Photo: 大臣官房人事課 / CC BY 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
The nickname was Wakadaishō, the Young General, and the running joke of Yūzō Kayama's life is that it never stopped fitting. Born 11 April 1937 in Yokohama and educated at Keio, he became the face of the Wakadaishō film series and then wrote his own standard, "Kimi to Itsumademo." That second part is what outsiders underrate. Plenty of actors sing. Almost none compose the song everybody else ends up singing. His honors run from the 1961 Elan d'or Newcomer award to the Order of the Rising Sun in 2014 and the Iwatani Tokiko Award in 2017 — a span from teen-idol screen fame to formal state recognition that very few entertainers ever cover. He loved the sea, kept performing long past the age when most people stop, and carried an unforced cheerfulness through all of it. That last quality is the one nobody can copy, and it is why the name still means something.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Yūzō Kayama
- Name (Japanese)
- 加山雄三
- Born
- April 11, 1937 (age 89)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aries / Ox
- Origin
- Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
- Height
- 175 cm
- Occupation
- singer / actor / singer-songwriter / composer / tarento
2. Background
- High school
- Keio Senior High School
- University
- Keio University
Awards & achievements
- 1961 Elan d'or Award for Newcomer of the Year
- Golden Arrow Award
- 2014 The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Wakadaishō series | — |
6. Links
- Official sitehttps://kayamayuzo.com/
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%8A%A0%E5%B1%B1%E9%9B%84%E4%B8%89
Frequently asked questions
When was Yūzō Kayama born?
Born April 11, 1937 (age 89).
Where is Yūzō Kayama from?
Yūzō Kayama is from Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.
What does Yūzō Kayama do?
Yūzō Kayama works as singer, actor, singer-songwriter, composer, tarento.
How tall is Yūzō Kayama?
Yūzō Kayama is 175 cm.
What is Yūzō Kayama known for?
Notable works include Wakadaishō series.
Singer — see all → · Actor — see all → · More people from Japan →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-07-26
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.