Miki Nakatani (中谷 美紀, Nakatani Miki; born 12 January 1976) is a Japanese actress and singer who began her professional career as a member of the girl group Sakurakko Club. Nakatani focused on acting after her departure from the band, making her debut on the popular television drama Under the Same Roof.
She relaunched her music career under the tutelage of producer Ryuichi Sakamoto in 1996, releasing three albums: Shokumotsu Rensa (1996), Cure (1997) and Shiseikatsu (1999). Her best-known songs include "Mind Circus" and "Suna no Kajitsu", which peaked at number ten on the Oricon charts.
As an actress, Nakatani has received six Japan Academy Awards for her roles in When the Last Sword Is Drawn (2002), Memories of Matsuko (2006), and Zero Focus (2009), among others. She is most known internationally for her role as Mai Takano in the Japanese horror film franchise Ring. Nakatani played Jun Shibata on the television drama Keizoku, which spawned a special and a film.
Contents
Biography
From 1998 to 1999, Nakatani starred in a trio of horror films – Ring, Rasen, and Ring 2 – followed by a lead role in Hideo Nakata's Chaos in 2000. That same year, she reprised her television role as Jun Shibata in the mystery film Keizoku.
In 2005, she co-starred in Kiyoshi Kurosawa's horror film Loft with Etsushi Toyokawa, and portrayed the love interest Hermes in Densha Otoko.
For her performance in the title role of Matsuko Kawajiri in Tetsuya Nakashima's 2006 film Memories of Matsuko, she won the Best Actress award at the 31st Hochi Film Award, the Asian Film Award for Best Actress, and the Japan Academy Prize for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role.
Nakatani appeared in François Girard's Silk. She co-starred in Isshin Inudo's Zero Focus with Ryōko Hirosue and Tae Kimura.
As a singer, she collaborated several times with Ryuichi Sakamoto from 1996 to 2001.
As a spokesperson and model, she has appeared in several promotion campaigns, including over 70 television commercials for Ito En's Oi Ocha green tea. Nakatani speaks Japanese, French, and English.
In 2018, Nakatani announced her marriage to German musician Thilo Fechner, a viola player with the Vienna Philharmonic.
Filmography
Film
Berlin (1995) – Kyoko
Daishitsuren (1995)
Ring (1998) – Mai Takano
Spiral (1998) – Mai Takano
Ring 2 (1999) – Mai Takano
Chaos (2000) – Satomi Tsushima
Keizoku (2000) – Jun Shibata
When the Last Sword Is Drawn (2003) – Nui
River of First Love (2004) – Satuki Kato
The Hotel Venus (2004) – Wife
Rikidozan (2004) – Aya
Strings (2004) – Zita
Thirty Lies or So (2004) – Takarada
Train Man (2005) – Hermes
Loft (2005) – Reiko Hatuna
Dead Run (2005) – Akane
Memories of Matsuko (2006) – Matsuko Kawajiri
Christmas on 24 July Avenue (2006) – Sayuri Honda
Silk (2007) – Madame Blanche
Happy Ever After (2007) – Yukie Morita
Flavor of Happiness (2008) – Takako Yamashita
Zero Focus (2009) – Sachiko
Sweet Little Lies (2010)
Television
Under the Same Roof (1993) – Aiko Mifune
Oda Nobunaga (1998) – No-Hime
Woman Doctor (1999)
Unsolved Cases (1999) – Jun Shibata
Eien no Ko (2000) – Yuki Kusaka
Manatsu no Merry Christmas (2000) – Haru Hoshino
Prince Shotoku (2001) – Tojiko no Iratsume
R-17 (2001)
Otosan (2002)
Believe (2002)
Jin (2009) – Miki Tomonaga/Nokaze
Beautiful Rain (2012) – Akane Nishiwaki
Gunshi Kanbei (2014) – Teru
Ghostwriter (2015) – Risa Tono
IQ246 (2016) – Tomomi Morimoto
Kataomoi (2017)
Followers (2020) – Limi Nara
Giver Taker (2023) - Itsuki Kurasawa
One Day: Wonderful Christmas Ado (2023) - Kikyo Kurauchi
Discography
Albums
All produced by Ryuichi Sakamoto
