Kentaro Ito (actor, born 1997)

Japanese actor and model (born 1997) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kentaro Ito (伊藤 健太郎, Itō Kentarō, born June 30, 1997) is a Japanese actor and model. Previously known mononymously as Kentaro, began his career as a model and transitioned into acting in 2014 with his acting debut in Fuji TV's Hirugao: Love Affairs in the Afternoon as Keita Kinoshita. He has since starred in multiple television dramas, such as Tokyo Love Story, Peanut Butter Sandwich, and Is This Love a Sin!?.

Quick Facts Born, Other names ...
Kentaro Ito
Born (1997-06-30) June 30, 1997 (age 27)
Tokyo, Japan
Other namesKentaro
Occupations
  • Actor
  • model
Years active2012–present
AgentTristone Entertainment
Height179 cm (5 ft 10 in)
Japanese name
Kanji伊藤 健太郎
Hiraganaいとう けんたろう
Transcriptions
RomanizationItō Kentarō
Websitegolondrinas.net
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Career

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Ito first started out as a model, previously known simply as Kentaro, and appeared mainly in magazines and advertisements.[1] He made his acting debut in the afternoon television drama Hirugao: Love Affairs in the Afternoon, since then he has continuously appeared in many shows such as Gakkō no Kaidan, My Love Story!,[2] Transit Girls, and as a former studio regular in Terrace House among others.[3]

During the beginning of his burgeoning career in acting, he had begun thinking about giving himself a surname for some time, and when his character's name in the television drama From Today, It's Me!! , was the same as his real surname, "Ito."  He felt it was fate, and on his 21st birthday, June 30, 2018, he announced that he would change his stage name to his full name, Kentaro Ito.[4][1]

Rising popularity and temporary hiatus

In 2019, he appeared in the drama Scarlet as Takeshi, the son of Kimiko Kawahara portrayed by Erika Toda, marking his first appearance in NHK's morning drama series, Asadora.[5][6]

On July 21, 2020, Ito was set to co-star with Ryusei Yokohama in the play Ganryujima; however, it was reported that Yokohama had been infected with COVID-19, and the Tokyo stage performance was effectively canceled.[7] Ito also took a PCR test, but it came back negative.[8] However, as a close contact to Yokohama, he was asked to self-isolate at home for two weeks, until August 4, 2020.[8]

On September 10 of the same year, he announced that he would be leaving Aoao Inc. and rejoin his former company, Image Entertainment.[9]

On October 28, 2020, Ito was arrested for a vehicular accident after he collided with a motorcycle while driving a passenger car and then leaving the scene. He was later released and was not charged. He took a short break from his career after the accident due to receiving much backlash for fleeing the scene in the first place.[10]

2022–present: Resumption of activities and restitution

On June 30, 2021, Ito launched his official website "GOLONDRINAS".[11]

On May 15, 2022, he starred in the film Winter Rose. Set in a port town, he plays a young delinquent who later gets involved in uncovering the truth behind what happened to one of his friends who had been brutally attacked by an unknown assailant. The film was directed by Junji Sakamoto.[12]

In May 2023, he played the lead role in the film The Quiet Don as Kondo Shizuka, the third leader of the Shinsengumi.[13] In December of the same year, he appeared in the movie Till We Meet Again on the Lily Hill as the protagonist's best friend; for this role, he was nominated for the Best Supporting Actor award at the Japan Academy Award ceremony.[14]

Car accident and public image

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On the night of October 28, 2020, Ito drove a passenger car and collided with a motorcycle, critically injuring two men and women. On the following day, the Metropolitan Police Department arrested him on suspicion of violating the Automobile Driving Punishment Act and the Road Traffic Act for leaving the scene of the accident.[15][16]

Following the police reports, Ito's works and other television appearances were either removed, suspended or cancelled.[17] He was removed from the cast of the NHK evening drama Ucchan that was scheduled to air in December 2020, and the on-demand streaming of his dramas was also suspended. Fuji TV replaced the programs scheduled to air from October 29 to 31.[18] Ito's film Tonkatsu DJ Agetarō was released as scheduled on October 30, but his greeting appearance on the opening day was canceled.[19] He was selected as the "Face of 2020" by the magazine Nikkei Trendy but was absent from the announcement held on November 3.[20] And his appearance in the morning information program ZIP! [ja] had also been suspended from November.[21]

On March 25, 2021, in court hearings, the charges of negligent driving resulting in injury were dropped as a settlement was reached with the victims, and the charges of hit-and-run were not indicted due to insufficient evidence to prove criminal intent.[16] Ito posted a handwritten apology on his social media account regarding the accident.[10][22][23]

After dealing with the lawsuits, he faced much criticism from citizens, as he had received no legal consequences from the act. Due to all the hate, at one point, he considered retiring from acting.[24]

