Masataka Kubota

Masataka Kubota, born on September 9, 1988, in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. His family includes his father, mother, and two older brothers. His family background includes a grandfather who taught calligraphy, a father who worked in construction, and an older brother who worked as a welding technician. Kubota is the youngest of three brothers.

Education and career beginnings:

He graduated from the Mechanical Department of Kanagawa Prefectural Kanagawa Technical High School. While in high school, he entered the entertainment industry after taking part in a talent selection event and became an actor. His acting career officially began in April 2006 when he starred in the Fuji TV late-night drama “Hip-Hop Love in Tokyo,” marking his debut. That same year he appeared in the feature film “Humoresque: The Cocoon-Breaking Butterfly” and the family drama “Kazoku Yoshiya.”

Early roles:

In 2007 Kubota appeared in the romance series “Love Sunday Part 3,” the tokusatsu (special-effects) series “Time-Space Police Wecker Signa,” and the comedy “Mop Girl.” In 2008 he played the lead in Takashi Miike’s tokusatsu series “Mobile Phone Investigator 7” and also appeared in the film “Class Reunion.”

Breakthrough and subsequent work:

2009 was a turning point in his career. He starred in the NHK period drama “Naniwa no Hana: The Ogata Kōan Case Records,” launching his path in period dramas. That year he also appeared in the TV drama “Once Was Dad’s Mom” and the films “My First Love” and “Miracle of Christmas.” In 2010 he starred in the NHK morning drama “The Strange Wife” and consecutively led the action film series “High School Domination MAX,” earning the Best Action Actor award at the inaugural Japan Action Awards.

Later career:

Kubota continued to take important roles across television, film, and stage. In 2012 he portrayed Taira no Shigemori in the NHK Taiga drama “Taira no Kiyomori.” In 2015 he starred as Light Yagami in “Death Note,” and his strong performances have earned him multiple industry awards. His acting range covers drama, action, mystery, historical pieces, and pure-love stories.

Personal life:

He is the youngest of three brothers and maintains good family relationships. In 2017 he began a relationship with actress Asami Mizukawa after working together, and the couple announced their marriage in 2019.

Recent activity:

As of 2023, Kubota remained active in numerous projects across TV, film, stage, and radio drama, demonstrating wide-ranging acting experience. In 2023 he starred in the film “Sweet Home,” directed by Takumi Saitō, and held leading or significant roles in several other works. Due to a cervical spine injury, he paused stage performances in August 2023 and, following medical advice, planned to resume work in September.

Through years of work in the entertainment industry, Masataka Kubota has become one of the representative and influential male actors in Japan’s acting community.