Shin Koyamada 小山田 真 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | (1982-03-10)March 10, 1982 (age 43) Okayama,Okayama Prefecture, Japan | ||||
| Nationality | Japanese | ||||
| Alma mater | University of California, Riverside (ESL) Los Angeles City College | ||||
| Occupation(s) | Actor producer entrepreneur philanthropist | ||||
| Organization(s) | Shinobi Pictures Koyamada International Foundation Guardian Girls International | ||||
| Spouse | Nia Lyte | ||||
| Children | 1 | ||||
| Japanese name | |||||
| Kanji | 小山田 真 | ||||
| Hiragana | こやまだ しん | ||||
| |||||
| Website | http://shinkoyamada.com | ||||
Shin Koyamada (小山田 真,Koyamada Shin, born March 10, 1982) is aJapanese[1] actor, producer, philanthropist, and martial artist.[2] He is best known to the international audience for his co-starring roles inThe Last Samurai (2003) as Nobutada[3] and the Disney'sWendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior (2006) as Shen.[4]
As producer, Koyamada develops and produces numerous content through his production companyShinobi Pictures, anime company N LITE Japan and multimedia company Laizen Studios.[5] Inphilanthropy, Koyamada serves as Board Chairs of theKoyamada International Foundation (KIF),[6]Guardian Girls International (GGI),[7] StarAngel International,[8] and the Japan United States Sister City Association (JUSSCA).[9] Koyamada holdsblack belts inKarate andTae Kwon Do and won gold medals inShaolin Kung Fu at the U.S. National Championships.[10]
Koyamada was born inOkayama, Japan, and hails from theKoyamada samurai clan. In his youth, he was an avid athlete, training in the100m sprint,basketball as well aslong-distance cycling.[11] During his high school years in Okayama, he also excelled ingymnastics, eventually becoming the team captain and competing in local competitions.[12] He also received basicJudo training as part of his physical education classes and graduated in 2000.[13] At the age of 16, Koyamada began training in traditional Japanesekarate, and by 18, he had earnedblack belts, distinguishing himself in national championships.[14][15]
In 2000, Koyamada moved to the United States to further his studies as an international student, enrolling in theESL program at theUniversity of California, Riverside.[16] Later that year, he moved toLos Angeles alone, without speaking English, having no friends, and with no place to stay.
In 2001 and 2002, Koyamada attendedLos Angeles City College, where he receivedgeneral education and began takingacting lessons[17] In 2001, Koyamada landed his first acting role in a national commercial forApple, filmed inPhiladelphia. Shortly afterward, he appeared in back-to-back commercials forJC Penney andDisneyland.[18] The Disneyland commercial was filmed at the theme park, marking his first visit to Disneyland. In 2002, Koyamada's first acting roles in television included a brief guest appearance inPower Rangers Wild Force as an agent and a co-starring role in the award-winning short filmA Ninja Pays Half My Rent as Black Ninja.[19]
His debut film role was co-starring withTom Cruise in theWarner Bros. blockbuster feature filmThe Last Samurai (2003), as Nobutada. The film grossed $456 million at the box office and was nominated for severalAcademy Awards,Golden Globes, andNational Board of Review Awards.[20] In 2004, he had a guest starring role in the CBS television seriesJake 2.0 as Shinji Makito.[21]
In 2006, Koyamada co-starred withBrenda Song in the Disney Channel'sWendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior, which become one of the highest-rated Disney original television movies.[22] It also received the highest rating in the history ofDisney Channel Japan.[23] The film also broke records in the United Kingdom and Europe, makingDisney Channel the highest rated kids’ channel in Europe.[24] In 2006, Koyamada starred in and executive produced the Japanese documentary filmWine Road of the Samurai, which was broadcast by theTokyo Broadcasting System, Inc. nationwide in Japan.[25]
In 2007, Koyamada starred in and produced the short filmGood Soil, which is based on the historical event aboutChristianity in Japan.[26] Koyamada next appeared in the20th Century Fox dramaConstellation (2007), withZoe Saldana,Billy Dee Williams andHill Harper.[27] From 2006 to 2008, Koyamada was a regular in theDisney Channel Games, appearing withMiley Cyrus,Jonas Brothers,Selena Gomez,Cole Sprouse and others.[28]
In 2010, Koyamada starred in the Japanese stage productionAi No Shizuku, which was the opening ceremony of theNational Cultural Festival of Japan, the hosted by theAgency for Cultural Affairs andOkayama Prefectural Government and broadcast nationwide by theNHK in Japan. The production was attended by Then-Crown Prince of JapanNaruhito, who is now theEmperor of Japan.[29] In 2013, he also starred in and produced the action short filmHeart of the Dragon.[30] In 2014, Koyamada starred in and produced the independent television seriesThe Yokai King, which was entirely filmed inOkinawa, Japan, and is based on famousJapanese folklore characters.[31] In 2022, he starred in and produced an independent American filmThe Yokai King: The Movie, a remake of the 2014 television series.
