His break-out performance was in the controversial movie Battle Royale, in which he played the pacifistic Hiroki Sugimura (Boy #11).
Takaoka then moved from muted heroics to active anti-heroism in portrayals of the grittier side of teenage violence, such as in Concrete.
In 2006, for his role as the introspective Honda in Spring Snow, Takaoka gained a Best Supporting Actor nomination at the Blue Ribbon Awards, a Japanese film event judged by critics.
[2] In July 2011, Takaoka made headlines and attracted much controversy for several comments against the airing of Korean dramas on Japanese television.
His comments resulted in a strong public backlash due to his previous role as a Zainichi Korean in the film Break Through!