# Takeru Satoh

Takeru Satoh (佐藤 健, Satō Takeru, born 21 March 1989) is a Japanese actor. He is best known for his leading role as Ryotaro Nogami in the Kamen Rider Den-O franchise, and as Himura Kenshin in the live-action Rurouni Kenshin film and its sequels.
Satoh was born on 21 March 1989 in Iwatsuki-ku, Saitama. Satoh briefly worked as a child actor for three or four years, appearing in commercials and magazine photo shoots. After he entered higher grades in elementary school, he decided not to continue as a child actor due to a "shy personality". He graduated from Koshigaya Kita High School, Saitama in 2007. In the same year, while shooting Kamen Rider Den-O, he was diagnosed with primary pneumothorax after complaining about pain in the left chest, and has since recovered.

## Career
### 2006–2008: Early works

Satoh was scouted by an agent from Amuse, Inc. in Harajuku in Tokyo when he was in senior high school, and made his debut in 2006. His first drama was Princess Princess D (TV Asahi) where he played the role of Toru Kouno. In 2007, he guest-starred in Shinigami no Ballad (Kentaroh Ishihara) and gained popularity in the seventeenth installment of the Kamen Rider series as Ryotaro Nogami. Satoh attributes the popularity of Den-O to its comedic timing.

### 2009–2011: Breakthrough

Following the success and popularity of Kamen Rider Den-O and its two further cinematic releases, in the spring of 2008, Satoh starred in the award-winning TBS drama Rookies as Yuya Okada, one member of a high school baseball club consisting of a group of delinquents. Satoh considers his role in Rookies to be his breakout role even though he only played a minor supporting role, as Rookies was shown on prime time television and able to reach a much larger audience than any of his previous works. Satoh also starred in the live-action in the summer of 2009.
Satoh reprised his role as Ryotaro (Den-O) in the third film of Kamen Rider Den-O in October 2008. He also starred in the drama Bloody Monday, based on the manga with the same name.
In the following two years, Satoh starred or guest-starred in TV shows such as Mei's Butler, Mr. Brain, True Horror Stories and MW Dai-0-sho, and in films such as Goemon and Beck. In 2010, he played Okada Izō in his first Taiga drama Ryōmaden, and landed his first leading role on prime time television with teen drama Q10.
On 28 June 2011, he was confirmed to star as Himura Kenshin in a live action film adaptation of the manga series Rurouni Kenshin.

### 2012–present: Rurouni Kenshin films and career expansion

Released in August 2012, the film grossed a total of 3.01 billion yen at the domestic box office. Satoh made his stage debut as Romeo in the Japanese adaptation of Shakespearean classic Romeo and Juliet in May 2012.
His subsequent project Tonbi was a drama series based on a novel by Shigematsu Kiyoshi. He then starred in Real, a science fiction mystery movie directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa, as well as The Liar and His Lover(she fell in love with my lie/she likes lies too much), a live-adaptation film based on the manga Kanojo wa Uso o Aishisugiteru.
In 2014, Satoh played the role of a rookie detective in Fuji TV's Bitter Blood. He reprised the role of Himura Kenshin in two sequel films of Rurouni Kenshin live action franchise, Kyoto Inferno and The Legend Ends, both of which were released in 2014. Rurouni Kenshin manga author Nobuhiro Watsuki praised Satoh's performance and called him the ideal actor to portray Kenshin. He, alongside Rurouni Kenshin co-stars Emi Takei, Munetaka Aoki, and director Keishi Ōtomo, was appointed as "Cultural Friendship Ambassador" to the Philippines by the Makati City council on 7 August 2014.
Satoh made his TV return with the acclaimed TBS series The Emperor's Cook in early 2015. He followed up with three Toho Corporation films in 2015 and 2016, including the manga live adaptation Bakuman, the light novel adaptation If Cats Disappeared from the World, and Someone. His role in the 2017 film The 8-Year Engagement earned him a nomination for best actor at the 41st Japan Academy Prize. In 2018, he starred in two award-winning television series: NHK's Asadora Hanbun, Aoi and the TBS series Stepmom and Daughter Blues. In the same year, he reprised the role of Ryotaro Nogami in the last Kamen Rider movie of the Heisei period.
In 2018, it was announced that the Rurouni Kenshin series would be getting two further installments, a prequel and a sequel to the original trilogy, with Satoh reprising his lead role. Principal filming wrapped in June 2019, with the movies being screened in 2020.
In 2021, Satoh, along with One OK Rock and Ryunosuke Kamiki left Amuse, Inc. and established a new agency with co-actor, Ryunosuke Kamiki, called Co-LaVo. He is also an unofficial member of the Elite Four in the Pokémon Trading Card Game since 14 December 2021.

