Tomohisa Yamashita
Encyclopedia
, also widely known as Yamapi, is a Japanese idol
, actor
, and singer.
Yamashita joined the Japanese talent agency Johnny & Associates
in 1996 at the age of 11 and made his official CD debut with NEWS
in 2004. He debuted as a solo artist in 2006 with the hit single "Daite Senorita". His first solo album, Supergood, Superbad, was released on January 26, 2011. Like all of his previous releases, the album debuted on top of the Oricon weekly charts. On October 7, 2011, Johnny & Associates
announced that Yamashita was no longer a member of NEWS and would continue on as a solo artist in the agency.
Yamashita graduated from Meiji University
's faculty of commerce in the fall of 2008 with a degree in marketing
.
Industry watchdog Nikkei Entertainment placed him at the top of their annual ranking of under-30 celebrities in 2008 due to his achievements in multiple entertainment fields that year. Nikkei later christened him the 'twenty-something ratings man', singling him out as one of the rare young actors who could successfully lead romance dramas and who possessed a stable ratings record despite the declining drama industry.
Yamashita's recent works as an actor include the 2011 movie Ashita no Joe, the winter 2010 series Code Blue 2, and the Summer 2009 series Buzzer Beat
. Code Blue 2 and Buzzer Beat aired in Fuji TV's prestigious getsuku
(Monday 9 p.m.) time-slot in Japan, making Yamashita the first person to have starred in two Monday night dramas with only a single drama season in between.
Yamashita will be returning to the small screen with the winter 2012 drama series Saikō no Jinsei no Owarikata: Ending Planner.
. Yamashita's parents separated when he was very young and both Yamashita and his younger sister were raised mainly by his mother. He moved from Chiba to Tokyo during his middle school years due to the demands of his career.
Yamashita graduated from Horikoshi Gakuen's performing arts course for high school students in 2004. At Horikoshi, he shared a classroom with celebrities such as Koki Tanaka, and Koike Teppei, along with Yu Shirota
who would go on to become one of Yamashita’s closest friends. After graduating from high school, Yamashita was accepted into Meiji University
's School of Commerce. He graduated with a Commerce degree (major in marketing
) in autumn 2008, a semester late, because he could not fulfill attendance requirements for his final semester courses.
after watching one of Takizawa Hideaki's dramas and aspiring to appear on television. He sent in applications to many agencies but only Johnny & Associates
called him for an audition. He joined the agency in August 1996 and became part of the Johnny's Jrs
. As a Junior, Yamashita was often partnered with Toma Ikuta
as they were both members of the groups Jr.Boys, B.I.G, and 4TOPS.
During his time as a Junior
, Yamashita participated in concerts and television performances as a back dancer for groups such as V6 and Kinki Kids
. He also took part in variety programs such as Shownen J, Music Jump, Gakibara Teikoku 2000! and USO!Japan. Notably, he was an emcee on the NHK's Shounen Club from its inception in 2000 till his debut in 2004, and has continued to make infrequent guest appearances on the program.
Moreover, the members of Yamashita's group B.I.G (Bad Image Generation), which included Ikuta, Jun Hasegawa, Shunsuke Kazama
, Koki Tanaka and Koichi Goseki, served as the main personalities on the TV Tokyo
television show from October 1998 to April 1999. Soon after the show's run, B.I.G was reduced to just Yamashita and Ikuta. Then, in 2002, 4TOPS was formed with former B.I.G members Yamashita, Ikuta, Hasegawa, and Kazama to lead the Juniors after the debut of Tackey & Tsubasa.
Yamashita began to appear in television dramas soon after he became a Junior. His first major recurring role was a part in the 2000 TBS
drama Ikebukuro West Gate Park
at the age of fifteen, which earned him a Nippon Sports Grand Prix award for "Best New Comer". That same year, he won a number of magazine awards such as "Best Boyfriend" and "Most Beautiful" for the first time.
leader.
