Acting
Takako Matsu
Born June 10, 1977 · Tokyo, Japan (age 49)
Takako Matsu is a Japanese actress and pop singer born on June 10, 1977. She gained widespread popularity in the late 1990s through hit TV dramas starring alongside Takuya Kimura, including the massive success Long Vacation (1996) and Love Generation (1997). These roles established her as a leading actress in television. She has received Best Actress awards multiple time in her career.
Known For
Confessions · 2010Confessions
★ 7.62010
MovieDramaThriller
Devastated at the death of her four-year-old daughter, a grieving middle school teacher is horrified to discover that her students aren't as innocent as she thinks.
Hero · 2007Hero
★ 6.52007
MovieMystery
After six years away, D.A. Kuryu Kohei (Kimura Takuya) returns to his former Josai branch of the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office, just in time for a brewing storm. Kohei's first case starts out simple enough. The suspect, a blonde-haired security guard, had already confessed to manslaughter, but he suddenly retracts his confession and takes things to court with big-shot defense attorney Gamo (Matsumoto Koshiro). It turns out that the security guard is a key alibi witness in a high-profile political corruption case, and the results of his case will directly affect the next. With the media, politicians, and a special investigative team breathing down his back, Kohei must handle the case with care (and flair) to find out the truth.
Hero · 2015Hero
★ 6.12015
MovieRomanceComedy
Prosecutor Kohei Kuryu takes charge of a case with a foreign embassy possessing the key to solve the case. Due to the extraterritoriality involving the case, the investigation has not gone anywhere. A crisis then ensues. Kohei Kuryu and his office attempt to extract the truth behind the wall of the Neustrian Embassy.
Fireworks · 2017Fireworks
★ 6.62017
MovieAnimationRomance
Moshimo, Japan. The annual fireworks festival is about to take place and a group of schoolboys, arguing over whether they are round or flat when viewed from different angles, set out to find it out.
April Story · 1998April Story
★ 7.11998
MovieRomanceDrama
In spring, a girl leaves the island of Hokkaido to attend university in Tokyo. Once there, she is asked to reveal why she wanted to go there in the first place.
1st Kiss · 20251st Kiss
★ 7.22025
MovieDramaFantasy
After losing her husband to death following a troubled marriage, a woman unexpectedly travels back to the moment before their first meeting, allowing them to reconnect and rekindle their romance.
Tokyo Towers: Mom and Me, and Sometimes Dad · 2007Tokyo Towers: Mom and Me, and Sometimes Dad
★ 6.92007
MovieDrama
Adapted from the bestselling Japanese autobiography of the same title, this gentle coming-of-age drama concerns an adolescent boy, Boku - Masaya, torn between the inherited recklessness of his father Oton and the inherited responsibility, wisdom and emotional strength of his mother Okan. Following a period of intensely rebellious behavior, Boku learns that his mom has contracted cancer; suddenly, his mother comes to live with him in Tokyo the entire emotional landscape of his life is altered.
It Comes · 2018It Comes
★ 6.42018
MovieMysteryDrama
To protect his family from a mysterious being, a man joins forces with a journalist and an exorcist - but they come to learn what they are dealing with is beyond their imagination.
Movies
Confessions · 2010Confessions
★ 7.62010
MovieDramaThriller
Devastated at the death of her four-year-old daughter, a grieving middle school teacher is horrified to discover that her students aren't as innocent as she thinks.
Hero · 2007Hero
★ 6.52007
MovieMystery
After six years away, D.A. Kuryu Kohei (Kimura Takuya) returns to his former Josai branch of the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office, just in time for a brewing storm. Kohei's first case starts out simple enough. The suspect, a blonde-haired security guard, had already confessed to manslaughter, but he suddenly retracts his confession and takes things to court with big-shot defense attorney Gamo (Matsumoto Koshiro). It turns out that the security guard is a key alibi witness in a high-profile political corruption case, and the results of his case will directly affect the next. With the media, politicians, and a special investigative team breathing down his back, Kohei must handle the case with care (and flair) to find out the truth.
Hero · 2015Hero
★ 6.12015
MovieRomanceComedy
Prosecutor Kohei Kuryu takes charge of a case with a foreign embassy possessing the key to solve the case. Due to the extraterritoriality involving the case, the investigation has not gone anywhere. A crisis then ensues. Kohei Kuryu and his office attempt to extract the truth behind the wall of the Neustrian Embassy.
