Tomoya Nagase

Nagase Tomoya (長瀬智也）is a Japanese singer and actor. Born on November 7, 1978, he is the youngest member of TOKIO, a Johnny Entertainment musical group that is believed to be the only band that can sing, dance, play instruments and write music in the Japanese pop music world. He is the primary vocalist, in addition to playing the guitar alongside TOKIO's leader, Joshima Shigeru. Nagase Tomoya is known as Nagase, Tomoya, Naga-kun, Tomo-kun, Baby (given by Domoto Tsuyoshi from KinKi Kids) or Tomobaby.

On April 28, 2007, it was announced that Nagase and his girlfriend of six years, Japanese pop singer Ayumi Hamasaki, are engaged. The wedding is to take place as early as October, however with their hectic schedules, it may not occur until December.

Life as a Child

Nagase Tomoya was born in Kanagawa-ken. His father was a professional motorbike-rider and it is not known what the mother did. Nagase was sent to nursery at the age of 6 months because no one could look after him. His parents later divorced, leaving 2-year old Nagase and his elder sister, 5 years old at that time.

Nagase is known to be one of the taller members of Johnny's Jimusho; even when he was 14 years old, he was already taller than any other kids around him. However, he was not that big and heavy when he was a baby. It is known that the stamina that he had when he was a kid was beyond his childhood-mates and schoolmates. When he was a small kid, his mother kept his hair long, leaving an impression to people that he was a beautiful kid and always mistaken as a girl.

Up till his fourth grade in elementary school, he already had 4 times bone fractures. These are the incidents that lead to his bone fractures tragedy:
- he slipped from 50m diving platform, leaving his arm fractured.
- when he tried to kick a ball during a soccer game, he mistakenly kicked a stone. So, he got foot fracture.
- fell off from stairs, leg broken and then he had to wear that hard plaster up to his thigh to limit his leg movement. He didn't feel any good wearing that thing and frequently asked his mother to bring him to hospital. And then one day, the doctor said he didn't have to go to hospital anymore, and the plaster on his leg could now be opened. He went home all happy and energetic.
- On the same day in the afternoon, he once again fractured his bone when he played boxing with his friends. He went to hospital and met with the same doctor that treated his fractured foot. The doctor couldn't help but laughing to see the same kid comes to him again, with another bone fracture. His mother started to worry that his son's bones are easily fractured, but the doctor said "There's nothing to worry about. His bones are very normal!".

It is also understood that Nagase had curfew when he was a kid. His mother would get very angry and waited furiously for him at the door if he come home late.

Turning point as an Idol

Nagase loved roller-skating since elementary school. One day, he saw Hikaru Genji and SMAP on television, roller-skating and singing. This would be his turning point as a Johnnys talent. When he saw an advertisement recruiting a new member for Johnnys, he asked his sister to apply for him and in 1990, he was accepted in Johnny's. Among TOKIO members, Nagase is the only one who never met Johnny-san when he was accepted.

In 1992, he played several stage plays (PLAYZONE and MASK) together with other TOKIO members (5 person at that time, excluding him. The other member is Kohjima Hiromu, who left Johnnys right before TOKIO's debut). He substitued Kohjima Hiromu in one stage play because that guy had bone fracture and from that time onward, he became the support member of TOKIO (support member means he's part of TOKIO but not an official member. When TOKIO had photoshoot for idol magazines, he was not included but he had his own single photoshoot). At first, he was responsible to play tambourine and you can see him play tambourine in TOKIO old performances before debut and in SMAP 1st LIVE in 1992. TOKIO were there as their backdancers.

During summer in 1994, the current 5 members of TOKIO were all called by the president of Johnny's, Johnny Kitagawa into his office. Johnny told them to debut as professional idol. All of them were very happy and very excited. At that time, Nagase was only 15 years old and he was responsible as vocalist of TOKIO, a very big responsible for a young boy like him. In September 21st, they made their official debut and released their first single ever titled LOVE YOU ONLY that was sold for over half of million at that moment.

Life as an Actor

Drama-wise, he had 42 dramas overall for these 14 years as an actor, 19 of them are SPs. He first got a lead role in 1996 in a very classic drama, Hakusen Nagashi. In one of his interviews, he said Hakusen Nagashi is very important for him as it is a turning point for him as an actor. After that time, he continuously received lead roles in dramas and several of them was hit in Japan, including Ikebukuro West Gate Park, Mukodono!, and Tiger & Dragon. Mukodono! has become a platform for his comedic role in drama, as it was hugely accepted in Japan with his role as Sakuraba Yuichiro.

Up until now, Nagase was awarded twice as The Best Actor for his role in Mukodono!(2001) and Tiger & Dragon. He also recieved a special award "Ishihara Yuijiro Award" in 2002 as "The Best Newcomer" for his role in a movie, Seoul.

Johnnys is a very powerful entity that can attract female buyers even in masculine products with their talents as an actor of the CM. After debut, Nagase appeared in various CMs. He was the spokesperson for TOPPO and Fujicolor for many years, and still is now. It is understood that ever since he became the spokesperson for BODYWILD (underpants product), the purchase rate of the product had increased from previous years, believing that female buyers(his fans) were the contributor for this success.

Marriage

In May 2007, it was announced that Nagase would Marry his long-time girlfriend Ayumi Hamasaki. The wedding in supposed to take place in October 2007, but because of Hamasaki's hectic and busy schedule it may not occur until December.

Trivia

Not until 1998 after his first lead role ever in Hakusen Nagashi, he started to keep his hair long and "long hair" had become his trademark once. He cut his hair short in 1998 (in Dangerous Angel x Death Hunter he still had his hair long but in Love & Eros, his hair was aleady short). People said he looked more refreshed with his hair short and he never kept his hair long again after that. The shortest hair he ever had is for the role of Ishihara Shintarou in SP drama Otouto 2004 and Tiger & Dragon SP, with tiger-cut hair. After Tiger & Dragon, he kept his long again and around August or September 2005, he permed his hair and he started to keep this wild image with facial hair and long sideburns. The hair was fortunately saved by his role in My Boss My Hero where he straightened his hair back but kept the original length in it (or trimmed it a bit to make it nicer) because of high-school student role. After the drama finished, he appeared with his wild permed again in Music Station SP performance, where he sang orchestra version of Sorafune, solo.

Relationship within TOKIO

In TOKIO, the relationship between members is very good. Nagase is the youngest, the most natural among them. Members love to tease him to make themselves smile and laugh, and he loves to see them smile, so he just loves to be teased. Every year in MC concert, Leader would question the maturity level of Nagase by saying something like this "Has Nagase grown up this year? Could he hold a bigger responsibility now?"

In term of member-member relationship, Yamaguchi Tatsuya (bassist) and Nagase share a lot of interests and they frequently talked about their interests together. If it outside TOKIO and Johnny's, Nagase is really close with Matsuoka Masahiro (drummer). Before this, only Nagase can call Matsuoka by the name of Mabo (but for now, all members call Matsuoka as Mabo). In old TV program, Nagase was once calling Mabo as "Mabo kawaii". Among the members, Nagase and Kokubun Taichi (keyboardist) are the most into musics and it is said that those two can spend a huge amount of money on musics (CDs, DVDs, instruments etc).