is a Japanese actress. She was an exclusive model for the Japanese Seventeen magazine from late 2003 to mid-2006, and quit modeling when she left the magazine. Her first acting role was Sailor Mars in the Sailor Moon live action show Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (2003–2004), and after her role in the film Mamiya Kyōdai, she left modeling to concentrate on acting. She has appeared in several films, including The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006) and Handsome Suit (2008), and has played leading roles in the TV Dramas Mop Girl (2007), Homeroom on the Beachside (2008), Buzzer Beat (2009), Lady Saigo no Hanzai Profile (2011), and Akumu-chan (2012).
Biography Kitagawa was born on August 22, 1986, in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. She grew up in Kobe, and lost many friends in the Great Hanshin earthquake in 1995. As a child, she wanted to be a doctor, but by the time she reached high school she was uncertain of what to do in the future. Around this time, she was scouted by a talent agency, and decided to try the entertainment world. Her parents were initially opposed, but they gave their permission on two conditions: that she give up if she was making no progress within a year, and that she put her studies first and graduate from university. She graduated from Meiji University in Tokyo in March 2009.
Career Within a week of joining an agency, Kitagawa was selected as a model and an actress. She was chosen as Miss Seventeen in 2003, which led to her working as a model with the Japanese Seventeen until she graduated from the magazine in September 2006. In the latter part of the run, she had her regular feature, "Keiko's Beauty Honey".
As an actress, Kitagawa was given the role of Rei Hino in the live action television series of Sailor Moon, which began her acting career. Her first significant film role was in Mamiya Kyōdai, and because of the influence of the director, Yoshimitsu Morita, she decided to concentrate on acting rather than modeling. She initially concentrated on films, including the leading roles in Cherry Pie and Dear Friends. In late 2007, she had her first leading role in a TV drama, in the late-night drama Mop Girl. In 2008, she was given the role of the heroine in Homeroom on the Beachside, Fuji Television's Monday 9pm drama for the summer season.
Kitagawa moved to Tokyo when she started working as an actress and model, and has lived there since. She traveled to California to film The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, and returned there to study English for a couple of months early in 2006. From May to December 2007, she wrote a column entitled "Keytan Hakusho" for the Japanese weekly television listings magazine Weekly The Television.
Kitagawa has described herself as a stay-at-home person who likes watching DVDs, listening to music, and reading books. When asked what she would do if the world were going to end tomorrow, she said "read books". She is managed by Stardust Promotion.
She has appeared in the films Mizu ni Sumu Hana (2006), Mamiya Kyōdai (2006), The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006), Cherry Pie (lead role) (2006), Dear Friends (lead role) (2007), Sono Toki ha Kare ni Yoroshiku (2007), Southbound (2007), Heat Island (2007), Handsome Suit (2008), Orion in Midsummer (2009), I'll Pay (2009), After the Flowers (lead role) (2010), and Matataki (lead role) (2010), and Elevator to the Scaffold (2010).
She appeared in the TV dramas Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (2003–4), Mop Girl (lead role) (2007), Homeroom on the Beachside (2008), Buzzer Beat (2009), and Moon Lovers (2010), The After-Dinner Mysteries (2011), Hero (2014), and Detective versus Detectives (2015).
Personal life In 2016, Kitagawa married singer-songwriter Daigo. The same year, Kitagawa won the Japanese Television Academy Award for Best Actress for Ie Uru Onna.
On April 22, 2020, she announced her first pregnancy. On September 7, she gave birth to her daughter. On September 25, 2023, Kitagawa and her husband jointly announced through their agency that they are expecting their second child. On January 31, 2024, she gave birth to a son.