is a Japanese actor, singer, and radio personality. He is regarded as a Japanese icon after achieving success as an actor. He was also a popular member of
SMAP
SMAP was a Japanese boy band, composed of Masahiro Nakai, Takuya Kimura, Goro Inagaki, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, and Shingo Katori. The group was created in 1988 by music producer Johnny Kitagawa, founder of Johnny & Associates, originally as a six- ...
, one of the best-selling
boy bands in Asia.
A 1996 television drama series, ''
Long Vacation
''Long Vacation'' (, also known as ) is a Japanese television drama series from Fuji Television, first shown in Japan from 15 April to 24 June 1996.
The show's high ratings in Japan made Takuya Kimura popular in the Asia-Pacific region and is ...
'', in which he landed his first lead role, became a massive success, creating a phrase called the "''Lon-bake phenomenon"''. He was given the title, "The King of Ratings", as his subsequent television series continued to generate high ratings and each show became a social phenomenon as it aired. Five of his works are ranked in the 10 best-viewed TV drama series in Japan, the highest of which is his 2001 drama series, ''
Hero
A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or a main fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or strength. Like other formerly gender-specific terms (like ''actor''), ''her ...
''. He also starred in
blockbuster
Blockbuster or Block Buster may refer to:
*Blockbuster (entertainment) a term coined for an extremely successful movie, from which most other uses are derived.
Corporations
* Blockbuster (retailer), a defunct video and game rental chain
** Bl ...
films, including ''
Love and Honor'' (2006), ''
Hero
A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or a main fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or strength. Like other formerly gender-specific terms (like ''actor''), ''her ...
'' (2007) and ''
Howl's Moving Castle
''Howl's Moving Castle'' is a fantasy novel by British author Diana Wynne Jones, first published in 1986 by Greenwillow Books of New York. It was a runner-up for the annual Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, and won the Phoenix Award twenty years ...
'' (as a voice actor, 2004).
Kimura is also known for his work in the video games
''Judgment'' and ''
Lost Judgment
''Lost Judgment'' is an action-adventure video game developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and published by Sega. It was released for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S on September 24, 2021, for Amazon Luna on March 31, 2022, ...
'', portraying
Takayuki Yagami
, for short, is a fictional character in Sega's 2018 action-adventure video game ''Judgment'', which is a spin-off from the ''Yakuza'' game series. Yagami is a former defense attorney who resigns after a client he successfully defended kill ...
.
Career
Music
In 1987, at age 15, Kimura auditioned to enter
Johnny & Associates
is a Japanese talent agency, formed by Johnny Kitagawa in 1962, which trains and promotes groups of male entertainers known as .
History 1962–1989
In 1962, Kitagawa launched his first group, Johnnys. In its early days, Kitagawa's agency re ...
, a talent agency that recruits and trains young boys to become singers and members of boy bands. In Autumn 1987, twenty young boys, including Kimura, were put together into a group called The Skate Boys, which was initially created as backup dancers for a famous boy band,
Hikaru Genji
is the protagonist of Murasaki Shikibu's important Heian-era Japanese novel '' The Tale of Genji''. The story describes him as a superbly handsome man and a genius. Genji is the second son of a Japanese emperor, but he is relegated to civi ...
.
In April 1988, producer
Johnny Kitagawa
John Hiromu Kitagawa (Japanese name ; October 23, 1931 – July 9, 2019), known professionally as , was an American-born Japanese businessman and talent manager. He was the founder and president of Johnny & Associates, a production agency for nu ...
chose six out of the twenty boys to create a new boy band; "SMAP."
In 2020, Kimura released his first solo album, entitled "Go with the Flow". The album, which included songs written for Kimura by well-known bands and artists such as
">LEXANDROS Superfly,
Noriyuki Makihara
, nicknamed by his fans, is a Japanese pop singer-songwriter. He has sold a total of 21 million copies in Japan alone.
Biography
Makihara was born on 18 May 1969 in Takatsuki, Osaka, Japan. He attended Aoyama Gakuin University to study Engli ...
, and
Love Psychedelico
is a Japanese rock band, often called Delico for short. They are popular not only in Japan but also Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Members
* Kumi (Born April 11, 1976, in Chiba Prefecture) – lead vocals, guitars, etc.
** Kumi speaks English because ...
, debuted at #1 on the
Oricon Albums Chart on the week of its release. A month later, he held a four-day tour in both Tokyo and Osaka entitled "TAKUYA KIMURA Live Tour 2020 Go with the Flow". The concert was released on Blu-Ray and DVD, on July 8, 2020, debuting at #1 as well on the Oricon Charts.