In October 2005, Yamashita and Kazuya Kamenashi
from KAT-TUN formed the temporary unit Shuuji to Akira
(Shuuji and Akira) to promote their television show Nobuta o Produce which also starred Maki Horikita
. (Shuuji and Akira are the characters they portray in the drama.) They also released a single, "Seishun Amigo", under the name Shuuji to Akira, which sold over a million copies in four weeks. "Seishun Amigo" topped the Oricon Yearly Single Rankings for 2005.
In spring 2006, Yamashita recorded Kurosagi: The Black Swindler, a drama based on the manga of the same name. "Kurosagi" is basically about the art of swindling. For this purpose, Yamashita recorded his single "Daite Señorita" which reached number 1 in the Oricon ranking. Maki Horikita also starred with Yamashita in this drama.
In the latter half of 2006, Yamashita joined a Thai duo called Golf&Mike, who are brothers, to form a temporary unit called Kitty GYM along with Hiromitsu Kitayama (Kis-my-ft2), Kei Inoo (J.J. Express), Shota Totsuka (A.B.C.), Hikaru Yaotome
(Ya-Ya-Yah). The unit was created to cheer on the Japan Women's Volleyball team and they released a single in August called "Fever and Future" under the name GYMwhich stands for Golf, Yamashita and Mike, respectively. Yamashita returned as a member of NEWS on December 31, 2006 on Johnny's Countdown 2006–2007.
Yamashita, along with KAT-TUN's Koki Tanaka and Kis-my-ft2's Taisuke Fujigaya, then starred in Byakkotai, a mini-drama in two parts that aired in January 2007. The drama special featured the story of Sakai Mineji one of the members of Byokkotai.
In April 2007, Yamashita was cast as Ken Iwase in a romance drama series called Proposal Daisakusen (Operation Love) alongside Masami Nagasawa
. This was his first lead role in a Fuji TV primetime drama. The drama gained a strong following which resulted in the production of a special the following year.
In July 2008, Yamashita starred in the medical drama Code Blue, playing flight doctor in training Kosaku Aizawa, alongside actresses Yui Aragaki
and Erika Toda
. The Code Blue special was later broadcast in January 2009. Yamashita and the main cast revived their roles for Code Blue 2. The time slot of the series changed to Mondays at 9pm marking Yamashita's third time in the popular time slot.
In the summer of 2009, Yamashita starred as the leading actor in a sports/romance drama called Buzzer Beat
alongside Keiko Kitagawa
who played an aspiring musician. On 30 August, NEWS hosted NTV's 24 Hour Television event for charity.
Following the release of his second solo single, "Loveless", Yamashita held his first solo concert, "Short but Sweet" at the Yokohama Arena in November 2009. Encore shows for "Short But Sweet" were held at the Osaka Jo Hall in January 2010.
During the early months of 2010, Yamashita starred in Code Blue 2. Days after filming for Code Blue 2 was wrapped up, Yamashita began filming for Ashita no Joe, a live-action adaptation of the manga of the same name. In July 2010, Yamashita released his third solo single "One in a Million" which debuted atop the Oricon charts.
Yamashita returned to the big screen as Yabuki Joe in the live adaptation of Ashita no Joe in February 2011. The movie also starred Karina
as Yuko, Yusuke Iseya
as Rikiishi, and Kagawa Teruyuki as Tange Danpei.
His first full fledged solo tour, "Supergood, Superbad: Asia Tour 2011" kicked off on January 29 in Hong Kong. The tour included stops in the Asian cities of Hong Kong
, Taipei
, Seoul
and Bangkok
, as well as the Japanese cities of Tokyo, Osaka, Hokkaido and Fukuoka. Johnny's Junior group A.B.C-Z supported Yamashita during the overseas stops and the Tokyo concerts. The Hokkaido and Taipei shows were postponed due to the Great Tohoku Earthquake and the tour eventually concluded in Hokkaido on May 31, 2011.
