Kazunari Ninomiya
Encyclopedia
, often called , is a Japanese idol
, singer, songwriter
, actor
, voice actor and radio host
. He is a member of Japanese boy band Arashi
and is best known to movie audiences for his portrayal as Private Saigo in the 2006 Clint Eastwood
war film Letters from Iwo Jima
.
Ninomiya began his career in the entertainment industry when he joined the Japanese talent agency Johnny & Associates
in 1996 at the age of . Prior to his debut as a singer with Arashi in 1999, Ninomiya started an acting career when he was cast as Chris for the stage play Stand by Me, which was based on the film of the same name
. Since then, he has went on to appear in numerous drama
, movie and stage productions, making him known as the actor of Arashi. Described as an actor who can act with his mouth and eyes, Ninomiya has won a number of awards and nominations for his roles.
s when they met and his sister is two years older than he is. His parents divorced early in his life and his father left the family soon after. When Ninomiya was born, his grandfather immediately came home and named him the heir to the family's windshield
factory since he was his grandfather's only grandson. However, when Ninomiya was twelve years old, his cousin sent in an application to Johnny & Associates without his knowledge. After attending and passing the auditions due to his mother's prodding, he joined the talent agency.
Ninomiya graduated from high school in March 2002 at the age of .
tour. Although Arashi's fifth studio album One
was the first of their albums to feature solo songs of each member, Ninomiya did not provide lyrics or music for official release until the Time
album almost two years later.
In 2007, the group's eighteenth single "Love So Sweet
" was released with the limited edition containing the bonus song , which was written by Arashi and composed by Ninomiya in 2006 for their variety show G no Arashi. On July 11, 2007, the Time album was released with the limited edition containing solo song of each member. Ninomiya wrote the lyrics to his solo song, , and played the piano portion of the song throughout Arashi's summer tour. He later reprised the performance throughout Arashi's second Asia Tour in 2008.
In 2008, Ninomiya composed, co-arranged and penned the lyrics for his solo "Gimmick Game
". In 2010, Ninomiya also composed, co-arranged and penned the lyrics for his solo "1992*4##111
". According to Ninomiya himself, the title is read as .
with future bandmates Masaki Aiba
and Jun Matsumoto
. He did not return to do any major stage productions for nearly seven years after Stand by Me, instead focusing on dramas
. However, in 2004, Ninomiya appeared in his first lead role in the stage play directed by Yukio Ninagawa
. From April 3, 2005 to May 4, 2005, he took up Rebel Without a Cause, playing the James Dean
character Jim Stark.
From July 18, 2009 to August 11, 2009, Ninomiya appeared in his first stage play in four years. He starred as the psychopathic murderer Bruno in , which was based on the novel of the same name.
television movie
. Just a few months before his debut with Arashi, he was given his first lead role in the drama with Subaru Shibutani
acting as his stepbrother. His schedule became packed, causing him to lose 7 kg in a month as a result. From October 11, 1999 to October 29, 1999, because Arashi were the main supporters for the 8th World Cup of Volleyball Championships, all five members co-starred together for the first time in the volleyball-centered short drama .
From 2003 to 2005, Ninomiya continued to appear in a wide range of dramas. He played a student who found himself to be one of the last four virgins left at school in the comedy series Stand Up!!
, a boyfriend of a girl who mysteriously shrunk into a size of merely sixteen centimeters tall in the romance series and a young man who accidentally killed his mother and developed an estranged relationship with his father as a result in the human drama series
In 2006, Ninomiya starred in the drama special , which was based on the true story of young man named diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma. He went on to appear in two different films for the rest of 2006 before taking up on January 11, 2007.
During the summer of 2007, he and fellow Arashi bandmate Sho Sakurai
co-starred together in the manga
-based comedy drama Yamada Tarō Monogatari
. Ninomiya played the title character , an extremely poor student attending a school for the rich. Soon after—whilst juggling rehearsals for Arashi's upcoming concerts—he acted as the lead in the drama special , which was based on the true story of an autistic
young man training to become a marathon runner.
After a year without any acting roles, other than a small guest appearance in bandmate Satoshi Ohno's
first lead drama Maō
, Ninomiya finally took up the main role in the drama Ryūsei no Kizuna
"流星の絆 with Ryo Nishikido
and Erika Toda
acting as his younger siblings. The three played the children of parents who were murdered long ago by an nameless man. Readers, reporters and critics of the 59th Television Drama Academy Awards panel recognized his role as the oldest vengeful sibling and awarded him Best Actor. His Ryūsei no Kizuna role also earned him an Outstanding Actor nomination in the drama category in the 49th Monte-Carlo Television Festival
.
