# Masami Nagasawa

Masami Nagasawa (長澤 まさみ, Nagasawa Masami, born June 3, 1987) is a Japanese actress. She has had a prolific film career since her teenage years and has starred in various blockbusters, receiving multiple accolades, including five Japan Academy Film Prizes and four Blue Ribbon Awards.
Nagasawa began her acting career at age twelve, when she starred as a young psychic orphan in the science fiction film Pyrokinesis (2000). While in high school, she starred as one of the Shobijin in Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (2003) and Godzilla: Final Wars (2004) and would gain recognition for her leading role in Crying Out Love in the Center of the World (2004), for which she won the Blue Ribbon Award for Best Supporting Actress and two Japan Academy Film Prize awards.
In 2007, Nagasawa was nominated for the Japan Academy Film Prize for Best Leading Actress and attained a Bunshun Raspberry Award for playing the title character in Tears for You (2006). Nagasawa's career progressed with her starring roles as Princess Yuki in Shinji Higuchi's Hidden Fortress: The Last Princess (2008), Umi Matsuzaki in Gorō Miyazaki's From Up on Poppy Hill (2011), and Miyuki Matsuo in the romantic comedy Love Strikes! (2011), for which she earned a second Blue Ribbon Award for Best Supporting Actress.
After playing a supporting character in Makoto Shinkai's Your Name (2016), she portrayed the protagonist in the critically acclaimed science fiction drama Before We Vanish (2017), for which she won the Mainichi Film Award for Best Actress. In 2019, she starred in the crime mystery Masquerade Hotel and portrayed Yang Duan He in the action-adventure Kingdom, for which she was nominated for a Nikkan Sports Film Award; she later reprised the role of Yang Duan He in the 2023 film Kingdom: Flame of Destiny. Nagasawa has also played Dako in The Confidence Man JP film trilogy (2019-2022), Anna Kobayashi in Chen Sicheng's buddy-comedy Detective Chinatown 3 (2021), Hiroko Asami in Higuchi's critically acclaimed superhero film Shin Ultraman (2022), and Scorpion-Aug in Hideaki Anno's Shin Kamen Rider (2023).

## Early life and background

Nagasawa was born on June 3, 1987, in Iwata, Shizuoka. She stated that during her childhood, her father, the former Júbilo Iwata manager Kazuaki Nagasawa, "wasn't at home much because of work". She has an older brother who actress Yoshino Kimura described as "handsome" and Nagasawa described as "cool".

## Career
### Film

In 2000, Nagasawa won the Grand Prix at the 5th Toho Cinderella Audition, prevailing 35,153 female competitors. After winning the competition, Toho instructed director Shusuke Kaneko to give her a role in his science fiction action film Pyrokinesis. She played Kurata, an orphan child who has psychic powers such as pyrokinesis and psychometry. At the wrap party for the film, Kaneko said she had "no experience and directing her was a pain in the ass". Two years later she played minor roles in Nobuhiko Obayashi's Nagori Yuki and Akihiko Shiota's Yomigaeri.$^{:426}$ She also starring as one of the Shobijin in Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (2003) and Godzilla: Final Wars (2004). Her first lead role in a film was in 2003's Robot Contest.
Nagasawa's performance in Crying Out Love in the Center of the World received both a Blue Ribbon Award and a Japan Academy Prize for Best Supporting Actress.
In 2007, she received a Japan Academy Prize nomination in the Best Actress category for her performance in the 2006 film Nada Sōsō (Tears for You). After a string of less notable films, including Gunjo and Magare Spoon!, she starred in the 2011 film adaptation of Mitsurō Kubo's manga Moteki. Her performance in Moteki won Nagasawa a Blue Ribbon Award for Best Supporting Actress, and she was nominated for a Japan Academy Award in the Best Actress category. That same year Nagasawa expanded into voice acting by providing the voice of character "Umi Matsuzaki" in the Studio Ghibli film From Up on Poppy Hill. In 2016 she provided the voice for the character "Miki Okudera" in the international hit Your Name.
Her live action films have also received international attention. Kiyoku Yawaku (Beyond the Memories), a live action adaptation of Ryo Ikuemi's manga series, was screened at the 17th annual Japanese Film Festival in Melbourne, Australia in 2013. Umimachi Diary (Our Little Sister), a live action adaptation of Akimi Yoshida's manga, competed for the Palme d'Or at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival. In 2017 Nagasawa starred in the Kiyoshi Kurosawa film Before We Vanish, which competed in the Un Certain Regard category at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. Her performance in Before We Vanish also received recognition in Japan, winning a Mainichi Film Award for Best Lead Actress, and earning a nomination for a Japan Academy Prize for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role.
In 2018, she starred in 50 First Kisses, a Japanese remake of the 2004 American film 50 First Dates.

