Takako Matsu


Takako Matsu, born Takako Fujima, on June 10, 1977, is a Japanese actress and pop singer.

Personal life

Matsu was born to a family of buyō and kabuki actors, including her father Matsumoto Hakuō II, her mother and businesswoman Noriko Fujima, her uncle, Nakamura Kichiemon II, her elder brother Matsumoto Kōshirō X, her sister Kio Matsumoto, and stage director Kazuhisa Kawahara. She married guitarist and record producer Yoshiyuki Sahashi on December 28, 2007, and her married name is now Takako Sahashi. She also has the name of Natori of the Matsumoto school of Nippon Buyō ; Shodai Matsumoto Kōka. She chose the surname "Matsu" to honor the family. In a interview, she and her two brothers and sisters are close to their mother.

Career

Matsu made her stage debut role in Ninjō-banashi: Bunshichi Mottoi at Kabuki-za. Her first lead role in television was in the NHK Drama Hana no Ran in 1994, and she also starred in NHK Drama Kura in 1995. Because Shirayuri Gakuen, her high school, prohibited working in the entertainment industry, she transferred to Horikoshi High School. Matsu starred in the drama Long Vacation after matriculating to college. She was a supporting role, but, began to establish in full-scale her position as an actress because the drama was a major hit. That same year, she hosted the 47th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen. In 1997, she debuted with the single "Ashita, Haru ga Kitara". She appeared on NHK's Kōhaku Uta Gassen again as a singer on the last day of the year. In an interview with NHK in 2007, Matsu recalled the incident that triggered her musical debut. At the wrap-up ceremony of the drama, Matsu sang karaoke which was heard by its director who suggested that she give singing a try. Although she refused at first, as she was not confident enough in her singing, Matsu eventually accepted because she saw it as " chance that not everyone got". In the same year, she starred in the drama Love Generationin a leading role. In 2001, she starred in Hero. In 2003, she published a photo essay book, Matsu no Hitorigoto, through Asahi Shimbun Publishers. In 2004, she was Kim in Miss Saigon. In September 2004, she released "Toki no Fune", which was composed by the Japanese singer Akeboshi. It is similar to his song, "A nine days' wonder", which was released after the "Toki no Fune" single. The single also contains a cover of Akeboshi's "White Reply" previously recorded on her sixth album, Harvest Songs. Matsu won the Best Actress of the Year of the 29th Hochi Film Award and the 28th Japan Academy Prize at the same time for The Hidden Blade. In July 2006, she and Takuya Kimura starred in a special one-night edition of Hero. In October 2006, Matsu was in a weekly drama for the first time in over three years titled Yakusha Damashii for Fuji TV alongside 73-year-old actor Makoto Fujita, a family friend. In May 2007, Matsu kicked off her third concert tour to commemorate her tenth year as a singer. In releasing her album Cherish you in 2007, the song "Ashita Haru ga Kitara" was redone to combine Matsu's voice as a 20-year-old with her current one. On November 27, 2014, Matsu revealed on her official website that she was pregnant with her first child. On March 30, 2015, she gave birth to her daughter. She revealed on her website that the baby was 3466 grams. On February 9, 2020, Matsu was called to join Idina Menzel, Aurora and eight more of Elsa's international dubbers to perform the song “Into the Unknown” during the 92nd Academy Awards. Every international performer sang one line of the song in a different language: Maria Lucia Heiberg Rosenberg in Danish, Willemijn Verkaik in German, Matsu in Japanese, Carmen Sarahí in Latin American Spanish, Lisa Stokke in Norwegian, Kasia Łaska in Polish, Anna Buturlina in Russian, Gisela in European Spanish and Gam Wichayanee in Thai.

Musical style

Matsu worked with the producers. Her third album, Sakura no Ame, Itsuka was released at Universal Music.

Filmography

Film

TV dramas

YearTitleRoleNotes
1994Hana no RanTsubaki, Later, she was called Hino TomikoNHK, Taiga drama
1995KuraRetsu TanouchiNHK, lead role, broadcast prior to the film version.
1996Long VacationRyoko OkusawaFuji TV
1996HideyoshiCha cha, the second wife of HideyoshiNHK, Taiga drama
1996Furuhata Ninzaburō Saki MōriFuji TV
1996Konna Watashi ni Dare ga ShitaNatsuko IwasakiFuji TV
1997Ryōma ga YukuSanako ChibaTBS
1997Boku ga Boku de Aru Tame niHiroko MuranakaFuji TV, broadcast on January 3
1997Koto no KoiutaMomoyo NaitoTBS, broadcast on March 17
1997Under One Roof Miki MochizukiFuji TV
1997ShuntōAyako TomitaNHK, lead role
1997Love GenerationRiko UesugiFuji TV, second lead role
1998Karasu-goiKaoruko YamashitaTBS
1998JinbēMiku TakanashiFuji TV, second lead role
1999KaiKiwa TomitaNHK, lead role
1999Konya wa EigyōchūKanako TakamatsuNTV
2000Omiai KekkonSetsuko NakataniFuji TV, lead role
2001HeroMaiko Amamiya, second lead roleFuji TV
2001Akarui Hō e, Akarui Hō eTeru Kaneko TBS, lead role
2001Chūshingura 1/47Aguri Fuji TV
2002Tokyo StoryNoriko HirayamaFuji TV, second lead role, remake of the movie "Tokyo story", 27 Hour TV Special Drama
2003Itsumo Futari deMizuho TanimachiFuji TV, lead role
2004Ryōma ga YukuOkei ŌuraTV Tokyo
2005Hiroshima Showa 20 nen 8 Gatsu MuikaShinobu YajimaTBS, lead role
2006Hero Maiko AmamiyaFuji TV, second lead role, broadcast on July 3
2006Yakusha Damashi!Hitomi KarasuyamaFuji TV, lead role, broadcast on October 17
2009-2011Saka no Ue no KumoTami Sakuma NHK
2012Unmei no HitoYuriko YuminariTBS, second lead role
2014Oyagi no Setaka episode 1Hitomiko HiguchiTBS, second lead role, broadcast on July 13
2016Futsu ga IchibanKazuko KosugeTBS, second lead role, broadcast on July 4
2017QuartetMaki MakiTBS, lead role, broadcast on January 17
2017Côte d'Azur Nﾟ10Shimako ShibataWowow・Hulu
2019No Side ManagerMaki KimishimaTBS

Japanese dub

Television

Video games

Theater

Discography

Studio albums