Keiko Kitagawa : A Japanese Actress and Former Model

Early Life and Education

Keiko Kitagawa was born on August 22, 1986, in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. She grew up in Kobe and experienced the devastating Great Hanshin earthquake in 1995, losing many friends.

As a child, she aspired to become a doctor, but by high school, she became uncertain about her future.

Kitagawa was scouted by a talent agency, and after her parents’ initial opposition, they allowed her to pursue a career in entertainment under the conditions that she give it a year and prioritize her studies.

She graduated from Meiji University in Tokyo in March 2009.

Career Highlights

• Modeling: Kitagawa started her career as an exclusive model for Japanese Seventeen magazine from late 2003 to mid-2006. She became Miss Seventeen 2003 and had her own feature called “Keiko’s Beauty Honey.”
• Acting Debut: Her acting career began with the role of Rei Hino in the live-action television series Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (2003-2004).
• Transition to Acting: After her role in the film Mamiya Kyōdai, she decided to focus on acting and left the modeling world.
• Films: Kitagawa appeared in various films, including The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006), Cherry Pie (2006), Dear Friends (2007), Handsome Suit (2008), Orion in Midsummer (2009), After the Flowers (2010), and Elevator to the Scaffold (2010).
• TV Dramas: Her television roles include Mop Girl (2007), Homeroom on the Beachside (2008), Buzzer Beat (2009), Moon Lovers (2010), The After-Dinner Mysteries (2011), Hero (2014), and Detective versus Detectives (2015).
• Awards: In 2016, she won the Japanese Television Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in Ie Uru Onna.

Personal Life

• Marriage: Kitagawa married singer-songwriter Daigo in 2016.
• Children: In April 2020, she announced her first pregnancy and gave birth to her daughter on September 7, 2020. In September 2023, Kitagawa and her husband announced their second pregnancy, and she gave birth to her son on January 31, 2024.

Other Facts

• Kitagawa describes herself as a homebody who enjoys watching DVDs, listening to music, and reading books.
• She traveled to California for the filming of The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift and returned there to study English for a few months in 2006.
• Managed by Stardust Promotion.

Keiko Kitagawa’s career has seen her transition from modeling to acting, with numerous successful roles in both films and television dramas. Her personal life includes a happy marriage and motherhood, balancing her family life with her thriving career in the entertainment industry.