Favorite Japanese Actresses
What a shame there are no photos on IMDb for these talented people.
List activity
7.1K views
• 0 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
19 people
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Nikaido Fumi has been active in the movie industry a dozen years and already has as many nominations and wins to her name. She was born in American outpost Okinawa in 1994 and first appeared on screen in 2009. She had won an award celebrating young actresses for the film Himizu at the Venice Film Festival by 2011. She was also newcomer of the year at the 36th Japan Academy in the same year. Nikaido was scouted by Sony Music Artists at age twelve after her photograph appeared in the Okinawan edition of Picture Book Of Beautiful Girls, which is a free publication that features local amateurs as models. Coincidentally, she had dreamt of being an actress. This afforded her the opportunity to pitch products in advertisements as early as 2007. She also took advantage of her physique to do modelling for Nicola magazine. She commuted between Okinawa and Tokyo for work until moving to Tokyo for high school. More recently she has expressed a dislike for acting in serials and stated that she wants to act in movies only. Nikaido enrolled in Keio university of Tokyo, where she resides, and studied management and English. Her father is a Tokyo native cook and her mother is an Okinawan who took her to the cinema often. Her favourite foods are turnip and steak. No word on whether she likes them together or if she prefers to consume these separately.Recently overtook Noriko Eguchi for my top spot.- Actress
- Writer
Makiko Watanabe was born on 14 September 1968 in Tokyo, Japan. She is an actress and writer, known for Chichi o tori ni (2012), Love Exposure (2008) and M/Other (1999).Picks great roles and owns them- Actress
- Soundtrack
Noriko Eguchi was born on 28 April 1980 in Hyogo, Japan. She is an actress, known for Stigmatized Properties (2020), Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris (1998) and Erased (2017).Would be number one on the list if IMDb had a picture. She's gutsy and powerful.- With parents in the show business perhaps it is not surprising that Ando Sakura would become an actress and, moreover, also end up marrying an actor. She was born to actor/director Okuda Eiji and celebrity Kazu Ando on 18.02.1986. Her great grandfather was prime minister Tsuyoshi. Her older sister is director Ando Momoko. She saw her father on stage at age five and decided to become an actress while in second grade. She was often ill as a child. Her disease made her dizzy, lose her balance and more throughout her childhood. Her brain would shut down. She would opt for her mother's maiden surname for her professional career. Sono Sion picked her for his film Love Exposure and gave her a major start on the big screen. She won an award as the Best Supporting Actress for her work in it at the 31st Yokohama Film Festival. Earlier her father cast her in his film Kaze No Sotogawa ('Outside The Wind') alongside her mother and sister. She has since appeared in multiple movies and serials and won several more awards. She married actor Emoto Tasuku in 2012. She had met him on a train in 2008 and had obtained her father's permission to date and marry. She was a boxer in 100 Yen Love, which was fortunate since she had practiced boxing when she was fourteen-years-old. She gave birth to her first child, a girl, in 2017. She won the award for Best Actress at the 42nd Japan Academy Prize for her work on 2018's Shoplifters. By then she was considered one of several top young actresses in Japan next to Yu Aoi, Miyazaki Aoi and perhaps Aso Kumiko. Interestingly, she had earlier decided to retire and focus on raising her child. She is a graduate of Gakushuin Women's College.falling
- Actress
Kim Go-eun was born on 2 July 1991 in Seoul, South Korea. She is an actress, known for A Muse (2012), Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (2016) and Cheese in the Trap (2016).Coin Locker Girl!- Actress
- Composer
- Soundtrack
Born Fujima Takako in Tokyo in 1977, she found herself in a family of actors and actresses including her kabuki artist father, uncle and brother, a sister who would act in movies and would eventually marry a man from the entertainment industry. Her mother Norika is a businesswoman. Her niece is a kabuki actress. Her sister's husband is also an actor. She appeared on the theatre stage at age sixteen and an NHK serial called Kura at seventeen. She hosted the annual New Year's Eve NHK show Koohaku Uta Gassen at nineteen. She debuted her single Ashita, Haru Ga Kitara on the same program the year after. She became a full-fledged singer from thereon releasing regular albums and going on tour for her soft pop music. She has worked with Universal Music. She attended Asia University, but dropped out. She