‘The Full Monty’ comes to Japan to bare all and open minds

There’s plenty of skin on display in “The Full Monty,” but for Koji Yamamoto, the riskiest part of the musical may be performing entirely in English. 

Yamamoto, 49, plays unemployed steelworker Jerry Lukowski in the English-language production, which stars him and Japanese comedian Yuriyan Retriever alongside a cast of Broadway performers. The show opened Aug. 19 at the Tokyo International Forum, where it runs through Sept. 7 before moving to Osaka for a Sept. 10-14 engagement. On opening night, the cast received a standing ovation after the climactic final number.

“The Full Monty” marks the second collaboration between Yamamoto and director Trey Ellett. The pair first worked together in 2024 on “Rent,” another Japan-U.S. co-production with shows in Tokyo and Osaka, performed entirely in English with Japanese subtitles. Yamamoto had already played Mark Cohen, the musical’s lead character, in a 1998-99 Japanese production, but joining Ellett’s cast marked his first time performing it in English. He considered it a once-in-a-lifetime experience.