Junichi Okada
Encyclopedia
is a member of Japanese boy band
V6
, which is under the management of Johnny & Associates
. He joined Johnny & Associates at the age of 14.
program . He passed the audition and joined Johnny & Associates at the age of 14. After being in Johnny's for only a short period of three months, he made his debut as the youngest member of the idol group V6. Unlike the rest of the members in the group, he did not have much experience as Johnny's Jr.
The first time that he had been on a music program was only after the debut of V6. Their debut song was "Music For the People".
Okada can play the guitar, as well as the piano. His mother is a piano teacher. His voice is in the middle range, and hence his solos usually include slower ballads. Recently, he has been given longer solos in V6 songs, such as "Way of Life". He also reveals that during V6's 2008 concert Vibes, he was directing most of the lightning, staging, and costumes.
, in which he plays the lead roles in four of them. In a Shōnen Club Premium interview on May 7, 2009, he revealed that it was the Japanese drama Kisarazu Cat's Eye
that caught viewers and directors' attention of his acting ability. The success of the drama led to the making of two subsequent movies, Kisarazu Cat's Eye: Nihon Series and Kisarazu Cat's Eye: World Series. His other notable dramas include Tiger & Dragon, a comedy drama about rakugo
, a form of Japanese comedy acted only by one person telling that story. and SP (also known as Security Police), an action suspense drama about a team of security police bodyguards
in charge of protecting important people in the government. With Shinichi Tsutsumi
as his co-star, the drama drew in overall ratings of 15.35% despite its Saturday 11:00 p.m. (JST
) time slot; its special episode broadcast in 2008 also received a viewership rating of 21.5%.
in 2005. In the movie he portrayed a young college student torn between his love for a lady twenty years his senior and the views society has on these kinds of relationship. After that came , known as Hana
to Western movie audiences, directed by the renowned director Hirokazu Koreeda
(Distance
, After Life and Nobody Knows). In the movie, Okada portrayed Sōza, a samurai uninterested in killing his enemy and focused on what he could do today to be a better person instead. The movie earned him a nomination for the Blue Ribbon Awards
, but he declined this nomination. Nevertheless, he still got awarded the Ishihara Yujiro New Actor Award at Nikkan Sports Film Award
for his role in Hana. Recently, he has been involved in movies such as , portraying a young man in debt because of pachinko
, and , an unconventional love story between two neighbors who have never met each other and only follow the other person's life through the sounds they hear from the other side of the wall.
In August 2008, it was rumored that Okada and Tiger & Dragon co-star Yu Aoi
are dating.
Boy band
A boy band is loosely defined as a popular music act consisting of only male singers. The members are expected to dance as well as sing, usually giving highly choreographed performances. More often than not, boy band members do not play musical instruments, either in recording sessions or on...
V6
V6 (band)
V6 is a six-member Japanese boy band formed by Johnny & Associates. The group debuted on November 1, 1995 with the single "Music for the People", which was used as the image song for the World Cup of Volleyball in 1995...
, which is under the management of 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:...
. He joined Johnny & Associates at the age of 14.
Music career
In the summer of 1995, he participated in Johnny's Pre-School, part of the NTVNippon Television
is a television network based in the Shiodome area of Minato, Tokyo, Japan and is controlled by the Yomiuri Shimbun publishing company. Broadcasting terrestrially across Japan, the network is commonly known as , contracted to , and abbreviated as "NTV" or "AX".-Offices:*The Headquarters : 6-1,...
program . He passed the audition and joined Johnny & Associates at the age of 14. After being in Johnny's for only a short period of three months, he made his debut as the youngest member of the idol group V6. Unlike the rest of the members in the group, he did not have much experience as Johnny's Jr.
Johnny's Jr.
is a part of Johnny & Associates that focuses only on boys who have not yet officially debuted either with a unit or as a solo act. The juniors are mostly younger than 30, with the exception of Sano Mizuki.- A.B.C-Z : is a part of Johnny & Associates that focuses only on boys who have not yet...
The first time that he had been on a music program was only after the debut of V6. Their debut song was "Music For the People".
Okada can play the guitar, as well as the piano. His mother is a piano teacher. His voice is in the middle range, and hence his solos usually include slower ballads. Recently, he has been given longer solos in V6 songs, such as "Way of Life". He also reveals that during V6's 2008 concert Vibes, he was directing most of the lightning, staging, and costumes.
Dramas
Besides known for being a V6 member, Okada is an accomplished actor with eleven movies, in which he plays the lead roles in eight of them, and sixteen dramasJapanese 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...
