Actor, singer and radio personality Takuya Kimura has also been one of Japan’s most influential male style and grooming figures for decades.
He began working as a member of SMAP in 1988 and made his CD debut with the group in 1991. While SMAP became one of Japan’s most prominent entertainment groups, Kimura also built an acting career through major dramas including Asunaro Hakusho, Wakamono no Subete, Long Vacation, Love Generation, Beautiful Life, HERO, GOOD LUCK!!, Pride and Karei Naru Ichizoku.
The 1996 drama Long Vacation became a social phenomenon, while HERO, which began in 2001, developed into a long-running television and film franchise built around his unconventional prosecutor, Kohei Kuryu. In 2004, he also voiced Howl in Studio Ghibli’s Howl’s Moving Castle.
From his forties onward, he continued expanding his range through works such as Masquerade Hotel, Grand Maison Tokyo, the Kyojo series, THE LEGEND & BUTTERFLY, Grand Maison Paris and TOKYO TAXI.
What makes Kimura especially interesting from a beauty and wellness perspective is the way appearance, physical activity, character preparation, surfing, grooming, cooking and daily rhythm all seem to connect.
His home workouts have included stretching, abdominal exercises, push-ups and balance-ball training. Outside of work, surfing and golf have remained long-term interests, while sunny days with no fixed plans may simply mean taking his dogs out for a walk.
As of 2026, Kimura is 53. He continues filming movies and dramas while also releasing solo music and performing live, including a tour that extends beyond Japan.
From strength training, body maintenance, home workouts and surfing to skincare, hairstyling, food, morning routines, acting preparation and his latest solo music, here is a comprehensive look at the habits that have helped shape Takuya Kimura’s active lifestyle across a remarkably long career.
Takuya Kimura Profile
Date of birth: November 13, 1972
Birthplace: Tokyo, Japan
Blood type: O
Profession: Actor, singer and radio personality
Music career: Began activities with SMAP in 1988 and made his CD debut in 1991. Released his first solo album, Go with the Flow, in 2020, followed by Next Destination, SEE YOU THERE and his fourth album Checkpoint in 2026
Family: Married to singer Shizuka Kudo. Their elder daughter Cocomi is a flutist and model, while their younger daughter Kōki, is a model and actor
Notable dramas: Asunaro Hakusho, Wakamono no Subete, Long Vacation, Love Generation, Beautiful Life, HERO, GOOD LUCK!!, Pride, Karei Naru Ichizoku, Grand Maison Tokyo, the Kyojo series and more
Notable films: Love and Honor, HERO, SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO, Masquerade Hotel, THE LEGEND & BUTTERFLY, Grand Maison Paris, TOKYO TAXI, Kyojo Reunion / Requiem and more
Voice acting: Howl in Howl’s Moving Castle
Fashion: Won the Best Jeanist award five consecutive times beginning in 1994 and entered the Hall of Fame
Interests and lifestyle: Surfing, golf, cooking and walking his dogs
Radio: TOKYO FM’s Takuya Kimura Flow
Current activities: Continues acting alongside his solo music career. Released Checkpoint in August 2026 and began a live tour that includes his first overseas solo performances
Takuya Kimura’s Career: From SMAP to One of Japan’s Most Recognizable Actors and a Solo Artist in His Fifties
Kimura’s entertainment career began while he was still a teenager.
He started working as a member of SMAP in 1988, and the group made its CD debut in September 1991 with “Can't Stop!! -LOVING-.”
SMAP went on to release major songs including “Yozora no Mukou,” “Lion Heart” and “Sekai ni Hitotsu Dake no Hana,” while also expanding into variety shows, cooking, comedy and acting.
Acting became one of the strongest pillars of Kimura’s individual career.
After appearing in Asunaro Hakusho in 1993 and Wakamono no Subete in 1994, he played aspiring pianist Hidetoshi Sena in 1996’s Long Vacation.
His performance opposite Tomoko Yamaguchi attracted enormous attention, and Kimura’s hairstyles, clothing and overall lifestyle image increasingly influenced youth culture.
Major starring roles followed in Love Generation, Beautiful Life, HERO, GOOD LUCK!!, Pride and Karei Naru Ichizoku.
His appearance also changed dramatically from role to role, ranging from longer hair and short cuts to perms and lighter colors. Denim, accessories, watches and jackets associated with his characters often attracted attention beyond the screen.
💡 Five consecutive Best Jeanist awards and Hall of Fame status
Beginning in 1994, Kimura won Japan’s Best Jeanist award five years in a row and entered the Hall of Fame. His influence has extended well beyond acting and music into denim, hairstyles and men’s fashion. That makes the title of his 2026 song “BLACK DENIM” especially memorable for longtime followers of his career.
