Former Neighbour Of Takeshi Kaneshiro In Okinawa Says Actor Always Greeted People With A Smile

Japanese-Taiwanese actor Takeshi Kaneshiro is one of those super private and mysterious stars that everyone cannot get enough of.

He doesn’t have social media and ever since his last movie This Is Not What I Expected in 2017, the 51-year-old has kept a very low profile, almost disappearing from the public eye.

So you can imagine how thrilled fans were when rumours surfaced in February this year that he had married Japanese news anchor Noriko Baba, 49.

Turns out it was fake news, with both their management companies denying the pair even knew each other.

Earlier this week, Takeshi made the news again when Japanese media reported he has put his Okinawa mansion on the market, listing it for 200mil yen (around S$1.79mil).

According to News Post Seven, Takeshi considers Okinawa his second home as his grandfather is from there.

After achieving popularity in Japan through dramas like 1998’s God, Please Give Me More Time and Love 2000 in 2000, the actor built a three-storey mansion in Okinawa in 2004 to live with his family.

Locals refer to the property as “Takeshi Kaneshiro’s old home.”

Located in a well-known resort destination, the house is about an hour’s drive from Naha city, and is surrounded by scenic views, lush greenery, coral-filled beaches, and golf courses.

It has a traditional Okinawan architectural style, with a Ryukyu red-tiled roof, white walls, and shisa lion-dog statues at the entrance. The garden is filled with coconut trees and flowers.

A neighbour shared: “We haven’t seen much of Takeshi Kaneshiro’s family recently, but before the pandemic, we would occasionally see Takeshi. He always greeted people with a smile. You can tell he’s a good man just by looking at him, but we haven’t seen him lately. It seems he’s entrusted someone to maintain the house, which still looks well-kept.”

Takeshi has not been active in Japan’s entertainment industry for many years, and some take the house sale as a sign that he is leaving his career in Japan behind.

However, a source close to his agency clarified that Takeshi is selling the house due to his parents who are getting on in age.

The location requires driving to get around, and there are no large hospitals nearby.

While it is unclear whether his parents will reside in Taiwan or Japan in the future, it is said that Takashi plans to buy another property in Okinawa and is considering getting an apartment in the city.

Photo: China Press