Nice little article from J-Ent :D
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'Commercial queen' Aya Ueto can't wait to become an adult
Chris Betros
Aya Ueto takes part in a National Road Safety Week campaign.
Japantoday
TOKYO ‹ Every year, a new starlet emerges to be proclaimed by Japanese
magazines and TV wide shows as the new "commercial queen." At the moment,
that title firmly belongs with singer-turned-actress Aya Ueto, although she
is no newcomer, despite only turning 19 on Sept 14.
Last week was a big week for the squeaky-clean young star, who not only was
given a big birthday cake at a giant media bash attended by nearly 1,000
adoring fans and fellow "talents" such as Rei Kikukawa and Ryoko Yonekura,
but she also launched a new photo album titled "natural," of photos taken of
her in Hawaii, as well as attended promotional events from Shinjuku to
Saitama to endorse products.
As is always her case when stars are trotted out before the media by their
production companies, the questions are never hard-ball. It is more like a
family affair. Ueto, herself, is very nonchalant about her fame. "I don't
feel I have changed much at all," she said at her birthday bash.
Born in Tokyo, Ueto got her start in 1997 when she won the judges' special
award in the All-Japan National Beauty contest for girls. In Japan, such an
award guarantees the winner countless product endorsements, guest
appearances on TV variety shows such as "Matthew's Best Hit" (the guy who
was in "Lost in Translation"), and image character deals. For awhile, Ueto
opted for a music career. In 1999, she and some friends formed a short-lived
pop band called J-1. She continued with her music career until 2001 when TV
and advertising work started to prove more lucrative.
Hawking products for 10 companies
This year, Ueto is advertising products for 10 companies, including a
vitamin drink alongside Yong Joon Bae, star of the hit Korean drama Winter
Sonata. According to advertising agencies, Ueto's contract price rose from
30 million yen last year to 45 million yen this year, with the biggest deals
coming from Otsuka, Kao, Nisshin and Fuji Photo Film. An Otsuka spokesman
said they chose Ueto to promote their vitamin drink because her smile is
full of pep, which matched the image of her products.
In July, Ueto was also given the dubious title of "Natto Queen," and most
recently fronted a campaign for National Road Safety Week. "That's something
I have always been conscious of since I saw a horrific accident two years
ago," she said.
Currently, Ueto's beaming face can be seen hawking Lotte chocolates on a
giant 7-meter x 2-meter screen near Shinjuku Station and promoting a huge
shopping mall called Cocoon in Saitama. "I used to come here so often when I
was little, and now to see my face on those big billboards is really
something," said the 162-cm-tall star.
While ads keep her busy, Ueto is concentrating her efforts on her acting.
Last year, she took on the difficult role of a high school student
struggling with a sexual identity disorder in the TV drama "Kinpachi
Sensei." She followed that up with her big-screen debut as the title
character in "Azumi," a period drama based on a violent, erotic Japanese
manga, that was screened at this year's Sundance Film Festival. In war-torn
Japan, the Tokugawa Shogun, desperate to restore peace to his people, orders
the assassination of the hostile warlords. A beautiful young woman (Ueto) is
raised from birth with nine other orphans, to become an assassin. While
there were buckets of blood and Ueto looked sexy, the eroticisim of the
manga was toned down to preserve her image. She has already completed the
sequel, "Azumi II."
Now that she has turned 19, Ueto said she can't wait to become an adult (20
in Japan). "I kind of look at this year as the last year of my teens. I'll
be glad when I'm past that. Of course, I think I'll still be the same me
inside next year."
September 20, 2004
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