Aya Ueto ( 上戸 彩 , Ueto Aya , born September 14, 1985) is a Japanese actress, singer and television personality. In 1997, Ueto participated in the seventh Japan Bishōjo Contest , where she won the special jury prize. Soon thereafter, Ueto joined the talent agency Oscar Promotion and began taking singing, dancing and acting lessons. In 1999, she formed the girl group Z-1 with three fellow Japan Bishōjo Contest participants. The group disbanded in 2002 and later that year, Ueto signed with Pony Canyon and released " Pureness ", her debut single as a lead artist. She has since released five studio albums which have spawned ten Oricon top-ten singles.
43-488: At the age of thirteen, Ueto made her acting debut in the 1999 thriller Satsujinsha: Killer of Paraiso . In 2001, Ueto appeared in the sixth season of the TBS drama 3-nen B-gumi Kinpachi-sensei . Her portrayal of a high school student with gender dysphoria garnered critical acclaim and led to several leading roles and advertising endorsements, establishing Ueto as one of Japan's most recognizable faces. Since 2004, Ueto has held
86-519: A Misora Hibari biopic co-starring Izumi Pinko , and Nada Sōsō, Kono Ai ni Ikite , co-starring Hitomi Kuroki . She launched her second tour, Ueto Aya Live Tour 2005: Genki Hatsu Ratsū? , released her twelfth single, " Kaze wo Ukete ," and first remix album, Uetoayamix . Ueto was appointed mascot girl for the 2005 FIFA Club World Championship and covered the tournament as a special presenter for NTV . In 2006, Ueto attended her Coming of Age ceremony, acted as special presenter for NTV's coverage of
129-483: A 28-affiliate television network called Japan News Network , as well as a 34-affiliate radio network called Japan Radio Network . TBS produced the game show Takeshi's Castle and has also broadcast the Ultra Series programs and Sasuke ( Ninja Warrior ), whose format would inspire similar programs outside Japan. Below is a selection of the many programs that the network has broadcast. Idol Japan TBS
172-413: A Ferrari"). Furthermore, there was the problem that it was difficult to take a double shot with a woman because of his height. Gradually, the work in drama decreased, and he suffered from a big feeling of impatience. He was not blessed with work for three years and made a living from pachinko. Around this time he started ancient martial arts which led to later work. Also he invested in an apartment. Due to
215-770: A Leading Role at the Japanese Academy Awards and won the Popularity Award. In July 2003, Ueto landed her first TV leading role in the TBS drama Hitonatsu no Papa e , for which her fifth single, Kanshō , served as theme song. Despite low ratings, the single was well received on the charts, peaking at number 9. In January 2004, Ueto starred as Hiromi Oka in the live-action adaption of the popular manga Ace wo Nerae! . The drama earned her The Television Drama Academy Award for Best Lead Actress. Ueto's seventh single, " Ai no Tameni. ," served as theme song for
258-554: A cameo appearance in Shun Oguri 's directorial debut, Surely Someday . In August 2010, Ueto co-starred with Masaaki Uchino for the first time since Ace o Nerae! (2004) in her first NHK drama leading role, Jūnensaki mo Kimi ni Koishite . In September 2010, Ueto portrayed blind singer-songwriter Satoko Tatemichi in the TV movie Ai wa Mieru . Ueto next co-starred with Yutaka Takenouchi in her second Getsuku drama, Nagareboshi . The drama
301-597: A fourth single, " Message/Personal ," and Azumi opened nationwide. Ueto won several awards for her performance in Azumi . She swooped the Newcomer of the Year category of the Élan d'Or Awards , Japan Movie Critic Awards, Japanese Academy Awards , and Golden Arrow Awards; becoming the only actress to win two consecutive Golden Arrows for Newcomer of the Year. Ueto received a nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in
344-412: A house for her family," however because what she won was an ad hoc prize decided that day, there was no monetary reward. After Ueto's discovery, she joined the talent agency Oscar Promotion and began acting and singing lessons. In July 1998, Ueto joined the idol group Z-1 . The group landed a regular spot on the variety shows Kaishingeki TV! Utaemon and The Yoru mo Hippare , and debuted on Toshiba EMI
387-431: A pre-school teacher. After hearing about one of her friends' experience as an extra on a TV drama , she decided she too "wanted to appear on TV." Unbeknownst to her daughter, Ueto's mother entered her into the 7th Japan Bishōjo Contest. When she was twelve years old, Ueto won the special jury prize at the contest. She revealed later on that her real motivation for doing well was to "win the two million yen cash prize to buy
430-486: A remake of the 1993 drama Kōkō Kyōshi , alongside Naohito Fujiki . She released her third single, " Hello ," followed by her first studio album, Ayaueto . In April 2003, it was revealed that Ueto had taken a leave of absence from school to focus on her career. In a 2007 interview, she stated that, at the time, she was only getting two hours of sleep, trying to juggle work and school. In May 2003, Ueto launched her first tour, Ueto Aya First Live Tour Pureness 2003 , released