In his thirties, he expanded further into film, including Yoji Yamada’s Love and Honor, the film version of HERO, SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO and the Masquerade Hotel series.
In 2019’s Grand Maison Tokyo, he played Natsuki Obana, a French chef aiming for a three-star restaurant alongside Kyoka Suzuki and the rest of the ensemble.
Beginning in 2020, the Kyojo series introduced another striking transformation: gray hair, an artificial eye and the controlled presence of strict police instructor Kimichika Kazama.
In 2026, the story continued through Kyojo Reunion and Kyojo Requiem, marking a major culmination of the series.
The 2025 film TOKYO TAXI also reunited Kimura with director Yoji Yamada for the first time in 19 years since Love and Honor. He played taxi driver Koji Usami opposite Chieko Baisho.
Romantic lead, prosecutor, pilot, chef, police instructor and taxi driver—his roles have become increasingly varied with age.
That range also helps explain why physical presentation, posture, movement and grooming remain such important parts of his work.
Takuya Kimura’s Fitness and Body Maintenance: Stretching, Abs, Push-Ups and Balance-Ball Training
One of the most interesting parts of Kimura’s wellness routine is his approach to strength training and physical maintenance.
On his official YouTube channel, he has demonstrated a workout he previously practiced at home.
The routine begins with stretching and moves through several types of abdominal exercises, balance-ball movements, lunges, shoulder work and push-ups.
The routine involves the abdomen as well as the back, sides, shoulders, hips, glutes, legs, chest and arms.
He begins by loosening the body
Stretching comes first.
He works through the back and sides, then moves the glutes, hips and shoulders before progressing into abdominal work.
The workout is structured around moving the entire body, including the shoulders, legs and core.
Ab training includes several variations
Kimura changes posture and movement to perform multiple abdominal exercises and also incorporates a balance ball.
Using different angles and movement patterns for the same area is one of the notable features of the workout he demonstrated.
His push-ups also vary according to hand placement and the distance between the hands and body.
With live performances, filming, action scenes and surfing all demanding different kinds of movement, full-body training has become a natural part of the way he maintains himself physically.
He trains when he feels the need to move
Kimura has described exercise as something he fits into his life according to his physical and mental state.
In radio conversations from 2021 and 2023, he explained that moving his body can help shift his thoughts in a more positive direction, and that when he feels like he needs to move, he may go to the gym or train at home.
For him, training can serve both physical maintenance and a change of mental pace.
💡 He has openly admitted that training alone can make it easier to stop early
Kimura often has a highly disciplined public image, but he has also said that when he trains alone, he may decide for himself when to stop. He has even suggested that having a personal trainer might lead to more intensive sessions. It is a refreshingly human detail that shows how his routine is built around something he can continue over time.
That honesty is important when looking at his fitness habits.
When he feels like moving, he actually moves—and that pattern has continued over many years.
For someone still combining filming and live performances in his fifties, that kind of regular physical activity is one of the most interesting parts of his lifestyle.
Surfing, Golf and Walking His Dogs: Takuya Kimura’s Active Lifestyle and Mental Reset
Understanding Kimura’s body maintenance also means looking beyond formal workouts.
Surfing, golf and walking his dogs have all created regular opportunities for physical activity in everyday life.
When he struggled to paddle back out while surfing, he joined a gym that same day
One story he told on Flow perfectly illustrates the way he responds to physical challenges.
When he first started surfing, he managed to catch a wave and initially felt that he could do it.
But when he tried to paddle back out, he struggled to get beyond the breaking waves.
Frustrated by the experience, he stopped at a sports club on the way home and joined immediately.
He asked the staff to create a training program specifically aimed at helping him surf.
💡 He could not paddle back out, so he joined a gym on the way home
Instead of leaving the frustration at the beach, Kimura went directly to a sports club and began training for surfing. When he returned to the ocean after spending time building his fitness, he said he could personally feel the difference in his stamina.
The story captures something central to his approach.
Exercise is closely connected to being physically capable of doing the things he wants to do.
For Kimura, that might mean surfing, filming, performing on stage or adapting his body to the requirements of a role.
The purpose changes, and he adjusts himself accordingly.
Sunny days naturally take him outdoors
During a 2023 conversation with Haruka Ayase about days off, Kimura described himself as someone who tends to go outdoors.
If the weather is good and he has a destination in mind, he may head to the ocean or a golf course. Without specific plans, he may simply take his dogs for a walk.
💡 A sunny day off can mean the ocean, golf or a walk with his dogs
Physical activity is not confined to a formal workout session. His hobbies and time with his dogs naturally create movement throughout the day. In 2025, he also mentioned walking his dogs before heading into a work event.