### Television

Nagasawa starred in many Japanese television drama series. Early supporting roles in the 2002 NHK asadora Sakura and the 2005 Tokyo Broadcasting System Television live action manga adaptation Dragon Zakura led to more TV work, including a leading role in the 2007 Fuji TV series Proposal Daisakusen (Operation Love). Her performance in Proposal Daisakusen (Operation Love) received the most votes in the Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix Best Actress category.
After her initial success in television, Nagasawa continued to perform in both supporting and leading television drama roles. In 2009 she played a supporting role in the NHK taiga drama Tenchijin, and in 2010 she joined several other leading Japanese actors in the Fuji TV 50th anniversary mini-series Wagaya no Rekishi. In 2012 her performance in the TV Asahi drama Toshi densetsu no onna won the 73rd Television Drama Academy Best Actress Award. In 2013 she learned Chinese to play a leading role in the Taiwan Television adaptation of the manga series Chocolat. Nagasawa returned to NHK in the 2016 taiga drama Sanada Maru.

## Stage

Nagasawa is to appear with Jun Matsumoto and Eita Nagayama in Hideki Noda's Sei sankaku kankei (正三角関係, Trilateral connection). Performances are expected at the Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre, in Kitakyushu and Osaka, as well as Sadler's Wells Theatre in London, under the name of "Love in action", running from July 11 until November 2, 2024.

## Personal life

Nagasawa lives in Meguro, Tokyo.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
| 2000 | Pyrokinesis | Kaori Kurata | Acting debut | $^{:415}$ |
| 2002 | Nagori Yuki | Maho Mizuta | | |
| 2003 | Yomigaeri | Naomi Morishita | | $^{:426}$ |
| 2003 | Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. | Mana, one of the Shobijin | | |
| 2003 | Robot Contest | Satomi Hazawa | Lead role | |
| 2003 | Like Asura | Yōko Satomi | | |
| 2004 | Crying Out Love in the Center of the World | Aki Hirose | Lead role | |
| 2004 | Breathe In, Breathe Out | Kanako Doi | | |
| 2004 | Godzilla: Final Wars | One of the Shobijin | | |
| 2005 | Touch | Minami Asakura | Lead role | |
| 2006 | Rough | Ami Ninomiya | Lead role | |
| 2006 | Tears for You | Kaoru | Lead role | |
| 2007 | Say Hello for Me | Karin Takigawa/Suzune Morikawa | Lead role | |
| 2008 | Hidden Fortress: The Last Princess | Princess Yuki | | |
| 2008 | La Maison en Petits Cubes | Narrator | | |
| 2009 | Cobalt Blue | Ryoko Nakamura | Lead role | |
| 2009 | Go Find a Psychic! | Yone Sakurai | Lead role | |
| 2010 | Sunshine Ahead | Churashima Okinawa Ambassador | | |
| 2011 | Gaku: Minna no Yama | Kumi Shiina | | |
| 2011 | From Up on Poppy Hill | Umi Matsuzaki (voice) | Lead role | |
| 2011 | Love Strikes! | Miyuki Matsuo | | |
| 2011 | I Wish | Kōchi Mimura | | |
| 2012 | Japan's Wildlife: The Untold Story | Narrator | | |
| 2013 | Beyond the Memories | Kanna Seto | Lead role | |
| 2013 | The Last Chance: Diary of Comedians | Kumi | | |
| 2014 | Wood Job! | Naoki Ishii | | |
| 2014 | The Crossing Part 1 | Masako Shimura | Chinese-Hong Kong film | |
| 2015 | Our Little Sister | Yoshino Kōda | Lead role | |
| 2015 | The Crossing Part 2 | Masako Shimura | Chinese-Hong Kong film | |
| 2015 | I Am a Hero | Yabu / Tsugumi Oda | | |
| 2016 | Good Morning Show | Keiko Ogawa | | |
| 2016 | Gold Medal Man | Ms. Sano, teacher | | |
| 2016 | Your Name | Miki Okudera (voice) | | |
| 2017 | Reminiscence | Minako Shikata | | |
| 2017 | Gintama | Tae Shimura | | |
| 2017 | Before We Vanish | Narumi Kase | Lead role | |
| 2018 | Doraemon: Nobita's Treasure Island | Fiona (voice) | Guest appearance | |
| 2018 | The Lies She Loved | Yukari Kawahara | Lead role | |
| 2018 | 50 First Kisses | Rui Fujishima | Lead role | |
| 2018 | Gintama 2 | Tae Shimura | | |
| 2018 | Bleach | Masaki Kurosaki | | |
| 2019 | Masquerade Hotel | Naomi Yamagishi | | |
| 2019 | Kingdom | Yang Duan He | | |
| 2019 | The Confidence Man JP: The Movie | Dako | Lead role | |
| 2020 | The Confidence Man JP: Episode of the Princess | Darko | Lead role | |
| 2020 | Mother | Akiko Misumi | Lead role | |
| 2021 | Detective Chinatown 3 | Anna Kobayashi | Chinese film | |
| 2021 | Under the Open Sky | Yoshizawa | | |
| 2021 | Masquerade Night | Naomi Yamagishi | | |
| 2022 | The Confidence Man JP: Episode of the Hero | Darko | Lead role | |
| 2022 | Shin Ultraman | Hiroko Asami | | |
| 2022 | A Hundred Flowers | Kaori Kasai | | |
| 2023 | Shin Kamen Rider | Scorpion Augment-01 | | |
| 2023 | Do Unto Others | Hidemi Ōtomo | | |
| 2023 | Kingdom 3: The Flame of Destiny | Yang Duan He | | |
| 2024 | The Parades | Minako | Lead role | |
| 2024 | April Come She Will | Yayoi Sakamoto | | |
| 2024 | Kingdom 4: Return of the Great General | Yang Duan He | | |
| 2024 | All About Suomi | Suomi | Lead role | |
| 2025 | Dollhouse | | Lead role | |

