Naoto Takenaka official photo - veteran Japanese actor and director, star of The Boy and I Who Will Break Up in 100 Days

Naoto Takenaka

BIOGRAPHY

Naoto Takenaka (Japanese: 竹中直人; born March 20, 1956) is a Japanese actor, comedian, singer, and director signed to Ladybird. He plays Hinode Isao in the 2026 MBS boys’ love drama The Boy and I Who Will Break Up in 100 Days, one of the veteran names in the supporting cast.

Born in Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, he graduated from the Department of Design, Graphic Design course at Tama Art University in 1980, and later returned to the school as a visiting professor. He made his television debut in 1983 on TV Asahi’s comedy showcase The Television Engei, working his way from stand-up comedy into a decades-long acting career.

His screen credits span comedy, drama and arthouse cinema, including RAMPO, Shall We Dance?, and Nodame Cantabile: The Final Score, in which he plays conductor Franz von Stresemann, a role he originated in the television series. He starred as the title character in NHK’s 1996 Taiga drama Hideyoshi, one of six separate occasions on which he has played the historical warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi across his career. He made his feature directing debut in 1991 with Muno no Hito, and was named a Tourism Ambassador for France in 2012.

BLGLFlix editorial view

He started working in 1983, and only seven other people on this entire site began before 1990.

Naoto Takenaka, born 20 March 1956 in Yokohama, is a Japanese actor, comedian, singer and director. He plays Hinode Isao in The Boy and I Who Will Break Up in 100 Days, in the supporting cast.

Eight of the 653 profiles catalogued here record a debut year earlier than 1990, and his is one of them. That number describes the genre rather than the man. Boys love as a production category is young, it casts young, and a database built around it fills with people who started after 2015.

So a performer with a forty-three year career turning up in one of these series is a small event by itself. He took a graphic design degree at Tama Art University, came into acting from stand-up comedy, directed his first feature in 1991, and has played the warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi on six separate occasions. None of that is boys love, and all of it is what he carries into a cast of people born after he began.

His birth date, birthplace, education, agency, a dated debut and an appointment as a tourism ambassador for France are recorded. No social account appears here, because none has been confirmed by two independent sources.

PROFILE DETAILS

Native Name
竹中直人
Real Name
Naoto Takenaka (竹中直人)
Pronouns
he/him
Born
(Age 70)
Birthplace
Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
Gender
Male
Western Zodiac
Pisces ♓
Chinese Zodiac
Monkey 🐒
Nationality
Debut
1983 — The Television Engei (TV Asahi, 1983), stand-up debut; directing debut with Muno no Hito (1991)
Agency / Label
Ladybird (レディバード)
Years Active
1983-present

NOTABLE AWARDS

  • 2012, Tourism Ambassador for France, appointment by the French tourism authorities recognizing his cultural profile in Japan.

A comprehensive competitive-award list (Japan Academy Film Prize, Blue Ribbon, Yokohama Film Festival, etc.) across a four-decade career was not compiled for this profile; only the single credential independently confirmed for this pass is listed. See editor_notes.

EDUCATION

  • Tama Art University, Department of Design, Graphic Design course, graduated 1980; later returned as a visiting professor.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Who is Naoto Takenaka?

Naoto Takenaka is a veteran Japanese actor, director, comedian, and singer born on March 20, 1956 in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture. He has worked continuously since 1983 and is signed to the agency Ladybird.

Who does Naoto Takenaka play in The Boy and I Who Will Break Up in 100 Days?

He plays Hinode Isao in the supporting cast of the 2026 MBS boys’ love drama, one of the best-known names attached to the series.

What are Naoto Takenaka's most famous roles?

He is widely known for RAMPO, Shall We Dance?, and Nodame Cantabile: The Final Score, in which he plays the conductor Franz von Stresemann, a role he originated on television. He also starred in NHK’s 1996 Taiga drama Hideyoshi as the warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a character he has portrayed six times across his career.

Is Naoto Takenaka also a director?

Yes. He made his feature directorial debut in 1991 with Muno no Hito and has continued to direct alongside acting.

What did Naoto Takenaka study before becoming an actor?

He studied graphic design at Tama Art University, graduating in 1980, and later returned to the school as a visiting professor. He made his television debut in 1983 as a stand-up performer on TV Asahi’s The Television Engei.

Biographical details and any photograph on this page come from TMDB and the sources named in our editorial notes. This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB. BLGLFLIX is an independent reference site with no affiliation to the person profiled or their agency, and does not publish speculation about anyone’s private life. Full copyright, correction and takedown policy: Disclaimer.

Sources

3 sources

Every factual claim on this page is taken from the records below. Where two sources disagree, the disagreement is stated in the text rather than resolved silently.

  1. TMDBTMDB person page themoviedb.org/person/68704
  2. WikipediaJapanese Wikipedia, 竹中直人 ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/竹中直人
  3. ORICONOricon news (agency confirmation, headline cross-check) oricon.co.jp/news/2352972/full

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