Takaya Okamoto

Takaya Okamoto (岡本貴也, born June 18, 1972 in Kobe, Hyogo prefecture) is a Japanese screenwriter and theater director.

Biography

Graduated from Koyo Middle, High school in Hyogo prefecture. Graduated from Waseda University in 1995. Rare science major scriptwriter/director.

2001 Debut as TV scriptwriter for BS-i drama "Judge Café". Wrote "A side B" (Kyozo Nagatsuka、Sadao Abe etc.), "the Apartment" (Masahiko Nishimura, Harumi Inoue), "Ai no Uta" (Hiroyuki Ikeuchi, Tsugumi, etc.), "Cell phone detective Ai Zenigata" (Aoi Miyazaki, etc.) for other dramas on BS-i.

2002 Debuted on mainstream TV with "Season of the Sun" (original by Shintaro Ishihara) which was TBS’s last Toshiba Sunday cinema.

2003 Writes and directs first commercial play "Saikido Rock n Roll".

2004 Writes and directs "Hanshin Awaji Great Earthquake~1.17, The Shocking Truth". This is his last project at Takoashi Dengen as of today.

2005 Presents play "People of the Interview 2006" with students from Digital Hollywood Grad School. Starts writing and directing for dance unit DIAMOND*DOGS.

2005-06 Renews and renames play to "Theatre Hanshin Awaji Great Earthquake" and tours Japan self sponsored. Brings in over 8,000 attendees and receives high respect from nationwide media. The whole play, how the producing was done and the tour were all published into a book "Theatre Hanshin Awaji Great Earthquake The Whole Record" by Sanshusha.

2007 Becomes visiting professor for Scenario drawing seminar at Digital Hollywood University. Okamoto held his first lecture at Osaka prefecture Ibaraki-city Library. The title was "Making the play "Theatre Hanshin Awaji Great Earthquake""

2010 Debuts as TV drama director for "Arienai! (Unbelievable!)" 7th episode on Mainichi Hoso Television. In May, he publishes first novel "Kanojyo tono Jyouzuna Wakarekata (Good way to breakup with your girlfriend)" from Shogakukan. The book becomes reprinted in September.

Okamoto started guitar during 8th grade. He started playing as a band in live houses around Osaka during 11th grade. Later, he played at most live houses in Tokyo during university. He was guitar and percussion for band Pinball Drive and was drummer until August 2006. Pinball Drive debuted from MS Record in 2005 but put a halt on activities in November 2008. Okamoto writes music for his own plays and musicals and also for other plays that are not his own. In November 2010, he wrote lyrics and played guitar for cinema style band Knot 4 saiL. All copyrights have been abandoned so the songs can be downloaded for free.

Person

  • Very fast when writing scripts and almost never is late for deadlines.
  • Holds Permit for Boat’s Operator, Heavy Vehicle Driver’s License, DTP Expert License.
  • Okamoto started photography and music during middle school. Due these skills and his experience at a publishing company, he mostly does shooting and designs by himself for theatrical company and own sponsor play posters.
  • His parental home becomes completely destroyed by the Southern Hyogo Prefecture Earthquake in 1995. The shock from this earthquake and guilt of not being in Kobe at the time becomes his energy after the incident.
  • Okamoto’s official blog is named "Scriptwriters Love Meat". Others and he acknowledge his love for beef.
  • Okamoto holds meals named "Niku-kai (Meat meeting)" in Tokyo from time to time. Usually it is held within his group of friends, and has been written about in blogs of actors and musician who joined the meeting.
  • He is known for his clever Kansai-ben talk, and sometimes does MC for events related to his projects. His MC called "Ohagaki Kitemasu (A postcard has arrived)" was popular at Pinball Drive’s lives.

Awards

  • 2000 Itoi Shigesato Award
  • 2004 World Fest Houston National Movie Festival Gold Award

Career Summary

TV drama 　

etc.

Theatre 　

  • October 2005 – June 2006 "Hanshin-Awaji Great Earthquake"
  • October 2007 "When I Kill Myself" at NEW NATIONAL THEATRE TOKYO etc.

Musical

  • May 2012, October 2010 Musical "Genji Monogatari x Ohguro Maki songs" at THE GALAXY THEATRE etc.

Reading

  • June 2014, June 2013, July 2012, May 2012, March 2012, May 2011, September 2010

Dramatic reading play series "A Moment to Remember"　at THE GALAXY THEATRE etc.

Movie　

  • 2008 "Our Equation"
  • 2011 "When I Kill Myself"
  • 2014 "Our Tomorrow"

Book

  • 2010 “Dramatic reading play A Moment to Remember”
  • 2014 “Holiday of God”