The Shocking Background That Made Takizawa Hideaki a ‘Little Johnny’

In the previous article, ” [Johnny’s is No. 1 in the U.S.] Five Years After His Death… Hideaki Takizawa Achieves ‘Unattainable Love’ for Johnny Kit agawa,” we reported in detail on how Hideaki Takizawa achieved the feat that the late Johnny Kitagawa was unable to achieve.

Aspirations Toward Domoto Koichi.

Takizawa Hideaki was called ‘Little Johnny.’ This was long before he retired from entertainment activities and became the vice president of Johnny’s. It dates back to when he joined Johnny’s at the age of 13 and was the leader of Jr. during his middle school years. He was truly a child of Johnny’s.

Let’s consider the ‘common occurrences’ among Johnny’s idols.

There’s the case where ‘a sister sends a resume to the agency on her own.’ It’s well-known that the sisters of KinKi Kids’ Domoto Koichi and Tsuyoshi both sent resumes around the same time. Furthermore, Imai Tsubasa, who formed Tackey & Tsubasa with Takizawa, also had his sister apply to the agency.

First and foremost, having an older sister is important. For example, in Arashi, Ohno Satoshi, Ninomiya Kazunari, and Matsumoto Jun all have older sisters. It’s rare for a young boy to spontaneously want to join Johnny’s. Most likely, they aspire to be athletes in sports like soccer, baseball, or basketball, right? (Takizawa Hideaki, for instance, wanted to become a professional wrestler.)

First, the sister is a fan of Johnny’s idols. Then, one day, she realizes that her younger brother might be able to join Johnny’s. This could be named the ‘Johnny’s Sibling Chain Reaction Theory.’

Takizawa Hideaki also had an older sister who was a fan of KinKi Kids. However, she didn’t send the resume on her own. After returning from a KinKi concert, she told him, ‘There were many boys around your age dancing in the background.’ Hearing that, he sent in his own resume. He auditioned in April 1995, and by the following month, he was dancing as a backup for KinKi Kids on Music Station! Amazing. He was an excellent younger brother who immediately realized his sister’s words.

When Imai Tsubasa of Tackey & Tsubasa visited Takizawa’s house, he was surprised to see a wall covered with posters of Domoto Koichi. Takizawa was passionately admiring Koichi. When asked, “If you were a woman, who would you want to date from Johnny’s?” he immediately answered, “I guess it would be Domoto Koichi-kun.”

However, the nickname ‘Tackey’ was actually coined by Domoto Tsuyoshi. At first, Takizawa didn’t like it, but eventually, he accepted it, and ‘Tackey’ became a beloved title for everyone.

 

 

Similar Background to Higashiyama Noriyuki.

Domoto Tsuyoshi was praised by Johnny Kitagawa with “You are a genius!” and was a so-called favorite. Takizawa Hideaki is said to be Johnny’s special favorite since Tsuyoshi.

On the other hand, Domoto Koichi was treated coldly by Johnny, who said, “You are the worst.” Koichi struggled and searched for his own path. This led him to fulfill Johnny Kitagawa’s greatest dream: to make boys who sing and dance on stage shine—eventually becoming a stage director and lead actor.

Heir to this legacy is Takizawa Hideaki. From being the leader of Jr. to becoming the lead actor in Takizawa Kabuki, he follows in the footsteps of his admired Koichi. He is Johnny’s favorite since Tsuyoshi and inherits Koichi’s qualities. In other words, Takizawa Hideaki embodies the talents of both members of KinKi Kids all by himself.

When he was young, his parents divorced, and his father left the house. He then lived with his mother. They lived in severe poverty, struggling with food and clothing. Takizawa Hideaki’s dramatic upbringing recalls the childhood of Johnny’s family’s eldest son, Higashiyama Noriyuki (who openly confessed in his autobiography Kawasaki Kid).

Higashiyama’s parents divorced when he was three years old, and he does not know his father’s face or name. To escape extreme poverty, he worked hard at Johnny’s. Both Tackey and Higashi have also received favor from Mori Mitsuko, having appeared on stage with her.

