
Acting
Erika Sawajiri
Born
1986-04-08 (40)
Place of birth
Nerima, Tokyo, Japan
Known for
Acting
Credits
50 titles
Erika Sawajiri is a Japanese actress, singer, and model. She was born on **April 8, 1986**, in Tokyo, Japan. Her father was Japanese, and her mother is of Algerian Kabyle origin who was raised in France. She began her career as a model before becoming an actress in the early 2000s. Erika became famous for her role as Aya Ikeuchi in the television drama **1 Litre of Tears** (2005), which earned her great praise for her emotional performance. She also starred in films such as **Shinobi: Heart Under Blade**, **Helter Skelter**, and the drama **Taiyō no Uta**. Through *Taiyō no Uta*, she started a music career and released several successful songs under the names **Kaoru Amane** and **Erika**. …
Known for
6.7Top model Lilico, having recently undergone multiple cosmetic surgeries, begins to experience troubling side effects. As she desperately tries to retain her perfect image, Lilico descends into a world of nightmares and makes those around her miserable.
Helter Skelter
2012
8.51 Rittoru no Namida is a Japanese television drama for Fuji Television about a girl who was diagnosed with an incurable degenerative disease at 15, but was able to continue her life until her death at the age of 25.
1 Litre of Tears
2005
6.7When an aspiring actress hits it big thanks to a candid Instagram post, the lives of several Tokyo women cross as they struggle to define happiness IRL.
Followers
2020
7.0During turbulent economic times in Japan, Masahiko Washizu leads a foreign investment fund and is criticized for being a vulture. He tries to buy a bank and another company that are experiencing financial depression.
Hagetaka
2018
8.0No synopsis available yet.
The Great White Tower
2019
6.0Chinami works at a fabric shop, dreaming of one day working in the fashion industry. By accident, she begins work in the editing section for a fashion magazine. Chinami believes her new job may open doors for her to new opportunities, but it turns out her new job is like working in a war zone with daily fights and competitiveness between the women who work there. Can Chinami survive in such a cutthroat environment?
First Class
2014
Film credits
2020s · 2 titles
NRWaking up handcuffed together after a violent crash, a man and a woman find themselves on the run from both the police and ruthless drug dealers. With no memories of the past, they are unsure which of them is the cop and who is the criminal.
The Chain of Roses
2026
NRSet in a small town, this film tells the story of a caregiver tormented by deep loss/doubt after his wife dies following her vaccination.
#Spread
2026
2010s · 15 titles
6.7Top model Lilico, having recently undergone multiple cosmetic surgeries, begins to experience troubling side effects. As she desperately tries to retain her perfect image, Lilico descends into a world of nightmares and makes those around her miserable.
Helter Skelter
2012
6.0The story of Osamu Dazai, one of Japan's most celebrated novelists, absorbed in alcohol and love; married and in a relationship with two other lovers.
No Longer Human
2019
7.2At a certain park, there is a mysterious man, who has red eyes and a black suit, that people can go to and request him to kill someone. His assassinations can never be blamed on him because he takes no illegal action. His strength is in the power of suggestion and the arrangement of events. He accepts these requests, all the while privately mocking the foolishness of those whose unwise wishes he grants.
Impossibility Defense
2018
6.0A man, who is repaying a 30 million yen debt left by his brother, wins the 300 million yen lottery. He grapples with the question of whether money can buy him happiness.
Million Dollar Man
2018
NRThe story is about the emotional and spiritual exchange between an elderly watchmaker and a cheerful and kind young woman who lost her mother in the tsunami of the Great Tohoku Earthquake. The woman asks the watchmaker to repair a wristwatch, which is a precious memento left her by late mother.
Clock Store's Girl
2013
4.8Tatsuhiko relocates from Shinjuku to Yokohama, where he comes into conflict with Masaki Taki, CEO of the local scout company.
Shinjuku Swan II
2017
5.5Shiratori Tatsuhiko works as a scout for talent agency Burst in Kabukichō, Shinjuku's red light district, recruiting young girls for the adult entertainment industry. In a business where money means everything, Tatsuhiko finds himself in a constant struggle between rival scouts and the Yakuza.