Fireworks · 2017Fireworks
★ 6.62017
MovieAnimationRomance
Moshimo, Japan. The annual fireworks festival is about to take place and a group of schoolboys, arguing over whether they are round or flat when viewed from different angles, set out to find it out.
April Story · 1998April Story
★ 7.11998
MovieRomanceDrama
In spring, a girl leaves the island of Hokkaido to attend university in Tokyo. Once there, she is asked to reveal why she wanted to go there in the first place.
1st Kiss · 20251st Kiss
★ 7.22025
MovieDramaFantasy
After losing her husband to death following a troubled marriage, a woman unexpectedly travels back to the moment before their first meeting, allowing them to reconnect and rekindle their romance.
Tokyo Towers: Mom and Me, and Sometimes Dad · 2007Tokyo Towers: Mom and Me, and Sometimes Dad
★ 6.92007
MovieDrama
Adapted from the bestselling Japanese autobiography of the same title, this gentle coming-of-age drama concerns an adolescent boy, Boku - Masaya, torn between the inherited recklessness of his father Oton and the inherited responsibility, wisdom and emotional strength of his mother Okan. Following a period of intensely rebellious behavior, Boku learns that his mom has contracted cancer; suddenly, his mother comes to live with him in Tokyo the entire emotional landscape of his life is altered.
It Comes · 2018It Comes
★ 6.42018
MovieMysteryDrama
To protect his family from a mysterious being, a man joins forces with a journalist and an exorcist - but they come to learn what they are dealing with is beyond their imagination.
Pa Rum Pum Pum Pum · 2021Pa Rum Pum Pum Pum
★ 10.02021
MovieComedyCrime
A mystery which blurs the line between fantasy and reality. When unsuccessful teen novelist (Matsu Takako), is troubled with her latest novel, her editor is chief (Kamiki Ryunosuke) helps her write a mystery set in "A Christmas Carol" in which the Scrooge (Fumiyo Kohinata) is murdered.Just as she's about to go to sleep, relieved that she's finally finished writing, she realizes, "He's not the killer! He's not the murderer!. Just as she is about to contact her editor to rewrite the story, an incident occurs in real life.
K-20: The Fiend with Twenty Faces · 2008K-20: The Fiend with Twenty Faces
★ 6.12008
MovieActionAdventure
In an alternate version of 1949 Japan in which World War II never happened, the Japanese capital of Teito is home to both an ultra rich upper class and the dirt poor masses. The city is thrown into a state of panic when a phantom thief called “The Kaijin (Fiend) with 20 Faces” (K-20 for short) begins to use his mysterious abilities to steal from the rich and give to the poor. One day a circus acrobat named Heikichi Endo (Takeshi Kaneshiro) is framed for K-20’s crimes and becomes determined to clear his name. He teams up with K-20’s next target, a wealthy duchess named Yoko Hashiba (Takako Matsu) and her detective fiancé (Toru Nakamura), to take K-20 down once and for all.
The Miracle of Crybaby Shottan · 2018The Miracle of Crybaby Shottan
★ 7.02018
MovieDrama
Shoji Segawa was a quiet and inconspicuous boy, but, for the first time, he is recognized by people after winning the National Middle School Shogi Tournament. At the age of 26, his dream of becoming a professional shogi player collapses due to an age restriction. After he quits playing shogi, he becomes desperate. With the support of his peers, including Yuya Suzuki, and his love of shogi, Shoji Segawa begins to play shogi again. A miracle happens to him.
NODA・MAP「兎、波を走る」NODA・MAP「兎、波を走る」
Movie
Villon's Wife · 2009Villon's Wife
★ 6.52009
MovieDramaRomance
This enticing period melodrama depicts a long-suffering woman's relationship with her brilliant but self-destructive writer husband in postwar Tokyo. Based on a semi-autobiographical 1947 novel by Osamu Dazai, the story centers less on the womanizing, heavy-drinking, suicidal hero than on the wife who loves him. Written by Palm Springs International Film Festival
The Pass: Last Days of the Samurai · 2022The Pass: Last Days of the Samurai
★ 7.42022
MovieDramaHistory
In the turbulent last days of the Edo period, Kawai Tsugunosuke, a Japanese samurai serving the Makino clan of Nagaoka, dreamt of independence from the restraints of vassalship. Despite his progressive views and his desire for his estate to remain neutral during the Boshin Civil War, he was bound by loyalty and duty to the clan and was compelled to choose sides.
