Masahiro Nakai
Encyclopedia
is a singer, actor
and host
for music events and variety shows
such as the long-running music show Utaban
. He is the leader of the Japanese idol
group SMAP
.
as the youngest of three brothers. He is a big fan of baseball. As a child, he wanted to be a professional baseball player.
at the age of . He is the second person after Noriyuki Higashiyama
that was allowed to skip auditions and directly enter the agency as a trainee
, thus becoming known as one of the elite in Johnny's.
Fans have expressed that "Nakai’s inability to sing is somewhat of a national joke today in Japan". Regardless of the his lack of ability, Nakai has found eventual major success with SMAP as the group went on to become one of the most successful boy band
s in J-pop
history.
In 2009, Nakai was given his first lead role in a drama that aired on Fuji TV's
Monday 9:00 p.m. (JST
) time slot in nearly eleven years.
member Takaaki Ishibashi
, he serves as a co-host on , in which he shows a display of black comedy
. As the leader of SMAP, Nakai has the greatest TV exposure of the SMAP members insofar as variety shows
go.
In 2003, partly due to his involvement in very popular variety shows, Nakai was identified as the highest tax payer of any entertainer in Japan by the Japanese National Tax Bureau.
's annual Kōhaku Uta Gassen
six times. No other celebrity has hosted Kōhaku as many times as Nakai.
for the Olympics coverage on TBS
.
chose Nakai as the official "support captain" for Japan's Olympic baseball team.
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 host
Master of Ceremonies
A Master of Ceremonies , or compere, is the host of a staged event or similar performance.An MC usually presents performers, speaks to the audience, and generally keeps the event moving....
for music events and variety shows
Japanese variety show
Japanese variety show is a entertainment television program made up of a variety of original stunts, musical performances, comedy skits, quiz contests, and other acts.-Current situation:...
such as the long-running music show Utaban
Utaban
was a long running Japanese music variety show, broadcast weekly from October 15, 1996 until March 23, 2010 on TBS. The name of the show is an abbreviation of , meaning "music program"...
. He is the leader of the Japanese idol
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...
group SMAP
SMAP
SMAP is a Japanese boy band formed by Johnny & Associates. While originally consisting of six members, the current group members are Masahiro Nakai, Takuya Kimura, Goro Inagaki, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, and Shingo Katori...
.
Early life
Nakai was born in Kugenuma, Fujisawa, KanagawaFujisawa, Kanagawa
is a city located in Kanagawa, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 407,731 and a population density of 5,870 people per km². The total area is 69.51 km²-Geography:...
as the youngest of three brothers. He is a big fan of baseball. As a child, he wanted to be a professional baseball player.
Music
In 1987, Nakai entered the Japanese 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:...
at the age of . He is the second person after Noriyuki Higashiyama
Noriyuki Higashiyama
is a singer, actor, and a member of the Japanese pop idol group Shonentai. On October 24, 2010 he got married to actress Yoshino Kimura.-References:...
that was allowed to skip auditions and directly enter the agency as a trainee
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...
, thus becoming known as one of the elite in Johnny's.
Fans have expressed that "Nakai’s inability to sing is somewhat of a national joke today in Japan". Regardless of the his lack of ability, Nakai has found eventual major success with SMAP as the group went on to become one of the most successful boy band
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...
s in J-pop
J-pop
, an abbreviation for Japanese pop, is a musical genre that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1990s. Modern J-pop has its roots in 1960s music, such as The Beatles, and replaced kayōkyoku in the Japanese music scene...
history.
Acting
In 2007, Nakai was given his first movie role in nearly five years, portraying a humble barber wrongfully sentenced to death as a war criminal in the movie .In 2009, Nakai was given his first lead role in a drama that aired on Fuji TV's
Fuji Television
is a Japanese television station based in Daiba, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, also known as or CX, based on the station's callsign "JOCX-DTV". It is the flagship station of the Fuji News Network and the ....
Monday 9:00 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 in nearly eleven years.
Variety shows
In addition to co-hosting Utaban with TunnelsTunnels (owarai)
The are an owarai duo with a long history composed of Tokyo born and . Both of them attended where Ishibashi, the taller of the two, participated in baseball, and Kinashi participated in soccer....
member Takaaki Ishibashi
Takaaki Ishibashi
is a Japanese owarai artist, singer and actor.Born in Katsushika, Tokyo, Japan, Ishibashi moved to Narimasu, Itabashi after his father's bankruptcy in his first grade at an elementary school. He attended Teikyo Junior & Senor High School and is best known as a member of Tunnels with his partner...
, he serves as a co-host on , in which he shows a display of black comedy
Black comedy
A black comedy, or dark comedy, is a comic work that employs black humor or gallows humor. The definition of black humor is problematic; it has been argued that it corresponds to the earlier concept of gallows humor; and that, as humor has been defined since Freud as a comedic act that anesthetizes...
. As the leader of SMAP, Nakai has the greatest TV exposure of the SMAP members insofar as variety shows
Japanese variety show
Japanese variety show is a entertainment television program made up of a variety of original stunts, musical performances, comedy skits, quiz contests, and other acts.-Current situation:...
go.
