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Takuya Kimura

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For the baseball player, see Takuya Kimura (baseball).

Takuya Kimura
木村 拓哉
Also known asKimutaku
Born (1972-11-13) November 13, 1972 (age 52)
OriginTokyo, Japan[1]
GenresPop
Occupation(s)Singer, actor
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar, harmonica
Years active1987 (1987)–present
LabelsVictor Entertainment

Takuya Kimura (木村 拓哉, Kimura Takuya, born November 13, 1972), also known as Kimutaku, is a Japanese singer, actor, radio personality, and the member of SMAP, the best-selling boy band in Asia. He is regarded as a Japanese icon after achieving an unprecedented success as an actor and influencing Japanese culture and language, and established himself as the most successful celebrity in Asia.

A 1996 television series, Long Vacation, in which he landed his first lead role, became a massive success, creating a phrase called the Lonvaca phenomenon. He was given the title, "The King of Ratings", as his subsequent television series continued to generate high ratings and each show becoming a social phenomenon as they aired. Five of his most successful works are ranked in the top ten highest-rated television series in Japanese history. His 2001 series, Hero, is the all-time highest-rated program in Japan. He has also starred in blockbuster films, including Howl's Moving Castle (2004), Love and Honor (2006), and Hero (2007).

Early life

Kimura was born in Tokyo, Japan. He lived in Minoo, Osaka Prefecture until he was six years old and later moved to Chiba for school.[2]

Career

Music

Main article: SMAP

In 1987, at age 15, Kimura auditioned to enter Johnny & Associates, a talent agency that recruits and trains young boys, preteens to teens, to become singers and members of boy bands. After five of the other band members auditioning individually from 1986 through 1987, in autumn 1987, twenty boys, from ages ten to seventeen, were put together into a group called The Skate Boys, which was initially created as backup dancers for a famous boy band, Hikaru Genji.[3] In April 1988, producer Johnny Kitagawa chose six out of the twenty boys to create a new boy band and named them "SMAP".[4]

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, in 1993. The scene where he hugged his co-star Hikari Ishida 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 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).[5] In 2001, Kimura starred in Hero, 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.[6] Subsequent television series, such as Good Luck!!, Pride and Engine, also generated high-ratings.[7] 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.

From 2004, he started participating in films, such as Cannes-nominated film 2046.,[8] Howl's Moving Castle (2004), and 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, declined all nominations,[9] though some organizations still announced him as the winner, such as the Tokyo Sports Film Awards, headed by Kitano Takeshi and Cinema Junpo. Earning over 40.3 billion yen, the film became the biggest hit for director Yoji Yamada during his four-decade career, as well as becoming the biggest box-office earner in Shochiku's history.

Television

Compared to the other SMAP members, he rarely appears on television, besides starring on the band's weekly variety show SMAPxSMAP, and has maintained his status as an actor. He is the only member of the band who doesn't carry his own television program, though he hosts one TV special every year with comedian Sanma Akashiya on New Year's.

Personal life

Kimura married singer Shizuka Kudo on December 5, 2000. They have two daughters, Kokomi (心美), born on May 1, 2001 and Mitsuki (光希), born on February 5, 2003.

Other ventures

Philanthropy

Product endorsement

Filmography

Takuya Kimura's costume in Hero

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1994 Shoot! Yoshiharu Kubo Main role
1995 Kimi wo Wasurenai Jyunichiro Ueda
2004 2046 Taku
Howl's Moving Castle Howl (voice) Main role
2006 Love and Honor Shinosuke Mimura Main role
2007 Hero Kohei Kuryu Main role
2009 I Come with the Rain Shitao
2010 Redline JP (voice) Main role
Space Battleship Yamato Susumu Kodai Main role
2015 Hero Kohei Kuryu Main role
2017 Blade of the Immortal Manji Main role

Television (as actor)

