IKKO is a transgender Japanese talent, actress, singer, hair and makeup artist, beauty director and calligrapher. She was born as Toyoda Kazuyuki. The name IKKO comes from a different reading of the kanji that make up her birth name. She is a distant cousin of actor Kora Kengo. Born in Fukuchi, Fukuoka as the eldest son with two older sisters, she credits her beautician mother for igniting her passion as a hairdresser. She attended the then Kitakyushu Beauty College (now known as the Fukuoka Beauty College Kitakyushu School) and then began her work as a hairdresser at a high quality hair salon in Yokohara. After eight years, she retired and began working as a hair and makeup artist. While working as a freelancer, she notably worked for "Beautiful Kimono" and was in charge of hair and makeup for cover model Mano Azusa. From 1992, she established "Atelier IKKO" and worked as a hair and makeup artist for magazines, TV commercials, and stage performances. In addition to appearing in magazines herself, she also appears on TV, in commercials, in theater, on variety shows and on talk shows. She worked as the exclusive hair and makeup artist for Masataka Itsumi until his death in 1993. From 2005, IKKO began a furisode brand. She also owns the shops Pink by IKKO and PEACH DOLL. She began studying calligraphy under Kanashiki Shimbo from the age of 50. She has served as the honorary public relations ambassador for Korea tourism and has been the campaign character for Korean cosmetics brand Etude House. She made her debut as a singer in 2007. After the Tohoku Earthquake, she began doing volunteer activities. She began activities as an actress with 2007's "Shigeshoshi". She is set to act in her first movie, 2021 release "UMAMI". Watch drama online for free.