In spring 2009, Ninomiya starred as the lead in the third and final of the TBS
drama special trilogy Door to Door, with the first and second being Sukoshi wa, Ongaeshi ga Dekitakana and Marathon respectively. The drama special was based on the true story of Bill Porter
, an American door-to-door salesman who achieved the highest sales for his company despite suffering from cerebral palsy
. His roles in Door to Door and Ryūsei no Kizuna won him the Individual Award in the television category of the 46th Galaxy Awards, a first for a Johnny's talent and the first by an actor in his twenties. Ninomiya began filming for the drama special in April 2009. However, the special, which saw Ninomiya's first time playing a psychiatrist
, did not air on television until September 24, 2009.
In January 2010, Ninomiya co-starred with the other members of Arashi in their first drama in nearly ten years in the human suspense drama special Saigo no Yakusoku
"最後の約束”. Ninomiya portrayed , a 27-year-old temporary security center employee who is caught up in a building hijack. On September 20, 2010, he made a guest appearance on the last episode of bandmate Matsumoto and Yūko Takeuchi
's getsuku
drama .
Ninomiya starred in the drama , his first serial drama since Ryūsei no Kizuna (2008). With Karina as his co-star, Ninomiya portrayed a freeter named . The drama maintained steady viewership ratings throughout its airing, having an average rating of 17.14% overall.
as his co-star. In 2004, Arashi came together again to reprise their respective roles for the sequel of Pikanchi Life Is Hard Dakedo Happy, .
2006 proved to be a productive year for Ninomiya as he became the first artist from Johnny's & Associates to debut in Hollywood. He played a reluctant soldier called Saigo in Clint Eastwood's
Academy Award-nominated Letters from Iwo Jima
with Academy Award-nominated actor Ken Watanabe
. His performance was praised by many film critics, some of which include RogerEbert.com editor Jim Emerson ("thoroughly winning"), Claudia Puig of USA Today
("also superb"), James Berardinelli
("another performer worth singling out") and Kirk Honeycutt of The Hollywood Reporter
("who is just terrific"). On January 7, 2007, New York Times film critic A. O. Scott
listed Ninomiya as an ideal Oscar candidate for Best Supporting Actor
. On October 24, 2006, a couple months after returning from filming Letters from Iwo Jima in the United States, he debuted as a voice actor, lending his voice to main character Black in the Michael Arias
animated film Tekkon Kinkreet
.
In 2007, all the members of Arashi co-starred in their third movie together, , with Ninomiya playing the main role of an aspiring manga artist.
On October 1, 2010, the live-action adaptation of Fumi Yoshinaga's
award-winning Ōoku: The Inner Chambers
manga, which starred Ninomiya and Kou Shibasaki
, was released into theaters in Japan. Ninomiya played , a young man living in a matriarchal society due to a disease that killed most of the male population.
Part one of the live-action adaptation of the manga Gantz
, which starred Ninomiya and Kenichi Matsuyama was released on January 20, 2011 in the United States and on January 29, 2011 in Japan. Ninomiya starred as Kei Kurono, a young man who is hit by a subway train
and becomes part of a semi-posthumous "game" with other deceased people. Part two of Gantz, titled Gantz: Perfect Answer, hit theaters in Japan on April 23, 2011.
Japanese idol
In Japanese culture, are media personalities in their teens and early twenties who are considered particularly attractive or cute and who will, for a period ranging from several months to a few years, regularly appear in the mass media, e.g...
, singer, songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, voice actor and radio host
Radio personality
A radio personality is a person with an on-air position in radio broadcasting. A radio personality can be someone who introduces and discusses various genres of music, hosts a talk radio show that may take calls from listeners, or someone whose primary responsibility is to give news, weather,...
. He is a member of Japanese boy band Arashi
Arashi
is a Japanese boy band formed under the Japanese talent agency Johnny & Associates, which announced the formation of the group on November 3, 1999 in Honolulu, Hawaii...
and is best known to movie audiences for his portrayal as Private Saigo in the 2006 Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood
Clinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide...
war film Letters from Iwo Jima
Letters from Iwo Jima
is a 2006 war film directed and co-produced by Clint Eastwood, and starring Ken Watanabe and Kazunari Ninomiya. The film portrays the Battle of Iwo Jima from the perspective of the Japanese soldiers and is a companion piece to Eastwood's Flags of Our Fathers, which depicts the same battle from the...
