Ayako Fujitani - Biography

Ayako Fujitani (藤谷 文子 Fujitani Ayako; born December 7, 1979) is a writer and actress. She is fluent in English and Japanese.

Early life

Ayako Fujitani was born in Osaka, Japan. She is the daughter of Steven Seagal from his first wife, aikido master Miyako Fujitani. As a teenager, she also resided in Los Angeles, California, US.

Career

Modeling

At age 12, she won the Asian Beauty Contest, held in commemoration of the Japanese release of the film Police Story 3. At age 13 she became the sixth girl to lead the Mitsui ReHouse advertising campaign. This began her modeling career. She was featured regularly in magazines and television commercials.

Acting

An avid fan of film, she made her screen debut and appeared in the sequels of the Heisei Gamera (1995–1999) series, after a chance meeting at a film festival with director Shusuke Kaneko. She worked again with him on an episode he directed of Ultraman Max.

Other film roles include parts in the French film Sansa (2003) and in Michel Gondry's "Interior Design" segment of Tokyo! (2008).

Writing

After spending a few teenage years in Los Angeles studying acting and English, Ayako began to write for the Japanese magazine Roadshow. Her literary skills became more evident with the publication of her coupled novellas Touhimu (Flee-Dream) and Yakeinu (Burnt Dog). The former is often incorrectly referred to as semi-biographical, though it is a completely fictional story of a young suicidal girl trying to make sense of life, death, family, and love. The latter is the story of the relationship between a man and the girl he has raised in his cellar.

Along with writer and director Hideaki Anno, Ayako co-adapted her novella Touhimu (Flee-Dream) into the film Shiki-Jitsu in 2000. It was the first non-animated feature released by Studio Ghibli under the Studio Kajino label. She also stars in the title role. Shiki-Jitsu won the Artistic Award at the 30th Tokyo International Film Festival and showed at the Hong Kong International Film Festival.

Ayako has established herself as a writer in Japan of both fiction and non-fiction, contributing essays and short stories to various national publications.

Other pursuits

In 2006 she directed a short drama for TV Tokyo's Drama Factory program.

Ayako has also displayed musical talent, being a member of the band Father's Girls.

Filmography

• Tokyo ! (2008)
• Death of Domomata (2008)
• Shaolin Sakka (Shaolin Writer) (2008)
• Captain Tokyo (2007)
• Private Detective No.5 (2006)
• Ikusa (2005)
• Sansa (2003)
• Maguro no Shippo (A Tuna Fin) (2000)
• Shiki-Jitsu (2000)
• Gamera 3: Awakening of Irys (1999)
• The Patriot (1998)
• Gamera 2: Attack of Legion (1996)
• Musashi (1995)
• Gamera: Guardian of the Universe (1995)

Theatrical works

• The Black Cat (December 2008)
• Kung Fu John (2007)
• ROPE (2006)
• Hiking For Human Life (2005)

Literary works

• Touhimu (Flee-Dream) (novella, coupled with Yakeinu ("Burnt Dog"))
• Hollywood Report column in Roadshow entertainment magazine
• Expressionist Walking column in Pee Wee fashion magazine
• Ayako Fujitani's Silver Screen Stuff column in Eiga Hihou entertainment magazine
• Memos on Life short story column in Re:S arts magazine
• Guest contributor to Giant Robot (Asian American art and culture magazine)

External links

• Official website
• Profile at JMDb
• Ken's Force review of Shikijitsu
• KFC Cinema review of Gamera