### Dubbing

| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref(s) |
| 2016 | Sing | Ash | 2017 Japanese dub | |
| 2021 | Sing 2 | Ash | 2022 Japanese dub | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2001 | Pure Soul | Maru Seta | |
| 2002 | Sakura | Kanako Numata | Asadora |
| 2004 | True Horror Story | Mayu Morimoto | |
| 2004 | Runaway | Onizuka Sari | |
| 2004 | Mystery Theater: Satsujin Stunt | Hitomi Takamizawa | Guest |
| 2005 | Affectionate Time | Azusa Minagawa | |
| 2005 | Hiroshima Showa 20 nen 8 Gatsu Muika | Maki Yajima | TV movie |
| 2005–2021 | Dragon Sakura | Naomi Mizuno | 2 seasons |
| 2006 | Kōmyō ga Tsuji | Korin | Taiga drama |
| 2006 | Sailor Suit and Machine Gun | Hoshi Izumi | Lead role |
| 2007 | Akechi Mitsuhide | Tsumaki Hiroko | TV movie |
| 2007 | Romeo and Juliet | Juliet Kihira | |
| 2007 | The Reason Mama Cooks | Miyuki Kouda | Special appearance |
| 2007 | Proposal Daisakusen | Rei Yoshida | Lead role |
| 2007 | Butterfly Stroke in Ganges River | Teruko Takano | Lead role |
| 2007 | 20 Year Old Lover | Sawada Yuri | Lead role |
| 2008 | Proposal Daikusen SP | Rei Yoshida | Lead role |
| 2008 | Last Friends | Michiru Aida | Lead role |
| 2008 | Galileo: Episode Zero | Akari Shionoya | |
| 2008 | Fujiko F. Fujio no Parallel Space Nebumi Camera | Takeko | Lead role |
| 2009 | Tenchijin | Hatsune | Taiga drama |
| 2009 | Soka, Mo Kimi wa Inai no Ka | Yōko | TV movie |
| 2009 | My Sister | Saya | Lead role |
| 2010 | Sotsu Uta | Hitomi Tachibana | Lead role |
| 2010 | Wagaya no Rekishi | Yukari Ichinose | Mini-series |
| 2010 | Gold | Rika | |
| 2012 | Bunshin | Mariko/Futaba/Akiko | Lead role; miniseries |
| 2012 | High School Entrance Exam | Kyōko Haruyama | Lead role |
| 2012–2013 | I Love Tokyo Legend - Kawaii Detective | Tsukiko Otonashi | Lead role; 2 seasons |
| 2013 | Chocolat | Chie Tatsumi | Lead role |
| 2013 | Summer Nude | Kasumi Ichikura | |
| 2014 | All About My Siblings | Takako Yashiro | |
| 2016 | Sanada Maru | Kiri | Taiga drama |
| 2018 | The Confidence Man JP | Dako | Lead role |
| 2022 | The 13 Lords of the Shogun | Narrator | Taiga drama |
| 2022 | Elpis | Ena Asakawa | Lead role |

