Kento Kaku

Kaku was born on July 3, 1988 as the youngest of two sons. He attended Gyosei Junior and Senior High School before dropping out of Aoyama Gakuin University's School of Business.

During his high school years, he was devoted to the basketball club. Around the time he retired from club activities, he told his family about being scouted by a talent agency. Coincidentally, an employee from his current agency saw a family photo of the Kaku family and passed on a business card with a message: "Please tell this person (Kento) to contact me." Kaku, who was already interested in acting because he enjoyed watching dramas, contacted the agency himself and signed with them, thus beginning his entertainment career. ^[2][3]

He made his acting debut in films in 2007. In 2009, he had his first lead role in the film Giniro no Ame. In 2012, he starred in the television drama Clover. He played the hero, Hanako's brother Kichitaro Ando in the Asadora Hanako to Anne broadcast in the first half of 2014. He later played in the 2015 Taiga drama Hana Moyu as Shinsengumi Okita Sōji.^[4][5][6][7]

In April 2015, he was appointed a New Caledonia Tourism Goodwill Ambassador.^[8]

Kaku's career took off from 2018 onwards, getting cast in leading roles for several series, resulted in his winning of the 2019 GQ Japan's Men of the Year Awards for Breakthrough Actor.^[9]

On September 1, 2022, he announced that he had ended his exclusive contract with Amuse Inc.—the agency he had been with for approximately 16 years—and would become independent. ^[10][11]

On April 3, 2024, he reported on his Instagram that he had established the video production company "SIGNAL181" in collaboration with Dave Boyle, the director of House of Ninjas, a series which he starred in and wrote the original story for. ^[12]

On 7 August 2016, he announced that he had married actress Nana Eikura whom he co-starred with in TV drama Testimony of N.^[1] They have two children.^[13][14]

• Asics Corporation
  • Asics (2010)^[44]
• Benesse
  • Shinken Seminar High School Course [ja] (2006)^[44]
• Central Japan Railway Company
  • Tokyo Bookmark [ja] (image character)(2015)^[44]
• Nintendo Co., Ltd.
  • Nintendo 3DS Pro Evolution Soccer 6 (2006)^[44]
• NTT, Inc. NTT Docomo
  • Ahamo [ja] (2026–) with Arashi's Kazunari Ninomiya^[45]
  • Docomo Style series [ja] "Style Iluminations" (2009) with Maki Horikita^[44]
• Otsuka Pharmaceutical
  • Pocari Sweat Pocari Sweat Ion Water (2015)^[44]
• Rohto Pharmaceutical
  • Rohto Rise eye drops (2008)^[44]
• Shinto Holdings Co., Ltd.  [ja]^[46]
  • Russ-K (image character) (2010)^[44]
• Tokyu Group SHIBUYA109
  • 109men (brand model) (2013)^[44]