, in which he plays the lead roles in four of them. In a Shōnen Club Premium interview on May 7, 2009, he revealed that it was the Japanese drama Kisarazu Cat's Eye
Kisarazu Cat's Eye
is a humorous Japanese television show and movie series. To date, there have been two Kisarazu Cat's Eye movies:Kisarazu Cat's Eye Nihon Series and Kisarazu Cat's Eye World Series .-Synopsis:...
that caught viewers and directors' attention of his acting ability. The success of the drama led to the making of two subsequent movies, Kisarazu Cat's Eye: Nihon Series and Kisarazu Cat's Eye: World Series. His other notable dramas include Tiger & Dragon, a comedy drama about rakugo
Rakugo
is a Japanese verbal entertainment. The lone sits on the stage, called the . Using only a paper fan and a small cloth as props, and without standing up from the seiza sitting position, the rakugo artist depicts a long and complicated comical story...
, a form of Japanese comedy acted only by one person telling that story. and SP (also known as Security Police), an action suspense drama about a team of security police bodyguards
Security Police (Japan)
The or known as the is the Japanese close protection unit mandated with the responsibility of protecting domestic and foreign VIPs in Japanese soil and abroad. Its officers are known to have the SP insignia worn on their suit lapel and wearing red neckties and pocket handkerchiefs on their suits...
in charge of protecting important people in the government. With Shinichi Tsutsumi
Shinichi Tsutsumi
is a Japanese stage and screen actor. He won the Japanese Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2005 for Always Sanchōme no Yūhi.-Profile:*Place of Birth: Nishinomiya, Hyōgo, Japan*Talent Agency: Siscompany-Movies:* Suspect X...
as his co-star, the drama drew in overall ratings of 15.35% despite its Saturday 11:00 p.m. (JST
Japan Standard Time
Japan Standard Time or JST is the standard timezone of Japan, and is 9 hours ahead of UTC. For example, when it is midnight in UTC, it is 09:00 in Japan Standard Time. There is no daylight saving time, though its introduction has been debated several times. Japan Standard Time is the same as...
) time slot; its special episode broadcast in 2008 also received a viewership rating of 21.5%.
Movies
He made a big leap in his movie career with Tokyo TowerTokyo Tower (film)
Tokyo Tower is a 2005 Japanese romantic film directed and written by Takashi Minamoto.-Plot:Toru, a 20-year old man, falls in love with a woman who isnot only married but also 20 years older. Complicating...
in 2005. In the movie he portrayed a young college student torn between his love for a lady twenty years his senior and the views society has on these kinds of relationship. After that came , known as Hana
Hana (film)
Hana - the Tale of a Reluctant Samurai, known in Japan as , is a 2006 Japanese black comedy by director Hirokazu Koreeda.-Story:The story takes place in the year 1702. It concerns a young samurai, Sozaemon, who has come from Matsumoto to Edo to take his revenge against his father's killer and...
to Western movie audiences, directed by the renowned director Hirokazu Koreeda
Hirokazu Koreeda
is a Japanese film director, producer, screenwriter and editor. His films explore themes of memory, death, and coming to terms with loss.Koreeda originally planned to be a novelist, but after graduating from Waseda University instead worked as an assistant director on documentaries for TV Man Union...
(Distance
Distance (film)
Distance is a 2001 film by Japanese director Koreeda Hirokazu, starring Arata, Tadanobu Asano, Iseya Yusuke, Terajima Susumu, and Natsukawa Yui.-Plot:...
, After Life and Nobody Knows). In the movie, Okada portrayed Sōza, a samurai uninterested in killing his enemy and focused on what he could do today to be a better person instead. The movie earned him a nomination for the Blue Ribbon Awards
Blue Ribbon Awards
The are film-specific prizes awarded solely by movie critics and writers in Tokyo, Japan.The awards were established in 1950 by which is composed of film correspondents from seven Tokyo-based sports newspapers...
, but he declined this nomination. Nevertheless, he still got awarded the Ishihara Yujiro New Actor Award at Nikkan Sports Film Award
Nikkan Sports Film Award
The are film-specific prizes awarded solely by the Nikkan Sports.- Categories :*Best Picture*Best Director*Best Foreign Picture*Best Actor*Best Actress*Best Supporting Actor*Best Supporting Actress*New Artist Award*Special Award...
for his role in Hana. Recently, he has been involved in movies such as , portraying a young man in debt because of pachinko
Pachinko
is a type of game originating in Japan, and used as both a form of recreational arcade game and much more frequently as a gambling device, filling a niche in gambling in Japan comparable to that of the slot machine in Western gambling. A pachinko machine resembles a vertical pinball machine, but...
