Chiaki Kuriyama

Chiaki Kuriyama
Chiaki Kuriyama in September 2010
Born	栗山 千明 (Kuriyama Chiaki) October 10, 1984 (1984-10-10) Tsuchiura, Ibaraki, Japan
Occupation	Actress, singer, model
Website
http://www.spacecraft.co.jp/chiaki_kuriyama/

Chiaki Kuriyama (栗山 千明, Kuriyama Chiaki, born October 10, 1984) is a Japanese actress, singer and model. She is best known in the West for her roles in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill, Volume 1 (2003) and the Japanese film Battle Royale (2001).

Biography

She was born in Tsuchiura, Ibaraki. Chiaki was a popular model during Japan's child model boom in the mid-1990s. In 1997, she appeared in the photobooks Shinwa-Shōjo (Girl of Myth) and Shōjokan (Girl's Residence), photographed by Kishin Shinoyama. Shinwa-Shōjo became a best-seller but, as it contained some nudity, was discontinued by the publisher in 1999 after the institution of new anti–child pornography laws. She also posed as a model for the child fashion magazines Nicola (1997–2001) and Pichi Lemon (1996–2001).

She first achieved widespread recognition as an actress in Japan for her starring roles in the horror films Shikoku (1999) and Ju-on (2000). Chiaki also appeared in the action film Battle Royale (2000) as Takako Chigusa.

Following feature appearances on several notable Japanese television programs (including Rokubanme no Sayoko), Chiaki made her Hollywood debut in director Quentin Tarantino's 2003 film Kill Bill, Volume I as Gogo Yubari, the schoolgirl bodyguard of yakuza boss O-Ren Ishii (Lucy Liu). Chiaki's lines in the film were all in Japanese (except for four words, "hi", "bingo", "Black" and "Mamba"). She has stated that she is in the process of learning English and hopes to play more English-language roles in the future.

Chiaki's other film appearances include major roles in the samurai drama Azumi 2: Death or Love and Takashi Miike's Yōkai Daisensō.

In 2010, she released the CD single "Ryūsei no Namida" on DefStar Records as "CHiAKi KURiYAMA". The song was used as the first ending theme for Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn. This single was followed by three others under her name as traditionally written in Japanese: "Kanōsei Girl", "Cold Finger Girl", and "Oisihi Kisetsu/Ketteiteki Sanpunkan"; "Cold Finger Girl" was used as the opening for the anime adaptation of Level E. She followed the singles with an album, Circus, in 2011.

Discography

Singles

• "Ryūsei no Namida" (流星のナミダ, "Meteor's Tears") (February 24, 2010) - Gundam Unicorn episode one theme song (as CHiAKi KURiYAMA)
• "Kanōsei Girl" (可能性ガール, Kanōsei Gāru, "Probable Girl") (November 17, 2010) - Yorinuki Gin Tama-san third opening theme, produced by Tomoyasu Hotei
• "Cold Finger Girl" (コールドフィンガーガール, Kōrudo Fingā Gāru) (January 26, 2011) - Level E opening theme, produced by Kenichi Asai
• "Oishii Kisetsu/Ketteiteki Sanpunkan" (おいしい季節/決定的三分間, "Tasty Season/Between One-Third of the Decision") (March 2, 2011) - produced by Ringo Sheena
• "Tsuki no Shouzou" (月夜の肖像, "Portrait of the Moon") (November 23, 2011) - Himitsu Chouhouin Erika Starring Chiaki Kuriyama as Takahashi Erika (Ending Theme)

Albums

• Circus (March 16, 2011)

