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is a Japanese singer, actress and semi-retired model. Since 2005, she is primarily known as a singer.Oricon profile
Retrieved March 25, 2012


Biography


Early life

Tsuchiya was born in Tokyo to a Japanese mother and an American father of Irish and Polish descent (the surname of her father is Hider). In her earliest years, she spoke English and Japanese. Tsuchiya's parents divorced when she was seven. She has an older sister, Angela.


Modeling career

Tsuchiya's modeling career began at the age of fourteen after her older sister Angela, a former fashion model, suggested it. She entered her sister's former agency and was picked up by an agent who specialized in magazine-modeling. Her first jobs consisted of modeling for an open collection in
Kobe Kobe ( , ; officially , ) is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture Japan. With a population around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Tokyo and Yokohama. It is located in Kansai region, whi ...
and for Japanese ''Seventeen'' in 1998.Anna tsuhiya profile, Page 2
''
Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan and Western music. It started as, which was founded by Sōkō Koike i ...
''
Demand for her grew and by 2002, she was doing television commercials for Uniqlo and
Edwin The name Edwin means "rich friend". It comes from the Old English elements "ead" (rich, blessed) and "ƿine" (friend). The original Anglo-Saxon form is Eadƿine, which is also found for Anglo-Saxon figures. People * Edwin of Northumbria (die ...
.


Inspiration for "Ichigo"

Her best known role in acting was as "Ichigo Shirayuri" – a rural-delinquent biker-gang girl turned fashion model – in the 2004 movie ''
Kamikaze Girls ''Kamikaze Girls'', originally released in Japan as , is a 2002 Japanese light novel written by Novala Takemoto. The story centers on the friendship between two students named Momoko Ryugasaki and Ichigo "Ichiko" Shirayuri. These two are from ...
''. Ichigo as a model was portrayed as one with tendencies for violent behavior and delinquency. This Blue Ribbon Award-winning role, quite different from the one in the original work written by author and designer Nobara Takemoto, was loosely based on Tsuchiya's actual story which she later revealed after the movie's release.


Retirement

Tsuchiya retired from modeling at 18. She has said that she realized she could no longer compete with "gifted ones" like
Emi Suzuki ,http://person.naver.jp/1108859 (Naver) also called Emichee (えみちぃ), is a Chinese-born Japanese model and retired occasional actress. She debuted in 2005 with ''Seventeen'' and remains a prominent figure in the fashion and modelling indus ...
. She remains in demand for fashion and lifestyle magazines like ''Kera'', ''Soup'', and ''Zipper''.Profile from her Official site
Retrieved November 9, 2007
On June 2, 2007, Tsuchiya attended the official retirement ceremony for the sumo wrestler Kyokushuzan held in Ryogoku Kokugikan, presented him with a bouquet, and appeared in his memorial photobook released on June 4, 2007.


Use of dialects

Although born and raised in Tokyo, she sometimes uses
Kyushu is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surround ...
or
Okinawa is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 Square kilometre, km2 (880 sq mi). ...
slang and speaks in southern dialects especially when she is drunk and on the radio. She has explained that the majority of the models she encountered were from the southern islands or the north, so she learned slang from them. This helped the development of her character Ichigo, the
Bōsōzoku is a Japanese youth subculture associated with customized motorcycles. The first appearance of these types of biker gangs was in the 1950s. Popularity climbed throughout the 1980s and 1990s, peaking at an estimated 42,510 members in 1982. Thei ...
delinquent, in ''Kamikaze Girls''.Hatena Keyword


