AYA UETO
Aya Ueto Born in Tokyo, Japan in 1985. Aya Ueto received her first break in August 1997 when at the age of 11.
She won the Special Jury Prize at the 7th All Japan Bishoujo Contest. After this initial success she tried her hand at both acting and singing appearing in various minor TV drama roles as well as a low budget action movie and formed a short lived pop quartet "Z-1" with other winners of the Bishoujo Contest Japanese actress singer model talent and occasional radio personality.
Born in Nerima Tokyo Ueto was discovered when she participated in the 7th Japan Bishōjo Contest where she won the special jury prize. At the age of thirteen Ueto made her acting debut in the film Satsujinsha. Killer of Paraiso (1999) and she and fellow Japan Bishojo Contest participants Mami Nejiki Mai Fujiya and Manami Nishiwaki formed the unsuccessful idol group Z-1.
In 2002 after their disbandment Ueto continued her music career as a solo artist under the record label Pony Canyon where she debuted with the single Pureness. Aya Ueto was born in Nerima. Tokyo to a Hokkaidan father and Okinawan mother. Her parents divorced shortly after Aya Uetos debut.
She has two brothers. Shun Ueto two years older and Makoto Ueto sixteen years older. Despite growing up in a relatively poor household Aya Ueto studied piano modern ballet swimming and gymnastic. She did not have ambitions to become an entertainer. She wanted to become a pre school teacher.
However after hearing about one of her friends experience as an extra on a TV drama she decided she too wanted to appear on TV. 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 a house for her family however because what she won was an ad hoc prize decided that day there was no monetary reward. After her discovery she joined the talent agency Oscar Promotion and began acting and singing lessons.
The group landed a regular spot on the variety shows Kaishingeki TV. Utaemon and The Yoru mo Hip pare and debuted on Toshiba EMI 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. Unbeknownst to her daughter Aya Ueto's mother entered her into the 7th Japan Bishojo Contest. Aya Ueto launched her fifth wedding dress collection. In July 2011.
Aya Ueto reprised the role of detective Izumi Sakuragi for a second season of Zettai Reido. Aya 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 the film adaptation of Thermal Romae (2012). Filming started in Rome on March 14 and is expected to finish in early May.