Satomi Ishihara

, better known by her stage name , is a Japanese actress.

Early life and career

Kuniko Ishigami was born on December 24, 1986 in Tokyo, Japan, to her unnamed parents.

She attended Tokyo Soka Elementary School, Soka Junior High School, and graduated from Soka High School.

In 2003, at the age of 16, Satomi began her acting career when she starred in the drama kimi wa Petto, starring Jun Matsumoto and Koyuki. She has devoted equal time to films and television serials. Satomi was nominated for several such awards, such as Best Actress at the 46th Blue Ribbon Awards for role in the film My Grandpa and Best Supporting Actress in the 45th Japan Academy Film Prize for her role in the film And so the baton is passed. She appeared as Yazawa Shiori in Fuji TV drama Water Boys 2 (2004), as Shizuka Gozen in the NHK Taiga drama series Yoshitsune (2005).

In 2006, Ishihara made her first starring role in a Fuji TV commercial drama series, Ns' Aoi. In the fall of the same year, she made her stage debut as the role of Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker.

In August 2008, Ishihara made her second stage appearance as Okita Souji in Bakumatsu Junjoden, written and directed by Tsutomu Kohei. By one month later, in September of the same year, she also portrayed as a Japanese leading JAL flight attendant character Yukari Hayase in Flying Rabbits, directed by Takahisa Zeze.

In 2009, Ishihara made her debut as Kanako Kuboaki in Fuji TV drama series Voice: The Voice of the Innocent, which held every Monday at 9 p.m. In the fall of the same year, she appeared as Takiko Taguchi in Suite: Massacre, directed by Hisashi Inoue.

In 2010, Ishihara appeared as Akiyama Tokiko (wife of Akiyama Saneyuki) in NHK special war drama television series, Clouds Above the Hill.

In 2014, Ishihara is known to Japanese television drama audiences for her portrayal as Saeko Takahashi in Shitsuren Chocolatier, and gained popularity by appearing in it. Also, alongside her co-star Nao Matsushita, she appeared as Misaki Fukazawa in Japanese television love comedy drama series Dear Sister.

In 2016, Ishihara starred as her portrayal of Kayoko Ann Patterson in kaiju film Shin Godzilla, and also starred as Etsuko Kouno in NTV drama series Pretty Proofreader.

In 2018, Ishihara starred as Mikoto Misumi in TBS TV drama series Unnatural, and as well as starred as Momo Tsukishima in NTV drama series Born to Be a Flower.

At the beginning of Reiwa period, in early 2019, Ishihara was appointed as one of the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics torch relay ambassadors, which the country had an upcoming game event a year later. However, the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics and Paralympics was delayed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, on February 4, 2021, Ishihara had been revealed that she caught COVID-19 infection. According to her agency, Ishihara "is healthy and [she] was not showing any symptoms", though it was reported that she had been recovering at home.

In 2024, Ishihara appeared as a lead role of Saori Morishita in Japanese drama film Missing, which she was nominated for a Hochi Film Award and a Japan Academy Film Prize for Best Actress.

Personal life On October 1, 2020, Ishihara announced that she had married an ordinary person. On January 10, 2022, she announced via her agency that she was expecting her first child, then on April 23, she shared the news of the birth of the couple's first child. On March 7, 2025, her agency announced that she is expecting her second child, that is due around spring. On May 17 of the same year, her agency announced that she had given birth to her second child. The exact date of birth and gender were not disclosed for both of her children.