.
Ninomiya began his career in the entertainment industry when he joined the Japanese talent agency Johnny & Associates
Johnny & Associates
is a talent agency formed by Johnny Kitagawa in 1962. Johnny & Associates trains and promotes groups of male idols, collectively known as , in Japan.-1962–1989:...
in 1996 at the age of . Prior to his debut as a singer with Arashi in 1999, Ninomiya started an acting career when he was cast as Chris for the stage play Stand by Me, which was based on the film of the same name
Stand by Me (film)
Stand by Me is a 1986 American drama film directed by Rob Reiner. Based on the novella The Body by Stephen King, the film takes its title from the Ben E. King song of the same name, which plays over the end credits.-Plot:...
. Since then, he has went on to appear in numerous drama
Japanese television drama
, also called , are a staple of Japanese television and are broadcast daily. All major TV networks in Japan produce a variety of drama series including murder romance, comedy, detective stories, horror, and many others...
, movie and stage productions, making him known as the actor of Arashi. Described as an actor who can act with his mouth and eyes, Ninomiya has won a number of awards and nominations for his roles.
Early life
Ninomiya was born in Katsushika, Tokyo as the youngest child of his family. His father and mother were both working as chefChef
A chef is a person who cooks professionally for other people. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who cooks for a living, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation.-Etymology:The word "chef" is borrowed ...
s when they met and his sister is two years older than he is. His parents divorced early in his life and his father left the family soon after. When Ninomiya was born, his grandfather immediately came home and named him the heir to the family's windshield
Windshield
The windshield or windscreen of an aircraft, car, bus, motorbike or tram is the front window. Modern windshields are generally made of laminated safety glass, a type of treated glass, which consists of two curved sheets of glass with a plastic layer laminated between them for safety, and are glued...
factory since he was his grandfather's only grandson. However, when Ninomiya was twelve years old, his cousin sent in an application to Johnny & Associates without his knowledge. After attending and passing the auditions due to his mother's prodding, he joined the talent agency.
Ninomiya graduated from high school in March 2002 at the age of .
Music career
In 2004, Ninomiya penned and composed for his solo performance during Arashi's Iza, Now!!2004 Arashi! Iza, Now Tour!!
2004 Arashi! Iza, Now Tour!! is the video release of Japanese boyband Arashi which documented their 2004 summer concert tour in conjunction with the promotion and release of their album, Iza, Now!...
tour. Although Arashi's fifth studio album One
One (Arashi album)
One is the fifth studio album of the Japanese boy band Arashi. The album was released on August 3, 2005 in Japan in two editions: a limited CD+DVD version and a regular CD version.-Album information:...
was the first of their albums to feature solo songs of each member, Ninomiya did not provide lyrics or music for official release until the Time
Time (Arashi album)
Time is the seventh studio album of the Japanese boy band Arashi. The album was released on July 11, 2007 in Japan under their record label J Storm in two editions: a limited 2CD version and a regular CD version.-Album information:...
album almost two years later.
In 2007, the group's eighteenth single "Love So Sweet
Love so sweet
"Love So Sweet" is the eighteenth single by the Japanese boy band Arashi. The single was released in two editions: a regular edition containing a bonus secret track and karaoke versions of the songs released in the single, and a limited edition containing a bonus track entitled "Fight Song"...
" was released with the limited edition containing the bonus song , which was written by Arashi and composed by Ninomiya in 2006 for their variety show G no Arashi. On July 11, 2007, the Time album was released with the limited edition containing solo song of each member. Ninomiya wrote the lyrics to his solo song, , and played the piano portion of the song throughout Arashi's summer tour. He later reprised the performance throughout Arashi's second Asia Tour in 2008.
In 2008, Ninomiya composed, co-arranged and penned the lyrics for his solo "Gimmick Game
Dream "A" Live
-Chart performance:The album debuted at the number one on the Oricon singles daily chart upon its release with the sales index number of 57,795 . By the end of its first week, the album sold a total of 220,722 copies...
". In 2010, Ninomiya also composed, co-arranged and penned the lyrics for his solo "1992*4##111
Boku no Miteiru Fūkei
is the ninth studio album by Japanese boy band Arashi. The album was released on August 4, 2010 in Japan under their record label J Storm in two editions: a first press version and a regular version. The album debuted at number-one on the Oricon weekly album chart, selling around 731,000 copies. As...
