Erika Sawajiri (Japanese:, Hepburn: Sawajiri) is a Japanese actress. Erika (born April 8, 1986) is a former Japanese actress, singer, and model. Sawajiri began her career as a junior model in 2001 and converted to acting in 2002, appearing in Break Through!, Shinobi: Heart Under Blade, and 1 Litre of Tears, for which she garnered multiple newcomer acting honors. Sawajiri debuted as a singer in the 2006 television serial Taiy no Uta, where her first commercially released song of the same name was certified Million by the Recording Industry Association of Japan. She then released solo material as Erika.
Sawajiri took a break in 2007 because her public image was harmed by her provocative utterances and personal connections. She later returned to acting in 2010 with Helter Skelter, for which she was nominated for Best Leading Actress at the 36th Japan Academy Film Prize. She was arrested on November 16, 2019, for drug possession, and during her trial in January 2020, she indicated that she had no plans to continue her profession.
Early years
Erika Sawajiri is the youngest of three children born in Nerima, Tokyo, to a Japanese father and an Algerian (Kabyle, raised in France) mother. Her father owned 16 racehorses, including Edonokoban (), providing her plenty of opportunities to ride horses as a child. Her father left when she was nine years old and returned when she was in her third year of junior high school, only to die of cancer the following year. Her second eldest brother perished in a car accident during her freshman year of high school. Her older brother used to be an actor. Her mother had a Mediterranean restaurant where she volunteered on occasion.
After graduating from elementary school in 1999, Sawajiri auditioned for Stardust. She joined the idol girl group Angel Eyes and started posing for junior fashion publications like Cutie and Nicola. She eventually won first place in the 2001 Seikore and became a regular on the BS news show Harajuku Launchers. Sawajiri began her film career in 2002, while also continuing her modeling career as a gravure idol. Mondai no nai Watashitachi was her first film.
Sawajiri was selected as one of Fuji TV's Visual Queens in 2002. She was a regular on the NTV variety show The Yoru mo Hit Parade from April to late June, shortly after departing the show for the CX news program Chou VIP Fortune no Tobira from mid-June to late August. She appeared on the CBC variety show Bijou Dokyuu and the TBS show B-1 in November. She landed a role in the TBS drama Hotman. Her most noteworthy part was in the 2005 film 1 Litre of Tears, in which she played a girl suffering from the degenerative disease spinocerebellar degeneration.
Sawajiri began her music career as "Kaoru Amane," the name of her character in her most recent drama, the TV adaption of A Song to the Sun. In its second and fourth weeks, the single reached number one. It received Triple Platinum certification for 750,000 cell phone downloads. Erika released her debut song "Free" as "Erika" on July 16, 2007. The single debuted at number one on the Oricon Charts on its first day. "Free" was certified Platinum for 250,000 cell phone downloads. According to Oricon, she is the first artist in 39 years to have their first two singles chart at number one since Hiroko Yakushimaru in 1983.
Sawajiri was supposed to attend the 12th Busan International Film Festival on October 6, 2007, however she had to cancel. Sawajiri and her mother both said that she would return to Japan and make a comeback as soon as late summer 2009. Sawajiri was supposed to star in the live-action film adaptation of Space Battleship Yamato in 2012, but she was replaced by Meisa Kuroki.
Sawajiri received Best Actress in a Leading Role at the 36th Japan Academy Awards in 2013 for her work in Helter Skelter.
Following Sawajiri's arrest in November 2019, she was replaced in the television drama Kirin ga Kuru by Haruna Kawaguchi. She later revealed that she had no plans to continue her profession in January 2020. Avex terminated her contract in February 2020.
Personal life
Sawajiri began dating Tsuyoshi Takashiro in October 2007. After nearly three months in London with Takashiro, she returned to Japan on March 29, 2008. She attended a language school in London and has grown fluent enough in English to hold a normal conversation. Sawajiri married Takashiro on January 20, 2009, at Meiji Shrine in Yoyogi, and their marriage was registered on January 7. They announced their divorce at a news conference on December 28, 2013.
