Yu Yamada

Yu Yamada (山田優)
Birth name	山田優子 (Yamada Yuko)
Born	July 5, 1984 (1984-07-05)
Origin	Okinawa, Okinawa, Japan
Genres	Pop
Occupations	Model, Actress, Singer, TV Personality
Instruments	Singing
Years active	1999–present
Labels	Pony Canyon
Website	Yamada Yu Official Blog

Yu Yamada (山田 優, Yamada Yū, born July 5, 1984 in Okinawa, Japan) is a model, actress, and singer best known from her modeling work with CanCam magazine. Shintaro Yamada is her brother.^{[citation needed]}

Career

Yamada graduated from Okinawa Actors School. In 1999, while working as a model for the Japanese fashion magazine CanCam under an exclusive contract, she also worked as a singer in the group y'z factory (formed with two other students of the Okinawa Actors School) and released a total of six singles and one album, but in 2002 the group disbanded.

Following the group's break up, Yamada moved to television, making her acting debut in the 2001 drama series Kabachitare! which led to many other drama roles such as in Kange! Danjiki Goikkosama, and Orange Days as well as hosting jobs for NTV’s Minna no Terebi and Fuji TV’s F1 Grand Prix. She has also starred in a few films acting alongside many prominent young stars including Ryuhei Matsuda, Hiroki Narimiya and Shugo Oshinari.

Yamada has also appeared in advertisements for Nissin instant foods, Ezaki Glico, Vodafone cellular phones, Kanebo line of cosmetics, Canon and most recently Fujitsu Ten navigation systems.

In 2006 Yamada debuted as a solo artist with the single "Real You" which was used as the theme song for the movie Akihabara@DEEP (starring Yamada herself) and peaked at number 10 on the Oricon Charts.

Discography

Singles

Single	Single information	Copies sold	Notes
1st	"Real You" Released: September 20, 2006 Oricon Top 100 weekly peak: #10 From album: Myusic	23,000
2nd	"Eyes on Me" Released: March 7, 2007 Oricon Top 100 weekly peak: #30 From album: Myusic Label: Pony Canyon	5,079+	Yu Yamada and this song featured in a 2007 television ad for Sofina Raycious cosmetics. B-side: "Feel My Heart" "Eyes on Me" is not to be confused with Faye Wong's song of the same name.
3rd	"Fly So High" Released: June 13, 2007 Oricon Top 100 weekly peak: #27 From album: Myusic Label: Pony Canyon	3,581+	This was the ending theme for the TV Tokyo anime series Blue Dragon. B-side: Little Raindrop
4th	"Fiesta! Fiesta!" Released: September 5, 2007 Oricon Top 100 weekly peak: #47 From album: Myusic Label: Pony Canyon	3,054+	Yu Yamada and this song featured in another 2007 television ad for Sofina Raycious. The B-side, "Palm", served as the ending theme to the Fuji TV horseracing show Umanade.
5th	"Leave All Behind" Released: April 23, 2008
6th	"My All" Released: January 21, 2009
7th	"Free" Released: May 20, 2009		This was the ending theme for the anime series Basquash!

Filmography

Movies

• ROUTE 58 (2003) as Rin
• Kiseki wa Sora Kara Futte Kuru (2005) as Reiko Aoyama
• Akihabara@DEEP (2006) as Akira
• Pulukogi (2007)
• Surf's Up (Japanese dub) (2007) as Lani Aliikai
• Kanna-san, Daiseiko Desu! (2008) as Kanna

Dramas

• Kabachitare! (2001)
• Kindaichi Shounen no Jikenbo (2001)
• Kangei Danjiki Goikkou-sama (2001)
• Shiawase no Shippo (2002)
• Cosmetic (2003)
• Aisuru Tame ni Aisaretai Loved to Love (2003)
• Sore wa, Totsuzen, Arashi no youni... (2004)
• Orange Days (2004)
• Be-Bop High School (2004)
• Nihon no Kowai Yoru "Daiseikubi" (2004)
• X'mas Nante Daikirai (2004)
• Tales of Japan (2004)
• Be-Bop High School 2 (2005)
• Fukigen na Gene (2005)
• Yume de Aimashou (2005)
• Yonimo Kimyona Monogatari "Happunkan" (2005)
• Satomi Hakenden" (2006)
• Tsubasa no Oreta Tenshitachi "Actress" (2006)
• Zenibana (2006)
• Damens' Walker (2006)
• Karei ni Naru Ichizoku (2007)
• Zenibana 2 (2007)
• Nodame Cantabile in Europe (2008)
• Gokusen 3 (2008)
• Binbō Danshi (2008)
• Seigi no Mikata (2008)
• Akuma no Temari Uta (2009)
• Mei-chan no Shitsuji (2009)
• Gakeppuchi no Eri (2010)

Anime

• Paradise Kiss (2005) as Yukari Hayasaka

External links

• K Dash Group Profile
• Yu Yamada at the Internet Movie Database
• Yu Yamada at CanCam magazine's online site.
• Yu Yamada at JDorama
• Yu Yamada discography at MusicBrainz