Nanako Matsushima

Nanako Matsushima (松嶋 菜々子, Matsushima Nanako?, born October 13, 1973 in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese actress and model. She is known outside Japan for her role in the horror film Ring. She became the highest-paid actress in Japan due to Great Teacher Onizuka and all her following dramas becoming big hits. She was also a main character in A Story of Love.

On February 21, 2001, she married Takashi Sorimachi who co-starred with her in Great Teacher Onizuka. They had a daughter together on May 31, 2004.

Matsushima Nanako started modeling at 18 as swimsuit model for various commercial advertisements, and featured in some budget TV shows.

Nanako’s breakthrough was in 1996 when she got the chance to star in NHK production “Himawari” (Sunflower); in the same year that she also starred in Asia hit movie “Ringu,” which was adapted by Hollywood movie “The Ring” years later.

Nanako’s popularity was ever rising since then, leading in loads of popular Japanese TV series and movies, and TV commercials.

Some of Nanako’s popular TV dramas include “Great Teacher Onizuka (GTO),” “Kyumei Byoto 24 Ji,” “Majo no Jouken,” “Koori no sekai,” “Hyakunen no Monogatari,” “Yamato Nadeshiko” and “Hana Yori Dango” etc.

Not only that Nanako have the elegance and beauty, her acting was very much praised and won her numerous awards.

Matsushima Nanako met actor husband Sorimachi Takashi when starring in the popular TV drama GTO; the celebrity couple married in 2001 and Nanako gave birth to their daughter in 2004.

Matsushima Nanako was considered one of the most popular actresses in Japan and across Asia. Lots of her TV series and movies were well received by Japanese and Asian fans, with high ratings and successful box office.

Matsushima Nanako took a break after her marriage and birth to her daughter, and just started starring in some drama last year. Her popularity is not as great as before, but she will be remembered as one of the greatest Japanese actress for the last decade.

Fukatsu Eri

Name: 深津絵里 / Fukatsu Eri Profession: Actress Date of Birth: 11 January 1973 Height: 155cm Weight: 41kg Star Sign: Capricorn Blood Type: O Birthplace: Oita perfecture Talent Agency: Amuse

Notable dramas she was in: Saiyuuki (2006) Slow Dance (2005) Suekko chounan ane san nin (2003) Sora Kara Furu Ichioku no Hoshi (2002) Koi no Chikara (2002) Chuushingura 1/47 Kabachitare (2001)

Scouted when she was only fifteen, Fukatsu Eri is a talented actress who is great in dramas, yet is super funny in comedies. Regarded as one of Japan’s top actresses. Her acting awards are countless.

Fukatsu Eri starred at Saiyuuki

Here are some of the synopsis for Saiyuuki

Buddhist monk Sanzo Hoshi heads to Tenjiku to deliver a sutra that has powers to bring peace to the world. On the first day of her journey, she comes across Sagojo, on the second day she meets Chohakkai, and on the third day, she encounters Son Goku. With very different personalities, the four constantly quarrel. But through their journey together, they learn to help one another overcome many difficulties.

After days of not eating anything, they finally reach a town, but the place is burned to ashes. Just when they are trying to find out what happened, a beautiful girl in a wedding gown comes their way, followed by a young man, and then the bride's father.

Fukatsu Eri also starred in Slow Dance

Here are some synopsis for Slow Dance

A man who constantly applies the brake in his life, a woman who could do with a brake in her life They have their careers but they are both failures in love Afraid to face each other directly, Instead of focusing on feelings, they choose to focus on their positions, Meeting each other, falling in love!? They are already adults but still have some way to go when it comes to putting their foot on the ground. This summer, a feel-good love story...

Synopsis for Suekko Chounan Ane Sannin

Haruko Takanashi (Fukatsu Eri) is 30. She works at a radio station. She is approaching middle management where good looks alone aren't enough. She isn't very romantic so she devotes herself to work and play and suddenly finds herself alone. Just when she has given up on romance she meets a man. She meets him at a party to which she was taken by a subordinate at work. He is 25-year-old Ichiro Kashiwakura (Okada Junichi) and is nothing out of the ordinary. They start a relationship. One day, out of the blue, Ichiro ardently proposes to Haruko. Realizing that he really loves her, Haruko says yes and they get married. But she still hasn't told him her real age.