Music career

Tsuchiya sang in her school choir and has been involved in the music industry since age 16. At 18, she terminated her contract with Japanese ''Seventeen'', and supposedly decided to leave show business altogether. However, after an offer by former Oblivion Dust member
K.A.Z , known exclusively by his stage name K.A.Z, is a Japanese musician and songwriter. He is known for his work with Oblivion Dust, hide with Spread Beaver and Vamps. Career K.A.Z originally wanted to be a drummer, but drums were too expensive. H ...
, she invested in her music career. In mid-2002, she formed the rock duo
Spin Aqua Spin Aqua were a short-lived musical project between the model Anna Tsuchiya and the former Oblivion Dust guitarist K.A.Z. The duo performed music together for a year and seven months, releasing music for less than a year under the on the popular ...
with
K.A.Z , known exclusively by his stage name K.A.Z, is a Japanese musician and songwriter. He is known for his work with Oblivion Dust, hide with Spread Beaver and Vamps. Career K.A.Z originally wanted to be a drummer, but drums were too expensive. H ...
.Spin Aqua web
Retrieved November 9, 2007
Tsuchiya has said her influences have changed over the years, from
Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed "Honorific nicknames in popular music, The Voice", she is Whitney Houston albums discography, one of the bestselling music artists ...
,
Diana Ross Diana Ross (born March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame as the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown's most successful act during the 1960s and one of the world's best-selling girl groups ...
,
Cyndi Lauper Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper Thornton (born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and activist. Her career has spanned over 40 years. Her album ''She's So Unusual'' (1983) was the first debut album by a female artist to achi ...
,
Bette Midler Bette Midler (;'' Inside the Actors Studio'', 2004 born December 1, 1945) is an American singer, actress, comedian and author. Throughout her career, which spans over five decades, Midler has received numerous accolades, including four Golden ...
and
Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the w ...
, to
Bon Jovi Bon Jovi is an American rock band formed in 1983 in Sayreville, New Jersey. It consists of singer Jon Bon Jovi, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, guitarist Phil X, and bassist Hugh McDonald. Original bassist Alec John such qu ...
and
Guns N' Roses Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1985. When they signed to Geffen Records in 1986, the band comprised vocalist Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff ...
. Soon after she debuted as a singer, she was dubbed "The Second Nanase" because of her resemblance to
Nanase Aikawa is a Japanese singer. She publishes her music under the Motorod label, a division of Avex Group. Biography Early life Nanase Aikawa was born on February 16, 1975, in Osaka, Japan. Throughout her school years, Nanase had sung and participate ...
.
Spin Aqua Spin Aqua were a short-lived musical project between the model Anna Tsuchiya and the former Oblivion Dust guitarist K.A.Z. The duo performed music together for a year and seven months, releasing music for less than a year under the on the popular ...
released three singles, one album, and a video collection, without commercial success. In 2004, Tsuchiya became pregnant, and the group disbanded. In 2005, Tsuchiya announced plans to begin a solo career. On August 24 of that year, she released her first mini-album, ''
Taste My Beat ''Taste My Beat'', Anna Tsuchiya's first solo release as a mini album, was released after the disbanding of her former band Spin Aqua. Although there were no singles made from this mini-album, Taste My Skin was used as a radio single for promotion ...
'', on
Avex Group is a Japanese entertainment conglomerate led by founder Max Matsuura and headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Founded in 1988, the company manages J-pop talents like Ayumi Hamasaki and internet sensation PikoTaro. It has also shifted into other busi ...
's sub-label, Mad Pray Records.JAME profile
Retrieved November 9, 2007
Her first single was " Change Your Life", followed by a second single entitled "Slap that Naughty Body" / "My Fate". After these releases, Tsuchiya released her first remix album, ''Taste My Xxxremixxxxxxx!!!!!!!! Beat Life!'' Her third single, "Rose", was used as the opening theme for '' Nana'';
Olivia Lufkin Olivia Lufkin (born December 9, 1979), professionally known as Olivia, is a Japanese-American bilingual singer and songwriter.
's "Starless Night" was used as the ending theme. This boosted Tsuchiya's music career, as "Rose" reached No. 6 on the
Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan and Western music. It started as, which was founded by Sōkō Koike i ...
charts and become her first Top Ten Hit. In July 2006, Tsuchiya made her first overseas appearance at the Japan Expo in Paris, France.ANNA in France
Retrieved November 9, 2007
During this time, to boost her popularity, she also debuted her album '' Strip Me?''. In early 2007, after a short hiatus, she returned to the music scene with a new single called "
Kuroi Namida is the fourth single by Japanese singer Anna Tsuchiya, released on 10 January 2007 under the pseudonym "Anna Tsuchiya inspi' Nana (Black Stones)" on the Mad Pray Records Label, a sub-label to Avex. It spent six weeks in the Oricon singles chart, ...
