Photo: Labrador / CC BY 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
I genuinely love that this guy spent decades being the noble, sword-swinging lord in Abarenbo Shogun, all stoic gravitas and clean choreography on horseback, and then late in the game reinvents himself into a gold-spangled, hip-swiveling Matsuken Samba icon without a single ounce of embarrassment. That takes a kind of fearlessness most people never find. A kid from a technical high school in Toyohashi, Aichi, riding through samurai dramas for years, and then becoming this glittering, beaming national mascot, it's wild how a career can pivot. What gets me is the range, the disciplined dignity of period swordplay and the gleeful, ridiculous joy of the samba living in the same person. And honestly, the second that song comes on, I catch myself swaying along too. Hard to resist.
Story
The Lord Who Danced the Samba: The Astonishing Range of Ken Matsudaira
Overview
Ken Matsudaira is a Japanese actor and singer born on November 28, 1953, in Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture. He is best known for his long-running role in the historical drama series "Abarenbou Shogun" and for the enormously popular song and performance "Matsuken Samba." He received the Elan d'Or Award for Best Newcomer in 1980 and the Kikuta Kazuo Theatre Award in 2003. A graduate of Aichi Prefectural Toyohashi Technical High School, he has maintained an active career spanning multiple decades in Japanese entertainment.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Ken Matsudaira
- Name (Japanese)
- 松平健
- Reading
- まつだいら けん
- Born
- November 28, 1953 (age 72)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Sagittarius / Snake (Mi)
- Origin
- Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture, Japan
- Height
- 178 cm
- Occupation
- Singer / Film Actor / Actor
2. Background
- High school
- Aichi Prefectural Toyohashi Technical High School
Awards & achievements
- 1980 — Elan d'Or Award, Best Newcomer
- 2003 — Kikuta Kazuo Theatre Award
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Signature Work | Matsuken Samba | — | Unknown |
| Signature Work | Abarenbou Shogun | — | Unknown |
6. Links
- Xhttps://x.com/matsukentube
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%9D%BE%E5%B9%B3%E5%81%A5
Frequently asked questions
When was Ken Matsudaira born?
Born November 28, 1953 (age 72).
Where is Ken Matsudaira from?
Ken Matsudaira is from Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture, Japan.
What does Ken Matsudaira do?
Ken Matsudaira works as Singer, Film Actor, Actor.
How tall is Ken Matsudaira?
Ken Matsudaira is 178 cm.
What is Ken Matsudaira known for?
Notable works include Matsuken Samba, Abarenbou Shogun.
Singer — see all → · Film Actor — see all → · More people from Japan →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.