is a Japanese singer, actor, radio host, and model. He was a member and concert producer of the boy band Arashi (started under Johnny & Associates, later under Starto Entertainment). He is also a production advisor for other groups.
Matsumoto began his career in the entertainment industry when he joined the Japanese talent agency Johnny & Associates in 1996 at the age of . With the taking over of Johnny's artists by Starto Entertainment in 2023, he, as well as the other members became part of the agency as part of Arashi, with the group being under agent contract. He became independent in 2024 for individual activities, remaining with the agency until the end of activities of the group, on May 31, 2026.
Best known to Japanese television drama audiences for his portrayal as Tsukasa Dōmyōji in the 2005 television drama series Boys Over Flowers, for which he won GQ Japan's Man of the Year Award under the singer/actor category for his work in the drama, prior to his debut as a singer with Arashi in 1999, Matsumoto started an acting career when he was cast as Teddy Duchamp for the stage play Stand by Me, which was based on the film of the same name. Since then, he has gone on to appear in numerous dramas and movies, receiving a number of awards and nominations for his roles. With the end of activities of his group in May 2026, Matsumoto plans on concentrating on his acting career.
Early life Matsumoto was born in Toshima, Tokyo, as the youngest child in his family. When he was born, the kanji candidate for his name was '純', but his grandmother said '潤' was better. He has an older sister whose support of KinKi Kids influenced his decision to join Johnny & Associates in 1996. Thinking it might bode good luck, he sent his application to the agency on his elementary school graduation day and received a phone call weeks later from president Johnny Kitagawa himself, inviting him to attend a rehearsal instead of being auditioned. Due to this, Matsumoto is frequently referred to as one of the elite within the agency.
Matsumoto graduated from Horikoshi Gakuen, a renowned high school known for its many performing arts alumnae such as Kyoko Fukada and Ai Kato, in March 2002 at the age of .
Career Matsumoto announced in October 2023 on a fan club video the release of a photo book to celebrate his turning 40. The book included the account of his experience portraying Ieyasu Tokugawa. The book was released in December 2023. On May 31, 2024, the "Oricon First Half 'Book' Ranking" was announced. In the "Men's Photo Books" genre, Matsumoto's book ranked 2nd, after accumulating 66000 units sold in the period.
As with fellow member Kazunari Ninomiya, Matsumoto announced on May 16, 2024, that he would become independent from Starto in relation to individual activities, but would remain as part of Arashi. Matsumoto left on May 30.
On June 1, Matsumoto updated his Instagram account, posting information about his new company, MJC Inc., and giving its website. On the opening page of the website, Matsumoto states the plans of the company: "We focus on creativity and bonding to generate new value, aiming to lead Japan and the world to a brighter future through entertainment." He is named as "Chief Entertainment Officer". On December 3, 2024, Matsumoto announced through MJC that he had signed an agent contract with Eternal Moments Inc. for his individual activities, keeping the original site for contracts related to planning, producing and directing.
Early career Still part of the Johnny and Associates trainees, Matsumoto was paired with future co–members Masaki Aiba and Kazunari Ninomiya, and Toma Ikuta as the unit "MAIN", the name made with the inicials of each one of the members. As part of MAIN, Matsumoto appeared in the stageplay "Stand By Me", based on the movie of the same name.
Even as part of the "elite" of the agency, Matsumoto was teased as a youngster for his (weakling) appearance. As part of Arashi, on their 2001 program in a corner named "", Matsumoto underwent training for , a social–religious ritual originally practiced by Buddhist monks and Shinto priests, which consists in a sort of guided meditation taken under a waterfall with the purpose of strengthening the body and mind.
Music career
Although the majority of Matsumoto's solos for albums and concerts are written by Arashi's staff, he has contributed lyrics for some of his solos: "La Familia" for the 2004 Arashi! Iza, Now Tour!!, "Naked" in 2008 for the album Dream "A" Live (under the pen name "Jun"), and "Stay Gold" in 2014 for the album The Digitalian.. He also supervised the song "DRIVE" in 2016 for the album Are You Happy? and took part in writing lyrics with other Arashi members as Arashi for their songs "Fight Song", "Energy Song - Zekkōchō Chō!!!!", "5×10", and "5×20".
Concert production Matsumoto began to be involved in concert production in 2000. Although he primarily focused on Arashi concerts, he also gave advice on concert production to younger Johnny & Associates groups, such as for Hey! Say! JUMP in 2014 and King & Prince in 2018; and in 2021 he was director for the Year-End Johnny's Festival Thank you 2021 Hello 2022 concert, featuring many different groups from Johnny & Associates.
He is officially credited as the director in the closing credits for the concerts Arashi Anniversary Tour 5×20 and Arafes 2020, as well as on the official website of Johnny's Festival Thank you 2021 Hello 2022 for the concert of the same name. He was named director of Starto Entertainment's April 2024 all-agency live. The concert series, named "We Are!! Let's get the party STARTO!!", was co-directed by Matsumoto and Super Eight's Tadayoshi Okura, and would become the last event produced by Matsumoto before his independence from Starto.
As a concert producer, Matsumoto had also been conceptualizing new ideas. In 2005, he, along with the concert staff team, implemented the usage of the moving stage, which has been subsequently used by several Asian musical acts. 3 years prior to Arashi Live Tour 2014 The Digitalian, Matsumoto had been putting efforts into the idea of utilizing light color changes via bluetooth onto penlights, and the concept was successfully implemented in the previously mentioned concert.
