Yuumi Kawai
Japanese actress (born 2000)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Yuumi Kawai or Yūmi Kawai (河合 優実, Kawai Yūmi; born 19 December 2000 in Tokyo) is a Japanese actress.[1][2]
Yuumi Kawai | |
|---|---|
| 河合 優実 | |
Kawai on the red carpet at the 2025 Locarno Film Festival | |
| Born | 19 December 2000 Tokyo, Japan |
| Alma mater | Nihon University College of Art |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2019–present |
Career
In 2019, Kawai made her acting debut in the short film Yodominaku, Yamanai.[1] In 2022, she was given the Best Newcomer award at the 43rd Yokohama Film Festival for her roles in A Balance and It's a Summer Film.[3] She continued her success by winning Best Supporting Actress at the 44th Yokohama Film Festival for her roles in various other films,[4] including Plan 75, which earned her a nomination of Best Supporting Actress at the 16th Asian Film Awards.[5][6]
She has also been active in television drama acting, with roles in Extremely Inappropriate![7] and The Child Of God Murmurs[8] earning her two acting awards in 2024. In particular, audience of Extremely Inappropriate! (where Kawai plays a high-school student in the 1980s) noticed her resemblance to Momoe Yamaguchi when in-character, and proceeded to name Kawai "Momoe-chan from the Reiwa era".[9][10] This TV series had a significant impact, and after its broadcast ended, she was cast in commercials for well-known companies such as Shiseido, Uniqlo, and Suntory. According to Oricon's survey, she ranked as the No. 1 breakout actress of the first half of 2024.[11] Kawai was chosen as one of the 15 individuals (or groups) for "This Year's Face" by Model Press, and 2024 became a breakthrough year for her.[12]
In March 2026, she served as the ambassador for the 33rd French Film Festival in Japan (Festival du film français au Japon), where she welcomed guests from France, including Sophie Marceau.[13] In June of that year, she was announced as the lead actress in NHK's spring 2028 Asadora (morning drama) Honno Mokichi and attended a press conference alongside the series' writer, Kankuro Kudo.[14]
Personal life
Her hobbies are dancing, singing, drawing and playing basketball. When she was in the third grade, she started to attend dance studio with her younger sister. Although she went on hiatus in dancing during middle school, Kawai joined her high school dance club. As she continued dancing, she realized the joy of "expressing" and decided to become an actress.[15]
Kawai is good friends with fellow actress Ai Mikami, as both of them attended Nihon University College of Art together.[16]
She respects Mirai Moriyama as both an actor and a dancer.[17]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Yodominaku, Yamanai | Lead role; short film | [1] | |
| 2020 | Rolling Marbles | Moeko | [18] | |
| A Beloved Wife | High school girl who makes Udon | [1] | ||
| Sasaki in My Mind | Naemura | [19] | ||
| 2021 | It's a Summer Film | Beat-ban (Kickboard) | [20] | |
| A Balance | Mei | [21] | ||
| Unfeigned Happy Ending | Yū | [22] | ||
| 2022 | Just Remembering | Izumi | [23] | |
| Love Nonetheless | Misaki | [24] | ||
| To Be Killed by a High School Girl | Aoi Sugi | [25] | ||
| Plan 75 | Yōko Narimiya | [26] | ||
| A Man | Akane | [27] | ||
| A Winter Rose | Tomoka Misaki | [28] | ||
| The Lines That Define Me | Kawagishi | [29] | ||
| A Hundred Flowers | Misaki | [30] | ||
| 2023 | Sayonara, Girls. | Manami Yamashiro | Lead role | [31] |
| In Her Room | Yōko | [32] | ||
| Heartless | Hana | [33] | ||
| 2024 | A Girl Named Ann | Ann | Lead role | [34] |
| April Come She Will | Jun Sakamoto | [35] | ||
| Look Back | Fujino (voice) | Lead role | [36] | |
| Desert of Namibia | Kana | Lead role | [37] | |
| Hakkenden: Fiction and Reality | Hamaji | [38] | ||
| 2025 | Teki Cometh | Ayumi Sugai | [39] | |
| She Taught Me Serendipity | Hana Sakurada | [40] | ||
