Kenichi Matsuyama
Kenichi Matsuyama is a Japanese actor. He is known for his affinity for strange character roles, and he is best known internationally for playing L in the 2006 films Death Note, Death Note 2: The Last Name, and L: Change the World in 2008. He played the main character Toru Watanabe in the film adaptation of Haruki Murakami's novel Norwegian Wood.
Kenichi Matsuyama
Dick Thomas Johnson from Tokyo, Japan · Matsuyama Kenichi from "Satoshi: A Move for Tomorrow" at Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo International Film Festival 2016 · CC BY 2.0
- Name
- Kenichi Matsuyama
- Born
- 5 March 1985
- Birthplace
- Mutsu, Aomori, Japan
- Occupation
- Actor
- Full name
- 松山 研一.
- Nationality
- Japan.
- Fields
- acting.
- Honours
- Elan d'or Award for Newcomer of the Year, Blue Ribbon Awards for Best Actor, Mainichi Film Award for Best Actor, Japan Academy Prize for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role and Japan Academy Prize for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role.
- Languages
- Japanese.
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Kenichi Matsuyama is a Japanese actor. He is known for his affinity for strange character roles, and he is best known internationally for playing L in the 2006 films Death Note, Death Note 2: The Last Name, and L: Change the World in 2008. He played the main character Toru Watanabe in the film adaptation of Haruki Murakami's novel Norwegian Wood.
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Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
wikidata · Q360986 · wikipedia · Kenichi Matsuyama
In this article
Biography
Biography
His stage name uses the katakana spelling of his first name (ケンイチ) instead of the usual kanji (研一).
The recorded working language is Japanese. The field of work recorded is acting. Distinctions recorded are Elan d'or Award for Newcomer of the Year, Blue Ribbon Awards for Best Actor, Mainichi Film Award for Best Actor and Japan Academy Prize for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role.
Matsuyama Kenichi, of "Death Note" fame, lead actor of "Detroit Metal City".
Sasoriza from Toronto, Canada · 20080906_020939
松山很友善親切...
Sasoriza from Toronto, Canada · 20080906_021849
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Kenichi Matsuyama • Native Name — 松山 ケンイチ • Birth Name — Kenichi Matsuyama • Born — 5 March 1985 • Birthplace — Mutsu, Aomori, Japan • Agent — Horipro • Occupation — Actor • Years Active — 2001–present • Children — 3
Early career
Early career
In 2000 he entered Aomori Prefectural Ominato High School. While there, he debuted as a model, in 2001, for PARCO, after winning the Grand Prix "New Style Audition", an event in collaboration with the agency Horipro. from among 16,572 applicants. He graduated from Tokyo Metropolitan Toyama High School. Matsuyama made his acting debut in the television series Gokusen in 2002. He made his first film appearance in Bright Future in 2003. He starred in the film Winning Pass in 2004, a movie with its main character modeled after real–life wheelchair basketball player Kohei Kamimura. Matsuyama starred in Ultra Miracle Love Story in 2009, using the Tsugaru dialect of Japanese in the film. He played a police detective in the 2023 drama Why Didn't I Tell You a Million Times? He voiced the role of Balthazar Bratt in the Japanese dub of Despicable Me 3 in 2017. He was in the stage play Seven Souls in the Skull Castle in 2017.
Personal life
Personal life
On April 1, 2011, he married Koyuki Katō, who co-starred with him in Kamui Gaiden. The couple's first child was born in January 2012, and their second child was born in January 2013 in South Korea. In July 2015, the couple had their third child. He speaks in the Shimokita dialect. He also presumably speaks English, judging from a scene in L: Change The World where he plays L, who is talking to Near in English.
Japanese dub
Japanese dub
• Year — Title — Role — Notes — Ref. References • 2025 — Elio — Lord Grigon
Television
Television
• Year — Title — Role — Notes — Ref. References • 2002 — Gokusen — Kenichi Mouri • 2003 — Kids War 5 — Yūta Kuroda • 2005 — 1 Litre of Tears — Yuji Kawamoto • 2006 — Tsubasa no Oreta Tenshitachi — Tarō / Shingo • Sono 5 fun mae — Yuka Takashi — Lead role • Death Note — Gelus — Voice; Episode: "Koigokoro" • 2007 — Sexy Voice and Robo — Iichiro Sudo/Robo — Lead role • 2008 — Matsuda Spinoff — L • Detroit Metal City — Makoto Hokazono — Voice; Cameo • 2009 — Zeni Geba — Gamagori Futaro — Lead role • 2010 — Japanese Americans — Hiramatsu Jiro • 2012 — Taira no Kiyomori — Taira no Kiyomori — Lead role; Taiga drama • 2015 — Dokonjo Gaeru — Hiroshi — Lead role • Futagashira — Benzō — Lead role • 2016 — Death Note: New Generation — L — Cameo • 2017 — A Life — Sōta Igawa • 2018 — Residential Complex — Daiki Igarashi • Miyamoto kara Kimi e — Kazuo Jinbo • 2019 — Shiroi Kyotō — Shuji Satomi — Miniseries • Yuganda Hamon — Mitazono • 2020 — Komoribito — Masao — Lead role; Television film • 2021 — Japan Sinks: People of Hope — Koichi Tokiwa • 2023 — What Will You Do, Ieyasu? — Honda Masanobu — Taiga drama • Why Didn't I Tell You a Million Times? — Yuzuru Uozumi • 2024 — The Tiger and Her Wings — Tōichirō Katsuraba — Asadora • 2025 — Who Saw the Peacock Dance in the Jungle? — Yoshiteru Matsukaze • Hey, Dazai — Osamu Dazai — Television film • 2026 — Did Someone Happen to Mention Me? — Kawashima • Until the T-shirt Dries — Mitsuru
