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