On October 7, 2011, Johnny & Associates
announced that Yamashita and Ryo Nishikido
were no longer members of NEWS, and Yamashita would henceforth be concentrating on his solo projects. Yamashita later published a message through the Johnny's web (Jweb) subscription service stating that this was a decision taken after much consideration on his part, and he was grateful to the members of NEWS for being understanding.
It was revealed on November 9, 2011 that Yamashita has been cast in the TBS drama Saikō no Jinsei no Owarikata: Ending Planner as the second of five siblings who reluctantly inherits a funeral service dealing with bodies brought in by the police. Saikō no Jinsei is described as a family drama with mystery and romance elements. According to Producer Iyoda Hidenori, Yamashita wanted to appear in a drama dealing with the warmth of a family.
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...
, 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...
, and singer.
Yamashita 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 11 and made his official CD debut with NEWS
NeWS
NeWS was a windowing system developed by Sun Microsystems in the mid 1980s. Originally known as "SunDew", its primary authors were James Gosling and David S. H. Rosenthal...
in 2004. He debuted as a solo artist in 2006 with the hit single "Daite Senorita". His first solo album, Supergood, Superbad, was released on January 26, 2011. Like all of his previous releases, the album debuted on top of the Oricon weekly charts. On October 7, 2011, 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:...
announced that Yamashita was no longer a member of NEWS and would continue on as a solo artist in the agency.
Yamashita graduated from Meiji University
Meiji University
is a private university in Tokyo and Kawasaki, founded in 1881 by three lawyers of the Meiji era, Kishimoto Tatsuo, Miyagi Kōzō, and Yashiro Misao. It is one of the largest and most prestigious Japanese universities in Tokyo, Japan....
's faculty of commerce in the fall of 2008 with a degree in marketing
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
.
Industry watchdog Nikkei Entertainment placed him at the top of their annual ranking of under-30 celebrities in 2008 due to his achievements in multiple entertainment fields that year. Nikkei later christened him the 'twenty-something ratings man', singling him out as one of the rare young actors who could successfully lead romance dramas and who possessed a stable ratings record despite the declining drama industry.
Yamashita's recent works as an actor include the 2011 movie Ashita no Joe, the winter 2010 series Code Blue 2, and the Summer 2009 series Buzzer Beat
Buzzer Beat
is a Fuji TV Japanese television drama, which stars Yamashita Tomohisa, Keiko Kitagawa, and Aibu Saki.The series primarily focuses on two characters, Naoki Kamiya , a professional basketball player, and Riko Shirakawa , an aspiring violinist...
. Code Blue 2 and Buzzer Beat aired in Fuji TV's prestigious 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...
(Monday 9 p.m.) time-slot in Japan, making Yamashita the first person to have starred in two Monday night dramas with only a single drama season in between.
Yamashita will be returning to the small screen with the winter 2012 drama series Saikō no Jinsei no Owarikata: Ending Planner.
Personal life
Yamashita was born in Funabashi, ChibaFunabashi, Chiba
is a city located in northwestern Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As of February 2011, the city had an estimated population of 609,157 and a population density of 7110 persons per km². The total area was 85.64 km². It is the 7th most populous city in Greater Tokyo....
. Yamashita's parents separated when he was very young and both Yamashita and his younger sister were raised mainly by his mother. He moved from Chiba to Tokyo during his middle school years due to the demands of his career.
