Satomi Ishihara

Kuniko Ishigami (石神 国子, Ishigami Kuniko; born December 24, 1986), better known by her stage name Satomi Ishihara (石原 さとみ, Ishihara Satomi), is a Japanese actress.^[1]

Satomi Ishihara
石原 さとみ
Ishihara at the premiere of Shin Godzilla in July 2016
Born	Kuniko Ishigami (1986-12-24) December 24, 1986 (age 38) Tokyo, Japan
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2003–present
Agent	Horipro
Spouse	Unknown ​ (m. 2020)​
Children	1

Early life and career

Kuniko Ishigami was born on December 24, 1986 in Tokyo, Japan, to her unnamed parents. The origin of her stage name, who comes from the reverse of her surname, "Ishihara" ("raw stone"), which she gave herself as a reflection of her identity as a diamond in the rough, and her given name "Satomi" ("Satomi"), which she gave as a reflection of her desire to be intelligent and beautiful, written in hiragana.^{[citation needed]}

She attended Tokyo Soka Elementary School, Soka Junior High School, and graduated from Soka High School.^{[citation needed]}

In 2003, at the age of 16, Satomi began her acting career when she starred in the drama kimi wa Petto, starring Jun Matsumoto and Koyuki.^{[2][unreliable source?]} She has devoted equal time to films and television serials. Satomi was nominated for several such awards, such as Best Actress at the 46th Blue Ribbon Awards for role in the film My Grandpa and Best Supporting Actress in the 45th Japan Academy Film Prize for her role in the film And so the baton is passed.^{[2][unreliable source?]} She appeared as Yazawa Shiori in Fuji TV drama Water Boys 2 (2004), as Shizuka Gozen in the NHK Taiga drama series Yoshitsune (2005).

In 2006, Ishihara made her first starring role in a Fuji TV commercial drama series, Ns' Aoi. In the fall of the same year, she made her stage debut as the role of Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker.^[3]

In August 2008, Ishihara made her second stage appearance as Okita Souji in Bakumatsu Junjoden, written and directed by Tsutomu Kohei.^[4] By one month later, in September of the same year, she also portrayed as a Japanese leading JAL flight attendant character Yukari Hayase in Flying Rabbits, directed by Takahisa Zeze.

In 2009, Ishihara made her debut as Kanako Kuboaki in Fuji TV drama series Voice: The Voice of the Innocent, which held every Monday at 9 p.m. In the fall of the same year, she appeared as Takiko Taguchi in Suite: Massacre, directed by Hisashi Inoue.^[5]

In 2010, Ishihara appeared as Akiyama Tokiko (wife of Akiyama Saneyuki) in NHK special war drama television series, Clouds Above the Hill.^[6]

In 2014, Ishihara is known to Japanese television drama audiences for her portrayal as Saeko Takahashi in Shitsuren Chocolatier,^[7] and gained popularity by appearing in it. Also, alongside her co-star Nao Matsushita, she appeared as Misaki Fukazawa in Japanese television love comedy drama series Dear Sister.

In 2016, Ishihara starred as her portrayal of Kayoko Ann Patterson in kaiju film Shin Godzilla, and also starred as Etsuko Kouno in NTV drama series Pretty Proofreader.

In 2018, Ishihara starred as Mikoto Misumi in TBS TV drama series Unnatural, and as well as starred as Momo Tsukishima in NTV drama series Born to Be a Flower.

At the beginning of Reiwa period, in early 2019, Ishihara was appointed as one of the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics torch relay ambassadors,^[8] which the country had an upcoming game event a year later. However, the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics and Paralympics was delayed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, on February 4, 2021, Ishihara had been revealed that she caught COVID-19 infection. According to her agency, Ishihara "is healthy and [she] was not showing any symptoms", though it was reported that she had been recovering at home.^[9][10][11]

In 2024, Ishihara appeared as a lead role of Saori Morishita in Japanese drama film Missing, which she was nominated for a Hochi Film Award and a Japan Academy Film Prize for Best Actress.^{[citation needed]}

Personal life

On October 1, 2020, Ishihara announced that she has been married to an unnamed ordinary man within the year.^[12] On January 10, 2022, Ishihara announced through her agency that she was pregnant and is expected to give the birth around spring,^[13] and three months later, on April 23 of the same year, she gave birth to her first child.^[14] On March 7, 2025, her agency announced that she is expecting to give her birth of second child around spring.^[15]

