| Takayuki Yamada | |
| Native Name: | 山田 孝之 |
| Native Name Lang: | ja |
| Birth Date: | 20 October 1983 |
| Birth Place: | Naha, Okinawa, Japan |
| Years Active: | 1998–present |
| Agent: | Stardust Promotion |
| Children: | 2 |
is a Japanese actor, singer, and producer. He is best known for his role as Sakutaro Matsumoto in TV drama Socrates in Love and as Densha Otoko in the 2005 film of the same name.[1] Yamada gained international popularity through his portrayal as Tamao Serizawa in Crows Zero film series. Japanese media often dubs him as chameleon actor for his wide acting spectrum throughout his career. He began venturing as producer with live-action web series Saint Young Men. Since 2018 he releases music as the lead singer of band The XXXXXX.
Yamada was born in Naha, Okinawa but raised in Satsumasendai, Kagoshima until the age of 15. He is the youngest of three siblings. His two older sisters, Kaori and Sayuki, worked as models for teen magazines in late 1990s. His parents own a coffee shop.[2]
By the age of 21, around the year 2004, Yamada had been dating actress and model Chiho Oyama. From their relationship, a child was born. This was discovered and reported by Sponichi in 2006. Yamada, Oyama and her family had many discussions about his inability to continue in the entertainment world and be a father at the same time, so they agreed that the child would be raised by the mother, with Yamada paying child support and living expenses until the child reached adulthood. Oyama continued writing on her blog about her love of being a mother to her child (a boy), even if it had to be done as a single mother.
Yamada was seen dating a non-celebrity woman around 2010. 2 years later, news of his marriage to a non-celebrity woman 7 years his senior was reported as happening 1 January 2012. On 20 October of the same year, the news of a pregnancy was reported. In early March 2013, his office reported that their son was born. A photo of Yamada wearing a wedding ring, which he posted in his Instagram on 9 December, 2016, was like a confirmation to fans that he was married.[3] [4] [5] [6] [7]
Yamada got scouted after shopping with his sisters in front of Laforet Harajuku. After being scouted, in his third year of middle school he moved from Kagoshima to Tokyo. Yamada graduated from a middle school in Tokyo but did not go to high school to focus on his acting career.
He made his debut in 1999 by starring in TV drama Psychometrer Eiji 2. He also had a significant role in the NHK Asadora: Churasan (ちゅらさん) in 2001. His breakout was the 2003 TV drama about men synchronized swimming Water Boys, taking the lead role as Kankuro Shindo. He was chosen to portray Shindo through audition among hundreds of young actors. Yamada continued his success in leading role with Socrates in Love as Sakutaro Matsumoto the year after. In the same year, he got Newcomer Award at 2004 Elan d'or Awards and was appointed as first image character of newly reformed Tokyo Metro. As of 2017, Yamada was the only male image character Tokyo Metro has ever had. After his triumphant breakout on television, he got his first movie lead role in Densha Otoko which later became Japan's 14th best selling movie of 2005.
In 2002 he released a CD with a couple of songs (with the backup versions), as well as a DVD with the musical video for the theme song.[8] [9]
He collaborated with Jin Akanishi in August 2016 to form the unit called "Jintaka",[10] which disbanded 2 months later.[11] And in 2018, together with Gō Ayano (guitar), and Asahi Uchida (synthesizer), forms the unit "The xxxxxx" (read as: "The Six") (Yamada is vocals).[12] [13]
