Born in Japan, Kenji Tanigaki became attached to Hong Kong (China) martial arts films from a young age. Attracted by Jackie Chan's works and classic kung fu films, he decided to study martial arts under the guidance of famous martial arts actor Kurata Yasuaki before going to Hong Kong (China) to find opportunities to develop his career.
In the early 1990s, Kenji Tanigaki brought his meager savings to Hong Kong (China). Not knowing Chinese and having no relationships in the entertainment industry, he had to start from the smallest roles such as a stuntman, extra or backstage staff.
In 1994, he appeared in the movie "Tinh Vo Anh Hung" with a very small role. In the movie, his character was defeated by Tran Chan played by Jet Li with just one move. Although the duration of his appearance was short, this was a memorable milestone in Kenji Tanigaki's career.
The turning point came when he joined Donnie Yen's martial arts group. Thanks to his solid martial arts background and persistent working spirit, Kenji Tanigaki quickly became a close associate of this martial arts star.
During the period when Donnie Yen faced the most financial and career difficulties in the late 1990s, Kenji Tanigaki still stayed to accompany his senior. That friendship and attachment lasted for many years, giving him the opportunity to participate in a series of famous projects later such as "Sat Pha Lang", "Ip Man", "Hoa Long Doi Quyet" or "No Hoa".
Not only famous for his talent, Kenji Tanigaki is also known as someone who is willing to take risks to pursue realistic scenes. During the filming of director Tran Kha Tan's "Vo Hiep", he once had a serious accident while surveying a filming location in a dangerous waterfall area.
After many years of working in Hong Kong (China), Kenji Tanigaki continues to make his mark in the Japanese market when taking on the action part for the "Wanderer Kenshin" series. The eye-catching swordplay scenes in the work are considered to have elevated the manga adaptation film genre in Japan.
In 2022, he won the Best Action Design award at the Hong Kong Film Awards for "Fire". By 2025, Kenji Tanigaki continued to be honored for "Cửu Long thành trại: Vây thành", becoming the first Japanese filmmaker to achieve this achievement.
From an unknown stuntman to a leading Asian action expert, Kenji Tanigaki is considered a testament to his perseverance and special love for Hong Kong (China) martial arts cinema.
