Takuya Kimura thanks Taiwan for support at Taipei concert

Detailed summary

Japanese actor and singer Takuya Kimura thanked Taiwanese fans for their continued support and expressed gratitude forthe assistance Taiwan has provided to Japan in times of natural disasters during a concert in Taipei on Saturday.

Taipei, Nov. 15 (CNA) Japanese actor and singer Takuya Kimura thanked Taiwanese fans for their continued support and expressed gratitude forthe assistance Taiwan has provided to Japan in times of natural disasters during a concert in Taipei on Saturday.

During the performance, Kimura told the audience that he could feel their enthusiasm, describing Taiwanese fans as "close friends" he had not seen in a long time. He said he was glad to have the opportunity to sing in Taiwan.

Kimura also highlighted the friendly ties between Taiwan and Japan, thanking the Taiwanese public on behalf of Japan for its support whenever the country has been hit by earthquakes and other natural disasters. He said such gratitude should be expressed openly.

"If anything happens to you in the future, we will do our best to help. If we encounter any disasters, please also lend us your strength," he said, drawing an enthusiastic response from the crowd.

Turning to his fans, Kimura thanked them for their continued support, saying their willingness to listen to him had allowed him to explore a wide range of musical genres and portray different sides of himself.

"If you don't mind me as I am, I hope you will continue to stay by my side," he said.

Kimura, who turned 54 on Friday, celebrated his birthday during his concert at the Taipei Music Center that evening. At Saturday's show, he invited fans who were celebrating their birthdays that day to join him onstage as the audience sang "Happy Birthday" to them.

The two Taipei performances were part of his "Takuya Kimura Live Tour 2026 Checkpoint," which runs from Sept. 5 to Nov. 23, with stops in Hyogo, Fukuoka and Chiba in Japan, as well as Seoul and Taipei.

The tour marks the Japanese star's first solo concerts overseas in his 35-year career.

Opening of the article, excerpted from Focus Taiwan (CNA). To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.