Koyuki

Acting

Koyuki

Born

1976-12-18 (49)

Place of birth

Zama, Kanagawa, Japan

Known for

Acting

Credits

64 titles

Koyuki Katō (born December 18, 1976), better known as Koyuki, is a Japanese model and actress. Koyuki was born in Zama, Kanagawa-ken. She started her modeling career in 1995 and has since starred in various Japanese dramas, TV and magazine ad campaigns and films. She frequently appears in Japanese print and television campaigns for the electronics company Panasonic. She rose to fame in the drama Kimi wa petto (2003) with Jun Matsumoto and gained huge popularity. Her first international film was The Last Samurai (2003) where she played Taka, wife of a Samurai slain by the character Nathan Algren, portrayed by Tom Cruise, Koyuki was well-known in Japan for years before that. She first caught …

Known for

The Last Samurai poster
7.6

Nathan Algren is an American hired to instruct the Japanese army in the ways of modern warfare, which finds him learning to respect the samurai and the honorable principles that rule them. Pressed to destroy the samurai's way of life in the name of modernization and open trade, Algren decides to become an ultimate warrior himself and to fight for their right to exist.

The Last Samurai

2003

The Naked Director poster
7.3

Follows the rise of Tooru Muranishi, one of Japan's most notorious directors of adult video. Adapted from a biography of the man, this series depicts the character, his art, vision and his interactions with the approving and disapproving folk around him.

The Naked Director

2019

Mitsuaki Iwago's World “Cats” Travelogue poster
9.3

Prominent Japanese wildlife photographer and filmmaker Mitsuaki Iwago loves cats of all shapes and sizes. So he's set out on a journey to film cats all over the world as they live their lives. Join him in a cat's-eye view of many diverse cities spanning the globe in a unique program that perhaps even your own cat will enjoy as well!

Mitsuaki Iwago's World “Cats” Travelogue

2012

Time Limit Investigator poster
6.7

Shūichirō Kiriyama works at the Limitation Task Force, the place where the cases which have reached the statute of limitations are destroyed. Getting bored of his job, he decides to find a hobby, because it seems important to him to have a hobby. So he decides to puzzle out the unsolved cases on his free time, helped by his coworker Mikazuki, who seems to have a crush on him.

Time Limit Investigator

2006

Legal High poster
8.5

A lawyer with a big personality works with an straightlaced recent law graduate on various law cases in Japan.

Legal High

2012

Wasted Land poster
7.6

Iki Tadashi is a military leader named who was captured by the Soviets during World War II. Treated as a war criminal, he was sentenced to many years of labor in a harsh Siberian detention camp. After 11 years of imprisonment, he is released. He returns to Japan and begins readjusting to life as a civilian, rejecting an offer from his former colleague to work on a defense project. Tadashi has decided to never involve himself in war again, much to the joy of his family. Instead, he attempts to set off on a new path working at a major trading company. --Tokyograph

Wasted Land

2009

Film credits

2010s · 6 titles

Always: Sunset on Third Street '64 poster
7.2

As the Tokyo Olympics usher in a wave of rapid modernisation, the residents of Third Street face new beginnings as Mutsuko becomes involved with a seemingly perfect young doctor who may not be all he appears, while Chagawa struggles with his stalled writing career and what it truly means to be a father to the boy he has raised as his own.

Always: Sunset on Third Street '64

2012

Women Play Twice poster
6.0

Segment 1 - actress Saki Aibu plays a woman who doesn't do anything. Segment 2 - actress Asami Mizukawa plays an unlucky woman who messes up a man. Segment 3 - actress Koyuki plays an excessively beautiful woman. Segment 4 - actress Yuka plays an easy/promiscuous woman. Segment 5 - actress Kyoko Hasegawa plays an ordinary woman.

Women Play Twice

2010

Phone Call to the Bar poster
7.1

In the Susukino red light district of Sapporo, a private detective (Yo Oizumi) drinks alcohol with his driver Takada (Ryuhei Matsuda) in his favourite bar. There he receives a phone call from a woman who identifies herself as Kyoko Kondo. The woman asks the detective to complete a simple task. The detective, having an excellent sense for danger, thinks the work is easy and accepts the case. The next day he begins the investigation.