Filmography

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Film

More information Year, Title ...
Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2015 My Love Story!! Osamu Kurihara [25]
2016 Luna Shunsuke Short-film; Lead role [26]
Museum Hisashi Sawamura (teen) [27]
14 Nights Kaneda [28]
2017 Cheer☆Dance Hiroshi Yashiro [29]
Sagrada Reset Tomoki Nakano Lead role [30]
My Teacher Yusuke Fujioka [31]
Demekin Masaki Sada Lead role [32]
2018 Room Laundering Akito Nijikawa [33]
Before the Coffee Gets Cold Ryosuke Shintani [34]
Are You Ready, Girl? Ritsu Niimi [35]
We Love You Kazuma Saeki [36]
2019 The Flowers of Evil Takao Kasuga Lead role [37]
Ride Your Wave Wasabi Kawamura (voice) [38]
Shinkansen Henkei Robo Shinkalion Nahane (voice) [39]
2020 Noboru Kodera-san Kondo [40]
Starting Today, It's My Turn!! Shinji Ito [41]
Yowamushi Pedal: Up the Road Shunsuke Imaizumi [42]
The Brightest Roof in the Universe Toru Asakura [43]
Tonkatsu DJ Agetaro Yashiki Kurando [44]
The Devil in a Twelve-Layered Robe: A Tale of Genji Rai Ito Lead role [45]
2022 Winter Rose Jun Toguchi Lead role [12]
Welcome Home Yudai Kato Short-film [46]
2023 Shisu in Zagin!? Lead role [47]
Shizukanaru Don – Yakuza Side Story Shizuka Kondo Lead role [13]
Till We Meet Again on the Lily Hill Ishimaru [48]
2025 #Iwilltellyouthetruth Kiriyama's friend [49]
The Boy and the Dog Tadashi Numaguchi [50][51]
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Television drama

More information Year, Title ...
Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2014 Hirugao: Love Affairs in the Afternoon Keita Kinoshita
2015 The Girl's Speech Haru Senzaki [52]
Matsumoto Seicho Suspense: Shadow Zone Keisuke Tashiro [53]
Transit Girls Nao Fukuzawa [54]
2016 It's Not That I Can't Get Married, It's That I Won't Yosuke Sakurai [55]
Aogeba Totoshi Hirotatsu Igawa [56]
Cold Case: The Door to Truth Tsutomu Arikawa Episode 5
2017 Rental Love Hayato Tachibana [57]
Crime Syndrome Tomoki

Ichihara

Season 2
Slacker Office Worker Kantaro Ameya Yutaka Takarabe Episodes 4 & 11
Ashi-Girl Tadakiyo Hagikuhachirō Lead role [58]
2018 AIBOU: Tokyo Detective Duo Kamijo Takaki Episodes 10 & 16
BG ~Personal Bodyguard~ Takashi Shinkawa [59]
Are You Ready, Girls? Ritsu Niimi [60]
From Today, It's My Turn!!! Shinji Ito [61]
Room Laundering Akito Nijikawa [33]
Is This Love a Sin!? Taiga Kohinata Lead role [62]
LIFE! ~A comedy dedicated to life~ Kazuma [63]
2019 LIFE! presents Shinobi! Uzaemon ~THE SKY ATTACK~ Kazuma Semi-regular cast member [64]
Hissatsu Shigotonin Yayoshi/ Ebisawa Kichiemon [65]
Everyone's Paralympics

"Memories of 1964"

[66]
2020 Kyojo 2 Cameo [67][a]
Scarlet Takeshi Kawahara [68]
Five Hells "The Woman Who Clings" Makoto Tazaki [69]
Peanut Butter Sandwich Ren Kobayashi Lead role [70]
Unsolved Woman: Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department Document Investigator Reiichi Karakita Season 2; Episode 3 [71]
Doting Parents Cameo Episode 5 [72]
Suits Shingo Satake Season 2; Episode 11 [73]
2021 Tokyo Love Story Kanji Nagao Lead role [2]
2022 Pension Metza Episode 4 [74]
2024 The Guys Who Illuminate the Streets Koichi Omura [75]
Dear Radiance Sōjumaru Taiga drama [76]
2025 Unloved: Hidden Loners Kento Takasaka Lead role [77]
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Awards and nominations

More information Year, Award ceremony ...
Year presented, name of the award ceremony, category, nominee(s) of the award, and the result of the nomination
Year Award ceremony Category Nominated work(s) Result Ref.
2019 42nd Japan Academy Film Prize Newcomer of the Year Before the Coffee Gets Cold Won [78]
Forbes Japan 30 UNDER 30 Montblanc Special Award Himself Won [79]
2020 Nikkei Trendy 2020 Face of the Year Won [80]
2024 47th Japan Academy Film Prize Best Supporting Actor Till We Meet Again on the Lily Hill Nominated [81]
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Notes

  1. Kentaro Ito only appears in one scene at the end of the second part of Kyojo. After Ito was involved in a scandal in October 2020, Daiki Shigeoka took his place in Kyojo II. For this reason, Ito's scenes were not broadcast in the special edited version broadcast in December.

References

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