is a Japanese actress and former teen idol. She is regarded as one of Japan's top actresses, and her accolades include six Japan Academy Film Prizes and three

Kinema Junpo Awards , commonly called , is Japan's oldest film magazine and began publication in July 1919. It was first published three times a month, using the Japanese ''Jun'' (旬) system of dividing months into three parts, but the postwar ''Kinema Junpō'' ha ...

Miyazawa began her career as a child model, seeing wide exposure as the original

face The face is the front of an animal's head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may aff ...

of Mitsui Rehouse, and made her acting debut in the 1988 film ''Seven Day's War'', for which she won the Japan Academy Award for Newcomer of the Year at age sixteen. Her short-lived music career began with the single "Dream Rush" in 1989, and the next year she performed at the prestigious ''

Kōhaku Uta Gassen , more commonly known simply as ''Kōhaku'', is an annual New Year's Eve television special produced by Japanese public broadcaster NHK. It is broadcast live simultaneously on television and radio, nationally and internationally by the NHK net ...

'' television special. Miyazawa quickly rose to prominence as one of the top idols of the early

Heisei The is the period of Japanese history corresponding to the reign of Emperor Emeritus Akihito from 8 January 1989 until his abdication on 30 April 2019. The Heisei era started on 8 January 1989, the day after the death of the Emperor Hirohito, ...

period, attracting controversy for her 1991 nude photography book '' Santa Fe'', which moved 1.5 million copies. Her personal struggles were further scrutinized, including a high-profile engagement to sumo wrestler Takanohana, a suicide attempt and battle with

anorexia nervosa Anorexia nervosa, often referred to simply as anorexia, is an eating disorder characterized by low weight, food restriction, body image disturbance, fear of gaining weight, and an overpowering desire to be thin. ''Anorexia'' is a term of Gr ...

. By 1996, she went into hiatus and briefly resettled in San Diego. She took on a few

television drama In film and television show, television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or docudrama, semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humour, humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms t ...

roles in the late 1990s, and returned to the big screen in the Taiwanese films ''

The Cabbie ''The Cabbie'' () is a 2000 Taiwanese film directed by Chang Huakun and Chen Yi-wen. It was Taiwan's submission to the 74th Academy Awards for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, but was not accepted as a nominee. Cast *Rie Miyazaw ...

'' (2000) and ''

Peony Pavilion ''The Peony Pavilion'' ( zh, t=牡丹亭, s=牡丹亭, p=Mǔdān tíng, w=Mu-tan t'ing), also named ''The Return of Soul at the Peony Pavilion'', is a romantic tragicomedy play written by dramatist Tang Xianzu in 1598. The plot was drawn from the sh ...

'' (2001). She co-starred in the highly-acclaimed 2002 film ''

The Twilight Samurai ''The Twilight Samurai'' is a 2002 Japanese historical drama film co-written and directed by Yoji Yamada and starring Hiroyuki Sanada and Rie Miyazawa. Set in mid-19th century Japan, a few years before the Meiji Restoration, it follows the life ...

'', which marked a full-fledged comeback for Miyazawa and remains as her most recognizable role both domestically and internationally. She saw further success in ''

The Face of Jizo is a Japanese play written by Hisashi Inoue. Plays * It was performed by Komatsuza as their 34th Play, from September 3 to 18, 1994, directed by Hitoshi Uyama, starring by Masayo Umezawa and Kei Suma. It has been performed frequently not o ...

'' and ''

Tony Takitani is a 2004 Japanese film directed by Jun Ichikawa, based on the short story by Haruki Murakami. Inspiration Haruki Murakami was intrigued by the name Tony Takitani when, at a garage sale on Maui, he found a yellow T-shirt that said, "Tony Takitan ...

'' (2004), and received several accolades for ''

Pale Moon Pale Moon is an open-source web browser with an emphasis on customization; its motto is "Your browser, Your way". There are official releases for Microsoft Windows and Linux, as well as contributed builds for various platforms. Pale Moon origi ...

'' (2014) and ''

Her Love Boils Bathwater is a 2016 Japanese drama film directed by Ryōta Nakano. It was selected as the Japanese entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 90th Academy Awards, but it was not nominated. Plot Futaba (Rie Miyazawa) single-handedly raising her teenage ...

'' (2016).

Life and career

Miyazawa was born in Tokyo to a Dutch father and a Japanese mother. Since her debut at age 11 in an advertisement for

Kit Kat Kit Kat (stylised as KitKat in various countries) is a chocolate-covered wafer bar confection created by Rowntree's of York, United Kingdom, and is now produced globally by Nestlé (which acquired Rowntree's in 1988), except in the United Stat ...