On May 20, 2021, the
Weibo Starlight Awards 2020 ceremony was held online. Kimura, alongside his two daughters, Cocomi and Kōki, were awarded alongside Western artists such as
Katy Perry,
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bor ...
, and
Louis Koo
Louis Koo Tin-lok ( zh, t=古天樂; born 21 October 1970) is a Hong Kong people, Hong Kong actor, singer and film producer. He began his professional career as an actor in local television series, winning TVB's Best Actor award in 1999 and 2001 ...
.
A follow up to his solo album "Go with the Flow" was released on January 19, 2022, entitled "Next Destination". The album features the song entitled "Mojo Drive", a collaboration between Kimura and renowned city-pop artist
Tatsuro Yamashita
, occasionally credited as Tatsu Yamashita or Tats Yamashita, is a Japanese singer-songwriter and record producer, who is known for pioneering the style of Japanese Soft rock, adult-oriented rock/soft rock music.
His most well-known song is "C ...
, who wanted to write a song to highlight Kimura's baritone voice after attending his solo concert in February. Yamashita also composed two other tracks, namely "Good Luck, Good Time", and "Morning Dew" for the album. In addition to Yamashita, "Next Destination" also features songs written by
Kyōka Suzuki,
Sanma Akashiya
is a Japanese comedian, TV presenter, radio personality and actor most commonly known as Sanma-san. His real name is . His talent agency is Yoshimoto Kogyo and his shishô (master) back when he studied ''rakugo'' is Shōfukutei Matsunosuke.
Tog ...
,
Man with a Mission
Man with a Mission, stylized as MAN WITH A MISSION or sometimes as MWAM, is a Japanese rock band which was formed in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan, in 2010. The band currently consists of five band members, with stage names of Tokyo Tanaka (vocals, lead ...
, and
Shigesato Itoi
is a Japanese copywriter, essayist, lyricist, game designer, and actor. Itoi is the editor-in-chief of his website and company '' Hobo Nikkan Itoi Shinbun'' ("Almost Daily Itoi Newspaper"). He is best known outside Japan for his work on Nintendo ...
.
Acting
In 1988, Kimura made his acting debut in a television series, ''Abunai Shonen III'', along with his band members. After appearing in several television series, he first attracted attention after landing a role in a high-rated television series, ''
Asunaro Hakusho
is a Japanese manga series by Fumi Saimon that was serialized in Shogakukan's ''Big Comic Spirits''. It won the Shogakukan Manga Award for general manga in 1992.
Cast
*Hikari Ishida as Narumi Sonoda
* Michitaka Tsutsui as Tamotsu Kakei
*Ta ...
'', in 1993. The scene where he hugged his co-star
Hikari Ishida
(born May 25, 1972) is a Japanese actress. She starred along with Megumi Odaka and Natsuki Ozawa in the TV-series ''Hana no Asuka-gumi!''. She also released several singles and six albums and she had one minor hit with the song "Emerald no Suna ...
from behind became popular in Japan and a man hugging a girl from behind was later named "asunaro daki", meaning "asunaro hug". From 1994, men in Japan started copying his fashion and style, as clothes and fashion items became instant hits, the thick, black-rimmed glasses he wore in ''Asunaro Hakusho'', being one of them. The phenomenon was collectively called the "Kimutaku syndrome". He won the
Ishihara Yujiro New Artist Award for his performance in ''Shoot'', in which he made his screen debut.
He first landed the lead role in ''
Long Vacation
''Long Vacation'' (, also known as ) is a Japanese television drama series from Fuji Television, first shown in Japan from 15 April to 24 June 1996.
The show's high ratings in Japan made Takuya Kimura popular in the Asia-Pacific region and is ...
'' in 1996. The series, which aired every Monday night, saw massive success and was the highest-rated program that year, thus becoming a social phenomenon. Media stated that, "women disappear from the city on Mondays", pointing out the large viewership and how intoxicating the show was for women in Japan. After Kimura playing a young pianist, there was a rapid increase of young men who started taking piano lessons. The cultural impact and influences of the show is commonly referred to as the "Lonvaca (ron-bake) phenomenon". This was also a breakthrough for Kimura as an actor and helped him gain recognition and a more broad fan base.
In 2000, he starred in a television series, ''
Beautiful Life'', which became a massive hit, with the final episode marking above the 40% household share rating and becoming the highest-rated program for that slot (Sunday 9:00pm). In 2001, Kimura starred in ''
Hero
A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or a main fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or strength. Like other formerly gender-specific terms (like ''actor''), ''her ...