Film
• Year — Title — Role — Notes — Ref. References • 2003 — Bright Future — Jun • Worst by Chance — Korean high school student • 2004 — Winning Pass — Kenta Kobayashi — Lead role • The Locker 2 — Yosuke Shinohara • Kamachi • The Taste of Tea — Matsuken • 2005 — Linda Linda Linda — Makihara • Nana — Shinichi "Shin" Okazaki • Furyo Shonen no Yume — Hiroyuki Yoshiie — Lead role • Custom Made 10.30 — Tamotsu/Shin-Getsu • Otoko-tachi no Yamato — Katsumi Kamio (15 years old) • 2006 — Oyayubi Sagashi — Tomohiko Igarashi • Death Note — L • Death Note 2: The Last Name — L • 2007 — Ten Nights of Dreams — Shōtarō — Anthology film • Genghis Khan: To the Ends of the Earth and Sea — Juchi • Shindo — Wao • Southbound — Officer Niigaki • Tsubaki Sanjuro — Iori Isaka • Dolphin Blue: Fuji, mo Ichido Sora e — Kazuya Uemura — Lead role • 2008 — L: Change the World — L — Lead role • Sex Is No Laughing Matter — Mirume — Lead role • Detroit Metal City — Souichi Negishi/Johannes Krauser II — Lead role • 2009 — Kamui Gaiden — Kamui — Lead role • Kaiji — Makoto Sahara • Ultra Miracle Love Story — Yojin — Lead role • 2010 — Norwegian Wood — Toru Watanabe — Lead role • Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac — Yuji Miwa — Lead role • 2011 — Gantz — Masaru Kato — Lead role • Gantz: Perfect Answer — Masaru Kato — Lead role • My Back Page — Umeyama — Lead role • Usagi Drop — Daikichi Kawachi — Lead role • 2012 — Train Brain Express — Kei Komachi — Lead role • 2013 — The Kiyosu Conference — Hidemasa Hori • 2014 — Homeland — Jirō Sawada — Lead role • Climbing to Spring — Tōru Nagamine — Lead role • 2015 — Chasuke's Journey — Chasuke — Lead role • The Emperor in August — Takeo Sasaki — Special appearance • 2016 — Rage — Tetsuya Tashiro • Satoshi: A Move for Tomorrow — Satoshi Murayama — Lead role • Chin-yu-ki: The Journey to the West with Farts — Tarō Yamada — Lead role • Something Like, Something Like It — Defunetei Shinden — Lead role • Death Note: Light Up the New World — L — Cameo • 2017 — Sekigahara — Naoe Kanetsugu • Yurigokoro — Yōsuke • Despicable Me 3 — Balthazar Bratt — Voice; Japanese dub • 2019 — Miyamoto — Kazuo Jinbo • Promare — Galo Thymos — Voice; Lead role • 2020 — Mio's Cookbook • Hotel Royal — Miyagawa • 2021 — Brave: Gunjō Senki — Oda Nobunaga • Blue — Urita — Lead role • 2022 — Noise — Jun Tanabe — Lead role • Dreaming of the Meridian Arc — Kinoshita / Matakichi • Riverside Mukolitta — Yamada — Lead role • 2023 — Do Unto Others — Munenori Shiba — Lead role • We're Broke, My Lord! — Matsudaira Shinjirō • 2024 — Saint Young Men: The Movie — Jesus — Lead role • 2025 — Hey, Dazai: The Movie — Osamu Dazai • Seaside Serendipity — Voice • New Interpretation of the End of Edo Period — Hijikata Toshizō • 2026 — Nagi Notes — Yoshihiro Iguchi • Hara o Kukutte
Recognition and collections
Where the work is held
Recognition and collections
Kenichi Matsuyama received Elan d'or Award for Newcomer of the Year, Blue Ribbon Awards for Best Actor, Mainichi Film Award for Best Actor, Japan Academy Prize for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role and Japan Academy Prize for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role.
Documents and archives
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “Kenichi Matsuyama”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q360986: Kenichi Matsuyama
General reference · Wikidata
Awards and nominations
• Year — Award — Category — Nominated work(s) — Result — Ref. References • 2006 — 31st Hochi Film Awards — Best New Actor — Death Note • 2007 — 28th Yokohama Film Festival — Best New Talent • 30th Japan Academy Film Prize — Best Supporting Actor • Best New Actor • 31st Elan d'or Awards — Newcomer of the Year — Himself • 2008 — 2nd Asia Pacific Producer's Network Award — Best Actor — Death Note • 2009 — 32nd Japan Academy Film Prize — Best Actor — Detroit Metal City • Most Popular Actor • 2010 — 64th Mainichi Film Awards — Best Actor — Ultra Miracle Love story • 24th Takasaki Film Festival — Best Actor • 2011 — 24th Nikkan Sports Film Awards — Best Actor — My Back Page, Norwegian Wood, Gantz, Usagi Drop • 2017 — 71st Mainichi Film Awards — Best Actor — Satoshi: A Move for Tomorrow • 12th Osaka Cinema Festival — Best Actor • 40th Japan Academy Film Prize — Best Actor • 59th Blue Ribbon Awards — Best Actor — Satoshi: A Move for Tomorrow, Chinyūki • 2022 — 76th Mainichi Film Awards — Best Actor — Blue • 35th Nikkan Sports Film Awards — Best Actor — Riverside Mukolitta and Noise • 2023 — 36th Nikkan Sports Film Awards — Best Actor — Do Unto Others • 2024 — 66th Blue Ribbon Awards — Best Actor
Literature
Scholarly footprint
A count of publications is evidence of attention, not of standing, and is given here only as a measure.
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Secondary witnessauthority record
General reference
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 15 August 2026.
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