Yuki Saito

Yuki Saito
Latter-day Saint. Born 10 September 1966, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. Also credited as: Saitou Yuki; Yuki Saitoh. Japanese action star, pop singer, author and serious actress. Yuki Saito is one of Japan's most popular actresses, and one of the nation's best known Latter-day Saints. Saito's own life has had its own rather "dramatic" ups and downs, but her Christian commitment is well known. She was even featured in a Church-produced video used by missionaries to introduce people to the Church. In it she discusses her life and simply invites people to listen to the gospel message, to see if it is something that can help them as it helped her.

One of Saito's most memorable acting roles was in "Sukeban Deka", a 1985 live-action television series featuring her in the title role. (In English, the title translates as "High School Superheroine".) With her high-tech yo-yo, Saito went up against mobsters and various villains for 25 episodes. There have been two other series (featuring other stars) and an animated film in the franchise, which was based on a popular manga (comic book) series.

Saito went on to star in other television series including "Dousoukai", "Matta nashi!" and "Tachibana Keiko: Onna jiken kisha."

Saito is also a popular singer. The sang "Shiroi Honno", the theme song to "Sukeban Deka." She also had a top 10 hit with her version of "Yume no Naka e". Saito also sang "Kanashimi yo Konnichiwa" ("Hello Sadness"), the theme song for "Maison Ikkoku Kanashimi yo Konnichiwa", which became one of the most popular anime theme songs ever. Between 1985 and 1995 she released at least fifteen albums.

A recent role in an adult role was in the critically acclaimed "Ah Haru" (English title: "Wait and See"), about a businessman and his neurotic wife (Saito), and what happens when an elderly stranger claims to be the husband's long-lost father. The film was an Official Selection at the 1998 Tokyo International Film Festival and won the FIPRESCI Award for best film in the Panorama Section, at the 1999 Berlin Film Festival. For a period of time she made about three movies a year and appeared constantly on various Japanese television shows, gaining a repuation as one of the hardest working Japanese actresses of the 1980s. As an author, essayist and poet, Saito is the author of many books, including Neko no te mo karitai; Unmei no onna; Shiawase no biburion; Ima dake no hontou; Toumei na mizu; Yuki-teki sekai kanjou ryokou and Soutou no tsuki. She is also the co-author, along with Torey Hayden, of a book for the Japanese market about parenting issues. Website: http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Flats/5819/Saitou-Yuki.html.

Web page created 6 August 2002. Last modified 6 August 2002