Koyamada co-founded an independent production companyShinobi Pictures in Los Angeles in 2005.[32] In 2006, Koyamada executive produced a Japanese feature documentary filmWine Road of the Samurai, produced by theSanyo Broadcasting and broadcast by theJapan News Network (JNN) nationwide in Japan. In 2007, Koyamada produced a 20-minute short action drama filmGood Soil, written and directed by Craig Shimahara and released by R.A.G.E. Media onhome video.[33] The movie was screened at a theater inDowntown Los Angeles.
Koyamada produced a multi-part television and web series through Shinobi Pictures, comprisingSpirit Fashion Show (2013),Spirit Art Show (2013),Spirit Music Show (2013),Spirit Love Show (2013) andSpirit Earth Show (2014), distributed by Spirit Show Network.[34] In 2014, Koyamada executive produced an American television seriesThe Yokai King, directed by Yuji Makino, inOkinawa, Japan.[35] Later in the year, Koyamada produced a short filmHeart of the Dragon, written and directed by Jeff McDonald. In 2022, Koyamada produced an award-winning American short filmShadow Glass, written and directed by Jay Lee. The movie won the Los Angeles Film Awards,
Koyamada co-foundedLaizen Studios in 2019. That same year, he created and produced the American comic book seriesThe Dreamhoppers, which was published and distributed by Laizen Studios in the United States through independent comic book stores.[36][37] In 2011, Koyamada developed and produced the original digital stickersKolala, which were published on theLine app, a platform forinstant messaging andsocial networking.[38] In 2013, it was announced that Koyamada joined as an executive producer for acyberpunkRPG video game based on the historic legendarysamuraiMiyamoto Musashi.[39]
Koyamada joined the anime multimedia studio N LITE Media Corp, founded by CEO Christiano Terry, in 2022 and co-founded its Japaneseanime andmanga studio, N LITE Japan, in Tokyo.[40] He is attached as a producer for its first afro-anime feature filmMfinda, working alongside producers Christiano Terry,Masao Maruyama, a famous Japanese anime producer and founder ofMadhouse,MAPPA, and Studio M2, and executive producersViola Davis andEric Beckman fromGKIDS.[41] In 2023, he appeared as a main guest at theAnime Expo and announced that he is developing and producing an anime series titledZan, based on artwork byYoshitaka Amano, a renowned character designer for theFinal Fantasy video game franchise, through N LITE Japan in Japan.[42]
In 2004, Koyamada began his support for youth empowerment by teaching karate at a localBoys & Girls Clubs of America inBurbank. The following year, during a martial arts event at theSportsmen's Lodge in Los Angeles, he was invited to a charity event forKickstart Kids, a nonprofit organization founded by actorChuck Norris with the help of former U.S. PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush inHouston,Texas.[43] Koyamada begun supporting the program by participating in the annual charity event alongside Chuck Norris and President Bush, and by inspiring youth at the middle schools they worked with. In earlier years, Koyamada has supported various charitable organizations across the United States, including theJapan-America Societies,National Cherry Blossom Parade, Los Angeles Mission and others.[44][45]
Koyamada has also been involved with various global philanthropic efforts throughKoyamada International Foundation (KIF), aninternational non-governmental organization, which was founded by Koyamada and his wife in 2008, with its mission to improve quality of people's lives by providinghumanitarian aid to promoteworld peace andsustainable development.[46] KIF's global programs address a broad range of topics includingyouth leadership,women's empowerment,cross-cultural,disaster relief,educational in emergencies,natural conservation andspace.[47][48] KIF is aconfederation of eleven KIF national chapter members, each governed independently as a nonprofit non-governmental organization in its respective country. Additionally, it includes three affiliate members:Guardian Girls International (GGI), StarAngel International (SAI), and Anime Week International (AWI).[49]
In 2019, Koyamada pledged to createGuardian Girls, a global gender-based violence prevention program that empowers women through sports and martial arts as part of theKoyamada International Foundation (KIF).[50] This pledge was made while he was participating as a speaker at theInternational Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), hosted by theUNFPA and the governments ofDenmark andKenya inNairobi, Kenya.[51][52] A month later, KIF and UNFPA signed aMemorandum of Understanding (MoU) as strategic partners for the program.[53] In 2022, KIF signed another MoU with theWorld Karate Federation (WKF) and launched the newGuardian Girls Karate (GGK) project in 13 countries in 2023.[54][55] In 2024, Koyamada and his wife foundedGuardian Girls International (GGI), an independent non-governmental organization (NGO) affiliated with KIF, to oversee all Guardian Girls programs and projects worldwide.[56] Later that year, GGI launched theGuardian Girls Aikido (GGA) project in collaboration with theInternational Aikido Federation (IAF) inLatin America.[57]