Year Title Role Notes
1988-1989 Abunai Shonen III Himself Main role
1990 Jikan Desuyo
Ototo Hekiro
1991 Rugby Yattete Yokatta Masaki Hirai
Romeo and Juliet Romeo Main role
Sukinanoni Eiichi Tamura
1992 Matenro wa Barairo ni Noboru Misawa
Yonimo Kimyo na Monogatari Inakamono Main role
Shojo Ijyou Shounen Miman Yuichi Konno
Motto, Tokimeki wo Himself Guest appearance
Sono toki Heartwa Nusumareta Masato Katase
1993 Boku dake no Megami Takeshi
Izu no Odoriko Kawasaki
Asunaro Hakusho Osamu Toride
1994 Kimi ni Tsutaetai Toru Yamashita
Wakamono no Subete Takeshi Ueda
1995 Kimi wa Toki no Kanata e Motoyasu Matsudaira Main role
Jinsei wa Jyojyoda Kazuma Ooue
Yonimo Kimyou na Monogatari Oshimoto
1996 Furuhata Ninzaburo Isao Hayashi
Long Vacation Hidetoshi Sena Main role
Kyousoukyoku Sho Kikura
1997 Boku ga Boku de Arutame ni Riki Kurosawa Main role
Gift Yukio Hayasaka Main role
Ii Hito Yukio Hayasaka Guest appearance
Love Generation Teppei Katakiri
1998 Oda Nobunaga Tenka wo Totta Baka Nobunaga Oda Main role
Nemureru Mori Naoki Ito Main role
1999 Furuhata Ninzaburo vs SMAP Himself Main role
Yonimo Kimyo na Monogatari Kimio
Konya wa Eigyouchu Himself Main role
2000 Beautiful Life Shuji Okishima Main role
Densetsu no Kyoushi Yoji Mizutani Guest appearance; episode 11
Food Fight Kyutaro (voice)
2001-2014 Hero Kohei Kuryu Main role
2001 Yonimo Kimyo na Monogatari Naoki Yunomoto Main role
2002 Sora Kara Furu Ichioku no Hoshi Ryo Katase Main role
2003 Good Luck!! Hajime Shinkai Main role
2004 Pride Haru Satonaka Main role
X’smap Ajii Main role
2005 Engine Jiro Shinzaki Main role
2006 Saiyūki Genyokudaiou Guest appearance; episode 1
2007 Karei naru Ichizoku Teppei Manpyo Main role
2008 Change! Asakura Keita Main role
2009 Sekai ni Hitotsu dake no Hana Sakasu Takuya Cameo appearance
Mr. Brain Ryusuke Tsukumo Main role
Kochi Kame Takubo Cameo appearance; episode 8
2010 Tsuki no Koibito Moon Lovers Rensuke Hazuki Main role
Dokutomato Satsujin Jiken Himself Main role
2011 Nankyoku Tairiku Takeshi Kuramochi Main role
2012 Priceless Fumio Kindaichi Main role
2013 Furuhata vs SMAP The Aftermath Himself Main role
Andō Lloyd: A.I. knows Love? Ando Roido Main role
2014 Oretachi ni Asu wa aru Himself Main role
Sazae-san Himself (voice) Episode 7148: “Recipe for a Smile”
Miyamoto Musashi Musashi Miyamoto Main role
Gokuaku Gambo Kohei Kuryu Guest appearance; episode 11
2015 I'm Home Hisashi Ieji Main role
2017 A Life Kazuaki Okita Main role

Television (as personality)

Year Title Role Notes
1995–present Sanma&SMAP Himself (host) TV special; 21 episodes
1996–present SMAPxSMAP Himself (host, chef, performer)
2001–present SmaStation Himself Guest appearance
2003–present SanTaku Himself (host) TV special; 13 episodes
2007–present Baby Smap Himself (host)

Radio

Year Title Role Notes
1995–present What's Up SMAP Himself (host)

Theatre

Year Title Role Notes
1989 Modoken
1991 Saint Seiya Kaio Poseidon / Julian Solo Main role
1992 Dragon Quest Main role
Hanakage no Hana
1993 Another Main role
1994 Shareo-Tachi

Discography

Main article: SMAP discography

Awards

(References:[10][11][12][13][14])

Publications

  • Kai-Ho-Ku (April 24, 2003) ISBN 978-4087803778
  • Kai-Ho-Ku 2 (September 30, 2011) ISBN 978-4087806137
  • Takuya Kimura (1996) ISBN 978-4533026430
  • Percentage (November 11, 2006) ISBN 978-4838717262
  • Takuya Kimura x Men's Non-No Endless (September 30, 2011) ISBN 978-4087806144

References

  1. ^ "SMAP member profiles" (in Japanese). Johnny's net. Retrieved February 17, 2010.
  2. ^ Smap Members. General Books LLC, 2010. ISBN 9781157483885.
  3. ^ "SMAP". Japan-Zone. Retrieved December 13, 2009.
  4. ^ "SMAPの前身「スケートボーイズ」に所属していた豪華メンバーたち". Excite News. Nikkan Taishu. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  5. ^ "Housemaid drama series logs highest rating in nearly 12 years". Japan Economic Newswire. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  6. ^ 『HERO』、全話30％超の視聴率を達成　平均視聴率も新記録
  7. ^ 平均視聴率ランキングＡ（平均視聴率18％以上）
  8. ^ "Film of the day". Evening Gazette. p. 22. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  9. ^ "Kimutaku Declines Academy Nomination". Japan Zone. December 20, 2006. Retrieved December 17, 2009.
  10. ^ "30 November,1994 Nikkan Sports Film Award - Yujiro Ishihara New Artist Award". Retrieved June 2, 2014.
  11. ^ "Best Jeanist Award- past winner". Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  12. ^ "Television Drama Academy Awards". Retrieved June 2, 2014.
  13. ^ "Nikkan Sports Film Award 2007". Retrieved June 2, 2014.
  14. ^ "Japan Film Awards". Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  15. ^ "第26回放送文化基金賞は『ビューティフルライフ』が受賞　本賞のほか男優、女優、脚本の各部門で受賞". Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  16. ^ "北野武×木村拓哉共演ReBORN系列CM获奖". Retrieved June 3, 2014.
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