Netflix took a massive gamble on a modern-day shinobi drama, and honestly, it paid off because of the people on screen. When you sit down to watch House of Ninjas (or Shinobi no Iato), you’re not just seeing random actors in masks. You are looking at a curated group of Japanese cinema royalty mixed with some incredibly fresh faces. The House of Ninjas cast is the engine of the show. Without the specific chemistry between Kento Kaku and Yosuke Eguchi, the whole "secret ninja family living in a brewery" thing would have felt, well, kinda ridiculous. Instead, it feels grounded. Heavy.
The show follows the Tawara family. They are the last remaining ninja clan in a Japan that has supposedly moved on from ancient shadow wars. But they haven't really moved on. They’re just repressed.
Kento Kaku as Haru: The Reluctant Heart
Kento Kaku isn't just the lead actor here; he’s actually the one who pitched the series to Netflix. Talk about skin in the game. He plays Haru, the second son who is absolutely haunted by a mission that went sideways years ago. If you’ve seen the live-action From Today, It's My Turn!! or Tokyo MER, you know Kaku has range. But in this House of Ninjas cast, he tones down his usual high-energy comedic timing for something much more internal.
Haru works at a vending machine company. It’s mundane. It’s boring. That’s the point. Kaku plays him with this constant slouch, a man trying to hide his own lethality. When he finally fights, the transition is jarring. He moves with a crispness that suggests months of dojo work. It isn't just movie magic; Kaku reportedly went through rigorous physical training to make sure the Tawara family’s "silent" movements felt authentic to the Bujinkan styles they were mimicking.
The Parents: Yosuke Eguchi and Tae Kimura
To understand the House of Ninjas cast, you have to look at the pillars. Yosuke Eguchi plays Soichi, the father. Eguchi is a legend in Japan. If you grew up on 90s J-Dramas like Under One Roof or saw him as Saito Hajime in the Rurouni Kenshin films, you know he carries a certain "cool" factor. Here, he’s playing against type as a guy who just wants to make sake and keep his family safe. He’s trying so hard to be "normal" that it’s almost painful to watch.
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Then there’s Tae Kimura as Yoko, the mother. She is arguably the most dangerous person in the house. Kimura has this incredible ability to look like a polite, unassuming housewife one second and a cold-blooded infiltrator the next. Her subplot involving shoplifting just to keep her skills sharp is one of the best character beats in the show. It adds a layer of "use it or lose it" desperation to the shinobi mythos that we rarely see in Western media.
The Supporting Tawara Members
- Bunta Kohira as Riku: The youngest son. He’s the only one kept in the dark about the family business. His innocence acts as the moral compass for the rest of the family.
- Aju Makita as Nagi: The sister. Makita is a powerhouse. You might recognize her from Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Shoplifters. In this show, she’s a college student who uses her ninja skills to "repossess" stolen art. She represents the struggle of the younger generation trying to find a purpose for ancient skills in a digital world.
- Nobuko Miyamoto as Taki: The grandmother. This was a casting masterstroke. Miyamoto is a giant of Japanese cinema, famous for her work with director Juzo Itami (think Tampopo). Having her play a cryptic, cigarette-smoking grandma who clearly knows where all the bodies are buried gives the show instant prestige.
The Antagonists and Outsiders
A hero is only as good as their villain, right? Enter the Fuma clan.
Takayuki Yamada appears as the mysterious leader of the rival faction. Yamada is a chameleon. Whether he’s playing a porn director in The Naked Director or a brave warrior in 13 Assassins, he disappears into roles. In the House of Ninjas cast, he brings a cult-leader energy that makes your skin crawl. He’s the perfect foil to the Tawaras’ rigid honor code because he simply does not care about the old ways.
Riho Yoshioka plays Karen Ito, the journalist sniffing around the family. Her chemistry with Kento Kaku provides the "civilian" perspective. She’s the audience surrogate. Through her, we see how weird it actually is for a family to never eat meat or follow strict "shinobi rules" in the middle of modern Tokyo.
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Why This Specific Cast Works for Global Audiences
Usually, Japanese dramas can feel a bit "stagey" to international viewers. The acting style in Japan often leans toward the theatrical. However, the House of Ninjas cast was directed by Dave Boyle, an American director who understands the rhythm of prestige TV. He pushed the actors toward a more naturalistic, gritty performance.
The nuance is in the silence.
There are long stretches where no one speaks. You see it in the way Tomorowo Taguchi (playing the Bureau of Ninja Management head) communicates with just a tired sigh. It’s a very "salaryman" take on a secret government agency. It feels real. It feels like a job.
Notable Cameos and Deep Cuts
If you are a fan of Japanese indie film, you’ll spot faces like Pierre Taki. He’s had his share of real-life controversy, but there’s no denying his screen presence. His inclusion adds a bit of "edge" to the world-building. These aren't just pretty faces; these are character actors with decades of experience in the trenches of Japanese entertainment.
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How to Follow the Cast Beyond the Show
If you finished the series and want more from this ensemble, there are specific places to look. For Kento Kaku, check out The Family on Netflix. For a deeper look at Yosuke Eguchi’s action chops, the Rurouni Kenshin series is mandatory viewing. Aju Makita is the one to watch for "serious" cinema—look up True Mothers.
The House of Ninjas cast succeeded because they didn't treat it like a "superhero" show. They treated it like a family drama where the family just happens to be able to disappear into the ceiling. That groundedness is why it stayed in the Top 10 for weeks.
To get the most out of your rewatch, pay attention to the background characters in the brewery scenes. Many of them are established theater actors in Japan, brought in to give the setting a sense of lived-in history. The attention to detail in the casting is exactly what separates this from a standard action flick.
Practical Steps for Fans
- Watch with Subtitles: To truly appreciate the performances of the House of Ninjas cast, switch from English dubbing to the original Japanese audio. The vocal fry and specific dialects used by the Fuma clan versus the Tawara family add a layer of class conflict you miss in the dub.
- Explore the Director's Cut Mentality: Follow Kento Kaku on social media. He often shares behind-the-scenes looks at the stunt coordination, which gives you a newfound respect for the physical labor the cast put in.
- Check Out "The Naked Director": If you want to see Takayuki Yamada’s range, this is the gold standard, though be warned—it is very much for adults only.
- Visit the Locations: Many of the scenes were filmed in and around Odawara. If you’re ever in Japan, visiting the Odawara Castle gives you a real-world look at the history the show draws from.
The show hasn't officially confirmed a second season yet, but given the cliffhangers involving certain cast members, the narrative architecture is definitely there. The way the final episode shifted the power dynamics between Nagi and Haru suggests that if we do get more, the focus might shift toward the younger generation's interpretation of what being a "ninja" means in 2026 and beyond.