". According to Ninomiya himself, the title is read as .
Stage
Ninomiya began his acting career in a 1997 stage play based on the American coming of age film Stand by MeStand by Me (film)
Stand by Me is a 1986 American drama film directed by Rob Reiner. Based on the novella The Body by Stephen King, the film takes its title from the Ben E. King song of the same name, which plays over the end credits.-Plot:...
with future bandmates Masaki Aiba
Masaki Aiba
is a Japanese idol, singer, actor, television personality and radio host. He is a member of Japanese boy band Arashi.Aiba began his career in the entertainment industry when he joined the Japanese talent agency Johnny & Associates in 1996 at the age of...
and Jun Matsumoto
Jun Matsumoto
, often called by the portmanteau nickname , is a Japanese idol, singer, actor and radio host. He is a member of Japanese boy band Arashi and is best known to Japanese television drama audiences for his portrayal as Tsukasa Dōmyōji in the Hana Yori Dango series, in which he won GQ Japan's Man Of...
. He did not return to do any major stage productions for nearly seven years after Stand by Me, instead focusing on dramas
Japanese television drama
, also called , are a staple of Japanese television and are broadcast daily. All major TV networks in Japan produce a variety of drama series including murder romance, comedy, detective stories, horror, and many others...
. However, in 2004, Ninomiya appeared in his first lead role in the stage play directed by Yukio Ninagawa
Yukio Ninagawa
is a Japanese theatre director, particularly known for his Japanese language productions of Shakespeare plays and Greek tragedies. He has directed Hamlet differently six times....
. From April 3, 2005 to May 4, 2005, he took up Rebel Without a Cause, playing the James Dean
James Dean
James Byron Dean was an American film actor. He is a cultural icon, best embodied in the title of his most celebrated film, Rebel Without a Cause , in which he starred as troubled Los Angeles teenager Jim Stark...
character Jim Stark.
From July 18, 2009 to August 11, 2009, Ninomiya appeared in his first stage play in four years. He starred as the psychopathic murderer Bruno in , which was based on the novel of the same name.
Drama
In 1998, he made his television debut as a fifteen-year-old runaway in the TBSTokyo Broadcasting System
, TBS Holdings, Inc. or TBSHD, is a stockholding company in Tokyo, Japan. It is a parent company of a television network named and radio network named ....
television movie
Television movie
A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
. Just a few months before his debut with Arashi, he was given his first lead role in the drama with Subaru Shibutani
Subaru Shibutani
is a Japanese idol, singer, actor and lyricist. He is also the lead singer of Japanese male idol group Kanjani Eight, which debuted with modern enka. Shibutani was already a singer in his own right before the group's debut, immensely popular among Johnny's Jr. fans as the top Kansai Jr...
acting as his stepbrother. His schedule became packed, causing him to lose 7 kg in a month as a result. From October 11, 1999 to October 29, 1999, because Arashi were the main supporters for the 8th World Cup of Volleyball Championships, all five members co-starred together for the first time in the volleyball-centered short drama .
From 2003 to 2005, Ninomiya continued to appear in a wide range of dramas. He played a student who found himself to be one of the last four virgins left at school in the comedy series Stand Up!!
Stand Up!!
is a Japanese television drama which ran weekly for three months in 2003. The drama, which stars Kazunari Ninomiya of Arashi and Tomohisa Yamashita of NEWS, centers around the lives of the last four virgins left in their highschool as they struggle to lose their virginity over their final high...
, a boyfriend of a girl who mysteriously shrunk into a size of merely sixteen centimeters tall in the romance series and a young man who accidentally killed his mother and developed an estranged relationship with his father as a result in the human drama series
In 2006, Ninomiya starred in the drama special , which was based on the true story of young man named diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma. He went on to appear in two different films for the rest of 2006 before taking up on January 11, 2007.
During the summer of 2007, he and fellow Arashi bandmate Sho Sakurai
Sho Sakurai
is a Japanese idol, singer, songwriter, actor, newscaster, host and former radio host. He is a member of Japanese boy band Arashi....
co-starred together in the manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
-based comedy drama Yamada Tarō Monogatari
Yamada Taro Monogatari
is a Japanese manga series created by Ai Morinaga. The manga series, published by Kadokawa Shoten, ran from 1996-2000 with a total of fourteen volumes. Besides, after the ending of the series...
