Yû Aoi (蒼井 優) is a Japanese actress and model, Her also known as Aoi Yū, She was born on 17th August 1985 in Kasuga, Fukuoka, Japan. Yû Aoi began her career on stage, making her debut in 1999 as Polly in the musical Annie. In 2000, she became a regular on TV Tokyo’s children’s program Oha Suta (The Super Kids Station), marking her first exposure to television audiences.

Yû Aoi made her film debut in 2001 in Shunji Iwai’s All About Lily Chou-Chou, portraying the quiet and mysterious Shiori Tsuda alongside Hayato Ichihara, Shugo Oshinari, Miwako Ichikawa, and Ayumi Ito. The film launched her acting career and established her as a promising young talent. She soon appeared in Ao to Shiro de Mizuiro and Gaichu, sharing the screen with close friend Aoi Miyazaki.

In 2003, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Kit Kat in Japan, Shunji Iwai directed a series of short films starring Yu Aoi and Anne Suzuki. The project evolved into the feature film Hana & Alice, which earned Aoi the Best Actress Award at the Japanese Professional Movie Awards. During this period, she also became one of Japan’s most in-demand commercial stars, appearing in advertisements for brands such as Nintendo, Canon, Shiseido, Kirin Beverage, and DoCoMo. She published two photobooks, Travel Sand (2005) and Dandelion (2007), both shot by Yoko Takahashi.

In 2007, Aoi’s career continued to flourish with roles in Mushishi, Don’t Laugh at My Romance, and Welcome to the Quiet Room, where she underwent a dramatic physical transformation, losing weight for her role as an eating disorder patient. Her portrayal earned critical acclaim, and she later appeared on stage as Desdemona in Othello.

Known For

Tokyo Taxi

Her 2008 film Don’t Laugh at My Romance garnered her a Best Supporting Actress nomination at the 2009 Asian Film Awards. That same year, she starred in Camouflage, a 12-episode experimental series featuring collaborations with multiple directors, including Yuki Tanada, with whom she worked again on One Million Yen Girl (2008). This film cemented her status as one of Japan’s most talented young actresses.

In 2009, Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology honored her as “Rookie of the Year” in Films for her contributions from All About Lily Chou-Chou to One Million Yen Girl. She later appeared in The Lightning Tree (2010), Rurouni Kenshin (2012), and Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s TV drama Penance (2012).

Yu Aoi married comedian Ryota Yamasato on June 3, 2019. On August 10, 2022, the couple welcomed their first child, a daughter. Today, Aoi remains one of Japan’s most respected and versatile actresses, admired for her authenticity and dedication to her craft.