Since Her Meteoric Rise, Yuki Uchida is Still a Dazzling Star

Yuki Uchida has consistently ranked in polls for the most beautiful actresses in their 40s in Japan. This year, Yuki was even selected as the most beautiful female celebrity approaching 50 years old. She remained a favorite among advertisers, appearing in car insurance commercials, Yakult’s soy milk products, Rohto Pharmaceutical’s skincare products, and many others.

Last May, Yuki participated in the opening ceremony of a Japanese professional baseball game at Meiji Jingu Stadium, where social media was abuzz about her ageless beauty. The last time she threw the opening pitch was 29 years ago when she was just 19, a national idol at the time, wearing sexy avant-garde clothes. Time seemed to be frozen for Yuki–there was little difference in her sweet smile and slender figure, but she now gained a soft and mature aura.

As a child, Yuki was athletic and learned ballet, gymnastics, and fencing, even aiming for the Olympics with her fencing skills. In junior high school, she worked as a model to earn pocket money. In 1992, she won a swimsuit model contest and made her debut as an actress. Yuki quickly became a top idol with her outstanding looks and personal charm. She appeared on the covers of shounen manga, fashion magazines, and television magazines, even sparking a social phenomenon where posters of her would be stolen as soon as they were put up. While believing idols should possess a mature and composed aura, like Momoe Yamaguchi or Akina Nakamori, Yuki instead was more of the lively, boyish type. Boys were captivated by her and girls adored her. Yuki was the nation’s first love in the 1990s.

Two years later, Yuki released her debut single TENCA wo Torou! ~ Uchida no Yabou ~, which set a record for the fastest debut single by a female singer to reach number one on the ORICON charts. It was a crazy feat given that she had only previously sang at karaoke. Her first concert was so popular that a venue for 8,000 people was packed with 30,000 fans.

Actor Shun Oguri admitted he entered the entertainment industry just to meet Yuki. The first time they crossed paths backstage at a concert, Shun was unable to hide his fanboy feelings and excitedly said to Yuki, “I’ve always been your number one fan!” Even the main character of the popular manga Crayon Shin-chan liked Yuki.

Having become a big star as a teenager, Yuki lived a busy life, often staying overnight in the studio’s break room with little time to even go home and sleep. While filming the drama Juu Nana Sai, she even fell asleep in her chair and fell to the floor, only to be pulled up and continue acting. She felt fortunate her body did not collapse when she was young. She appeared to live a glamorous life on the outside but she felt empty on the inside. Although she did not receive formal acting training, Yuki was already starring in three consecutive dramas at the age of 17. Feeling that her fame did not match her skills, Yuki thought she was letting everyone down. Despite trying her best, people kept urging her to do better and Yuki did not understand why life had to be such a struggle.

In her 30s, Yuki encountered a career slump and her popularity faded. She ended her three-year marriage with actor Hidetaka Yoshioka and returned to acting, but was only given supporting roles. She did not give up any opportunity and continued to maintain her visibility. A turning point came in 2012, when Yuki she worked with Kyoko Koizumi and Kiichi Nakai in the romantic comedy Second to Last Love and appeared in the medical drama Doctor- X: Surgeon Michiko Daimon successfully expanding her acting range.

Yuki had contemplated leaving the industry. In Second to Last Love, the director was never satisfied with Yuki’s efforts. She always felt she lacked a solid acting foundation, and it was a huge blow to her self esteem when the director completely rejected her acting at the age of 36. Yuki asked her boyfriend, Takashi Kashiwabara, to teach her acting. She re-learned everything from script interpretation to character development, and began to understand acting as a professional, incorporating it into her everyday life and eventually finding joy in acting.

Once a leading actor, Takashi has now retired from the spotlight. Since dating Yuki in 2009, Takashi fully supported Yuki’s career, serving as her manager, driver, and bodyguard. Although the couple never got married, Yuki saw Takashi as her family. “In order to work together, it’s important to respect each other’s way of life and views on acting. We are on the same team, moving forward in the same direction. He is more proactive than I am and keeps me updated. With his perspective, my vision broadened and work became smoother. He is not just a manager, but a close partner whom I can be honest.” In 2022, Yuki openly expressed her love for Takashi on the talk show A-Studio+, saying that he was irreplaceable as a partner and had the most chemistry with her.

From her debut’s meteoric rise, a brief marriage and hiatus, to a challenging comeback, Yuki has weathered many storms in her career. Now, she is experiencing a golden period in her life and has become an even more dazzling star.

Source: [1]

This article is written by Kiki for JayneStars.com.