Kazunari Ninomiya facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kazunari Ninomiya
二宮 和也
Ninomiya at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival
Born	(1983-06-17) June 17, 1983 (age 42) Katsushika, Tokyo, Japan
Other names	Nino
Occupation	Singer actor television presenter
Years active	1996–present
Children	2
Musical career
Genres	J-pop
Instruments	Vocals guitar piano
Labels	Pony Canyon J Storm

Kazunari Ninomiya (二宮 和也, Ninomiya Kazunari, born June 17, 1983), often called Nino (ニノ), is a Japanese singer, actor, and TV host. He is a member of the popular Japanese idol group Arashi. He also writes songs and hosts radio shows.

Early Life and School

Ninomiya was born in Katsushika, Tokyo, Japan. He is the youngest child in his family. His parents were both chefs. His father taught Japanese cooking, and his mother was his assistant.

When Ninomiya was born, his grandfather wanted him to take over the family's windshield wiper factory. This was because Ninomiya was his only grandson. He finished high school in March 2002 when he was 18 years old.

Career Beginnings

Ninomiya started his career in entertainment when he was 13. His cousin sent an application to Johnny & Associates, a talent agency, without him knowing. His mother also encouraged him. He passed the auditions and joined the agency in 1996.

Before joining Arashi, Ninomiya began acting. He played Chris in the stage play Stand by Me. This play was based on the famous movie. Since then, he has acted in many TV shows, movies, and plays. People often call him the "actor of Arashi." He is known for acting well with his eyes and voice. Ninomiya has won many awards for his acting roles.

On October 24, 2023, Ninomiya announced he would become independent from his agency. He said he would still work with Arashi when the group starts activities again. On November 7, 2023, he shared on X (formerly Twitter) that he had started his own company. This company is called Office Nino, Inc. He also mentioned that his official website was being built. The website was completed and shared on December 16, 2023.

On June 7, 2024, Ninomiya announced a smartphone app called "DigiNino." He also opened his official fan club, "Office Nino Holdings," both on June 17.

Nino hosted a new TV show for TV Tokyo called "Geki kawa petto dai shūgō! Wan Nyan Ninoland." It aired on August 31, 2024. He and his co-host, Seiya Ishikawa, appeared as computer-generated (CG) dog and cat characters. The show was about animals from their point of view.

For 2025, Ninomiya planned his first fan meeting. He wanted to visit five cities in Japan: Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Hokkaido, and Fukuoka. He planned to answer fan questions and perform songs. He preferred venues with seats for his fans.

Music Journey

Ninomiya has also written and composed many songs.

Songwriting and Composing

In 2004, Ninomiya wrote and composed "Konseki" for his solo performance. This was during Arashi's Iza, Now!! tour. Later, in 2007, he wrote the lyrics for his solo song "Niji" (meaning "Rainbow"). He played the piano for this song during Arashi's summer tour. He performed it again during Arashi's Asia Tour in 2008.

He also composed and wrote lyrics for other solo songs. These include "Gimmick Game" in 2008 and "1992*4##111" in 2010. The title "1992*4##111" is read as "arigatō," which means "thank you" in Japanese.

Solo Music

While Arashi was taking a break, Ninomiya released a solo album in 2022. It featured his favorite cover songs. It was released on June 17 for Arashi's Fan Club members. Then, it became available for digital download and streaming on June 20. This made him the second Arashi member to release solo music. His album, Marumaru to Ninomiya to, quickly became number one on the Oricon download charts.

A second cover album, Marumaru to Ninomiya to 2, was released on July 1, 2025. It had a special edition for fan club members and a regular edition. The streaming and download versions became available on July 2, 2025. An official "listening party" for the album happened on July 2 through the Stationhead app.

Solo Shows

On March 5, 2025, Ninomiya announced his first fan club live talk and mini concert. This event, called "Kazunari Ninomiya FC Live Showcase," was scheduled for September and October 2025. More details were shared on July 1, 2025. The concert featured songs from his second cover album. The talk part included a "Q and A" session where he answered questions from fan club members.

Acting Roles

On Stage

Ninomiya started acting in a 1997 play called Stand by Me. His future bandmates Masaki Aiba and Jun Matsumoto were also in it. After this, he focused on TV dramas for about seven years. In 2004, he got his first main role in the play Shibuya Kara Tooku Hanarete. In 2005, he played Jim Stark in Rebel Without a Cause.

From July to August 2009, Ninomiya returned to the stage. He starred as Bruno in Strangers on a Train. This play was based on a novel.

TV Dramas

In 1998, Ninomiya made his TV debut in the movie Amagi Goe. He was 15 years old. Just before Arashi's debut, he got his first main role in the drama Abunai Hōkago. His schedule became very busy, and he lost a lot of weight. In 1999, all five Arashi members acted together for the first time in the short drama V no Arashi.

