Takako Matsu facts for kids

Takako Matsu (松 たか子, Matsu Takako) (born Takako Fujima (藤間 隆子, Fujima Takako) on June 10, 1977) is a famous Japanese actress and pop singer. She has starred in many popular movies and TV shows.

About Takako Matsu

Takako Matsu comes from a family of actors. Her father, Matsumoto Hakuō II, is a well-known kabuki actor. Her mother is Noriko Fujima. She also has an uncle, Nakamura Kichiemon II, and an older brother, Matsumoto Kōshirō X, who are actors.

On December 28, 2007, Takako Matsu married Yoshiyuki Sahashi. He is a guitarist and music producer. They have one child together. Takako Matsu chose the last name "Matsu" to honor her family. She once said in an interview that she and her siblings are very close to their mother.

Takako Matsu's Acting Career

Takako Matsu started her acting journey on stage. Her first play was Ninjō-banashi: Bunshichi Mottoi at Kabuki-za in 1993. She then moved into television.

Early TV Roles

Her first TV role was in the NHK drama Hana no Ran. She also starred in another NHK drama called Kura. Because her high school didn't allow students to work in the entertainment industry, she moved to Horikoshi High School.

After high school, Matsu went to college. She then got a supporting role in the drama Long Vacation. This show was a huge hit, which helped her become very well-known.

Hosting and Music Debut

In 1996, she hosted the 47th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen. This is a very popular music show in Japan. She also made her singing debut with the song "Ashita, Haru ga Kitara". Later that year, she returned to the same show as a singer.

Takako Matsu shared a fun story about how she started singing. She was singing karaoke, and a director heard her. The director suggested she record a song. Even though she wasn't sure at first, she decided to take the chance.

Major TV and Film Success

The same year she debuted as a singer, she got a main role in the drama Love Generation. She also starred in the hit TV series Hero.

In 2004, Takako Matsu won the Best Actress award at the 29th Hochi Film Award and the 28th Japan Academy Prize. These awards were for her role in the movie The Hidden Blade.

In 2006, she reunited with Takuya Kimura for a special episode of Hero. She also starred in a weekly drama called Yakusha Damashii.

Recent Work and Achievements

On November 27, 2014, Takako Matsu announced she was expecting her first child. Her daughter was born on March 30, 2015.

In 2020, Takako Matsu joined Idina Menzel and other international singers at the 92nd Academy Awards. They performed the song “Into the Unknown” from the movie Frozen II. Each singer sang a line in a different language. Takako Matsu sang her part in Japanese.

Takako Matsu's Filmography

Takako Matsu has acted in many movies and TV shows. Here are some of her notable works:

Movies

TV Dramas

Japanese Voice Acting

Takako Matsu is also the Japanese voice of Elsa in the Frozen movies!

Television Appearances

Video Games

Theater Performances

Takako Matsu has a long history of performing in plays and musicals.

• Ninjō-banashi: Bunshichi Mottoi (人情噺文七元結, Real-life story: Bunshichi paper cord for tying the hair) (Kabuki-za, 1993) - Ohisa
• Koiki na Yūrei (小粋な幽霊, a Stylish Ghost) (Shinbashi Enbujō, 1994) - Botan
• Ajisai (あぢさゐ, Hydrangea) (Shinbashi Enbujō, 1994) - Omitsu
• Taki no Shiraito (滝の白糸, the White Thread in the Waterfall) (Shinbashi Enbujō, 1994) - Kikyō
• Jyunsaihan (じゅんさいはん) (Shinbashi Enbujō, 1994) - Oume
• Man of La Mancha
  • (Aoyama Theater 1995) (Meitetsu Hall/ Aoyama Theatre, 1997) (Theater Hiten/ Aoyama Theatre, 1999) - Antonia
  • (Hakata-za/ Imperial Garden Theater, 2002), (Meitetsu Hall/ Imperial Garden Theater, 2005), (Imperial Garden Theater, 2008), (Theater Brava!, 2009) - Aldonza
• Hamlet (Ginza Cezon Theater 1995, 1998, etc.) - Ophelia
• Tengai no Hana (天涯の花) (Shinbashi Enbujō, 1999) - Tamako Taira
• The Good Person of Szechwan (New National Theater, 1999/ Akasaka ACT Theater 2001) - Shen Te/ Shui Ta
• Okepi (Aoyama Theatre, 2000) - Shinonome
• Voyage ~Senjō no Syanikusai~ (〜船上の謝肉祭〜, ~Carnival on the ship~) (Theater Cocoon, 2000) - (lead role)
• Natsu Hoteru (夏ホテル, Summer Hotel) (Parco Theater 2001) - Kaoru
• Wuthering Heights (Shinbashi Enbujō, 2002) - Catherine Earnshaw
• Mozart! (Nissei Theater; 2002) - Constanze Mozart
• Noda Map: Oil (Theater Cocoon, 2003/ Kintetsu Theater 2003) - Fuji
• Ohatsu (おはつ) (Shinbashi Enbujō, 2004) - Ohatsu
• Roningai (Aoyama Theatre, 2004) - Oshin
• Miss Saigon (Imperial Garden Theater, 2004) - Kim
• The Caucasian Chalk Circle (Setagaya Public Theater, 2005) - Gursha
• Noda Map: Fake Crime and Punishment (Theater Cocoon 2005–6, Theater Brava!, 2005–6) - Hanabusa Sanjo
• Metal Macbeth (Matsumoto Performing Arts Centre/ Aoyama Theatre/ Osaka Kosei Nenkin Kaikan, 2006) - Mrs. RandomStar
• Hibari (ひばり, Skylark) (Theater Cocoon, 2007) - Joan of Arc
• Romance (Setagaya Public Theater, 2007) - Maria Chekhova
• Sisters (Parco Theater, 2008) - Kaoru Ozaki
• Noda Map: Piper (Theater Cocoon, 2009) - Deimos
• Jane Eyre (Nissei Theater, 2009, 2012) - Jane Eyre
• Futari no Otto to Watashi no Jijou (2人の夫とわたしの事情, Family reason of my two husbands and me) (Original title: Home and Beauty) (Theater Cocoon, 2010) - Victoria
• Twelfth Night (Theater Cocoon, 2011) - Sebastian/ Viola
• Oto no Inai Sekai de (音のいない世界で, In the world without the sound) (New National Theatre, 2012–2013) - Sei
• Motto Naiteyo Flapper (もっと泣いてよフラッパー, Cry More, Flapper) (Theater Cocoon, 2014) - Trunk Jill
• Kagami no kanata wa tanaka no naka de (かがみのかなたはたなかのなかで) (New National Theatre, 2015, 2017–2018) - Keiko
• Noda Map: Gekirin (逆鱗, Wrath) (Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre, 2016) - Ningyo(Mermaid)
• Metropolis (Theater Cocoon, 2016) - Maria/ Parody
• Sekai wa hitori (世界は一人)(Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre, 2019) - Miko Tanaka/ Kazue Mori
• Noda Map: Q: A Night At The Kabuki (Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre, 2019) - Sore kara no Julie(Juliet)
• Inubito-Inujin-(イヌビト犬人)(New National Theatre, 2020) - Guide / Mazda Takeko / Petit
• Pa Lapa Pan Pan (COCOON PRODUCTION 2021＋大人計画『パ・ラパパンパン』2021) - novelist for teens

Awards and Recognitions

Takako Matsu has won many awards for her acting and singing.

Music Albums

Takako Matsu has released many albums as a singer.

See also

In Spanish: Takako Matsu para niños