473-542: A solo artist under Pony Canyon subsidiary label, Flight Master. During her summer break from school, she appeared in a 5-episode arc of the long-running drama Wataru Seken wa Oni Bakari , and starred alongside Akiko Yada and Hiroshi Abe in the TBS drama My Little Chef . Ueto released her first solo single, "Pureness," in August 2002. The song debuted at number 4 on the Oricon Weekly Singles chart, making it
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#1732797807606516-551: A year later with the single "Vibe!" In 1999, Ueto obtained her first role in the film Satsujinsha: Killer of Paraiso , in which her lines were entirely in English. In 2000, Ueto portrayed the supporting role of Momo Fuchigami in the Fuji TV drama Namida o Fuite , starring Yōsuke Eguchi . The drama garnered strong ratings and gave Ueto her biggest exposure yet. In 2001, Ueto appeared on the annual Victor Kōshien poster, which, in
559-522: A year, and made a guest appearance in the eighth-season finale of the TBS drama Wataru Seken wa Oni Bakari . In April 2007, Ueto was cast in a remake of the Korean drama Hotelier . The theme song, " Namida no Niji ," was released in May 2007. The single marked Ueto's first foray into songwriting. In an interview with Oricon Style, she revealed that the reason she insisted on not writing her own lyrics until then
602-524: Is a Japanese model and actor. He is known for his roles in TRICK and Godzilla 2000: Millennium . Modelling period Abe was born in Yokohama as the youngest in a family of three children. He attended Yokohama Mitsuzawa elementary school, then Yokohama City Matsumoto Junior High School, then Kanagawa Prefectural Hakusan High School. After retaking the university entrance examinations once, he attended
645-450: Is close friends with tarento and singer Becky . The pair have been appearing on television together since they met on the morning show Oha Star in 2000. Tokyo Broadcasting System TBS Holdings, Inc. , (formerly Tokyo Broadcasting System Holdings, Inc. , ) is a Japanese media and licensed broadcasting holding company . It is the parent company of the television network TBS Television and radio network TBS Radio . It has
688-464: The 2006 Winter Olympics and made a guest appearance as herself in the anime Meitantei Conan , for which she was chosen as special supporter. She released her thirteenth single, " Egao no Mama de ," followed by her fourth studio album, License . Ueto starred in Celeb , the first episode of the drama adaption of the cell phone novel Tsubasa no Oreta Tenshitachi . Her episode was the highest rated of
731-588: The Kohmi Hirose -produced single " Smile for... ," followed by her fifth studio album, Happy Magic: Smile Project . In November 2009, Ueto co-starred with Tetsuya Watari in the Sugako Hashida -written and Fukuko Ishii-produced TV movie, Kekkon . In 2010, Ueto launched her third and fourth wedding dress collections, starred alongside Kin'ya Kitaōji in the Fuji TV drama Zettai Reido , and made
774-553: The Yukihiko Tsutsumi -directed comedy, Shimokita Sundays . In September 2006, Ueto released her first compilation album, Best of Uetoaya: Single Collection , which peaked at number 5. In December 2006, she hosted the 32nd Radio Charity Musicthon and acted as special presenter for NTV's coverage of the 2006 FIFA Club World Cup . In 2007, Ueto starred in the two-part Yoshiko Ōtaka biopic, Ri Kouran . In March 2007, Ueto released " Way to Heaven ," her first single in over
817-455: The 2008 Kobe Collection runway show, where she modeled for Emanuel Ungaro . In October 2008, Ueto next starred in her ninth TV drama leading role in the Fuji TV comedy Celeb to Binbō Taro , alongside Shūchishin member, Yūsuke Kamiji . Ueto attended the premiere of Saki Fukuda 's first feature film Sakura no Sono , in which she makes a supporting appearance, at the 21st Tokyo International Film Festival. In December 2008, Ueto hosted two of
860-542: The Afternoon (2014). Ueto ventured onto the big screen as the lead in Ryuhei Kitamura 's 2003 blockbuster Azumi , which earned her a nomination for a Japan Academy Award for Best Actress . She went on to star in its sequel, Azumi 2: Death or Love (2005), and Thermae Romae (2012), the adaptation of Mari Yamazaki 's manga series of the same name. In 2017, Ueto starred in the feature film adaptation of
903-710: The Department for Electrical Engineering in the Faculty of Science and Technology of Chuo University in Tokyo and graduated with a degree in electrical engineering . In 1985 while in college he applied to the "Shueisha 3rd Nonno Boyfriend Award" and won the championship because his sister recommended the award. Since then, during his university days, he was a charismatic model for magazines such as Men's Non-no and Nonno . He later transitioned from modelling into acting. Unfavourable times He made his debut as an actor in