From 2003 to 2005, Ninomiya acted in many different dramas. He played a student in the comedy Stand Up!!. He was also a boyfriend in the romance series Minami-kun no Koibito. In Yasashii Jikan, he played a young man with a difficult family life.

In 2006, Ninomiya starred in the drama special Sukoshi wa, Ongaeshi ga Dekitakana. This was based on a true story about a young man with a serious illness. In 2007, he acted in Haikei, Chichiue-sama.

In the summer of 2007, he co-starred with Arashi bandmate Sho Sakurai in Yamada Tarō Monogatari. Ninomiya played Tarō Yamada, a very poor student at a rich school. Soon after, he played the main role in the drama special Marathon. This was based on the true story of an autistic young man training for a marathon.

After a year, Ninomiya took on the main role in the drama Ryūsei no Kizuna in 2008. He played Kōichi Ariake, the oldest of three siblings whose parents were murdered. He won Best Actor for this role at the 59th Television Drama Academy Awards.

In 2009, Ninomiya starred in Door to Door. This drama special was based on the true story of Bill Porter, a salesman with cerebral palsy. His roles in Door to Door and Ryūsei no Kizuna earned him an Individual Award at the 46th Galaxy Awards. This was a big achievement for a young actor. He also filmed Tengoku de Kimi ni Aetara, where he played a psychiatrist for the first time. It aired on September 24, 2009.

In January 2010, Ninomiya and the other Arashi members starred in Saigo no Yakusoku. Ninomiya played Shūji Yamagiwa, a security employee caught in a building hijack. He also made a guest appearance in the drama Natsu no Koi wa Nijiiro ni Kagayaku.

Ninomiya starred in the drama Freeter, Ie o Kau in 2010. He played Seiji Take, a part-time worker who wants to buy a house. The show was very popular.

Movies

In 2002, Ninomiya made his movie debut in Arashi's first film, Pikanchi Life Is Hard Dakedo Happy. In 2003, he played Shuichi in The Blue Light. Shuichi was a high school student trying to deal with an abusive stepfather. In 2004, Arashi reunited for the sequel, Pikanchi Life Is Hard Dakara Happy.

The year 2006 was very busy for Ninomiya. He became the first artist from Johnny's & Associates to act in a Hollywood film. He played Saigo, a soldier, in Clint Eastwood's Letters from Iwo Jima. Many film critics praised his performance. On January 7, 2007, a New York Times critic even suggested him for an Oscar award. On October 24, 2006, he also became a voice actor. He voiced the main character, Black, in the animated film Tekkon Kinkreet.

Clint Eastwood, Ken Watanabe, Kazunari Ninomiya and Tsuyoshi Ihara at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2007

In 2007, all Arashi members starred in their third movie, Kiiroi Namida. Ninomiya played the main role of an aspiring manga artist.

On October 1, 2010, the movie Ōoku: The Inner Chambers was released. Ninomiya played Yunoshin Mizuno, a young man in a society where women held most of the power.

The first part of the movie Gantz was released in 2011. Ninomiya starred as Kei Kurono, a young man who gets into a strange game after an accident. The second part, Gantz: Perfect Answer, was released on April 23, 2011.

In 2013, Ninomiya played the main role in Platinum Data. In 2015, he voiced Koro-sensei in the live-action film Assassination Classroom.

On March 5, 2016, Ninomiya won the 39th Japanese Academy Award for Best Actor. This was for his role in Living with My Mother.

The movie Tang and Me was released on August 11, 2022. Ninomiya played Ken Kasugai, a man who finds a robot. He also voiced and performed the movements for the robot, Tang, using motion capture.

Ninomiya was invited to the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. This was for his role in the movie The Exit 8. The film was shown as a special non-competition feature on May 19, 2025. Ninomiya plays a man trapped in a subway corridor who must find clues to escape.

Other Activities

Sports

Ninomiya was a special supporter for the Kobe 2024 World Para Athletics Championships. This event took place from May 17 to 25.

TV Shows

• Nino san (NTV, April 25, 2013 – present)
• Ninomiyanchi (Fuji TV, January 3, 2021-2025; June 27, 2024)
• Dareka to Nakai (Fuji TV, February 4, 2024-March 2024) (co-host)
• Friday Edge Quiz ōi kata ga kachi! (NTV, April - May 2024)
• Kawashima Ninomiya no Tamigoe (Fuji TV, May 25, 2024 - November 9, 2024) (co-host)
• Ninomiya Kotaro (Fuji, July 2024) (co-starring)
• Geki ka wa petto dai shūgō! Wan Nyan Ninoland (TV Tokyo, August 2024) (co-host)
• Nittere-kei quiz festival 2024 (aki) (NTV, October 2024)
• Nino nanoni (TBS, November 27, 2024) (regular program starting April 9, 2025)
• Secret NG House (Prime Video Japan, March 27, 2025) (co-host)
• Everyone's Best Kouhaku 100th Anniversary of Broadcasting Special (NHK, 2025) (guest)
• Music Gift 2025 ~Anata ni okurou kibō no uta~ (NHK, 2025)

Telethons

Ninomiya has been a main personality for NTV's 24-Hr TV six times. Five times with Arashi (2004, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2019) and once as a member of the YouTube channel Jyaninochaneru (2022).

