Welcome to JULLY WOOD JAPAN!

Today, we’re diving into the cast of Netflix’s Japanese reality dating series The Boyfriend (Season 1).

The series brings together nine men living under one roof in the seaside “Green Room,” where they spend a month running a coffee truck, building friendships and exploring the possibility of romance.

Here’s your guide to The Boyfriend cast, including their ages, heights, Instagram accounts, jobs and some surprisingly fun facts about the people behind one of Netflix Japan’s most talked-about reality shows.

Profiles and ages updated as of September 9, 2026.

Note: Some of the surprising facts below may contain minor spoilers.

Netflix The Boyfriend Cast: Profiles & Surprising Facts

Dai — Dai Nakai

A university student who openly pursued Shun from the moment they met.

この投稿をInstagramで見る

Dai Nakai / 中井 大(@dainakai)がシェアした投稿

ー

Surprising Facts About Dai Nakai

• Dai was still a university student when he appeared on The Boyfriend. After the series ended, he officially began pursuing a career in entertainment in August 2024.
• He previously spent around a year living in New Zealand, where he experienced values and ways of thinking different from those he had grown up with in Japan.
• Around two months after filming ended, Shun asked Dai if they should officially start dating. The two later began living together.
• Even in 2026, the couple continued appearing together at events as “DaiShun,” one of the relationships born from the series.
• Their YouTube channel passed 500,000 subscribers less than a month after launching, with viewers drawn to their relaxed, unfiltered life together.
• In 2025, they released the song “Last Person” under the name DaiShun, taking on music as a duo as well.
• Dai made his acting debut in Japan’s Worst Man, playing one half of a same-sex couple alongside Reo Sano and taking a new step into acting.

---

Shun — Shun Onitsuka

A cautious artist who slowly opened his heart to Dai.

この投稿をInstagramで見る

Shun Onitsuka(@shun._.onitsuka)がシェアした投稿

ー

Surprising Facts About Shun Onitsuka

• Shun has worked as a composer and DJ under the name “Haze glitch,” creating music even before appearing on The Boyfriend.
• On the show, he revealed that he was placed in an infant care institution shortly after birth and grew up in children’s homes until age 18.
• Before joining the series, Shun said he didn’t really expect to fall in love on a reality show. Meeting Dai ended up changing the way he thought about relationships.
• Around two months after filming, Shun asked Dai, “Why don’t we try dating?”, beginning their official relationship away from the cameras.
• Shun also creates background music used in DaiShun’s videos, supporting their content not only on camera but through the music itself.
• His favorite artists include Hikaru Utada and Cashmere Cat, while his favorite character is Doraemon.
• When it comes to beauty and wellness, he reportedly never skips sunscreen and practices kinkatsu—eating fermented and fungus-based foods such as natto, kimchi and mushrooms.

Taeheon — Taeheon Kim

A thoughtful mentor who supported the group while confronting his own future.

この投稿をInstagramで見る

TAEHEON(@taehonest)がシェアした投稿

ー

Surprising Facts About Taeheon Kim

• Born in South Korea, Taeheon later studied in the United Kingdom and graduated from the prestigious Central Saint Martins arts and design school.
• He created “The Croono,” a makeup brush designed to challenge conventional ideas of masculinity, using product design to question gender barriers.
• Taeheon speaks Korean, Japanese and English, and his international background helped make him a trusted listener for participants with very different experiences.
• He has experienced two long-distance relationships, and has said that studying abroad and dating across distances significantly changed his outlook on life.
• Joining Season 1 gave Taeheon the courage to tell his parents about his sexuality.
• After filming, he and Gensei remained in contact almost every day, developing a friendship in which they could share both good news and personal struggles.
• In 2026, Taeheon made a surprise return for Season 2, becoming the only Season 1 participant to enter the Green Room again.

---

Gensei — Gensei Azumai

A warmhearted hair and makeup artist who brought gentle energy to the Green Room.

この投稿をInstagramで見る

GENSEI(@gensei.am)がシェアした投稿

ー

Surprising Facts About Gensei Azumai

• Gensei has both Japanese and Taiwanese roots. After gaining experience at a hair salon in Tokyo’s Aoyama district, he became independent in 2016.
• He now works between Japan and Taiwan, doing hair and makeup for magazines, advertising campaigns, television and celebrities.
• Gensei speaks Chinese, Japanese and English, and is familiar with beauty culture in both Japan and Taiwan.
• His specialty is elegant makeup that highlights an individual’s natural personality, regardless of gender.
• Gensei later admitted that he was so nervous on his first day in the Green Room that he couldn’t fully be himself. Eventually, he came to accept that nervous side as part of who he is too.
• Although the show didn’t lead to romance for him, it gave him a lifelong friend in Taeheon. The two reportedly continued talking almost every day after filming.
• After the series was released, Gensei returned to Taiwan and resumed his hair and makeup work. He has since joined a Japanese entertainment agency and expanded his activities further.

Ryota — RYOTA

A quiet, thoughtful model who carefully navigated both love and friendship.