It was reported that Yamada had closed down his Instagram (@takayukiyamadaphoto), much to the surprise of the fans. On his Twitter, he confirmed the reason for doing so is that he became overwhelmed with the quantity of followers, but that he is "fine and full of energy, that it seems it is about to burst both physically and mentally".[14] [15]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Psychometrer Eiji 2 | Takayuki | Debut role | |
| 2000 | Rokubanme no Sayoko | Shu Sekine | ||
| Aoi Tokugawa Sandai | Takechiyo | Taiga drama | [16] | |
| 2001 | Churasan | Keitatsu Kohagura | Asadora | |
| Jidan Kosho Jinnai Tamako Ura File | ||||
| Koi ga Shitai x3 | Wataru Aoshima | |||
| 2002 | The Long Love Letter | Sho Takamatsu | ||
| Jidan Kosho Jinnai Tamako Ura File 2 | ||||
| Akahige | ||||
| Onmyoji Abe no Seimei | Toya | |||
| Lunch no Joō | Minoru Ushijima | |||
| 2003 | Hatachi | Ryuji Shindo | Lead role | |
| Water Boys | Kankuro Shindo | |||
| 2004 | Socrates in Love | Sakutaro Matsumoto | Lead role | |
| Fire Boys | Daigo Asahina | Lead role | ||
| Jidan Kosho Jinnai Tamako Ura File 3 | ||||
| 2005 | H2 | Hiro Kunimi | Lead role | |
| Densha Otoko | cameo; ep. 1 | |||
| Start Line | Jun Imai | TV movie | ||
| 2006 | Journey Under the Midnight Sun | Ryoji Kirihara | Lead role | |
| Taiyou no Uta | Kouji Fujishiro | Lead role | ||
| 2009 | Boss | Shingo Tajima | ||
| 2010–16 | Ushijima the Loan Shark | Kaoru Ushijima | Lead role; 3 seasons | |
| 2010 | Wagaya no Rekishi | Tatsuya Nakadai | Mini-series | [17] |
| 2011 | Arakawa Under the Bridge | Hoshi | [18] | |
| 2011–16 | The Brave Yoshihiko | Yoshihiko | Lead role; 3 seasons | [19] |
| 2014 | Nobunaga Concerto | Denjiro/ Hideyoshi Hashiba | [20] | |
| 2015 | Replay and Destroy | Kaname Yokoyama | Lead role | [21] |
| 2017 | Hagoku | Seitaro Sakuma | TV movie | [22] |
| 2018 | Dele | Keishi Sakagami | Lead role | [23] |
| Yareta Kamo Iinkai | Oasis | [24] | ||
| 2019–21 | The Naked Director | Toru Muranishi | Lead role; 2 seasons | [25] |
| 2023 | What Will You Do, Ieyasu? | Hattori Hanzō | Taiga drama | [26] |
| Yomawari Neko | Heizō Endō | Lead role | [27] | |
| 2024 | House of Ninjas | Yosuke Tsujioke | [28] | |
| Tanabata no Kuni | Yoriyuki Marukami | [29] | ||
| Tokyo Swindlers | Narrator | [30] | ||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | The Cat Returns | Lune (voice) | ||
| 2003 | Dragon Head | Nobuo Takahashi | ||
| 2004 | Jennifer | Takashi | Lead role | |
| 2005 | Densha Otoko | Densha Otoko | Lead role | |
| 2006 | The Letters (Tegami) | Naotaka Takeshima | Lead role | |
| 2007 | Crows Zero | Tamao Serizawa | ||
| Say Hello For Me | Satoshi Toyama | Lead role | ||
| Maiko Haaaan!!! | Cameo | |||
| 2008 | Ikigami | Satoshi Izuka | ||
| 252: Signal of Life | Makoto Shigemura | |||
| 2009 | Battle League Horumo | Akira Abe | Lead role | |
| MW | Yutaro Garai | Lead role | ||
| Crows Zero 2 | Tamao Serizawa | |||
| Chasing My Girl | Sugimoto | Lead role | ||
| 2010 | Seaside Motel | Yosuke Asakura | ||
| 13 Assassins | Shinrokuro Shimada | |||
| Vengeance Can Wait | Takao Banue | |||
| 2011 | Gantz | Masamitsu Shigeta | ||
| Toshio Kitami | ||||
| Gantz: Perfect Answer | Masamitsu Shigeta | |||
| Katsuaki Murakami | ||||
| Looking for a True Fiancee | Teruhiko Katayama | Lead role | ||
| 2012 | Arakawa Under the Bridge | Hoshi | ||
| The Floating Castle | Yoshitsugu Otani | |||
| The Samurai That Night | Hiroshi Kijima | |||
| Bungo: Stories of Desire | Matsuo | segment Nigitta Te | ||