, she has appeared many films, television shows, commercials, stage appearances and photo books to her credit. She starred in the children's comedy ''Bokura no Nanokakan Sensō'' (''Seven Days' War'') and ''Tokyo Elevator Girl''. Miyazawa made her debut as a singer on September 15, 1989, with her album ''MU''. Miyazawa gained notoriety in 1991 with the publication of a fine art nude photography book, '' Santa Fe'', and even more publicity in 1992 with her engagement to

sumo is a form of competitive full-contact wrestling where a ''rikishi'' (wrestler) attempts to force his opponent out of a circular ring (''dohyō'') or into touching the ground with any body part other than the soles of his feet (usually by thr ...

star Takanohana. The engagement was called off in 1993. In September 1994 she cut her wrists with a broken glass in what she described as an "accident". The tabloids focused on Miyazawa's drinking session, fights with her mother, and her escape to a nearby hotel as signs of a

suicide attempt A suicide attempt is an attempt to die by suicide that results in survival. It may be referred to as a "failed" or "unsuccessful" suicide attempt, though these terms are discouraged by mental health professionals for implying that a suicide res ...

. Miyazawa continued to pursue her career as an actress, including a performance in

Kon Ichikawa was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. His work displays a vast range in genre and style, from the anti-war films '' The Burmese Harp'' (1956) and '' Fires on the Plain'' (1959), to the documentary ''Tokyo Olympiad'' (1965), which won t ...

's movie ''

47 Ronin 47, 47 or forty-seven may refer to: *47 (number) *47 BC * AD 47 *1947 * 2047 *'47 (brand), an American clothing brand * ''47'' (magazine), an American publication * 47 (song), a song by Sidhu Moose Wala *47, a song by New Found Glory from the alb ...

'' that year. But the following February she pulled out of the drama ''Kura'' and in November backed out of the musical ''

Kyote Kyote is an unincorporated community in Atascosa County, Texas, United States. According to the Handbook of Texas, the community had a population of 34 in 2000. It is located within the San Antonio metropolitan area. History The Kyote post offic ...

''. In early 1996 Miyazawa moved to

Coastal California Coastal California, also known as the California Coastline and the Golden Coast, refers to the coastal regions of the U.S. state of California. The term is not primarily geographical as it also describes an area distinguished by cultural, economic ...

, but by May she was back on TV reporting from the

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films o ...

and later that year she appeared in two TV dramas: '' Hanayome Kaizoebito'' and '' Kyosokyoku''. In 1997 she made ''Mikeneko Homes (tasogare) Hoteru'' and also appeared on stage. In 2001, Miyazawa won the Best Actress Award at the

23rd Moscow International Film Festival The 23rd Moscow International Film Festival was held from 21 to 30 June 2001. The Golden St. George was awarded to the American film '' The Believer'' directed by Henry Bean. Jury * Margarethe von Trotta (Germany – President of the Jury) * Jia ...

by portraying a Chinese

Kunqu Kunqu (), also known as Kunju (), K'un-ch'ü, Kun opera or Kunqu Opera, is one of the oldest extant forms of Chinese opera. Kunqu is one of the oldest traditional operas of the Han nationality, and is also a treasure of Chinese traditional cult ...

performer in the Hong Kong film

, directed by

Yonfan Yonfan (born 14 October 1947) is a Hong Kong film director and photographer. Biography He was born in Wuhan, Hubei, Republic of China (1912–49), Republic of China. As the Yang family emigrated from mainland China, they lived first in Hong Kong ...

. Then in 2002, she starred alongside

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 ''Tasogare Seibei'' (''

''), the year's hit movie that won numerous awards at home, including ones for the lead actors, and was nominated for an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

Best Foreign Language Film This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...

. In 2003 she played the role of Oshino in the NHK TV series ''Musashi''. ''

'' (2004) — an adaptation of a short story by the bestselling author

Haruki Murakami is a Japanese writer. His novels, essays, and short stories have been bestsellers in Japan and internationally, with his work translated into 50 languages and having sold millions of copies outside Japan. He has received numerous awards for his ...

— received critical acclaim, with Miyazawa playing two roles alongside

Issey Ogata is a Japanese actor and comedian. He was interested in plays since childhood. After he graduated from Toyotama High School in Japan, he joined a theatrical company and appeared on the stage. Later, he jumped at the opportunity to be an entertai ...

. The film, which was entered at the

Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,66 ...

, has been described as "a perfectly controlled minimalist film masterpiece". In 2005, she starred as Tsubaki in ''

Ashurajō no Hitomi is a 2005 Japanese horror film, starring Ichikawa Somegorō VII, Rie Miyazawa and Kanako Higuchi. Directed by Yōjirō Takita, it is a film adaptation of a 1987 Kazuki Nakashima play set in the 16th century. It has been released on DVD-Vide ...