Phone Call to the Bar

2011

Persona Non Grata poster
6.8

The story of a Japanese diplomat, sometimes called the Schindler of Japan, and his life lading up to and after his decision to issue over 2,000 visas to Jewish refugees in Kaunas, Lithuania resulting in saving the lives of over 6,000 people. This is the story of a man who believed in doing all he could do for the benefit of his beloved Japan, including trying to keep her from becoming embroiled in a worldwide conflict he saw as inevitable. Along the way, he came face to face with the plight of the European Jews as they tried to escape the onslaught of the Nazi's and the rapidly advancing German army. Caught between the unbending policies of his country now bound by treaty with Nazi Germany and his awakening moral responsibilities, we follow his life from his early days in Manchuria to his eventual posting in Lithuania and his appointment with destiny which would forever brand him a hero.

Persona Non Grata

2015

Gold Woman poster
NR

A female career banker shatters the glass ceiling of a mega bank by disclosing its shady business to light. Tamaki, the Gold Woman, has worked her way up to be appointed General Manager of the office regarded as the General Staff Headquar- ters of the Bank with an assignment to liquidate its subsidiary by laying off 200 employees in total. Such mentally challenging appointment was made via recommendation by her senior colleague Mai, a smart and foxy woman running ahead of Tamaki in her career. With the help of her male colleague, Tamaki, a lone female wolf dares to challenge the all-male executives to prove what a true business person is all about.

Gold Woman

2016

Forget Me Not poster
NR

A nostalgic human drama based on Dazai Osamu Prize winner Tsujiuchi Tomoki's novella. Set in a declining coal-mining town in 1950s Fukuoka, the story depicts a rambunctious but pure-hearted young boy in love with an older woman. Director Hirayama Hideyuki and writer Chong Wishing, both from Begging for Love (Ai o kou hito), join hands again to make this film. Michiyo (Koyuki) has left Tokyo for Fukuoka with her son Mamoru (Ikematsu Sosuke) after divorcing her husband. The story follows Mamoru's memories of his time spent with the notorious rebel Shinichi (Ishida Takuya), who stood up for him against bullies.

Forget Me Not

2010

2000s · 15 titles

The Last Samurai poster
7.6

Nathan Algren is an American hired to instruct the Japanese army in the ways of modern warfare, which finds him learning to respect the samurai and the honorable principles that rule them. Pressed to destroy the samurai's way of life in the name of modernization and open trade, Algren decides to become an ultimate warrior himself and to fight for their right to exist.

The Last Samurai

2003

Pulse poster
6.7

In the immense city of Tokyo, the darkness of the afterlife lures some of its inhabitants desperately trying to escape the sadness and isolation of the modern world.

Pulse

2001

Blood: The Last Vampire poster
5.9

On the surface, Saya is a stunning 16-year-old, but that youthful exterior hides the tormented soul of a 400-year-old "halfling". Born to a human father and a vampire mother, she has for centuries been a loner obsessed with using her samurai skills to rid the world of vampires, all the while knowing that she herself can survive only on blood like those she hunts.

Blood: The Last Vampire

2009

Always - Sunset on Third Street poster
7.7

In 1958 postwar Tokyo, the residents of a humble Third Street neighbourhood struggle, dream, and grow together as rapid modernisation transforms their lives beneath the shadow of the newly rising Tokyo Tower.

Always - Sunset on Third Street

2005

Always: Sunset on Third Street 2 poster
7.1

A year has passed in postwar Tokyo, and struggling writer Chagawa enters the Akutagawa Prize competition in hopes of securing a better future for the boy in his care, while the Suzuki family unexpectedly take in a new relative who looks down on their humble way of life.

Always: Sunset on Third Street 2

2007

Kitaro poster
5.5

Kitaro is a half human, half creature who keeps an eye on the human society to save them from the evil attacks from another world. He finds that a magical ball that controls all powers had been brought into the human world, and stops it from falling into the wrong hands.

Kitaro

2007

Kamui poster
6.1

A rebellious ninja in 17th century Japan takes refuge with a fisherman and his family.

Kamui

2009

Alive poster
5.8

Tenshu is imprisoned and sentenced to death for murdering the men who raped his girlfriend. However, he manages to survive his execution and is presented with an option: face another execution attempt or subject himself to their bizarre and dangerous experiments.

