Masaharu Fukuyama facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Masaharu Fukuyama
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| 福山 雅治 | |
Fukuyama at Golden Melody Awards in 2013
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| Born | February 6, 1969 Nagasaki, Japan
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| Education | Nagasaki Prefectural Nagasaki Technical High School |
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| Years active | 1988–present |
| Agent | Amuse, Inc. |
| Partner(s) |
Kazue Fukiishi
(m. 2015) |
| Children | 1 |
| Musical career | |
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Masaharu Fukuyama (born February 6, 1969) is a famous Japanese singer, songwriter, and actor from Nagasaki. He started his career in 1990 with his first song, "Tsuioku no Ame no Naka". He is managed by a company called Amuse, Inc..
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Music Career Highlights
Even though Masaharu Fukuyama acts in TV shows, he is most famous for his music. His song "Good night" became very popular in 1992. It was used in a TV show called Ai wo Douda, which helped many people discover his music. In 1993, he performed on Kōhaku Uta Gassen. This is a special TV show where only very successful Japanese pop and enka artists are invited to perform.
Big Hits and Comeback
Fukuyama played a character named Chinichan in the TV show Under the Same Roof. This show was very popular. Because of its success, his song "It's Only Love/Sorry Baby" sold over a million copies in 1994. His 1995 song "Hello" was the second best-selling song that year.
Fukuyama took a break from music and acting in 1996. He only continued his radio shows. He came back in 1998. His first song after two years, "Heart/You", was very successful. It sold 569,000 copies and reached number 3 on the Oricon music chart. After this, he started his "Daikanshasai" (Thanksgiving) concerts. He held these concerts to thank his fans for their support.
Popular Songs and Records
"Sakura Zaka" and "Niji" are two of Masaharu's most famous songs. His song "Sakura Zaka" came out in 2000. It sold more than 751,000 copies in its first week. It stayed at the top of the Japanese Oricon music chart for three weeks in a row. Overall, it sold about 2.3 million copies. "Niji" was the main song for the Japanese TV show Water Boys.
On August 26, 2003, he released a special single with three songs: "Niji/Himawari/Sore ga Subete sa". This single went straight to number 1 on the Oricon charts. It stayed at the top for five weeks. Masaharu Fukuyama has sold 21.27 million copies of his music. This makes him the best-selling male solo artist in Japan.
Concert Tours and Hometown Shows
In 2009, Fukuyama celebrated his 20th anniversary in music. He went on a big national tour. He performed 36 shows in 12 cities over four months. About 500,000 people came to watch him. Before the tour, he also held four special concerts at the Nippon Budokan. These were his first solo concerts there.
During his tour, he went back to his hometown of Nagasaki. He held two outdoor concerts at Mount Inasa Park. 80,000 people attended these concerts and a free public viewing at the nearby Nagasaki Baseball Stadium.
Acting Career
In 2007, Fukuyama returned to acting after four years. He starred in the TV show Galileo. He played a smart but unusual physics professor named Manabu Yukawa. He won the "Best Actor" award for this role. He also formed a band called KOH+ with his co-star, Kou Shibasaki.
In 2008, a big Japanese TV channel, NHK, chose Fukuyama for an important role. He played Sakamoto Ryōma in the 2010 year-long TV show Ryōmaden. This is a famous type of historical drama called a Taiga drama.
More recently, on November 3, 2023, it was announced that he would be the voice of King Magnifico. This is for the Japanese version of the Disney movie Wish.
Selected Films
Masaharu Fukuyama has starred in many movies. Here are a few notable ones:
- Suspect X (2008) - He played Manabu Yukawa, a lead role.
- Midsummer's Equation (2013) - He again played Manabu Yukawa in a lead role.
- Like Father, Like Son (2013) - He had a lead role as Ryōta Nonomiya.
- Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno (2014) and Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends (2014) - He played Hiko Seijūrō.
- The Third Murder (2017) - He played Tomoaki Shigemori in a lead role.
- Manhunt (2017) - A Chinese film where he played Satoshi Yamura.
- Silent Parade (2022) - He returned as Manabu Yukawa in a lead role.
Selected TV Dramas
Fukuyama has also been in many TV dramas:
- Under the Same Roof (1993–97) - He played Masaya Kashiwagi for two seasons.
- Perfect Love (1999) - He had a lead role as Taketo Kusunoki.
- Galileo (2007–13) - He played Manabu Yukawa in two seasons.
- Ryōmaden (2010) - He played the main character, Sakamoto Ryōma, in this Taiga drama.
- Love Song (2016) - He played Kōhei Kamishiro in a lead role.
Personal Life
Masaharu Fukuyama married fellow actor Kazue Fukiishi on September 28, 2015. This was also her birthday. Their first child was born on December 22, 2016.
Discography
Here are some of Masaharu Fukuyama's studio albums:
- 1990: Dengon
- 1991: Lion
- 1991: Bros.
- 1992: Boots
- 1993: Calling
- 1994: On and On
- 1998: Sing a Song
- 2001: F
- 2006: 5 Nen Mono
- 2009: Zankyō
- 2014: Human
- 2015: Tama Riku
See also
- List of best-selling music artists in Japan
