is a critically acclaimed Japanese actress and

model A model is an informative representation of an object, person or system. The term originally denoted the Plan_(drawing), plans of a building in late 16th-century English, and derived via French and Italian ultimately from Latin ''modulus'', a mea ...

known for her role in the horror film ''

Ring Ring may refer to: * Ring (jewellery), a round band, usually made of metal, worn as ornamental jewelry * To make a sound with a bell, and the sound made by a bell :(hence) to initiate a telephone connection Arts, entertainment and media Film and ...

''. She was also the female lead character in the drama '' A Story of Love'', along with ''Ring'' co-star

Hiroyuki Sanada is a Japanese actor and martial artist. He is best known to international audiences for his roles as Genbu in ''Ninja in the Dragon's Den'' (1982), Ryuji Takayama in ''Ring'' (1998), Seibei Iguchi in ''The Twilight Samurai'' (2002), Ujio in ''T ...

. In 2011, her drama ''

Kaseifu no Mita is a 2011 Japanese television drama series. A family grieving their mother's recent death hires Akari Mita as a housekeeper to upkeep the house, which has been thrown into disarray. Mita, who is played by actress Nanako Matsushima, will do a ...

'' reached a viewer rating of 40%, making it one of the highest rated Japanese dramas of all time.

Biography

Personal life

Matsushima was born in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture. On February 21, 2001, she married Japanese actor

Takashi Sorimachi is a Japanese actor and singer. He is mostly famous for having portrayed Eikichi Onizuka in the 1998 live-action drama adaptation of the popular manga series ''Great Teacher Onizuka'', and the assassin O in Hong Kong action film '' Fulltime Kil ...

, her co-star in the hit drama GTO (

Great Teacher Onizuka ''Great Teacher Onizuka'', officially abbreviated as ''GTO'', is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tooru Fujisawa. It was originally serialized in Kodansha's ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' from January 1997 to February 2 ...

). They have two daughters together, born on May 31, 2004, and November 30, 2007. She has been called one of Japan's most beautiful women.

Career

Matsushima has appeared in a number of popular or critically acclaimed dramas, and she has won the Best Actress Award at the Japan Television Drama Academy Awards six times. In 1997, Matsushima was selected to play the female lead, a poor but happy designer who happens to run a shop in a building owned by a wealthy, arrogant but dying rich man played by ''

'' in the drama '' A Story of Love''. The drama chronicles the trial and tribulations that the leads undergo as their feelings developed into something more than mere friendship. In 1998, Matsushima starred together with her now husband,

in the drama ''

'', about a former delinquent turned teacher. The drama which was based on a popular manga, received a 35.7 rating for its final episode, making it one of the highest rated Japanese dramas ever. Matsushima was also selected to play Tsubaki Domyouji, the sister of the main male lead Domyouji Tsukasa in the popular drama ''

Hana Yori Dango (TV series) is a 2005 Japanese television drama series starring Mao Inoue, Jun Matsumoto of Arashi, Shun Oguri, Shota Matsuda, and Tsuyoshi Abe. It is based on the ''shōjo'' manga series, , written and illustrated by Yoko Kamio. A sequel entitled ''H ...

'' and ''

Hana Yori Dango Returns is a Japanese television drama series, broadcast on TBS in 2007. It is the sequel to the 2005 TV series '' Boys Over Flowers'', based on the original ''shōjo'' manga series by Yoko Kamio. It is followed by the film '' Hana yori Dango Fin ...

''. Both dramas were a rating success with the final episode of ''

'' peaking at 27.6. Matsushima subsequently appeared as the female lead in the controversial drama ''

Majo no Jōken (English title: ''Terms for a Witch'') is a drama series that aired in Japan on TBS in 1999. This drama features Nanako Matsushima of ''Great Teacher Onizuka'' fame and Hideaki Takizawa of the idol duo Tackey & Tsubasa. Synopsis Michi Hirose, a ...

'' which centres on the romance between a teacher and her student. Despite its controversial nature, the drama was awarded the best drama at the 21st Japan Television Drama Academy Awards. In 2011, Matsushima starred in the hit '' I am Mita, Your Housekeeper'', the final episode which garnered the rating of 40%, making it one of the highest rated Japanese dramas of all-time.''I am Mita, Your Housekeeper'' won several awards, including the ''Best Drama'' and ''Best Female Actress'' awards, at the 71st Television Drama Academy Awards. Matsushima was also cast as the main lead in the cult classic horror film ''

'', often cited as one of the best horror films of all-time. This film brought Matsushima worldwide recognition and it has since been remade into an American film. Matsushima has also appeared in several other popular films, amongst them the 2000 film '' Whiteout'', which grossed over 4.2 billion yen in Japan. For her role in the film, Matsushima was nominated for the Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role award at the ''

24th Japan Academy Film Prize The is the 24th edition of the ''Japan Academy Film Prize'', an award presented by the Nippon Academy-Sho Association to award excellence in filmmaking. It awarded the best films of 2000 and it took place on March 9, 2001 at the Grand Prince Hote ...

''. In September 2021, she co-starred in a commercial for

Uber Eats Uber Eats is an online food ordering and delivery platform launched by Uber in 2014. Meals are delivered by couriers using cars, scooters, bikes, or on foot. It is operational in over 6,000 cities across 45 countries as of 2021. The process of ...

alongside

Matt Kuwata , known professionally as or Matt Rose, is a Japanese media personality, model, and musician. Early life His father is former professional baseball player Masumi Kuwata; his older brother Masaki is also a former professional baseball player, a ...

.https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/8cb8de57e9024660d36d78f9ec1800a01391798d

Filmography

TV dramas

Film

Awards

References

External links

* *.
Nanako Matsushima
from Sumitomo Life Insurance.
Nanako Matsushima English infoNanako Matsushima J-Dorama
{{DEFAULTSORT:Matsushima, Nanako 1973 births Living people Actresses from Yokohama Japanese film actresses Japanese female models Asadora lead actors Taiga drama lead actors Japanese television actresses 20th-century Japanese actresses 21st-century Japanese actresses