Alive

2003

Spy Sorge poster
6.6

A foreign spy using the Sorge alias is assigned to Tokyo the capital of Japan just prior to the outbreak of World War II and in the midst of the Japanese imperial ambitions in Eastern Asia. The spy becomes acquainted with a sympathetic communist who like he is attached to the ideals of freedom and rule of the masses. Sorge is able to feed the Soviet Union useful information regarding the Axis allies and their movements in Asia and beyond.

Spy Sorge

2003

It's On Me poster
NR

News comes out that several people found 1 kg of solid gold in their mail boxes. Maya Yamabuki moves back to her hometown and surprises the movers by the amount of money she gives them.

It's On Me

2009

Jam Films S poster
6.4

Jam Films S is a Japanese omnibus movie. It was released by Phantom FIlm in Japan on January 15, 2005. The movie follows 2002’s Jam Films and its 2004 sequel Jam Films 2. This time around, the overall theme is “S” which stands for succession, success, and special. There are seven shorts, all produced by Ryuhei Kitamura. Included are the shorts Tuesday by Kenji Sonoda, Heaven Sent by Ryuichi Takatsu, Blouse by Hitoshi Ishikawa, New Horizon by Ryo Teshima, Suberidai by Yuichi Abe, Alpha by Daisaburo Harada, and Suit by Masaki Hamamoto.

Jam Films S

2004

Laundry poster
5.9

A young man named Teru, mentally altered by a childhood injury, runs a laundry and falls for Mizue, a lonely young woman with internal scars.

Laundry

2002

Keizoku: Unsolved Mysteries - Beautiful Dreamer poster
6.6

Graduating at the top of her class, elite detective candidate Jun Shibata is transferred to the section that handles cases deemed "unsolvable" by the department. Her partner, though a well-respected and experienced detective, has grown complacent after unsuccesfully pursuing these cases that many consider an exercise in futility. With her upper class breeding, her colleagues don't expect much from her either, but she suprises them all with her motivation and astounding powers of deduction. Well-constructed mysteries and colorful characters abound in this stylish and edgy police drama.

Keizoku: Unsolved Mysteries - Beautiful Dreamer

2000

Warau Iemon poster
6.3

Having put down his sword and given up the will to fight, the masterless samurai Iemon lives in solitude while being haunted by his violent enigmatic past...

Warau Iemon

2004

Kaleidoscope poster
8.0

Amagi, a young man is charged with the responsibility of finding out the "real name" of the actress Kaede Katsuragi. He soon discovers that she has another personality that only reveals itself at night.

Kaleidoscope

2003

Series credits

The Naked Director poster
7.3

Follows the rise of Tooru Muranishi, one of Japan's most notorious directors of adult video. Adapted from a biography of the man, this series depicts the character, his art, vision and his interactions with the approving and disapproving folk around him.

The Naked Director

2019

Mitsuaki Iwago's World “Cats” Travelogue poster
9.3

Prominent Japanese wildlife photographer and filmmaker Mitsuaki Iwago loves cats of all shapes and sizes. So he's set out on a journey to film cats all over the world as they live their lives. Join him in a cat's-eye view of many diverse cities spanning the globe in a unique program that perhaps even your own cat will enjoy as well!

Mitsuaki Iwago's World “Cats” Travelogue

2012

Time Limit Investigator poster
6.7

Shūichirō Kiriyama works at the Limitation Task Force, the place where the cases which have reached the statute of limitations are destroyed. Getting bored of his job, he decides to find a hobby, because it seems important to him to have a hobby. So he decides to puzzle out the unsolved cases on his free time, helped by his coworker Mikazuki, who seems to have a crush on him.

Time Limit Investigator

2006

Legal High poster
8.5

A lawyer with a big personality works with an straightlaced recent law graduate on various law cases in Japan.