Brave Story · 2006Brave Story
★ 6.42006
MovieAnimationAdventure
Jr. High School Student Wataru and his friends like playing in an abandond building and looking for ghosts. However it seems he is not the only one. Another mysterious student Mitsuru shows Wataru that there is a magical door to another world where one can go and get the Goddess of Fortune to grant one wish! When tragedy strikes Wataru's family he decides to open the door for himself.
Last Letter · 2020Last Letter
★ 7.02020
MovieRomanceDrama
It is only at their sister's and mother's funeral when a woman meets her niece after many years. The niece is now a grown girl. The sister takes on the task of informing the deceased's friends of the death while the daughter cannot bring herself to symbolically accept the demise of her mother. In the midst of all this an old flame messages the sister to say he is still in love with her, but is he messaging the living sister or the dead one?
The Hidden Blade · 2004The Hidden Blade
★ 7.42004
MovieDramaRomance
Set in 19th Century Japan a young samurai who finds himself in love with a farm girl leaves his home to begin a new life. He has to take stock of his new life when he is put to the test and ordered to kill a traitor who just happens to be his dearest friend.
On Summer Sand · 2025On Summer Sand
★ 8.32025
MovieDrama
This story begins with a protagonist whose sense of time has halted due to the grief of losing his son, now abandoned by his wife, and his sudden cohabitation with his 17-year-old niece left behind by his sister. A man who has lost love, a woman who has renounced love, and a girl who knows nothing of love... As they confront their respective pains, their journey of discovering faint sprouts of hope in hearts as parched as summer sand is depicted—a poignant yet tender masterpiece where sorrow and warmth intertwine.
Masquerade Hotel · 2019Masquerade Hotel
★ 6.72019
MovieCrimeMystery
A serial (3) killer leaves a GPS code of his next target with each victim - this time Hotel Cortesia Tokyo. A detective goes undercover as hotel staff - haircut, manners etc.
Dreams for Sale · 2012Dreams for Sale
★ 7.22012
MovieDramaCrime
After losing their restaurant in a fire, a husband and wife come up with a strange plan to rebuild their shattered finances: marrying the husband off to a series of lonely women and defrauding them.
Love Generation Hong Kong · 1998Love Generation Hong Kong
★ 5.71998
MovieRomanceComedy
The film focuses on the protagonist Bill (played by Leon Lai) and his three emotional entanglements with Mei Sui (played by Carina Lau), Xue Er (played by Shu Qi), and the girl next door (played by Ann Lee). It narrates his growth journey from a career low to achieving success and fame. After Mei Sui breaks up with Bill due to her inability to endure an ordinary life, Bill goes to the United States to start a business and becomes successful. Years later, when they reunite, Mei Sui is already engaged to the gangland boss "Brother Heping". Bill attempts to win her back but fails, ultimately discovering that true love was by his side all along.
Slow Train · 2025Slow Train
★ 7.12025
MovieTV Movie
Set in Kamakura and Busan. The Shibuyas who live in Kamakura lost their grandmother and parents in an accident. On the 23rd anniversary of the death, Tsuko suddenly reveals her plan of moving to Busan to Yoko and Ushio, so the three siblings find themselves at the crossroads of their lives.
Suddenly Reading! · 2020Suddenly Reading!
★ 10.02020
Movie
Produced by Hideto Iwai "Suddenly Reading a Book! Takako Matsu x Ryunosuke Kamiki x Takanori Goto x Koji Okura
Second installment of the show. Iwai Hideto is the moderator & director of the read-through. The concept of this is a challenging impromptu script read-through. The actors participating will not be notified on the subject prior to the performance. They will be handed the script on the day itself & will have to read it on the spot. The cast read the script of "Sanpo Suru Shinryakusha" (Before We Vanish) by Maekawa Tomohiro for Episode 2.
大パルコ人⑤オカタイロックオペラ「雨の傍聴席、おんなは裸足…」 · 2025大パルコ人⑤オカタイロックオペラ「雨の傍聴席、おんなは裸足…」
2025
Movie
TV Shows
Shin Nihon Fudoki · 2011Shin Nihon Fudoki
★ 8.02011
SeriesDocumentary
A full-scale travel documentary program that portrays the beautiful landscapes, lifestyles, and activities of people across various regions in Japan. Presented in an omnibus format, it allows viewers to immerse themselves in the nostalgic and irreplaceable scenery of Japan.
