He no longer produces any commercial music, although a few noted film roles, such as those in Perhaps Love (如果。爱) (2005) and See You Tomorrow (摆渡人)(2016) have involved his characters singing. The following year, his popularity propelled him into acting. Contracted to EMI, he wrote many of his own Mandarin and Cantonese songs. His debut album was Heartbreaking Night (1992). In 1992, Kaneshiro made his singing debut, entering the business with the nickname "Aniki", meaning 'older brother' in Japanese. Since personal names are commonly written in Chinese characters in both Chinese and Japanese naming conventions, following the Eastern name order, and in this particular case the name, in its written form, appears native in both Japanese and Chinese, giving Kaneshiro the freedom to associate himself as a Japanese or Chinese when working in China by preserving or removing the space between his surname and given name.Ĭareer 1992 to 1999: Early years and career breakthrough He appears as Kaneshiro Takeshi ( 金城 武) in Japanese media. Kaneshiro ( 金 城) is a common Okinawan surname, albeit with an unusual pronunciation, as the usual reading is Kinjō, while the traditional Okinawan pronunciation is Kanagusuku or Kanegusuku. Mandarin was the first language he spoke while growing up in Taiwan.
Kaneshiro is multilingual, fluent in Mandarin, Hokkien, Japanese, and to lesser degrees in Cantonese and English.
During his time at secondary school, Kaneshiro began working in television commercials, and he decided to leave school to pursue a full-time career in music and acting. After graduating from Taipei Japanese Junior High School, he enrolled at an English-medium international school, Taipei American School, where he learned English. The son of a Japanese businessman and a Taiwanese homemaker, Kaneshiro has two elder half-brothers: one who is seven years his senior, and another who is just one year older. He was born and raised in Taipei, but holds Japanese citizenship. Kaneshiro’s mother is from Taiwan and his father is from Okinawa, Japan.