| Ushijima the Loan Shark | Kaoru Ushijima | Lead role | ||
| Lesson of the Evil | Tetsuro Shibahara | |||
| Milocrorze – A Love Story | Ovreneli Vreneligare/ Besson Kumagai/ Tamon | Lead role | ||
| 2013 | I'll Give It My All... Tomorrow | Shuichi Ichinosawa | ||
| The Devil's Path | Shuichi Fujii | Lead role | ||
| Rakugo Eiga | Raifu Reto | |||
| 2014 | Ushijima the Loan Shark Part 2 | Kaoru Ushijima | Lead role | |
| Shun Tsukihara | ||||
| Monsterz | Shuichi Tanaka | |||
| 2015 | Bakuman | Akira Hattori | ||
| Shinjuku Swan | Hideyoshi Minami | |||
| 2016 | Nobunaga Concerto | Hideyoshi Hashiba | ||
| Terra Formars | Ichiro Hiruma | |||
| Ushijima the Loan Shark Part 3 | Kaoru Ushijima | Lead role | ||
| Someone | Sawa | |||
| Ushijima the Loan Shark The Final | Kaoru Ushijima | Lead role | ||
| 2017 | Gintama | Elizabeth (voice) | ||
| Cinema Fighters | Toru | segment Parallel World | ||
| Takayuki Yamada 3D The Movie | Himself | Lead role | ||
| Angelo Katagiri | ||||
| DC Super Heroes vs. Eagle Talon | Batman/Bruce Wayne (voice) | |||
| 2018 | Ten | Takashi | short movie | |
| 50 First Kisses | Daisuke Yuge | Lead role | ||
| Hardcore | Ukon Gondō | Lead role; also producer | [31] | |
| 2019 | Papasu (voice) | [32] | ||
| 2020 | Step | Ken'ichi | Lead role | [33] |
| The Untold Tale of the Three Kingdoms | Yellow Turban | [34] | ||
| 2021 | Brothers in Brothel | Tokuta | Lead role | [35] |
| 2023 | Six Singing Women | Uwajima | Lead role | [36] |
| The Imaginary | Jinzan (voice) | [37] | ||
| 2024 | 11 Rebels | Masa | Lead role | [38] |
| Faceless | Seigo Matanuki | [39] | ||
| Saint Young Men: The Movie | TBA | Also producer | [40] | |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Eragon | Eragon | [42] | |
| 2017 | Loving Vincent | Armand Roulin | [43] | |
| Year | Title | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018–20 | Saint Young Men | Executive producer | [45] |
| 2019 | Day and Night | Producer, screenwriter | [46] |
| Year | Title | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Coca-Cola "No Reason" campaign | celebrating 2002 World Cup | [47] [48] |
| 2003 | Japanese Red Cross Society "20-year-old's blood donation" campaign | ||
| 2004 | Toyo Suisan "Maruchan Yakisoba, Yakiudon" | ||
| Tokyo Metro | First campaign image character | ||
| 2005 | Tokyo Electric Power Company "TEPCO Hikari" | [49] | |
| 2010 - 2011 | Movaslo "Evangelion ~Shinjitsu no Tsubasa~" | [50] | |
| 2011 | Asahi Food and Healthcare "Cream Genmai Bran" | [51] | |
| Fields "We are all challengers" campaign | [52] | ||
| 2014 – 2023 | The Coca-Cola Company Japan "Georgia" | main image character | [53] |
| Storia "MARO" | main image character | [54] | |
| 2015 – | Sony Interactive Entertainment "PlayStation 4" | main image character | [55] [56] |
| 2016 | Frima "Fril" | flea marketplace application | |
| 2017 – | Fujitsu "Arrows" | with Shun Oguri | [57] |
| Year | Title | Release | Label | Peak chart position | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | August 10, 2002 | Universal Music Group | Sold in CD, and DVD of the Music video | ||
| 2016 | Choo Choo SHITAIN | September 21, 2016 | Go Good Records | 4th (October 3, 2016)[58] | CD, CD + DVD / As "Jintaka" |
| 2018 | Seeds (single) | November 30, 2018 | THE XXXXXX | Digital release / As "The xxxxxx" | |
| Zealot (single) | December 21, 2018 | THE XXXXXX | Digital release / As "The xxxxxx" | ||
| 2019 | "THE XXXXXX" (album)[59] | April 5, 2019 | THE XXXXXX | Digital release / As "The xxxxxx" | |
| "deep breath" (single)[60] | May 31, 2019 | THE XXXXXX | Digital release / As "The xxxxxx" | ||