## Stage

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2024 | Sei sankaku kankei (Love in Action) | | |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
| 2004 | 25th Yokohama Film Festival | Best New Talent | Like Asura, Robot Contest | Won | |
| 2004 | 27th Japan Academy Film Prize | Newcomer of the Year | Robot Contest | Won | |
| 2005 | 29th Elan d'or Awards | Newcomer of the Year | | Won | |
| 2005 | 47th Blue Ribbon Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Crying Out Love in the Center of the World | Won | |
| 2005 | 28th Japan Academy Film Prize | Best Supporting Actress | Crying Out Love in the Center of the World | Won | |
| 2005 | 28th Japan Academy Film Prize | Popularity Award Winner | Crying Out Love in the Center of the World | Won | |
| 2007 | 4th Bunshun Raspberry Awards | Best Actress | Tears for You | Won | |
| 2007 | 30th Japan Academy Film Prize | Best Actress | Tears for You | Nominated | |
| 2007 | 11th Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix | Best Actress | Proposal Daisakusen | Nominated | |
| 2012 | 54th Blue Ribbon Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Love Strikes! | Won | |
| 2012 | 35th Japan Academy Film Prize | Best Actress | Love Strikes! | Nominated | |
| 2012 | 11th New York Asian Film Festival | Star Asia Rising Star Award | Love Strikes! | Won | |
| 2012 | VoCE Beauty Awards | The Best Beauty of The Year | | Won | |
| 2018 | 72nd Mainichi Film Awards | Best Actress | Before We Vanish | Won | |
| 2018 | 41st Japan Academy Film Prize | Best Actress | Before We Vanish | Nominated | |
| 2019 | 44th Hochi Film Awards | Best Actress | Masquerade Hotel, The Confidence Man JP: The Movie | Won | |
| 2019 | 32nd Nikkan Sports Film Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Masquerade Hotel, Kingdom | Nominated | |
| 2020 | 62nd Blue Ribbon Awards | Best Actress | The Confidence Man JP: The Movie | Won | |
| 2020 | 62nd Blue Ribbon Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Masquerade Hotel, Kingdom | Nominated | |
| 2020 | 43rd Japan Academy Film Prize | Best Supporting Actress | Kingdom | Won | |
| 2020 | 45th Hochi Film Awards | Best Actress | Mother, The Confidence Man JP: Episode of the Princess | Nominated | |
| 2020 | 33rd Nikkan Sports Film Awards | Best Actress | Mother, The Confidence Man JP: Episode of the Princess | Won | |
| 2021 | 63rd Blue Ribbon Awards | Best Actress | Mother, The Confidence Man JP: Episode of the Princess | Won | |
| 2021 | 75th Mainichi Film Awards | Best Actress | Mother | Nominated | |
| 2021 | 44th Japan Academy Film Prize | Best Actress | Mother | Won | [99] [100] |
| 2021 | 44th Japan Academy Film Prize | Best Actress | The Confidence Man JP: Episode of the Princess | Nominated | [99] [100] |
| 2021 | 46th Hochi Film Awards | Best Actress | Masquerade Night | Nominated | |
| 2025 | 67th Blue Ribbon Awards | Best Actress | All About Suomi | Nominated | |