Junko Abe

(born May 7, 1993) formerly known by her stage name , is a Japanese actress and model.

Early life Abe was born on May 7, 1993, in Osaka. She attended at the Osaka Prefectural Kitano High School, where she was part of the Aikido team. While in high school, she was involved in Japanese dance, scuba diving and playing piano. She was also part of the high school brass band, where she played flute. In March 2017, she graduated from the Faculty of Environment and Information Studies at Keio University in Tokyo.

Career While at elementary school, she was discovered and signed on by an agent. She made her debut as an advertising model for Hankyu Department Store. In middle school, she worked as a model for a fashion magazine and later worked as an image character for the Fuji TV anime series Shion no Ō.

In 2014, she starred in the movie Still the Water directed by Naomi Kawase. She was selected as the cast for the movie, due to her experience in scuba diving during her time in high school, at "the beauty of swimming" audition in Amami Ōshima. For her performance in the movie, she received the Best Actress Award at the Sakhalin International Film Festival and Best New Actress Award at the Takasaki Film Festival.

In August 2014, Abe took a career break and quit her acting agency to head to the United States for a year to study English and Drama at New York University. While studying at the NYU Tisch School of the Arts, she met her acting agency staff and returned to Japan in 2015. Following her return to Japan, she started to use her birth name as stage name. Abe auditioned for NHK TV serial Toto Neechan and was cast for the role of heroine's friend, Aya Nakada.

In 2019, she starred in movie The Prisoner of Sakura, a Japan-Russia co-production, which was based on the true story of a war prison in Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture, during the Russo-Japanese War. In the movie, she has a dual role.

Filmography

Films The Chasing World 2 (2010) – Sato Ai Wasao (2011) - Tagawa Maki A Man With Style (2011) - Miyata Momoko Tonnerura de Boo (2011) - Sakiko Toyama In the City of Dawn (2011) - young Nakanishi Akiba Lifeline (2014) - main role My Hawaiian Discovery (2014) - Mako Still the Water (2014) - Kyoko Home Away From Home (2014) - Akiko The Limit of Sleeping Beauty (2017) - Maria Dawn Wind in My Poncho (2017) - Maria The Blood of Wolves (2018) - Momoko Okada The Man From the Sea (2018) - Sachiko Samurai Marathon (2018) - Shiori Uesugi The Prisoner of Sakura (2019) - Yui Takeda / Sakurako Takamiya I Don't Want to Be Like You (2019) Daughters (2020) - Kiyokawa Ayano The Voice of Sin (2020) - young Sone Mayumi 461 Days of Bento: A Promise Between Father and Son (2020) - Yajima Maka Baragaki: Unbroken Samurai (2021) - Itosato A Dog Named Palma (2021) - Akita Dog Museum staff Ring Wandering (2022) - Midori / Kozue Yes, I Can't Swim (2022) - Namie Miss Osaka (2022) Remember to Breathe (2022)

Television Drama W Beat (2011) – Terumi Higuchi Perfect Son (2012) - Hyouzuka Masako Rumic Theater (2012) - Hazuki Fuwa Special Spy Zone (2012) - Kitagawa Natsumi Gozen 3-ji no Muhōchitai (2013) - Haruka In the Room (2013) - Narukawa Rui Toto Neechan (2016) - Aya Nakada A Girl & Three Sweethearts (2016) - Ishikawa Wakaba Tales of the Unusual Story Autumn Special Edition (2016) - Natsuki Tokita Osaka Kanjousen Part 2 (2017) - Fujimoto Asahi 4-go Keibi (2017) - Ueno Yu I Will Threaten You From Now On (2017) - Momoka Kobashi Tokyo Vampire Hotel (2017) - Yui Swab (2018) - Faculty role Caseworker's Diary (2018) - Kataoka Mari Heisei Bashiru (2018) - Ayaka Ekuni BRIDGE Begins on 1995.1.17 Kobe (2019) - Ritsu Takeda Fruits Takuhaibin (2019) - Sumomo Sasurai Onsen (2019) - Yabe Junko No Side Manager (2019) - Fujishima Rena Really Scary Story (2019) - Asuka Miyazaki Shiyakusho (2019) - Imoto Midori Keiji to Kenji - Shokatsu to Chiken no 24ji (2019) - Ishida Kiriko Papa ga Mo Ichido Koi wo Shita (2020) - Kawakami Yukari Sunday Prime Funny Detective (2020) - Rena Gazuma Baby Boyfriends (2020) - Yoko Tantei Yuri Rintaro (2020) - Kawase Fumino Dakara Watashi wa Make Suru (2020) - Kawamatsu Yasuko Ochoyan (2020–21) - Wakasaki Yoko

Online Nestlé Theater on YouTube "Day and Night" (2014) - Shiori Haneda

Commercials Suntory - C.C. Lemon (April 2011) Haruyama Trading Co., Ltd. (February 2013) Starbucks Odakyu Electric Railway (August 11, 2017) ABC-Mart - Asics/Asics GEL-PROMESA (January 25, 2018) Daily Yamazaki (February 2018)

Radio drama FM Radio Drama Retake Sixteen - Starring Saori Komine (NHK FM, 26 August 2013 - 13 September 2013)

Music videos Tatsuro Yamashita - Cheer Up! The Summer (2016) MOROHA - Revolution (2018) Mr. Children - Gravity and Breath (2018)