Takako Matsu

(born on June 10, 1977) is a Japanese actress and pop singer.

Personal life Matsu was born to a family of buyō and kabuki actors, including her father Matsumoto Hakuō II, her mother and businesswoman Noriko Fujima, her uncle, Nakamura Kichiemon II, her elder brother Matsumoto Kōshirō X, her sister Kio Matsumoto, and stage director Kazuhisa Kawahara. She married guitarist and record producer Yoshiyuki Sahashi on December 28, 2007. Her married name is . She has the name of Natori of the Matsumoto school of Nippon Buyō (Japanese dancing). She chose the surname "Matsu" to honor the family. In an interview, she said she and her siblings are close to their mother.

Career Matsu starred in her stage debut Ninjō-banashi: Bunshichi Mottoi at Kabuki-za. Her first television role was in the NHK Drama Hana no Ran and starred in the NHK drama Kura. Because Shirayuri Gakuen, her high school, prohibited working in the industry, she moved to Horikoshi High School. Matsu starred in the drama Long Vacation after matriculating to college. She had a supporting role, but established in full-scale her position, because the drama was a major hit. She hosted the 47th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen and debuted with the single "Ashita, Haru ga Kitara". She returned to the show as a singer on the last day of the year. In an interview with NHK, Matsu recalled the incident with her musical debut. She sang karaoke which was heard by the director who suggested she gave a song. Although she declined it and was not confident enough with the song, she accepted because she saw it as " chance that not everyone got".

In the same year, she starred in the drama Love Generation in a leading role. She starred in Hero. She published a photo essay book, Matsu no Hitorigoto, through Asahi Shimbun Publishers. She released "Toki no Fune" in September 2004, which was composed by Akeboshi. It is similar to the song, "A nine days' wonder", which was released after the "Toki no Fune" single. The single contained a cover of Akeboshi's "White Reply" previously recorded on her sixth album, Harvest Songs.

Matsu won the Best Actress of the Year of the 29th Hochi Film Award and the 28th Japan Academy Prize at the same time for The Hidden Blade. In July 2006, she and Takuya Kimura starred in a special one-night edition of Hero. In October 2006, Matsu and Makoto Fujita starred in a weekly drama Yakusha Damashii. Matsu left the third concert tour in May 2007 to commemorate her tenth year as a singer. In her album Cherish You, the song "Ashita Haru ga Kitara" was redone to combine her voice on her youth.

On November 27, 2014, Matsu revealed on her official website that she was pregnant with her first child. Her daughter was born on March 30, 2015, and weighed 3466 grams. On February 9, 2020, Matsu was called to join Idina Menzel, Aurora and eight more of Elsa's international dubbers to perform the song "Into the Unknown" at the 92nd Academy Awards. Every international performer sang one line of the song in a different languages, including Maria Lucia Rosenberg, Willemijn Verkaik, Carmen Sarahí, Lisa Stokke, Katarzyna Łaska, Anna Buturlina, Gisela and Wichayanee Pearklin. Matsu worked with the producers. Her third album, Sakura no Ame, Itsuka was released at Universal Music.

