Yamato Kochi

Yamato Kochi
河内 大和
Born (1978-12-03) December 3, 1978
Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan
OccupationActor
Years active2000–present
Children1

Yamato Kochi (河内 大和, Kōchi Yamato; born December 3, 1978)[1] is a Japanese actor.

Career

Kochi was born in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, on December 3, 1978.[1][2] After graduating from Yamaguchi Prefectural Iwakuni High School, he applied to enter Hokkaido University because he wanted to live in a snowy place.[1] However, he failed the entrance exam.[1] Kochi subsequently passed an exam and began studying civil engineering at Niigata University.[1] In his fourth year at Niigata, he developed a passion for acting and dropped out of university.[1]

He started his acting career at Niigata-City Performing Arts Center (Ryutopia) by performing in Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream.[1] Kochi's debuting role came in 2000 at another Shakespearean role, Richard III.[1] In 2004, Kochi played Macbeth and Hamlet. After taking a break from acting, he lived with his family before returning to Niigata and, in 2010, moving to Tokyo.[1][3] He played the title role of King Lear in Kakushinhan's production directed by Ryunosuke Kimura in 2013.[4]

Kochi's passion for Shakespeare's works made him found G-GARAGE, a company whose aim was to pursue and promote Shakespearean works.[1][5] In 2015, he played a role in The Two Gentlemen of Verona at an event organized by director Yukio Ninagawa in Saitama Prefecture and, in 2020, again under the direction of Ninagawa, in the play Henry VIII.[1] In 2021, Kochi began working with playwright Hideki Noda.[1]

Kochi's acting career outside theater became known in 2023 when he joined TBS Television's series Vivant.[5] His breakthrough role in cinema came in the 2025 film Exit 8, which earned him praise and the award as the Newcomer of the Year at the 49th Japan Academy Film Prize.[6][7][8][3][9]

Personal life

Kochi is married and has a son.[1] He likes soccer and played in regional tournaments in his youth.[1]

Following his role as The Walking Man in the film Exit 8, Kochi said that his public life changed radically, pointing out that when he walks on the streets, people recognize him on the spot if he does not wear a hat.[8] He added that while finding it embarrassing, he was happy that his son recognized the work of that role in his own way.[8]

On April 8, 2026, Kochi flew to New York City to promote the movie's debut in North American theatres by appearing in New York City Subway stations between Fulton Street and Lexington Avenue–63rd Street in the role of The Walking Man.[10]

Selected roles

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes Ref
2025 Exit 8 The Walking Man Breakthrough role [11]
2026 The Samurai and the Prisoner Itami Ichirozaemon [12]

Television

Year Title Role Notes Ref
2023 Vivant Wanizu TBS drama series [13]
2026 Brothers in Arms Ujiie Naomoto Taiga drama series [14]

Awards and nominations

Award Date of ceremony Category Work Result Ref.
49th Japan Academy Film Prize March 13, 2026 Newcomer of the Year Exit 8 Won [6]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Michitaka, Yanagida (September 30, 2023). "【VIVANT】ワニズ演じた河内大和　18歳から演劇→27歳で挫折→40歳までアルバイト「奇跡が続いて出演に」". Encount Press (in Japanese). Retrieved April 27, 2026.
  2. ↑ "TALENT LIST | 河内　大和". Talent First Production (in Japanese). Retrieved April 27, 2026.
  3. 1 2 ""Walking Man" from The Exit 8 is winning over legions of fans in Japan and abroad". Soranews 24. September 23, 2025. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
  4. ↑ "木村龍之介 | 架空の街「シェイクスピア東京」に見立てる 木村龍之介の新たなアプローチ | Performing Arts Network Japan". 国際交流基金 The Japan Foundation Performing Arts Network Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved July 25, 2026.
  5. 1 2 ""役者ってこんなことが出来るのか"を体現し続ける俳優・河内大和". Natalie (website) (in Japanese). October 19, 2023. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
  6. 1 2 Smith, Alyssa I. (March 14, 2026). "The 49th Japan Academy Film Prize winners: Full list". The Japan Times. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
  7. ↑ Connellan, Shannon (April 10, 2026). "'Exit 8' review: The most nightmarish spot-the-difference you've ever experienced". Mashable. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
  8. 1 2 3 Iikura-Gross, Ken (October 25, 2025). "Exit 8's Walking Man Actor Yamato Kochi's Life Changes Overnight After Film's Hit Run". Anime News Network. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
  9. ↑ "「８番出口」歩く男・河内大和にオファー増加中「ちょっとずつです」二宮和也「売れました！」". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). November 9, 2025. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
  10. ↑ Iikura-Gross, Ken (April 8, 2026). "Exit 8 Star Recreates Anomaly in New York Subways on Wednesday". Anime News Network. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
  11. ↑ Zotomayor, Carlos (October 28, 2025). "Actor behind The Exit 8's Walking Man can't go out in public without being recognized anymore". Automaton Media. Active Gaming Media. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
  12. ↑ "Everything You Need to Know About The Samurai and the Prisoner Movie (2026): Jun. 26, 2026 - added a poster to the photo gallery". Movie Insider. June 26, 2026. Retrieved August 12, 2026.
  13. ↑ "日曜劇場「VIVANT」檀れい、濱田岳ら19名の新キャストが解禁". Eiga Natalie (in Japanese). July 8, 2023. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
  14. ↑ "大河ドラマ『豊臣兄弟!』今川義元役に大鶴義丹、足利義昭役は尾上右近 追加キャスト11人一挙解禁【一覧あり】". Oricon (in Japanese). December 10, 2025. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.