Ko Shibasaki

Ko Shibasaki (柴咲 コウ) is a Japanese actress and singer who has performed in television shows, movies, and commercials.

She is managed by Stardust Promotion.

Ko (also transcribed Kou and Koh) Shibasaki debuted in 2000, when she portrayed Mitsuko Souma in Battle Royale. Shibasaki also won critical acclaim for her role as Tsubaki Sakurai in the 2001 film Go, which earned her several awards, including the Best Supporting Actress Award of Japanese Academy, the Hōchi Movie Award, and the Kinema Junpō Award.

Shibasaki made her debut in the music industry in 2002 with her first single, "Trust My Feelings", but she became recognized for her second single, "Tsuki no Shizuku", which was used for the movie Yomigaeri.

Although she does not compose her own music, Kō Shibasaki writes the lyrics for most of her songs.

Many of her singles have become theme songs for various films, dramas, and commercials.

Her single "Lover Soul" was the ending theme song for the live action drama Otomen.

Her song "Another World" was the soundtrack of "Mirai Nikki - Another:World" (2011).

In 2013, Shibasaki made her U.S. film debut in 47 Ronin, a Keanu Reeves-led adaptation of the Chushingura story of samurai loyalty and revenge.

In June 2015, Shibasaki released her first cover album Kou Utau, and in June 2016, she released her second cover album Zoku Kou Utau.

Shibasaki has sold over 4 million singles combined.

In 2017, she played the main character Ii Naotora in the NHK Taiga drama TV series Naotora: The Lady Warlord.

Before the series was filmed, Shibasaki visited the grave of Naotora.

Shibasaki has two musical groups: Koh+ (with Masaharu Fukuyama) and Galaxias!

(with Deco*27 and TeddyLoid).

The film was billed as the first ever English-language adaptation of the legend, based on historical events in the early 18th century.