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