Surfing and golf can mean hours of outdoor activity, while even an unplanned day may still include walking.
That long-term pattern is more revealing than any single number on a scale.
Movement also works as a mental reset
Kimura has described physical activity as a form of release.
When his thoughts feel crowded or he wants to change his mood, moving his body can help shift his mental direction.
Exercise is something he naturally integrates according to his work and emotional state.
That flexibility may be one reason physical activity has remained part of his life for so long.
He also makes room to slow down at night
Despite his active image, Kimura has said that around 9 or 10 p.m. he may turn on the television and relax while lying down.
In 2025, he also used an unusual metaphor to describe the boundary between work and rest.
He said the only times he feels completely switched off are when he is bathing or sleeping. At other times, he feels more like a refrigerator that remains plugged in.
💡 He compares his work switch to a refrigerator
Kimura has said that he feels fully “off” mainly when bathing or sleeping. The rest of the time, he imagines himself more like a refrigerator that remains naturally connected to power. It is an unusual but memorable description from someone who has worked continuously in entertainment for decades.
Takuya Kimura’s Skincare and Hair: Men’s Grooming, Styling and Character Preparation in His Fifties
Kimura is the first male celebrity featured in this series, but his connection with grooming and beauty stretches back decades.
Hair is perhaps the clearest example.
His hairstyles in dramas such as Long Vacation, Love Generation, HERO and GOOD LUCK!! attracted enormous attention, and many men used his looks as references when visiting salons.
Few Japanese actors have connected character styling and mainstream men’s grooming as directly or for as long as Kimura.
Twenty years after his 2006 GATSBY campaign, he returned to Moving Rubber in 2026
In 2006, Kimura appeared in advertising for GATSBY’s “Moving Rubber” hair wax.
The commercials combined dance and hairstyling and became highly memorable at the time.
Twenty years later, in 2026, he reunited with GATSBY for the renewed Moving Rubber line.
In the latest interview, he explained that he sometimes mixes several styling products, combining one for hold and another for shine to create his own balance.
He also said that when a new acting project begins, he discusses hairstyles with the production team according to the character.
💡 He sometimes mixes hair waxes into his own “recipe”
One product may provide hold while another adds shine. In a 2026 GATSBY interview, Kimura explained that the variety of options allows people to create combinations that suit them. It is a fitting detail for someone whose hair has been closely watched for decades.
Even in his fifties, he continues adapting his hair according to the role and the person he is at that moment.
A skincare commercial focused on morning cleansing and evening lotion
In 2020, Kimura also appeared in advertising for men’s skincare brand BULK HOMME.
The campaign’s “Morning Routine” commercial showed him cleansing with a foaming net, while the “Night Routine” commercial featured facial lotion.
These scenes represented the skincare routine promoted by the brand rather than a direct record of Kimura’s personal daily regimen.
The behind-the-scenes material, however, included several revealing moments.
After filming the cleansing scene, Kimura reportedly rinsed the used foaming net himself and made sure it was hung up to dry.
During the lotion shoot, he asked staff how they applied the product and checked whether others used the same method.
When he encounters something unfamiliar, he tends to ask questions and try it for himself.
Cleansing, lotion, hairstyling, clothing, fragrance and character-specific hairstyles have all kept him connected to grooming as part of everyday presentation.
At the same time, surfing, golf and other outdoor activities remain part of his lifestyle.
Looking at those elements together—outdoor activity, movement, grooming and character transformation—offers a more complete picture of Kimura’s approach to men’s beauty and personal style.
Food, Morning Habits and Acting Preparation: How Takuya Kimura Keeps His Body Ready to Work
Kimura’s wellness habits include cooking, physical activity and small daily routines that have become part of ordinary life.
His morning begins with gargling, room-temperature water and coffee
In a 2024 episode of Flow, he gave a surprisingly detailed answer when a listener asked what he does first after waking.
He begins by gargling, then slowly drinks room-temperature water while switching on his coffee machine.
He continues drinking water while the machine completes its internal cleaning cycle, then makes coffee.
The sequence is simple: wake up, gargle, drink water and make coffee.
When he has an early shoot, he also prepares his smartphone alarm the night before and checks the volume.
That habit came after an occasion when a song suddenly played loudly early in the morning and startled him—a small everyday mishap he has shared on the radio.
Cooking has been part of his career for decades
Kimura’s relationship with food also has a long history.
On SMAP×SMAP, he spent years cooking for guests through the famous “BISTRO SMAP” segment.
As an actor, he later played French chef Natsuki Obana in Grand Maison Tokyo and Grand Maison Paris, where hand movements and cooking technique became part of the character.
His official YouTube channel has also featured cooking projects in which he works in the kitchen himself.
Cooking, tasting and connecting food with work have all become part of his relationship with eating.