". This song would also be featured in the ''Nana'' anime. This was followed by the third Nana anime opening single, "
Lucy Lucy is an English feminine given name derived from the Latin masculine given name Lucius with the meaning ''as of light'' (''born at dawn or daylight'', maybe also ''shiny'', or ''of light complexion''). Alternative spellings are Luci, Luce, Lu ...
", in early February. This directly preceded a second full-length Nana album, titled ''
Anna Tsuchiya Inspi' Nana (Black Stones) ''Anna Tsuchiya Inspi' Nana (Black Stones)'' is an album released by rock recording artist Anna Tsuchiya. It was released on Mad Pray Records, February 28, 2007. It is both a soundtrack for the NANA anime, as well as her second solo studio albu ...
'', which contained singles from the show and new songs. A quasi-soundtrack album called '' Nana Best'' was then released, which included popular and unreleased songs by both her and Olivia Lufkin from the TV series. In March 2007, Lufkin's and Tsuchiya's songs from these albums were played at
Shibuya AX Shibuya (渋谷 区 ''Shibuya-ku'') is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. As a major commercial and finance center, it houses two of the busiest railway stations in the world, Shinjuku Station (southern half) and Shibuya Station. As of April 1, ...
in Tokyo in March 2007.NANA PREMIUM LIVE
Retrieved November 9, 2007
On June 30 of the same year, Tsuchiya performed at
Anime Expo Anime Expo, abbreviated AX, is an American anime convention held in Los Angeles, California and organized by the non-profit Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA). The convention is traditionally held annually on the first w ...
in
Long Beach, California Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...
, followed by performances on July 27 at
Pentaport Rock Festival Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival () is a rock festival which is held annually in Incheon, South Korea for three days in August. Launched in 2006, it is considered one of the biggest live music events in South Korea. The festival covers various genr ...
in South Korea, and on July 29 at Formoz Festival in
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the no ...
. Called Tsichiya's "World Fez Tour", the series of performances concluded with a summer tour in Japan, which included a performance for a second time at
Summer Sonic Festival The , also known as Supersonic, is an annual two- or three-day rock festival held at the same time in Osaka and Chiba, Japan. The majority of the bands playing in Osaka the first day go to Chiba the following day and vice versa. The line-up co ...
.ANNA lives
Retrieved November 9, 2007
Shortly after the conclusion of the tour, Tsuchiya released her single "Bubble Trip" / "Sweet Sweet Song" on August 1. The single " Cocoon" was released on January 30, 2008, followed in June by the single "Crazy World" which was a collaboration with the Japanese
EMI Music EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At the time of its break-up in 2012 ...
recording artist AI. Tsuchiya released a third single in September 2008, "
Virgin Cat Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...
", which was used to promote the show ''
The L Word ''The L Word'' is a television drama that aired on Showtime from January 18, 2004 to March 8, 2009. The series follows the lives of a group of lesbian and bisexual women who live in West Hollywood, California. The premise originated with Ile ...
'' in Japan. In October 2008, she released her third full-length album, the sexually explicit ''
Nudy Show! NUDY SHOW! is Anna Tsuchiya is a Japanese singer, actress and semi-retired model. Since 2005, she is primarily known as a singer.
'' In 2009 Tsuchiya performed a set with a full orchestra at the New Classic Gig in Tokyo, revealing herself as a fan of Chopin and his " Revolutionary Etude" in particular. The orchestra included 70 members and the show was broadcast in 38 countries. In May 2010, Tsuchiya's remix of her ''Nudy Show!'' album was released, titled ''Nudy xxxremixxxxxxx!!!!!!!! Show!'' Tsuchiya's song "Guilty" was featured in the ending credits of the film '' Resident Evil: Degeneration''. On November 23, 2011, she released "Switch On!", her thirteenth single. It is the opening theme for the ''
Kamen Rider Series The , also known as ''Masked Rider Series'' (until Decade), is a Japanese superhero media franchise consisting of tokusatsu television programs, films, manga, and anime, created by manga artist Shotaro Ishinomori. ''Kamen Rider'' media generall ...
'', ''
Kamen Rider Fourze is a Japanese tokusatsu drama in Toei Company's Kamen Rider Series, being the thirteenth series in the Heisei period run and the twenty-second overall. It began airing on September 4, 2011, the week following the conclusion of ''Kamen Rider OOO'' ...
''. She decided to record the song because her son was a fan of the previous series, ''
Kamen Rider OOO is a 2010-2011 Japanese tokusatsu drama in Toei Company's Kamen Rider Series, being the twelfth series in the Heisei period run and the twenty-first overall. It began airing on September 5, 2010, the week following the conclusion of '' Kamen Ri ...
.'' She herself watched earlier versions while growing up. On August 22, 2012, she released another ''Kamen Rider'' single: ''Voyagers'', the theme song to '' Kamen Rider Fourze the Movie: Space, Here We Come!''.