, and , an unconventional love story between two neighbors who have never met each other and only follow the other person's life through the sounds they hear from the other side of the wall.
Personal life
Okada is known for being reserved. He does not meet with many people within the agency. In an interview on Shōnen Club Premium, Okada said that when he was little, whenever his name was called up to read something in class, he would feel like vomiting and purposely avoided school on those day. Within V6, he is also the most quiet person. He enjoys carpentry and has carved wooden bears for children.In August 2008, it was rumored that Okada and Tiger & Dragon co-star Yu Aoi
Yû Aoi
is a Japanese actress and model. She made her film debut as Shiori Tsuda in Shunji Iwai's 2001 film All About Lily Chou-Chou...
are dating.
Filmography
| Dramas | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1995 | V no Honoo | Junichi Okada | |
| 1997 | D×D | Toranosuke Kihara | |
| 1998 | Pu-Pu-Pu Jump | Kazuya Omine | |
| 1999 | Shin Oretachi no Tabi | Shinroku Kumazawa | |
| Dear Friend | Yuuji Yamamuro | ||
| 2000 | Mona Lisa no Hohoemi | Takuro Okajima | |
| Oyaji Tadashi | Tadashi Kanzaki | ||
| 2001 | Chuushingura 1/47 | Chikara Oishi | |
| Hanran no Voyage | Kunpei Sakaue | ||
| 2002 | Renai Hensachi | Ryuji | |
| Kisarazu Cat's Eye | Kōhei Tabuchi (Bussan) | Lead role | |
| 2003 | Suekko Chōnan Ane Sannin | Ichiro Kashiwakura | |
| 2005 | Taika no Kaishin | Kamatari Nakatomino | Lead role |
| Fuyu no Undokai | Kikuo Kitazawa | Lead role | |
| Tiger & Dragon | Ryuji Yanaka (Kotatsu) | ||
| 2006 | Niji wo Kakeru Ōhi | Li Eun | |
| 2007 | SP | Kaoru Inoue | Lead role |
| Movies | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2003 | Cosmic Rescue | ||
| Kisarazu Cats Eye: Nihon Series | Lead role | ||
| Hard Luck Hero | Takashi Asai | ||
| 2004 | Thunderbirds Thunderbirds (film) Thunderbirds is a 2004 science-fiction adventure film loosely based upon the television series of the same name of the 1960s, directed by Jonathan Frakes.... |
Alan Tracy | Japanese dub |
| 2005 | Tokyo Tower Tokyo Tower (film) Tokyo Tower is a 2005 Japanese romantic film directed and written by Takashi Minamoto.-Plot:Toru, a 20-year old man, falls in love with a woman who isnot only married but also 20 years older. Complicating... |
Toru Kojima | Lead role |
| Fly, Daddy, Fly | Soon-Shin Park | Lead role | |
| Hold Up Down | Koichi Sawamura | ||
| 2006 | Hana Yori mo Naho Hana (film) Hana - the Tale of a Reluctant Samurai, known in Japan as , is a 2006 Japanese black comedy by director Hirokazu Koreeda.-Story:The story takes place in the year 1702. It concerns a young samurai, Sozaemon, who has come from Matsumoto to Edo to take his revenge against his father's killer and... |
Sōzaemon Aoki (Sōza) | Lead role |
| Kisarazu Cats Eye: World Series | Kōhei Tabuchi (Bussan) | Lead role | |
| Tales from Earthsea Tales from Earthsea (film) is a 2006 Japanese animated fantasy film directed by Gorō Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli.The film is based on a combination of plots and characters from the first four books of Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea series: A Wizard of Earthsea, The Tombs of Atuan, The Farthest Shore and Tehanu. The... |
Prince Arren | Lead role, voice | |
| 2008 | Kagehinata ni Saku | Maya | Lead role |
| 2009 | Otonari | Satoshi Nojima | Lead role |
| 2010 | SP The Motion Picture: Yabō-hen | Kaoru Inoue | Lead role |
| 2011 | SP The Motion Picture: Kakumei-hen | Kaoru Inoue | Lead role |
| From up on Poppy Hill | Shun Kazama | Voice | |
| 2012 | Tenchi Meisatsu | Shunkai Shibukawa (Santetsu Yasui) | Lead role |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Organization | Award | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Television Drama Academy Awards | Best Actor | Kisarazu Cat's Eye | |
| 2005 | Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix | Best Supporting Actor | Tiger & Dragon | |
| 2006 | Nikkan Sports Film Awards | Ishihara Yujiro New Actor Award | Hana Yori mo Naho, Kisarazu Cat's Eye: World Series | |
| 2008 | Television Drama Academy Awards | Best Actor | SP | |