Sawajiri Erika

Sawajiri Erika is a Japanese actress, model, and musician. Her alias in her music career was Kaoru Amane, but she has recently started her own project under the name Erika. She is currently affiliated with Sony for her record label as formerly Kaoru Amane and later Erika, and Stardust Promotion for her talent agency as her real name, Erika Sawajiri, and became popular after playing a girl who suffered from an intractable disease called spinocerebellar degeneration (SCD) in the nonfiction drama "1 Litre of Tears".

Sawajiri Erika passed the Stardust audition in 1999 after graduating from elementary school. The following year she became part of the idol unit “ANGEL EYES ” and began modelling for junior fashion magazines like CUTiE and nicola. In 2001 she won the Grand Prize for that year’s Seikore and became a regular on the BS news program Harajuku Launchers.

In 2002 Erika began taking on more tasks as an actress and gravure idol. She was one of Fuji TV’s Visual Queens for the year (along with Ichikawa Yui, Karina, and Yarita Ayano), and also had a part in the film Mondai no nai Watashitachi. She became a regular of the NTV music variety show THE YORU mo Hit Parade from April to late June, and shortly before leaving the program was on the CX News program Chou VIP Fortune no Tobira from mid-June to late August. In November she was on the CBC variety show Bijou Dokyuu and also on the TBS show B-1.

Erika continued her work into 2003, this time getting roles in PVs. She also began acting in various dramas, including a small role in the popular drama HOTMAN . In 2004 Erika continued to act in dramas, but it can be said she earned the most attention in 2005 for her portrayal of Ikeuchi Aya in the drama 1 Litre no Namida, a young girl with a degenerating brain disease that affects one’s motor skills. It was also in 2005 that she starred in the film PACCHIGI !.

2006 has proved to be yet another busy year for Erika, as she starred in two films and is currently starring in the drama adaptation of Taiyou no Uta.

Sora Aoi

Sora Aoi also known as Sola Aoi, born November 11, 1983) is a Japanese AV idol, or porn star, and nude model from Tokyo, Japan. She made her debut as a nude model in November 2001 and gained popularity for her young-looking face and voluptuous figure. Although she is better known for her hardcore movies, she has done at least a few all-nude movies over the years, such as Blue, Full Nude, and Full Nude 2. In May 2002, she made her debut as an AV idol (pornstar) in the film Happy Go Lucky, filmed with the two adult film studios Samansa and Alice Japan. Even though she was criticised for faking sex, possible by the Japanese censorship laws, she gained significant popularity. At one point, she was in the top 10 Internet searches on Google and Yahoo! Japan.


While in her third year in high school, Aoi was scouted in Shibuya by a talent agency for gravure modelling. When asked how her stage name was chosen, Aoi explained, "My agency asked what color I liked. I said blue ("ao" in Japanese). He also asked what I like in general. I said sky ("Sora" in Japanese). So, he chose Sora Aoi (means "Blue Sky" in Japanese)."

Aoi made her debut as a nude model in November 2001. Her "big eyes, cute smile," "young girl's face and... large breasts" quickly made her a popular magazine model.Her bust was at first reported as a metric F-cup, but had become a G-cup within a year of her acting debut.

Prior to signing with the Kuki AV company (which includes the Samantha, and Alice Japan labels), Sora made two adult movies, Summer Break and Twinkle Twinkle. They supposedly aired on a subscription porn TV service, although details have not been confirmed yet.

Reon Kadena

Reon Kadena (かでなれおん, Kadena Reon?) (born February 19, 1986), also known as Kadena Leon or Minamo Kusano, is a Japanese model and actress. Kadena is a female Japanese idol whose photobooks and films largely feature her in revealing costumes, underwear and bikinis. She used to do naked photography and videos, but as she became well-known, she stopped it.

Two reasons spring to mind: Reon’s lovely lady lumps and tiny tapered waist are proof that nothing grows in the shade.

Whether you know her as Reon Kadena, Minamo Kusano or Yurika, there’s no debating that this buxom beauty is one of Japan’s sexiest exports. In addition to being an eye-popping pinup, Reon has also starred in eight tantalizing films.