Yamashita graduated from Horikoshi Gakuen's performing arts course for high school students in 2004. At Horikoshi, he shared a classroom with celebrities such as Koki Tanaka, and Koike Teppei, along with Yu Shirota
Yu Shirota
, born December 26, 1985, is a Japanese-Spanish actor, most known for his role as Kagurazaka Makoto in the Japanese television drama live-action adaption of Hana-Kimi, Kunimitsu Tezuka in the Prince of Tennis Musicals, Tuxedo Mask in the Sailor Moon Musicals, and as Kei Shinjo in Rookies...
who would go on to become one of Yamashita’s closest friends. After graduating from high school, Yamashita was accepted into Meiji University
Meiji University
is a private university in Tokyo and Kawasaki, founded in 1881 by three lawyers of the Meiji era, Kishimoto Tatsuo, Miyagi Kōzō, and Yashiro Misao. It is one of the largest and most prestigious Japanese universities in Tokyo, Japan....
's School of Commerce. He graduated with a Commerce degree (major in marketing
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
) in autumn 2008, a semester late, because he could not fulfill attendance requirements for his final semester courses.
Pre-debut
Yamashita was motivated to send in his application to the talent agency Johnny & AssociatesJohnny & 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:...
after watching one of Takizawa Hideaki's dramas and aspiring to appear on television. He sent in applications to many agencies but only 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:...
called him for an audition. He joined the agency in August 1996 and became part of the Johnny's Jrs
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...
. As a Junior, Yamashita was often partnered with Toma Ikuta
Toma Ikuta
is a Japanese talent artist part of Johnny's Jr. under the supervision of Johnny & Associates.-Career :Ikuta Toma used to be in a variety show for kids called Tensai Terebi kun. Being a member of a then all-children band called Strawberry Parfait, he was popular with the audience...
as they were both members of the groups Jr.Boys, B.I.G, and 4TOPS.
During his time as a Junior
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...
, Yamashita participated in concerts and television performances as a back dancer for groups such as V6 and Kinki Kids
KinKi Kids
is a Japanese duo consisting of Koichi Domoto and Tsuyoshi Domoto under the talent agency Johnny & Associates. Although the members share the same surname, the only relation they have to each other is that they both hail from the Kinki region, hence the duo's name....
. He also took part in variety programs such as Shownen J, Music Jump, Gakibara Teikoku 2000! and USO!Japan. Notably, he was an emcee on the NHK's Shounen Club from its inception in 2000 till his debut in 2004, and has continued to make infrequent guest appearances on the program.
Moreover, the members of Yamashita's group B.I.G (Bad Image Generation), which included Ikuta, Jun Hasegawa, Shunsuke Kazama
Shunsuke Kazama
is a Japanese actor and singer affiliated with Johnny's Entertainment.-History:As a Johnny's Junior he was member of .He is also a member of TU→YU along with V6's Hiroshi Nagano, NEWS's Takahisa Masuda, Hey! Say! JUMP's Hikaru Yaotome and actor Tatsuya Takeda...
, Koki Tanaka and Koichi Goseki, served as the main personalities on the TV Tokyo
TV Tokyo
is a television station headquartered in Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Also known as , a blend of "terebi" and "Tokyo", it is the key station of TX Network. It is one of the major Tokyo television stations, particularly specializing in anime...
television show from October 1998 to April 1999. Soon after the show's run, B.I.G was reduced to just Yamashita and Ikuta. Then, in 2002, 4TOPS was formed with former B.I.G members Yamashita, Ikuta, Hasegawa, and Kazama to lead the Juniors after the debut of Tackey & Tsubasa.
Yamashita began to appear in television dramas soon after he became a Junior. His first major recurring role was a part in the 2000 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 Ikebukuro West Gate Park
Ikebukuro West Gate Park (TV series)
was a wildly popular, highly influential Japanese television drama by screenwriter Kankuro Kudo, based on a novel by Ira Ishida, that initially aired on the Tokyo Broadcasting System during the summer of 2000, and directed by Yukihiko Tsutsumi. The success of the television series would launch a...
at the age of fifteen, which earned him a Nippon Sports Grand Prix award for "Best New Comer". That same year, he won a number of magazine awards such as "Best Boyfriend" and "Most Beautiful" for the first time.
