Takuya Kimura

For the baseball player, see Takuya Kimura (baseball).
Takuya Kimura
Native name 木村 拓哉
Also known as Kimutaku
Born November 13, 1972
Origin Tokyo, Japan[1]
Genres Pop
Occupation(s) Singer, actor
Instruments Guitar, harmonica
Years active 1988–present
Labels Victor Entertainment
Associated acts SMAP

Takuya Kimura (木村 拓哉 Kimura Takuya, born November 13, 1972, nicknamed Kimutaku (キムタク)) is a Japanese singer and actor. He is also a member of the Japanese idol group SMAP.[2] Most of the TV dramas he starred in produced high ratings in Japan. He has become one of the most well-known and successful actors/singers/entertainers in Japan and Asia.

Early life

Born in Tokyo, Kimura lived in Minoo, Osaka Prefecture until he was six years old. Then, he lived and attended elementary school and junior high school in Chiba.[3] His aunt sent in an application to the Johnny & Associates talent agency, which specializes in young male teen idols, and he became a member of Johnny's Juniors, a group of trainees, in 1987. Then he became one of the 12 members in a unit called "Skate Boys". Skate Boys used to be backup dancers of Hikaru Genji, which at the time was a very popular group. In 1988, SMAP was created, and he joined.[2]

Career

The year 1993 was a breakthrough year for Kimura and SMAP. After years of starring in low-budget dramas, Kimura played a leading role in the teen drama Asunaro hakusho as Osamu Toride, a college freshman in love with a friend Narumi Sonoda. The series, based on a then-popular manga of the same name, quickly became a hit. Toride, an ordinary student, the supporting role in Asunaro hakusho made Takuya popular, even far more popular than the leading actors. The very ugly, thick black rimmed glasses he wore in the series sold like hot cakes. SMAP also released their hit single "$10". In 1994, a phrase "Kimutaku Syndrome" started to be reported in some media. The term refers to a phenomenon in which some young boys copy his fashion.

He won the "Ishihara Yujiro New Artist Award" for his performance in his film debut Shoot!.[4] He has been chosen as Japan's most popular guy for 14 years in succession. The annual survey has been carried out by women's magazine Anan since 1988, and Kimura has been on top since 1994 until 2007.[5]

In 1995, he played a role in the movie Kimi o Wasurenai (君を忘れない). He became the official spokesperson for Hawkins Air Cushion shoes. The advertisement of him posing half-naked became a phenomenon in Japan. Fans ripped the posters off walls and metrostations to take home. Hawkins printed out thousands of copies but when it did not help, guards were put in front of the poster 24/7.

"Kimutaku", the abbreviation of his full name which had been popularly known in Japan, was later added to the "Encyclopedia of Contemporary Words". He became a phenomenal hit which was called the "Kimutaku Phenomenon", creating an economic impact in total of 152 billion JPY in one year by Dentsu Communication Institute Inc.[6]

In 1996, he won his first Television Drama Academy Awards as Best Actor for Long Vacation. Kimura played a young shy pianist, Sena, who falls in love with an older ex-model, became a phenomenal hit. Thousands of men went to take up piano lessons. In the same year, SMAP began to host a weekly Japanese TV variety show SMAP×SMAP which made SMAP even more popular.

In 2000, he played a leading role in the TV series Beautiful Life, the finale of which had the highest ever viewing figures in the Kantō region.[7] Takuya, as well as the show, swept all the awards that year.

In 2001, Kimura starred in Hero, which set a record with its high TV ratings of about 36.8%.[8] Even a Hero SP which was on broadcast five years later recorded viewer ratings surpassing the 30 percent mark. He enjoyed more success in string of many hit series after Hero, such as Sora Kara Furu Ichioku no Hoshi, Good Luck!!, Pride and Engine. Good Luck topped 2003's TV view ratings at 37.6%.[9] When it was on broadcast, the airlines got tons of job applications.