'' (あしゅらじょうのひとみ), which is a movie adaptation of a 16th-century play. Most recently, Miyazawa received the

40th Japan Academy Prize The is the 40th 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 2016 and took place on March 3, 2017 at the Grand Prince Hotel ...

for Best Actress for her performance in

Personal life

On February 13, 2009, Miyazawa announced to the public that she was six months pregnant and would soon marry the father of the child who is reported to be Hiroyuki Nakatsu, an ex-pro surfer from Hawaii turned entrepreneur. On May 20, 2009 in Tokyo she gave birth to a baby girl. On March 23, 2016, Miyazawa announced that her divorce from Nakatsu has been finalized.

Filmography

Film

* ''Seven Days' War'' (1988) — Hitomi Nakayama * '' Who Do I Choose?'' (1989) * ''Basara: The Princess Goh'' (1992) * '' Erotic Liaisons'' (1992) * ''Kin chan no Cinema Jack II : Light of Firefly'' (1994) * ''

'' (1994) * ''Tenshu monogatari'' (1995) * ''

'' (2000) * ''

'' (2001) * ''Free and Easy 12: Big Holiday Bonus Project'' (2001) * ''Utsutsu'' (2002) * ''

'' (2002) * ''

'' (2004) * ''

'' (2005) * ''

The Book of the Dead The ''Book of the Dead'' ( egy, 𓂋𓏤𓈒𓈒𓈒𓏌𓏤𓉐𓂋𓏏𓂻𓅓𓉔𓂋𓅱𓇳𓏤, ''rw n(y)w prt m hrw(w)'') is an ancient Egyptian funerary text generally written on papyrus and used from the beginning of the New Kingdom ...

'' (2005)—Voice * ''

Hana Hana or HANA may refer to: Places Europe * Haná, an ethnic region in Moravia, Czech Republic * Traianoupoli, Greece, called Hana during the Ottoman period * Hana, Norway, a borough in the city of Sandnes, Norway West Asia * Hana, Iran, a ci ...

'' (2006) * ''The Invitation from Cinema Orion'' (2007) * ''Dreaming Awake'' (2008) * ''Haha Shan no Komoriuta'' (2009) * ''Gelatin Silver Love'' (2009) * ''

Kiki's Delivery Service is a 1989 Japanese Anime, animated fantasy film written, produced, and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, adapted from the Kiki's Delivery Service (novel), 1985 novel by Eiko Kadono. It was animated by Studio Ghibli for Tokuma Shoten, Yamato Transpor ...

'' (2014) * ''

'' (2014) — Rika Umezawa * '' Too Young to Die!'' (2016) * ''

'' (2016) * ''

No Longer Human is a 1948 Japanese novel by Osamu Dazai. It is considered Dazai's masterpiece and ranks as the second-best selling novel ever in Japan, behind Natsume Sōseki's ''Kokoro''. The literal translation of the title, discussed by Donald Keene in his ...

'' (2019) * ''Seven Days War'' (2019) — Hitomi Nakayama (voice) * ''Independence of Japan'' (2020) —

Masako Shirasu Masako Shirasu (白洲正子, Shirasu Masako) (January 7, 1910 – December 26, 1998) was a Japanese author and collector of fine arts. Her husband was the diplomat Jirō Shirasu. Biography Shirasu was born in 1910 in the Nagatachō district of ...

* ''The Sunday Runoff'' (2022) — Yumi Kawashima *''I Am Makimoto'' (2022) — Miharu Imae

Television

* ''Kasuga no Tsubone'' (1989) — young

Ohatsu or (1570 – September 30, 1633) was a prominently placed figure in the late Sengoku period. She was daughter of Oichi and Nagamasa Azai, and the sister of Yodo-dono and Oeyo. Alongside her sisters, she was active in the political intrigues ...

* ''

Taiheiki The (Chronicle of Great Peace) is a Japanese historical epic (see ''gunki monogatari'') written in the late 14th century and covers the period from 1319 to 1367. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Taiheiki''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', pp. 923� ...

'' (1991) — Fujiyasha * ''Tokyo Elevator Girl'' (1992) * ''Kita no Kuni kara: Himitsu'' (1995) * ''Concerto'' (1996) * ''Kita no Kuni kara: Jidai'' (1998) * ''Genroku Ryōran'' (1999) — Yōzen-in * ''Kita no Kuni kara: Yuigon'' (2002) * '' Gō'' (2011) —

Yodo-dono or (1569 – June 4, 1615) was a prominently placed figure in the late-Sengoku period. She was the daughter of Oichi and sister of Ohatsu and Oeyo. She was a concubine and second wife of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who was then the most powerful man ...

* '' Gu-Gu Datte Neko de Aru'' (2014) * ''

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...