## Personal life

Takeru has a younger sister. His parents divorced when he was in middle school. He played baseball during primary and middle school years, and has a black belt in Shorinji Kempo.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref(s) |
| 2007 | Kamen Rider Den-O: I'm Born! | Ryotaro Nogami/Kamen Rider Den-O | Lead role | |
| 2008 | Kamen Rider Den-O & Kiva: Climax Deka | Ryotaro Nogami/Kamen Rider Den-O | Lead role | |
| 2008 | Saraba Kamen Rider Den-O: Final Countdown | Ryotaro Nogami/Kamen Rider Den-O | Special appearance | |
| 2009 | Goemon | Young Kirigakure Saizō | | |
| 2009 | Rookies: Graduation | Yuya Okada | | |
| 2010 | Trick The Movie: Psychic Battle Royale | Shohei Nakamori | | |
| 2010 | Beck | Yukio "Koyuki" Tanaka | | |
| 2012 | Rurouni Kenshin | Kenshin Himura | Lead role | |
| 2013 | Real | Koichi Fujita | Lead role | |
| 2013 | The Liar and His Lover | Aki Ogasawara | Lead role | |
| 2014 | Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno | Kenshin Himura | Lead role | [35] [39] |
| 2014 | Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends | Kenshin Himura | Lead role | [35] [39] |
| 2015 | Pieta in the Toilet | The Janitor | Cameo | |
| 2015 | Bakuman | Moritaka Mashiro | Lead role | |
| 2016 | If Cats Disappeared from the World | Postman / Devil | Lead role | |
| 2016 | Someone | Takuto Ninomiya | Lead role | |
| 2017 | Ajin: Demi-Human | Kei Nagai | Lead role | |
| 2017 | The 8-Year Engagement | Hisashi | Lead role | |
| 2018 | Inuyashiki | Hiro Shishigami | | |
| 2018 | Million Dollar Man | Kazuo | Lead role | |
| 2018 | Hardcore | Sakon Gondoh | | |
| 2018 | Kamen Rider Heisei Generations Forever | Ryotaro Nogami | | |
| 2019 | Samurai Marathon | Jin'nai Karasawa | Lead role | |
| 2019 | Dragon Quest: Your Story | Ruka (voice) | Lead role | |
| 2019 | One Night | Yūji | Lead role | |
| 2020 | Not Quite Dead Yet | Club Host | Cameo | |
| 2021 | Rurouni Kenshin: The Final | Kenshin Himura | Lead role | [55] [56] |
| 2021 | Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning | Kenshin Himura | Lead role | [55] [56] |
| 2021 | Belle | The Dragon (voice) | | |
| 2021 | In the Wake | Yasuhisa Tone | Lead role | |
| 2024 | April Come She Will | Shun Fujishiro | Lead role | |
| 2024 | Cells at Work! | Neutrophil / White blood cell (U-1146) | Lead role | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2006 | Princess Princess D | Toru Kono | |
| 2007 | Shinigami no Ballad | Kantaroh Ichihara | Episodes 7, 8, & 11 |
| 2007–2008 | Kamen Rider Den-O | Ryotaro Nogami/Kamen Rider Den-O | Lead role |
| 2008 | Rookies | Yuuya Okada | |
| 2008 | Bloody Monday | Otoya Kujo | |
| 2009 | Mei's Butler | Kento Shibata | |
| 2009 | Mr. Brain | Masaru Nakagawa | Episodes 4 & 5 |
| 2009 | MW Chapter 0: Akuma no Game | Takashi Morioka | Lead role |
| 2009 | True Horror Stories: 10th-year anniversary special | Shotaro Fujisawa | Episode 5: Face on the Road |
| 2010 | Ryōmaden | Okada Izō | Taiga drama |
| 2010 | Bloody Monday 2 | Otoya Kujo | |
| 2010 | Q10 | Heita Fukai | Lead role |
| 2011 | Fuyu no Sakura | Hajime Inaba | |
| 2011 | Saigo no Kizuna: Okinawa Hikisakareta Kyodai | Agarie Yasuharu | Lead role |
| 2013 | Tonbi | Akira Ichikawa | |
| 2013 | The Liar and his Lover: Side Story | Aki Ogasawara | Lead role |
| 2014 | Bitter Blood | Natsuki Sahara | Lead role |
| 2015 | The Emperor's Cook | Tokuzo Akiyama | Lead role |
| 2018 | Half Blue Sky | Ritsu Hagio | Asadora |
| 2018 | Stepmom and Daughter Blues | Akira Mugita | |
| 2019 | True Horror Stories: 20th-year anniversary special | Satoshi Miyazaki | Episode 5: The Resentful Gaze |
| 2020 | Stepmom and Daughter Blues: New Year Special | Akira Mugita | |
| 2020 | Stepmom and Daughter Blues: Akira Mugita Side Story | Akira Mugita | Lead role |
| 2020 | An Incurable Case of Love | Kairi Tendo | |
| 2022 | Stepmom and Daughter Blues: New Year Special 2022 | Akira Mugita | |
| 2022 | First Love | Harumichi Namiki | Lead role |
| 2023 | Why Didn't I Tell You a Million Times? | Naoki Torino | |
| 2025 | Glass Heart | Naoki Fujitani | Lead role, also producer |

