Masami Nagasawa (, Nagasawa Masami, born June 3, 1987) is a model and actress from Japan. She has had a productive cinema career since her adolescence, starring in numerous blockbusters and collecting numerous awards, including five Japan Academy cinema Prizes and four Blue Ribbon Awards.
Nagasawa made her acting debut at the age of twelve, playing a young psychic orphan in the science fiction film Pyrokinesis (2000). She starred as one of the Shobijin in Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (2003) and Godzilla: Final Wars (2004) while still in high school, and she would go on to win a Blue Ribbon Award for Best Supporting Actress and two Japan Academy Film Prizes for her leading role in Crying Out Love in the Center of the World (2004).
Nagasawa was nominated for the Japan Academy Film Prize for Best Leading Actress in 2007 and received the Bunshun Raspberry Award for her performance as the titular character in Tears for You (2006). Nagasawa's career advanced with her roles as Princess Yuki in Shinji Higuchi's Hidden Fortress: The Last Princess (2008), Umi Matsuzaki in Gor Miyazaki's From Up on Poppy Hill (2011), and Miyuki Matsuo in the romantic comedy Love Strikes! (2011), for which she received a second Blue Ribbon Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Following her role as a supporting character in Makoto Shinkai's Your Name (2016), she starred as the protagonist in the critically acclaimed science fiction drama Before We Vanish (2017), for which she received the Mainichi Film Award for Best Actress. In 2019, she starred in the murder thriller Masquerade Hotel and played Yang Duan He in the action-adventure Kingdom, for which she received a Nikkan Sports Film Award nomination. Nagasawa has also played Darko in the JP film trilogy The Confidence Man (2019-2022), Anna Kobayashi in Chen Sicheng's buddy comedy Detective Chinatown 3 (2021), and Hiroko Asami in Higuchi's critically praised superhero picture Shin Ultraman (2022).
Background and early life
Nagasawa was born in Iwata, Shizuoka, on June 3, 1987. She noted that her father, former Jbilo Iwata manager Kazuaki Nagasawa, "wasn't at home much because of work" when she was a child. Her older brother is characterized as "handsome" by actress Yoshino Kimura and "cool" by Nagasawa.
Career
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Film
Nagasawa won the Grand Prix at the 5th Toho Cinderella Audition in 2000, beating out 35,153 female rivals. Toho instructed filmmaker Shusuke Kaneko to cast her in his science fiction action picture Pyrokinesis after she won the competition. She portrayed Kurata, an orphan with psychic abilities such as pyrokinesis and psychometry. Kaneko admitted to having "no experience and directing her was a pain in the ass" at the film's wrap party. She appeared in tiny roles in Nobuhiko Obayashi's Nagori Yuki and Akihiko Shiota's Yomigaeri two years later. She also appeared in Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (2003) and Godzilla: Final Wars (2004) as a Shobijin. Her first lead part in a film was in Robot Contest in 2003.
Nagasawa won a Blue Ribbon Award and a Japan Academy Prize for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Crying Out Love in the Center of the World.
She was nominated for a Japan Academy Prize in the Best Actress category in 2007 for her portrayal in the 2006 film Nada Ss (Tears for You). Following a succession of lesser-known films such as Gunjo and Magare Spoon!, she starred in the 2011 film version of Mitsuru Kubo's manga Moteki. Nagasawa's work in Moteki earned her a Blue Ribbon Award for Best Supporting Actress, and she was nominated for a Japan Academy Award for Best Actress. That same year, Nagasawa ventured into voice acting with the role "Umi Matsuzaki" in Studio Ghibli's From Up on Poppy Hill. She gave the voice of "Miki Okudera" in the international blockbuster Your Name in 2016.
Nagasawa during the 2015 Cannes Film Festival (second from right).
Her live-action films have also garnered international acclaim. Kiyoku Yawaku (Beyond the Memories), a live-action version of Ryo Ikuemi's manga series, premiered in 2013 at the 17th annual Japanese Film Festival in Melbourne, Australia. At the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, Umimachi Diary (Our Little Sister), a live-action version of Akimi Yoshida's manga, competed for the Palme d'Or. Nagasawa appeared in Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Before We Vanish in 2017, which competed in the Un Certain Regard category at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. Her performance in Before We Vanish earned her a Mainichi Film Award for Best Lead Actress and a nomination for a Japan Academy Prize for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in Japan.
She appeared in 50 First Kisses, a Japanese version of the 2004 American film 50 First Dates, in 2018.
Television
Nagasawa appeared in a number of Japanese television drama series. Early roles in the 2002 NHK drama Asadora Sakura and the 2005 Tokyo Broadcasting System Television live action manga adaption Dragon Zakura led to more TV work, including a main role in the 2007 Fuji TV drama Proposal Daisakusen (Operation Love). In the Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix Best Actress category, her performance in Proposal Daisakusen (Operation Love) garnered the most votes.
