Naoki Kobayashi

Naoki Kobayashi (小林 直己, Kobayashi Naoki; born 10 November 1984, in Inzai, Chiba Prefecture) is a Japanese actor, dancer, choreographer, and model. He is a performer of J-Pop dance and vocal group Exile, and is a leader and performer of J-Pop dance and vocal group Sandaime J Soul Brothers. He was also a member of Nidaime J Soul Brothers until their migration to Exile in 2009. As a member of Sandaime J Soul Brothers, he has received the Japan Record Awards twice, and has received the same award three times as a member of Exile. He choreographed the famous "Pocky Dance" (Pocky Sharehappi Dance) for Pocky's advertisement in 2015. Besides, he has also taken up acting and made his international debut in Netflix's original film Earthquake Bird. He has also worked as a model for the fashion brand "Yohji Yamamoto". With his fluent-spoken English and understanding of American culture, he serves as a creative career advisor in the Executive Management Team of LDH USA. He has a strong interest in traditional Japanese culture, which has motivated him to take part in a few projects focusing on promoting the art of samurai and Japanese swords.