Sakura Ando

For the singer, see Sakura Andō (singer).

Sakura Ando (安藤 サクラ, Andō Sakura; born February 18, 1986) is a Japanese actress. She is best known for appearing in critically-acclaimed films such as Sion Sono's Love Exposure, Hirokazu Kore-eda's Shoplifters (2018) and Monster (2023), as well as Takashi Yamazaki's Academy Award–winning kaiju epic Godzilla Minus One (2023).

Sakura Ando
安藤 サクラ
Ando at the Tokyo International Film Festival in October 2017
Born	(1986-02-18) February 18, 1986 (age 39) Tokyo, Japan
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2005–present
Spouse	Tasuku Emoto ​ (m. 2012)​
Children	1
Parent	Eiji Okuda (father) Kazu Ando (mother)
Relatives	Momoko Ando (sister) Takeru Inukai (grandfather) Akira Emoto (father-in-law) Tokio Emoto (brother-in-law)

Career

Ando won the award for Best Supporting Actress at the 31st Yokohama Film Festival 2010 for Love Exposure, The Wonderful World of Captain Kuhio and Tsumitoka batsutoka.^{[1][clarification needed]} She was also nominated for the award for best supporting actress at 4th Asian Film Awards 2010 for A Crowd of Three.^[2]

She appeared in Kiyoshi Kurosawa's 2012 television drama Penance.^[3]

She has also appeared in films such as The Samurai That Night,^[4] Our Homeland,^[5] and Petal Dance.^[6]

In 2015, Ando received the CUT ABOVE Award for Outstanding Performance in Film at JAPAN CUTS: Festival of New Japanese Film in New York.^[7]

In 2018, Ando received high praise for her performance as Nobuyo Shibata in director Hirokazu Kore-eda's Shoplifters, being called "fantastic"^[8] and "the stand-out",^[9] with film critic Simon Abrams stating that "Kore-eda gave Andô her character's (strictly metaphorical) dance steps, but she realizes and owns every maneuver she was asked to (and then some).... No small feat... given how subtly complicated her dance steps are."^[10]

In June 2023, Ando was invited to become a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.^[11]

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Ref(s)
2006	A Long Walk	Waitress		[12]
2007	Out of the Wind	Mariko Iwata	Leading role	[13]
2008	Love Exposure	Koike		[14]
	Ain’t No Tomorrows	Chizu		[12]
2009	The Wonderful World of Captain Kuhio	Rika		[12]
	Crime or Punishment?!?	Momo Mimikawa		[12]
2010	Sweet Little Lies	Miyako		[12]
	A Crowd of Three	Kayo	Leading role	[12]
2012	Our Homeland	Rie	Leading role	[12]
	For Love's Sake	Gamuko		[12]
	The Samurai That Night	Mika		[12]
2013	Petal Dance	Motoko		[12]
	Yellow Elephant	Kan'yu (voice)		[12]
2014	Homeland	Misa		[12]
	Her Granddaughter	Misaki Akimoto		[12]
	0.5 mm	Sawa Yamagishi	Leading role	[12]
	100 Yen Love	Ichiko Saito	Leading role	[15]
2015	Asleep	Terako	Leading role	[12]
2016	Dias Police: Dirty Yellow Boys	Yumeko		[12]
2017	Reminiscences	Ryōko Nishina		[12]
	Tornado Girl	Yū Mikami		[12]
	Sound of Waves	Yūko	Leading role	[16]
	Destiny: The Tale of Kamakura	The Grim Reaper		[17]
2018	Shoplifters	Nobuyo Shibata	Leading role	[18]
2021	The Great Yokai War: Guardians	Kokakuchō		[19]
2022	A Man	Rie Taniguchi		[20]
2023	Monster	Saori	Leading role	[21]
	Bad Lands	Neri	Leading role	[22]
	We're Millennials. Got a Problem?: The Movie	Akane Miyashita		[23]
	The Imaginary	Lizzie (voice)		[24]
	Godzilla Minus One	Sumiko Ota		[25]
2025	A Very Straight Neck		Short; Post-production

