[2] He made his theatrical debut in 2002 with Rokumeikan which was written by Yukio Mishima.

He worked closely with his father Mikijirō Hira, who was also a Japanese actor.

He received major recognition when he played the last shogun Yoshinobu Tokugawa in the NHK taiga drama Atsuhime.

He has appeared in several films of Takashi Miike, including Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai, Ace Attorney,[3] and Aku no Kyoten.

He has also had notable parts in the American films Lost Girls & Love Hotels (2020) and Snake Eyes (2021) and a minor role in Gran Turismo.