Filmography Film Year Title RoleNotes

TV dramas Year Title RoleNotes

Japanese dub

Television

Video games Year Title Voice role Notes 2019Kingdom Hearts IIIElsa

Theater (Kabuki-za, 1993) - Ohisa (Shinbashi Enbujō, 1994) - Botan (Shinbashi Enbujō, 1994) - Omitsu (Shinbashi Enbujō, 1994) - Kikyō (Shinbashi Enbujō, 1994) - Oume Man of La Mancha (Aoyama Theater 1995) (Meitetsu Hall/ Aoyama Theatre, 1997) (Theater Hiten/ Aoyama Theatre, 1999) - Antonia (Hakata-za/ Imperial Garden Theater, 2002), (Meitetsu Hall/ Imperial Garden Theater, 2005), (Imperial Garden Theater, 2008), (Theater Brava!, 2009) - Aldonza Hamlet (Ginza Cezon Theater 1995, 1998, etc.) - Ophelia (Shinbashi Enbujō, 1999) - Tamako Taira The Good Person of Szechwan (New National Theater, 1999/ Akasaka ACT Theater 2001) - Shen Te/ Shui Ta Okepi (Aoyama Theatre, 2000) - Shinonome Voyage (Theater Cocoon, 2000) - (lead role) (Parco Theater 2001) - Kaoru Wuthering Heights (Shinbashi Enbujō, 2002) - Catherine Earnshaw Mozart! (Nissei Theater; 2002) - Constanze Mozart Noda Map: Oil (Theater Cocoon, 2003/ Kintetsu Theater 2003) - Fuji (Shinbashi Enbujō, 2004) - Ohatsu Roningai (Aoyama Theatre, 2004) - Oshin Miss Saigon (Imperial Garden Theater, 2004) - Kim The Caucasian Chalk Circle (Setagaya Public Theater, 2005) - Gursha Noda Map: Fake Crime and Punishment (Theater Cocoon 2005–6, Theater Brava!, 2005–6) - Hanabusa Sanjo Metal Macbeth (Matsumoto Performing Arts Centre/ Aoyama Theatre/ Osaka Kosei Nenkin Kaikan, 2006) - Mrs. RandomStar (Theater Cocoon, 2007) - Joan of Arc Romance (Setagaya Public Theater, 2007) - Maria Chekhova Sisters (Parco Theater, 2008) - Kaoru Ozaki Noda Map: Piper (Theater Cocoon, 2009) - Deimos Jane Eyre (Nissei Theater, 2009, 2012) - Jane Eyre (Original title: Home and Beauty) (Theater Cocoon, 2010) - Victoria Twelfth Night (Theater Cocoon, 2011) - Sebastian/ Viola (New National Theatre, 2012–2013) - Sei (Theater Cocoon, 2014) - Trunk Jill (New National Theatre, 2015, 2017–2018) - Keiko Noda Map: (Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre, 2016) - Ningyo(Mermaid) Metropolis (Theater Cocoon, 2016) - Maria/ Parody (Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre, 2019) - Miko Tanaka/ Kazue Mori Noda Map: Q: A Night At The Kabuki (Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre, 2019) - Sore kara no Julie(Juliet) Inubito-Inujin-(イヌビト犬人)(New National Theatre, 2020) - Guide / Mazda Takeko / Petit Pa Lapa Pan Pan (COCOON PRODUCTION 2021+大人計画『パ・ラパパンパン』2021) - novelist for teens

Awards and nominations Year Award Category Work(s) Result 199721st Elan d'or AwardsNewcomer of the YearHerself 22nd Hochi Film AwardsBest New ArtistTokyo Fair Weather 200429th Hochi Film AwardsBest ActressThe Hidden Blade 200831st Japan Academy Film PrizeBest Supporting ActressTokyo Tower: Mom and Me, and Sometimes Dad 200934th Hochi Film AwardsBest ActressVillon's Wife 201033rd Japan Academy Film PrizeBest Actress 83rd Kinema Junpo AwardsBest Actress 201134th Japan Academy Film PrizeBest ActressConfessions 201334th Yokohama Film FestivalBest ActressDreams for Sale 36th Japan Academy Film PrizeBest Actress 20177th Confidence Award Drama PrizesBest ActressQuartet 202538th Nikkan Sports Film AwardsBest Actress1st Kiss 202668th Blue Ribbon AwardsBest Actress 49th Japan Academy Film PrizeBest Actress

Discography

Studio albums Sora no Kagami (1997) Ai no Tobira (1998) Itsuka, Sakura no Ame ni... (2000) A Piece of Life (2001) Home Grown (2003) Harvest Songs (2003) Bokura ga Ita (2006) Cherish You (2007) Time for Music (2009) Ashita wa Doko kara (2017)

Compilation albums Five Years: Singles (2001) Takako Matsu Single Collection 1999–2005 (2006) Footsteps: 10th Anniversary Complete Best (2008)

Live albums Takako Matsu Concert Tour Vol. 1 "A Piece of Life" (2002) Takako Matsu Concert Tour 2003 "Second Wave" (2004)

Music Video/Concert DVD film Sora no Kagami (1997) Film Itsuka, Sakura no Ame ni... (2000) MATSU TAKAKO concert tour vol.1 "a piece of life" on film (2002) 「tour documentary film "diary"」〜 concert tour vol.1 "apiece of life"〜 (2002) matsu takako concert tour 2003 "second wave" on film (2004) MATSU TAKAKO concert tour 2007 "I Cherish You" on film (2007) Takako Matsu Concert Tour 2010 "Time for Music" (2010)