In 1999, when he was 25 years old and wondering if he should quit voice acting, he got regular roles in two movies in a row, Digimon Adventure and Sensual Phrase, and in the same year, he sang his first character song in his first starring movie, Gate Keepers. Even before his official debut, he had already received work in radio dramas and other projects during his time at the training school, but for a while after his debut, there was a period of time when he was unable to find work even after auditioning.
After moving on from the training school, he became a member of 81 Produce under the influence of his admiration for Toshihiko Seki. After graduating from Yoyogi Animation Academy in Nagoya and 81 Acting Institute, he made his official anime debut in 1996 with the TV animation series Bakusō Kyōdai Let's & Go!!. Sakurai graduated from Okazaki Johsei High School. When he was a child, he was impacted by an interview program with a voice actor that he happened to watch on TV, and became interested in the voice acting industry.
Sakurai was born as the eldest of three siblings to a family that owned a rice shop.