SMAP×SMAP · 1996SMAP×SMAP
★ 8.51996
SeriesComedy
SMAP×SMAP was an ongoing weekly Japanese variety show on Kansai TV and Fuji TV starring the members of SMAP. The show began on April 15, 1996 and it aired from 22:00 to 22:54 every Monday. The show's usual ratings were higher than 20%, which is considered high since most variety shows range from 10-20%.
Each episode begins a variety of skits, comedic performances, and/or games. These are followed by Bistro SMAP, in which the SMAP members compete against each other to impress celebrity judges with their gourmet cooking. Last is a musical performance by SMAP which may include celebrity guests, as well.
Back of Father · 2014Back of Father
★ 8.02014
SeriesDramaFamily
A 10-part omnibus drama by 10 different scriptwriters on the theme of fathers and their sons and daughters.
Hero · 2001Hero
★ 7.92001
SeriesDrama
Former delinquent turned unconventional prosecutor Kohei Kuryu shakes up the legal world with his street-smart instincts and unorthodox style, clashing with ambitious colleague Maiko Amamiya while his relentless pursuit of justice gradually transforms those around him.
Clouds Over the Hill · 2009Clouds Over the Hill
★ 7.72009
SeriesDrama
Saka no Ue no Kumo is an NHK 21st Century special drama which was aired over three years starting from November 29, 2009. The series runs 13 episodes at 90 minutes each. The first series, with 5 episodes, was broadcast in 2009, while series two and three, each with 4 episodes, were broadcast in late 2010 and 2011. While most episodes were shot in Japan, one of the episodes in series two was shot in Latvia. The TV series is based on the novel Saka no ue no kumo by Ryōtarō Shiba and adopted by Hisashi Nozawa.
The theme song of the drama series is titled "Stand Alone". It was composed by Joe Hisaishi, written by Kundo Koyama and performed by British soprano singer Sarah Brightman.
Under One Roof · 1993Under One Roof
★ 7.71993
SeriesDramaFamily
Hitotsu Yane no Shita is a Japanese television series. It had a first season in 1993 and a second season, titled Hitotsu Yane no Shita 2, in 1997. It was very popular in Japan, with its highest rating being a remarkable 34 percent and it was also exported to other regions in East Asia. It features Yosuke Eguchi, Noriko Sakai and Masaharu Fukuyama as its leading characters.
Love Generation · 1997Love Generation
★ 8.51997
SeriesDrama
Love Generation revolves around the relationship of the two leading protagonists, Katagiri Teppei and Uesugi Riko, who begin their relationship as squabbling colleagues before falling in love.
Hana no Ran · 1994Hana no Ran
★ 7.01994
SeriesDrama
The story takes place during the Muromachi period of Ancient Japan, in the midst of the Ōnin War. The main character in the series is Tomiko Hino, a historical figure with a bad reputation because of her actions to rebuild Kyoto after the Ōnin War.
Long Vacation · 1996Long Vacation
★ 8.51996
SeriesDrama
Minami who is dumped by her ex-boyfriend, Asakura, on their wedding day. She later meets Sena, Asakura's ex-roommate and a pianist, and lives with him as she has no other place to stay. What will happen to her during this long vacation?
Quartet · 2017Quartet
★ 8.02017
SeriesDrama
Maki Maki, Sebuki Suzume, Beppu Tsukasa and Iemori Yutaka happen to meet and form a quartet. They even begin to live together in Karuizawa during the winter, but there is a big hidden secret.
My Dear Exes · 2021My Dear Exes
★ 8.02021
SeriesComedyDrama
Omameda Towako recently become the president of the construction company "Shirokuma Housing". She has experienced three divorces and is currently living with her 15-year-old daughter, Uta. Although Towako has been divorced thrice, she remains bright and lives her life strongly. However, her life is constantly disrupted by her three troublemaker ex-husbands.
Their Marriage · 2025Their Marriage
★ 7.72025
SeriesDrama
After a life of solitude, a lawyer finds companionship with an art teacher. But behind their quiet union lies a secret that could change everything.
No Side Game · 2019No Side Game
★ 7.12019
SeriesDrama
Mr Kimijima's star at the conglomerate is on the rise until he objects to his manager's pet project. Consequently, he is transferred to a manufacturing factory out in the provinces. Moreover, he is given the reins of the company's rugby team. The team is in a slump and not doing well. He would like the team to begin winning again, but what does he know about a game of running and diving and groping?