. Ninomiya played the title character , an extremely poor student attending a school for the rich. Soon after—whilst juggling rehearsals for Arashi's upcoming concerts—he acted as the lead in the drama special , which was based on the true story of an autistic
Autism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
young man training to become a marathon runner.
After a year without any acting roles, other than a small guest appearance in bandmate Satoshi Ohno's
Satoshi Ohno
is a Japanese idol, singer, actor, artist, and radio host. He is the lead vocalist and leader of Japanese boy band Arashi, hence his nickname ....
first lead drama Maō
Mao
, is a Japanese remake of the Korean suspense drama series titled Ma Wang which aired on KBS 2TV in 2007. The drama stars Satoshi Ohno of Arashi and Toma Ikuta, both under the talent agency Johnny & Associates.-Synopsis:...
, Ninomiya finally took up the main role in the drama Ryūsei no Kizuna
Ryusei no Kizuna
is a novel by the famous mystery writer Keigo Higashino and also a Japanese television drama adapted from the novel. The novel was released on March 5, 2008, after being serialized in Weekly Gendai from September 16, 2006 until September 15, 2007...
"流星の絆 with Ryo Nishikido
Ryo Nishikido
is a Japanese actor and singer. He is a member of the Johnny & Associates boy band Kanjani Eight and was a member of boy band NEWS.- Biography :Ryo Nishikido was born in Hyogo on November 3, 1984 and raised in Osaka. He made his major debut in 2004 as an actor and a singer. Nishkido belongs to two...
and Erika Toda
Erika Toda
, is a Japanese actress from Kobe. She originally debuted as a gravure model at age 13.She starred in many dramas like Liar Game, Code Blue, Ryusei no Kizuna and Keizoku 2: SPEC. She has had supporting roles in many popular Japanese TV dramas such as BOSS, Nobuta wo Produce, Engine and Gal Circle...
acting as his younger siblings. The three played the children of parents who were murdered long ago by an nameless man. Readers, reporters and critics of the 59th Television Drama Academy Awards panel recognized his role as the oldest vengeful sibling and awarded him Best Actor. His Ryūsei no Kizuna role also earned him an Outstanding Actor nomination in the drama category in the 49th Monte-Carlo Television Festival
Festival de Télévision de Monte-Carlo
The Monte-Carlo Television Festival was created in 16-20 January 1961 by Prince Rainier III of Monaco, who wished to “encourage a new art form, in the service of peace and understanding between men”....
.
In spring 2009, Ninomiya starred as the lead in the third and final of the TBS
Tokyo Broadcasting System
, TBS Holdings, Inc. or TBSHD, is a stockholding company in Tokyo, Japan. It is a parent company of a television network named and radio network named ....
drama special trilogy Door to Door, with the first and second being Sukoshi wa, Ongaeshi ga Dekitakana and Marathon respectively. The drama special was based on the true story of Bill Porter
Bill Porter (salesman)
Bill Porter is an American salesman for the Watkins Company. Born with cerebral palsy, Porter came to the public's attention in 1995, when an Oregon newspaper wrote a series of feature stories about him....
, an American door-to-door salesman who achieved the highest sales for his company despite suffering from cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy is an umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive, non-contagious motor conditions that cause physical disability in human development, chiefly in the various areas of body movement....
. His roles in Door to Door and Ryūsei no Kizuna won him the Individual Award in the television category of the 46th Galaxy Awards, a first for a Johnny's talent and the first by an actor in his twenties. Ninomiya began filming for the drama special in April 2009. However, the special, which saw Ninomiya's first time playing a psychiatrist
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
, did not air on television until September 24, 2009.
In January 2010, Ninomiya co-starred with the other members of Arashi in their first drama in nearly ten years in the human suspense drama special Saigo no Yakusoku
Saigo no Yakusoku
was a Japanese drama special starring the members of Japanese boy band Arashi in their first drama together in nearly ten years.-Plot:Janitors Satoru Mashiko and Haruo Iio are driving towards Energy Bio Corporation for work when motorcycle courier Nozomu Gotō passes by them...
"最後の約束”. Ninomiya portrayed , a 27-year-old temporary security center employee who is caught up in a building hijack. On September 20, 2010, he made a guest appearance on the last episode of bandmate Matsumoto and Yūko Takeuchi
Yuko Takeuchi
is a Japanese actress. She made her big break with NHK's television series Asuka and JT Green's commercial. She has gone on to star in many TV shows, movies, and commercials....
