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

• Atsushi Sakurai (櫻井 敦司, 1966–2023), Japanese singer
• Hayato Sakurai (born 1975), mixed martial arts fighter
• Hideo Sakurai (桜井 秀男, born 1948), Japanese ice hockey player
• Jun John Sakurai (1933–1982), physicist
• Junko Sakurai (桜井 純子, born 1967), Japanese swimmer
• Kazutoshi Sakurai (born 1970), musician
• Kodai Sakurai (桜井 広大, born 1983), Japanese baseball player
• Koji Sakurai (桜井 孝次, born 1936), Japanese triple jumper
• Kunihiko Sakurai (桜井 邦彦, born 1972), 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
• Reika Sakurai (桜井 玲香, born 1994), Japanese idol, singer and actress
• Sho Sakurai (櫻井 翔, born 1982), singer, songwriter and actor, member of Arashi
• Shogo Sakurai (桜井 鐘吾, born 1984), football player
• Shōzō Sakurai (桜井省三, 1889–1985), 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
• Toshiharu Sakurai (born 1964), Japanese voice actor
• Yoshiko Sakurai (born 1945), journalist
• Tetsuo Sakurai (born 1957), bassist of Casiopea

• 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

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