In 2017, Koyamada and his wife first participated the 60th anniversary of theSan Jose-OkayamaSister City in San Jose, California to support his hometown Okayama, Japan and the friendship between the cities where he met the Chairman of theSister Cities International (SCI).[58][59] Later that year, he was elected as the first Japan-born Board of Directors of the SCI since its founding of 1956, with then-ChairRon Nirenberg, the Mayor ofSan Antonio, Texas.[60] In 2018, 2019 and 2020, Koyamada received the Chairman's Awards by the SCI.[61]
In March 2019, Koyamada created the first-everJapan-Texas Leadership Symposium, hosted by SCI,KIF USA, and the City ofSan Antonio, and supported by theMinistry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.[62] The event aimed to foster friendships between the people of Japan and the United States through sister cities, with a focus on business, culture, and education in San Antonio, Texas.[63] Then-Vice PresidentMike Pence's wife,Karen Pence, attended the event, and then-Prime MinisterShinzo Abe's wife,Akie Abe, sent a greeting letter.[64]
In 2020, Koyamada completed his term and left the SCI Board. Later that year, and continuing into 2021, he created theJapan-United States Subnational Young Professional Forum, an online event aimed at strengthening economic ties between the next generation in Japan and the United States and promoting theSubnational diplomacy, involving participants from six different sister cities.[65] Later in 2021, Koyamada founded theJapan United States Sister City Association (JUSSCA) in Tokyo, Japan, where he serves as chair, to foster and strengthen the existing sister city relationships between the two countries.[66]
Koyamada is married to Carolina Manrique (known professionally as Nia Lyte), a Colombian-born producer. They have a son who was born in the United States.
In 1998, Koyamada began training in traditional Japanese karate under a karate instructor in Okayama, Japan, on weekends.[67] After just a few months of training, he competed in the high school division of a national karate championship in Nagano. In 2000, before moving to Los Angeles, he earned his first-degree black belt in karate in Okayama. In high school, he tookJudo as part of the school'sphysical education classes.
In 2000, shortly after moving to the United States, Koyamada began training inNorthern Shaolin Kung Fu inLos Angeles six days a week. After six months of training, he started competing in local kung fu championships, winning first place and earning gold medals at several national martial arts championships inSan Diego,San Francisco, andLas Vegas.[68] In 2002, during the filming ofThe Last Samurai, Koyamada trained daily inhorseback riding andKyudo for nine months inLos Angeles,Japan, andNew Zealand to eventually masterYabusame.[69][70]
In 2004, Koyamada was featured on the cover of theBlack Belt magazine.[71] Later, he began training inTae Kwon Do at a studio inside the CBS Studios lot under a traditional Korean instructor in Los Angeles, practicing every other morning.[72] He earned his black belt in 2005. His classmate included an American bassist and composerStanley Clarke. In 2005, Koyamada trained underTadashi Yamashita forIaido andAikido at the Aikido Center of Los Angeles under a Japanese American Aikido instructor inDowntown Los Angeles.[73]
In 2008, Koyamada began training inKung Jung Mu Sul, the Korean Royal Court Martial Arts, under a Korean grand master inSan Francisco. After a year of training, he earned a brown belt and eventually earned his first-degree black belt after two years of dedicated practice.[74] In 2009, Koyamada was invited to perform JapaneseIaido at the first-everMartial Arts Tour, a national martial arts festival inNettuno,Italy, which was broadcast nationally across Italy.[75]
In 2010, Koyamada created the first-ever United States Martial Arts Festival (USMAF), an international martial arts event hosted by KIF USA.[76] The festival aimed to bring together various martial arts disciplines from countries where these arts originated, held at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center inRedondo Beach, California.[77] The event attracted over 1,000 participants, including grandmasters, masters, instructors, students, MMA fighters, celebrities and supporters.[78] In 2011, the event was co-hosted by theJapan Foundation and sponsored by the City ofKyoto to promote traditional Japanese culture, includingflower arrangement,Japanese calligraphy, andtea ceremony.[79]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | A Ninja Pays Half My Rent | Black Ninja | Short film |
| 2003 | The Last Samurai | Nobutada | |
| 2006 | Wine Road of the Samurai | Narrator | Documentary; also exec. producer |
| 2007 | Constellation | Yoshito | |
| Good Soil | Jinbei Masuda | Short film; also producer | |
| 2022 | The Yokai King | Ippei | Also producer |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Power Rangers Wild Force | Agent | Episode: "Identity Crisis" |
| 2004 | Jake 2.0 | Shinji Makito | Episode: "Upgrade" |
| 2006 | Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior | Shen | TV movie |
| Disney Channel Games 2006 | Himself | TV special | |
| 2007 | Disney Channel Games 2007 | ||
| 2008 | Disney Channel Games 2008 | ||
| 2010 | Ai No Shizuku | Seinen Makibi | |
| 2014 | Heart of the Dragon | John Watanabe | Also producer |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