's getsuku
Getsuku
is a Japanese abbreviation for , meaning Monday at 9 pm. This is traditionally the time when the most popular TV dramas air in Japan.-History:Fuji TV, one of the major broadcasting companies in Japan, started the pattern of airing the dramas it predicted would be most popular on Monday nights...
drama .
Ninomiya starred in the drama , his first serial drama since Ryūsei no Kizuna (2008). With Karina as his co-star, Ninomiya portrayed a freeter named . The drama maintained steady viewership ratings throughout its airing, having an average rating of 17.14% overall.
Film
In 2002, he made his motion picture debut in Arashi's first movie together, . Ninomiya next took to the screen as Shuichi, a high school student trying to get rid of his abusive stepfather, in the 2003 film Ao no Honō with Aya MatsuuraAya Matsuura
is a Japanese pop singer from Himeji, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan.-2000–2009: Hello! Project:Aya auditioned in 2000 for the fourth Morning Musume & Heike Michiyo Protegee Audition and was selected along with Sheki-Dol to become a part of what was later known as Hello! Project. It is a common...
as his co-star. In 2004, Arashi came together again to reprise their respective roles for the sequel of Pikanchi Life Is Hard Dakedo Happy, .
2006 proved to be a productive year for Ninomiya as he became the first artist from Johnny's & Associates to debut in Hollywood. He played a reluctant soldier called Saigo in Clint Eastwood's
Clint Eastwood
Clinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide...
Academy Award-nominated Letters from Iwo Jima
Letters from Iwo Jima
is a 2006 war film directed and co-produced by Clint Eastwood, and starring Ken Watanabe and Kazunari Ninomiya. The film portrays the Battle of Iwo Jima from the perspective of the Japanese soldiers and is a companion piece to Eastwood's Flags of Our Fathers, which depicts the same battle from the...
with Academy Award-nominated actor Ken Watanabe
Ken Watanabe
is a Japanese stage, film, and television actor. To English-speaking audiences he is known for playing tragic hero characters, such as General Tadamichi Kuribayashi in Letters from Iwo Jima and Lord Katsumoto Moritsugu in The Last Samurai, for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best...
. His performance was praised by many film critics, some of which include RogerEbert.com editor Jim Emerson ("thoroughly winning"), Claudia Puig of USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
("also superb"), James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli is an American online film critic.-Personal life:Berardinelli was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey and spent his early childhood in Morristown, New Jersey. At the age of nine years, he relocated to the township of Cherry Hill, New Jersey...
("another performer worth singling out") and Kirk Honeycutt of The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
("who is just terrific"). On January 7, 2007, New York Times film critic A. O. Scott
A. O. Scott
Anthony Oliver Scott, known as A. O. Scott , is an American journalist and critic. He is a chief film critic for The New York Times, along with Manohla Dargis.-Background and education:...
listed Ninomiya as an ideal Oscar candidate for Best Supporting Actor
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the...
. On October 24, 2006, a couple months after returning from filming Letters from Iwo Jima in the United States, he debuted as a voice actor, lending his voice to main character Black in the Michael Arias
Michael Arias
Michael Arias is an American-born filmmaker active primarily in Japan.Though Arias has worked variously as visual effects artist, animation software developer, and producer, he is best known for his directorial debut, the anime feature Tekkonkinkreet, which established him as the first...
animated film Tekkon Kinkreet
Tekkon Kinkreet
is a three-volume seinen manga series by Taiyō Matsumoto, which was originally serialized from 1993 to 1994 in Shogakukan's Big Comic Spirits and first published in English as Tekkonkinkreet: Black & White. It was adapted into a 2006 feature-length Japanese anime film of the same name, directed by...
.
In 2007, all the members of Arashi co-starred in their third movie together, , with Ninomiya playing the main role of an aspiring manga artist.
On October 1, 2010, the live-action adaptation of Fumi Yoshinaga's
Fumi Yoshinaga
is a Japanese manga artist known for her shōjo and shōnen-ai works.-Personal:Fumi Yoshinaga was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1971. She attended the prestigious Keio University in Tokyo....
award-winning Ōoku: The Inner Chambers
Ōoku: The Inner Chambers
is an ongoing Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Fumi Yoshinaga. The plot follows an alternate history of medieval Japan in which an unknown disease kills most of the male population, leading to a matriarchal society in which the Ōoku becomes a harem of men serving the now female...
manga, which starred Ninomiya and Kou Shibasaki
Kou Shibasaki
, born Yukie Yamamura, on August 5, 1981 in Toshima, Tokyo, Japan is a Japanese singer and actress.-Music career:Shibasaki made her debut in the music industry in 2002 with her first single Trust My Feelings, but she became recognized for her second single Tsuki no shizuku which was used for the...
