Alec in Japan

Japan’s entertainment industry is bursting at the seams with part-Japanese and part-foreign talent. There are dozens of models, actors and singers who’ve made it big largely due to their exotic looks. But, there are many truly deserving of fame and fortune (*cough* me *cough*).

Here is my list of the top 10 mixed-race Japanese celebrities. Not all are half-half, but they are mixed Japanese and foreign. In order of fantasticness:

1. Namie Amuro
Not the most obvious mixed-race Japanese celebrity, Amuro is quarter-Italian and three-quarters Japanese (from Okinawa). Some combinations seem really interesting. I’m trying to imagine a big Italian mamma fitting in with a little Japanese family. Ah well, stereotypes aside, Amuro’s at #1 because of how prolific she is and what an impact she’s had on Japan; she’s been credited with inspiring gyaru and also for popularising R&B in Japan. Plus, she has some pretty good music.

Check out Want Me, Want Me for one of my favourite songs of hers. (First person who can tell me how many half-Japanese back-up dancers there are, wins!)

NB. It’s come to light that apparently Namie Amuro is not part-Italian and that is was just a rumour started by her record company. It’d be hard to confirm, but don’t start writing any fanmail to her in Italian anytime soon.

2. Angela Aki
She grew up in Japan. Then she popped over to the USA for high school and university. She dabbled in music and was successful as an indie artist, but didn’t really make it big. So she came back to Japan, started writing in Japanese, and is now huge! Playing the piano and singing, this girl is talented. I’m still waiting for her to start tap-dancing though. I’ve been told more than once that I look like her. That’s kind of weird for an 18 year-old guy to be told, but hey, whatever. (It’s just the glasses and hair I think …)

Want to see her in action? Watch the music video for Kokoro no Senshi (”Soldier of the Heart”).

3. Eiji Wentz
You either love Eiji Wentz because he’s funny, or you hate him because he’s funny. For me, he’s one of my favourite Japanese entertainers. This half-German-American and half-Japanese guy started life off as a child actor. He always wanted to be a comedian but actually made his name as half of the duo that is WaT. Now there’s some unrest as Wentz is trying to make it as a comedian leaving his bandmate, Teppei Koike, in the lurch. Consequently, some people resent him for the betrayal and are thinking “Just sing and stop trying to make jokes in press conferences!”

To see Wentz in music-mode, check out the video for his duo’s debut single Boku no Kimochi (”My Feelings”).

4. Yuna Ito
Yuna Ito is less famous for exotic looks and perhaps more for an exotic background; half-Japanese and half-Korean, Ito grew up in Hawaii. She hit the big time with the song Endless Story which was the theme song for the manga-based movie “nana”. Mixing good looks and great singing, Ito’s star keeps rising. I might add that her debut album, Heart, is fantastic.

Check out the music video for Endless Story if you want to see more.

5. Becky
This girl would be at the top of the list if she sung too. She’s uber-cute, she’s half-British and she’s got green eyes … what more could you ask for?! And what is Becky’s role in life? She’s a tarento (from the English word ’talent’). That means she has possibly the funnest job in the world; she makes a living appearing on silly Japanese TV shows, being cute, playing games and fooling around. She also does the occasional commercial and acting gig, but otherwise it’s simply her job to be kawaii.

To check Becky out in all her cute-glory, watch this video of her holiday plans. Becky, like Eiji Wentz, causes people to either love her (because she’s cute) or hate her (because she’s cute). Personally, I would love to see Becky and Eiji Wentz get married and produce the cutest kids in the world. I live in hope …

6. Rinka
Rinka is another tarento but she’s not just a pretty face on the TV. She started off as a fashion model, she released a few singles in the mid 90s, and now she’s a TV personality. Being in her mid-30s means she can’t just get by on being cute; fortunately she’s also got a sharp wit and isn’t afraid to tell people to shut up. She strikes me as being a bit of a tomboy.

As for her mixed-race credentials, no on seems to be able to decide where her parents are from! I always thought she was quarter-French, but some says she’s part Polish-Australian and some say she’s half-Brazilian. Even Japanese Wikipedia is undecided. Well, you decide for yourself. The only proper video I could find is of her talking about her skincare regime.

7. Tadanobu Asano
I’ll be honest here, I don’t know much about Tadanobu Asano, but from what I hear he’s big if you know your movies and your directors. I’m not a movie buff but I’ll tell you what I do know. I know he’s well-known for playing psychos, and I know his mother is half Native-American. I also know he played the lead character in the film Ichi the Killer and I know that was a big film. (Haven’t seen it yet myself.)

If you have a strong stomach, you might want to check out the trailer for Ichi the Killer. Asano is the guy with the bleached hair. I warned you!

8. Crystal Kay
Crystal Kay is somewhat like the Japanese Amerie, though Crystal came first. Both are half African-American and half-Korean, though Kay’s mother is actually Japanese born and bred. Kay’s music is a mix of R&B and sometimes gospel. I’ve not liked the songs I’ve heard of hers, but I know she has a lot of fans who would burn me alive if I don’t mention her.

To decide for yourself on her music, watch the music video for the song Candy.

9. Beni Arashiro
Another half-Japanese singer. Beni Arashiro’s father is American and her mother is Japanese from Okinawa. She specialises in ballads but also does more up-tempo songs sometimes. Arashiro goes to Sophia University with Crystal Kay, and the two of them are also friends with Angela Aki forming a kind of Japanese-American gang taking over the country.

To see one of Arashiro’s ballads, watch the video for Koibumi.

10. Yuu Shirota
Yuu Shirota would be best known to anyone who’s interested in manga as he seems to specialise in manga-based movies and dramas. Half-Japanese and half-Spanish, Shirota lived in Spain until he was two years old. He’s also a big hit in Japanese musicals and has released a CD of his singing in the Prince of Tennis musical.

A bit harder to find a video of him on YouTube, but there is a pretty funny video of him pretending to forget how to speak Japanese after a homestay trip to Australia.

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This entry was filed under Japanese Celebrities.