is a Japanese singer, dancer, model and actress. She is a member of

J-Pop J-pop ( ja, ジェイポップ, ''jeipoppu''; often stylized as J-POP; an abbreviated form of "Japanese popular music"), natively also known simply as , is the name for a form of popular music that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1 ...

group

Happiness Happiness, in the context of Mental health, mental or emotional states, is positive or Pleasure, pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. Other forms include life satisfaction, well-being, subjective well-being, flourishin ...

, and a former member

E-girls E-girls (sometimes stylized as E-Girls or e-girls; stands for Exile Girls) was a Japanese collective girl group created and managed by LDH while signed to music label Rhythm Zone from Avex. As of 2017, the band consisted of 11 members; 8 of wh ...

, and ShuuKaRen, and an exclusive model for the magazines '' JJ'' and '' Nicola''. Karen is represented by LDH.

Early life

Karen entered the entertainment industry at a very young age after she was scouted in her hometown, Osaka. While belonging to the office in which she got scouted, she participated in one of

Exile Exile is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons and peoples suf ...

's dance competitions and began attending LDH's talent academy EXPG (Exile Professional Gym), studying both dancing and singing. Her sister Shuuka also attended EXPG. As a junior high school student, she moved from Osaka to Tokyo and started to live in a dormitory.

Career

On October 26 in 2008, Karen became one of the EXPG graduates who were chosen to be members of the performance group

, marking the start in her career as a vocalist and performer. Her official stage name became Karen (stylized as KAREN). In February 2009 she started her modeling career by becoming an exclusive model for the fashion magazine '' Nicola''. On February 9, 2011, she made her major debut with Happiness with their single "Kiss Me". On April 24 in the same year, she was announced as member of

(alongside all other members of Happiness), having a concurrent position in E-girls and Happiness. Karen graduated as an exclusive model for ''Nicola'' in May 2013. In June she changed her stage name and started using her birth name. On July 22, it was announced that Karen would start working as an exclusive model for '' JJ'', also a fashion magazine, from its September issue onward. In January 2014 she made her debut as actress on the Nippon TV drama ''

A Perfect Day for Love Letters is a Japanese manga short story series written and illustrated by George Asakura. Each story depicts a relationship that revolves around the use of love letters. The stories were originally published by Kodansha in the '' shōjo'' (aimed at ...

'' (''Koibumi Biyori).'' On August 11, 2016, she was announced to debut in the unit ShuuKaRen alongside

Shuuka Fujii is a former Japanese dancer, fashion model, actress, and singer. She performed as a member of the music groups E-girls, Flower, and ShuuKaRen, and was a former exclusive model for '' JJ'' and ''Love Berry''. Fujii announced her retirement from th ...

. The duo debuted on October 5. In February 2017, she was the cover of the April issue of ''JJ'', being her first magazine cover since her debut as a model. On December 31 in the same year, Shuuka graduated from Flower and ShuuKaRen and retired from entertainment industry. With Karen being the only remaining member of the duo, ShuuKaRen disbanded. In November 2018, Karen was chosen as one of the ambassadors for LDH Martial Arts' "ENERGY PROJECT" which advertises different fitness supplies from LDH's original brand. On July 16, 2019, she released her first photobook titled ''KAREN''. In August of the same year, Karen collaborated as a creative director with fashion label ''

Samantha Thavasa Samantha Thavasa is a Japanese luxury fashion house founded in 1994 by Kazumasa Terada. The label is known primarily for its handbags popular among women in their twenties. Other accessory lines such as Samantha Thavasa Deluxe, Samantha Vega, Sa ...

'' for a collection of designer bags, titled ''Samantha Vega Girl''. In the same year, she also starred in a special collaboration movie of ''Saint Laurent'' and '' i-D Japan'' alongside Sho Kiyohara.

Personal life

Karen is the younger sister of Johnny's West member Ryusei Fujii and former

Flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

and ShuuKaRen member

Filmography

''To see her appearances with Happiness, see Happiness (Japanese group), to see her appearances with E-girls, see
E-girls E-girls (sometimes stylized as E-Girls or e-girls; stands for Exile Girls) was a Japanese collective girl group created and managed by LDH while signed to music label Rhythm Zone from Avex. As of 2017, the band consisted of 11 members; 8 of wh ...
.''

Runways

TV Dramas

Films

Internet TV

TV Shows

Commercials

Music videos

Voice acting

Bibliography

Style books/Photo books

Magazines

Catalogues

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Fujii, Karen 1996 births Actresses from Osaka Prefecture Japanese female dancers Japanese female models LDH (company) artists Living people Models from Osaka Prefecture Musicians from Osaka Prefecture People from Osaka Prefecture 21st-century Japanese singers 21st-century Japanese women singers