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#1732797807606946-677: The TV drama The Man Who Can't Get Married won the FNS Good Work Grand Prize in 2006. Popular at the time of the economy bubble, he appeared in the movie Bubble Fiction: Boom or Bust released in 2007. He took the voicing role of Kenshiro for the animated movie Fist of the North Star: The Legends of the True Savior released on 11 March 2006. In 2009, Abe won the Best Actor award in
989-422: The annual title of CM Queen five times. Ueto has won two Television Drama Academy Awards – one for Best Actress for her performance in the sports drama series Ace o Nerae! (2004) and one for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the human drama Nagareboshi (2010). She subsequently starred in the remake of Attention Please (2006), the banking drama Hanzawa Naoki (2013) and Hirugao: Love Affairs in
1032-531: The birth of their first child, a daughter, on August 19, 2015. Official news outlets announced that the couple had welcomed their second child, a son, on July 27, 2019. She gave birth to their third child and second son on June 22, 2023. In April 2011, Ueto joined veteran actors Tetsuya Watari and Hiroshi Tachi in handing out food and other relief supplies to disaster victims in the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami -stricken area of Ishinomaki in Miyagi . Ueto
1075-526: The decline in real estate values as a result of the bursting of the bubble economy, and the decline in his popularity, he was left with a large debt. He was the target of the variety show What is that person now? which searched for "the celebrity that once dominated the world". According to his book, when he heard that Ken Takakura starred in the NHK drama Chihoru's Elegy in 1992, he wanted to appear even in an unnamed bit part, and he tried to get it even though it
1118-484: The drama and became her best-selling single. In March 2004, Message was released and became her best-selling album. In December 2004, Ueto released her third studio album, Re. , starred alongside Ryūnosuke Kamiki in the film adaption of Risa Wataya 's award-winning novel, Install , which premiered at the 17th Tokyo International Film Festival , and performed as top-batter at the 55th Kōhaku Uta Gassen . With eighteen advertising contracts for sixteen companies, Ueto
1161-555: The drama series Hirugao . Aya Ueto was born in Nerima , Tokyo . Her father is from Suttsu, Hokkaido , while her mother is from Ishigaki Island , Okinawa. Her parents divorced shortly after Ueto's debut. She is the middle of three children with an older brother, Shun, and younger brother Makoto. Despite growing up in a relatively poor household, Ueto studied piano, modern ballet, swimming and gymnastics. She originally had no ambitions to become an entertainer; she instead wanted to become
1204-634: The film adaptation of Thermae Romae (2012). Filming started in Rome on March 14 and is expected to finish in early May. Ueto dated Japanese singer and actor Gō Morita of the boy band V6 for eight years before splitting in April 2010. In October 2010, it was reported that she was in a relationship with Exile leader Hiro . In September 2012, Ueto announced via a handwritten letter posted on her official website that she and Hiro had registered their marriage on Ueto's 27th birthday. Ueto and her husband welcomed
1247-482: The first debut single by a female artist with no commercial tie-in to enter the top five in three years. In between filming her first feature film, Azumi , Ueto released her second single, " Kizuna ," and launched Seventeen's Map , a radio show on Nippon Hōsō . The program would go on to last four-and-a-half years, changing names after each of her birthdays to Eighteen's Road , Nineteen's Nine , Hatachi ni High Touch! , and 21 Peace! . In early 2003, Ueto starred in
1290-410: The movie Haikara-San: Here Comes Miss Modern (1987) - in which he co-starred with Yoko Minamino , a popular idol of the time whom Abe himself was a fan of, and received an autograph. He also released an album in 1988 as a pop idol. After that year he mainly worked as an actor, but because of his title and appearance as a model he was given only secondary and mundane roles (he said he was "riding with
1333-434: The past, kick-started the careers of Noriko Sakai and Miho Kanno . Later that year, she was cast in the role of Nao Tsurumoto, a student suffering from gender identity disorder (GID), in the sixth season of the TBS drama 3-nen B-gumi Kinpachi-sensei . The role propelled her to stardom and earned her a Golden Arrow Award for Best Newcomer. In January 2002, it was announced that Ueto would continue her music career as
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1376-499: The role of the talented Rōjū Matsudaira Norisato in the 1995 NHK Taiga drama Hachidai Shogun Yoshimune , the number of appearances in historical dramas increased over time, especially in the Taiga dramas Genroku Ryoran (1999), Musashi MUSASH (2003), Yoshitsune (2005) and Tenchijin (2009). Another breakthrough In 2000, he secured a leading role in the drama TRICK , in which he co-starred with Yukie Nakama , he played