| A Bad Summer | Aimi Hayashino | [41] | ||
| Renoir | Kuriko Kita | [42] | ||
| Two Seasons, Two Strangers | Nagisa | [43] | ||
Television drama
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | In Hand | Kaori Kikuchi | Episode 4 | [44] |
| 2021 | Nemesis | Rena Natsumoto | Episode 4 | [45] |
| 2022 | Teen Regime | Suguri Saiga | Miniseries | [46] |
| One Night Morning | Tamako | Lead role; episode 4 | [47] | |
| First Love | Nanako Kimitsu | Episode 3 | [48] | |
| 2023 | My Family | Nami Kishimoto | Lead role | [49] |
| The Child of God Murmurs | Haruka Kinoshita | Lead role; television film | [50] | |
| 2024 | Extremely Inappropriate! | Junko Ogawa | [51] | |
| RoOT/Route of Odd Taxi | Rena | Lead role | [52] | |
| Like a Dragon: Yakuza | Yumi Sawamura | [53] | ||
| 2025 | Anpan | Ranko Asada | Asadora | [54] |
| 2026 | Extremely Inappropriate! Special | Junko Ogawa | Television film | [55] |
| Did Someone Happen to Mention Me? | Emma Nonomura | [56] | ||
| 2028 | Honno Mokichi | Teruko | Lead role; Asadora | [14] |
Other television
| Year | Title | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 75th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen | As a judge | [57] |
| 2025 | 76th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen | She sang several songs with her co-stars from the TV series Anpan. | [58] |
| 2026 | The Professionals | As a narrator | [59] |
Japanese dub
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | The Adventures of Curious George's Creators | Narrator | [60] | |
Music video appearances
| Year | Song | Artist | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Duets | Maaya Sakamoto | [61] |
| 2022 | Ame San San | King Gnu | [62] |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Work(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 41st Zenkoku Eiren Awards | Best Supporting Actress | A Balance | Won | [63] |
| 43rd Yokohama Film Festival | Best Newcomer | A Balance and It's a Summer Film | Won | [3] | |
| 76th Mainichi Film Awards | Best New Actress | A Balance | Nominated | [64] | |
| 95th Kinema Junpo Awards | Best New Actress | A Balance, It's a Summer Film and Unfeigned Happy Ending | Won | [65] | |
| 64th Blue Ribbon Awards | Best Newcomer | A Balance and It's a Summer Film | Won | [66] | |
| Elle Cinema Awards 2022 | ElleGirl Rising Star | Love Nonetheless and Plan 75 | Won | [67] | |
| 35th Nikkan Sports Film Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Plan 75, A Winter Rose, A Man, and others | Nominated | [68] | |
| Best Newcomer | Won | ||||
| 47th Hochi Film Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Plan 75, A Winter Rose and Just Remembering | Nominated | [69] | |
| 2023 | 44th Yokohama Film Festival | Best Supporting Actress | Plan 75, A Winter Rose, A Man, and others | Won | [70] |
| 16th Asian Film Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Plan 75 | Nominated | [5] | |
| 2024 | 50th Hoso Bunka Foundation Prize | Acting Skill Award | NHK Special "Shūkyō nisei" series The Child of God Murmurs | Won | [8] |
| Elle Cinema Awards 2024 | Elle Best Actress | Desert of Namibia | Won | [71] | |
| 37th Nikkan Sports Film Awards | Best Actress | A Girl Named Ann, Desert of Namibia and Look Back | Nominated | [72] | |
| 2025 | 79th Mainichi Film Awards | Best Lead Performance | A Girl Named Ann and Desert of Namibia | Won | [73] |
| 67th Blue Ribbon Awards | Best Actress | Won | [74] | ||
| 98th Kinema Junpo Awards | Best Actress | Won | [75] | ||
| 49th Elan d'or Awards | Newcomer of the Year | Herself | Won | [76] | |
| 48th Japan Academy Film Prize | Best Actress | A Girl Named Ann | Won | [77] | |
| 18th Asian Film Awards | Best Actress | Desert of Namibia | Nominated | [78] | |
| 2026 | 47th Yokohama Film Festival | Best Supporting Actress | She Taught Me Serendipity, Two Seasons, Two Strangers, and others | Won | [79] |