Sakurai (written: 桜井 or 櫻井 literally "well of the cherry blossom") is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include:

  • , Japanese singer
  • Hayato Sakurai (born 1975), mixed martial arts fighter
  • , Japanese ice hockey player
  • Jun John Sakurai (1933–1982), physicist
  • , Japanese swimmer
  • Kazutoshi Sakurai (born 1970), musician
  • , Japanese baseball player
  • , Japanese triple jumper
  • , Japanese ice hockey player
  • Masahiro Sakurai (桜井 政博, born 1970), game designer
  • Masaru Sakurai (born 1955), singer for The Alfee
  • Makoto Sakurai (born 1972), right-wing activist
  • , Japanese idol, singer and actress
  • , singer, songwriter and actor, member of Arashi
  • , football player
  • , general of the Imperial Japanese Army
  • Takahiro Sakurai (born 1974), voice actor
  • Takao Sakurai (born 1941), Japanese boxer
  • Tokutaro Sakurai (1897–1980), general of the Imperial Japanese Army
  • Tomo Sakurai (1971–2025), Japanese actress and singer
  • Toshiharu Sakurai (born 1964), Japanese voice actor
  • Yoshiko Sakurai (born 1945), journalist
  • Tetsuo Sakurai (born 1957), bassist of Casiopea

Fictional characters

  • Kanade Sakurai, one of the main characters in the anime/manga Candy Boy
  • Shizuku Sakurai, one of the supporting characters in the anime/manga Candy Boy
  • Yukino Sakurai, another one of the main characters in the anime/manga Candy Boy
  • Yuuto Sakurai, one of the supporting characters in the television series Kamen Rider Den-O
  • Rihoko Sakurai, one of the 6 lead females of the anime and manga Amagami SS
  • Tomoki Sakurai, main character of Heaven's Lost Property
  • Kouichi Sakurai, one of the main 'prince' of otome game Tokimeki Memorial Girl's Side: 3rd Story
  • Goro Sakurai, one of the main characters in the J.A.K.Q. Dengekitai
  • Ryō Sakurai, a character from the anime/manga Kuroko no Basket
  • Izumi Sakurai, a character from the anime/manga Nichijou
  • Makoto Sakurai, a character from the anime/manga Nichijou
  • Shinichi Sakurai, one of the main characters in the anime and manga Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out!
  • Ryoko Sakurai, a character in the manga and anime series Great Teacher Onizuka
  • Keiwa Sakurai, one of the main characters in the television series Kamen Rider Geats
  • Haruka Sakurai, one of the characters in the interactive music video series MILGRAM
  • Nozomi Sakurai, one of the three main characters in the anime Kamisama Minarai: Himitsu no Cocotama

See also

  • Sakurai's Object, a star named after Japanese amateur astronomer Yukio Sakurai