Shinjuku Swan
2015
7.0Kenta Kurata (Masaki Aiba) lives with his father, Taichi (Akira Terao), his mother, Keiko (Kaho Minami), and his younger sister, Nana (Kasumi Arimura) in an isolated home in the suburbs. He works as an unpopular commercial designer. Kenta Kurata possesses a timid personality, which he picked up from his father. Kenta doesn't like his father. One day, while waiting for the train, Kenta warns a man who pushed a woman and cut in line. Kenta is surprised that he spoke out with his normally timid personality. After that incident, Kenta's family home is targeted by an unknown person with flowers from their garden being pulled out and the seat of a bicycle being torn. Also, Kenta's younger sister Nana is stalked by her ex-boyfriend. Kenta and his family try to find out who is responsible.
Welcome to Our Home
2015
NRChinami (Erika Sawajiri) works at a fabric shop, dreaming of one day working in the fashion industry. By accident, she begins work in the editing section for a fashion magazine. Chinami believes her new job may open doors for her to new opportunities, but it turns out her new job is like working in a war zone with daily fights and competitiveness between the women who work there. Can Chinami survive in such a cutthroat environment?
First Class
2014
5.3A 33-year-old supermarket worker at a provincial city used to be an idol, but could not see a future as a singer. Sick of everything, she moved to a provincial town and met Yoshio, a pet cat she saw at a store.
The Cat in Their Arms
2018
NRNo synopsis available yet.
Ōoku
2016
NRErika Sawajiri plays Kimiko, the main character of the story who has died. Although the title implies that it is a story of a “wicked woman,” the original novel was divided into 27 chapters, one for each “testimony” by someone who knew Kimiko at some point in her life, providing a range of perspectives on what kind of person Kimiko was. ~~ Adapted from 1978 novel series "Akujou ni Tsuite" by Ariyoshi Sawako.
悪女について
2012
NREru is a 28-year-old woman, good at working but scared of dating. Emu is a 25-year-old woman who enjoys love but does not know what real love is. This drama series depicts the two different love styles of these women.
L et M: The Reason I Love You, Other Stories
2013
NRContent with his perfect life, Yoshinori Arai’s eyesight starts to fail and he despairs. How will he battle his illness and return to his dreams?
Seeing with the Heart
2016
7.4Follows the daily lives of 8 women with different backgrounds through what they eat and whom they date.
Eating Women
2018
2000s · 16 titles
6.6Even though Gennosuke and Oboro are from rival ninja villages, they are secretly in love. At an annual conference with the Lord, it is dictated that a competition--a fight to the death--will take place between the five best shinobi from each village. Gennosuke and Oboro's love is made even more impossible when they each got picked as the leader of the five to represent their respective villages.
Shinobi: Heart Under Blade
2005
7.5Kae Horii moves into her new flat in an undisclosed area of Kyoto. While unpacking her belongings, she discovers a hidden compartment behind a inconspicuous mirror. In that compartment, Kae finds a notebook, that turns out to be a diary belonging to the previous tenant. Later that evening Kae starts to read the diary. The writer of the diary is Ibuki Mano, a young lady about to embark on her first year as an elementary school teacher. Ibuki is also in love with a man named Takashi, who may or may not hold similar feelings for Ibuki.
Closed Note
2007
6.4Romeo, A.K.A. Kosuke Matsuyama, is a second-year high school student. A nice, normal, nonviolent type, he suddenly finds himself in the middle of a rampaging crowd of Korean boys, outraged by insults perpetrated by several of his idiotic class-mates on two Korean girls. He makes a narrow escape, but soon after, he and his best bud Yoshio are sent by their home-room teacher to invite the Korean students to a friendly soccer game as a way of restoring the peace.
We Shall Overcome Someday
2005
5.3Adapted from the successful play, the film takes place in 19th-century Japan, where a war between demons and their slayers is fought. Izumo, a kabuki actor with a demon-slaying past, meets and falls in love with Tsubaki. However, something is not right, as mysterious marks appear on her body as time progresses. At the same time, it is announced that Ashura, the queen of all demons, will be resurrected and bring destruction to the universe.
Ashura
2005
4.9On her way to school, high school girl Nana sees a train accident. Then Nana and her friend Kanae start to come across various bizarre phenomena, including red fingerprints and a female spirit who 'lives' on the station platform. One day, Nana's younger sister is lost, and the only possibility seems to be that she had been taken by these spirits. The missing tracks. The predictions that a mysterious woman makes.