### Television documentaries and other programs

| Year | Title | Role |
| 2012 | The Man Who Wants To Be Truthful | Himself |
| 2016 | The Unknown Civilizations | Himself |
| 2017 | Tokyo: The Miracle City | Narrator |
| 2018 | Our 50 Years With Weekly Shonen Jump | Narrator |
| 2018 | 69th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen | Judge |
| 2019 | Tokyo Miracle | Various roles |
| 2021 | Satoh Takeru and Nobu's Puzzle-Solving Special - Episode 1 | Himself |
| 2021 | Satoh Takeru and Nobu's Puzzle-Solving Special - Episode 2 | Himself |
| 2022 | Satoh Takeru and Nobu's Puzzle-Solving Special - Episode 3 | Himself |
| 2022 | Satoh Takeru and Nobu's Puzzle-Solving Special - Episode 4 | Himself |

### Promotion videos

* Bahashishi, Oasis (オアシス, 2007)
* Bahashishi, Yakusoku (約束, 2007)
* Bahashishi, Kiseki (キセキ, 2008)
* Mayday, Do You Ever Shine (2014)

### Theater

* 2012: Romeo and Juliet. Dir: Jonathan Munby, Akasaka ACT Theater, Theatre Brava!; role: Romeo

## Discography
### Singles

* "Pre-go: Zero" (2007)
* "Double-Action" (2007)
* "Perfect-Action: Double-Action Complete Collection" (2007)
* "Real-Action" (2007)
* "Double-Action Wing form" (2008)

### DVD

* "My Color" (2008)
* "HT" (HT 〜N.Y.の中心で、鍋をつつく〜) (2010)
* "HT2" (赤道の真下で、鍋をつつく～) (2011)