Arrest and trial for drugs
Sawajiri was detained at her residence on November 16, 2019, on suspicion of having MDMA. She allegedly acknowledged to taking marijuana, LSD, and cocaine for the past ten years. Sawajiri pled guilty to the charges and admitting to using drugs since she was 19 years old at her criminal trial on January 31, 2020. The Tokyo District Court condemned her to 18 months in jail, suspended for three years, on February 6, 2020.
Public perception
During the Closed Note premiere on September 29, 2007, Sawajiri, who appeared dissatisfied with the picture, offered reporters harsh responses. As a result, her actions were heavily criticized for insulting her co-stars and the film's crew. She apologized on her website and in an interview with Super Morning, where she also disputed allegations that she had been suspended by her management. The incident, combined with Sawajiri's relationship with Takashiro, had a significant impact on her public image, and she canceled her attendance at the Busan International Film Festival as a result. She suddenly abruptly ended her acting career, and Stardust Promotion withdrew her as an act in 2009. In an interview with CNN Go on September 1, 2010, Sawajiri expressed sorrow for apologizing and said that her management had pressed her to do so. Since the event, one of her comments to the reporters, "None, really" (, Betsu ni), has become a viral phenomenon, and she was featured in a Snickers commercial in 2011 parodying herself.
| Year | Title | Role | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Mondai no nai Watashitachi | Maki Shintani | |
| 2005 | Break Through! | Lee Kyung-ja | |
| Ashurajō no Hitomi | Yachi | ||
| Shinobi: Heart Under Blade | Hotarubi | ||
| 2006 | Mamiya Kyodai | Naomi Honma | |
| Sugar & Spice | Noriko Watanabe | ||
| Ghost Train | Nana | ||
| The Angel's Egg | Natsuki Saito | ||
| Tegami | Yumiko Iraishi | ||
| 2007 | Closed Note | Kae Horii | |
| 2012 | Helter Skelter | Ririko | |
| 2015 | Shinjuku Swan | Ageha | |
| 2018 | Impossibility Defense | Tada | |
| The Cat In His Arms | Saori | ||
| Eating Women | Keiko Komugita | ||
| Million Dollar Man | Towako Yasuda | ||
| 2019 | No Longer Human | Shizuko Ōta |
| Year | Title | Role | Network | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Hotman | Satsuki Akikawa | TBS | |
| Hitonatsu no Papa e | Satsuki | TBS | ||
| NorthPoint Friends | Mami Iwasa | UHB | ||
| 2004 | Sakura Saku made | Naoko Hayashi | MBS | |
| Fuyuzora ni Tsuki wa Kagayaku | Misa Takano | CX | ||
| Cheers: Tenko e no Oenka | Yukari Akikawa | NTV | ||
| Mumei | TBS | |||
| 2005 | Aikurushii | Honoka Kizaki | TBS | |
| 1 Litre of Tears | Aya Ikeuchi | CX | Lead role | |
| The Winds of God | Misaki Ohara | EX | ||
| 2006 | Tenshi no Hashigo | Natsuki Saito | CX | |
| Taiyō no Uta | Kaoru Amane | TBS | Lead role | |
| 2012 | L et M: Watashi ga Anata o Ai suru Riyu | Eru and Emu | BeeTV | Lead role |
| Akujo ni Tsuite | Tomikoji Kimiko/Suzuki Kimiko | TBS | Lead role | |
| 2013 | Tokeiya no Musume | Ryo Miyahara | TBS | Lead role |
| 2014 | First Class | Chinami Yoshinari | CX | Lead role |
| First Class 2 | Chinami Yoshinari | CX | Lead role | |
| 2015 | Yōkoso, Wagaya e | Asuka Kandori | CX | |
| 2016 | Ōoku | Omiyo and Ume | CX | Lead role |
| Moumoku no Yoshinori-sensei: Hikari wo Ushinatte Kokoro ga Mieta | Mayumi Arai | NTV | ||
| 2017 | Haha ni Naru | Yui Kashiwazaki | NTV | Lead role |
| 2018 | The Vultures | Takako Matsudaira | EX | |
| 2019 | Shiroi Kyotō | Keiko Hanamori | EX |
| Year | Singer | Title | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Kishidan | Secret Love Story | - |
