Hidetaka Yoshioka

Hidetaka Yoshioka is one of a very few cases of child actor grows up to be a successful adult actor. Started acting at the age of 5, he appeared in Yoshitaro Nomura's "Yatsu haka Mura" in 1977 as his first movie when he was 7 years old. He has been a popular face since then, as the child role in a popular TV drama "Kita no Kuni Kara" series (literal translation: From the North Country) and Yoji Yamada's long-seller "Tora-san" series as Tora-san's little nephew.

On the course, he appeared in Akira Kurosawa's "Rhapsody in August" and "Madadayo", as well as "After the Rain Lifts" and "The Sea Watches" (both based on Kurosawa's script). In recent years, he is the staple of highly acclaimed movies such as "Poppoya", "Half a Confession", Yoji Yamada's "The Hidden Blade" and "Professor and His Beloved Formula". He is known for the quiet, sencere demeanor and his movies are mostly human dramas that reflects his personality.

However, most of his appearances had been mainly supporting roles, until his 2003 break-through TV drama leading role in "Dr. Koto Shinryojo" (literally "Dr. Koto's Clinic"), as a humanistic medical doctor in an isolated island. In the film category, "Always - Sunset on the Third Street" in 2005 was his break-through, with which he won Japan Academy Best Actor award.

Japan Academy Award Best Actor
Won: 2006 ("Always - Sunset on Third Street")

Japan Academy Award BestSupporting Actor
Nominated: 2004 ("The Hidden Blade"), 1996 ("A Class to Remember"), 1994 ("Last Song"), 1990 ("Otoko wa Tsuraiyo - Boku no Ojisan" - one of Tora-san series)