Nagasawa continued to appear in both supporting and main roles in television dramas after her initial popularity. In 2009, she appeared in the NHK taiga drama Tenchijin, and in 2010, she co-starred with several other leading Japanese actors in the Fuji TV 50th anniversary mini-series Wagaya no Rekishi. In 2012, she won the 73rd Television Drama Academy Best Actress Award for her work in the TV Asahi drama Toshi densetsu no onna. She learnt Chinese in 2013 in order to play a lead role in the Taiwan Television adaptation of the manga series Chocolat. Nagasawa made a comeback on NHK in 2016 with the taiga drama Sanada Maru.
Nagasawa lives in Meguro, Tokyo.
 | Denotes works that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Pyrokinesis | Kaori Kurata | Acting debut |
| 2002 | Nagori Yuki | Maho Mizuta | |
| 2003 | Yomigaeri | Naomi Morishita | |
| Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. | Mana, one of the Shobijin | ||
| Robot Contest | Satomi Hazawa | Lead role | |
| Like Asura | Yōko Satomi | ||
| 2004 | Crying Out Love in the Center of the World | Aki Hirose | Lead role |
| Breathe In, Breathe Out | Kanako Doi | ||
| Godzilla: Final Wars | One of the Shobijin | ||
| 2005 | Touch | Minami Asakura | Lead role |
| 2006 | Rough | Ami Ninomiya | Lead role |
| Tears for You | Kaoru | Lead role | |
| 2007 | Say Hello for Me | Karin Takigawa/Suzune Morikawa | Lead role |
| 2008 | Hidden Fortress: The Last Princess | Princess Yuki | |
| La Maison en Petits Cubes | Narrator | ||
| 2009 | Cobalt Blue | Ryoko Nakamura | Lead role |
| Go Find a Psychic! | Yone Sakurai | Lead role | |
| 2010 | Sunshine Ahead | Churashima Okinawa Ambassador | |
| 2011 | Gaku: Minna no Yama | Kumi Shiina | |
| From Up on Poppy Hill | Umi Matsuzaki (voice) | Lead role | |
| Love Strikes! | Miyuki Matsuo | ||
| I Wish | Kōchi Mimura | ||
| 2012 | Japan's Wildlife: The Untold Story | Narrator | |
| 2013 | Beyond the Memories | Kanna Seto | Lead role |
| The Last Chance: Diary of Comedians | Kumi | ||
| 2014 | Wood Job! | Naoki Ishii | |
| The Crossing Part 1 | Masako Shimura | Chinese-Hong Kong film | |
| 2015 | Our Little Sister | Yoshino Kōda | Lead role |
| The Crossing Part 2 | Masako Shimura | Chinese-Hong Kong film | |
| I Am a Hero | Yabu / Tsugumi Oda | ||
| 2016 | Good Morning Show | Keiko Ogawa | |
| Gold Medal Man | Ms. Sano, teacher | ||
| Your Name | Miki Okudera (voice) | ||
| 2017 | Reminiscence | Minako Shikata | |
| Gintama | Tae Shimura | ||
| Before We Vanish | Narumi Kase | Lead role | |
| 2018 | Doraemon: Nobita's Treasure Island | Fiona (voice) | Guest appearance |
| The Lies She Loved | Yukari Kawahara | Lead role | |
| 50 First Kisses | Rui Fujishima | Lead role | |
| Gintama 2 | Tae Shimura | ||
| Bleach | Masaki Kurosaki | ||
| 2019 | Masquerade Hotel | Naomi Yamagishi | |
| Kingdom | Yang Duan He | ||
| The Confidence Man JP: The Movie | Darko | Lead role | |
| 2020 | The Confidence Man JP: Episode of the Princess | Darko | Lead role |
| Mother | Akiko Misumi | Lead role | |
| 2021 | Detective Chinatown 3 | Anna Kobayashi | Chinese film |
| Under the Open Sky | Yoshizawa | ||
| Masquerade Night | Naomi Yamagishi | ||
| 2022 | The Confidence Man JP: Episode of the Hero | Darko | Lead role |
| Shin Ultraman | Hiroko Asami | ||
| A Hundred Flowers | Kaori Kasai | ||
| 2023 | Shin Kamen Rider | Scorpion Augment-01 | |
| Do Unto Others | Hidemi Ōtomo | ||
| Kingdom 3 | Yang Duan He |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Sing | Ash | 2017 Japanese dub |
| 2021 | Sing 2 | Ash | 2022 Japanese dub |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Pure Soul | Maru Seta | |
| 2002 | Sakura | Kanako Numata | Asadora |
| 2004 | True Horror Story | Mayu Morimoto | |
| Runaway | Onizuka Sari | ||
| Mystery Theater: Satsujin Stunt | Hitomi Takamizawa | Guest | |
| 2005 | Affectionate Time | Azusa Minagawa | |
| Hiroshima Showa 20 nen 8 Gatsu Muika | Maki Yajima | TV movie | |
| 2005–2021 | Dragon Sakura | Naomi Mizuno | 2 seasons |
| 2006 | Kōmyō ga Tsuji | Korin | Taiga drama |
| Sailor Suit and Machine Gun | Hoshi Izumi | Lead role | |
| 2007 | Akechi Mitsuhide | Tsumaki Hiroko | TV movie |
| Romeo and Juliet | Juliet Kihira | ||
| The Reason Mama Cooks | Miyuki Kouda | Special appearance | |