Higashiyama Noriyuki, the eldest son of the Johnny’s family, retired from the entertainment industry and became the president of the agency. Similarly, Takizawa Hideaki, who went from being a Jr. leader to the lead actor, eventually retired from entertainment activities to become the vice president. Not only their backgrounds but also their paths are strikingly similar.

However, there was a clearly different point. Higashiyama faced harsh questioning from reporters at his press conference upon becoming president. There were reports of severe harassment towards juniors in the past. Many articles criticized him for ‘lack of popularity.’

On the other hand, Takizawa Hideaki is highly regarded. He is loved by everyone in Johnny’s, whether senior or junior. The reputations of the two are strikingly contrasting. Takizawa Hideaki gained significant public recognition in 2005 when he was cast as the lead in the NHK historical drama Yoshitsune. At 22, he was the youngest actor to play a lead role in a historical drama at that time.

While watching his youthful yet dignified portrayal of Minamoto no Yoshitsune, something flashed in my mind. It reminded me of a historical drama from 33 years ago. It was Shin Heike Monogatari. In that drama, a newcomer from Johnny’s debuted in the role of Taira no Kiyomori’s younger brother, Kunimori.

 

Background of Leaving Despite a ‘Strong Love’.

It is Hiromi Go. He was 16 years old. His dazzling beauty became a topic of discussion, and when he made his singing debut with ‘Otoko no Ko Onna no Ko,’ he quickly became a super popular idol.

However, three years later, he suddenly left Johnny’s. Remarkably, he made a dramatic move to another agency while Johnny Kitagawa was hospitalized with a serious illness.

This was said to be a lifelong regret for Johnny. After losing top star Hiromi Go, the agency struggled and faced a long period of stagnation. It is said that the agency suffered until it made a comeback during the ‘Tanokin’ boom of the 1980s.

 

After Johnny Kitagawa’s death, Hiromi Go appeared as a guest on Nakai Masahiro’s KinSuma Special (TBS). He talked about his feelings towards Johnny, with whom he had lost all contact, and he shed tears.

Nevertheless—. Hiromi Go, who played the role of Taira no Kiyomori’s younger brother in the historical drama, and Takizawa Hideaki, who played the role of Minamoto no Yoritomo’s younger brother. One cannot help but feel there is something fateful about this.

Moreover, while Go betrayed Johnny Kitagawa, Takizawa maintained his love for Johnny until the end.

“I really do love Johnny’s. Truly. I love Johnny’s and want to make it better. I had a strong desire to realize what Johnny-san envisioned” (Shukan Shincho, October 4, 2018 issue).

These were Takizawa Hideaki’s words when he announced his retirement from the entertainment industry and his commitment to working behind the scenes.

“I was overwhelmed with surprise and felt like tears were about to spill out of happiness.”

Johnny Kitagawa commented, ‘I was overwhelmed with surprise and felt like tears were about to spill out of happiness.’

So, who was Takizawa Hideaki? He was an excellent younger brother to his sister, someone who did not know his father and strived to escape a poor and harsh environment. He was loved by his peers.

In this way, he became a vastly updated version of the outstanding talents of Johnny’s. He is like Hiromi Go, who never betrayed, Higashiyama Noriyuki, who is highly esteemed, and a ‘one-man KinKi Kids’ combining the virtues of both Domoto Tsuyoshi and Koichi.

Indeed, a super Johnny’s!

The boy once called ‘Little Johnny’ has, over time, become the last person to inherit Johnny Kitagawa’s very spirit. Why did Takizawa Hideaki, who became this figure, have to leave Johnny’s?

In the next article, ” [The Biggest Scandal in Johnny’s History]: Hideaki Takizawa overcame the ‘Corpses’ with his dismissed colleagues by his side,” we will report in detail the “underage Jr. drinking party incident,” which is said to be the biggest scandal in Johnny’s history, and its connection with Hideaki Takizawa.