この投稿をInstagramで見る

RYOTA(@ryota_32_)がシェアした投稿

ー

Surprising Facts About RYOTA

• Ryota moved from Shimane to Tokyo at around 22 or 23 years old, working as a model while also taking a job at a café.
• On the series, he was introduced as a model and barista, and at one point he had even worked as a café manager.
• Ryota has said that he doesn’t limit attraction according to gender, preferring to fall for the individual rather than a category.
• He was initially attracted to Shun before developing stronger feelings for Kazuto, and his quiet, sincere approach resonated with many viewers.
• One of the show’s most memorable early misunderstandings came when Ryota mistook a letter from Gensei for one written by Shun.
• After appearing on the series, his modeling work increased dramatically, leading him to temporarily step away from café work and focus more heavily on fashion.
• In Netflix’s post-show interview, Ryota said he was still single and joked that he had learned not to immediately send a LINE message every time he spotted someone he liked.

---

Kazuto — KAZUTO

A gentle chef whose cooking and warmth made him one of the house favorites.

この投稿をInstagramで見る

Kazuto(@kaz._.too)がシェアした投稿

ー

Surprising Facts About KAZUTO

• Kazuto grew up in a rice-farming family in Minamiuonuma, Niigata, and originally planned to return home and take over the family business.
• After moving to Tokyo, he trained as a Japanese cuisine chef and was managing an izakaya in Yotsuya when he appeared on the show.
• Kazuto became the Green Room’s unofficial chef, living by the motto “Be the first to do the jobs nobody else wants to do.”
• USAK, Ryota, Alan and Ikuo all developed feelings for him, making Kazuto the most romantically sought-after participant of the season.
• Despite his calm appearance, Kazuto says he actually has “a gal inside his heart.” Around Alan, he occasionally revealed that playful side with expressions such as “cho age!”
• Although he and Alan did not become a couple, Kazuto has said that Alan remains an important and irreplaceable friend.
• In October 2025, Kazuto opened his own restaurant, using ingredients from Minamiuonuma to share the food culture of his hometown from Tokyo.

Usak — USAK

An internationally active GOGO dancer who quietly fell for Kazuto.

この投稿をInstagramで見る

Usak(@saksaksaksack)がシェアした投稿

ー

Surprising Facts About USAK

• USAK didn’t begin working as a GOGO dancer until around age 30. Before that, he had a completely different career.
• Known for his muscular physique, he now performs at clubs and events across Japan and other parts of Asia.
• Despite his powerful appearance, one of USAK’s biggest hobbies and talents is illustration, and he draws surprisingly delicate and cute artwork.
• To maintain his physique, he became famous on the show for drinking a blended chicken-breast shake, easily one of Season 1’s most unforgettable food moments.
• His enormous chicken consumption also put pressure on the Green Room’s food budget. Looking back, USAK admitted that he had been a little too obsessed with chicken at the time.
• Shortly after confessing his feelings to Kazuto, USAK left the Green Room early for a work commitment in Thailand, choosing to leave without demanding an answer.
• After appearing on the show, he said he became less hesitant about love and learned the importance of expressing his feelings instead of hiding them.

---

Alan — Alan Takahashi

A bright, passionate mood-maker who openly pursued Kazuto.

この投稿をInstagramで見る

Alan takahashi(@alantakahashi_official)がシェアした投稿

ー

Surprising Facts About Alan Takahashi

• Alan was born in Brazil and raised in Japan, and has Brazilian, Japanese and Italian roots.
• After graduating from high school, he began modeling in Nagoya while also gaining experience working with customers at a select shop.
• When he appeared on The Boyfriend, Alan was working for an IT-related company. He has since expanded his activities as a model and television personality.
• Alan was actually friends with producer Taiki before the series. With casting proving difficult, Taiki approached him directly and invited him to participate.
• His secret goal in the Green Room was simply “to get everyone excited together,” creating an atmosphere where the entire group—not just himself—could have fun.
• Although he and Kazuto didn’t become a couple, they remained close and important friends. Alan was the one who famously described Kazuto as having “a gal inside his heart.”
• Alan has said his one regret from the show was revealing too many details about his first date with Kazuto. Even so, he continues to stay in touch with the rest of the cast.

Ikuo — Ikuo Akiba

A late arrival who quickly shook up both the romance and the Green Room.

この投稿をInstagramで見る

秋場　郁雄(@ikuo.akiba_323)がシェアした投稿

ー

Surprising Facts About Ikuo Akiba

• Ikuo joined Season 1 midway through Episode 6, and his cheerful, proactive personality immediately shook up several relationships that had begun to stall.
• When he appeared on the show, he was working at a hamburger restaurant. After filming, he moved to another restaurant while continuing to pursue acting.
• Ikuo practiced judo from his school years and holds a first-degree black belt, a skill also listed on his agency profile.
• One of his hobbies is visiting cafés, while knowing an impressive amount about idols is apparently another of his special skills.
• While openly pursuing Kazuto, Ikuo also tried to help Dai and Shun reconcile. According to Ikuo himself, however, his intervention ended up backfiring.
• At the post-show reunion, Ikuo said he didn’t have a boyfriend, although he revealed that three people had approached him romantically at the same time.
• He is now represented by Oscar Promotion, moving from restaurant work into a new career as an actor and television personality.

---

Final Thoughts on The Boyfriend Cast

And there you have it!

From Dai and Shun’s relationship beyond the Green Room to Kazuto’s unexpected popularity and Taeheon and Gensei’s lasting friendship, The Boyfriend ended up creating connections that continued long after filming stopped.

Knowing what happened before and after the Green Room makes The Boyfriend cast even more interesting to revisit.

Thanks for reading!

If one of the cast members caught your attention, check out their Instagram accounts and post-show projects — you may be surprised by just how much their lives have changed since The Boyfriend.