| Proposal Daisakusen | Rei Yoshida | Lead role | |
| Butterfly Stroke in Ganges River | Teruko Takano | Lead role | |
| 20 Year Old Lover | Sawada Yuri | Lead role | |
| 2008 | Proposal Daikusen SP | Rei Yoshida | Lead role |
| Last Friends | Michiru Aida | Lead role | |
| Galileo: Episode Zero | Akari Shionoya | ||
| Fujiko F. Fujio no Parallel Space Nebumi Camera | Takeko | Lead role | |
| 2009 | Tenchijin | Hatsune | Taiga drama |
| Soka, Mo Kimi wa Inai no Ka | Yōko | TV movie | |
| My Sister | Saya | Lead role | |
| 2010 | Sotsu Uta | Hitomi Tachibana | Lead role |
| Wagaya no Rekishi | Yukari Ichinose | Mini-series | |
| Gold | Rika | ||
| 2012 | Bunshin | Mariko/Futaba/Akiko | Lead role |
| High School Entrance Exam | Kyōko Haruyama | Lead role | |
| 2012–2013 | I Love Tokyo Legend - Kawaii Detective | Tsukiko Otonashi | Lead role; 2 seasons |
| 2013 | Chocolat | Chie Tatsumi | Lead role |
| Summer Nude | Kasumi Ichikura | ||
| 2014 | All About My Siblings | Takako Yashiro | |
| 2016 | Sanada Maru | Kiri | Taiga drama |
| 2018 | The Confidence Man JP | Darko | Lead role |
| 2022 | The 13 Lords of the Shogun | Narrator | Taiga drama |
| Elpis | Ena Asakawa | Lead role |
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 25th Yokohama Film Festival | Best New Talent | Like Asura, Robot Contest | Won |
| 27th Japan Academy Film Prize | Newcomer of the Year | Robot Contest | Won | |
| 2005 | 29th Elan d'or Awards | Newcomer of the Year | Won | |
| 47th Blue Ribbon Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Crying Out Love in the Center of the World | Won | |
| 28th Japan Academy Film Prize | Best Supporting Actress | Won | ||
| Popularity Award Winner | Won | |||
| 2007 | 4th Bunshun Raspberry Awards | Worst Actress | Tears for You | Won |
| 30th Japan Academy Film Prize | Best Actress | Nominated | ||
| 11th Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix | Best Actress | Proposal Daisakusen | Nominated | |
| 2012 | 54th Blue Ribbon Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Love Strikes! | Won |
| 35th Japan Academy Film Prize | Best Actress | Nominated | ||
| 11th New York Asian Film Festival | Star Asia Rising Star Award | Won | ||
| VoCE Beauty Awards | The Best Beauty of The Year | Won | ||
| Television Drama Academy Awards | Best Actress | Toshi Densetsu no Onna | Won | |
| 2018 | 72nd Mainichi Film Awards | Best Actress | Before We Vanish | Won |
| 41st Japan Academy Film Prize | Best Actress | Nominated | ||
| 2019 | 44th Hochi Film Awards | Best Actress | Masquerade Hotel, The Confidence Man JP: The Movie | Won |
| 32nd Nikkan Sports Film Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Masquerade Hotel, Kingdom | Nominated | |
| 2020 | 62nd Blue Ribbon Awards | Best Actress | The Confidence Man JP: The Movie | Won |
| Best Supporting Actress | Masquerade Hotel, Kingdom | Nominated | ||
| 43rd Japan Academy Film Prize | Best Supporting Actress | Kingdom | Won | |
| 45th Hochi Film Awards | Best Actress | Mother, The Confidence Man JP: Episode of the Princess | Nominated | |
| 33rd Nikkan Sports Film Awards | Best Actress | Won | ||
| 2021 | 63rd Blue Ribbon Awards | Best Actress | Won | |
| 75th Mainichi Film Awards | Best Actress | Mother | Nominated | |
| 44th Japan Academy Film Prize | Best Actress | Won | ||
| The Confidence Man JP: Episode of the Princess | Nominated | |||
| 46th Hochi Film Awards | Best Actress | Masquerade Night | Nominated |
| Body Measurements | 35-22-34 Inches |
| Bodytype | Slim |
| Height | 5 Feet 6 Inches (1.68 m) |
| Weight | 55 kg (122 lbs) |
| Waist | 22 Inches |
| Hair Color | Brown |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Shoe Size | 7 US |
| Dress Size | 4 US |
| Nickname | Masami |
| Gender | Female |
| Age | 35 years old (in 2023) |
| Date of Birth | June 3, 1987 |
| Full Name | Masami Nagasawa |
| Profession | Actress, Model |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Birthplace | Iwata, Shizuoka, Japan |
| Religion | Buddhism |
| Zodiac Sign | Gemini |
School: Horikoshi High School
Chuo University High School
Profession: Actress, Model
Net Worth: $5 million
Father: Kazuaki Nagasawa
Marital Status: Single
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