further branched out with a photo essay book in 2003. She was the winner of the Best Actress Of The Year award at the 29th Hochi Film Award and the 28th Japan Academy Prize both for the samurai film, The Hidden Blade. She married guitarist Sahashi Yoshiyuki in 2007 and gave birth to a daughter in 2015. She had met her husband working on the 2001 song Hana No Youni ('Like A Flower') and they had toured together. They had apparently become a couple in 2004. He is sixteen years older. That was his second marriage as he had divorced in 1998. These two facts angered her father, but she forged ahead and simply skipped having a wedding party. Being married her name became Sahashi Takako. She had earlier been connected to actor Oizumi Yo. For her traditional Japanese dance she uses the name Matsumoto Kouka. 2009's Villon's Wife garnered her several awards as did that same year's Confessions. She left the Papado management agency in 2011 and opened her own agency. She did voice acting for the dub of Frozen and sang for the Japanese version in 2014. She was again on Koohaku Uta Gassen in 2017. She has continuously appeared on stage and, like most Japanese celebrities, endorsed corporate products like beverages, financial services and cosmetics. She is reportedly quarter Korean. She plays the piano and cites tofu as her favourite food. She used to have feminine long her, but beginning her tenth year singing she cut her hair and adopted a boyish look.- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
One goes to Atsugi to see the American war machine at work or see where one of Japan's leading pop singers was born. Born in Kanagawa just south of Tokyo in 1966, Koizumi Kyoko participated in and won the Staa Tanjo! ('A Star Is Born') television talent program in 1981 and subsequently released her first single in March of 1982. She shaved her hair at age 17 in 1984 in order to portray a different image than the other pop idols and defy her agent at Burning Production. She landed a number 1 hit in the Japanese charts in 1984 and quickly became a Japanese idol at age eighteen. She appeared on the annual New Year's Eve variety show Kohaku Uta Gassen in 1984. She ruled the Japanese charts for the next ten years. She introduced the JD Salinger novel Catcher In The Rye on the radio, which made the novel better-known in Japan. Ironically, she later admitted to having not read the book at the time. She also had her own radio show. She married character actor Nagase Masatoshi in 1995 and divorced in 2004. They had met at the magazine AnAn where she was a staff photographer. Kyoko shifted her focus to acting and was in films like Onmyoji in 2001, Tokyo Tower and the superlative Tenten both in 2007 and Tokyo Sonata in 2008 among others. She returned to the small screen to work with Kurosawa Kiyoshi of Tokyo Sonata on the Penance serial in 2012. She participated in the Yell From Nippon charity group to buy soccer balls for Eritrean children in 2006. She was romantically connected to Kazuya Kamenashi of the group KAT-TUN, who was half her age, in 2006. Koizumi and her two-decade long friends of Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra performed a cover version of Makana Tayou ('Red Sun') by Misora Hibari in 2011. She won the award for Best Actress at the 66th Mainichi Film Awards for Mainichi Kaasan. She was back in the top ten of the Japanese charts when Shiosai No Memori ('Memories By The Waterside') from the NHK serial Amachan, in which she also acted, in 2013. She was dating actor Toyohara Kosuke, who was still married but separated, as of 2015. Like all celebrities she has pushed products like Shiseido, Lotte, JR, Suzuki and Kirin beer. She is self-managed.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Born Hiramaru Kumiko in Chiba Prefecture's Sanbu-gun (now separated into Sanmushi and rural Sanbu-gun), which is next door to Narita, Japan on the 17th of June 1978, Kumiko Aso began her film career with 1995's Bad Guy Beach despite a lack of interest in acting at the time. It was 1998's Dr. Akagi, which introduced her to a wide audience in Japan. She garnered Japan Academy Prize for Best Supporting Actress for this film. Ironically, her manager had sent her to this movie's auditions and Kumiko would claim later she was not even sure what she was auditioning for. Either way, this film would not be the last, which would accord her an award. She had initially aimed to become a pop star and had sent an application for an audition. She participated in a Japanese schoolgirl audition for the Young Jump weekly magazine, which she won in 1995. She has become a well-known actress, model and product representative in her native country. Aso has also starred in a couple of Kiyoshi Kurosawa films, had a cameo in the cult film Tenten and became a stalker in Moteki, by which time she had cut her hair for an older look. Earlier she had expanded her horizons and played a leading role as an Iranian-Japanese in the 2007 Iranian film Hafez. She had contemplated quitting acting in 2006, but persisted in the profession because she enjoyed her time in Jiko Keisatsu TV serial. She married stylist Daisuke Iga in late 2007 after dating for four years and gave birth to their daughter in 2012. She gave birth to a boy in 2016. She cites reading manga as a hobby. She is signed to the Breath talent agency.