Other Hosting

He hosted the Blue Ribbon Awards in February 2024.

Radio Show

Ninomiya has his own radio show called Bay Storm. It started on October 4, 2002. It airs every Sunday on Japan's BayFM. On the show, he often plays his own versions of Arashi's songs and other artists' songs.

Magazine Writing

He wrote a column called "IT" in MORE magazine from January 2009 to January 2019. On July 7, 2024, he announced that a book compiling all 123 issues of his column would be released on November 15. The book is called "Ninomiya Kazunari no It [itto]".

YouTube Channel

Ninomiya leads a YouTube channel called ジャにのちゃんねる (Jyaninochaneru), which started in 2021. Other members include Yuichi Nakamaru, Ryosuke Yamada, and Fuma Kikuchi.

Due to changes at Johnny & Associates, the channel's name was changed to "Yoninochannel." This was announced on December 10, 2023, after fans voted on new names.

He also became a VTuber for Puzzle & Dragons commercials in November 2023. He said filming it was like making a CG movie and enjoyed the new experience.

Social Media

Ninomiya opened a Twitter account (@nino_honmono) on March 8, 2023. He often posts written updates. On February 27, 2024, he changed his profile picture to one with silver hair. He is known to change his hairstyle when he gets new acting roles.

On May 5, 2025, Ninomiya opened a temporary Instagram account. This was to promote his second cover album and fan meeting.

Commercials

Ninomiya has appeared in many commercials for various companies, including:

• AC Japan (United Nations World Food Program)
• Adastria (.ST Clothing)
• Amazon (Prime Video Japan)
• Asahi Group Holdings, Ltd. (Wonda Coffee, Clear Asahi beer)
• Nihon Eisai Co. Ltd. (Chocola BB)
• DHC Corporation (DHC Medicated Deep Cleansing Oil Renewbright)
• Every, Inc. (Delish Kitchen)
• Ezaki Glico Co., Ltd. (Pocky)
• GungHo Online Entertainment (Puzzle & Dragons)
• Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical (Salonpas)
• House Foods (Shirataki noodle soup, Soup de okoge)
• Ito Ham (The GRAND Alt Bayern Sausages)
• Japan Post Holdings (New Year's Day campaign)
• J Storm (Hey! Say! JUMP's Ultra Music Power cm)
• Kirin Company, Ltd (Shavadava)
• JCB (JCB Card)
• Lion Corporation (Top Super NANOX)
• Luup, Inc. (Luup micro mobility services)
• Mercari (Mercari Hallo)
• Morinaga & Company (pino eskimo)
• NEXT (Lifull) Real Estate (HOME'S)
• Nintendo Co., Ltd. (Super Mario 3D Land)
• Nisshin Oillio Group (Nisshin Oillio)
• Procter & Gamble Japan (Pantene)
• Sapporo Breweries (Sapporo Mugi to Hop)

Family Life

On November 12, 2019, Ninomiya announced he was married. He shared this news in a handwritten letter to his fan club. He announced the birth of his first daughter on March 5, 2021. His second daughter was born on November 19, 2022.

In November 2024, a magazine published photos of Ninomiya and his family at a shrine. The photos showed his wife and children with their faces blurred. Ninomiya used X (formerly Twitter) to express his feelings about his family's privacy being invaded. He said that while he understands his own life might be photographed, he believes it is wrong to photograph ordinary people like his family and share their images online. He asked that his family members not be photographed, regardless of the reason. He also mentioned that he would take a break from posting on X for a while.

Filmography

TV Dramas

Movies

Stage Plays

Music Contributions

Solo Albums

Solo Concerts and Events

Awards and Recognition

Other Awards

Books and Writing

Books

• Ninomiya Kazunari no It (Itto) (二宮和也のIt [一途]) (ISBN 408789018X, publishing by Shueisha) (November 15, 2024) – A collection of articles he wrote for "More" magazine.
• Dokudan to henken (独断と偏見) (Shueisha, ISBN：978-4-08-721368-3) (June 17, 2025) – An original work.

Script Writing

• "Exit 8" movie (2025) – He helped write the script for this film.

See also

In Spanish: Kazunari Ninomiya para niños