In 2003, partly due to his involvement in very popular variety shows, Nakai was identified as the highest tax payer of any entertainer in Japan by the Japanese National Tax Bureau.
Music events
As of 2009, Nakai has co-hosted NHKNHK
NHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization. NHK, which has always identified itself to its audiences by the English pronunciation of its initials, is a publicly owned corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee....
's annual Kōhaku Uta Gassen
Kohaku Uta Gassen
, more commonly known as simply Kōhaku, is an annual music show on New Year's Eve produced by Japanese public broadcaster NHK and broadcast on both television and radio, nationally and internationally by NHK's networks and some overseas broadcasters which bought the program...
six times. No other celebrity has hosted Kōhaku as many times as Nakai.
Caster
Since 2006, Nakai has been the main newscasterNews presenter
A news presenter is a person who presents news during a news program in the format of a television show, on the radio or the Internet.News presenters can work in a radio studio, television studio and from remote broadcasts in the field especially weather...
for the Olympics coverage on 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 ....
.
Supporter
In 2007, Senichi HoshinoSenichi Hoshino
, 22 January 1947, is a former Japanese professional baseball player and current manager.In 2003, he led the Tigers to their first Central League pennant in 18 years before retiring for health reasons. Since 2007, He had managed the Japanese national team for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.In October,...
chose Nakai as the official "support captain" for Japan's Olympic baseball team.
Filmography
| Drama | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1988 | Abunai Shōnen III | Masahiro Nakai | |
| 1991 | Gakkō e Ikō! | ||
| 1992 | Ude ni oboe ari | Yûnosuke Shibuya | TV series |
| 1995 | Aji Ichimonme | Satoru Ihashi | |
| Kagayaku Toki no Naka de | TV series | ||
| Kagayake! Rintaro | |||
| 1996 | Aji Ichimonme 2 | Satoru Ihashi | |
| Naniwa Kinyudo | Tatsuyuki Haibara | Lead role | |
| Dareka ga Dareka ni Koishiteru | Television special | ||
| Shōri no Megami | Lead role | ||
| Naniwa Kinyudo 2 | Tatsuyuki Haibara | Lead role | |
| 1997 | Aji Ichimonme SP | Satoru Ihashi | Lead role, Television special |
| Boku ga Boku de Aru Tame ni | Hayato Naruse | Television special | |
| Ii Hito | Guest appearance | ||
| Saigo no Koi | Toru Natsume | Lead role | |
| 1998 | Aji Ichimonme SP | Satoru Ihashi | Lead role, Television special |
| Naniwa Kinyudo 3 | Tatsuyuki Haibara | Lead role | |
| Brothers | Shinjin Fujiwara | Lead role | |
| 1999 | Good News | Lead role | |
| Naniwa Kinyudo 4 | Tatsuyuki Haibara | Lead role | |
| 2000 | Densetsu no Kyoshi | Kazami | Lead role |
| Naniwa Kinyudo 5 | Tatsuyuki Haibara | Lead role | |
| 2001 | Yonimo Kimyona Monogatari: Otona Juken | Lead role, one part of the SMAP Special Edition | |
| Shiroi Kage | Yosuke Naoe | Lead role | |
| 2003 | Shiroi Kage Special | Yosuke Naoe | Lead role, television special |
| 2004 | Suna no Utsuwa | Eiryo Waga | Lead role |
| Tora to lion to gonin no otoko | Nakai Masahiro | Co-starring | |
| 2005 | Naniwa Kinyudo 6 | Tatsuyuki Haibara | Lead role |
| 2009 | Konkatsu! | Kuniyuki Amamiya | Lead role |
| 2010 | SMAP Ganbarimasu!! 2010 - 10 Hours Super | Nakai Masahiro | Lead role, one part of the SMAP Special Edition |
| 2011 | Aji Ichimonme SP | Satoru Ihashi | Lead role, television special |
| Film | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1993 | Private Lessons 2 | ||
| 1994 | Shoot | Toshihiko Tanaka | |
| 1994 | 2nd cinema Jack Chan Kin , "something strange? Part2" | Corporate son | Co-starring |
| 2002 | Mohō Han | Itikawa Hiroshi | Lead role |
| 2008 | Watashi wa Kai ni Naritai | Toyomatsu Shimizu | Lead role |
| 2010 | Ototo | Guest appearance | |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Organization | Award | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 4th Television Drama Academy Awards | Best Actor | Aji Ichimonme | |
| Best Newcomer | ||||
| 1997 | 14th Television Drama Academy Awards | Best Actor | Saigo no Koi | |
| 2003 | 7th Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix | Best Actor | Suna no Utsuwa | |
| 2004 | 40th Television Drama Academy Awards | Best Actor | ||
| 2008 | 21st Nikkan Sports Film Awards | Best Actor | Watashi wa Kai ni Naritai | |
| 2009 | TV Navi Spring 2009 Drama Awards | Best Actor | Konkatsu! |