'', which became the all-time highest-rated television series in Japan and the only program in history to have all episodes mark above the 30% household share rating. Subsequent television series, such as ''
Good Luck!!
is a 2003 Japanese television drama starring Takuya Kimura. The story revolves around an up-and-coming pilot, Hajime Shinkai, and portrays his interactions with others as he progresses along the road to becoming a captain. As is common in many J ...
'', ''
Pride
Pride is defined by Merriam-Webster as "reasonable self-esteem" or "confidence and satisfaction in oneself". A healthy amount of pride is good, however, pride sometimes is used interchangeably with "conceit" or "arrogance" (among other words) w ...
'' and ''
Engine
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert one or more forms of energy into mechanical energy.
Available energy sources include potential energy (e.g. energy of the Earth's gravitational field as exploited in hydroelectric power ...
'', also generated high-ratings. Five of his most successful television series, ''Hero'' (2001), ''Beautiful Life'' (2000), ''Love Generation'' (1997), ''Good Luck!!'' (2003), and ''Long Vacation'' (1996) are ranked in the top ten highest-rated television series in Japanese history.
In 2004, he played a supporting role in a Cannes-nominated film ''
2046'', and walked the red carpet of Cannes Festival for the first time. Kimura also voiced Howl Pendragon, the titular character of
Studio Ghibli
is a Japanese animation studio headquartered in Koganei, Tokyo."Studio Ghibli Collection - Madman Entertainment". ''Studio Ghibli Collection - Madman Entertainment''. Retrieved 2020-12-14. It is best known for its animated feature films, and h ...
's ''
Howl's Moving Castle
''Howl's Moving Castle'' is a fantasy novel by British author Diana Wynne Jones, first published in 1986 by Greenwillow Books of New York. It was a runner-up for the annual Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, and won the Phoenix Award twenty years ...
'' in 2004. He was the lead actor in ''
Love and Honor'' (2006). Although he was nominated for numerous prestigious awards for ''Love and Honor'', including the
Japan Academy Award, his agency,
Johnny & Associates
is a Japanese talent agency, formed by Johnny Kitagawa in 1962, which trains and promotes groups of male entertainers known as .
History 1962–1989
In 1962, Kitagawa launched his first group, Johnnys. In its early days, Kitagawa's agency re ...
, declined all nominations, though some organizations still announced him as the winner, such as the
Tokyo Sports Film Awards
The are film-specific prizes awarded solely by the ''Tokyo Sports''.
Categories
There are following categories:
*Best Film
* Best Actor
*Best Actress
* Best Supporting Actor
* Best Supporting Actress
* Best Director
* Best Newcomer
*Best Foreign ...
, headed by
Takeshi Kitano
is a Japanese comedian, television presenter, actor, filmmaker, and author. While he is known primarily as a comedian and TV host in his native Japan, he is better known abroad for his work as a filmmaker and actor as well as TV host. With th ...
and Cinema Junpo. Earning over 40.3 billion yen, the film became the biggest hit for director
Yoji Yamada
is a Japanese film director best known for his ''Otoko wa Tsurai yo'' series of films and his Samurai Trilogy (''The Twilight Samurai'', ''The Hidden Blade'' and '' Love and Honor'').
Biography
He was born in Osaka, but due to his father's job ...
during his four-decade career, as well as becoming the biggest box-office earner in
Shochiku
() is a Japanese film and kabuki production and distribution company. It also produces and distributes anime films, in particular those produced by Bandai Namco Filmworks (which has a long-time partnership—the company released most, if not ...
's history.
In ''
Blade of the Immortal
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hiroaki Samura. The series is set in Japan during the mid- Tokugawa Shogunate period and follows the cursed samurai Manji, who has to kill 1,000 evil men in order to regain his morta ...
'' (2017),
Takashi Miike
is a Japanese film director, film producer and screenwriter. He has directed over one hundred theatrical, video, and television productions since his debut in 1991. His films run through a variety of different genres, and range from violent a ...
cast Kimura for the role as he found him fitting due to Kimura's personal life and the differences he has with the other members of the music group SMAP. Additionally, since Kimura was also popular within Japanese fandom for over two decades by the time the film was made, he felt that his appeal would attract a bigger audience.
When Miike asked his team about what they thought of Kimura playing the role of Manji, the team reacted negatively, believing that he would not be able to portray Manji. However, Miike still felt that due to Kimura's experience in films, he has suitable to play the leading role in the movie.