Acting & music
In September 2003, Yamashita and eight other boys from Johnny's Juniors were chosen to form the group NEWS. NEWS made its formal debut on May 12, 2004. Yamashita was often referred to as the leader of NEWS but members of the group, including Yamashita himself, have stated at times that he was not the de factoDe facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
leader.
In October 2005, Yamashita and Kazuya Kamenashi
Kazuya Kamenashi
, often called Kame, is a Japanese idol, singer–songwriter, actor, television personality, producer, radio host and occasional model. Born and raised in Edogawa, Tokyo, he joined the Japanese talent agency, Johnny & Associates, at the age of 12 and was drafted as a member and co-lead vocalist of...
from KAT-TUN formed the temporary unit Shuuji to Akira
Shuuji to Akira
was a special temporary unit formed by KAT-TUN member Kazuya Kamenashi and NEWS member Tomohisa Yamashita for their 2005 drama Nobuta o Produce. and are the names of the characters Kamenashi and Yamashita play in the drama respectively...
(Shuuji and Akira) to promote their television show Nobuta o Produce which also starred Maki Horikita
Maki Horikita
is a Japanese actress and endorser. She debuted in 2003 as a U-15 idol and has since starred in Japanese television dramas, television and magazine advertisements, and movies.- Childhood:...
. (Shuuji and Akira are the characters they portray in the drama.) They also released a single, "Seishun Amigo", under the name Shuuji to Akira, which sold over a million copies in four weeks. "Seishun Amigo" topped the Oricon Yearly Single Rankings for 2005.
In spring 2006, Yamashita recorded Kurosagi: The Black Swindler, a drama based on the manga of the same name. "Kurosagi" is basically about the art of swindling. For this purpose, Yamashita recorded his single "Daite Señorita" which reached number 1 in the Oricon ranking. Maki Horikita also starred with Yamashita in this drama.
In the latter half of 2006, Yamashita joined a Thai duo called Golf&Mike, who are brothers, to form a temporary unit called Kitty GYM along with Hiromitsu Kitayama (Kis-my-ft2), Kei Inoo (J.J. Express), Shota Totsuka (A.B.C.), Hikaru Yaotome
Hikaru Yaotome
is a Japanese singer and songwriter as well as member of Hey! Say! JUMP. He is under the management of Johnny & Associates. He was born in Miyagi and lives in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area....
(Ya-Ya-Yah). The unit was created to cheer on the Japan Women's Volleyball team and they released a single in August called "Fever and Future" under the name GYMwhich stands for Golf, Yamashita and Mike, respectively. Yamashita returned as a member of NEWS on December 31, 2006 on Johnny's Countdown 2006–2007.
Yamashita, along with KAT-TUN's Koki Tanaka and Kis-my-ft2's Taisuke Fujigaya, then starred in Byakkotai, a mini-drama in two parts that aired in January 2007. The drama special featured the story of Sakai Mineji one of the members of Byokkotai.
In April 2007, Yamashita was cast as Ken Iwase in a romance drama series called Proposal Daisakusen (Operation Love) alongside Masami Nagasawa
Masami Nagasawa
is a Japanese actress under Toho Entertainment. She has performed in many movies and television dramas including Crying out Love, In the Center of the World, Dragon Zakura and Proposal Daisakusen. She graduated from Horikoshi High School in 2006. She is also known as "Ma-chan" or, as Tomohisa...
. This was his first lead role in a Fuji TV primetime drama. The drama gained a strong following which resulted in the production of a special the following year.
In July 2008, Yamashita starred in the medical drama Code Blue, playing flight doctor in training Kosaku Aizawa, alongside actresses Yui Aragaki
Yui Aragaki
is a Japanese idol, model, actress, singer, seiyū and occasional radio show host of Ryukyuan ancestry.She is particularly recognized for her beauty and her movie projects.- Overview :...
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...