Filmography

Television dramas

Year	Title	Character	Notes	Ref.
2003	Mado o Aketara	Usagi Yamamoto	Lead role; television film	[16]
2003–04	Teru Teru Kazoku	Fuyuko	Lead role; Asadora	[19]
2004	Tengoku e no Oenka Cheers: Cheerleading ni Kaketa Seishun	Mikiko Morita	Lead role	[20]
	Be-Bop High School	Kyōko Izumi	Lead role	[21]
	Water Boys 2	Shiori Yazawa		[22]
2005	Yoshitsune	Shizuka	Taiga drama	[23][24]
	H2	Haruka Koga		[25]
	Akai Giwaku	Yukiko Oshima	Lead role; miniseries	[26]
	Kaidan Special "Chigiri"	Yui	Lead role; short drama	[27]
	Be-Bop High School 2	Kyōko Izumi	Lead role	[28]
	Climber's High	Ayako Mochizuki		[29]
2006	Ns' Aoi	Aoi Misora	Lead role	[30][31]
	Te no Ue no Shabondama	Risa Sakuraba		[32]
	Ns' Aoi Special "Sakurakawa Byōin Saiaku no Hi"	Aoi Misora	Lead role; television film	[33]
	Hyōten	Yōko Tsujiguchi	Lead role; miniseries	[34]
2007	Tsubasa no Oreta Tenshitachi 2007	Yuri Yoshimura	Lead role; television film	[35]
	Hanayome to Papa	Aiko Uzaki	Lead role	[36]
	Tales of the Unusual: Autumn 2007 "Mirai Dōsōkai"	Haruka Matsui	Lead role; short drama	[37]
	Koi no Karasawagi: Love Stories IV "Koe ga Furueru Onna"	Mutsumi Hikoda	Lead role	[38]
	Maru Maru Chibi Maruko-chan Episode 26	Ping-Pong-Pang's Lady (voice)		[39]
2008	Rokumeikan	Akiko Daitokuji	Television film	[40]
	Puzzle	Misako Ayukawa	Lead role	[41]
	Walkin' Butterfly	Yukari Hayase	Guest	[42]
	Nagaiki Kyōsō!	Eri Yamada	Television film	[43]
2009	Voice: Inochi Naki Mono no Koe	Kanako Kuboaki		[44]
	Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo	Moeko (45 years ago)	Guest	[45]
	Hadaka no Taishō Hinokuni Kumamoto Hen: Onna Gokoro ga Funka Surunode	Tami Shimojō	Television film	[46]
	Tsubakiyama Kachō no Nanokakan	Tsubaki	Lead role; television film	[47]
2009–11	Clouds Over the Hill	Sueko Akiyama		[48]
2010	Daibutsu Kaigan	Abe no Naishinnō	Miniseries	[49]
	Hidarime Tantei Eye	Hitomi Sayama	Lead role	[50]
	Toubō Bengoshi	Emi Ninomiya		[51]
	Reinouryokusha Odagiri Kyōko no Uso	Kyōko Odagiri	Lead role	[52]
2011	Bull Doctor	Chika Kamatsuda		[53]
	Shimei to Tamashii no Limit	Yuki Himuro	Lead role	[54]
2012	Dakatsu no Gotoku	Shioko Furuda		[55]
	Rich Man, Poor Woman	Makoto Natsui	Lead role	[56]
2013	Lucky Seven Special	Mizuki Kurihara	Television film	[57]
	Rich Man, Poor Woman in New York	Makoto Natsui	Lead role	[58]
	Tales of the Unusual: Autumn 2013 "Karikon"	Narumi Morita	Lead role; short drama	[59]
	Koi	Fumiko Yano	Lead role	[60]
2014	Shinzanmono Special: Nemuri no Mori	Mio Asaoka	Television film	[61]
	Heartbroken Chocolatier	Saeko Takahashi	Lead role	[62]
	True Horror Stories: 15th-year anniversary special "S Douzan no Onna"	Natsumi Yamabe	Lead role; short drama	[63]
	Dear Sister	Misaki Fukazawa	Lead role	[64]
2015	5→9 From Five to Nine	Junko Sakuraba	Lead role	[65]
2016	Pretty Proofreader	Etsuko Kouno	Lead role	[66]
2018	Unnatural	Mikoto Misumi	Lead role	[67]
	Born to Be a Flower	Momo Tsukishima	Lead role	[68]
2020	Unsung Cinderella	Aoi Midori	Lead role	[69]
2021	The Greatest Gift	Yuriko Tabuchi	Lead role; television film	[70]
	Love Deeply	Mio Nagisa	Lead role	[71]
2024	Destiny	Kanade Nishimura	Lead role	[72]

