Takada Kokichi is a Japanese actor and singer born in Sonoda Village, Kawabe District, Hyogo Prefecture. His real name is Kajiura Takeichi. He is a historical drama star representing Shochiku before the war, and is known as the first "Singing Movie Star". His second daughter is actress Takada Miwa, and his grandson is Oura Ryuichi, who is also an actor.

In 1926, he dropped out of Osaka Commercial School and joined Shochiku Kyoto Photo Studio. Shortly after entering the talkie film era, he joined a circle called the Edo Kouta Study Group at the studio to change his native Kansai dialect into the standard language.

He made his debut as a singer from Polydor Records in 1935 after being bought by film director Osone Tatsuo for his beautiful voice trained in Kouta lessons.

Eventually, he was summoned to the battlefield, and although he was discharged after four years of military life, the number of movie productions decreased sharply due to the intensification of the war, so he started the Takada Kokichi Theater Company and continued to tour until after the war.

In 1960, he left Shochiku and transferred to the second Toei. His work was so hard that the quality of his work deteriorated, and his popularity gradually diminished. In addition, since the company changed focus on the Yakuza movies, the center of his activities was shifted to the television and stage from 1964.

Takada was commended for Person of Cultural Merit in Kyoto City in 1988, and was awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure in 1990.

On May 19, 1998, at the age of 86, he died of pneumonia at a hospital in Kita-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture. Edit Biography