Tomokazu Miura

Biography

Tomokazu Miura (三浦 友和), born Miura Minoru (三浦 稔) on January 28, 1952, is a well-known actor from Japan.

He completed his education at Hino High School in Tokyo. Initially, Miura was part of the rock band RC Succession, but he was asked to depart from the group when they entered into a record deal. Recognizing his appealing appearance, the management suggested that he explore a career in acting instead. In 1974, he featured in a Glico advertisement alongside the young singer Momoe Yamaguchi. When casting for her film Izu no Odoriko, Miura was selected as the male lead. Their on-screen chemistry led to numerous collaborations in both films and television, earning them the title "Golden Combi." While Yamaguchi pursued a successful singing career, Miura primarily focused on acting throughout the 1970s.

In 1980, Miura and Yamaguchi married, with Yamaguchi retiring from her entertainment career shortly after. Miura initially faced challenges in his acting trajectory, mainly portraying Yamaguchi's love interests. Nevertheless, he eventually carved out a niche for himself, transitioning from "clean-cut youth" roles to more complex "bad boy" characters. His performances earned him accolades, including the Best Supporting Actor award at both the 10th Hochi Film Awards and the 7th Yokohama Film Festival for his role in Typhoon Club.

Outside of acting, Miura enjoys playing pachinko and was a smoker until he quit at age 50. His past participation in cigarette advertisements led to discussions about his influence on youth smoking. Although he is sometimes referred to as "Momoe's husband," a title he does not favor, Miura and Yamaguchi are often seen as the ideal celebrity couple, having two sons—Yutaro, who married singer and voice actress Yui Makino, and Takahiro. Mi