竜馬がゆく · 2004竜馬がゆく
2004
Series
Always the two of us · 2003Always the two of us
★ 7.52003
SeriesDrama
26-year-old Tanimachi Mizuho (Matsu Takako) moves to Tokyo hoping to become a successful author, but finds that Tokyo isn't so welcoming. There she meets a popular variety show writer, Morinaga Kenta (Sakaguchi Kenji), who happens to have been a childhood friend. But whether or not they fall in love is uncertain.
Omiai kekkon · 2000Omiai kekkon
★ 8.02000
SeriesDramaComedy
This comedy-romance is about the arranged marriage between an ex-cabin attendant suffering from the pain of lost love, and an elite employee of a trading company. After resigning from her job as a cabin attendant to get married, Setsuko’s would-be fiancé runs off. Following this tragedy, Setsuko spends her days chain-smoking and drinking heavily to escape her broken heart. Meanwhile, Kotaro, an employee of a big trading company, is offered an assignment in Milan. Although Kotaro wanted the job, he had one problem: the conditions state that he needs a wife. Hastily, a date is set for the two to meet for a potential arranged marriage. Despite the fact that neither of them is looking forward to the meeting, fate has a way of bringing two doubtful souls together
Kura · 1995Kura
★ 6.01995
SeriesDrama
Set in a sake brewery in Niigata, from the Taisho to the Showa period, Retsu is a visually impaired girl with a strong will to make her own way in the world. Her aunt, Saho, watches over and supports her. The series centered on two women with opposing positions and personalities, depicting "home" as a member of pre-war Japanese society, along with a variety of human figures.
Matsuo Suzuki to 30-pun no Joyuu · 2021Matsuo Suzuki to 30-pun no Joyuu
★ 7.52021
SeriesComedy
In commemoration of WOWOW's 30th anniversary, Suzuki Matsuo, the artistic director of Bunkamura Theatre Cocoon in Tokyo and the leader of Otona Keikaku, will write, direct, and perform in an original omnibus comedy drama. Each episode is 30 minutes long and is performed with a single actress. The four actresses who will be invited into the world of "laughter" created by Matsuo, who has created numerous works as a master of comedy, are Yo Yoshida, Mikako Tabe, Kumiko Aso, and Haru Kuroki.
Man of Destiny · 2012Man of Destiny
2012
SeriesCrimeDrama
A newspaper reporter (Masahiro Motoki) uncovers a secret "Okinawa pact" between the Japanese and U.S. government. A woman who is the deputy director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs becomes a key figure in the story.
At the Soul of an Actor · 2006At the Soul of an Actor
2006
SeriesFamilyDrama
It's a drama that depicts the backside of the entertainment industry. A drama about the relationship between a celebrity and her manager
Ikinari Honyomi! Sudden Book Reading · 2020Ikinari Honyomi! Sudden Book Reading
★ 10.02020
SeriesComedyDrama
Suddenly reading the book!
...As the title says, this is a project where the actors read a script they have never read before in front of the audience.
The actors are not told in advance what they will be doing, but are given the scripts on stage on the day of the performance and cast in their roles on the spot.
Enjoy this "rehearsal time" to create a "production" that will expand the possibilities of theater and drama!
Iwai Hideto is the moderator & director of the read-through. The concept of this is a challenging impromptu script read-through. The actors participating will not be notified on the subject prior to the performance. They will be handed the script on the day itself & will have to read it on the spot.
The cast read the script of "Sanpo Suru Shinryakusha" (Before We Vanish) by Maekawa Tomohiro for Episode 2 performed by Matsu Takako, Kamiki Ryunosuke, Goto Takenori, & Ohkura Koji.
クリスマスの約束 · 2001クリスマスの約束
2001
Series
Jinbē · 1998Jinbē
1998
SeriesDrama
Jinbē is a romance manga by Mitsuru Adachi. It appeared irregularly in the manga magazine Big Comic Original from 1992 through 1997, and was collected in one tankōbon volume in May 1997. In 1998, it was adapted as an 11-episode television drama series by Fuji TV.
ふつうが一番 -作家・藤沢周平 父の一言- · 2016ふつうが一番 -作家・藤沢周平 父の一言-
2016
SeriesDrama