Legal High

2012

Wasted Land poster
7.6

Iki Tadashi is a military leader named who was captured by the Soviets during World War II. Treated as a war criminal, he was sentenced to many years of labor in a harsh Siberian detention camp. After 11 years of imprisonment, he is released. He returns to Japan and begins readjusting to life as a civilian, rejecting an offer from his former colleague to work on a defense project. Tadashi has decided to never involve himself in war again, much to the joy of his family. Instead, he attempts to set off on a new path working at a major trading company. --Tokyograph

Wasted Land

2009

Trace ~ Men of the science school ~ poster
7.8

Mano Reiji, a man who experienced a gruesome incident, is a forensic researcher at the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's Investigative Science Research Institute. Under the belief that "appraisal will result in the truth" and with his vast knowledge, Mano approaches cases from a view point that differs from others. On the other hand, Sawaguchi Nonna (Araki Yuko) is a rookie forensic researcher that begins working with the no nonsense Mano. They are forced to work together on a murder case.

Trace ~ Men of the science school ~

2019

Sanctuary poster
7.8

A tough, desperate kid becomes a sumo wrestler, captivating fans with his cocky attitude — and upsetting an industry steeped in tradition.

Sanctuary

2023

Ikebukuro West Gate Park poster
7.4

Living in Ikebukuro — an area infamous for juvenile crime, 21-year-old Makoto Majima becomes associated with a youth gang called the G-Boys. A troubleshooter known for his cool headedness and ability to get things done, Makoto diffuses tense situations around Ikebukuro to keep his friends and others out of harm's way. However, the mysterious death of his girlfriend and an escalating gang turf war threaten to be more than Makoto can handle.

Ikebukuro West Gate Park

2000

Detective Lovesick poster
7.2

He was the pride of his police department as the number one armed robbery buster... until he had his heart broken by the sudden flight of a fiancee from his life. Now "Detective Lovesick" finds his crime-fighting mojo and his chance at rising through the police hierarchy slipping away. Spending his days in a desperate search for the love of his life, Detective Lovesick is a man in love with himself and idolizes his drinking buddy, who is a romance psychologist. He loses himself to love easily, even at work, falling for every femme fatale he investigates and after a lot of hair pulling, ending each case with a marriage proposal. "Marry me or be under arrest." But will any woman accept such a proposal? Suspense, comedy and romance all converge in a libido-rich police drama unlike any you've ever seen.

Detective Lovesick

2010

MR.BRAIN poster
7.1

Ryusuke Tsukumo is a quirky, yet brilliant neuroscientist working for the National Research Institute of Police Science. Wielding a unique perspective and psychology, Tsukumo tackles the nation's most baffling crimes and scandals, going head-to-head with the most brilliant and twisted criminal minds. But his eccentricities and poor social timing can also aggravate people and circumstances, further complicating matters.

MR.BRAIN

2009

My Husband poster
6.2

A sexy renegade male chauvinist rock singer by day, a bossed around, lousy dressed and demurring husband by night. Yuichi, the handsome, sexy, and a great rock singer, is known by his fans as 'The Wolf', a fearlessly independent musician who just couldn't care less about what others think of him. In reality, however, Yuichi is a lousy dresser, wears thick glasses and is totally devoted to his hidden girlfriend. Trouble ensues when he decides to marry in secret as he must fight to keep up his image while balancing his private life which grows ever complex as he is introduced to his overbearing family in law....

My Husband

2001

Psycho Doctor poster
7.7

No synopsis available yet.

Psycho Doctor

2002

Sky Castle poster
NR

“Sky Castle,” one of the most iconic Korean TV drama series of recent years, is to be remade by TV Asahi in Japan in July, 2024. The Japanese version will center around the high school admission process. This is to better reflect the reality of the Japanese education system, where high school admissions are considered more difficult and involve more parental participation. The shooting of the Japanese version of SKY Castle will feature Nao Matsushita, Fumino Kimura and Koyuki.

Sky Castle

2024

Engine poster
7.2

Jiro Kanzaki is an F3000 test driver blessed with acute sensitivity and breathtaking driving techniques. He's a daredevil who feels no fear driving at speeds that even top racers dare not attempt. But unexpected trouble forces this world-famous racer to leave his team and return to Japan for the first time in years. Until he finds a new job as a racer, Jiro decides to stay with his parents. What awaits Jiro there is his hardheaded father, his nagging sister, the 12 children of the foster home his father runs, a snobbish male nurse, and a stubborn female nurse who likes to daydream about her life.