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Hiromi Nagasaku was born on 14 October 1970 in Ibaraki, Japan. She is an actress, known for Funuke: Show Some Love, You Losers! (2007), Rebirth (2011) and True Mothers (2020). She has been married to Maro Naitô since 27 April 2009. They have one child.- Born in Saitama just north of Tokyo in 1980, Takeuchi Yuko began acting with a role in Fuji TV's Cyborg in 1996. She has been in TV serials and movies without pause ever since and came to most people's attention through NHK's series Asuka serial of 1999. She was recognized by the Japanese Academy Awards for 2003's Yomigaeri, which explored resurrection. Takeuchi married Shido Nakamura in 2005 and obtained a divorce three years later. The two had co-starred in 2004's Ima, Ai Ni Yukimasu. She also won the Nikkan Sports Film Award for Best Actress for Saido Ka Ni Inu of 2007. She joined other celebrities when in 2011 she released a cook book called Takeuchi Marchais, Presenting 102 Delicious Warm-Hearted Recipes. She was found dead at her Tokyo home on 26.09.2020. This was a mere nine months after giving birth to her second child. Cause of death was suspected as suicide. She is represented by Stardust promotion.
- Tae Kimura was born in Tokyo. She was a member of the drama club at her middle school but enjoyed being a spectator more than being on stage. When in high school, she saw actress Kirin Kiki on TV in Daidoroko No Sejo & was inspired to become an actress. She has been active in the entertainment industry since 1990 w/ roles in theater. 2 years later, her father died so she took up many part-time jobs such as working in cafes, hotels & restaurants. While at university, she had a role in Sailor Moon on stage. Her acting career continued & picked up w/ roles including Hana and Alice w/ Yû Aoi in 2004 & Hotaru No Hikari w/ Haruka Ayase in 2010. Her first major roles however, were in the horror serials Ringu & Rasen, where she played Sadako. She married in 2005. Her husband's a Dentsu advertisement agency employee. Upon being asked out she had meant to reject the advance when she mistakenly blurted out the question asking whether he'd be okay w/ her. They had met when she was working for a commercial. She announced she was pregnant in August 2007 & gave birth on February 23, 2008. She won the award for Best Actress at the 32nd Japan Academy Prize for Gururi No Koto in 2009. This was her 1st appearance & return following her pregnancy.
Her hobbies include ballet, jazz & traditional dancing. She's also a vegetable sommelier. Her agency's Yougo Office. - Actress
- Soundtrack
Aoi Miyazaki's a former child actor whose professional career started at 4 in ads, commercials & as an extra. She was born in Tokyo in 1985. Her TV show & film debut came in 1999. She starred in the film debut Ano Natsu No Hi & the show Genroku Ryoran. She began winning prizes 2 years later w/ a Best Actress award for Harmful Insect, a film which also featured a young Yu Aoi. Her biggest role came in the manga adaptation Nana in 2005, which she hadn't read prior to obtaining the role. Nonetheless, she refrained from participating in the sequel, reportedly because of a mild sex scene. Yui Ichikawa replaced her. Her older brother Masaru's also an actor & appeared w/ her in the 2006 film Hatsukoi, which depicted a 1960s heist. She married long-time boyfriend Sosuke Takaoka the following year. This marriage lasted until 2011 , which was adversely affected by Takaoka's statement that he was weary of all the Korean content on Japan's Fuji TV & claiming she supported his views. Both statements would be walked back following a public backlash. He also claimed she was unfaithful & had been w/ boy band member Junichi Okada as well as others. She & her brother traveled to India to highlight poverty& Scandinavia to educate themselves on climate chaos. They also did charity work in Japan. She waited until December of 2017 to remarry. Her new husband was Junichi Okada, another actor and boy band dancer. They first co-starred in the 2008 movie Kagehinataa Ni Saku, subsequently playing husband & wife in Tenchi Meisatsu in 2012. Reports of them dating had surfaced in 2015, by which time she had grown her hair. However, the 2 were reported to have had an affair as early as 2011. Like many, Japanese celebrities, she has done vocals for songs. She has also represented corporate products like shampoos & phone companies.
