Yuki Kubota is a Japanese actor and model whose work has included stage, television and film roles. He is best known as the character Takatora Kureshima / Kamen Rider Zangetsu / Kamen Rider Zangetsu Shin in the Kamen Rider seriesKamen Rider Gaim. He is currently affiliated with the agency.
Career
Kubota debuted as a magazine model in 2002 after being scouted in Harajuku. In 2007 he made his theatrical debut as Hal Kurabayashi in the stage playSwitch, based on the mangaof the same name. In 2008, he got the part of Keigo Atobe in the stage play Prince of Tennis Musical. In 2009 he starred in the stage adaptation of Capcom'svideo gameSengoku Basara as Date Masamune. After playing the character for four years, he transitioned to a broader career in films and TV. In 2010, Kubota got the main role in the movie Gachinko Kenka Joto. On January 31, 2012, he left his agency of two years, Riseki Agency Co., Ltd., for personal reasons. After freelancing for ten months, he joined Japan Music Entertainment at the end of November 2012. In 2013, he was given the role of Takatora Kureshima/Kamen Rider Zangetsu in the tokusatsu series Kamen Rider Gaim. Since then, he has appeared in various TV shows and movies, including Shinjuku Swan. He has also had roles in V-Cinema films. In 2018 he returned to the theater, appearing in the stage playsGantz: L and HachiojiZombies, the latter alongside Kenjiro Yamashita from Sandaime J Soul Brothers. In 2019 he reprised his role as Takatora Kureshima/Kamen Rider Zangetsu in the stage play Kamen Rider Zangetsu - Gaim Gaiden. In addition to acting roles, Kubota has participated in a number of TV variety shows. He was the Monday host of TV Kanagawa's information programme Neko no Hitai Hodo Wide from April 2019 to March 2020. Kubota has played a wide range of characters, from geeks to killers, although he has played mostly antagonist and rival roles. He claimed to prefer playing bad guys and dark heroes. He is a fan and avid supporter of the local Hiratsuka soccer teamShonan Bellmare, and in April 2015 was appointed to Berusapo Public Relations Office as General Manager of .
Personal Life
Kubota is the second and youngest child in his family. His hobbies include sports, watching movies, driving and hitchhiking. He is skilled in soccer, swimming and sword fighting. A soccer enthusiast, he visited South Africa to support Japan's national team in the 2010 World Cup. He has an easygoing personality and often cracks jokes during interviews. He loves to make his co-stars laugh, to make their working atmosphere more fun. Kubota stated that he was nothing like the character Takatora Kureshima he portrayed in the series Kamen Rider Gaim.
