high-energy rope-jumping sport where two long ropes are spun in opposite directions while one or more players jump in perfect rhythm.</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:700px;display:block" width="700"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1768978113879fukushi_sota_official_1767192311_3799806977443355524_8784181739.jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="700"/><span class="fr-inner">@fukushi_sota_official</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>He had childhood idols who inspired his path to acting.</strong></div><p>Sota Fukushi has often credited actors Teruyuki Kagawa and Junichi Okada as major influences in shaping his early career. Inspired by Okada’s intense and physical approach to roles, Fukushi took up Jeet Kune Do and Arnis to further hon<strong></strong>e his craft. Meanwhile, Kagawa’s powerful performances pushed him to set his sights on appearing in period dramas to become a more versatile and well-rounded actor.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>He is fluent in English.</strong></div><p>Sota Fukushi first discovered his love for English in middle school, inspired by a teacher’s praise, and has since earned a Grade 2 EIKEN certificate, a widely recognized English proficiency test in Japan. He later put his skills to work on screen, appearing in Season 2 of the HBO Asia series <em>The Head.</em><em></em><strong><em><strong></strong></em></strong></p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:700px;display:block"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1768977803818fukushi_sota_official_1768291408_3809026867001783349_8784181739.jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">Photo from @fukushi_sota_official</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>He was discovered through magazine photos.</strong></div><p>High school life took an unexpected turn for Sota Fukushi when a casual shopping trip in Shibuya tur<strong></strong>ned into a modeling breakthrough. While browsing the trendy streets with a friend, he was spotted and asked to pose for photos, which later appeared in a magazine.</p><p>Those very snapshots caught the eye of talent agency Ken-On, leadin<strong></strong>g Fukushi to officially join their roster on September 21, 2010, marking the start of his journey in showbiz.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>He debuted as an actor in 2011.</strong></div><p>After signing with his talent agency in September 2010, Sota Fukushi made his official television debut just a few months later, in January 2011, starring as <strong></strong>Sota Murano in the NTV drama <em>Misaki Number One!!.</em><em></em><strong><em></em></strong></p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:700px;display:block" width="700"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1768977836939fukushi_sota_official_1768291408_3809026867035312582_8784181739.jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="700"/><span class="fr-inner">Photo from @fukushi_sota_official</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>He went up against 3,000 hopefuls for a major role.</strong></div><p>Just three months after his acting debut, Sota Fukushi landed the coveted lead role in <em>Kamen Rider Fourze</em>, beating out nearly 3,000 hopefuls to play Gentaro Kisaragi. Among the final contenders was Ryuki Takahashi, who would later be cast as his co-star, Kengo Utahoshi.</p><p>In a memorable final interview, Fukushi personally chose Takahashi as his scene partner, and the two showcased their chemistry<strong></strong> through an on-the-spot dialogue exercise. The hit series went on to captivate audiences on TV Asahi, ai<strong></strong>ring from September 4, 2011, to August 26, 2012.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>He made his film debut in <em>Kamen Rider OOO Wonderful.</em></strong></div><p>Before <em>Kamen Rider Fourze </em>even hit TV screens, Sota Fukushi made his silver-screen debut as <strong>Gentaro Kisaragi </strong>in <strong><em>Kamen Rider OOO Wonderful: The Shogun and the 21 Core Medals, </em></strong>which premiered on August 6, 2011.</p><p>He quickly followed this up with another big-screen appearance in <strong><em>Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider Fourze &amp; OOO: Movie War Mega Max</em></strong> later that year, marking his first time taking the lead role in a feature film when it was released on December 10, 2011.</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:700px;display:block" width="700"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1768977937239OOO-Wonderful.webp" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="700"/><span class="fr-inner">Official poster of Kamen Rider OOO Wonderful: The Shogun and the 21 Core Medals</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>He has won several awards.</strong></div><p>In 2014, Sota Fukushi took the spotlight in the romance hit <em>Say I Love You, </em>starring opposite Haruna Kawaguchi. The film, which premiered on July 12, quickly captured hearts, drawing nearly 500,000 viewers in just its first two weeks.</p><p>He followed this with a thrilling turn in Takashi Miike’s supernatural horror flick <em>As the Gods Will</em>, further showcasing his versatility. Fukushi’s standout performances in both films earned him the prestigious Newcomer of the Year award at the 38th Japan Academy Film Prize.<strong></strong></p><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><div><strong>He has an upcoming Taiwanese film.</strong></div><p>Sota Fukushi is teaming up with Taiwanese stars Ning Han and Huang Guan-Zhi for the highly anticipated film <em>The Scar-Faced Cat: Way of Asura.</em><em></em><strong><em><strong></strong></em></strong></p><p>The gripping story follows a vengeful Taiwanese maiko who escapes prison to hunt down every Japanese cop who wronged her, only to uncover a shocking betrayal—the person who first ruined her life was the one she trusted most.</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:700px;display:block"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1768978038200fukushi_sota_official_1767192311_3799806977200069150_8784181739.jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">Photo from @fukushi_sota_official</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><div><em><strong>All episodes of Can This Love Be Translated? is now available on Netflix.</strong></em></div><div><br/></div><p>Lead photo from <strong>@netflixkr</strong></p>

<p>Get to know the second male lead in Can This Love Be Translated? with these 10 facts about Sota Fukushi!</p>

Get to know the second male lead in Can This Love Be Translated? with these 10 facts about Sota Fukushi!

10 Fun Facts About Sota Fukushi, the Star Stealing Hearts in 'Can This Love Be Translated?'

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10 Fun Facts About Sota Fukushi, the Star Stealing Hearts in 'Can This Love Be Translated?'

Lance Joseph Martinez

Published January 21, 2026 04:00 PM PHT

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Updated January 21, 2026 04:03 PM PHT

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Sota Fukushi

Can this Love Be Translated?

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Kim Seon-ho

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