. The Code Blue special was later broadcast in January 2009. Yamashita and the main cast revived their roles for Code Blue 2. The time slot of the series changed to Mondays at 9pm marking Yamashita's third time in the popular time slot.
In the summer of 2009, Yamashita starred as the leading actor in a sports/romance drama called Buzzer Beat
Buzzer Beat
is a Fuji TV Japanese television drama, which stars Yamashita Tomohisa, Keiko Kitagawa, and Aibu Saki.The series primarily focuses on two characters, Naoki Kamiya , a professional basketball player, and Riko Shirakawa , an aspiring violinist...
alongside Keiko Kitagawa
Keiko Kitagawa
is a Japanese actress and former model. She was an exclusive model for the Japanese Seventeen magazine from late 2003 to mid 2006, and left modeling when she left the magazine. Her first acting role was Sailor Mars in the Sailor Moon live action show Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon , and after her role...
who played an aspiring musician. On 30 August, NEWS hosted NTV's 24 Hour Television event for charity.
Following the release of his second solo single, "Loveless", Yamashita held his first solo concert, "Short but Sweet" at the Yokohama Arena in November 2009. Encore shows for "Short But Sweet" were held at the Osaka Jo Hall in January 2010.
During the early months of 2010, Yamashita starred in Code Blue 2. Days after filming for Code Blue 2 was wrapped up, Yamashita began filming for Ashita no Joe, a live-action adaptation of the manga of the same name. In July 2010, Yamashita released his third solo single "One in a Million" which debuted atop the Oricon charts.
Yamashita returned to the big screen as Yabuki Joe in the live adaptation of Ashita no Joe in February 2011. The movie also starred Karina
Karina
Karina is a pop-ballad singer-songwriter and actress from Venezuela.Her first major appearance was singing one of the roles in Karol Wojtyla's "El Taller del Orfebre", which was a Venezuelan made musical adaption of his play "The Jeweller's Shop", singing the song "Zapatos de tacón alto" Karina...
as Yuko, Yusuke Iseya
Yusuke Iseya
is a Japanese actor.He was born in Tokyo, Japan. With his modeling career , Yūsuke is known for Loreal , Men's Nonno magazine, Prada , and Asahi Aqua Blue....
as Rikiishi, and Kagawa Teruyuki as Tange Danpei.
His first full fledged solo tour, "Supergood, Superbad: Asia Tour 2011" kicked off on January 29 in Hong Kong. The tour included stops in the Asian cities of Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
, Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
and Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, as well as the Japanese cities of Tokyo, Osaka, Hokkaido and Fukuoka. Johnny's Junior group A.B.C-Z supported Yamashita during the overseas stops and the Tokyo concerts. The Hokkaido and Taipei shows were postponed due to the Great Tohoku Earthquake and the tour eventually concluded in Hokkaido on May 31, 2011.
On October 7, 2011, 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:...
announced that Yamashita and 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...
were no longer members of NEWS, and Yamashita would henceforth be concentrating on his solo projects. Yamashita later published a message through the Johnny's web (Jweb) subscription service stating that this was a decision taken after much consideration on his part, and he was grateful to the members of NEWS for being understanding.
It was revealed on November 9, 2011 that Yamashita has been cast in the TBS drama Saikō no Jinsei no Owarikata: Ending Planner as the second of five siblings who reluctantly inherits a funeral service dealing with bodies brought in by the police. Saikō no Jinsei is described as a family drama with mystery and romance elements. According to Producer Iyoda Hidenori, Yamashita wanted to appear in a drama dealing with the warmth of a family.