, was released into theaters in Japan. Ninomiya played , a young man living in a matriarchal society due to a disease that killed most of the male population.
Part one of the live-action adaptation of the manga Gantz
Gantz
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hiroya Oku. Gantz tells the story of Kei Kurono and his friend Masaru Kato who die in a train accident and become part of a semi-posthumous "game" in which they and several other recently deceased people are forced to hunt down and kill aliens...
, which starred Ninomiya and Kenichi Matsuyama was released on January 20, 2011 in the United States and on January 29, 2011 in Japan. Ninomiya starred as Kei Kurono, a young man who is hit by a subway train
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
and becomes part of a semi-posthumous "game" with other deceased people. Part two of Gantz, titled Gantz: Perfect Answer, hit theaters in Japan on April 23, 2011.
Radio
Ninomiya has his own radio show, Bay Storm, since October 4, 2002. The show is currently airing every Sunday on Japan's BayFM, in which he often plays his own renditions of Arashi's songs as well as songs by other artists.Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Amagi Goe | Takichi Nishinōra (child) | Television special |
| 1998 | Nijuroku ya Mairi | ||
| 1998 | Akimahende | Taiki Aoki | |
| 1999 | Abunai Houkago | Katsuyuki Natsuki | Lead role |
| 1999 | Kowai Nichiyoubi | ||
| 1999 | V no Arashi | Kazunari Ninomiya | Lead role with other members of Arashi Arashi is a Japanese boy band formed under the Japanese talent agency Johnny & Associates, which announced the formation of the group on November 3, 1999 in Honolulu, Hawaii... |
| 2000 | Namida o Fuite | Kenta Fuchigami | |
| 2001 | Handoku | Nobu Sakaguchi | |
| 2003 | Netsuretsu Teki Chūka Hanten | Kenta Nanami | |
| 2003 | Stand Up!! Stand Up!! is a Japanese television drama which ran weekly for three months in 2003. The drama, which stars Kazunari Ninomiya of Arashi and Tomohisa Yamashita of NEWS, centers around the lives of the last four virgins left in their highschool as they struggle to lose their virginity over their final high... |
Shōhei Asai | Lead role |
| 2004 | Minami-kun no Koibito | Susumu Minami | |
| 2005 | Yasashii Jikan | Takuro Wakui | |
| 2006 | Sukoshi wa, Ongaeshi ga Dekitakana | Kazunori Kitahara | Television special, lead role |
| 2007 | Haikei, Chichiue-sama | Ippei Tahara | Lead role |
| 2007 | Marathon | Shōtaro Miyata | Lead role, television special |
| 2007 | Yamada Tarō Monogatari Yamada Taro Monogatari is a Japanese manga series created by Ai Morinaga. The manga series, published by Kadokawa Shoten, ran from 1996-2000 with a total of fourteen volumes. Besides, after the ending of the series... |
Taro Yamada | Lead role |
| 2008 | Maō Mao , is a Japanese remake of the Korean suspense drama series titled Ma Wang which aired on KBS 2TV in 2007. The drama stars Satoshi Ohno of Arashi and Toma Ikuta, both under the talent agency Johnny & Associates.-Synopsis:... |
Masayoshi Kumada | Episode 1 guest appearance |
| 2008 | Ryūsei no Kizuna Ryusei no Kizuna is a novel by the famous mystery writer Keigo Higashino and also a Japanese television drama adapted from the novel. The novel was released on March 5, 2008, after being serialized in Weekly Gendai from September 16, 2006 until September 15, 2007... |
Kōichi Ariake | Lead role |
| 2009 | Door to Door | Hideo Kurasawa | Lead role, television special |
| 2009 | Tengoku de Kimi ni Aetara | Junichi Nonogami | Lead role, television special |
| 2010 | Saigo no Yakusoku Saigo no Yakusoku was a Japanese drama special starring the members of Japanese boy band Arashi in their first drama together in nearly ten years.-Plot:Janitors Satoru Mashiko and Haruo Iio are driving towards Energy Bio Corporation for work when motorcycle courier Nozomu Gotō passes by them... |
