There’s a lot to love about Japan – the hot springs, cuisine, temples, and the Japanese celebrities! Although Western audiences will often lump them into a single category with Chinese and Korean stars, Japanese celebrities have their own unique charm and appeal!
Ready to find out more about these famous Japanese people? Keep reading!
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The Top 10 Japanese Celebrities
Naomi Watanabe
Age: 31 years old
Profession: Actor, comedian, celebrity impersonator, fashion designer
IG: @watanabenaomi703
Twitter: @watanabe_naomi
With her confidence, talent, and wit, it’s not hard to see why Naomi Watanabe is the most famous Japanese person on Instagram! This half-Japanese-half-Taiwanese comedian caught everyone’s attention after her iconic impersonations of Beyoncé and Lady Gaga in 2008. She’s best known for her down-to-earth personality, positive energy, and silly on-stage antics.
When she’s not making people laugh, Naomi is inspiring women to embrace their curves and develop body positivism. In an interview with NHK World, she expressed, “If you love yourself, you can try anything.” – emphasising the importance of self-love and confidence. But words were not all she offered, Naomi started her own fashion line, Punyus, to provide small to plus-size clothing. Her goal is to break beauty and weight standards in Tokyo by creating a brand that’s inclusive of all body sizes.
Yukina Kinoshita-Fujimoto
Age: 31 years old
Profession: TV personality, movie actress, model, singer
IG: @yuuukiiinaaa
This hot Korean beauty started out as a lingerie model at 19 years old and then became one of the most popular TV personalities in Japan. She’s widely recognised for her music group Pabo and guest appearances on the funny TV show Quiz! Hexagon II. It was in this series that she met Toshifumi Fujimoto who would later become her husband and the father of their two girls.
Unlike the typical aesthetic IG posts, Yukino loves sharing family photos that are imperfect and natural – a really unique attitude in the age of Instagram!
Masami Nagasawa
Age: 32 years old
Profession: Movie, TV, and voice actress
IG: @masami_nagasawa
Masami Nagasawa has one of the most famous voices in the world being the voice actress behind Miki Okudera from the award-winning movie Kimi No Na Wa (Your Name), and Umi Matsuzaki in Studio Ghibli’s From Up on Poppy Hill in 2011.
When it comes to any form of acting, Masami shows great dedication and passion. For the Taiwanese drama show Chocolat, her role required her to learn Chinese. She boldly took on the challenge and committed to learning the language every day for more than five months. Now, she continues working as an actress and has starred in highly-acclaimed films like Our Little Sister and Kingdom.
Nanao Arai
Age: 30 years old
Profession: Model and actress
IG: @nanao_official
Twitter: @NANAO1028
Standing at 5 feet and 7 and a half inches, you can bet that Nanao has got legs for days. She entered the entertainment industry when she was only 20 years old. After modelling consistently for magazines like Ginger and Pinky, she became a cosmetic brand ambassador and an actress. Often portraying the bad girl in movies, Nanao decided to switch it up this year. In her upcoming film Marigold in 4 Minutes, she put her acting chops to the test by playing an unassertive and timid character.
Jun Hasegawa
Age: 33 years old
Profession: Supermodel
IG: @liveglenwood
After being hired as a regular model for Vivi fashion magazine, Jun Hasegawa made it big in the modelling industry. Even at the age of 33, this Japanese-American still appears on various magazine covers in Japan. Her popularity extended to international brands which led to Elle and Vogue hiring her for their magazines. Though she’s had great success in her career, Jun was met with some trouble in her personal life. Just this year, she announced the end of her 8-year marriage on IG.
Anne Nakamura
Age: 32 years old
Profession: TV personality, TV and movie actress, model
IG: @cocoannne
Anne Nakamura is the epitome of sporty, sexy, and successful. She is best known as a lingerie model and an actress in various TV drama programmes. With the help of her agent, she began her career in modelling and is now one of the most famous Japanese celebrities in showbiz. Just last year, she posted some bold topless photos on Instagram which sent the internet into a frenzy.
Kiko Mizuhara
Age: 28 years old
Profession: Fashion model and designer, actress, singer
IG: @i_am_kiko
Twitter: @kikoxxx
While her friends were entering junior high, at just 12 years old Kiko was jump-starting her career as a model for Seventeen magazine. She moved from Kobe to Tokyo after four years and made a name for herself in the modelling world. It wasn’t long until brands overseas like Nylon, Vogue, and Cosmopolitan took an interest in her talent.
Although some people have associated her fame to having dated G-Dragon, it’s clear that Kiko worked her way from the ground up. Today, she’s estimated to have been on more than 100 magazine covers and holds the title of Dior’s First Asian Ambassador!
Rola
Age: 29 years old
Profession: TV personality, author, and model
IG: @rolaofficial
Twitter: @RolaWorLD
Rola’s talents are as diverse as her roots. Her heritage is a unique mix of Bangladeshi, Russian, and Japanese! She started out as a runway and magazine model and quickly became a serious force in the fashion world. She’s also made her own fragrance line called Vasilisa and authored two fashion books and a cookbook. If that wasn’t enough, she starred in Hollywood movie Resident Evil: The Final Chapter in 2016.
Fumino Kimura
Age: 31 years old
Profession: TV and film actress
IG: @fuminokimura_official
This famous Japanese celeb has been killing it on-screen since 2006. Collectively, Fumino Kimura has starred in over 50 TV series and movies – that’s way more than a lot of big-name actors can claim! She was also awarded by the 18th Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix for her supporting role in War of Money (2015). When she’s not working on screen, Fumino loves to share aesthetic, overhead shots of food. Though she’s kept a rather private profile of her personal life, she confirmed that she’s married to Chiba Daiki, her acting teacher.
Haruna Kojima
Age: 31 years old
Profession: Singer, model
IG: @nyanchan22
Twitter: @kojiharunyan
Haruna Kojima rose to fame after qualifying for, AKB48, a huge Japanese all-girl idol group that consists of around 200 members. After nearing 11 years with AKB48 as a singer, she decided it was time to leave and start a solo career. She ventured into movies and starred in films like Cabasuka Gakuen and Tofu-Pro Wrestling. Online, she started her own clothing shop online called Her Lip To and a weekly Youtube vlog that features her cat!
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