Takuya Kimura just dropped the first taste of his new chapter — and it’s got rock teeth.
On July 22, the Japanese icon released “BLACK DENIM,” the lead track from his fourth solo album Checkpoint, out August 12. The song is a sharp, guitar-driven rock number written by the highly regarded guitarist Rei, and it already feels like a statement: damn the nostalgia bait. It’s Kimura, now in his 50s, click, clack, the clock keeps moving—but Kimura never chases it. If anything, time has spent the last three decades trying to keep up with him.
Checkpoint is more than an album. It’s a reminder that Kimura isn’t interested in staying parked in the past. It’s the first original full-length release under his new private label, C&C STAGE (under Avex), launched earlier this year to give him the creative room to call the shots. The title tracks. After spending decades setting the pace, he doesn’t need another pit stop—it’s a quick glance at the map before putting his foot back on the gas. The tracklist refuses to stay in one lane, cruising through sun-soaked feel-good tracks like “Malibu Drive” and “Take It Easy,” detouring into blues, dance grooves, and cross-generational collaborations with ONE OK ROCK’s Taka, Tamio Okuda, comedian Sanma Akashiya, Mitsuki Kimura of Yudakan, Rei, and Masayoshi Yamazaki. Limited editions even throw in his cover of Yamazaki’s beloved “Celery.”
And the album is arriving right before he takes the whole project on the road. The TAKUYA KIMURA Live Tour 2026 Checkpoint runs from September through November across five cities: Kobe, Fukuoka, Chiba, plus first-ever solo overseas dates in Seoul (September 26 at Inspire Arena) and Taipei (November 13–14 at Taipei Music Center). For a guy who’s been a household name across Asia since the late ’80s, fans outside Japan have been waiting for this moment for decades. It seems Kimura has finally answered with two simple words: it’s time.
From Johnny’s Trainee to East Asia’s Lasting Heartthrob
Takuya Kimura was born in Tokyo on November 13, 1972. At 15, he signed with Johnny & Associates, the talent agency that built generations of Japanese idols. Three years later, he debuted as one of the six original members of SMAP. “Boy band” almost feels too small a description. For nearly three decades, SMAP wasn’t just topping charts—they were the charts, the variety shows, the commercials, and, at times, the very pulse of Japanese pop culture. Their 2016 disbandment closed one of the most influential chapters in Asian entertainment history.
But Kimura was never content being the handsome guy standing center stage. While SMAP conquered music, he quietly built a second empire. Then came Long Vacation in 1996, and Japan collectively lost its chill. The “Kimutaku boom” was in full swing. Haircuts changed. Glasses sold. Fashion shifted. If Kimura wore it, people wanted it. If Kimura did it, people copied it.
One blockbuster drama followed another—Love Generation, Beautiful Life, Hero, Good Luck!!. Five of his dramas would eventually rank among the highest-rated in Japanese television history. Calling him the “King of Ratings” wasn’t up for debate. After all, each time he stars in a series, people just waited for what record he would break.
Then the clock did what clocks do. It kept ticking. SMAP came to an end. Kimura didn’t. Solo albums. Films, from Wong Kar-wai’s 2046 to the Kyojo franchise. Voice acting in Judgment. A long-running radio show. New label. New music. New tour. Some artists spend their careers trying to outrun time. Kimura simply keeps walking at his own pace, and somehow time still ends up following him.
“The Captain”
Plenty of former idols eventually settle into the greatest-hits circuit. Kimura smirked at the thought. Every few years, he finds another lane to explore, another collaborator to work with, another reason to surprise people. The charisma that once fueled stadiums is still there, only now it’s paired with decades of experience and the quiet confidence of someone who no longer has anything to prove. Fans call him “Captain” for a reason. He doesn’t chase attention. He has a way of making it come to him.
His move to C&C STAGE says the same thing. Rather than slowing down, Kimura redrew the map. The label gives him room to collaborate across generations, release music on his own timeline, and build performances around his own ideas instead of someone else’s formula. Checkpoint is the first stop on that road. The album doesn’t dwell on where he’s been. It explores where he can go next.
For American audiences only discovering him now, imagine an artist whose fame survived changing trends, changing industries, and changing generations without becoming frozen in any one era. That’s been Kimura’s real trick all along. Every time people think Kimura has reached the finish line, he starts a new race. Click, clack. The clock keeps ticking. Three decades later, it still hasn’t caught Kimura.
Where to Start (and Where to Go Next)
Stream “BLACK DENIM” right now — it’s the perfect entry point. Pre-order Checkpoint (August 12) through the official link: candcstage.lnk.to/Checkpoint. If you’re anywhere near Seoul or Taipei this fall, tickets for the Checkpoint tour are already moving; check the official C&C STAGE and STARTO channels for the latest.
Then dig into the dramas. Long Vacation and Hero are the classics that made him a legend. More recent work like the Kyojo films shows the darker, sharper side he’s been exploring.
Kimura has spent almost four decades as one of Asia’s biggest stars. With Checkpoint, he’s not looking backward. He’s marking the spot, then stepping forward. For first-time listeners and longtime fans alike, this is the moment to pay attention.
Takuya Kimura Checkpoint Tracklist
CD
01. Take It Easy
02. Malibu Drive
03. Long Saturday
04. BLACK DENIM
05. Talk
06. High on you
07. Shinpu ni Fukaretsutsu
08. What a dramatic life!
09. Hikari no Naka de
10. Celery (Limited Edition only)
Limited Edition B Blu-ray / DVD (only available on the FAMILY CLUB.STORE Online)
01. C&C STAGE -Brand Movie-
02. BLACK DENIM -Music Video-
03. BLACK DENIM -Music Video- (Band Ver.)
04. Hikari no Naka de -Music Video-
05. Behind the scenes & Captain Interview
TAKUYA KIMURA Live Tour 2026 Checkpoint ticketing info here: https://starto.jp/s/p/live/10520?lang=en&tab=ticket