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes 2006The Mamiya BrothersYumi HonmaMizu ni Sumu HanaRikka MizuchiThe Fast and the Furious: Tokyo DriftReikoAmerican filmCherry PieKiyoharaLead role2007Dear FriendsRina TakahashiLead roleSay Hello for MeMomoka KatsuragiSouthboundYouko UeharaHeat IslandNao2008The Handsome SuitHiroko Hoshino2009Last Operations Under the OrionShitsuko Arisawa/Izumi KuramotoIt's On MereporterCameo2010After the FlowersItoLead roleElevator to the GallowsMikayo MatsumotoPiecing Me Back TogetherIzumi SonodaLead role2011Paradise KissYukari HayasakaLead role2012Magic Tree HouseJack (voice)2013The After-Dinner MysteriesHosho ReikoLead roleRoommateHarumi HagiwaraLead role2014Judge!Hikari OtaI Just Wanna Hug YouTsukasa YamamotoLead roleAkumu-chan The MovieAyami MutoiLead role2015The Pearls of the Stone ManSatoko Kobayashi Something Like, Something Like ItYumi HeroChika Asagi 2017Hamon: Yakuza BoogieYukiLet Me Eat Your Pancreasadult Kyōko Takimoto The Last Shot in the BarMari Misaki2018Punk Samurai Slash Down RonHibikiFumi HanaiStolen IdentityAsami InabaLead roleMy Teacher, My LoveCameo2019 The Hikita's Are Expecting! Sachi Hikita2020Stolen Identity 2Asami InabaSpecial appearance The Legacy of Dr. Death: Black File Asuka Takachiho The Promised Neverland Mom Isabella 2021 First Love Yuki Makabe Lead role It's a Flickering Life Sonoko Katsura The Night Beyond the Tricornered Window Keiko 2022 Dreaming of the Meridian Arc Eimi Kobayashi / Ei Anpanman: Dororin and the Transforming Carnival Dororin (voice) Fragments of the Last Will Mojimi Yamamoto 2023 Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Cosmos The Movie Sailor Cosmos, Guardian Cosmos (voice) 2025 Night Flower Natsuki Nagashima Lead role 2026 Cry Out Ayano Saeki
Television drama Year Title Role Notes 2003–04Pretty Guardian Sailor MoonRei Hino / Sailor MarsTokusatsu drama based on the manga Sailor Moon2007Mop GirlMomoko HasegawaLead role2008Taiyo to Umi no KyoshitsuEnokido Wakaba2009Buzzer BeatRiko ShirakawaLead role2010Hostess with a PenRie SaitoLead role; television film; based on a true story of Rie SaitoTsuki no KoibitoŌnuki Yuzuki2011Lady: Saigo no Hanzai ProfileKazuki ShōkoLead roleThe After-Dinner MysteriesReiko HoshoLead roleKono Sekai no Katasumi niSuzuLead role; television film2012The After-Dinner Mysteries SPReiko HoshoLead roleMy Little NightmareMutoi AyamiLead roleMi o Tsukushi RyorichoMioLead role; television film2013A Swinging SingleHaruno Yuki2014Mi o Tsukushi Ryoricho 2MioLead role; television filmHeroChika Asagi2015Detective versus DetectivesRena SasakiLead role2016Kuroi JukaiShōko KasaharaLead role; television film Hippocratic OathMakoto TsuganoLead role; mini-series2016–19Your Home is My Business!Machi Sangen'yaLead role; 2 seasons2017Happiness's MemoryNanami Tsushima Television filmTrue Horror Stories: Summer 2017Kyoka FukagawaLead role; short drama2018SegodonAtsuhimeTaiga dramaShitei BengoshiYui Hitotsugi Lead role; television filmFake NewsItsuki ShinonomeLead role; mini-series2021How to Get a Divorce for the Whole Family!Saki MizuguchiLead role2023What Will You Do, Ieyasu?Oichi and Yodo-donoTaiga dramaThemis's Law School ClassroomShizuku HiiragiLead roleSunsetKaori HasebeLead role; mini-series2025Hana NorenTaka KawashimaLead role; television filmSince I Took You AwayHiromi NakagoshiLead role2025–26The Ghost Writer's WifeTae UshimizuAsadora2026Shiawase wa AruKanako IdemitsuLead role; television film
Documentary {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year !! Title !! Network !! class="unsortable" | Notes |- |2012 |Kagayaku On'na `Kitagawa Keiko|NHK BS Premium
|2013 |Kitagawa Keiko × Chichūkai Megami-tachi o Sagashite |NHK BS Premium |in 2 parts |- |2014 |Kitagawa Keiko Yuukyuu No Miyako Turkey Istanbul -futari No Kougou Ai No Kiseki Wo Tadoru- |BS Fuji
|2015 |The Premium Kitagawa Keiko Suichoku Time Travel in Rome |NHK BS Premium |in 2 parts |- |2018 |Iyoiyo start! BS4K BS8K Kaikyoku Special |NHK |Broadcast in Rome |- |2019 |Nihon ni koi shita Van Gogh ~ Kitagawa Keiko ga Aruku Tensai Gaka no Tabiji ~''' |BS Nippon Television
|2020 |NHK Special: `Ano Ni~Tsu kara 25-nen Daishinsai no Kodomo-tachi |NHK
Home Video 2013 : Kitagawa Keiko Making Documentary "27+" - Documentary
Radio 2006 : Tanabata Nananenkai - As Naomi Setsuraku/Midori Fujikura
Books 2006: Stylish Street Book "I've been to Hollywood!" 2007: Kitagawa Keiko Shashinshū Dear Friends 2008: Actress Make Up 2010: Actress Make Up II 2011: Eiga "Paradise Kiss" official murasaki by Kitagawa Keiko Fashion Photo Book 2013: Original 1st shashin-shū 27' (Ni Juna Na) 2015: PARIGOT: Light in the Night in Marunouchi 2016: Keiko Kitagawa 2nd shashin-shū 30 (Angel works) 2023: Keiko Kitagawa Photobook: "37" 20th anniversary CD 2004: Sakura Fubuki ("Cherry Blossom Storm")/Hoshi Furu Yoake'' ("Stars Fall at Dawn") (as Rei Hino)
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Work(s) Result 201539th Elan d'or AwardsNewcomer of the YearHerself201841st Japan Academy Film PrizeBest Supporting ActressThe Last Shot in the Bar202550th Hochi Film AwardsBest ActressNight FlowerElle Cinema Awards 2025Elle Best Actress202680th Mainichi Film AwardsBest Lead Performance 68th Blue Ribbon AwardsBest Actress49th Japan Academy Film PrizeBest Actress
References
External links
Official agency profile English translation of blog