Filmography

Television dramas Year Title Character Notes 2003 Mado o Aketara Usagi Yamamoto Lead role; television film 2003–04 Teru Teru Kazoku Fuyuko Lead role; Asadora 2004 Tengoku e no Oenka Cheers: Cheerleading ni Kaketa Seishun Mikiko Morita Lead role Be-Bop High School Kyōko Izumi Lead role Water Boys 2 Shiori Yazawa 2005 Yoshitsune Shizuka Taiga drama H2 Haruka Koga Akai Giwaku Yukiko Oshima Lead role; miniseries Kaidan Special "Chigiri" Yui Lead role; short drama Be-Bop High School 2 Kyōko Izumi Lead role Climber's High Ayako Mochizuki 2006 Ns' Aoi Aoi Misora Lead role Te no Ue no Shabondama Risa Sakuraba Ns' Aoi Special "Sakurakawa Byōin Saiaku no Hi" Aoi Misora Lead role; television film Hyōten Yōko Tsujiguchi Lead role; miniseries 2007 Tsubasa no Oreta Tenshitachi 2007 Yuri Yoshimura Lead role; television film Hanayome to Papa Aiko Uzaki Lead role Tales of the Unusual: Autumn 2007 "Mirai Dōsōkai" Haruka Matsui Lead role; short drama Koi no Karasawagi: Love Stories IV "Koe ga Furueru Onna" Mutsumi Hikoda Lead role Maru Maru Chibi Maruko-chan Episode 26 Ping-Pong-Pang's Lady (voice) 2008 Rokumeikan Akiko Daitokuji Television film Puzzle Misako Ayukawa Lead role Walkin' Butterfly Yukari Hayase Guest Nagaiki Kyōsō! Eri Yamada Television film 2009 Voice: Inochi Naki Mono no Koe Kanako Kuboaki Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo Moeko (45 years ago) Guest Hadaka no Taishō Hinokuni Kumamoto Hen: Onna Gokoro ga Funka Surunode Tami Shimojō Television film Tsubakiyama Kachō no Nanokakan Tsubaki Lead role; television film 2009–11 Clouds Over the Hill Sueko Akiyama 2010 Daibutsu Kaigan Abe no Naishinnō Miniseries Hidarime Tantei Eye Hitomi Sayama Lead role Toubō Bengoshi Emi Ninomiya Reinouryokusha Odagiri Kyōko no Uso Kyōko Odagiri Lead role 2011 Bull Doctor Chika Kamatsuda Shimei to Tamashii no Limit Yuki Himuro Lead role 2012 Dakatsu no Gotoku Shioko Furuda Rich Man, Poor Woman Makoto Natsui Lead role 2013 Lucky Seven Special Mizuki Kurihara Television film Rich Man, Poor Woman in New York Makoto Natsui Lead role Tales of the Unusual: Autumn 2013 "Karikon" Narumi Morita Lead role; short drama Koi Fumiko Yano Lead role 2014 Shinzanmono Special: Nemuri no Mori Mio Asaoka Television film Heartbroken Chocolatier Saeko Takahashi Lead role True Horror Stories: 15th-year anniversary special "S Douzan no Onna" Natsumi Yamabe Lead role; short drama Dear Sister Misaki Fukazawa Lead role 2015 5→9 From Five to Nine Junko Sakuraba Lead role 2016 Pretty Proofreader Etsuko Kouno Lead role 2018 Unnatural Mikoto Misumi Lead role Born to Be a Flower Momo Tsukishima Lead role 2020 Unsung Cinderella Aoi Midori Lead role 2021 The Greatest Gift Yuriko Tabuchi Lead role; television film Love Deeply Mio Nagisa Lead role 2024 Destiny Kanade Nishimura Lead role

Films

Broadcasting Satomi Say To Me (Every Sunday, 9:30 PM, Nippon Hoso)

Awards and nominations In October 2018, Ishihara won the Best Actress Award at the International Drama Festival in Tokyo.

Year Organization Award Work Result 2003 28th Hochi Film Awards Best Newcomer My Grandpa 16th Nikkan Sports Film Awards Rookie of the Year 46th Blue Ribbon Awards Best Newcomer 13th Japan Movie Critics Award Best Newcomer 27th Japan Academy Film Prize Newcomer Award 41st Golden Arrow Award Broadcast NewcomerBest Newcomer Teru Teru Kazoku 2004 25th Yokohama Film Festival Best New Talent My Grandpa 2005 29th Elan d'or Awards Newcomer of the Year Water Boys 2 2006 29th Japan Academy Film Prize Best Supporting Actress One Year in the North 2010 Vogue Japan Women of the Year Herself 2014 7th Tokyo Drama Awards Best Supporting Actress Heartbroken Chocolatier 2018 11th Tokyo Drama Awards Best Actress Unnatural 2021 26th Asian Television Awards Best Actress in a Leading Role The Greatest Gift 2022 45th Japan Academy Film Prize Best Supporting Actress And So the Baton Is Passed 2024 49th Hochi Film Awards Best Actress Missing 37th Nikkan Sports Film Awards Best Actress 2025 79th Mainichi Film Awards Best Lead Performance 67th Blue Ribbon Awards Best Actress 48th Japan Academy Film Prize Best Actress