'' (2014 puppetry in which she voices

Irene Adler Irene Adler is a fictional character in the Sherlock Holmes stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. A former opera singer and actress, she was featured in the short story " A Scandal in Bohemia", published in July 1891. Adler is one of the ...

) * ''North Light'' (2020) — Yukari Murakami * '' The Naked Director Season 2'' (2021) — Ms. Takamiya * ''

The 13 Lords of the Shogun is a Japanese historical drama television series starring Shun Oguri as Hōjō Yoshitoki. The series is the 61st NHK taiga drama. Cast Starring role *Shun Oguri as Hōjō Yoshitoki. Kōki Mitani pointed out some similarities between him and ...

'' (2022) — Lady Maki

Japanese dub

* ''

The Hunchback of Notre Dame II ''The Hunchback of Notre Dame II'' is a 2002 American Animation, animated musical film directed by Bradley Raymond. The direct-to-video sequel to the 1996 The Walt Disney Company, Disney film ''The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996 film), The Hunchbac ...

'' (2002) — Madellaine * ''

Oceans The ocean (also the sea or the world ocean) is the body of salt water that covers approximately 70.8% of the surface of Earth and contains 97% of Earth's water. An ocean can also refer to any of the large bodies of water into which the worl ...

'' (2009) — Narrator

Discography

Studio albums

Singles

Stage

* ''Gypsy'' (1991) * ''Kaijin Bessō'' (1994) * ''Tenshu monogatari'' (1994, 1996) * ''Furu-amerika ni Sode wa Nurasaji'' (1994) * ''Tezuka's Ancestor Dr. Ryoan'' (1998) * '' Rainbow Parakeet'' (2000) * '' The Tale of Genji'' (2000) * ''The Kiss of an Invisible Man'' (2004) * ''Rope'' (2006–07) * ''Dorakuru－God Fearing Dracul'' (2007) * ''

A Doll's House ''A Doll's House'' (Danish and nb, Et dukkehjem; also translated as ''A Doll House'') is a three-act play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It premiered at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 21 December 1879, having bee ...

'' (2008) * ''Piper'' (2009) * ''The Character'' (2010)

Awards

* ''A Doll's House'' ** Yomiuri Theater Award—Best Actress * ''Rope'' ** The 41st Kinokuniya Stage Award—Individual Award * Art Encouragement Prize for 2004—from

Agency for Cultural Affairs The is a special body of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). It was set up in 1968 to promote Japanese arts and culture. The agency's budget for FY 2018 rose to ¥107.7 billion. Overview The ag ...

* '' The Face of Jizō'' ** Blue Ribbon Award—Best Actress ** Kinema Junpo Awards—Best Actress ** Yamaji Fumiko Award—Best Actress * '' The Kiss of an Invisible Man'' ** Yomiuri Theater Award—Best Actress * ''

Twilight Samurai ''The Twilight Samurai'' is a 2002 Japanese historical drama film co-written and directed by Yoji Yamada and starring Hiroyuki Sanada and Rie Miyazawa. Set in mid-19th century Japan, a few years before the Meiji Restoration, it follows the lif ...

'' ** Japan Academy Award—Best Actress ** Blue Ribbon Award—Best Supporting Actress **

Nikkan Sports is the first-launched Japanese daily sports newspaper founded in 1946. It has a circulation of 1,661,000, and is an affiliate newspaper of the ''Asahi Shimbun''. Companies and regions ;Nikkan Sports News (Tokyo) :Tokyo HQ: 5-10, Tsukiji Sanc ...

Movie Award—Best Actress ** Kinema Junpo Awards—Best Actress ** Mainichi Film Concours—Best Supporting Actress ** Hochi Film Award—Best Actress * ''Utsutsu'' ** Kinema Junpo Awards—Best Actress ** Blue Ribbon Award—Best Supporting Actress * ''

'' **

Moscow International Film Festival The Moscow International Film Festival (russian: Моско́вский междунаро́дный кинофестива́ль, translit. ''Moskóvskiy myezhdunaródniy kinofyestivál''; abbreviated as MIFF) is the film festival first h ...

—Best Actress * ''Seven Days' War'' ** Japan Academy Award—Best New Actor **

Movie Award—Best New Talent * '' Who Do I Choose?'' ** Nikkan Sports Film Award—Best New Talent

References

External links

Profile at Japan Zone
*

(in Japanese) * {{DEFAULTSORT:Miyazawa, Rie 1973 births Actresses from Tokyo Japanese idols Japanese female models Japanese film actresses Japanese people of Dutch descent Japanese stage actresses Japanese television actresses Japanese voice actresses Living people People from Nerima 20th-century Japanese actresses 21st-century Japanese actresses