Acting career

Tsuchiya made her acting debut in 2004 in
Novala Takemoto is the professional name of , a Japanese author and fashion designer. Biography Takemoto was born in Uji, south of Kyoto. As a child, he was shy and preferred drawing and reading (two of his favorite authors were Osamu Dazai and Yasunari Kawaba ...
's adapted hit ''
Kamikaze Girls ''Kamikaze Girls'', originally released in Japan as , is a 2002 Japanese light novel written by Novala Takemoto. The story centers on the friendship between two students named Momoko Ryugasaki and Ichigo "Ichiko" Shirayuri. These two are from ...
'' as the girl biker punk
yankī The term ''Yankee'' and its contracted form ''Yank'' have several interrelated meanings, all referring to people from the United States. Its various senses depend on the context, and may refer to New Englanders, residents of the Northern United St ...
"Ichigo Shirayuri". This role brought her both immediate attention and critical success, with Tsuchiya winning several awards in Japan. Tsuchiya's success in acting continued with various movie performances and appearances in
dramas Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been c ...
such as
Katsuhito Ishii is a Japanese film director best known for directing '' The Taste of Tea'' (2004), '' Funky Forest'' (2005), and ''Smuggler'' (2011). Career After graduating from Musashino Art University, Ishii got a job at Tohokushinsha Film and began dir ...
's ''
The Taste of Tea is the third film by Japanese writer and director Katsuhito Ishii. It has been referred to as a "surreal" version of Ingmar Bergman's ''Fanny and Alexander'' (1982). It was a selection of the Cannes Film Festival. Synopsis The film follows the li ...
'' which played at
Cannes Cannes ( , , ; oc, Canas) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. The ...
, the 2007 live-action remake of '' Dororo'', and as the voice of
Lindsay Lohan Lindsay Dee Lohan ( ; born July 2, 1986) is an American actress and singer. Born in New York City and raised on Long Island, Lohan was signed to Ford Models at the age of three. Having appeared as a regular on the television soap opera '' An ...
's character "Maggie Peyton" in the Japanese dub of '' Herbie: Fully Loaded''. In February 2007's '' Sakuran'' she played the rebellious but beautiful courtesan Kiyoha in a live action adaptation of the
manga Manga ( Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is ...
. Her latest performance in a film is starring in the
live-action Live action (or live-action) is a form of cinematography or videography that uses photography instead of animation. Some works combine live-action with animation to create a live-action animated film. Live-action is used to define film, video ...
adaptation of the manga '' The Legend of Kamui''. In addition to acting, she has also been known for her impersonation skills, of many martial artists and wrestlers, most notably
Wanderlei Silva Wanderlei César da Silva ( , , ; born 3 July 1976) is a Brazilian-American former mixed martial artist who competed in Japan's Pride Fighting Championships and the American-based Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He holds the record for the ...
,
Melvin Manhoef Melvin Manhoef (born 11 May 1976) is a retired Surinamese-born Dutch mixed martial artist and kickboxer. In kickboxing, he is a former It's Showtime Middleweight Champion, and in MMA he was the Cage Rage Light Heavyweight Champion. In mixed mar ...
and
Jun Kasai (born September 9, 1974) is a Japanese professional wrestler, primarily competing for Pro Wrestling Freedoms. Dubbed the for his violent and often self-harmful style of hardcore wrestling, Kasai is considered a breakthrough talent in Japanese ...
.


