Aya Ueto (上戸 彩, Ueto Aya) Aya Ueto was discovered at the 7th Japan Bishōjo Contest, where she won the special jury prize. She began her career in the entertainment industry in the late 1990s and has since established herself as one of Japan’s most recognizable faces, consistently appearing in a vast number of commercials, earning her the title of “CM Queen” multiple times.

Name: Aya Ueto

Date of Birth : September 14, 1985

Height : 162 cm (approximately 5’3″)

Place of Birth : Nerima, Tokyo, Japan

Family
Aya Ueto is the middle of three children. She has an older brother named Shun and a younger brother named Makoto. Her parents divorced shortly after her debut.

Parents’ Names
Her father is from Suttsu, Hokkaido, and her mother is from Ishigaki Island, Okinawa. Specific names are not widely publicized.

Spouse’s Names
Hiroyuki Igarashi (also known as HIRO), a member of the Japanese boy band EXILE. They married in 2012.

Children’s Names

• A daughter (born August 19, 2015)
• A son (born July 27, 2019)
• A second son (born June 22, 2023)

Profession : Actress, singer, model, tarento (television personality), and occasional radio personality.

Nationality : Japanese

Biography and What Famous For
Aya Ueto started her career at a young age, participating in the Japan Bishōjo Contest in 1997. At thirteen, she made her acting debut in the 1999 film Satsujinsha: Killer of Paraiso. Initially, she was part of the idol group Z-1, which later disbanded in 2002. Following the group’s disbandment, Ueto embarked on a solo music career.

Her breakthrough came with her critically acclaimed role in the sixth season of the TBS drama 3-nen B-gumi Kinpachi-sensei in 2001, where she portrayed a high school student suffering from gender dysphoria. This performance led to numerous leading roles and endorsements, cementing her status as a prominent figure in Japanese entertainment. She has starred in popular dramas such as Attention Please (2006), Hanzawa Naoki (2013), and Hirugao: Love Affairs in the Afternoon (2014).

On the big screen, Ueto is well-known for her lead role in Ryuhei Kitamura’s blockbuster Azumi (2003), which earned her a Japan Academy Award for Best Actress nomination. She reprised her role in the sequel, Azumi 2: Death or Love (2005), and also starred in the film adaptation of Thermae Romae (2012). Her consistent presence in television commercials has also made her a household name in Japan.

** Have Participated**
Aya Ueto has participated in a vast array of television dramas, films, and music releases. Some notable participations include:

Films:

• Satsujinsha: Killer of Paraiso (1999)
• Azumi (2003)
• Install (2004)
• Azumi 2: Death or Love (2005)
• The Cherry Orchard: Blossoming (2008)
• Surely Someday (2010)
• Thermae Romae (2012)
• A Tale of Samurai Cooking: A True Love Story (2013)
• Hirugao: Love Affairs in the Afternoon (film adaptation, 2017)

Television Dramas:

• 3-nen B-gumi Kinpachi-sensei (2001)
• My Little Chef (2002)
• Koko Kyoshi (2003)
• Hitonatsu no Papa e (2003)
• Ace o Nerae! (2004)
• Yoshitsune (2005)
• Attention Please (2006)
• Abarenbo Mama (2007)
• Konkatsu! (2009)
• Nagareboshi (2010)
• Absolute Zero series (2010, 2011, 2018)
• Hanzawa Naoki (2013, 2020)
• Hirugao: Heijitsu Gogo 3 ji no Koibito tachi (2014)
• I’m Home (2015)
• My Neighbor, Chikara (2022)

Music:

• As a member of the idol group Z-1 (disbanded 2002)
• As a solo artist, with debut single “Pureness” (2002)
• Released five studio albums and numerous singles, many of which charted in the Oricon top ten.