Composing & song-writing
| Song | Single/Album | |
|---|---|---|
| Composer; Lyricist | Love Song | Touch album – NEWS |
| Lyricist | Colorful (Dragon Zakura OST) | Seishun Amigo single – Shuuji to Akira |
| Composer; Lyricist | Yubiwa | Daite Senorita single – Tomohisa Yamashita |
| Composer; Lyricist | Houkago Blues | Fever to Future single – GYM |
| Composer; Lyricist | Gomen ne Juliet | Pacific album – NEWS |
| Co-Lyricist (Rap) | Fight All Night | cartoon KAT-TUN II You album – KAT-TUN |
| Lyricist (Rap) | Snow Express | color album – NEWS |
| Lyricist | Moonlight | Loveless single – Tomohisa Yamashita |
| Composer; Lyricist | World is Yours | One in a million single – Tomohisa Yamashita |
| Co-Lyricist; Co-Composer (with NEWS) | Share | Live album – NEWS |
| Composer; Lyricist | Ao | Supergood, Superbad album – Tomohisa Yamashita |
| Lyricist | Friday Night | Supergood, Superbad album – Tomohisa Yamashita |
| Co-Lyricist (with R.wolf) | Party Don't Stop | Supergood, Superbad album – Tomohisa Yamashita |
| Co-Lyricist (with R.wolf) | Tomo | Supergood, Superbad album – Tomohisa Yamashita |
| Composer; Lyricist | Time | N/A (Performed on Shounen Club, April 2004) |
| Lyricist | Pain | N/A (NEWS Nippon 0304 DVD) |
| Co-composer; Co-Lyricist (with Kato Shigeaki) | Ashita E | N/A (Performed on Shounen Club, December 11, 2005) |
| Composer; Lyricist | Let Me | N/A (Performed on Shounen Club, May 2006) |
| Co-Composer; Co-Lyricist (with Kato Shigeaki) | Road | N/A (Performed on NEWS Spring Concerts, April 2006) |
| Composer; Co-Lyricist (with Tanaka Koki) | Kiss de Tsutaete | N/A (Performed on Shounen Club, January 2007) |
| Co-Lyricist (with Koyama Keiichiro) | Ginza Rhapsody | N/A (NEWS Live Diamond DVD) |
Discography
- For NEWSNeWSNeWS was a windowing system developed by Sun Microsystems in the mid 1980s. Originally known as "SunDew", its primary authors were James Gosling and David S. H. Rosenthal...
, Shuuji to AkiraShuuji to Akirawas a special temporary unit formed by KAT-TUN member Kazuya Kamenashi and NEWS member Tomohisa Yamashita for their 2005 drama Nobuta o Produce. and are the names of the characters Kamenashi and Yamashita play in the drama respectively...
and Kitty GYMKitty GYMKitty GYM is a temporary unit that was composed in 2006. They were formed to promote the Women's Volleyball World Grand Prix, an event that began August 18 and ended on September 10, 2006....
-related releases, please see NEWS' Discography, Shuuji to Akira's Single and Kitty GYMKitty GYMKitty GYM is a temporary unit that was composed in 2006. They were formed to promote the Women's Volleyball World Grand Prix, an event that began August 18 and ended on September 10, 2006....
.
