is a

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

and

theater Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actor, actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The p ...

actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a Character (arts), character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek ...

, best known in Japan for her role as Marsha in '' Kidou Keiji Jiban'' and Lami in ''

Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger is a Japanese ''tokusatsu'' television series and the sixteenth installment in the long-running ''Super Sentai'' metaseries of superhero programs. Produced by Toei and Bandai, it aired on TV Asahi from February 21, 1992 to February 12, 1993, wi ...

''(the latter known as

Scorpina This is a list of characters in the ''Power Rangers'' franchise's inaugural season ''Mighty Morphin Power Rangers'' and its theatrical adaptation '' Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie''. For the purposes of this article, the miniseries ''M ...

in ''

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers ''Mighty Power Rangers'' (''MMPR'') is a superhero television series that premiered on August 28, 1993, on the Fox Kids programming block. It is the first entry of the ''Power Rangers'' franchise, and became a 1990s pop culture phenomenon along ...

'').

Biography

Kawai was born to a restaurant manager and actress Rie Kawai in

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

. She comes from a lineage of actors, including her grandmother and great-grandfather. Her older sister is Katsumi Fujita, who is an environmental planning designer, most recently contributing to the sign for

Park Hyatt Hyatt Hotels Corporation, commonly known as Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, is an American multinational hospitality company headquartered in the Riverside Plaza area of Chicago that manages and franchises luxury and business hotels, resorts, and vacat ...

Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

. Her mother has been managing a small bar in

Takadanobaba Takadanobaba (Japanese: 高田馬場 ''Takada-no-baba'') is a neighborhood in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan. History Originally, the area's name was read ''Takatanobaba'' and many Tokyo residents in their 50s or older pronounce it as such. However, you ...

, an area close to

Waseda University , abbreviated as , is a private university, private research university in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as the ''Tōkyō Senmon Gakkō'' by Ōkuma Shigenobu, the school was formally renamed Waseda University in 1902. The university has numerou ...

Shinjuku, Tokyo is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. It is a major commercial and administrative centre, housing the northern half of the busiest railway station in the world ( Shinjuku Station) and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, the administration ...

. Kawai attended Jissen Women's Academy Junior High School and High School. She majored in English literature at the Department of Literature in Jissen Women's College. While attending elementary school, she belonged to Gekidan Komadori, a theater company. Her achievements there include television, soap operas, educational programs, commercials, radio soap operas, and foreign films. She temporarily stopped her activities because her middle school and high school outlawed outside activities relating to the entertainment industry. While attending college, she was scouted by a production company, resuming her show biz career.

Career

Her first drama feature role was in FNN's Onna mo Otoko mo naze Korinai (Neither Man Nor Woman Inexplicably Do Not Learn). Her other major achievements as an actress include movies and theaters while also serving as reporter, newscaster, and host of various television programs. Kawai is best known for her role as Lamie in the 1992 ''

Super Sentai is a Japanese superhero team metaseries and media franchise consisting of television series and films produced by Toei Company, and Bandai, and aired by TV Asahi ("Sentai" is the Japanese word for "task force" or "fighting squadron"). The sho ...

'' series ''

''. While some people have distanced themselves from their role in the Super Sentai series, she appears to have fond memories of her role. As she appeared towards the middle of the series, she had a tough learning curve to overcome, but overcame it well. Kawai's official websites mentions several behind-the-scene experiences playing the role. These include confronting her fear of heights when she had to stand from the tip of a tall building the first time she appeared on screen and her embarrassment of turning into a monster when her character became a giant. For the Power Rangers series in the North America, Scorpina was credited as "Ami Kawai" the first time she appeared, but later credited to American voice actress, Wendee Lee. Scorpina was immensely popular among public viewers that when the production ran out of her footage, much speculation emerged as to her fate. Before the Power Rangers popularity she was already known in Europe and Latin America for her role in Kidou Keiji Jiban, although her role there was shared with Akemi Furukawa who played a similar secondary character. In recent years, Kawai has undergone a major image change. She does not have long black hair; instead, she has lightly dyed brown, short hair. She is not in the forefront of the entertainment industry in Japan, choosing to focus her time learning and teaching Japanese traditional dance, buyo. In late 2006, for her efforts, she was given the name .