Acting career Stage In 1997, Matsumoto was cast in his first stage play, which was based on the American coming of age film Stand by Me with future bandmates Masaki Aiba and Kazunari Ninomiya. He did not return to do any major stage productions for nearly seven years after Stand by Me, instead focusing on dramas and movies. However, in 2004, Matsumoto appeared in the stage play West Side Story with bandmates Satoshi Ohno and Sho Sakurai.
In 2005 and 2006, Matsumoto was given his first lead stage play roles in and respectively.
It was announced on July 21, 2011, that Matsumoto would star in Yukio Ninagawa's production play, , his first stage play in five years.
On April 16, 2024, it was reported that Matsumoto would appear in Hideki Noda's Noda Map's new play, held from July to November. Noda was not open to appointing talent from the former Johnny's office, the reason being their schedule. "With so many activities, like concerts, variety shows and tv. appearances, I thought they couldn't do the job.", he said in a press conference in 2023. In Matsumoto's case, the opportunity was given thanks to Arashi's hiatus. According to the report, he attended Noda's workshop and prepared for the stage since February. Performances were expected not only in Japan but also in London, England. The play, called and Love in Action in English, is loosely based on Fyodor Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov. Matsumoto, who shared the stage with Masami Nagasawa, and Eita Nagayama, plays the eldest of the Karamatsu brothers, a pyrotechnic artist, in a suspense story that deals with the "incident" of the murder of their father. The play had performances in Tokyo, at the Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre, in Kitakyushu and Osaka, as well as Sadler's Wells Theatre in London, running from July 11 until November 2.
Drama Like bandmate Sho Sakurai, Matsumoto made his acting debut as a television actor. He appeared in the April 1997 TBS drama special . A few months later, he co-starred with the members of KinKi Kids and future bandmate Masaki Aiba in the mystery-thriller series . In 2003, his Gokusen character Shin Sawada made a cameo in Sakurai's series . He made a guest appearance on the final episode of bandmate Satoshi Ohno's drama in 2010, drama based on Fujiko Fujio's manga and anime series Kaibutsu-kun.
In 1999, all the members of Arashi co-starred together for the first time in the volleyball-centered short drama . They appeared together after nearly ten years in the 2010 drama special . Matsumoto portrayed , a 27-year-old motorcycle courier rider who is caught up in a building hijack.
Matsumoto was cast as Hajime Kinda'ichi in the third season of Kinda'ichi Shōnen no Jikenbo in 2001, taking over the role from Tsuyoshi Domoto and co-starring opposite Anne Suzuki.
Matsumoto gained further popularity as an actor in 2002, when he starred in the first season of Gokusen with Yukie Nakama, Shun Oguri, Tomohiro Waki, Hiroki Narimiya and Yuma Ishigaki. His portrayal of the troubled but highly intelligent student, Shin Sawada, drew acclaim and won him Best Supporting Actor at the 33rd Television Drama Academy Awards. He later returned with most of the original cast to star in the special epilogue episode in 2003.
In 2003, Matsumoto took another high-profile role in the live-action adaptation of manga series Kimi wa Pet as Takeshi "Momo" Goda, starring opposite Koyuki.
In 2005, Matsumoto took the most prominent role of his career to date, when he was cast as Domyōuji Tsukasa in the live-action adaptation of shōjo manga Hana Yori Dango. Co-starring opposite Oguri again, and with Mao Inoue, Shota Matsuda and Tsuyoshi Abe, the series was a success with an average viewership rating of 19.6%. Matsumoto's portrayal as the air-headed and arrogant leader of four rich heirs won him Best Supporting Actor again at the 47th Television Drama Academy Awards. In 2007, due to the success of Hana Yori Dango, it spawned a second season, which was an even bigger hit with television audiences as it had a peak rating of 27.6% on the final episode and an overall rating of 21.57%. Matsumoto won Best Supporting Actor at the 10th Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix for his role. The series ended with a movie in 2008. In the new series, Hana Nochi Hare ~ Hanadan Next Season, that aired in 2018, he returned as Domyōuji (along with Oguri and Matsuda, two more of the original F4 members) for a one-episode guest appearance.
In 2007, Matsumoto starred in Bambino!, which won him his first Best Actor award at the 53rd Television Drama Academy Awards. In 2008, he re-united with Bambino! co-star Karina for the drama special , which aired as part of the 24-hour Television telethon in 2008. He portrayed a man diagnosed with CIDP struggling to recuperate and return to normal life with his wife and young daughter. The drama special received a viewership rating of 25.6%.
In 2009, Matsumoto starred in his first drama series in nearly two years. He portrayed , a half-Japanese, half-Filipino young man who always faces life with a smile in the drama Smile, with Oguri once more. Matsumoto subsequently won Best Actor for his role in the 13th Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix. Fuji TV announced on September 10, 2009, that Matsumoto would star in a three-part drama special called scheduled to air for three consecutive days in the spring of 2010.
Matsumoto co-starred with Yūko Takeuchi in his first Getsuku drama titled in 2010.
In 2012, co-starring with Eita Nagayama who played as Teru Nitta, Matsumoto played the role of Shuntaro Tokita in Lucky Seven, a series surrounding a group of quirky detectives.