Miki Maya

Japanese actress

Miki Maya
真矢みき
Maya at 56th Takarazuka Kinen
Born	Miki Sato January 31, 1964 Hiroshima, Hiroshima, Japan
Nationality	Japanese
Years active	1981–present
Spouse	Nishijima Kazuhiro (married 2009-present)

Miki Maya (真矢みき, Maya Miki, born January 31, 1964 in Hiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture) ^[1] is a Japanese actress and former top star of the Takarazuka Revue. Her real name is Miki Sato (佐藤美季, Satō Miki). She joined the Takarazuka Revue in 1981. Her debut performance was "Takarazuka Haru no Odori" and she became the top star of the Flower Troupe for her role in East Of Eden in 1995. She retired in 1998 after her last show 'Speakeasy', based on the 17 John Gay ballad opera The Beggar's Opera,^[2] in which she sang the theme song Kaze no machi no junjō na akutō tachi(風の街の純情な男たち).

Troupe history

Flower Troupe: 1981–1998

Career

She is the first Takarasienne to have a solo photo book shot by Kishin Shinoyama, called "Guy".^[2] She is also the only Takarasienne to appear in NHK's Top Runner in December 1997. Furthermore, her concert, "Miki In Budokan", had a sell-out crowd of 30,000 in just 2 days.^[2] Her other talents include Japanese dance and baton work.

She entered the Takarazuka musical school at the age of 15 and joined the Takarazuka Revue Company in 1981.

She debuted in the Flower troupe and soon became a rising star among the Revue fans. She and Mira Anju who was a year ahead of her formed the official YANMIKI combination in 1986 Bow Hall performance "Goodbye Peppermint Night." YANMIKI has been one of the most famous otokoyaku (male role) combinations to date. Maya and Anju reunited on stage in 1997 "Goodbye Tokyo Takarazuka", 2004 Takarazuka 90th Anniversary, and 2014 Takarazuka 100th Anniversary.

She became the top star of Flower troupe in 1995 and retired in 1998.^[3]

Since her retirement, she has enjoyed popularity as a drama, stage and movie actress and has acted in various dramas including "Himitsu no Hanazono", "Kaze no Haruka" and "Attention Please". She has also shot commercials for Wella, Hagen Daz and Kikkoman, among others.

In 2008, she returned to the stage with Chariteau Versailles to commemorate her 10th year after leaving the Tarazuka stage. In the same year, she married ballet dancer, Nishijima Kazuhiro.^[4] The wedding ceremony took place in April 2009 at the famous Meiji Jingu Shrine, where she and her husband were surrounded by the press and their fans.^[5]

Commercial actress

Since leaving Takarazuka, Maya has found success appearing in commercials for products such as instant ramen and laxative vegetable juices. In November 2011, Maya was mentioned prominently in media reports surrounding controversy over a brand she promoted, a facial soap called Cha no Shizuku. The soap, produced by Yuuka, since 2009 has produced severe allergic reactions 471 consumers, with 66 of those hospitalized. The media speculated that because Maya had personally recommended the soap, claiming health benefits, she might be one of those potentially held liable for the damages caused to the soap's victims.^[6]

Filmography

Television

Downtown Rocket (2015–18), Saya Izumi^[7]
What Will You Do, Ieyasu? (2023), Tomoe^[8]

Film

Bayside Shakedown 2 (2003), Superintendent Okita^[9]
December (2023), Kazumi Okamoto^[10]
Once Upon a Crime (2023), Isabella^[11]
90 Years Old – So What? (2024), Kyoko Sugiyama^[12]

Japanese dub

Hachi: A Dog's Tale (2009), Cate Wilson (Joan Allen)^[13]
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024), Hampton (Rachel House)^[14]

References

^ 麻矢みき結婚へ！きっかけはＷ主演舞台. Sponichi (in Japanese). July 1, 2008. Archived from the original on September 6, 2014. Retrieved March 21, 2010.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Miki Maya Official Web site at Blooming" (in Japanese). Archived from the original on January 9, 2010. Retrieved March 21, 2010.
^ "真矢ミキ、21年ぶり男装披露宝塚花組男役トップ時代を彷彿「体が覚えているんですね」". ORICON NEWS. Retrieved 2019-05-03.
^ "真矢みき結婚へ！きっかけはＷ主演舞台（芸能） ― スポニチ Sponichi Annex 芸能結婚０８年". 2014-09-06. Archived from the original on 2014-09-06. Retrieved 2019-05-03.
^ "真矢みきは結婚してた！子供はいる？旦那は改名した西島数博？ | 大人女子のライフマガジンPinky[ピンキー]". pinky-media.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 2019-05-03.
^ Brasor, Philip, "Mass media not clean in soap-allergy controversy", Japan Times, 4 December 2011, p. 9.
^ "「下町ロケット」続編に土屋太鳳、竹内涼真、朝倉あき、真矢ミキらが続投". Natalie. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
^ "どうする家康:真矢ミキが初の大河ドラマで有村架純の母に「亡くなった父にも恥じぬよう存在したい」". Mantan-web. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
^ "踊る大捜査線 THE MOVIE 2 レインボーブリッジを封鎖せよ！". eiga.com. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
^ "赦し". eiga.com. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
^ "赤ずきん、旅の途中で死体と出会う。". eiga.com. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
^ "九十歳。何がめでたい". eiga.com. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
^ "北大路欣也と真矢みきが、新ハチ公像を前に「HACHI／約束の犬」をPR". eiga.com. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
^ "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire Film's Trailer Reveals Japanese Dub Cast". Anime News Network. 2024-04-06. Retrieved 2024-04-06.