is a Japanese actress and singer, best known to international audiences for her roles in the

Luc Besson Luc Paul Maurice Besson (; born 18 March 1959) is a French filmmaker. He directed and produced the films '' Subway'' (1985), '' The Big Blue'' (1988), and '' La Femme Nikita'' (1990). Associated with the '' Cinéma du look'' film movement, he h ...

-produced ''

Wasabi Wasabi (Japanese language, Japanese: , , or , ) or Japanese horseradish (''Eutrema japonicum'' syn. ''Wasabia japonica'') is a plant of the family Brassicaceae, which also includes horseradish and Mustard plant, mustard in other genus, genera. ...

'' (2001) and the

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

-winning Japanese film '' Departures'' (2008). She also starred in the 2008 comedy series '' Yasuko to Kenji''.

Early life

Hirosue was born in

Yokohama is the List of cities in Japan, second-largest city in Japan by population as well as by area, and the country's most populous Municipalities of Japan, municipality. It is the capital and most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a popu ...

Kanagawa Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Kanagawa Prefecture is the List of Japanese prefectures by population, second-most populous prefecture of Japan at 9,221,129 (1 April 2022) and third-dens ...

and grew up in Kōchi city,

Kōchi prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Kōchi Prefecture has a population of 669,516 (1 April 2023) and has a geographic area of 7,103 km2 (2,742 sq mi). Kōchi Prefecture borders Ehime Prefecture to the northwest and Tok ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. She joined the " P&G" cosmetic model competition at age 14 and made her television debut the following year singing on the program,'' TK Music Camp''. She made her television drama debut and is well known for her work as a spokesmodel for NTT DoCoMo. She studied at

Waseda University Waseda University (Japanese: ), abbreviated as or , is a private university, private research university in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as the Tōkyō Professional School by Ōkuma Shigenobu, the fifth Prime Minister of Japan, prime ministe ...

but did not graduate.

Career

1995–2000

Hirosue made her television debut in 1995 at age 15 in Fuji TV's ''Heart ni S''. She was also named "Best Newcomer" at the 10th Television Drama Academy Awards the same year when she starred in Fuji TV's comedy series ''Shota no Sushi''. In 1997, she appeared in the finale of medical drama '' Hoshi no Kinka'' and the special episode of '' Odoru Daisousasen'' before making her breakthrough performance in Fuji TV's comedy series ''Beach Boys'', where she was awarded "Best Supporting Actress" at the 14th Television Drama Academy Awards. Hirosue also made her film debut in the same year when she appeared in ''20-seki Nostalgia'' which won her critical acclaim. She was awarded the Sponichi Grand Prize New Talent Award at the

Mainichi Film Awards The are a series of annual film awards, sponsored by '' Mainichi Shimbun'' (毎日新聞), one of the largest newspaper companies in Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of ...

, Best New Talent at the

Yokohama Film Festival The is an annual awards ceremony held in Yokohama, Japan. Ten films are chosen as the best of the year and various awards are given to personnel. The first festival, held on February 3, 1980, was a small affair by fans and film critics. In 1994, ...

and perhaps most importantly, the Newcomer of the Year award at the 21st

Japanese Academy Awards The , often called the Japan Academy Prize, the Japan Academy Awards, and the Japanese Academy Awards, is a series of awards given annually since 1978 by the Japan Academy Film Prize Association (日本アカデミー賞協会, ''Nippon Akademii- ...

. In 1998, Hirosue reprised her role in the special episode of ''Beach Boys'' while also appearing in four other television dramas in the same year. In 1999, she returned to the big screen in ''

Poppoya is a 1999 Japanese film directed by Yasuo Furuhata. It was Japan's submission to the 72nd Academy Awards for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, but was not accepted as a nominee. It was chosen as Best Film at the Japan Academy ...

'' and '' Himitsu''. Her performances in both films won her much praise from award-giving bodies of Japan and she received two nominations at the 23rd Japanese Academy Awards for Best Actress (for ''Himitsu'') and Best Supporting Actress (for ''Poppoya''). Her international profile also increased when she received the Best Actress prize for her performance in ''Himitsu'' at the 30th

Sitges - Catalan International Film Festival SITGES - International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia () is an annual film festival held in Sitges, Catalonia, Spain. It specializes in fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernat ...

. She returned prominently to television in 2000 playing Yuki Katase in the drama '' Summer Snow'', which won 5 awards at the 26th Television Drama Academy Awards including "Best Supporting Actress" and "Best Drama" before showing off her comedic chops in TBS's '' Oyaji''. The latter role again won her "Best Supporting Actress" at the 27th awards ceremony.

2001–2005

In 2001, Hirosue made her international film debut in the French Film ''

'' written by

and directed by

Gérard Krawczyk Gérard Krawczyk (17 May 1953, Paris) is a French film director. He is of Polish people, Polish descent (his grandparents were from Częstochowa). Filmography Director * ''Homicide by Night'' (1984 in film, 1984) * ''Je hais les acteurs'' (a.k.a ...

