If you’ve followed Japanese entertainment for more than five minutes, you know the "Salt Face" (shio-gao) look. It’s that clean, fair-skinned, sharp-yet-soft aesthetic that defines modern heartthrobs. Kentaro Sakaguchi basically invented the blueprint. For a decade, his face was as smooth as a polished marble statue, helping him land Prada campaigns and high-end magazine covers.
Then things changed. Recently, the Internet had a collective meltdown when Sakaguchi showed up looking less like a runway model and more like a rugged, slightly weary traveler. We’re talking about the Kentaro Sakaguchi facial hair era. It wasn’t just a little bit of stubble; it was a full-on mustache and beard combo that completely reframed his soft features.
Why does this matter? Because in the world of Japanese "ikemen," facial hair is a high-risk gamble. It either makes you look like a visionary artist or someone who just lost their razor in a hiking accident. For Sakaguchi, it was a deliberate pivot from "pretty boy" to "serious actor."
The Beyond Goodbye Reveal: A Mustache for the Ages
Most of the buzz surrounds his role in the Netflix series Beyond Goodbye (2024). In this project, Sakaguchi plays Yusuke, a man whose life is tragically cut short, only for his heart to live on in someone else. The narrative is heavy. It's emotional. It’s the kind of role that requires more than just a fresh-pressed suit.
To pull off the transition between different timelines and emotional states, Sakaguchi leaned into the facial hair. It wasn't just for show. The scruff added a layer of maturity and a sense of "lived-in" fatigue that you simply can't fake with makeup alone.
Honestly, it worked. Fans who were used to his pristine look in dramas like Signal or Dr. Storks were caught off guard. On social platforms like X and Instagram, the consensus was split. Some missed the clean-cut "shio-gao" poster boy, but many praised the "wilder" version of Sakaguchi for adding gravity to his performance.
🔗 Read more: Emma Thompson and Family: What Most People Get Wrong About Her Modern Tribe
Breaking the "Salt Face" Stereotype
The term "Salt Face" describes men with fair skin, narrow eyes, and a generally "cool" but approachable vibe. Sakaguchi has been the poster child for this since his Men's Non-no days.
Facial hair usually breaks this aesthetic. It introduces "heat" and "grit." By growing out his beard, Sakaguchi effectively told the industry he’s done being the "refreshing" youth. He's 34 now. The stubble is a rite of passage.
Evolution of the Grooming Style
Sakaguchi doesn't just wake up and decide to be scruffy. His career has been a very calculated march toward versatility. Look at the timeline:
- 2010–2017: The Men's Non-no years. Purely clean-shaven. Very high-fashion, very youthful.
- 2018–2022: The "Leading Man" phase. Think Signal or The Last 10 Years. Occasionally, you'd see a shadow of stubble for "gritty" scenes, but it was mostly gone by the next press conference.
- 2023–Present: The "Character Actor" phase. This is where the Kentaro Sakaguchi facial hair becomes a permanent resident. Between Side by Side and Beyond Goodbye, the scruff became a tool for storytelling.
In Side by Side (2023), his character Miyama had a specific, ethereal quality. While not a full beard, he sported a "natural" unkempt look that signaled he was someone living outside the normal boundaries of society. It was a subtle bridge to the full mustache we eventually saw in his more recent work.
The Prada Effect
Even as a brand ambassador for Prada, Sakaguchi didn't immediately shave when he hit the international fashion weeks. At the Milan Fashion Week shows for the Fall/Winter 2025-2026 collections, he maintained a more groomed version of his facial hair. It proved that "scruffy Sakaguchi" could still be "luxury Sakaguchi."
💡 You might also like: How Old Is Breanna Nix? What the American Idol Star Is Doing Now
He’s proving that the rugged look isn’t just for action stars. It can be sophisticated. You've got to appreciate the confidence it takes to walk into a high-fashion event with a mustache when your entire brand was built on being "clean."
Why the Beard Works (And Why It Doesn't)
Let’s be real. Not every fan is on board. There is a very vocal segment of the fanbase that wants the 2015 version of Kentaro back. They miss the soft jawline and the "pure" image.
However, from an acting standpoint, the facial hair is a gift. It hides the "pretty" and lets the eyes do the work. In Beyond Goodbye, his eyes carry so much grief; the beard acts as a frame that draws you into that expression rather than distracting you with a perfect jawline.
Basically, the facial hair makes him look human. It makes him look like a guy who’s actually gone through something, which is essential for the heavy-hitter roles he’s taking on now.
How to Get the Sakaguchi Look
If you’re looking to emulate the Kentaro Sakaguchi facial hair style, don't just stop shaving. It’s actually more work than it looks.
📖 Related: Whitney Houston Wedding Dress: Why This 1992 Look Still Matters
First, his beard is never "heavy." It’s patchy in a way that looks intentional. He keeps the cheeks relatively clear and focuses the growth on the chin and the mustache area. It’s a "lazy-yet-manicured" vibe.
- Start with a 3mm to 5mm trim. You don't want a bush; you want texture.
- Define the mustache. Sakaguchi’s mustache is usually more prominent than the beard. Keep the mustache slightly longer than the chin hair to create a focal point.
- Hydrate the skin. Because his look is "Salt Face" adjacent, the skin around the hair needs to be flawless. Use a light beard oil that won't clog your pores.
- Keep the hair "unruly." Sakaguchi often pairs his facial hair with messy, voluminous hair that covers the ears. The contrast between the scruff on the face and the soft hair on the head is the key.
What’s Next for Kentaro’s Face?
With the success of his recent international collaborations—like the Japan-Korea romance What Comes After Love with Lee Se-young—Sakaguchi is becoming a global face. Interestingly, for that specific role, he went back to a cleaner look.
This tells us one thing: the facial hair is a choice, not a lifestyle. He’s a chameleon. He grows it for the soul-crushing dramas and shaves it for the sweeping romances.
If you want to keep up with his look, your best bet is following his official Instagram or checking out the latest Netflix drops. One day he’s a scruffy wanderer, the next he’s a polished Prada model. That’s the magic of Sakaguchi. He isn't afraid to look "un-pretty" if it means the character feels real.
To see the most dramatic version of this look, watch the first two episodes of Beyond Goodbye. Pay attention to how the lighting hits the stubble during the mountain scenes—it’s a masterclass in using grooming for cinematography. Whether you love the scruff or hate it, you have to admit: the man knows how to keep us talking.
Actionable Insight: If you're a fan of Sakaguchi's new aesthetic, look for his 2024–2025 pictorials in GQ Japan or Vogue Japan. These shoots often lean into his mature, bearded look more than his TV commercials do, offering a better look at how he styles the scruff for a professional setting.