Erika Sawajiri

Sawajiri's early career achievements are remarkable for a performer who had been in the industry only a few years. Winning the Japan Academy Prize for Newcomer of the Year at age 19 put her in an elite group of actors who made an immediate impact. Her single "Taiyō no Uta" remains one of the best-selling debut singles in Japan, a rare crossover success from a drama theme song. Though her later career was interrupted, her raw talent and the awards she earned in her prime continue to define her legacy as one of Japan's most gifted, if controversial, actresses.