. Not being able to speak French for her role, she had to learn her lines phonetically. She also reunited for the fourth time on television with her frequent co-star Yutaka Takenouchi (they starred together in ''Long Vacation'', ''Beach Boys'' and ''Seikimatsu no Uta'') in Fuji TV's romantic comedy series ''Dekichatta Kekkon'', starring as an expectant couple who did not know each other well before their one-night stand leading to the planning of a

shotgun wedding A shotgun wedding is a wedding arranged in response to pregnancy resulting from premarital sex. The phrase comes from the figurative imagining that the relatives of the pregnant bride threaten the reluctant male groom with a shotgun in order to ...

. The series also starred Hiroshi Abe who won Best Supporting Actor at the 30th Television Drama Academy Awards. In 2002, Hirosue appeared in the film ''Renai Shashin'' and the low-rated television drama ''Ai Nante Irane Yo, Natsu'' before capping the year in the family drama series ''Otousan''. She reunited with her ''Summer Snow'' lead co-star, Tsuyoshi Dōmoto, in 2003's romance series ''Moto Kare''. Her portrayal as the initially flippant ex-girlfriend, Makoto Saeki, won her "Best Supporting Actress" yet again at the 38th Television Drama Academy Awards. Hirosue married model Takahiro Okazawa on 17 January 2004 and gave birth to her son on 10 April 2004. They later divorced in March 2008. Her marriage and new motherhood decreased her workload and she only made one appearance in 2004 in the film '' Hana and Alice'' and one appearance on 2005's Fuji TV's romance drama ''Slow Dance''.

2006–2023

Hirosue returned to film and television in 2006 by appearing in three television dramas, a TV movie and a film. In 2007, she co-starred for the third time with Hiroshi Abe (her fellow actor in ''Dekichatta Kekkon'' and ''Haruka Naru Yakusoku'') in the film '' Bubble Fiction: Boom or Bust''. She also appeared in two TV movies, ''Mama ga Ryori o Tsukuru Wake'', broadcast by Fuji TV, and ''Long Wedding Road!'', which was broadcast by TBS. Hirosue also made a guest appearance in the third episode, "Rattles", of the detective series ''

Galileo Galileo di Vincenzo Bonaiuti de' Galilei (15 February 1564 – 8 January 1642), commonly referred to as Galileo Galilei ( , , ) or mononymously as Galileo, was an Italian astronomer, physicist and engineer, sometimes described as a poly ...

''. She had a supporting role in NTV's comedy series '' Yasuko to Kenji'' in 2008. She portrayed Mika Kobayashi opposite Masahiro Motoki in the 2008 Japanese film '' Departures'', which won the 81st Academy Awards Best Foreign Language Film. In 2009, she is starring in the remake of the mystery film ''

Zero Focus is a 1961 Japanese crime drama film directed by Yoshitarō Nomura, and co-written by Shinobu Hashimoto and Yoji Yamada. It is based on the novel of the same name by Seichō Matsumoto. A remake of the film was released in 2009. Plot One wee ...

'' and the adaptation to film of the novel '' Villon's Wife'' by

Osamu Dazai , known by his pen name , was a Japanese novelist and author. A number of his most popular works, such as ''The Setting Sun'' (斜陽, ''Shayō'') and '' No Longer Human'' (人間失格, ''Ningen Shikkaku''), are considered modern classics. Hi ...

. She co-starred in the 2010 film ''Flowers'' with Yū Aoi, Kyōka Suzuki, Yūko Takeuchi, Rena Tanaka and

Yukie Nakama is a Japanese actress, singer and former idol. Biography She was born in Urasoe, Okinawa, Japan, into a fisherman's family, the youngest of five siblings. At the start of her career she was a gravure idol and singer (her debut single "Moonli ...

. In June 2023, in light of her affair incident, she announced that she would be retiring from the entertainment industry.

2024–present

In February 2024, she resumed her entertainment activities by leaving her agency and going independent.

Personal life

She married Okazawa Takahiro in December 2003. The marriage ended in early 2008. On 9 October 2010 she married , a candle artist. They met in

Haiti Haiti, officially the Republic of Haiti, is a country on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and south of the Bahamas. It occupies the western three-eighths of the island, which it shares with the Dominican ...

in March 2010 participating in earthquake relief efforts. Her cousin is a former member of the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entities. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often ...

in Japan. She has three children. She gave birth to her first son in April 2004. On 10 March 2011 she had her second son. On 17 July 2015, she gave birth to her third child, a daughter. On 7 June 2023, '' Shūkan Bunshun'' reported that Hirosue was allegedly having an extramarital affair with married

Michelin star The ''Michelin Guides'' ( ; ) are a series of guide books that have been published by the French tyre company Michelin since 1900. The ''Guide'' awards up to three Michelin stars for excellence to a select few restaurants in certain geographic ...