1419-507: The role thoroughly and used many photographs of his modelling era as self-deprecation material. In addition, he starred in the movie The Summer of the Ubume which was based on the novel of the same name written by Natsuhiko Kyogoku , and as a result, he help working on postwork of Natsuhiko Kyogoku's book Hyakki Tsurezure Bukuro - Ame which is also inspired by the movie. He wrote his impressions of appearing in this movie. His performance in
1462-411: The series. The drama marked Ueto's first appearance on a Fuji TV drama in six years, since Namida wo Fuite (2000). She starred alongside Ryo Nishikido in a modern-day remake of the 1970 drama, Attention Please , which became her most successful drama to date. It spawned two specials: Attention Please: Yōko, Hawaii ni Tobu (2007) and Attention Please: Sydney, Australia (2008). Ueto next starred in
1505-491: The title. In February 2011, Ueto launched her fifth wedding dress collection. In July 2011, Ueto reprised the role of detective Izumi Sakuragi for a second season of Zettai Reido . Ueto was confirmed to appear in the series finale of the long-running drama Wataru Seken wa Oni Bakari , scheduled to air in September 2011. She will also star alongside Hiroshi Abe for the first time in ten years, since My Little Chef (2002), in
1548-583: The year's biggest festivities: the M-1 Grand Prix and 50th Japan Record Awards . She hosted the former for the third consecutive year. In January 2009, Ueto launched her first wedding dress collection, in collaboration with bridal shop Joyful Eli, entitled U Aya Ueto Dresses . While she has designed her own tour merchandise in the past, namely the T-shirt line Buddy in 2005, U marks Ueto's first official foray into fashion design. A second collection
1591-710: Was a small part. Turning Point In 1993 he starred as a bisexual detective director in Atami Murder Case Monte Carlo Illusion written and directed by Kohei Tsuka . In 1994 he co-starred in Shinoidare (directed by Tatsuoki Hosono) with Koji Yakusho and received the Special Award at the Japanese Professional Movie Awards in combination with film Kyouju Luger P08 . Starting with playing
1634-647: Was accused of failing to protect its sources in October 1989, when it taped an interview with Tsutsumi Sakamoto regarding his investigations into the Aum Shinrikyo sect. The network secretly showed a video of the interview to Aum members without Sakamoto's knowledge. Aum officials then pressured TBS to cancel the planned broadcast of the interview, but Sakamoto, his wife and child were murdered by Aum members on 3 November. Hiroshi Abe (actor) Hiroshi Abe ( 阿部 寛 , Abe Hiroshi , born 22 June 1964)
1677-622: Was announced in July 2009. In April 2009, she starred alongside SMAP leader Masahiro Nakai in her first Getsuku drama, Konkatsu! . Ueto next co-starred with Hayato Ichihara in the Shunji Iwai -produced CG animation film, Baton , created in commemoration of the Port of Yokohama 's 150th anniversary. The film, reunited her with Azumi director Ryuhei Kitamura . In June 2009, after a two-year hiatus, Ueto resumed her singing career by releasing
1720-440: Was because she felt "shy" about "opening herself completely" to her audience. Ueto held her third tour, Ueto Aya Best Live Tour 2007 Never Ever , in the summer of 2007. At the release event of the concert DVD, she stated that the tour refreshed her after a year of ups and downs. Ueto next starred alongside Hideaki Itō in the TBS period piece Wachigaiya Itosato , and alongside Yō Ōizumi in the Fuji TV drama, Abarenbō Mama , which
1763-640: Was crowned CM Queen of 2004. In 2005, Ueto appeared in the NHK taiga drama Yoshitsune , portrayed twin sisters in a remake of the drama Koto , and starred in the sequel to Azumi , Azumi 2: Death or Love . In April 2005, she starred in the TV Asahi -produced live-action adaption of another popular manga, Attack No. 1 . " Yume no Chikara ," the theme song for the drama, became her ninth top ten single. Ueto next starred in two TV movies produced to commemorate TBS' 50th anniversary: Misora Hibari Tanjō Monogatar ,
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1806-647: Was very well received by critics and audiences alike and was the second best rated of the fall season. Ueto was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix and won the Television Drama Academy Award for her role in Nagareboshi . Boasting advertising contracts with 13 different companies, Ueto was crowned CM Queen for a second consecutive year, making it the fifth time she has held
1849-564: Was well received by critics and audiences alike. In 2008, Ueto won the Asakusa Entertainment Newcomer Prize, which is awarded to the most prominent entertainers based in Tokyo. She starred in her first NTV drama, Hokaben . In August 2008, Ueto became the first actress to ever appear on official postage stamps by releasing an original set with photos taken from her 2007 tour. She made a secret guest appearance at
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