He said that he personally selected Kimura, "a superstar who made the transition from the
Showa era to the
Heisei era
The is the period of Japanese history corresponding to the reign of Emperor Emeritus Akihito from 8 January 1989 until his abdication on 30 April 2019. The Heisei era started on 8 January 1989, the day after the death of the Emperor Hirohito, ...
," as "the world's strongest member of the Miike Gang, the Ittō-ryū fighting school of our film industry."
Kimura expressed multiple thoughts about his acting as Manji, such as how he deals with make up and action sequences. However, Kimura suffered a major wound while filming, resulting in him not being able to walk for various days. Blade of the Immortal was eventually screened out-of-competition at the Cannes Festival, making this Kimura's second appearance at the event.
In 2021, it was announced that Kimura would be starring in the television adaption of German author Frank Schätzing's environmental thriller,
The Swarm. The series is now in post-production.
In 2022, Kimura was announced to star as historical figure
Oda Nobunaga alongside
Haruka Ayase
is a Japanese actress, model and singer who started her career as a gravure idol in 2000. She has since become a leading actress in television and film.
Life and career
Early life and education
Haruka Ayase was born as Aya Tademaru on March ...
as
Nohime in ''The Legend and Butterfly'', a film to commemorate
Toei's 70th Anniversary in 2023. This is the first time Kimura has portrayed Nobunaga in 25 years, following his first appearance as the 16th century samurai in the 1998 historical drama "Nobunaga Oda: The Fool Who Takes The World" for
TBS. The film is scheduled released on January 27, 2023, and is directed by
Keishi Otomo and written by Ryota Kosawa. On November 6, 2022, Kimura made an appearance dressed as Nobunaga at the annual
Gifu Nobunaga Festival alongside fellow actor
Hideaki Ito
Hideaki (ひであき) is a masculine Japanese given name.
Possible writings
Hideaki can be written using different kanji characters and can mean:
*秀秋, "excellent", "autumn"
*英秋, "outstanding", "autumn"
*秀明, "excellent", "bright"
...
on horseback. The festival drew in half-a-million people, more than the city's population, with many hoping to catch a glimpse of Kimura.
Television
As a member of the boy band SMAP, he used to co-host a weekly variety show ''
SMAPxSMAP'' for 20 years until the group's dissolution on New Year's Eve 2016. They welcomed a number of international celebrities such as
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
, Madonna and Lady Gaga as well as Japanese guests.
He has also occasionally made cameo appearances in other shows, such as on Netflix's
Jimmy: The True Story of a True Idiot, and has been a guest on numerous variety shows.
Since 2003, Kimura hosts an annual variety show entitled ''Santaku'' alongside comedian
Sanma Akashiya
is a Japanese comedian, TV presenter, radio personality and actor most commonly known as Sanma-san. His real name is . His talent agency is Yoshimoto Kogyo and his shishô (master) back when he studied ''rakugo'' is Shōfukutei Matsunosuke.
Tog ...
to commemorate the start of a New Year. However in 2017, it was broadcast in April due to the official disbanding of the SMAP on New Year's Eve of the previous year.
Gaming
Early in the development of
action game ''
Judgment
Judgement (or US spelling judgment) is also known as ''adjudication'', which means the evaluation of evidence to make a decision. Judgement is also the ability to make considered decisions. The term has at least five distinct uses. Aristotle s ...
'', the developers at
Sega and
Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
is a video game developer housed within the Japanese video game company Sega as part of its division. It is known for developing the games in the ''Yakuza'' series, which the studio is named after, since '' Yakuza 5''.
The studio's origins can ...
considered using a famous actor to portray the lead
Takayuki Yagami
, for short, is a fictional character in Sega's 2018 action-adventure video game ''Judgment'', which is a spin-off from the ''Yakuza'' game series. Yagami is a former defense attorney who resigns after a client he successfully defended kill ...
.
Writer
Toshihiro Nagoshi
is a Japanese video game producer, director and designer. He was the chief creative officer for Sega until 2021 when he became creative director. He went on to be the general director of Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, and later became a member of the ...
was afraid audiences would accuse them of toning down the character due to Kimura's popularity. However, Kimura was open to the team's suggestions and worked with the developers to hone the character. Sega was pleased with Kimura's performance, noting he needed far fewer retakes during recording than they anticipated. Some lines were rewritten to better fit Kimura's delivery, but the writers ensured these changes would not deviate from Yagami's personality. The game's dialogue was recorded in chronological order so players would feel Kimura's voice evolving as Yagami's character develops during the story. Kimura enjoyed his work on the game, and Nagoshi remarked on Kimura's quick response to his messages. In contrast with previous ''Yakuza'' titles, the game was not recorded until after the whole scenario was written, which helped Kimura and the other actors.