Filmography

Television

*NHK- ''Hivision de Konnichiwa'' (Hello in High Vision) *NTV- ''Keijikizoku 3'' (Officer Aristocracy 3) *NTV- ''Kasetsu no Yukue'' (Whereabouts of Hypothesis) *TBS- ''Kabegiwazoku ni Hanataba wo'' (Flower bundles for Those by the Wall) *TBS- ''Toshiba Sunday Theater: Sentimental Journey'' *TBS- ''Toshiba Sunday Theater- Moo Itido, Haru'' (Spring, Once More) *TBS- ''Business Zoomup'' *TBS- ''Just'' *FNN- ''Onna mo Otoko mo naze Korinai'' (Neither Man Nor Woman Inexplicably Do Not Learn) *FNN- ''Kyoto Misu Eigamura Satsujin Jiken'' (Kyoto Movie Village Murder Incident) FNN- Ghoster Hunter Saki *FNN- ''Saishu no Sairetsu'' (Funeral line of a Buddhist Priest) *FNN- ''Koojyo no Reikyuu'' (The Coffin of an Imperial Princess) *FNN- ''Tsugaru satsujin jiken'' (Tsugaru Murder Incident ) *FNN (Skyperfect TV)- ''Science Channel: Jun-san no Omosiro Testudoo Kenkyuujyo'' (Jun's Interesting Railroad Research Laboratory) *TV Asahi- ''Mitsushitsu no Yonjyuusoo'' (Quartet in a Secret Room) *TV Asahi- ''Kidookeiji Jiban'' (Machine Police Jiban) *TV Asahi- ''Prestage: Jyoohoo Saizenretsu Frontrow'' (Information Upfront Frontrow) *TV Asahi- ''Noto Hantoo Onna no Satsujin Fuukei'' (Noto Peninsula: the Scenery of a Woman's Murder) *TV Asahi- ''Tokyuu Shirei Solbrain'' 1991-1992 (Super Rescue Solbrain) *TV Asahi- ''

'' (Dinosaur Squadron Zyuranger) *TV Asahi- ''Hotel Doctor'' *TV Asahi- ''Sasurai Keiji Ryojyoo Hen'' *TV Asahi- ''Hagure keiji Jyunyjoo Ha'' *TV Asahi- ''

Ninja Sentai Kakuranger is a Japanese ''tokusatsu'' television series. It was Toei Company Limited's eighteenth production of the Super Sentai metaseries. The name given to this series by Toei for international distribution is ''Ninja Rangers''. Action footage from ...

'' (Ninja Squadron Kakuranger) *TV Asahi- ''

Juukou B-Fighter , is a 1995 Japanese tokusatsu television series. B-Fighter is short for "Beetle Fighter". It was part of Toei's Metal Hero Series franchise. It dealt with three members of the prestigious fighting against the evil forces of the otherworldly Ja ...

'' *TV Asahi- ''Munetani Honsen Satsujin Jiken'' *TV Tokyo- ''Abunai Syoonen'' (Dangerous Teen) *TV Tokyo- ''Abunai Syoonen 2'' (Dangerous Teen 2) *TV Tokyo- ''Abunai Syoonen 3'' (Dangerous Teen 3) *TV Tokyo- ''Fureai Deai Tabi'' *TV Tokyo- ''Doyoo Special: Honobono Ressya no Tabi'' (Saturday Special: Train Journey) *TV Tokyo- ''Happy Relay Concert''

Theater

*''Pasta to Kakesoba'' (Pasta and Noodles), Aoyama Round Theater *''Maborosi no Mati'' (The Visionary City)

Film

*''Kidoo Keiji Jiban Eigahen'' (Machine Officer Jiban: The Movie) *''Funky Monty Teacher 2 Buruburu'' *''Tensiteki Kyuujitsu'' (Burburu: Angelic Holiday) *''Purogorufa Sikibe Kinjiroo 3'' (Professional golfer Kinjiro Shikibe 3) *''Jinzoo Ningen Hakaida'' (Artificial Human Hakaida)

References

External links

*
Ami Kawai's Webpage (Japanese)F-Plus, Inc by Katsumi Fujita (Japanese)Jun's Interesting Railroad Research Laboratory downloads in Real Media (Japanese)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kawai, Ami 1967 births Living people Japanese film actresses Japanese stage actresses Japanese television actresses Actresses from Tokyo 20th-century Japanese actresses 21st-century Japanese actresses