Japan's entertainment industry has not been appreciated much by the world. J-pop songs are heard by a vast majority of Asian people. Japanese dramas are watched by many people in South Korea, China, Thailand, and the rest of the South East Asian population. Animated series, commonly called anime, have become popular worldwide. Many mangas have sold more volumes than Marvel or DC comics. So, even though the Japanese entertainment industry has been vastly under-appreciated, it is gaining attention. There have been many Japanese who were born in foreign countries and afterward chose to come to Japan. They have accomplished a great deal in their new homeland. Here is a list of ten celebrities born in another country who later came to Japan to accumulate vast fame.
1. Kiko Mizuhara
Audrie Kiko Daniel, easily the most accomplished person on this list, was born in Dallas, Texas. She is one of Japan's most famous models and actresses while also earning popularity as a singer and designer. She was born on 15 October 1990 and is currently 31 years old. Mizuhara started in modeling at the young age of 12. Her debut in acting happened in 2010 when she starred in the movie Norwegian Wood.
2. Hikaru Utada
Mikaru Utada, commonly known as just Utada, is currently one of the best-known music artists in Japan. She is currently 39 years old. She was born in Manhattan in New York. She is famous as a pop singer, producer, and songwriter. She has studied at Columbia University in the US. Mikaru has been married and divorced two times.
3. Mugi Kadowaki
Mugi Kadowaki is a Japanese actress. She was born in the city of New York in the US. She was born on the 10th of August 1992, thus making her 29 years old today. She made her debut in 2011 as a part of the television drama Misaki Number One!! She starred in the film School Girl Complex Hōsōbu Hen released in 2013. On Instagram, she has over 70k followers.
4. Yuna Ito
She was born in Los Angeles on September 20, 1983. Also known as Christina Ito, she is a popular song in the pop genre. Apart from that, she is also a spokesperson, actress, composer, and songwriter. She is a vocalist and produces music for Studioseven Recordings. Raised in Hawaii, she made her debut in Japan with the single "Endless Story."
5. Sayaka Akimoto
Sayaka was born on 26 July 1988, 34 years ago, in Makati, Philippines. She is a famous Japanese idol, singer, and actress. She made her debut in 2006 and worked under the label Flave Entertainment. Sayaka Akimoto has starred in both American and Japanese movies. She debuted in Hollywood through Sniper: Assassin's End released in 2020. She also works as a voice actor, dubbing the character Mantis for Marvel's movies.
6. Emi Maria
She was born on 9 June 1987 and is currently 35 years old. She was born on the Bougainville Island of Papua New Guinea. Her genres are Pop and R&B. She is a singer and songwriter. Her record labels include January Freest Inc. (2007), K.S.R. (2008), and Victor Entertainment (2009–present). She released her first mini-album "Between the Music" in 2007. She debuted in 2009 as a major label artist with "One Way Love."
7. Melody
She was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, US on February 24, 1982. Ishikawa is currently 40 years old. She is a j-pop singer and television host. She is a vocalist and was active during the years 2003 to 2008. Her label is Toy's Factory. She moved at the age of 19 to Japan to pursue a career in singing.
8. Steffanie Reiko Borges
Steffanie was born on August 30 1961 in San Francisco and is a singer and songwriter of pop, glam metal, and hard rock genres. She is a vocalist and has been active during 1977–1996 and from 2019–the present. Her record labels are Disco Mate and Warner. Her father is the Hawaiian jazz singer Jimmy Borges and her mother is the Japanese dancer Shizuko Yagi. She was raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. Steffanie is currently 60 years old.
9. Yasuhiro Wakabayashi
Yasuhiro was born on 3rd November 1930 in Shanghai, China. He was a Japanese photographer who later became an American citizen. Yasuhiro Wakabayashi was known professionally as. His still life photography and fashion from the mid-1960s onward are prevalent. He died on August 15 2021 at the age of 90 in the city of Erwinna in Pennsylvania.
10. Elina Arai
Elina was born on December 22 1989 in California, US. She is currently 32 years old. She is also known by the names Arai-chan and Elīna, Araceli. She completed her education at Kokugakuin High School and Aoyama Gakuin University. She is mainly known as a reporter in the Japanese industry. She has been active in this field since 2009. Her agent is Cent Force and she is known for Shin Jōhō 7 days, Newscastes, Good! Morning, Sokuhō J-League, Goal Highlight, and Utae! Doyōbi: Love Hitsa.