Kanako Enomoto is a Japanese actress and model.

Biography

Kanako first attracted public attention at age 12 when she was selected the Astel phone company's spokesmodel. By 14, she had become one of the many "J-Idol" girls with the publication of her first photobook, "Fourteen" (1995). She would go on to shoot several other successful photobooks such as "Edge" (1996), "Marugoto Kanako" (1997), "Michi" ("Road") (1998), "Koko, Soko, Asoko" ("Here, There, Over There") (1999) and "Meirai" ("Beautiful Woman") (2002). Throughout this time she appeared on the covers of magazines and shot videos that complemented her photobook projects.

In time, Kanako began to distinguish herself from the "Visual Queen" field by embarking on an acting career. "Little sister" roles gave way to action and comedy, and then finally mature roles that garnered critical praise. She won a "Best Supporting Actress" award for her portrayal of a mentally-challenged young woman in the drama series "Flowers for Algernon" (2002) and received universally enthusiastic reviews for her role in the feature-length art-house film "Inu-Neko" ("The Cat Leaves Home") which premiered in 2004. Kanako has also worked as a radio host for the Fuji network, as a television presenter, and has made many guest appearances on television talk and variety shows.

Personal

Kanako married baseball player Kazuhiro Sasaki

Kazuhiro Sasaki

Kazuhiro "Daimajin" Sasaki is a former Nippon Professional Baseball and Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. He played his entire NPB career with the Yokohama Taiyo Whales / Yokohama BayStars...

 on May 9, 2005. They have a son, born prematurely on 29 April 2005.http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/waiwai/face/archive/news/2005/20050603p2g00m0dm002000c.html She also lives with her husband's two children by his ex-wife

Kaori Shimizu (idol)

is a Japanese idol notable for doing the voice and theme song to the video game Psycho Soldier, the first video game with a vocal soundtrack. In 1991 she retired from show business to marry baseball player Kazuhiro Sasaki. They had a son and daughter together...

. Kanako's public activities have stopped as she devotes herself to home life, although she did appear together with her husband on Dospe on 17 June 2006.http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20060608-00000020-spn-ent She recently gave birth to her second child.

Throughout her life, Kanako has practiced music and dancing, and she enjoys cooking. She published a cookbook of her favourite recipes in 2003. She also released a CD of her singing in 2002.

Television

Here is a (partial) list of drama

Japanese television drama

, also called , are a staple of Japanese television and are broadcast daily. All major TV networks in Japan produce a variety of drama series including murder romance, comedy, detective stories, horror, and many others...

s Kanako has appeared in:

1. Kyanpasu nooto (Campus Notes) (1996)
2. Iguana no musume
   Iguana Girl
   is a manga by Moto Hagio published in Petit Flower. It was adapted into a television drama in 1996.It is about a young girl, Rika, whose mother views her as being ugly, and favours her other daughter, Mami...
   
    (The Iguana's Daughter) (1996)
3. Osorubeshi! Otonashi Karen-san (How horrible! Karen the obedient) (1998)
4. P. A. (puraibeeto akutoresu) (Private Actress, aka The Stand-In) (1998)
5. Kawaii dake ja dame kashira? (Isn't Being Cute Enough?) (1999)
6. Virtual Girl (2000)
7. Tadaima manshitsu (No Vacancy at Present) (2000)
8. Shoushimin keen (Petty Bourgeois Kane) (2000)
9. Fuudofaito supesharu (Foodfight Special) (2001)
10. Golden Bowl (2002)
11. Aruganon ni Hanataba wo (Flowers For Algernon) (2002)
12. Niji no kanata (Over The Rainbow) (2004)

Filmography

1. Yurika-chan (1995)
2. Tokimeki Memorial (1997)
3. Inuneko (The Cat Leaves Home) (2004)

External links

• 日本語 (Japanese) Wiki entry