Due to Kimura's popularity within ''Judgment'', Japanese fans have often nicknamed the game with "Kimutaku" being a short of Takuya Kimura while "Gotoku" ("Like a" Japanese) as a reference to the original Japanese title of
''Yakuza'''.
Kimura reprised his role as Yagami in the sequel to Judgment, entitled ''
Lost Judgment
''Lost Judgment'' is an action-adventure video game developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and published by Sega. It was released for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S on September 24, 2021, for Amazon Luna on March 31, 2022, ...
'' released on September 24, 2021. He announced the sequel in an event entitled "Judgment Day" alongside series creator Toshihiro Nagoshi.
Personal life
Kimura married singer
Shizuka Kudo
, known by her maiden name , is a Japanese singer, actress and former idol, born in Hamura, Tokyo, Japan. She was a member of Onyanko Club between May 1986 and September 1987 and went on to have a successful solo career with 11 number-one hits ...
on December 5, 2000. They have two daughters:
Cocomi, born on May 1, 2001; and
Kõki, born on February 5, 2003.
Other ventures
Product endorsement
As a member of SMAP, Kimura alongside his fellow bandmates were former ambassadors for telecommunications conglomerate
SoftBank
is a Japanese multinational conglomerate holding company headquartered in Minato, Tokyo which focuses on investment management. The Group primarily invests in companies operating in technology, energy, and financial sectors. It also runs the Vi ...
. He is also well-known for being the previous brand ambassador for the Japanese men's grooming brand GATSBY, promoting its iconic Moving Rubber series. Kimura has been the brand ambassador for several other well-known brands, such as
Suntory,
Levi's,
LINE, and
Nikon
(, ; ), also known just as Nikon, is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, specializing in optics and imaging products. The companies held by Nikon form the Nikon Group.
Nikon's products include cameras, camera ...
. He is also known for starring in a series of ads for
Toyota
is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...
, alongside
Takeshi Kitano
is a Japanese comedian, television presenter, actor, filmmaker, and author. While he is known primarily as a comedian and TV host in his native Japan, he is better known abroad for his work as a filmmaker and actor as well as TV host. With th ...
and
Hugh Jackman
Hugh Michael Jackman (born 12 October 1968) is an Australian actor. Beginning in theatre and television, he landed his breakthrough role as James "Logan" Howlett / Wolverine in the 20th Century Fox ''X-Men'' film series (2000–2017), a role ...
. Kimura and Kitano portray
Oda Nobunaga and
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
, otherwise known as and , was a Japanese samurai and ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) of the late Sengoku period regarded as the second "Great Unifier" of Japan.Richard Holmes, The World Atlas of Warfare: Military Innovations that Changed the Cour ...
, while Jackman portrays the sailor
Marco Polo. Together with
Beyoncé, Kimura served as the brand ambassador for Japanese fashion brand
Samantha Thavasa
Samantha Thavasa is a Japanese luxury fashion house founded in 1994 by Kazumasa Terada. The label is known primarily for its handbags popular among women in their twenties. Other accessory lines such as Samantha Thavasa Deluxe, Samantha Vega, S ...
.
As of 2021, Kimura is the current brand ambassador for
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is an American multinational fast food chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechristened their business as a hambur ...
in Japan, and car manufacturer
Nissan. In 2021, he partnered with
Ray-Ban to produce two lines of special Ray-Ban Aviators and Wayfarers, with his initials engraved by hand.
Filmography
Film
Television (as actor)
Television (as personality)
Radio
Theatre
Video games
Discography
*''Go with the Flow'' (2020)
*''Next Destination'' (2022)
Awards
Publications
*''Kai-Ho-Ku'' (April 24, 2003)
*''Kai-Ho-Ku 2'' (September 30, 2011)
*''Kimura Takuya'' (1996)
*''Percentage'' (November 11, 2006)
*''Kimura Takuya x Men's Non-No Endless'' (September 30, 2011)
References
External links
Johnny's net Official Profile(English)*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kimura, Takuya
1972 births
Japanese idols
Japanese male film actors
Japanese male pop singers
Japanese male television actors
Japanese male video game actors
Japanese male voice actors
Japanese rhythm and blues singers
Living people
SMAP members
20th-century Japanese male actors
21st-century Japanese male actors
20th-century Japanese male singers
20th-century Japanese singers
21st-century Japanese male singers
21st-century Japanese singers
Japanese baritones