In the film, Yoshizawa, 29, plays the leading role of Suguru Ubukata, a butler who embarks on the journey at sea. His character was among those who sees the murder, and he subsequently leads an investigation to get to the bottom of the mystery.

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Yoshizawa is one of Japan’s rising stars who has been slowly accumulating fans across Asia over the past decade. Given this leading role in the hit Netflix film, we wouldn’t be surprised if the young actor’s performance catapults him into international stardom.

Throughout his childhood, Yoshizawa practised traditional Japanese kendo, a martial art similar to fencing where practitioners duel with swords fashioned out of bamboo.

The Tokyo-born star’s life took a turn when he entered The Push! Man competition held by entertainment company Amuse in 2009 after learning about the one million yen (around US$6,800) prize money. Yoshizawa took home the cash prize and won a contract with Amuse.

In 2011, Yoshizawa starred in the television show Kamen Rider Fourze, a spin-off of the long-running Japanese classic live-action superhero series The Kamen Rider. From there, he scored dozens of minor roles before playing a swordmaster in Gintama: Mitsuba Hen, a live-action adaptation of the popular manga series.

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His breakout roles include playing Qin emperor Ying Zheng in his formative years in Kingdom, a manga-turned-live-action film that garnered attention from fans and critics alike. He took home the best supporting actor titles at the 62nd Blue Ribbon Awards and 43rd Japan Academy Film Prize.

Yoshizawa also starred in several television commercials, including for SoftBank and Lotte Chocolate.

Despite his popularity in Japan, the dashing actor keeps his life mostly private, opting to stay clear of social media. Instagram pages run by his fans largely focus on photos from his official engagements. When it comes to style, the actor appears to favour a classic suit, which he often dons at premieres and events.

On several magazine covers, meanwhile, the actor dons muted and earthy colours. In a shoot for Japanese magazine Safari, he wears several looks in a mix of green and beige paired with a Tag Heuer timepiece.