Photo: 大臣官房人事課 / CC BY 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Yūzō Kayama was born in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan on April 11, 1937. Yūzō Kayama is a singer, actor and singer-songwriter. The age as of 2026 is 89. Schooling on record includes Keio Senior High School and Keio University. Listed accolades include Elan d'or Award for Newcomer of the Year (1961), Golden Arrow Award and The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette (2014).
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.
This take was written by generative AI, one per person, from publicly reported facts (editorial policy). It is a reading of the record, not reporting.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Yūzō Kayama
- Name (Japanese)
- 加山雄三
- Reading
- かやま ゆうぞう
- Born
- April 11, 1937 (age 89)
- Origin
- Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
- Height
- 175 cm
- Occupation
- singer / actor / singer-songwriter / composer / tarento
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aries / Ox
- Blood type
- A
- Active years
- 1960 -
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
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- 松本めぐみ
4. Works & records
Works summary
- Appearances
- 387 (1960–2025)
- By year
- 1960: 2, 1961: 10, 1962: 9, 1963: 6, 1964: 2, 1965: 9, 1966: 16, 1967: 16, 1968: 11, 1969: 11, 1970: 8, 1971: 10, 1972: 6, 1973: 1, 1974: 5, 1975: 6, 1976: 10, 1977: 8, 1978: 10, 1979: 4, 1980: 7, 1981: 11, 1982: 8, 1983: 5, 1984: 3, 1985: 6, 1986: 9, 1987: 3, 1988: 5, 1989: 2, 1990: 5, 1991: 3, 1992: 11, 1993: 1, 1994: 4, 1995: 5, 1996: 3, 1997: 5, 1999: 4, 2000: 6, 2001: 3, 2002: 1, 2003: 2, 2004: 4, 2005: 4, 2007: 3, 2008: 2, 2009: 1, 2010: 6, 2011: 2, 2012: 5, 2013: 1, 2014: 4, 2015: 5, 2017: 3, 2018: 3, 2019: 3, 2020: 1, 2022: 1, 2023: 1, 2025: 1
- Debut work
- 男対男
Filmography / notable works
| Category | Title |
|---|---|
| Notable work | Wakadaishō series |
5. Links
- Official sitehttps://kayamayuzo.com/
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Y%C5%ABz%C5%8D%20Kayama
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%8A%A0%E5%B1%B1%E9%9B%84%E4%B8%89
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3113502
6. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. Works and profile fields sourced from Wikipedia reflect content as of 2026-08-26. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
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's blood type?
A.
How long has Yūzō Kayama been active?
1960 -.
What is Yūzō Kayama known for?
Notable works include Wakadaishō series.
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