In Kyojo, posture itself became part of the performance
One of the most interesting examples of Kimura’s physical acting is his portrayal of Kimichika Kazama in Kyojo.
Director Isao Nakae has explained that creating Kazama involved reducing some of Kimura’s usual weight shifts and physical habits and moving toward a straighter, more controlled posture.
People involved in the production also recalled how rarely he sat during filming, remaining physically present as Kazama on set.
💡 In Kyojo, “almost never sitting” became part of the physical character
For Kimichika Kazama, Kimura refined his center of gravity and posture and pursued a very straight, controlled stance. His acting shows how physical preparation can involve not only building the body, but also deciding how that body should occupy space.
In surfing, he builds stamina to paddle out.
On stage, he sings while moving.
In Kyojo, he stands almost motionless.
The same body is used in very different ways depending on the work or activity.
That flexibility is central to the way Kimura has approached body maintenance over the years.
Takuya Kimura Today: Checkpoint, “BLACK DENIM” and His First Overseas Solo Concerts
As of 2026, Takuya Kimura is 53.
While reaching a major culmination with the Kyojo series as an actor, his music career has entered a new phase under the label C&C STAGE.
His solo music career began in earnest with his first album Go with the Flow in 2020, followed by Next Destination in 2022 and SEE YOU THERE in 2024.
On August 12, 2026, he released his fourth solo album, Checkpoint.
The title reflects the idea of checking where he currently stands and using that point as a marker for what comes next.
On Flow, Kimura also spoke about how moving from the environment he had been part of for many years made him want to consider his present position more consciously.
The album features contributions from artists including Tamio Okuda, Taka of ONE OK ROCK, Masayoshi Yamazaki, Rei, Mitsuki Kimura and Sanma Akashiya.
The result is a varied collection in which each contributor’s musical personality meets Kimura’s voice.
“BLACK DENIM” was released in advance on July 22, 2026
One of the album’s advance releases was “BLACK DENIM.”
The rock track was written, composed and arranged by guitarist Rei and places strong guitar work alongside Kimura’s vocal.
Kimura later recalled on radio that the demo was more intensely rock-oriented than he had expected, while also making clear that he liked the song.
💡 His latest song is called “BLACK DENIM”
After decades of being associated with denim fashion and entering the Best Jeanist Hall of Fame, Kimura released a rock song titled “BLACK DENIM” in 2026. For longtime fans, the title itself feels closely connected to his public image.
Checkpoint also includes “Hikari no Naka de,” written by Taka.
Kimura has explained that he wanted to express his feelings toward the people supporting him in his current life, and that those thoughts were shared with Taka before the song was created.
The handwritten “Checkpoint” logo used for the album also came directly from Kimura.
When a cursive design was shown during production, he suggested writing it himself, and his handwriting was ultimately adopted.
💡 The Checkpoint logo is in his own handwriting
When the production team showed him a logo concept, Kimura suggested writing it himself. His handwriting was then used in the final album design—another example of his involvement extending beyond the music itself.
His 2026 tour includes his first overseas concerts as a solo artist
The TAKUYA KIMURA Live Tour 2026 Checkpoint began on September 5, 2026.
The tour covers five cities and nine performances across Hyogo, Fukuoka and Chiba in Japan, plus Seoul and Taipei.
These are Kimura’s first overseas concerts as a solo artist.
The schedule includes Seoul’s INSPIRE ARENA on September 26 and Taipei Music Center on November 13 and 14.
After decades in entertainment and extensive large-scale performance experience with SMAP, entering his fifties and reaching a new “first” through overseas solo concerts is a striking part of his current career.
In his fifties, the next step still begins with what he does now
In a 2026 GATSBY interview, Kimura spoke about the importance of what he does in the present if he wants the future to move in a positive direction.
The same idea can be seen in his fitness, acting and music.
When surfing exposed a weakness in his stamina, he joined a gym on the way home.
When a new role begins, he adjusts his hair and even the way he stands.
When he wants to reset mentally, he moves his body.
His mornings begin with water and coffee, while days off may take him to the ocean, a golf course or out walking his dogs.
And now, in his fifties, he is still making new albums and stepping onto overseas stages for the first time as a solo artist.
At the center of Kimura’s beauty, fitness and wellness habits is the ability to stay ready for the work and activities he wants to pursue.
He continues adjusting his body and personal presentation according to the role, purpose and stage of life he is in.
Strength training, surfing, hairstyling, morning routines, cooking, acting preparation and music may look like separate parts of his life.
Together, they reveal a consistent attitude: using the person he is now as the starting point for whatever comes next.
That may be the most interesting way to understand Takuya Kimura’s approach to men’s beauty, wellness and body maintenance across such a long career.
