Toshiya Miyata, a member of the popular Japanese idol group Kis-My-Ft2, has been selected as an Official Supporter for Tokyo Game Show 2026 (TGS 2026).
The Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association (CESA) announced on July 1 that it had chosen Toshiya Miyata as the Official Supporter for TGS 2026. Along with the announcement, CESA released a video of Miyata sharing his thoughts on taking on the role, as well as a special interview video, via the official TGS YouTube channel.
As a member of Kis-My-Ft2, Toshiya Miyata is active in various fields, including TV dramas, films, variety shows, and radio. He is particularly famous as one of the entertainment industry's most prominent anime and gaming enthusiasts, having also lent his voice to several works as a voice actor. In addition, he is a founding member of the gaming-focused YouTube channel "Hokago GAMING LIFE."
At TGS 2026, Miyata will engage in various promotional activities drawing on his gamer experience and passion for games. He will participate in promotional campaigns leading up to the event and deliver the excitement of the show floor and the latest games firsthand during the exhibition. Leading up to the event, various video content featuring Miyata will be released sequentially across the official TGS YouTube channel and official social media platforms.
Sharing his feelings on being selected as an official supporter, Miyata said, "As someone who has loved games all my life, I still can't believe I've been given the role of Official Supporter." He added, "As a fellow gamer, I want to use my own perspective to share the charm of TGS with as many people as possible. Since this year is a special one marking TGS's 30th anniversary, I want to work with everyone to make TGS 2026 the most exciting event ever."
His favorite game genre is RPGs, which he has enjoyed since childhood. He also likes games that involve raising characters or creatures, citing the Pokémon series as a primary example. Recently, he has been deeply immersed in Pokémon UNITE, confidently claiming that he might be the strongest Pokémon UNITE player in the Japanese entertainment industry. "Anyone in the entertainment industry is welcome to challenge me," he said, highlighting his gaming skills.
His introduction to gaming came during a hospital stay in his childhood. In his early elementary school years, he had to stay in the hospital for a few days, at which point his grandmother bought him a Game Boy and a Mario game. He recalled that spending time in the hospital with the original gray Game Boy, which ran on four AA batteries, sparked his lifelong connection to gaming.
For memories of playing games with his family, he mentioned Puyo Puyo and Mario Kart. He played Puyo Puyo with his family as a child, and particularly remembered competing with his father over Time Attack records in Mario Kart.
At the time, his father left for work early in the morning and came home after Miyata had already gone to bed. If Miyata set a new record in Mario Kart's Time Attack during the day, his father would beat that record during the night. The next day, Miyata would break the record again, and his father would top it once more—a rivalry that continued every single day.
He shared that although he didn't have many opportunities to talk face-to-face with his father, competing for records through the game became a cherished memory of enjoying games with him. He joked, "It's such a heartwarming story that I hope an indie game developer makes a game based on it."
Gaming remains an indispensable hobby in his daily life today. On his days off, he reportedly wakes up his brain by playing a match of Pokémon UNITE right after getting out of bed, before starting his day with a cup of coffee.
Recently, he visited Akihabara in Japan with fellow group member Tamamori to purchase a gaming PC. Since getting a high-spec PC, he has been enjoying titles like Genshin Impact, noting that he finds it fun to figure out efficiencies while crunching numbers and calculations within Genshin Impact.
"Genshin Impact requires a lot of logical thinking," he explained. "There's a lot of mathematical calculation and multiplying numbers, and taking the time to work through all of that one by one is my absolute favorite way to spend my time."
He also revealed that gaming has broadened his social circle. He plays Monster Hunter with Tamamori, and although he usually lacks confidence in FPS games, he enjoys playing Apex Legends at Tamamori's suggestion.
As for his skill level, however, he candidly admitted, "Most of the time, I'm the first one to get knocked down." As a result, he often ends up watching Tamamori play from the side, joking that he watches Tamamori's gameplay like a girlfriend sitting beside her boyfriend while he plays a video game.
Meanwhile, TGS celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. As Kis-My-Ft2 also celebrates its 15th anniversary since formation this year, serving as the Official Supporter of TGS in a year when both anniversaries coincide holds special meaning for Miyata.
Regarding this, Miyata said, "Compared to TGS, we are still only halfway there, but I'm very happy that both anniversaries overlap in the same year." He added, "Above all, it's truly amazing for an event to continue for 30 years," extending his congratulations to everyone involved on TGS reaching its 30th anniversary.
TGS 2026 will be held at Makuhari Messe in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, from September 17 to 21. September 17 and 18 will serve as Business Days, operating from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, while September 19 through 21 will be Public Days. Hours for the Public Days are 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM on September 19 and 20, and 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM on the final day, September 21. However, depending on on-site conditions, doors on Public Days may open up to 30 minutes earlier than scheduled.
The event will take place across Makuhari Messe Exhibition Halls 1–11, the International Conference Hall, and TKP Tokyo Bay Makuhari Hall, among other areas, with organizers expecting approximately 300,000 visitors.
