Ryōichi Takayanagi is a Japanese actor born on January 31, 1964. His career in film and television began in the early 1980s, during which he appeared in a number of notable Japanese productions.

Takayanagi is known for taking on roles that blend everyday life with elements of science fiction and adventure. One of his most recognized parts is Kazuo Fukamachi in the 1983 live-action film The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi. In this adaptation of Yasutaka Tsutsui's classic novel, his character is a mysterious classmate who is later revealed to be a time traveler from the distant future. This film is a significant entry in his filmography and a key work of 1980s Japanese cinema.

In the same year, he appeared in the fantasy film Legend of the Eight Samurai as Ohta Masaharu. The following year, 1984, saw him take on the voice acting role of Wataru Murakami in the anime series Kenya Boy (Shōnen Keniya), an adventure story set during World War II. That same year, he also played Taro Watanabe in another Nobuhiko Obayashi film, The Island Closest to Heaven.

His other acting credits include the 1985 film Let Him Rest in Peace, directed by Yoichi Sai, where he played the character Yutaka Komiya. In 1986, he appeared as Keiichi Ogawa in the film His Motorbike, Her Island. His known body of work comprises approximately ten film and television credits from the mid-1980s.