is a Japanese singer, entertainer, actor and a member of the singer-songwriter duo WaT and belongs to the production company Burning Productions.

Early career

Born in Mitaka, Tokyo to a Japanese mother and a

German American German Americans (german: Deutschamerikaner, ) are Americans who have full or partial German ancestry. With an estimated size of approximately 43 million in 2019, German Americans are the largest of the self-reported ancestry groups by the Unite ...

father, Wentz became involved in the entertainment industry at a very young age. Wentz initially started as a model at the age of four and made his acting debut as the role of Chip in the Four Seasons Musical Troupe production of '' Beauty and the Beast''. He became famous as a child actor as a regular on the NHK television show, , where he played bass guitar and piano at the age of ten. During live performances, he played the acoustic bass as well as the

keyboard Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Mu ...

. He started learning the guitar from the age of 17. He is featured in the popular rock band

Luna Sea Luna Sea (stylized as LUNA SEA) is a Japanese rock band formed in Kanagawa Prefecture in 1986. Due to the use of make-up and costumes early in their career and their widespread popularity, they are considered one of the most successful and inf ...

's music video for their 1996 single " In Silence". He originally wanted to be a fashion model, but he was too short to become one.Gendai.net
この人物のオモテとウラ　ウエンツ瑛士（タレント）
When he terminated his contract with ''Tensai Terebi-kun'', he decided to get away from show-business, but after the recommendation of Hiromi Go, he entered Burning Productions and became a ''

tarento Television personalities in Japan, known as in Japanese, are celebrities who regularly appear in mass media in Japan, especially as panelists on variety shows. During the Golden Age of Hollywood, bankable stars in America were described as " ...

''. He began his acting career at the age of 18, when he played a minor role in the NHK television series ''Toshiie To Matsu''. In 2007, he started to appear in several of Cocorico's comedy shows as Shorty Tanaka (''ちっこい田中'', Little Tanaka) and since ''Tensai Terebi Kun'', he is a ''deshi'' (student) of Yoshimoto comedian Hōsei Tsukitei.WentZ Eiji H-Diary
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Musical career

After ''Tensai Terebi-kun'' ended, Wentz continued to play music and started the band WaT with Teppei Koike. They started in 2002 with street performances. In February 2004, they released an indie-label CD. In August 2005, they signed with

Universal Music Group Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch–American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...

and had their major debut in November 2005.

Popularity

His popularity may be derived from his self-mocking "comedian" character, as he often talks about his "foolishness", short height, and difficulty in speaking English.

Personal life

Wentz is a follower of the baseball team

Saitama Seibu Lions The are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League based north of Tokyo in Tokorozawa, Saitama, Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture. Before 1979, they were based in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture in Kyushu. The team is owned by a subsidiary ...

.Spysee
/ref> He was once invited to the Lions' victory ceremony in 2008, and has a large collection of baseball cards. He also has over 800 volumes of

manga Manga ( Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is ...

Works

Variety television

* ''Hayami English Network'' (1994–1995) * ''Tensai Terebi-kun / Tensai Terebi-kun Wide'' (April 1995 – March 2000) * ''Chikara no Kagiri Go Go Go!!'' (October 2001 – February 2002) * ''Shūkan Tokudane Kazoku!!'' (October 2002 – December 2002) * ''F2/F2-X'' (October 2002 – September 2004) * '' Nōnai Esthe IQ Supli'' (May 2004 – March　2009, as host) * ''Pretty Kids'' (October 2004 – March 2005, as host) * ''Hanataka Tengu'' (April 2005 – September 2005) * ''Barioku!'' (October 2005 – March 2006, as host) * ''Ame nimo Makezu'' (April 2006 – September 2006, as host) * ''

Ainori , literally "Ride together", or "Car pool" but can also be read as "love ride", is a popular television program that runs Monday evenings from 11 pm in Japan on Fuji TV. It debuted on October 11, 1999. The show originally ended on March 23, 2009 ...

'' (April 2006 – March　2009, as host) * ''Ponkikki'' (April 2006 – March 2007, as host) * ''D no Gekijō'' (September 2006 – September 2007) * ''Dokusen! Kinyōbi no Kokuhaku'' (October 2007 – March　2008) * ''Kentei Japon'' (April 2008 – September 2008) * ''Atarashii Nami 16'' (October 2008 – March 2009, as host) * ''Jinsei motto mankitsu　hour　Tokimeke! Week wonder'' (October　2008 – February　2009) * ''Sakiyomi'' (July 2008–present) * ''Super Surprise'' (April 2009–present, as host) * ''Minna no Enquete Show Honne no Dendou!! Shinsuke niha wakarumai'' (May 2009–present)

Television dramas

* ''Kyūmei Senshi Nano Seibaa'' (1995), a drama within the NHK show ''Tensai Terebi-kun'' * ''Toshiie and Matsu'' (2002) as Mori Ranmaru * ''Tentei Kazoku'' (2002) as Tomoda Yūki * ''

Gokusen is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kozueko Morimoto. It was serialized in Shueisha's ''You'' from 2000 to 2007, with its chapters collected in fifteen '' wideban'' volumes. The story follows Kumiko Yamaguchi, the grandd ...

'', part 6 guest star (2002) as Yūki Masato * ''Raion Sensei'' (2003) as Furuta Takumi * ''Fujiko Hemingu no Kiseki'' (2003) as Ōtsuki Urufu * ''Aa, Tantei Jimusho'', part 3 guest star (2004) as Inaba Yusuke * ''Tadashii Renai no Susume'' (2005) as Takeda Hiroaki * ''Rondo'', part 1-2 guest star (2006) as Toda Masato * ''Kirakira Kenshūi'' (2007) as Tachioka Ken * '' Nodame Cantabile in Europe Lesson 1 & 2'' (2008) as Franck * '' Wagaya no Rekishi'' (2010) as Maruyama Akihiro * '' Japan Sinks: People of Hope'' (2021) as Taira Ishizuka

Movies

* ''

Kamen Rider The First is a 2005 Japanese tokusatsu superhero film. The film is a reboot adaptation of the television series ''Kamen Rider'', though there are many differences between the film and the original programme; some of these, however, are due to a closer relia ...

'' (2005) Mitamura Haruhiko * Animation movie '' Brave Story'' (2006) Ashikawa Mitsuru * '' Lovely Complex'' (2006) Dancing Yoshiko * ''Captain Tokio'' (2007) Furuta * ''Gegege no Kitarō'' (2007) Kitarō * ''Gegege no Kitarō: Sennen Noroi Uta'' (2008) Kitarō * ''Nodame Cantabile: Saishū Gakushō (Part 2)'' (2010) Franck * '' Tiger Mask'' (2013) Naoto Date / Tiger Mask * ''Yudō'' (2023)

Dubbing

* '' Arthur Christmas'', Arthur Claus * ''

Jack the Giant Slayer ''Jack the Giant Slayer'' (previously titled ''Jack the Giant Killer'') is a 2013 American fantasy adventure film directed by Bryan Singer and written by Darren Lemke, Christopher McQuarrie and Dan Studney, from a story by Lemke and David Dobki ...

'', Jack * '' Trolls World Tour'', Branch

Solo singles

* ''Awaking Emotion 8/5 / my brand new way'' (April 27, 2007)

References

External links

Official site

WaT Official site

Universal Music site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wentz, Eiji Japanese male actors Japanese male pop singers Japanese people of American descent Japanese people of German descent People from Musashino, Tokyo 1985 births Living people Musicians from Western Tokyo 21st-century Japanese singers 21st-century Japanese male singers