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Ref(s)
2011	Still, Life Goes On
	Sunshine	Mitsu Miyamoto	Asadora
2012	Penance		Miniseries	[26]
2015	Mamagoto	Hideko Onji	Leading role
	We're Millennials. Got a Problem?	Akane Miyashita		[23]
2018	Magical × Heroine Magimajo Pures!	Mokonyan (voice)
2018–19	Manpuku	Fukuko Tachibana	Leading role; Asadora	[27]
2019	Mango no Ki no Shita de	Misaki Tamiya	TV movie
	Idaten	Masae Kasai	Taiga drama	[28]
	Natsuzora: Natsu's Sky	An anime's narrator	Asadora	[27]
2021	Ryūkō Kanbō	Haruko	TV movie	[29]
2022	Rebooting	Asami Kondō	Leading role	[30]
2025	The Hot Spot	Takahashi's mother	Episode 8; special appearance	[31]

Awards and nominations

Year	Award ceremony	Category	Work(s)	Result
2010	31st Yokohama Film Festival	Best Supporting Actress	Love Exposure	Won
	4th Asian Film Awards	Best Supporting Actress	A Crowd of Three	Nominated
2011	84th Kinema Junpo Award	Best Supporting Actress		Won
2012	37th Hochi Film Award	Best Supporting Actress	For Love's Sake, The Samurai That Night	Won
	34th Yokohama Film Festival	Best Supporting Actress		Won
2013	86th Kinema Junpo Award	Best Supporting Actress	For Love's Sake, The Samurai That Night, etc.	Won
		Best Actress	Our Homeland	Won
	55th Blue Ribbon Awards	Best Actress		Won
	22nd Japanese Film Critics Awards	Best Actress		Won
	67th Mainichi Film Awards	Best Supporting Actress	For Love's Sake	Won
2015	38th Japan Academy Prize	Best Actress	0.5 mm	Nominated
	57th Blue Ribbon Awards	Best Actress	0.5 mm, 100 Yen Love	Won
	24th Japanese Film Critics Awards	Best Actress		Won
	88th Kinema Junpo Award	Best Actress	100 Yen Love	Won
	69th Mainichi Film Awards	Best Actress	0.5 mm	Won
2016	39th Japan Academy Prize	Best Actress	100 Yen Love	Won
2018	27th Tokyo Sports Film Award	Best Supporting Actress	Reminiscence	Nominated
	43rd Hochi Film Awards	Best Actress	Shoplifters	Nominated
	31st Nikkan Sports Film Awards	Best Actress		Won
		Best Supporting Actress	Destiny: The Tale of Kamakura	Nominated
	23rd Florida Film Critics Circle Award	Best Supporting Actress	Shoplifters	Won
2019	40th Yokohama Film Festival	Best Actress		Won
	73rd Mainichi Film Awards	Best Actress		Won
		Kinuyo Tanaka Award	Herself	Nominated
	61st Blue Ribbon Awards	Best Actress	Shoplifters	Nominated
	28th Tokyo Sports Film Award	Best Actress		Won
	92nd Kinema Junpo Awards	Best Actress		Won
	42nd Japan Academy Prize	Best Actress		Won
	13th Asian Film Awards	Best Actress		Nominated
2020	44th Elan d'or Awards	Newcomer of the Year	Herself	Won[32]
2022	47th Hochi Film Awards	Best Supporting Actress	A Man	Nominated[33]
2023	77th Mainichi Film Awards	Best Supporting Actress		Nominated[34]
	65th Blue Ribbon Awards	Best Supporting Actress	A Man and Korosuna	Nominated[35]
	46th Japan Academy Film Prize	Best Supporting Actress	A Man	Won[36]
	16th Asian Film Awards	Best Supporting Actress		Nominated[37]
	26th Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix	Best Actress	Rebooting	Won[30]
	36th Nikkan Sports Film Awards	Best Actress	Monster and Bad Lands	Nominated[38]
2024	78th Mainichi Film Awards	Best Actress	Bad Lands	Nominated[39]
	66th Blue Ribbon Awards	Best Actress		Nominated[40]
	47th Japan Academy Film Prize	Best Actress	Monster	Won[41]
		Best Supporting Actress	Godzilla Minus One	Won[42]

Family tree

See also: Inukai_Tsuyoshi § Family_tree

Tsuyoshi Inukai

Yutaka Ando

Takeru Inukai

Masako Ogino

Eiji Okuda

Kazu Ando

Akira Emoto

Kazue Tsunogae

Momoko Ando

Sakura Ando

Tasuku Emoto

Tokio Emoto

unknown daughter[43]