Ghost Train
2006
6.0The Story of the 1 Litre of Tears special takes place after the events in the main drama. The Special takes the view of Asou Haruto who is remembering life the way it used to be before the events of the last episode of the series.
1 Litre Of Tears SP
2007
6.5How have you been? Takeshi's letter is delivered one each month to his younger brother, Naoki. Takeshi is serving a life term in prison for the crime that he had committed to save his brother. But the crime's aftereffect extends to Naoki, and, branded as a "murderer's brother," Naoki is deprived of his love, career and dream. His desperate situation gradually changes when he finds true love with Yumiko, who always stands by him. To protect the love that he has finally found, Naoki begins writing a letter to Takeshi... The touching story of a man who was powerless against his irreversible fate, but still tried to overcome it in the quest for his dream.
The Letters
2006
5.4The main characters are the Mamiya brothers who are living together although they are over 30-years-old. Unconcerned with appearance and reputations, they enjoy their life in their own way. The only concern is the lack of girlfriends. One day, however, a change occurs to their mundane lives. The elder brother, Akinobu (Kuranosuke Sasaki), falls in love with a girl at a video shop. The younger brother, Tetsunobu (Muga Tsukaji), scrambles around to aid his brother achieve love and arranges various dates. The elder brother strives to return the effort, but gets the cold shoulder. The two brothers return to their original lives, continuing with their ordinary, but happy days.
The Mamiya Brothers
2006
NRTenshi no Hashigo 2006 (Japan), also known as Angel's Ladder is Japan drama premiere on Oct 22, 2006 on TV Asahi
Angel's Ladder
2006
5.1Recently graduated from high school, 17-year-old Shiro decides to put off college and work at a gas station instead. Shy and introspective, Shiro understands he is at a turning point of his life, but is unsure of what lies ahead. Though his parents disapprove of his decision, he has the support of his flower child grandmother who declares that a gas station is a romantic place for life's drifters. Surely enough, soon a new co-worker, college student Noriko, drifts into Shiro's life. He falls headfirst into a bittersweet first love that ushers him into the world of adulthood.
Sugar & Spice
2006
6.5The film follows a young aspiring art university student, who falls in love with the older sister of his girlfriend. The heartrending longing and the true love that the three characters pursue, is pure, but almost painful. Is the person who stands next to you, is the person that gives you true comfort and love? Can you say that you love him/her from the bottom of your heart?
Angel's Egg
2006
8.0Mio Sasaoka hears of a middle school student that was a victim of bullying and then committed suicide. Mio thinks the girl should have confronted her tormentors rather than committing suicide. Mio herself is the leader of a group of students at her school. She is a bully. Her main target is Maria Shiozaki who is weak. Mio pushes her into the swimming pool and scribbles on her book, justifying her actions because Maria is disagreeable.
Mondai no Nai Watashitachi
2004
NRTwo Osaka comedians, Makoto (Tomomitsu Yamaguchi) and Kinta (Go Morita), are riding bicycles in Tokyo when they're hit by a dump truck. They regain consciousness in 1945, but not of their own bodies. Somehow, their souls have been transported into the bodies of two tokkotai (special forces, or "kamikaze") pilots. Having grown up in a peaceful, carefree Japan, the two comedians experience severe disorientation at having to suddenly deal with the realities of war. They attempt to escape their squadron, knowing that Japan will eventually lose the war, but are nevertheless moved by the young men they meet, all of whom have very different opinions about their fate and the responsibilities that have been placed upon them.
The Winds of God
2005
NRFuji Television Special
Visual Queen of 2002
2002
NRTeenage girl has to decide if she is capable of being captain of the school's cheerleading squad. Suddenly the team lost the support and inspiration.
Cheers Heaven
2003
NRJapanese TV movie from 2003
North Point - Friends
2003
Series credits
8.51 Rittoru no Namida is a Japanese television drama for Fuji Television about a girl who was diagnosed with an incurable degenerative disease at 15, but was able to continue her life until her death at the age of 25.
1 Litre of Tears
2005
6.7When an aspiring actress hits it big thanks to a candid Instagram post, the lives of several Tokyo women cross as they struggle to define happiness IRL.
Followers
2020
7.0During turbulent economic times in Japan, Masahiko Washizu leads a foreign investment fund and is criticized for being a vulture. He tries to buy a bank and another company that are experiencing financial depression.
