Yū Aoi Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Yū Aoi
蒼井優
Aoi at the 2017 Tokyo International Film Festival
Born	Yū Natsui (1985-08-17) August 17, 1985 (age 39) Kasuga, Fukuoka, Japan
Other names	Yu Yamasato (After marriage)
Occupation	Actress model
Years active	1999–present
Agent	Itoh Co.
Spouse(s)	Ryota Yamasato (m. 2019)
Children	1

Yu Aoi (蒼井優, Aoi Yū, born August 17, 1985) is a famous Japanese actress and model. She is known for her roles in many movies and TV shows. She first appeared in the film All About Lily Chou-Chou in 2001. She also starred in Hana and Alice and the popular hula dancing film Hula Girls. Yu Aoi has won many awards for her acting, including the Japan Academy Prize.

Early Life
Career
Personal Life
Awards and Nominations
Images for kids
See also

Early Life

Yu Aoi was born on August 17, 1985. Her birthplace was Fukuoka Prefecture in Japan. When she was in junior high school, she moved to Tokyo. She lived in the Kasai area of Edogawa ward.

Career

Starting Out

Yu Aoi began her acting career on stage. Her first role was Polly in the musical Annie in 1999. In 2000, she became a regular on the TV show Oha Suta.

Her first movie role was in 2001. She played Shiori Tsuda in Shunji Iwai's film All About Lily Chou-Chou. She also worked with her friend Aoi Miyazaki in other films. Yu Aoi quickly became popular. She appeared in many TV commercials for big companies. These included Sony, Yamaha, DoCoMo, Toshiba, and Coca-Cola.

In 2003, she starred in a series of short films for Kit Kat. These films were later made into the movie Hana and Alice. Yu Aoi won the Best Actress award for her role in this film.

Becoming a Star (2005–2007)

In 2005, Yu Aoi played her first main role in a movie. It was called Letters from Kanai Nirai. This movie was very popular in Korea. She also had supporting roles in films like Turtles Swim Faster than Expected. Another important role was in Yamato.

Her role as Kimiko Tanikawa in Hula Girls was a huge success. This movie was even chosen to represent Japan at the Academy Awards. For Hula Girls, Yu Aoi won many awards. She was named Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress. She also played Hagu in Honey and Clover and Kana Sato in Rainbow Song.

Yu Aoi also used her voice for animated films. She voiced Shiro in Tekkon Kinkreet. This movie was based on a popular manga. During these years, she continued to appear in commercials. She worked with Nintendo, Canon, and Shiseido Cosmetics. She also released two photo books.

In 2007, she acted in the live-action movie Mushishi. She also appeared in TV shows like Welcome to the Quiet Room. For her role as Miki, who had an eating disorder, Yu Aoi lost 7 kilograms. She also performed on stage as Desdemona in Shakespeare's play Othello.

Recent Work (2008–Present)

Yu Aoi at an exhibition in 2009

In 2008, Yu Aoi starred in Don't Laugh at My Romance. She also appeared in an experimental TV drama called Camouflage. In this series, she worked with four different directors. They explored the theme of lies.

Later that year, she got her first main role in a TV series. She played Handa Sen in Osen. This show was based on a manga. Yu Aoi then starred in the movie One Million Yen Girl. This was her first main film role since 2005. She also had small parts in Best Wishes for Tomorrow and Tokyo!. Tokyo! was a collection of three short films by different directors.

In 2009, the Japanese government honored Yu Aoi. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology named her Rookie of the Year. This award recognized her work from her first film until One Million Yen Girl. She also voiced Ikechan in Ikechan and Me. She continued to take on supporting roles in movies like Honokaa Boy and Ototo.

In the following years, Yu Aoi starred in many more films. These include The Lightning Tree (2010), Vampire (2011), and Rurouni Kenshin (2012). She also appeared in the TV drama Penance. She continues to be a very active actress in Japan.

Personal Life

Yu Aoi married comedian Ryota Yamasato on June 3, 2019. On February 10, 2022, they announced that they were expecting their first child. Their daughter was born on August 10, 2022.

Awards and Nominations

Aoi receiving the New Artist Award in 2019

Yu Aoi has won many awards for her acting. Here are some of her major achievements:

In 2005, she won Best Actress at the Japan Film Professional Awards for Hana and Alice.
In 2006, she won Best Supporting Actress at the Hochi Film Awards for Hula Girls and Honey and Clover. She also won Best Newcomer at the Nikkan Sports Film Awards for Hula Girls.
In 2007, she received many awards for Hula Girls. These included Best Supporting Actress at the Mainichi Film Awards and Kinema Junpo Awards. She also won Best Actress at the Blue Ribbon Awards and Yokohama Film Festival. She won the Best Supporting Actress and Newcomer of the Year at the 30th Japan Academy Film Prize.
In 2017, she won Best Actress at the Hochi Film Awards and Nikkan Sports Film Awards for Birds Without Names.
In 2018, she continued to win awards for Birds Without Names. She won Best Actress at the Yokohama Film Festival, 41st Japan Academy Film Prize, Kinema Junpo Awards, and Osaka Cinema Festival.
In 2020, she won the Elle Best Actress award for Wife of a Spy and other films.
In 2021, she won Best Actress at the Zenkoku Eiren Awards and the 15th Asian Film Awards for Wife of a Spy.