Kazunari Ninomiya facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kazunari Ninomiya
二宮 和也
Ninomiya in October 2022
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, born June 17, 1983), often called Nino (ニノ), is a famous Japanese singer, actor, and TV host. He is a member of the popular Japanese idol group Arashi. The group works with Starto Entertainment.

Early Life

Ninomiya was born in Katsushika, Tokyo, Japan. He is the youngest child in his family. His parents were both chefs. His older sister is two years older than him.

When he was 12, his cousin secretly sent an application for him to a talent agency called Johnny & Associates. His mother encouraged him to go to the auditions. He passed and joined the agency in 1996.

He finished high school in March 2002 when he was 18 years old.

Career Highlights

Ninomiya started his career in entertainment when he was 13. He joined Johnny & Associates in 1996.

Before joining Arashi, he began acting in a play called Stand by Me. It was based on the movie of the same name. Since then, he has acted in many TV shows, movies, and plays. People often call him the "actor of Arashi" because he is so good at expressing feelings with his eyes and voice. He has won many awards for his acting.

In October 2023, Ninomiya announced he would become independent from his agency. He said he would still work with Arashi when they start activities again. In November 2023, he shared that he had started his own company called Office Nino, Inc. He also launched his official website and fan club in June 2024.

Ninomiya will host a new TV show called "Geki kawa petto dai shūgō! Wan Nyan Ninoland" in August 2024. He and his co-host will appear as a computer-generated dog and cat. The show is about pets from the animals' point of view.

For 2025, Ninomiya plans to have his first fan meeting. He wants to visit five cities in Japan. He hopes to answer fan questions and perform songs.

Music Career

Ninomiya has also made his own music. In 2004, he wrote and composed a song called "Konseki" for an Arashi tour. He later wrote lyrics for his solo songs on Arashi albums.

In 2007, he wrote the lyrics for his solo song "Niji" (meaning "Rainbow"). He also 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 like "Gimmick Game" (2008) and "1992*4##111" (2010). The title "1992*4##111" is read as "arigatō," which means "thank you" in Japanese.

In 2022, during Arashi's break, Ninomiya released his own solo album. It was called Marumaru to Ninomiya to. This album featured his favorite cover songs. It quickly became very popular, reaching the top of the music charts.

Acting Career

Stage Plays

Ninomiya started his acting journey in 1997 with the play Stand by Me. His future bandmates Masaki Aiba and Jun Matsumoto were also in it. After this, he focused on TV dramas for a while.

In 2004, he got his first main role in a stage play called Shibuya Kara Tooku Hanarete. In 2005, he played the character Jim Stark in Rebel Without a Cause.

In 2009, Ninomiya returned to the stage after four years. He played a character named Bruno in Mishiranu Jōkyaku, which means Strangers on a Train.

TV Dramas

In 1998, Ninomiya made his TV debut in a special called Amagi Goe. He was 15 years old. Just before Arashi debuted, he got his first main role in the drama Abunai Hōkago.

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

In 2006, Ninomiya starred in a TV special called Sukoshi wa, Ongaeshi ga Dekitakana. This story was based on a real person. In 2007, he played the main role in Haikei, Chichiue-sama.

Later in 2007, he co-starred with Sho Sakurai in the comedy drama Yamada Tarō Monogatari. Ninomiya played Tarō Yamada, a very poor student at a rich school. He also starred in the TV special Marathon, based on the true story of an autistic marathon runner.

In 2008, Ninomiya played the main role in Ryūsei no Kizuna. He played the oldest of three siblings whose parents were murdered. He won an award for Best Actor for this role.

In 2009, he starred in another TV special, Door to Door. This drama was based on the true story of a salesman with cerebral palsy. His roles in Door to Door and Ryūsei no Kizuna earned him a special award called the Galaxy Awards.

In 2010, Ninomiya co-starred with the other Arashi members in the drama special Saigo no Yakusoku. He played a security employee caught in a building hijack. He also starred in the drama Freeter, Ie o Kau, playing a part-time worker who wants to buy a house.

Films

In 2002, Ninomiya made his movie debut in Arashi's first film, Pikanchi Life is Hard Dakedo Happy. In 2003, he played a high school student in The Blue Light.

A big moment in his career was in 2006 when he acted in the Hollywood movie Letters from Iwo Jima. He played a soldier named Saigo. This movie was directed by Clint Eastwood. Many film critics praised Ninomiya's acting in the movie. Later that year, he also did voice acting for 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 the Arashi members starred together in their third movie, Kiiroi Namida. Ninomiya played the main role of an aspiring manga artist.

In 2010, Ninomiya starred in the movie Ōoku: The Inner Chambers. He played a young man living in a society where women hold most of the power.

He also starred in the live-action movie Gantz (2011) and its sequel, Gantz: Perfect Answer. He played Kei Kurono, a young man who gets involved in a strange "game" after an accident.

In 2015, Ninomiya was the voice of Koro-sensei in the live-action movie Assassination Classroom. In 2016, he won the Japanese Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Living with My Mother.

In the 2022 movie Tang and Me, Ninomiya played a man who finds a robot. He also provided the voice and movements for the robot, Tang, using motion capture technology.

Other Ventures

Sports

Ninomiya was chosen as a special supporter for the Kobe 2024 World Para Athletics Championships.

Television Variety Shows

Ninomiya hosts and appears in several TV variety shows:

• Nino san (NTV, 2013 – present)
• Ninomiyanchi (Fuji TV, 2021-2025)
• Geki ka wa petto dai shūgō! Wan Nyan Ninoland (TV Tokyo, August 2024)

Radio

Ninomiya has his own radio show called Bay Storm. It has been on air since 2002 and plays every Sunday on BayFM. On the show, he often plays his own versions of Arashi songs and other artists' music.

Magazine

He used to write a column called "IT" in MORE magazine from 2009 to 2019. In 2024, he announced that all 123 issues of his column would be released as a book.

YouTuber

Ninomiya leads a YouTube channel called "Yoninochannel" (formerly "Jyaninochaneru"). He runs it with other famous Japanese artists like Yuichi Nakamaru, Ryosuke Yamada, and Fuma Kikuchi. The channel shares fun videos and updates.

He also became a VTuber (Virtual YouTuber) for commercials for the game Puzzle & Dragons in 2023. He said it was a new and fun experience.

Social Networks

Ninomiya opened a Twitter (now X) account in March 2023. He often posts fun updates and photos there. He sometimes changes his hair color when he starts a new acting job.

Commercials

Ninomiya has appeared in many commercials for various products and companies over the years. Some of these include:

• .ST Clothing
• Wonda Coffee
• Pocky snacks
• Puzzle & Dragons game
• Salonpas pain relief patches
• JCB Credit Card
• Top Super NANOX laundry detergent

Personal Life

Ninomiya announced his marriage in November 2019. He became a father in March 2021 when his first daughter was born. His second daughter was born in November 2022.

He has spoken about the importance of his family's privacy. He believes that photos of ordinary people, especially children, should not be taken and shared without permission. He wants his family members, who are not public figures, to have their privacy respected.

Filmography

Drama

Films

Stage

Discography

Music Contributions

Solo Album

Awards and Nominations

Other Awards

Books

二宮和也のIt [一途] (Ninomiya Kazunari no It [Itto]) (ISBN 408789018X) (November 15, 2024) First edition includes a signed photograph bookmark as gift.

See also

In Spanish: Kazunari Ninomiya para niños