- Staff writer, with CNA
Japanese actor and singer Takuya Kimura at a concert in Taipei on Saturday thanked Taiwanese fans for their continued support and the assistance Taiwan has provided to Japan during disasters.
Kimura told the audience he could feel their enthusiasm, describing Taiwanese fans as “close friends” he had not seen in a long time, and saying he was glad to have the opportunity to sing in Taiwan.
Kimura talked about the friendly ties between Taiwan and Japan, thanking Taiwanese on behalf of Japan for their support whenever his country is been hit by earthquakes and other natural disasters.
Japanese actor and singer Takuya Kimura performs during a concert in Taipei on Friday.Photo courtesy of BIG ART and SuperDome
Such gratitude should be expressed openly, he said.
“If anything happens to you in the future, we will do our best to help. If we encounter any disasters, please also lend us your strength,” Kimura said, drawing an enthusiastic response from the crowd.
Kimura thanked his fans for their continued support, saying their willingness to listen to him had allowed him to explore a wide range of musical genres and portray different sides of himself.
Kimura, who turned 54 on Friday, celebrated his birthday during his concert at the Taipei Music Center that evening.
At Saturday’s show, he invited fans who were celebrating their birthdays that day to join him onstage as the audience sang “happy birthday” to them.
The two Taipei performances were part of his “Takuya Kimura Live Tour 2026 Checkpoint,” which runs until Monday next week, with stops in Taipei, Seoul and Japan’s Hyogo, Fukuoka and Chiba.
It is the Japanese star’s first solo tour abroad in his 35-year career.