Angela Aki

Angela Aki (アンジェラ・アキ Anjera Aki), born on 15 September 1977 in Itano, Tokushima Prefecture, Shikoku, Japan, to a Japanese father and an Italian-American mother, is a Japanese singer-songwriter. Her former Japanese real name is 安芸 聖世美 (Aki Kiyomi)

Angela Aki is completely bilingual in English and Japanese as she was raised in Japan, but moved to Hawaii at the age of fifteen where she graduated from 'Iolani School. From there she moved on to George Washington University where she graduated with majors in politics and music.

She originally released an indie album in the United States in 2000, called These Words, which received much critical acclaim. In 2002 she composed two tracks for "Let It Fall" by Dianne Eclar, a teenage pop singer from the Philippines. In 2005 in Japan, she released an indie mini-album under Virgo Music entitled One, which alerted Nobuo Uematsu to her music. Angela Aki is now signed under Sony Japan. In 2005 she was announced as the singer of the Final Fantasy XII theme song, "Kiss Me Good-Bye."

On March 9, 2007, she revealed in her official blog that she is married to a music director who has been supporting her before her debut. She also revealed that while she was in Washington D.C., she had married once before but the marriage ended in a divorce.

She is good friends with JPOP star Yuna Ito. Both singers attended the same Japanese language school.

Angela Aki is the daughter of Kiyoshi Aki, the owner/co-founder of AEON Institute of Language Education. This is one of the "Big Four" Eikaiwa (English conversation) schools in Japan.

EARLY LIFE

Angela Aki was born in Tokushima, Japan. Her heritage is extremely mixed: her mother is half Italian and half American, and her father is Japanese. Her father, Aki Kiyoshi (安藝清), is the founder/president of Aeon, a large Eikaiwa (English conversation) company in Japan. She also has a sister, Kyla Aki, who is one year younger than her.

Aki was a very musical child. Apparently when she was small she shocked her mother when she was very young by humming a tune that her mother had just sung in perfect tune. She began by learning classical piano at three years old, but also learned how to play the violin, guitar later and drums later on. In late 1992 when Aki was 15, she moved away from Japan and set up residence in Hawaii, where she went to high school. She adopted the name Angela and relegated Kiyomi to be her middle-name. Aki won a $2,500US scholarship from her high school (Iolani School) in 1996.

Aki went on to study at George Washington University, Washington, D.C., and combined International Affairs and Jazz Studies as some of her subjects. After watching Sarah McLachlan in concert, Aki was inspired to become a singer-songwriter like her. While studying she was musically active, frequently performing at a coffee house called Jam'n Java. It was here that music producer Tony Alany worked, and collaborated with Aki by producing and recording an indies album entitled These Words that was released in January 2000. The album is comprised of all English songs, and features much more guitar than her later works. Alany and Aki eventually got married after his production work.

During her stay in Washington, Aki was the opening act for artists such as Ricky Martin, Judy Collins and Sixpence None the Richer. She even performed at Al Gore's Christmas party. Angela Aki graduated from George Washington in May 2000.

Aki held her showcase live at the Luna Park Grille in Arlington, Virginia, on 2001.11.29 and was officially credited as 'Angela Aki and her band'. Later on in 2001, she also held a live in Washington D.C., and happened to be overheard by a Japanese CM producer K, who asked her if she were able to sing for a commercial. She accepted, and in early 2002 released a cover of Jimmy Scott's song New Day for the Yakult 400 CM.

Isoyama Sayaka

Name: 磯山さやか
Name (romaji): Isoyama Sayaka
Nickname: Isocchi (いそっち)
Profession: Actress, singer, and gravure idol
Birthdate: 1983-Oct-23
Birthplace: Hokota, Ibaraki, Japan
Height: 155cm
Weight: 44kg

Star sign: Scorpio
Blood type: A
Talent agency: HORI AGENCY

Sayaka Isoyama 磯山 さやか is a sexy Japanese bikini model and actress from Ibaraki prefecture who was the main character in last year’s TV drama 2nd House 2ndハウス. She had also previously also appeared in the Tokusatsu series Chouseishin Gransazer as Saotome Ran/Sazer Visuel.