Filmography

TV Series

• Nacchan Ka (1998)
• Kowai Douwa - Oyayubihime (1999) as Sayako
• Rokubanme no Sayoko (2000) as Sayoko Tsumura
• Taju Jinkaku Tantei Saiko as Amamiya Kazuhiko no Kikan (2000)
• Himitsu Kurabu o-daiba.com (2000) as Kazumi Naruse
• Kabushiki Kaisha o-daiba.com (2000) as Kazumi Naruse
• R-17 (2001) as Saori Maruyama
• Jyooubachi (2006) as Tomoko/Kotoe Daidoji
• Woman's Island (2006) as Rei Fujishima
• Haru, Barneys de (2006) as Sakurai Sae
• Kakure Karakuri (2006) as Karin Hanayama
• Hagetaka (2007) (TV) as Yuka Mishima
• Tokkyu Tanaka 3 Go (2007) as Terumi Meguro
• Ashita no Kita Yoshio (2008) as Rika Hasegawa
• Loss Time Life (2008) as Ayaka Kurosaki
• Sirius no Michi (2008) as Yuka Hirano
• Atami no Sousakan (2010) as Sae Kitajima
• Rebound (2010) as Mimura Hitomi
• Tsukahara Bokuden (2010) as Mahiro
• Himitsu Chouhouin Erika (2010) as Takahashi Erika
• Carnation (2011–2012) as Natsu Yoshida

Films

• Toire no Hanako-san (1995)
• Gonin (1995) as Ogiwara's daughter
• Shikoku (1999) as Sayori Hiura
• Kamen Gakuen (2000) as Reika Dojima
• Battle Royale (2000) as Takako Chigusa - Girl #13
• Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) as Gogo Yubari
• Itsuka 'A' Torein ni Notte (2003) as Yuki Noguchi
• Ju-on as Mizuho
• Kagen no Tsuki (2004) as Mizuki Mochizuki
• MAIL (2005) as Mikoto
• Azumi 2: Death or Love (2005) as Kozue
• Into the Sun (2005) as Ayako
• The Great Yokai War (2005) as Agi
• Scrap Heaven (2005) as Saki Fujimura
• Kisarazu Cats Eye: World Series (2006) as Ayako Sugimoto
• Ekusute (2007) as Yuko Mizushima
• Tengu Gaiden (2007) as Amaya
• KIDS (2008) as Shiho
• GS Wonderland (2008) as Miku
• Komori Kachou no Yuuga na Hibi (2008)
• Kamogawa Horumo (2009) as Fumi
• Hagetaka: The Movie (2009) as Yuka Mishima
• Neck (2010) as Eiko Akasaka

Voice roles

• Eden's Bowy (1999) as Konyako Persia
• The Sky Crawlers (2008) (voice) as Midori Mitsuya

Video games

• Ryū ga Gotoku Of the End (2011) as Asagi

TV commercials/advertisements

• IZZUE (clothing brand)
• Shiseido Maquillage (fashion make-up)
• Panasonic P901iS/P902iS/P903i Cellphone
• Ecko Unlimited (Marc Ecko clothing brand)
• Morinaga Aloe yogurt (Japanese dairy products)
• Clorets (mint chewing gum)
• JA Bank Mie Prefecture (Japanese Company)
• Glico 和ごころ (wagokoro) (Japanese Confectionery Company)

Photobooks

• Namaiki! Photo:Kishin Shinoyama.Text:Akio Nakamori.(ISBN 4-10-326205-2,1996).
• Tenshi/angel(天使) Photo:Mitsuo Kawamoto.(ISBN 4-09-680821-0,1996).
• Sinwa-Shoujo.(神話少女） Photo:Kishin Shinoyama. Text:Akio Nakamori.(ISBN 4-10-326207-9,1997)
• Shoujokan(少女館)　Photo:Kishin Shinoyama. (ISBN 4-10-326209-5,1997)
• Shikoku nite （死国にて)(ISBN 4-04-904318-1,1999)
• Kuriyama Chiaki ACCESS BOOK (栗山千明ACCESS BOOK)(ISBN 4-04-853047-X,1999)
• Princess (プリンセス 栗山千明×蜷川実花）Photo:Mika Ninagawa.(ISBN 4-06-352725-5,2004)
• digi+KISHIN DVD:Chiaki Kuriyama. Image Film by Kishin Shinoyama.(ASIN B0001LNO7O,2004)
• digi+Girls kishin NO.4 Kuriyama Chiaki (digi+Girls kishin NO.4 栗山 千明) Photo:Kishin Shinoyama. (ASIN: 4255002797, 2004)
• Car girl Photo:Kishin Shinoyama. (ISBN 4-584-17094-0,2004)

Awards

• 2003 MTV Movie Awards: Best Fight (Kill Bill: Vol. 1)

External links

• Official Website (Japanese)
• Chiaki Kuriyama at the Internet Movie Database
• Chiaki Kuriyama at AllRovi