Films

Year	Title	Character	Notes	Ref.
2003	My Grandpa	Tamako Godai		[73]
2005	Jam Films S Suberidai			[74]
	One Year in the North	Tae Komatsubara		[75]
2007	Hōtai Club	Emiko Kiba (Wara)		[76]
2008	Ginmakuban Sushi Ōji: New York e Iku	Burusu Lily	Cameo	[77]
	Flying Rabbits	Yukari Hayase	Lead role	[78]
2010	No Longer Human	Yoshiko		[79]
	Zatoichi: The Last	Tane		[80]
	The Incite Mill	Miya Sekimizu		[81]
2011	Manzai Gang	Yumiko Miyazaki		[82]
2012	Gekkō no Kamen	Yayoi		[83]
	Sadako 3D	Akane Ayukawa	Lead role	[84]
	Bungo: Stories of Desire	Fujiko	Anthology film	[85]
	Crow's Thumb	Yahiro Kawai		[86]
2013	Sadako 3D 2	Akane Ayukawa / Sadako Yamamura	Special appearance	[87]
2014	Monsterz	Kanae Kumoi		[88]
	Bakumatsu Kōkousei	Mikako Kawabe	Lead role	[89]
2015	The Lion Standing in the Wind	Wakako Kusano		[90]
	Attack on Titan	Hans		[91][92]
2016	Shin Godzilla	Kayoko Ann Patterson		[93]
2017	Mumon: The Land of Stealth	Okuni		[94]
2019	The 47 Ronin in Debt	Yōzen-in		[95]
2021	And So the Baton Is Passed	Rika		[96]
2024	Missing	Saori Morishita	Lead role	[97]
	Last Mile	Mikoto Misumi		[98]

Broadcasting

• Satomi Say To Me (Every Sunday, 9:30 PM, Nippon Hoso)

Awards and nominations

In October 2018, Satomi won the Best Actress Award at the International Drama Festival in Tokyo.

Year	Organization	Award	Work	Result	Ref.
2003	28th Hochi Film Awards	Best Newcomer	My Grandpa	Won	[99]
	16th Nikkan Sports Film Awards	Rookie of the Year		Won	[100]
	46th Blue Ribbon Awards	Best Newcomer		Won	[101]
	13th Japan Movie Critics Award	Best Newcomer		Won	[102]
	27th Japan Academy Film Prize	Newcomer Award		Won	[103]
	41st Golden Arrow Award	Broadcast Newcomer Best Newcomer	Teru Teru Kazoku	Won	[104]
2004	25th Yokohama Film Festival	Best New Talent	My Grandpa	Won	[105]
2005	29th Elan d'or Awards	Newcomer of the Year	Water Boys 2	Won	[106]
2006	29th Japan Academy Film Prize	Best Supporting Actress	One Year in the North	Nominated	[107]
2010	Vogue Japan	Women of the Year	Herself	Won	[108]
2014	7th Tokyo Drama Awards	Best Supporting Actress	Heartbroken Chocolatier	Won	[109]
2018	11th Tokyo Drama Awards	Best Actress	Unnatural	Won	[110]
2021	26th Asian Television Awards	Best Actress in a Leading Role	The Greatest Gift	Won	[111]
2022	45th Japan Academy Film Prize	Best Supporting Actress	And So the Baton Is Passed	Nominated	[112]
2024	49th Hochi Film Awards	Best Actress	Missing	Won	[113]
	37th Nikkan Sports Film Awards	Best Actress		Nominated	[114]
2025	79th Mainichi Film Awards	Best Lead Performance		Nominated	[115]
	67th Blue Ribbon Awards	Best Actress		Nominated	[116]
	48th Japan Academy Film Prize	Best Actress		Nominated	[117]