Personal life

In 2004, Tsuchiya announced her engagement to model and actor Joshua Niimura, the younger brother of model Friedia Niimura (Rin Kozue). On November 19, 2004, Tsuchiya gave birth to their first child, a son named who is featured in a photobook with his mother, titled, ''Happy Days – Anna, Mama ni Naru!''. In July 2006, it was announced that Tsuchiya and Niimura had divorced.Anna Diary
Retrieved November 9, 2007
In May 2008, Niimura died of heart failure at the age of 25. In a 2008 interview in ''
The Japan Times ''The Japan Times'' is Japan's largest and oldest English-language daily newspaper. It is published by , a subsidiary of News2u Holdings, Inc.. It is headquartered in the in Kioicho, Chiyoda, Tokyo. History ''The Japan Times'' was launched b ...
'', Tsuchiya said: "It is cool being wild and broken-down, but drinking at nighttime is enough for me. I believe when you make rock music, it might not be cool if you behave not so cleverly. Actually, I've been rather earnest. When I drink a bit, I can get crazy, but not too much. The happiest thing for me is my family." In September 2009, Tsuchiya wrote on her blog that she was pregnant and had married her long-time stylist, Yamato Kikuchi. The two had begun dating in 2007.Anna Tsuchiya pregnant
Retrieved June 19, 2008
On March 26, 2010, Tsuchiya gave birth to her second son, . The couple divorced in 2016. On March 6, 2017, she gave birth to her third child – a daughter, Seina. On November 21, 2018, she gave birth to her fourth child, a girl, .


Discography

*''
Taste My Beat ''Taste My Beat'', Anna Tsuchiya's first solo release as a mini album, was released after the disbanding of her former band Spin Aqua. Although there were no singles made from this mini-album, Taste My Skin was used as a radio single for promotion ...
'' (2005) *'' Strip Me?'' (2006) *''
Anna Tsuchiya Inspi' Nana (Black Stones) ''Anna Tsuchiya Inspi' Nana (Black Stones)'' is an album released by rock recording artist Anna Tsuchiya. It was released on Mad Pray Records, February 28, 2007. It is both a soundtrack for the NANA anime, as well as her second solo studio albu ...
'' (2007) *''
Nudy Show! NUDY SHOW! is Anna Tsuchiya is a Japanese singer, actress and semi-retired model. Since 2005, she is primarily known as a singer.
'' (2008) *''
Rule Rule or ruling may refer to: Education * Royal University of Law and Economics (RULE), a university in Cambodia Human activity * The exercise of political or personal control by someone with authority or power * Business rule, a rule pert ...
'' (2010)


Filmography


Films


Dubbing roles


Works


Photobooks

This is a compilation of her column at Flyman Postman Press.Flyman Postman Press
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References


External links

* * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Tsuchiya, Anna 1984 births Japanese actresses Japanese women pop singers Japanese women rock singers Avex Group artists Living people Japanese female models Japanese people of American descent Japanese people of Irish descent Japanese people of Polish descent Anime musicians Singers from Tokyo 21st-century Japanese singers 21st-century Japanese women singers Models from Tokyo Metropolis Masked Singer winners