My Take
Here's the thing that still scrambles my brain about Takeshi Kitano: the loud-mouthed comic yelling "Bakayaro!" on Japanese variety TV and the director who makes some of the quietest, deadliest, most heartbreaking films I've ever seen are the SAME guy. As Beat Takeshi he's chaos incarnate; as Kitano he points a camera and suddenly there's this dry, sudden violence cut with weirdly tender silences, those frozen deadpan faces, the pastel paintings bleeding into the frame. Sonatine, Hana-bi, Kids Return, that Venice Golden Lion, the deadpan Zatoichi tap-dance finale, the famous half-paralyzed grin from the bike crash he just shrugged off, the angel-figurine collecting, the dog named Gon. He never got polished or self-important, and honestly that's why I trust him. A genuine one-of-one.
Overview
Takeshi Kitano, widely known by his stage name Beat Takeshi, was born on January 18, 1947, in Umejima, Adachi, Tokyo. He rose to national fame in Japan during the early 1980s as one half of the manzai comedy duo Two Beat, before establishing himself internationally as a film director with works such as Sonatine (1993) and HANA-BI (1997), the latter earning him the Golden Lion at the 54th Venice International Film Festival. Recognized as a multifaceted artist, he has also pursued painting, writing, and television hosting throughout his career spanning more than five decades.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Takeshi Kitano
- Name (Japanese)
- 北野武
- Reading
- きたのたけし
- Born
- January 18, 1947 (age 79)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Capricorn / Pig
- Origin
- Umejima, Adachi, Tokyo, Japan
- Blood type
- O
- Height
- 168 cm
- Agency
- T.N Gon
- Agency history
- Ota Production (1970s)
Office Kitano (1988–2018) - Active years
- 1972–present
- Occupation
- Comedian / Film Director / Actor / Painter / Author / Singer / TV Personality
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Adachi Municipal Umejima Daiichi Elementary School
- Junior high
- Tokyo Metropolitan Adachi Municipal Adachi Fourth Junior High School
- High school
- Tokyo Metropolitan Adachi High School
- University
- Meiji University, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering (expelled; later awarded special graduation certification in 2004)
- Debut
- Circa 1972, began as a comedy apprentice at Asakusa France-za theater. Made his television debut in 1975 as part of Two Beat on TV Tokyo Channel 12's "Rival Daibakusho!"
Awards & achievements
- 1993 Taormina International Film Festival Grand Prize (Sonatine)
- 1997 Venice International Film Festival Golden Lion, 54th edition (HANA-BI)
- 2003 Venice International Film Festival Silver Lion, 60th edition (Zatoichi)
- 2010 Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, Commandeur (France)
- 2016 Légion d'honneur, Officier (France)
- 2018 Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette (Japan)
- 2022 Far East Film Festival Golden Mulberry Award (Lifetime Achievement)
Timeline
- 1947Born on January 18 in Umejima, Adachi, Tokyo
- 1972Began comedy apprenticeship under Senzaburo Fukami at Asakusa France-za theater
- 1975Formed the manzai duo Two Beat with Beat Kiyoshi and made his television debut
- 1982Two Beat achieved explosive popularity through Fuji TV's THE MANZAI and other programs
- 1983Officially married Mikiko Kitano
- 1986Fuji TV's 'Genius Takeshi's TV Show That Gives You Energy!!' began broadcasting
- 1988Founded his personal management office, Office Kitano
- 1989Made his film directing debut with 'Violent Cop'
- 1997Won the Golden Lion at the Venice International Film Festival for HANA-BI, cementing his international reputation as 'Kitano of the World'
- 2018Left Office Kitano and moved to T.N Gon; awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Divorced first wife Mikiko Kitano in 2019; remarried a private individual in 2020 (partner's details are private)
- Children
- Two children: eldest son (born 1981) and eldest daughter (born 1982)
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Hobbies
- Painting
- Reading
- Piano
- Rakugo
- Fishing
- Collecting angel figurines
Specialties
- Tap dance
- Manzai comedy
- Film directing
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Film (Director) | Violent Cop | Director and lead actor | 1989 |
| Film (Director) | Sonatine | Director and lead actor | 1993 |
| Film (Director) | Kids Return | Director | 1996 |
| Film (Director) | HANA-BI | Director and lead actor | 1997 |
| Film (Director) | Kikujiro | Director and lead actor | 1999 |
| Film (Director) | Zatoichi | Director and lead actor | 2003 |
| Film (Director) | Kubi | Director and lead actor | 2023 |
| TV Program | Genius Takeshi's TV Show That Gives You Energy!! | Host and cast member | 1985 |
| TV Program | Beat Takeshi's TV Tackle | Host and cast member | 1989 |
| Manzai Comedy | Two Beat Manzai (THE MANZAI, etc.) | Beat Takeshi (boke role) | 1980 |
6. Links
- Official sitehttps://takeshi-kitano.jp/
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%93%E3%83%BC%E3%83%88%E3%81%9F%E3%81%91%E3%81%97
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.