Originating from Yokosuka in Kanagawa Prefecture, he began as a magazine and television commercial model before moving into acting, debuting in the 1995 crime drama Kindaichi Case Files. Early television roles included the honors-student Yoshito Kikuchi in GTO (1998) and the gang-leader Takashi Ando in Ikebukuro West Gate Park (2000). A year later he portrayed Kyoko Fukada’s first love in Strawber…