Engine

2005

Fragile poster
7.8

The story of Kishi Keiichitaro, a dashingly handsome pathologist who is intensely eccentric and brutally honest, but also holds one of the most brilliant minds. A pathologist is a physician whose job is to determine a diagnosis of disease or cause of death based on an assortment of data, including a patient's tissue, bodily fluids, organ samples, blood, etc.

Fragile

2016

Beautiful Life poster
8.2

Kyoko's, a wheelchair-bound librarian, first meeting with her hairdresser leads to more encounters as Kyoko starts to like him because he treats her normally despite her condition.

Beautiful Life

2000

The Light We Cast poster
7.0

When a political scandal exposes her father’s dark secret, aspiring politician Hoshino Matsuri is cast out, forcing her to rebuild her life while navigating a high-stakes emergency election.

The Light We Cast

2026

Today's Nekomura poster
7.2

A cat who dreams of reuniting with its owner & works as a housekeeper to save money.

Today's Nekomura

2020

The Battle of Mr. and Mrs. Sasaki poster
7.0

No synopsis available yet.

The Battle of Mr. and Mrs. Sasaki

2008

Bones of Steel poster
7.1

Heita Tomishima is a very conscientious but awkward young man at a mid-sized construction company. He loves working on-site, but one day is suddenly transferred to Operations, a unit whose work is totally outside his comfort zone. Its remit is to land major projects, including public works, and in-house it's cynically known as the Bid Rigging Department. Working under a crusty-old director, a crass macho type, a go-getter doyenne, and a cunning manager adept at hiding his true intentions, Heita dedicates himself to winning a public works contract worth billions.

Bones of Steel

2020

Legendary Teacher poster
2.5

A man who appears to have no particular passion for anything ironically proves effective with troubled high school students. Known as a legendary savior of problem schools, he shows up one day to salvage what's left of a class that had fallen apart completely. His highly unpredictable reactions and controversial advice to students shock the teachers and staffs much as they do the problem students themselves.

Legendary Teacher

2000

The Long Goodbye poster
6.8

Tamotsu is suspected of murdering his actress wife Shizuka Harada. He flees to Taiwan and commits suicide. Tamotsu’s friend Banji Masuzawa works as a private detective, and has doubts about Tamotsu’s death, but the case is covered up by powerful media mogul Heizo Harada.

The Long Goodbye

2014

You're My Pet poster
7.5

A dejected woman finds an unconscious man resembling her former dog and takes him in as a "pet", forming an unexpected bond as they overcome obstacles together, raising the question of whether such love can exist.

You're My Pet

2003

Crossroad poster
6.0

A medical drama following rookie emergency physicians, paramedics, and police officers as they clash with bitter realities and social issues while striving to save lives on the front lines.

Crossroad

2026

Antique: Western Antique Cake Shop poster
7.4

This story is about four men who work in a confectionary. Tachibana Keiichiro (Shiina Kippei) is the owner; Ono Yusuke (Fujiki Naohito) is the superb baker that has a mysterious and mesmerizing aura; Kobayakawa Chikage (Abe Hiroshi) is the waiter and close bodyguard of Tachibana; and last but not least is Kanda Eiji (Takizawa Hideaki), the ex-boxer who loves cake so much that he becomes a waiter at 'Antique'. This is a refreshing, yet heartfelt comedy about the 4 very unique personalities that work until the wee hours of the night at the small confectionary. The series follows the romance, family life, and most importantly friendship that these 4 men from different generations experience. This is a confectionary with a "flavor" not like most. Located in the middle of an ordinary residential area, "Antique" stays open until 2 a.m. Every single thing in the shop is antique, in fact even the sherry glasses that water comes in look like they would cost 50,000 yen. On top of this, all the sweets that are sold are unbelievably delicious. The thing that is most peculiar about "Antique" though is that all 4 of the men that work here are very handsome, and each has an interesting past. Those that frequent the store also have a story to tell. Edited Excerpt from JDorama.com

Antique: Western Antique Cake Shop

2001

Top League poster
7.8

While political journalist Naoki Matsuoka is working his way up to the "top league," a small circle of privileged journalists with special access to top politicians, his old colleague turned newsweekly journalist Yuji Sakai is hunting down a dark secret involving political corruption and mafia.