| Zeebra feat. Hiro | Big Big Money | - | |
| 2005 | Rip Slyme | Hey! Brother | Theme song of Mamiya kyodai |
| 2006 | Kaoru Amane | A Song to the Sun (タイヨウのウタ, Taiyō no Uta) | Theme song of A Song to the Sun |
| Kaoru Amane | Stay With Me | Insert song of A Song to the Sun | |
| Miliyah Kato | I Will | Theme song of Otoshimono | |
| SunSet Swish | Kimi ga Iru kara 君がいるから | Theme song of Tentama | |
| Hitomi Takahashi | Komorebi | Theme song of Tegami | |
| 2007 | Yui | Love & Truth | Theme song of Closed Note |
| Year | Variety Show | Broadcasting Company |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Harajuku Ronchazu | - |
| 2002 | The Night of Hit Parade | Nihon Television |
| Super VIP | - | |
| 2002–2003 | B-1 | TBS |
| 2003–2004 | Aidoru wa | - |
| Unknown | Mecha x2 Ikederu! | - |
| Year | DVD | Publisher |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Cava? | Wani Book |
| 2003 | D-Splash! | - |
| Erica | 学習研究 | |
| 2005 | Color | For-side.com |
| Year | Book title | Publisher |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | P-chu! | Wani Book |
| 2004 | Erika | 学習研究 |
| 2007 | Erika2007 | SDP |
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Sales | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPN | ||||
| "Free" | 2007 | 1 | 119,817+ | Non-album single |
| "Destination Nowhere" | 7 | 43,209+ | Non-album single | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that region. | ||||
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Sales | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPN | ||||
| "Taiyō no Uta" (credited as Kaoru Amane) | 2007 | 1 | 488,000+ | Non-album single |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that region. | ||||
| Year | Award | Category | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Young Jump Uniform Collection | Runner up | — |
| 2002 | Fuji TV Visual Queen of the Year | Visual Queen of the Year | — |
| 2005 | 18th Nikkan Sports Movie Award | Best Newcomer Award | Break Through! |
| 30th Hochi Movie Award | |||
| 2006 | 27th Yokohama Film Festival | Best New Talent | Break Through!, Shinobi: Heart Under Blade |
| 79th Kinema Junpo Award | Best Newcomer Award [Female] | Break Through!, Ashurajō no Hitomi, Shinobi: Heart Under Blade | |
| 29th Japan Academy Film Prize | Break Through! | ||
| 15th Tokyo Sports Movie Award | Best Newcomer Award | Break Through!, Shinobi: Heart Under Blade | |
| 2006 Elan d'or Awards | 1 Litre of Tears | ||
| 43rd Golden Arrow Award | |||
| 2013 | 36th Japan Academy Film Prize | Best Leading Actress | Helter Skelter |
| Body Measurements | 33-23-34 inches |
| Bodytype | Slim |
| Height | 5 feet 3 inches (1.61 m) |
| Weight | 50 kg (110 lbs) |
| Waist | 23 inches |
| Hair Color | Dark Brown |
| Eye Color | Dark Brown |
| Shoe Size | 8.5 US |
| Dress Size | 4 US |
| Nickname | Erika-Sama, Erika |
| Gender | Female |
| Age | 37 years old (in 2023) |
| Date of Birth | April 8, 1986 |
| Full Name | Erika Sawajiri |
| Profession | Actress, Model, Singer |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Birthplace | Nerima City, Tokyo, Japan |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Zodiac Sign | Aries |
School: Attended Language School
Profession: Actress, Model, Singer
Known For: Starring in Break Through!, Shinobi: Heart Under Blade, and 1 Litre of Tears, for all of which she received several newcomer acting awards
Net Worth: USD $2 million (approx)
Father: Yoshikatsu Sawajiri
Mother: Lila Sawajiri
Marital Status: Divorced
Ex Spouse: Tsuyoshi Takashiro (m. 2009–2013)
Past Relationships: Shota Matsuda
Yosuke Kubozuka
Favorite Food: Cake
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