Tomosaka Rie is a Japanese actress and pop star from Mitaka-shi, Tokyo, born on October 12, 1979, in Nagano-shi, Nagano. She works for Itoh Company. From 1996 to 1997, she has also released music under the name Eri Sakatomo.

In 1992, Rie Tomosaka joined the entertainment world with the commercial film of "ESTIMA" of Toyota Motor Corporation, and she also began her career as an actress with the NHK TV drama, Kora, Nanba Shiyotto in the same year. In 1993, she came into the limelight in Subarashikikana Jinsei of Fuji TV. In 1995, she came to be known widely at the people because Kintaichi Shonen no Jikenbo, the manga-based popular TV mystery series, in which she co-starred with Domoto Tsuyoshi gained popular extremely. But, Domoto is a popular idol in Japan, so she was envied intensely by his fans.

In 1996, she also made her debut as a singer by "Escalation", and released "Kusyami" in succession. Moreover, she released "Sukini nattara KIRIN LEMON" which was the theme song of a carbonated drink which Kirin Beverage of the subsidiary of Kirin Brewery Company releases and "Docchidemo IN" which was the theme song of camera "AXIA" which Fuji Film released in the name of "Sakatomo Eri" which is a logogriph of Tomosaka Rie from 1996 to 1997.

Tomosaka released eleven singles as a vocalist, often backed by members of Yokohama horn band Big Horns Bee, who toured with her. Her singles "Cappuccino" (1999) and "Shoujo Robot" (2000) were written and produced by her friend Shina Ringo, who also provided piano and the rhythm section from her own band. Four other Ringo songs were also recorded in these sessions ("Mokuren no Cream," "Shampoo," "Ikenai Ko" and "Nihon ni Umarete"), subsequently released as b-sides and album cuts. Ringo also adds chattering to the song "Good For Us" on Tomosaka's album "Murasaki."

"Prime Colors" (45 min., 1997) was a Tomosaka solo performance in twelve distinctive shorts released to VCD.

In 2000, she starred in the TV drama Kimiga Oshietekureta Koto for which Donna Williams’s Nobody Nowhere was adapted. She played a young autistic woman, the character being inspired by the works of autistic author Donna Williams. She played splendidly the difficult role which was considerably different from the active girl whom she played till then. She was highly praised by Donna about an autistic performance and was highly regarded by her talent as an actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress of the Drama Academy Award of "THE TELEVISION" and of the Drama Grand Prix of "Nikkan Sports".

In 2001, Her starring performance in the feature "Chloe" contributed to the film's win at the Berlin Film Festival that year.

She married actor and stage director Masahiko Kawahara in April 2003 and gave birth to a son in October 2004. They divorced at the end of 2008 and she currently raises the child on her own.

She met singer, song-writer, music producer Suneohair aka Kenji Watanabe after co-starring in the 2010 film "Aburakusasu no Matsuri" and married in June of 2011. They divorced in 2016.

(Source: Wikipedia) Edit Biography