Kento Nakajima (中島健人, Nakajima Kento, born March 13, 1994),[1] is a Japanese singer, rapper, actor, voice actor and television personality. He is best known as being a member of the Japanese idol groups Sexy Zone and Yuma Nakayama w/B.I.Shadow.[2]
Kento Nakajima | |
|---|---|
中島健人 | |
| Born | March 13, 1994 Tokyo, Japan |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2008–present |
| Agent(s) | Starto Entertainment (2024–present) Smile-Up (2023–2024) Johnny & Associates (2008–2023) |
| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals |
| Labels | Pony Canyon |
| Member of | Gemn |
| Formerly of | |
| Website | Sexy Zone Official Site |
Career
When he was in 6th grade, Nakajima listened to the song "Seishun Amigo" by Johnny & Associates temporary unit Shūji to Akira, formed by KAT-TUN's Kazuya Kamenashi and NEWS member Tomohisa Yamashita and became interested in Johnny's.[3] At the age of 14 years old, he sent in his application, and joined the agency in April 2008[4]
In 2008, B.I.Shadow was formed as a Johnny's Jr. group. At that time the members were: Fuma Kikuchi, Misaki Takahata, and him. During that year, they acted in the drama Scrap Teacher.
He was chosen for the 5-member group Sexy Zone in 2011, when he was 17,[3] which debuted in November 16 with the release of their eponymous debut single. Their average age was 14.4, making them the youngest group to debut since the Oricon Singles Rankings began in January 1968.[5]
He was one of the chosen personalities to represent the network WOWOW during the broadcast of the Academy Awards.[6][7][8][9] He studied English for this occasion and showed wonderful English-speaking skills.
It was announced that Nakajima would leave the group on March 31, 2024, but continue in the agency as a talent and actor, seeking "to take on various challenges as an idol and an actor, both in Japan and abroad."[10]
Nakajima made his overseas debut as an actor in Hulu / SkyShowtime's drama Concordia, which started airing on May 23, 2024.[11][12]
Personal life
Often fondly called as "Kenty," Nakajima is an only child and was raised by his mother to have a gentleman's attitude or "lady first" principle. He loves to play the piano and often performs with it during their concerts. He updates his blog KenTeaTime or ‘KTT’ on Johnny’s web everyday, reporting his daily life to his fans. He is a big fan of the manga Kimetsu no Yaiba and he can't be stopped every time he starts talking about it. He coined the term "Sexy Lovers" or セクラバ (sekurabas) for Sexy Zone fans. He owns a toy poodle he named, "Bonita" or "Boni-chan."
He graduated with a bachelor's degree in Sociology at Meiji Gakuin University.[13]
Filmography
TV series
| Year | Title | Role | Network | Notes | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Scrap Teacher | Kento Minobe | NTV | ||
| 2009 | Koishite Akuma | Hiroto Handa | Fuji TV | ||
| 2011 | You Taught Me All the Precious Things | Kentaro Kodama | Fuji TV | ||
| Umareru | Koji Hayashida | TBS | |||
| 2012 | Kazoku no Uta | Kosei Sakagami | Fuji TV | ||
| 2013 | Bad Boys J | Tsukasa Kiriki | NTV | Lead role | |
| 2014 | Kurofuku Monogatari | Akira Ogawa | TV Asahi | Lead role | |
| 2015 | Kurosaki-kun no Iinari ni Nante Naranai | Haruto Kurosaki | NTV | Lead role; miniseries | |
| 2016 | Guard Centre 24 | Mamoru Shinomiya | NTV | Lead role; television film | |
| 2018 | Cop's N Robbers | Tsutomu Madarame | NTV | Lead role | |
| The Story of Shotaro Ishinomori, the Man Who Created a Hero | Shotaro Ishinomori | NTV | Lead role; television film | ||
| 2019 | Castle of Sand | Eiryo Waga | Fuji TV | Television film | [14] |
| 2020 | Detective Novice | Kai Honma | NTV | Lead role | [15] |
| 2021 | She Was Pretty | Sousuke Hasebe | Fuji TV | Lead role | [16] |
| 2023 | Legal Enforcement with Dogs | Yūsuke Kurihara | TV Asahi | [17] | |
| 2024 | Living-Room Matsunaga-san | Jun Matsunaga | Fuji TV | Lead role | [18] |
| Concordia | Akira John "A.J." Ohba | Hulu | Overseas drama debut | [19][20][11] |
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Directed by | Notes | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Bad Boys J: The Movie | Tsukasa Kiriki | Takashi Kubota | Lead role | [21] |
| 2014 | Silver Spoon | Yūgo Hachiken | Keisuke Yoshida | Lead role | [22] |
| 2016 | The Black Devil and the White Prince | Haruto Kurosaki | Shō Tsukikawa | Lead role | [23] |
| 2017 | The Anthem of the Heart | Takumi Sakagami | Naoto Kumazawa | Lead role | [24] |
| Teen Bride | Nao Tsurugi | Tsutomu Hanabusa | Lead role | [25] | |
| 2018 | Nisekoi | Raku Ichijo | Hayato Kawai | Lead role | [26] |
| 2022 | Love Like the Falling Petals | Haruto Asakura | Yoshihiro Fukagawa | Lead role | [27] |
| Fragments of the Last Will | Takeo Shintani | Takahisa Zeze | [28] | ||
| 2023 | Confess to Your Crimes | Kōji Uda | Nobuo Mizuta | Lead role | [29] |
| 2025 | Untitled Takahiro Miki Project | Riku | Takahiro Miki | Lead role | [30] |
Animation series
| Year | Title | Role | Network | Notes | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Silver Spoon | Aoyama | Fuji TV | Episode 8 | [31] |
Dubbing
- Transformers: Rise of the Beasts – Noah Diaz (Anthony Ramos)[32]
Discography
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Fatale" (ファタール)[33] (with Tatsuya Kitani as Gemn) | 2024 | Non-album single |
See also
References
External links