In 2004, Kimura appeared as a supporting actor in the Cannes-nominated movie 2046.[10]

In 2006, Kimura starred in Love and Honor "Bushi no Ichibun", released in December 2006. Directed by Yoji Yamada, he played a young blind samurai during the Edo period. The role earned him several nominations from the most prestigious film awards in Japan, Japanese Academy Awards, Cinema Junpo Awards and Blue Ribbon Awards. Takuya's agency, Johnny & Associates , declined his nominations for him,[11] but Tokyo Sports Film Awards, the jury headed by Kitano Takeshi, still crowned him Best Actor as well as Cinema Junpo which selected him as the second Best Actor of the year. Love and Honor became the biggest hit of Yamada's four-decade career with 40.3 billion JPY at the box-office. It was also the biggest box-office earner in Shochiku's history.

Kimura appeared in Space Battleship Yamato, released on December 1, 2010. This was the franchise's first live-action film and was directed by Takashi Yamazaki.

He starred in the 2010 Fuji TV drama Tsuki no Koibito with Lin Chi-ling. The drama received negative reviews.[12][13]

In 2011, SMAP performed in Beijing, their first international concert, to showcase Japanese culture to China.[14] The concert was originally scheduled for 2010, but was cancelled due to fears of overcrowding.[15]

In 2013, as Kimura starred in the TV series Priceless.

Personal life

In 1999, he ended a nine-year relationship with his longtime girlfriend Kaori Ito. The next year, on November 23, he announced he was going to marry Shizuka Kudo, another Japanese pop idol.[2] They married on December 5, 2000. Their first daughter, Kokomi (心美), was born on May 1, 2001 and their second daughter, Mitsuki (光希), on February 5, 2003.

Filmography

Takuya Kimura's costume in Hero

TV series and TV movies

Movies

TV variety shows

Radio programs

Stage plays

Awards

(References:[16][17][18][19][20])

Books

Photobooks

Magazine series

Official DVD

References

  1. ↑ "SMAP member profiles" (in Japanese). Johnny's net. Retrieved February 17, 2010.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "J-pop star Kimutaku caught speeding twice: reports". Agence France Presse.
  3. ↑ Smap Members. General Books LLC, 2010. ISBN 9781157483885.
  4. ↑ "30 November,1994 Nikkan Sports Film Award - Yujiro Ishihara New Artist Award". Retrieved 2 June 2014.
  5. ↑ "Kimura Takuya Top Dog Yet Again". September 4, 2007. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
  6. ↑ "1995年末的Dentsu Communication Institute Inc. Study发现"木拓现象"在那年创造了1520亿日本元的经济冲击。他的名字即代表了"美男子"，几乎达到普通名词的高度。"kimutaku"被记入《日本百科全书》字条。". Retrieved 2 June 2014.
  7. ↑ "Housemaid drama series logs highest rating in nearly 12 years". Japan Economic Newswire.
  8. ↑ 『HERO』、全話30％超の視聴率を達成　平均視聴率も新記録
  9. ↑ 平均視聴率ランキングＡ（平均視聴率18％以上）
  10. ↑ "Film of the day". Evening Gazette. p. 22.
  11. ↑ "Kimutaku Declines Academy Nomination". Japan Zone. December 20, 2006. Retrieved December 17, 2009.
  12. ↑ Wan, Foong Woei. "Sugar and spies; Hot stars, espionage, romance and melodrama pump up the adrenaline on the small screen". The Straits Times (Singapore).
  13. ↑ Lee, Jocelyn. "Chiling's model answers; Chiling Lin, FHM Taiwan's sexiest woman for three years, sees herself as sweet, not sexy". The Straits Times (Singapore).
  14. ↑ "China hopes SMAP's concert will promote better Beijing–Tokyo ties". Japan Economic Newswire.
  15. ↑ "SMAP vows to show Japan's resilience in China concert". Japan Economic Newswire.
  16. ↑ "30 November,1994 Nikkan Sports Film Award - Yujiro Ishihara New Artist Award". Retrieved 2 June 2014.
  17. ↑ "Best Jeanist Award- past winner". Retrieved 3 June 2014.
  18. ↑ "Television Drama Academy Awards". Retrieved 2 June 2014.
  19. ↑ "Nikkan Sports Film Award 2007". Retrieved 2 June 2014.
  20. ↑ "Japan Film Awards". Retrieved 3 June 2014.
  21. ↑ "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 3 June 2014.
  22. ↑ "北野武×木村拓哉共演ReBORN系列CM获奖". Retrieved 3 June 2014.

External links