Hagetaka
2018
8.0No synopsis available yet.
The Great White Tower
2019
6.0Chinami works at a fabric shop, dreaming of one day working in the fashion industry. By accident, she begins work in the editing section for a fashion magazine. Chinami believes her new job may open doors for her to new opportunities, but it turns out her new job is like working in a war zone with daily fights and competitiveness between the women who work there. Can Chinami survive in such a cutthroat environment?
First Class
2014
9.8Enzo, a school art teacher, is the pillar of a rather unusual family. He takes care of his 5-year-old daughter but does not know who her mother is, and he also lives with his four siblings whose fathers are all different. Enzo's daughter suffers from severe atopic dermatitis, so he throws himself into managing her diet to alleviate her condition. He is so determined to raise the little daughter well, he doesn't appear to have any spare time for a girlfriend. And yet Enzo finds himself drawn to Misuzu, a health teacher at his school. A light-hearted and romantic story of a man trying to find love and learn to be a father at the same time.
Hotman
2003
7.6Amane Kaoru lives a night life, not because she wishes so, but because she is infected with the xeroderma pigmentosum virus. This virus defects the ability to repair damage caused by the sun's rays. Although she cannot expose her body to the sunlight, she dreams of becoming a singer, even if remaining positive has been ruined many times due to her illness. One night, playing outside, she meets Fujishiro Kouji, who has lost his job and hope, and becomes someone who reminds him of his long forgotten music passion.
A Song to the Sun
2006
9.0Yuki, mother of the Mashiba family, is the grease that keeps this well-oiled machine running and its seven members happy and healthy. But when Yuki herself falls ill and needs to be hospitalized, the rest of the family must cooperate and make sacrifices in order to keep everything running smoothly and make ends meet.
Aikurushii
2005
NRA high school student’s mother passes away leaving her alone with her grief. The girl, Marimo, discovers the name of a father she never knew. Marimo sets off to meet him, but is completely shocked when she finds someone very different from the father she envisioned. Her father, Shinpei, a 38-year-old would-be private detective, is shocked too, and doesn’t believe her until he sees the paperwork. With Marimo muttering “The worst father in the world” and Shinpei lamenting the loss of his freedom, these two are about to learn how difficult and rewarding a father/daughter relationship can be.
Papa for One Summer
2003
8.0Kurata Kenta lives with his father, Taichi, his mother, Keiko, and his younger sister, Nana in an isolated home in the suburbs. He works as an unpopular commercial designer. Kurata Kenta possesses a timid personality, which he picked up from his father. Kenta doesn't like his father. One day, while waiting for the train, Kenta warns a man who pushed a woman and cut in line. Kenta is surprised that he spoke out with his normally timid personality. After that incident, Kenta's family home is targeted by an unknown person with flowers from their garden being pulled out and the seat of a bicycle being torn. Also, Kenta's younger sister Nana is stalked by her ex-boyfriend. Kenta and his family try to find out who is responsible. This mini series is based on the novel "Yokoso Wagaya e" by Jun Ikeido.
Welcome to Our Home
2015
1.0Sawajiri Erika acting as different Edo-era concubines in each episode.
Ooku: Saikyou no Onna / Higeki no Shimai
2016
7.0A hypnotic assassin meets his match when a detective immune to his powers becomes determined to bring him down!
Impossibility Defense
2017
7.0In the spring, when Kashiwazaki Yui and her 3 years old son were coming back home from kindergarten, she let go of her son's hand for a moment and then he was gone. 9 years later, her son appears in front of her again.
Become a Mother
2017
NRA teenage girl has to decide if she is capable of being captain of the school's cheerleading squad.
Tengoku e no Ouenka Cheers
2003
NRContent with his perfect life, Yoshinori Arai's eyesight starts to fail and he despairs. How will he battle his illness and return to his dreams? One-off TV drama special, produced by Ax-On and Nippon Television (NTV) for Japan.
The Blind Teacher
2016
NRThe story is about the emotional and spiritual exchange between an elderly watchmaker and a cheerful and kind young woman who lost her mother in the tsunami of the Great Tohoku Earthquake. The woman asks the watchmaker to repair a wristwatch, which is a precious memento left her by late mother.
The Watchmaker's Daughter
2013
NROne-off TV drama special, produced by UHB Network for Japan.
Friends
2003