Albums
| Release Date | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 26 January 2011 | Supergood, Superbad | Johnny's Entertainment |
Singles
| Release Date | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 31 May 2006 | Johnny's Entertainment | |
| 18 November 2009 | Loveless | Johnny's Entertainment |
| 28 July 2010 | One in a million | Johnny's Entertainment |
| 19 January 2011 | Johnny's Entertainment |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Shounentachi (NHK) | Kakuda Shinya | Tanpatsu (Short Series) |
| 1999 | Nekketsu Renaido (NTV) | N/A | Episode 7 |
| 1999 | P.P.O.I (NTV) | Amano Taira | Tanpatsu |
| 1999 | Kowai Nichiyobi (NTV) | N/A | Episode 13 |
| 1999 | Kiken na Kankei (Fuji TV) | Miyabe Satoshi | Episodes 10-11; Renzoku (Regular Series) |
| 2000 | Ikebukuro West Gate Park Ikebukuro West Gate Park , usually referred to by its initials IWGP, is a series of urban mystery novels by Ira Ishida. It was adapted into a very successful TV series directed by Tsutsumi Yukihiko, and then a manga, released by Digital Manga Publishing in English.... (TBS) |
Mizuno Shun | Renzoku |
| 2000 | Shijo Saiaku no Date (NTV) | Okumura Yuki | Episode 1 |
| 2000 | All Star Chushingura Matsuri (TBS) | Asano Takumi | Special |
| 2001 | Kabachitare (Fuji TV) | Tamura Yuta | Renzoku |
| 2001 | Shounen wa Tori ni Natta (TBS) | Nagashima Ken | Special |
| 2002 | Long Love Letter (Fuji TV) | Ootomo Tadashi | Renzoku |
| 2002 | Lunch no Joou (Fuji TV) | Nabeshima Koshiro | Renzoku |
| 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... (TBS) |
Iwasaki Kengo | Renzoku |
| 2003 | Budou no Ki | Shindo Yosuke | Special |
| 2004 | Engimono 9: Kuruizaki Virgin Road (Fuji TV) | Hajime | Tanpatsu; Stageplay made for TV |
| 2004 | Sore wa, Totsuzen Arashi you ni (TBS) | Fukazawa Takuma | Renzoku |
| 2005 | Dragon Zakura Dragon Zakura is a Japanese manga by Norifusa Mita, which won the 2005 Kodansha Manga Award for general manga and an Excellence Prize at the 2005 Japan Media Arts Festival. It was adapted into live action television series of the same name broadcast on TBS in 2005.- Plot :... (TBS) |
Yajima Yuusuke | Renzoku |
| 2005 | Nobuta wo Produce Nobuta wo Produce is a Japanese drama produced and aired in 2005 by NTV. The television show is based on the book of the same name by Gen Shiraiwa... (NTV) |
Kusano Akira | Renzoku |
| 2006 | Kurosagi Kurosagi is a Japanese manga written by Takeshi Natsuhara and illustrated by Kuromaru. The series is about a boy named Kurosaki who swindles only other professional swindlers known as . It won the 2008 Shogakukan Manga Award for seinen/general manga along with Tetsuji Sekiya's Bambino!.The series was... (TBS) |
Kurosaki | Renzoku; First Lead Role |
| 2007 | Byakkotai Byakkotai The was a group of around 305 young, teenage, samurai of the Aizu domain, who fought in the Boshin War .-History:Byakkotai was part of Aizu's four-unit military, set up in the domain's drive to finalize its military modernization, in the wake of the Battle of Toba-Fushimi. The other three units... (TV Asahi) |
Sakai Shintaro; Sakai Mineji | Two-part Special; Lead |
| 2007 | Proposal Daisakusen (Fuji TV) | Iwase Ken | Renzoku; Lead |
| 2008 | Proposal Daisakusen SP (Fuji TV) | Iwase Ken | Special; Lead |
| 2008 | Code Blue (Fuji TV) | Aizawa Kousaku | Renzoku; Lead |
| 2009 | Code Blue SP (Fuji TV) | Aizawa Kousaku | Special; Lead |
| 2009 | Buzzer Beat Buzzer Beat is a Fuji TV Japanese television drama, which stars Yamashita Tomohisa, Keiko Kitagawa, and Aibu Saki.The series primarily focuses on two characters, Naoki Kamiya , a professional basketball player, and Riko Shirakawa , an aspiring violinist... (Fuji TV) |
Kamiya Naoki | Renzoku; Lead |
| 2010 | Code Blue 2 (Fuji TV) | Aizawa Kousaku | Second season; Renzoku; Lead |
| 2012 | Saikō no Jinsei no Owarikata: Ending Planner (TBS) | TBA | Renzoku; Lead |
Film
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Shinrei no Surfer Shi | Extra |
| >Eiga: Kurosagi | Kurosaki | |
| 2011 | Ashita no Joe | Yabuki Joe |