Shūji Yamagiwa | Lead role with other members of Arashi Arashi is a Japanese boy band formed under the Japanese talent agency Johnny & Associates, which announced the formation of the group on November 3, 1999 in Honolulu, Hawaii... , television special |
| 2010 | Natsu no Koi wa Nijiiro ni Kagayaku | Hamlet stage lighting technician | Episode 10 guest appearance |
| 2010 | Freeter, Ie o Kau | Seiji Take | Lead role |
| 2011 | Freeter, Ie o Kau SP | Seiji Take | Lead role |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Pikanchi Life is Hard Dakedo Happy | Takuma Onda | |
| 2003 | Ao no Honō | Shuichi Kushimori | Lead role |
| 2004 | Pikanchi Life Is Hard Dakara Happy | Takuma Onda | |
| 2006 | Letters from Iwo Jima Letters from Iwo Jima is a 2006 war film directed and co-produced by Clint Eastwood, and starring Ken Watanabe and Kazunari Ninomiya. The film portrays the Battle of Iwo Jima from the perspective of the Japanese soldiers and is a companion piece to Eastwood's Flags of Our Fathers, which depicts the same battle from the... |
Saigo | Hollywood debut |
| 2006 | Tekkon Kinkreet Tekkon Kinkreet is a three-volume seinen manga series by Taiyō Matsumoto, which was originally serialized from 1993 to 1994 in Shogakukan's Big Comic Spirits and first published in English as Tekkonkinkreet: Black & White. It was adapted into a 2006 feature-length Japanese anime film of the same name, directed by... |
Black | Voice, lead role |
| 2007 | Kiiroi Namida | Eisuke Muraoka | Lead role |
| 2009 | Heaven's Door | Host | Guest appearance |
| 2010 | Ōoku | Hiroyuki Mizuno | Lead role with Kou Shibasaki Kou Shibasaki , born Yukie Yamamura, on August 5, 1981 in Toshima, Tokyo, Japan is a Japanese singer and actress.-Music career:Shibasaki made her debut in the music industry in 2002 with her first single Trust My Feelings, but she became recognized for her second single Tsuki no shizuku which was used for the... |
| 2011 | Gantz Gantz: Perfect Answer |
Kei Kurono | Lead role with Kenichi Matsuyama |
Stage
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Stand By Me | Chris | |
| 2004 | Shibuya Kara Tooku Hanarete | Naoya | Lead role |
| 2005 | Rebel Without a Cause | Jim Stark | Lead role |
| 2009 | Mishiranu Jōkyaku | Bruno | Lead role |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Organization | Award | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 10th Rendora 110Award | Best Actor | Stand Up!! | |
| 2005 | 8th Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix (Winter) | Best Supprting Actor | Yasashii Jikan | |
| 16th Rendora 110Award | Best Supporting Actor | |||
| 2007 | 15th Hashida Awards | Hashida Award | Sukoshi wa, Ongaeshi ga Dekitakana | |
| 10th Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix (Winter) | Best Actor | Haikei, Chichiue-sama | ||
| 52nd Television Drama Academy Awards | Best Actor | |||
| 11th Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix (Summer) | Best Actor | Yamada Taro Monogatari | ||
| 54th Television Drama Academy Awards | Best Actor | |||
| Monthly Galaxy Awards (September) | Galaxy Award | Marathon | ||
| 62nd Cultural Affairs Award | Hōsō Kojin Award | |||
| 2008 | 12th Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix (Fall) | Best Actor | Ryūsei no Kizuna | |
| 59th Television Drama Academy Awards | Best Actor | |||
| 49th Monte-Carlo Television Festival Festival de Télévision de Monte-Carlo The Monte-Carlo Television Festival was created in 16-20 January 1961 by Prince Rainier III of Monaco, who wished to “encourage a new art form, in the service of peace and understanding between men”.... |
Outstanding Actor (Drama) | |||
| 2009 | 46th Galaxy Awards | Individual Award | Ryūsei no Kizuna, Door to Door | |
| 2011 | 14th Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix (Fall) | Best Actor | Freeter, Ie o Kau | |
| 67th Television Drama Academy Awards | Best Actor |
External links
- Jōnetsu Tairiku (情熱大陸) Documentary Program on Kazunari Ninomiya (originally broadcasted on May 6, 2007)