## Photobooks

* Pre-go: Zero (2007)
* Intently First Photobook (2008)
* 400 Days Photo Album/Diary (2008)
* Takeru Magazine/Takeru Magazine Plus (2008–)
* Deep Breathing/「深呼吸。」 Second Photobook (2009)
* So Far So Good! Takeru Satoh Profile 2007–2010 (2010)
* Nouvelles (2011)
* Rocka Nibunnoichi 1/2 Vol. 1, 2, and 3 (2013)
* Rurouni Kenshin (2014)
* Alternative (2014)
* If Cats Disappeared From the World (Movie) Official Photo Book (2016)
* "X (Ten)" Satoh Takeru Photo Book + DVD (2016)
* RurouNihon Kumamoto (2017)
* Satoh Takeru in Hanbun, Aoi Photobook (2018)
* 13years～TAKERU Satoh ANNIVERSARY BOOK 2006→2019～ (2019)

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Notable Works | Result |
| 2009 | 60th Television Drama Academy Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Mei's Butler | Won |
| 2010 | 20th Japan Movie Critics Award | Best Male Newcomer | Beck | Won |
| 2011 | 35th Elan d'or Awards | Newcomer of the Year | Himself | Won |
| 2012 | Japan Action Awards 2012 | Best Action Actor | Rurouni Kenshin | Won |
| 2013 | 76th Television Drama Academy Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Tonbi | Nominated |
| 2014 | 39th Hochi Film Awards | Best Actor | The Liar and His Lover, RK: Kyoto Inferno & The Legend Ends | Nominated |
| 2015 | Japan Action Awards 2015 | Best Action Scene | RK: Kyoto Inferno & The Legend Ends | Won |
| 2015 | Japan Action Awards 2015 | Best Action Actor | RK: Kyoto Inferno & The Legend Ends | Won |
| 2015 | 9th Asian Film Awards | Best Actor | Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends | Nominated |
| 2015 | 85th Television Drama Academy Awards | Best Actor | The Emperor's Cook | Won |
| 2015 | 8th Tokyo Drama Awards | Best Actor | The Emperor's Cook | Won |
| 2016 | 24th Hashida Award | Best Actor | The Emperor's Cook | Won |
| 2016 | 42nd Broadcasting Culture Fund Award | Individual Acting Award | The Emperor's Cook | Won |
| 2018 | 41st Japan Academy Film Prize | Best Actor | The 8-Year Engagement | Nominated |
| 2018 | Japan Action Awards 2018 | Best Action Actor | Ajin: Demi-Human | Won |
| 2018 | 98th Television Drama Academy Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Hanbun, Aoi | Won |
| 2018 | 98th Television Drama Academy Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Blues of Stepmother and Daughter | Nominated |
| 2018 | 13th CONFiDENCE Award Drama Prize | Best Supporting Actor | Hanbun, Aoi, Blues of Stepmother and Daughter | Won |
| 2019 | CONFiDENCE Award Drama Prize 2018 Annual Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Hanbun, Aoi, Blues of Stepmother and Daughter | Won |
| 2019 | 44th Hochi Film Awards | Best Actor | Samurai Marathon, One Night | Nominated |
| 2019 | 32nd Nikkan Sports Film Awards | Best Actor | Samurai Marathon, One Night | Nominated |
| 2020 | 104th Television Drama Academy Awards | Best Supporting Actor | An Incurable Case of Love | Won |
| 2020 | 13th Tokyo Drama Awards | Best Supporting Actor | An Incurable Case of Love | Won |
| 2020 | 7th Yahoo! Japan Search Awards | Grand Prix | An Incurable Case of Love | Won |
| 2020 | 7th Yahoo! Japan Search Awards | Person (Actor) | An Incurable Case of Love | Won |
| 2021 | 34th Nikkan Sports Film Awards | Best Actor | Rurouni Kenshin: The Final/The Beginning, In the Wake | Nominated |
| 2021 | 46th Hochi Film Awards | Best Actor | Rurouni Kenshin: The Final/The Beginning, In the Wake | Nominated |
| 2022 | 76th Mainichi Film Awards | Best Actor | In the Wake | Won |
| 2022 | 64th Blue Ribbon Awards | Best Actor | Rurouni Kenshin: The Final, In the Wake | Nominated |
| 2022 | 45th Japan Academy Film Prize | Best Actor | In the Wake | Nominated |
| 2023 | Asia Contents Awards & Global OTT Awards | Best Lead Actor | First Love | Nominated |