Koshi Mizukami

2.1. Baseball career

Mizukami primarily played as a catcher throughout his baseball career. He attended Soseikan High School on a baseball scholarship, where he continued to hone his skills. His dedication to the sport was profound, as he harbored aspirations of playing in the prestigious Koshien baseball tournament. During his time in high school, he formed a battery with Riku Kawahara, who later became a professional baseball player for the Hanshin Tigers; Mizukami served as catcher while Kawahara was the pitcher. Mizukami had initially intended to pursue a career in corporate baseball after graduating from college, showing little interest in entertainment industry scouts who approached him for five years.

2.2. Entry into entertainment

Mizukami's path to acting began unexpectedly in the winter of his first year of junior high school when he was first scouted by the entertainment agency Spice Power. Despite repeated offers over five years, he consistently declined, prioritizing his baseball ambitions. However, in 2017, after concluding his baseball activities in his third year of high school, his school principal recommended him to the drama club advisor. Mizukami then joined the drama club as a helper and played the role of a kamikaze member in a play titled "Hair combing August." This production participated in the prefectural high school drama competition, where it won the highest award at the Kyushu block competition and was recommended for the national competition. Although he could not compete in the national competition due to his graduation before its scheduled date, this experience ignited a new desire within him to become an actor. His parents, who were initially opposed to his decision to pursue acting, eventually became supportive and were pleased with his acting debut.

3.1. Acting debut

Mizukami made his acting debut in October 2018, after a year-long audition process involving over 1,000 candidates, for the TBS television drama "Meet Me After School." He was cast as Akira Kuroiwa, the partner of the main character portrayed by Kasumi Arimura. His performance in this debut role quickly garnered attention, earning him the Newcomer Award at the 28th TV Life Drama Grand Prize and the Best Supporting Actor award at the 99th The Television Drama Academy Award.

3.2. Stage name change and agency matters

In May 2021, Mizukami, then known as Kenshi Okada, filed a provisional injunction with the court to cancel his contract with his agency, Spice Power. A settlement was reached, allowing him to continue working with the agency until the expiration of his contract at the end of March 2023, with the understanding that the contract would not be renewed thereafter. However, on August 31, 2022, his contract with Spice Power ended ahead of schedule. Following this, he announced that he would continue his activities under his real name, Koshi Mizukami (水上恒司_{Mizukami Kōshi}^Japanese). In September of the same year, he formed a business alliance with the company HAKU.LLC.

3.3. Major works and activities

In July 2019, Mizukami took on his first starring role in a television drama, "Don't You Think Girls Who Talk in Hakata Dialect Are Cute?", a special drama commemorating the 50th anniversary of Fukuoka Broadcasting. The year 2020 marked his film debut with "All About March." He also appeared in his second commercial television drama, "MIU404." In December 2020, he achieved first place in the "NEXT" category of the "National Treasure Class Handsome Ranking" popular voting project by the women's fashion magazine ViVi.

In 2021, he appeared in the NHK Taiga drama "Reach Beyond the Blue Sky", a role that later influenced his casting in "Boogie Woogie." On March 19, 2021, he was honored with the New Actor Award at the 44th Japan Academy Film Prize for his performances in three films: "All About March", "The Legacy of Dr. Death: Black File", and "Hope." His first starring film, "Lesson in Murder" (co-starring with Sadao Abe), was released on May 6, 2022, marking his first public appearance in approximately a year at its preview on April 12. On February 14, 2023, it was announced that he would portray Aisuke Murayama, the beloved partner of the heroine, in the 2023 NHK serial television drama "Boogie Woogie" (an Asadora series). Later that year, on December 8, 2023, Mizukami co-starred with Haruka Fukuhara in the film "Till We Meet Again on the Lily Hill." His portrayal of kamikaze pilot Akira Sakuma earned him a nomination for the Best Actor Award at the 47th Japan Academy Film Prize. The film was a significant commercial success, grossing over 4.00 B JPY.

4.1. Film

Koshi Mizukami's film career includes both feature films and short films.

4.2. Television drama

4.3. Web series

5.1. Advertising

Mizukami has been featured in several advertising campaigns and served as a brand ambassador for various companies:

• Alinamin Pharmaceutical "Alinamin MEDICAL Balance" (March 2019 - )
• Aeon Insurance Consultation (April 2019 - )
• JR SKISKI (December 2019 - ) - Lead role, co-starring with Minami Hamabe
• Meiji "Savas MILK PROTEIN" (October 2020 - )
• Onward Kashiyama ADS (Advanced Down System) - Commercial narrator (October 2019 - )
• La Roche-Posay (March 2023 - ) - Brand ambassador
• Hitachi "Hitachi no Hito" - Commercial narrator (April 2023 - )
• Enoshima Aquarium Winter Event "Jewerium" - Ambassador (November 2023 - February 2024), also providing audio guide narration.
• Universal Music Japan "#Bokura no Haru Kyoku Campaign" (March 2024 - )
• TV Asahi 65th Anniversary MUCA Exhibition - Tokyo venue ambassador (March 2024 - June 2024)
• FUSO Group "Atarashii Start Hen" (April 2024 - )

5.2. Narration and radio

Mizukami has lent his voice to various programs as a narrator and appeared on radio shows. He has also participated in variety and reading programs.

• Telementary "Telling Hiroshima-Nagasaki Peace Messenger" (April 2019, TV Asahi) - Narrator
• TALK ABOUT (April 2019, TBS Radio) - Radio guest
• Your Kindness 2020 ~NHK Year-end Aid~ (December 2020, NHK General TV) - Narrator
• Your Kindness 2020 ~NHK Overseas Aid~ (December 2020, NHK General TV) - Narrator
• Serial Meal TV Essay "I Want to Eat With You" (December 2020, E Tele) - Narrator
• Heartnet TV "Who Am I? Children Born with AID" (November 2022, E Tele) - Narrator
• Chico-chan ni Shikarareru! (September 2023, NHK General TV) - Variety show guest
• Oyasumi Ouji "Momo no Tane" (October 2023, NHK General TV) - Reading program
• LIFE! Aki (October 2023, NHK General TV) - Variety show guest, performing in three skits
• Jinsei Saikō Restaurant (November 2024, TBS) - Variety show guest

7.1. Photobook

• Kodou (June 12, 2019) - His first photobook, which saw reprints both before and after its release due to high demand.

7.2. Calendar

• Kenshi Okada Calendar 2020.04 - 2021.03 (February 14, 2020)
• Kenshi Okada Calendar 2021.04 - 2022.03 (February 12, 2021) - Focused on a "private trip" theme, marking his first attempt at such a concept for a calendar.