Top League

2019

Onna Nobunaga poster
NR

Nobunaga Oda (Yuki Amami) was raised as the successor of the Oda clan and her father is Nobuhide Oda (Toshiyuki Nishida). She distinguishes herself as a daimyo during the Warring States period. Due to her gender as a woman, she experiences difficult times as a warrior. Around this time, she approaches the truth of the Honno-ji Incident.

Onna Nobunaga

2013

Searchin' for My Polestar poster
NR

No synopsis available yet.

Searchin' for My Polestar

2002

The Way We Live poster
6.0

The theme of this drama series is the bonds between parents and children and between husband and wife. What does it mean to love another person? What does it mean to live? And what is true happiness? One day a man is suddenly told by his wife that she wants a divorce. He had always thought he was a good husband. Up to now, he had always complied with her wishes. But without telling him why, she gathers up all her belongings and leaves, leaving behind only their 7-year-old daughter. So now life as a twosome begins for him and his daughter Rin. But there's an awkward atmosphere in the house. Unwillingly performing household chores he's not used to doing and left to care for Rin, Tetsuro becomes angry and stressed out, without really knowing how Rin feels inside.

The Way We Live

2004

恋愛結婚の法則 poster
10.0

No synopsis available yet.

恋愛結婚の法則

1999

We Are Worse at Love Than Pandas poster
7.0

A young aspiring fashion editor faces unexpected setbacks, becomes a ghostwriter for a popular model, and finds an unlikely connection with a quirky animal-obsessed professor.

We Are Worse at Love Than Pandas

2026

The Eldest Boy and His Three Elder Sisters poster
5.0

Haruko Takanashi is 30. She works at a radio station. She is approaching middle management where good looks alone aren't enough. She isn't very romantic so she devotes herself to work and play and suddenly finds herself alone. Just when she has given up on romance she meets a man. She meets him at a party to which she was taken by a subordinate at work. He is 25-year-old Ichiro Kashiwakura and is nothing out of the ordinary. They start a relationship. One day, out of the blue, Ichiro ardently proposes to Haruko. Realizing that he really loves her, Haruko says yes and they get married. But she still hasn't told him her real age.

The Eldest Boy and His Three Elder Sisters

2003

Love Complex poster
7.0

Someone has been stealing money within the company and the fingers are pointing to seven beautiful secretaries. Each who look so pure (well some of them) but at the same time, each can have a motivation for stealing the money. The company hires Ayumu and Go to find out who is stealing the money.

Love Complex

2000

Flat Broke Mom poster
NR

Yuzuko Nanakusa was betrayed by her husband. She now raises her son and daughter as a single mom, in addition to working at a company. One day, the company she works for goes bankrupt suddenly. She loses her salary and savings. While not knowing what to do next, Yuzuko Nanakusa is contacted by attorney Shinichi Kakihara. They went to the same high school together.

Flat Broke Mom

2017

Can't Hurry for Love poster
NR

No synopsis available yet.

Can't Hurry for Love

1998

I Wanna Fall in Love poster
7.0

A story that examines the relationships and bonds that seven random people share with one another and how that bond develops over the course of the series. Beginning with a meeting of six of them. The seven main characters are named after the colours of the rainbow.

I Wanna Fall in Love

2001

The Rules of Marrying for Love poster
NR

Koizumi Kyoko stars as Asako, a 32 year old woman working for a Beer Company. She gets set up with an affable 38 year old man named Koichi (Yanagiba Toshiro) who tries to win her love against competition like a younger co-worker and off-putting best friends!

The Rules of Marrying for Love

1999

Tabloid poster
10.0

Tokiwa plays a sharp tongued reporter for a major daily newspaper. She was demoted to a sleazy tabloid as a punishment for breaking the reporter's code of conduct. While working in the tabloid, she discovered that she has the freedom of uncovering the truth behind a murder case.

Tabloid

1998

No artwork available
NR

No synopsis available yet.

Don't Let Your Money Down

2001

Legal Beat poster
NR

A young lawyer with a stutter joins an unconventional law firm, where an unexpected talent helps him find his voice while defending society's most vulnerable.

Legal Beat

2026