Although she started as a gravure idol in 2001 having made 26 DVD’s including last years Asian Mermaid, she seems to have successfully made the move into TV appearing in more TV variety shows and TV commercials.

Namie Amuro

Namie Amuro born September 20, 1977 is a Japanese pop singer and occasional songwriter. In the Japanese press she was referred to as the "Queen of J-pop" before Ayumi Hamasaki eclipsed her popularity in the mainstream pop scene. She is still considered the Queen of J-pop, but with Hamasaki as the Empress of J-pop. She was noted in her early years for her Westernized dance music and popularized fashion whose followers came to be nicknamed Amurā (Amurer in English).

Debuting in 1992 as part of the quintet, Super Monkey's, she later debuted solo in 1995 to phenomenal success with producer Tetsuya Komuro. Severing her ties with Komuro in 2001, Amuro has reestablished herself as a R&B artist. Her latest album, PLAY (2007) debuted at #1. She has nine #1 singles, five of which have sold over a million copies.

Her parents divorced while she was only a toddler, leaving her mother responsible for bringing up Namie and her 3 siblings all alone. The low funds of the family didn’t prevent Namie from chasing her dreams to be a star. She was attending Okinawa Actors School successfully, despite her having to walk everyday for 2 hours to go and return from the school - her family couldn’t afford public transportation.

At her fifteen, she formed a girl group with some classmates of hers, called “SUPER MONKEY’S”, under TOSHIBA EMI label. At first, their sales were pretty decent but after the 5th single “TRY ME” (01/25/1995), the group started having proper recognition at the charts, getting into the top 10 and being invited at 紅白歌合戦 (Kouhaku Uta Gassen), a big annual music show. During that period, the group had already moved in Tokyo and changed its name to “Namie Amuro with SUPER MONKEY’S” with Namie taking the upper hand and the lead role of the group. The two following singles made big success as well, resulting to Avex, through the superstars’ producer Tetsuya Komuro, noticing the band, offering a solo career contract for Namie. The rest of the members regrouped with the name Musical Active eXperience or, simply, MAX.

Utada Hikaru

Japanese-American Hikaru Utada is a popular pop singer in Japan, but she was actually born in New York City. Not only was her mother a popular Japanese singer, but for you trivia fans, her favorite author is Edgar Allan Poe, who she was born on the same day as! How’s that for weird? Well, when it comes to Poe, everything’s weird. Anyways, here’s the cute as a button Hikaru!

She has been hailed as one of the most successful, influential and acclaimed musicians in Japanese music history. With the release of her seven studio albums, including one compilation and two all-English, 24 solo singles (18 Japanese and 6 English) and several VHS/DVD releases, she has sold a combined estimated total of some 36,000,000 records in Japan as of 2007, making her the 9th most successful musical act ever in Japan. Her worldwide total sales of albums, singles and VHS/DVDs to date is well past 40,000,000 units. Her unusual success has been, in large part, because of her fluent bilingual skills in English and Japanese, having been raised in New York City and Tokyo.

Utada became an unprecedented musical icon in Japan after her debut, First Love, began shattering a number of records in 1999, and has shown extremely consistent and strong sales of albums, singles and chart presence since. She has won the Nihon Golden Disk (Japan's most-esteemed musical award) "Song of the Year" award for thirteen of her singles since 2000, a record for a solo or group artist. In addition, she has won the Golden Disc "Pop/Rock Album of the Year" award for all four of her Japanese studio albums. Utada is also the only solo or group artist in Japanese, and possibly world, music history to hold the #1 position five times on a Year-End chart in a territory (four albums and one single from 1999-2004)

In 2003, HMV Japan announced that Utada Hikaru is the #24 Japanese pop artist in its survey of "Top 100 Japanese pop artists" of all time, making her the youngest artist with the highest rank in that survey. In 2006, Utada Hikaru also ranked #10 in HMV's "Top 30 Best Japanese Singers of All Time". And in July 2007, it was announced by her label EMI records that Utada's 18th Japanese-language (23rd overall) single Flavor of Life had sold the most digital units to date of any song release worldwide.