chef after being spotted entering the Cerulean Tower Tokyo Hotel together. This was later confirmed by Hirosue herself through her official social media account apologizing on the incident. Her agency announced her divorce with Jun Izutsu on 26 July 2023. She holds custody of her three children as their guardian. On 8 April 2025, Hirosue was arrested on suspicion of injuring a nurse at a hospital in Shimada after she was transported there following a vehicular crash on the Shin-Tōmei Expressway in Kakegawa the previous night. According to the police, Hirosue appeared to be distressed while being questioned at the hospital, and a nurse who tried to restrain Hirosue from walking around the facility was allegedly kicked and scratched. A statement of apology released by her agency confirmed the arrest, adding that Hirosue would be suspending her activities in the entertainment business for the time being. She was released pending further investigation on 16 April.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theater

Discography

Albums

* ''Arigato!'' (1997) * ''Private'' (1999)

Singles

* "Maji de Koisuru Gobyōmae" (1997) * "Daisuki!" (1997) * "Wind Prism" (1997) * "Jeans" (1998) (featuring B-side "

Private Private or privates may refer to: Music * "In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorded ...

") * "Summer Sunset" (1998) * "Tomorrow" (1999) * "Kajitsu" (2000)

Compilations and live albums

* ''Winter Gift 98'' (1998) * ''RH Singles &...'' (1999) * ''RH Debut Tour 1999'' (1999) * ''Super Idol Series (Fukada Kyoko vs Hirosue Ryoko)'' (2000) * ''RH Remix'' (2001) * ''Hirosue Ryoko Perfect Collection'' (2002)

Photobooks

* ''R'' (1996) * ''H'' (1996) * ''No Make'' (1998) * ''FLaMme'' (1998) * ''Le Secret'' (1999) * ''Relax'' (1999) * ''Ryoko Hirosue CF Special'' (1999) * ''Happy 20th Birthday'' (2000) * ''Teens 1996–2000'' (2000) * ''Newyork RH Avenue 2003'' (2003) * ''Triangle Photographs'' (2009)

Awards and nominations

, - , rowspan=4, 1998 , ''20th Century Nostalgia '' , Awards of the Japanese Academy: Newcomer of the Year , , - , ''20th Century Nostalgia '' , Mainichi Film Concours: Sponichi Grand Prize New Talent Award , , - , ''20th Century Nostalgia '' ,

: Best New Talent , , - , ''20th Century Nostalgia '' , Osaka Film Festival: Best New Talent , , - , 1999 , – , Nikkan Sports Film Awards: Best New Talent , , - , rowspan=3, 2000 , ''Himitsu'' ,

: Best Actress , , - , ''Himitsu'' , Awards of the Japanese Academy: Best Actress , , - , ''Poppoya'' , Awards of the Japanese Academy: Best Supporting Actress , , - , rowspan=2, 2008 , ''Departures'' , Awards of the Japanese Academy: Best Actress , , - , ''Departures'' ,

: Best Supporting Actress , , - , 2009 , ''Zero Focus'' , Awards of the Japanese Academy: Best Actress , , - , 2013 , ''Key of Life'' ,

Blue Ribbon Awards The are film-specific prizes awarded solely by movie critics and writers in Tokyo, Japan, established in 1950 by , established under the name of the "Association of Tokyo Film Journalists Award", which was formed mainly by film reporters from th ...

: Best Supporting Actress , , - , rowspan=2, 2022 , ''2 Women'' and ''The Hound of the Baskervilles'' ,

Nikkan Sports Film Award The , also called the Nikkan Sports Yujiro Ishihara Film Prizes, are annual film-specific prizes awarded by the ''Nikkan Sports'' newspaper since 1988. The categories of ''Fans' Choice Award for Best Film'' and ''Fans' Choice Award for Best Act ...

s: Best Supporting Actress , , - , rowspan=2, ''2 Women'' ,

Hochi Film Award The are film-specific prizes awarded by the '' Hochi Shimbun''. Categories *Best Picture *Best International Picture *Best Animated Picture (since 2017) *Best Actor *Best Actress *Best Supporting Actor *Best Supporting Actress *Best New Artist ...

s: Best Supporting Actress , , - , rowspan=3, 2023 ,

: Best Supporting Actress , , - , ''2 Women'' and ''The Hound of the Baskervilles'' ,

: Best Supporting Actress , , - , ''2 Women'', ''The Hound of the Baskervilles'' and others , Kinema Junpo Awards: Best Supporting Actress , , -

References

External links

*
Ryoko Hirosue on Warner Music Japan
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hirosue Ryoko 1980 births Living people Actresses from Yokohama People from Kōchi, Kōchi Singers from Yokohama Japanese child actresses Japanese idols Japanese women pop singers Singers from Kōchi Prefecture 21st-century Japanese singers 21st-century Japanese women singers Japanese film actresses Japanese television actresses Actors from Kōchi Prefecture Waseda University alumni