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Takeshi Kitano. Photo By Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) homepage –

Top 10 Unknown Facts about Takeshi Kitano

75-year-old Takeshi Kitano was born in Adachi, Tokyo in January 1947. He wears numerous hats but is famous for being a TV Host and goes by the stage name Beat Takeshi. He was the director of over 10 films, the most successful being: Sonatina (1993), Fireworks (Hana-bi) 1997, Kikujiro (1999), and The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi (2003).

Takeshi spent the majority of his childhood days in Asakusa. He got married to Mikiko Kitano in 1978 and had 2 children. His daughter has featured in some of his movies.

Kitano is known as the master of yakuza movies. He gained worldwide attention after his role as Sergeant Hara in Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (1983). Takeshi is a leading figure in the Japanese Film Industry and is active in more than 5 television programs.

1. Takeshi Was Only Accepted As An Accomplished Director In Japan After 8 Years of Film Making

Takeshi Kitano ‘Sonatine’ graffiti. Photo By Eduard Maluquer – Wikimedia Commons

Takeshi began his acting career in small roles. He made his first official appearance as a film director in 1989 in the film Violent Cop (Sono otoko) 1998. He co-wrote the script with Hisashi Nozawa, an award-winning screenwriter and mystery novelist.

4 years later, Takeshi received recognition for Sonatine (1993), a Japanese yakuza film that he wrote, directed, and edited. Sonatine won the Best Film award at Taormina Film Fest in 1993 propelling Takeshi’s film directing. Japan only recognized him in 1997, after Fireworks (Hana-bi) (1997) won the Golden Lion of St. Mark, the highest prize at the 54^th Venice International Film Festival.

2. His Script Writing On Yakuza Might Have Been Influenced By His Father’s Lifestyle

Takeshi’s love for Yakuza-themed movies made him known as ‘the singer of cold-blooded and visual violence’. Yakuza is a term used to describe a powerful Japanese criminal organization.

Despite being a house painter and a manufacturer of lacquer figurines, Takeshi’s father, Kikujiro Kitano was also a gambler who struggled to feed his family and pay rent.  He would often make his family go hungry due to his bad gambling habits.

Takeshi characterized his father as a careless and mythical man. Kitano was the source of inspiration for his character and movie Kikujiro (1999).

3. Takeshi Became An Office Clerk To Fulfil His Mother’s Dream

Takeshi’s mother was born into a military family. She grew up in a home where order and following rules were a non -negotiable. She always dreamt that her sons would become office clerks and Takeshi went on to pursue this. He attended the Meigi University of Tokyo but unfortunately was unable to complete his studies.

Aside from office work, Takeshi learned how to paint and animate with some of his notable paintings being showcased in the films Fireworks (1997) and Kikujiro (1999).

4. He Learnt His Dancing Skills During His Career As An Elevator Operator

Takeshi worked several casual jobs after school. He was once an elevator operator in an exotic club, Asakusa France-za, where he alsongot an acting role as a woman in a comedy scene. This was his first introduction to the film industry.

Kitano mastered his dancing through a cabaret that was near his place of work. He became an apprentice to the comedian Senzaburo Fukami and slowly worked on his art.

5. Takeshi Sponsors An Amateur Baseball Team in Japan

Baseball and Glove. Photo by Chris Pastrick –

Unknown to many, Takeshi sponsors a Japanese baseball team and engages in matches once in a while. Growing up in Adachi exposed him to the sport at a young age. Aside from the yakuza, the children from Adachi looked up to baseball players.

His love for the sport made him dedicate a film to it. The storyline of Takeshi’s crime film Boiling Point (1990) was based on a sandlot baseball player, Masaki who involves his whole baseball team on a revenge mission.

6. His Debut As A Director Was Accidental And Out of Sheer Luck

Takeshi’s debut film Violent Cop aired in 1998. The previously appointed film director, Kinji Fukasaku, withdrew from the role since Takeshi’s TV commitments and his scheduling as the lead role were constantly conflicting. Takeshi was approached to direct the movie in his own place and quickly became Kinji’s replacement.

This contract would, later on, become his first role as a director having had no past experience. He rewrote the script with his creative iconic style and gave it a sense of maturity by moving it from comedy to police drama.

7. He Was Denied Access To A Japanese Broadcasting Corporation For 5 years

NHK_Matsumoto. Photo By Hobu –

After receiving complaints from viewers, Kitano’s jokes during his acts  were censored. His use of offensive language was also edited from his performances.

He was banned from NHK after he exposed his body in the show, Getting Any? (1995) where he played the role of a scientist. The broadcast had totally forbidden such acts and this earned him a 5-year ban from the Japanese corporation. 

8. Takeshi Reunited With His Comedy Duo Mate After 19 Years

The name Beat Takeshi originated in the mid-’70s when Kitano was part of manzai (a comedy duo) that went by the name the Two Beats. The stand-up comedy team was made up of Takeshi and his long-time friend Niro Kaneko.

The two adopted the Forename ‘Beat’ and were individually known as Beat Takeshi and Beat Kiyoshi. Two Beats became a national success when they first performed on TV in 1976. Their script content was based on the socially vulnerable, the handicapped, the poor, and the ugly and this opposition to social norms rose them to stardom.

Two Beats was dissolved in the early 1980s after Takeshi decided to go solo. The two were reunited as colleagues in the film Kikujiro (1999). Kiyoshi starred as ‘the man at the bus stop’ while Takeshi took the lead role of Kikujiro Takeda.

9. The American Show ‘Most Extreme Elimination Challenge’ Was A Re-Purpose of Takeshi’s Game Show

Kitano was the host of the game show, Takeshi’s Castle. The show aired from 1986 to 1990. It featured Kitano as a Count who sets up challenges for around 86 to 142 contestants whose main goal is to reach his castle.

The game show inspired a genre of global shows that involved physical challenges. Australia, Brazil, Europe, Asia, and South Africa broadcasted the show on their stations. The American show Most Extreme Elimination Challenge, MXC (2003) sourced their concept from Takeshi’s castle.

10. He Was The First Japanese Celebrity To Develop A Video Game

Video Game Player Pad. Photo By Anton Porsche –

Takeshi no Chosenjo (Takeshi’s Challenge) was a computer video game created in 1986. Kitano took part in its creation as a partial graphics designer and consultant. He was the first celebrity from Japan to actively participate in the creation of a video game.

Though he promoted its release in several commercials, Takeshi no Chosenjo was ranked one of the worst video games of all time. Its complex gameplay mechanics and difficult title earned it first place in kusoge (worst game) ranking.