She cites photography as a favorite pastime. Like her brother, she's represented by Hirata Office.- Actress
Yu Aoi was born as Yu Natsui on August 17, 1985 in Kasuga. She's a Japanese actress, voice actress, model & TV personality who has become a beloved tour de force in Japan. In 1999, she made her stage debut as Polly in the musical production of Annie, where she was picked from among hundreds of candidates at an audition. She began her silver screen career w/ the controversial All About Lily Chou-Chou before going on to lead roles in films like Letters From Kanai Nirai & One Million Yen Girl. She has participated in the live action series Mushishi & the short film collection Tokyo!. She was the voice of the imaginary companion Ikechan in Ikechan and Me. She has been awarded numerous prizes, including Best Supporting Actress for Hula Girls at the Japanese Academy Award, where she was competing against herself in 2007. She reprised the role of Noriko in Tokyo Family, a remake of the classic of cinema Tokyo Story, had another memorable role in the TV series Penance, released photo books, did modeling & commercial work. She also returned to the stage for the play Gakuya. She married Ryota Yamasato in 2019. Trademarks include her kind & innocent eyes, light make-up as well as slim build. She plays piano, listens to Chatmonchy & loves ballet, the latter of which comprised a pivotal scene in her memorable performance in Hana and Alice.- Yoshino Kimura was born on 10 April 1976 in London, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Confessions (2010), Blindness (2008) and Lost Paradise (1997). She has been married to Noriyuki Higashiyama since 23 October 2010.
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Chizuru Ikewaki was born on 21 November 1981 in Kagoshima, Japan. She is an actress, known for Shoplifters (2018), The Cat Returns (2002) and Ôsaka monogatari (1999).- Actress
- Director
Hitomi Kuroki was born on 5 October 1960 in Fukuoka, Japan. She is an actress and director, known for Dark Water (2002), Lost Paradise (1997) and Keshin (1986).- The short-haired Mitsushima Hikari was born in Okinawa, which is Japan's southernmost prefecture and mostly occupied by the American military since World War II. Mitsushima's grandmother was French-American. Her siblings are a model, a basketball player and an actor. Hikari began her entertainment career in the band Folder and all-girl Folder 5 between 1997 and 2003. before beginning acting intermittently. She did some gravure modelling. She began taking on consistent acting roles in 2009 with Pride and Sion Sono's exotic Love Exposure. Her performance in Love Exposure won her accolades. Hikari starred in the comedy Sawako Decides (2010), which was written and directed by Yuya Ishii, whom she subsequently married in late 2010. They divorced less than six years later. Hikari won the award for Best Actress at the Fantasia Film Festival. The film itself won the award for Best Feature.
- Shinobu Terajima was born on 28 December 1972 in Kyoto, Japan. She is an actress, known for Vibrator (2003), Akame shijuya taki shinju misui (2003) and Tokyo Tower (2005). She has been married to Laurent Ghnassia since 26 February 2007. They have one child.Probably Japan's most talented actress of her generation
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Misa Shimizu was born on 25 September 1970 in Tokyo, Japan. She is an actress, known for Okoge (1992), Mirai no omoide: Last Christmas (1992) and Sumo Do, Sumo Don't (1992). She has been married to Charles Bulkley since 26 November 1998. They have two children.