Tokyo Vice cast: Meet the stars as US drama comes to BBC One
The series finally makes its way to UK television.
Academy Award nominee Ken Watanabe teams up with Ansel Elgort for suspenseful crime thriller Tokyo Vice, which finally has its UK premiere this month on BBC One and iPlayer.
Inspired by the memoirs of American journalist Jake Adelstein, the series chronicles his time as a reporter for one of Japan's most prominent newspapers, during which time he came into contact with the city's dangerous criminal gangs.
The show earned strong reviews from critics upon its Stateside release several months ago, which led to it quickly scoring a renewal for season 2, meaning it's a strong viewing option for fans of the true crime genre.
Below, you can familiarise yourself with the key characters in the new series and the Tokyo Vice cast, which includes another Oscar-nominated talent.
Ansel Elgort plays Jake Adelstein
Who is Jake Adelstein? Adelstein is a journalist who moves to Tokyo, starting out by teaching English as a foreign language. He later begins delving into the dangerous criminal underworld of the city, coming up against one of its most formidable bosses.
More like this
What else has Ansel Elgort been in? Elgort shot to fame as the co-lead of John Green's heartbreaking romantic drama The Fault in Our Stars, where he played a teenage cancer patient opposite Shailene Woodley. He went on to bag lead roles in the Divergent films, Edgar Wright's Baby Driver and, most recently, Steven Spielberg's acclaimed West Side Story remake.
Ken Watanabe plays Hiroto Katagiri
Who is Hiroto Katagiri? Hiroto is a detective for the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, who ends up working with Jake on cases involving organised crime.
What else has Ken Watanabe been in? Watanabe earned an Academy Award nomination for his performance in period drama The Last Samurai, which brought more Hollywood work his way. His biggest projects include Christopher Nolan films Batman Begins and Inception, 2014's Godzilla reboot and its sequel King of the Monsters as well as video game adaptation Detective Pikachu.
By entering your details, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Rachel Keller plays Samantha Porter
Who is Samantha Porter? Samantha is an American expat who lives in Tokyo and works at a local nightclub, with a varied clientele that makes her a valuable contact.
What else has Rachel Keller been in? Keller came to prominence through collaborations with writer Noah Hawley, starring in both Fargo season 2 and Marvel's Legion. Her other credits include Netflix's short-lived teen drama The Society and true crime series Dirty John.
Hideaki Itō plays Jin Miyamoto
Who is Jin Miyamoto? Another detective in the vice squad of Tokyo's Metropolitan Police, who works closely with Jake when he joins the force.
What else has Hideaki Itō been in? Itō is best-known for film and television produced in his home country of Japan, including the action-packed Umizaru franchise and two-part drama March Comes in Like a Lion/March Goes Out Like a Lamb.
Shô Kasamatsu plays Sato
Who is Sato? Sato is an enforcer working for the Yakuza.
What else has Shô Kasamatsu been in? Kasamatsu has acted in Japanese dramas Love You as the World Ends, The Naked Director, Dear Patient and Followers.
Ella Rumpf plays Polina
Who is Polina? Polina is one of Samantha's colleagues at the Onyx Club in Kabukicho district, whose dreams of becoming a model have worn away as she has sunk deeper into the city's criminal underworld.
What else has Ella Rumpf been in? Hailing from Switzerland, Rumpf came to international attention following her role in acclaimed indie cannibal drama Raw, which hit cinemas back in 2016. She went on to appear in Netflix's crime drama Freud and the third season of Succession.
Rinko Kikuchi plays Emi Maruyama
Who is Emi Maruyama? Maruyama is Adelstein's supervisor at the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.
What else has Rinko Kikuchi been in? Kikuchi earned high praise and an Academy Award nomination for her performance in psychological drama Babel, while she also co-starred in Guillermo del Toro's epic blockbuster Pacific Rim. On the small screen, she has appeared in recently cancelled sci-fi drama Westworld and Apple TV+ original Invasion.
Tokyo Vice premieres on BBC One at 9:10pm on Tuesday 22nd November 2022. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what else is on.
The latest issue of Radio Times magazine is on sale now – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times View From My Sofa podcast.
