Kanda Uno

Kanda Uno

Profile

• Name: 神田?? / Kanda Uno
• Profession: Actress / Model
• Date of Birth: 28 March
• Height: 168cm
• Weight:
• Star Sign: Aries
• Blood Type: O
• Birthplace: 神奈?縣
• Talent Agency:

Mini Biography

Uno Kanda started her career as a fashion model since she was a high school student. In 1994, she officially broke into the entertainment industry. As an all round artist, she has worked in fields like commercials, photo album, TV sitcom and film acting.

Dramas

• Satorare
• Beauty 7
• Nurse no oshigoto 3
• Rinjin wa hisoki warau
• Don't Worry
• Puffy no wild de ikou
• Only you aisarete

Movies

• ? 入 煩 家 的 天 使 Leave it to the Nurses (2002)
• Pikachu (2002)
• 御 法 度 Gohatto (1999)

Article

A life in the day of Uno Kanda

TOKYO — Uno Kanda is the sort of person who brightens up a room as soon as she enters it. Today we've been waiting 30 minutes while the 28-year-old actress and TV personality gets ready. When she arrives, Kanda is in a bubbly mood, clad in an Emanuel Ungaro dress, her long legs proudly displaying the stockings she designs herself.

Anyone who has been in Japan for any length of time cannot have failed to notice Kanda — whether it is in TV dramas, variety shows, movies, commercials or attending glitzy events such as film festivals, fashion shows, dinners and so on. Like many show business personalities, Kanda is often a subject of the Japanese tabloids and weekly magazines, but today is her first interview with English media.

"I want you to know the real me," she says. "People see me on TV and think I am a strong-willed scary kind of character. That's not my persona. I'm really very delicate."

Born in Kanagawa, the 168-cm-tall Kanda excelled in classical ballet from the age of 5 until she was 17, at which time she became a fashion model. In 1994, she officially broke into the entertainment industry and has appeared in countless films and TV shows, among them the popular "Leave It to the Nurses" series and the "Pikachu" movie. She has published photo albums and books and currently can be seen in commercials for Kose cosmetics and Gunze hosiery. Her own brand of hosiery is enormously popular, having sold 8 million pairs in the past year. Furthermore, Kanda designs wedding dresses and holds fashion shows.

How does she fit everything into her schedule? "My manager does the balancing," she says with a laugh. "I like doing design work most of all, but at this stage of my life, I want to meet as many interesting people as I can and try different things."

Definitely not a morning person, Kanda usually begins her day around 11 a.m. or noon. Despite the fact she doesn't go to the gym and loves to eat sweets, she is quite slim. "I have no secrets other than to take vitamins, drink a lot and sleep in. It also helps if you don't get angry."

Although she knows more English than she lets on, Kanda is still a bit shy about using it. "When I go abroad for a holiday, I don't use an interpreter. I manage somehow. Nowadays I speak some English at functions. I do have foreign friends in Japan, but they are all good at Japanese."

A confessed shopaholic, Kanda insists on her buying everything herself and not leaving it to her stylist. "I wear lots of different styles. Obviously it depends on the time, place and occasion. I like Ginza and recently I have been going to Roppongi Hills almost every day."

Family most important

Family remains most important to her, she says (she has two brothers). "My parents are not typical Japanese. They travel together and go out to dinner. Mom and I go shopping sometimes, while my dad tends to advise me on life. He basically tells me to do whatever will make me happy."

And does marriage fit into her future plans for happiness? "Yes, married life is the nature of things and I would like to have a family someday. Without doubt, the man for me will have to be kind. I want someone who is not afraid to go after his goal. I would love and support a man like that. He must be able to take care of me because emotionally because I'm pretty weak and cry easily.

"Too many Japanese men are not good at taking care of women. That's their weakness. However, my father and brothers are good at it. When we go to a restaurant, they offer to hold my bag, help take my coat off and hold the chair for me while I sit. They do it naturally and spontaneously. If my partner cannot open the door for me, I won't be able to like him because that's how I grew up. I'm not saying a guy needs to be obedient to me, like a kept man or anything. I just want someone who will respect me and himself."

Looking ahead, Kanda says she is most interested in environment and health issues. "Businesswise, I don't have any special goals. If I was a professional singer or actor, I might be thinking of releasing CDs or making movies, but I am just Uno Kanda. I enjoy my life now and I want to keep variety in it until I end up as a cute grandma. My goal is not to be mean to anyone. If you are mean, it always shows in your face and you won't age nicely."

July 2, 2003 Japan Times

Links

• JDorama.com