Junko Abe (阿部純子, Abe Junko) (born May 7, 1993) formerly known by her stage name Jun Yoshinaga (吉永淳, Yoshinaga Jun), is a Japanese actress and model.

Junko Abe
阿部 純子
Abe in 2014
Born (1993-05-07) May 7, 1993 (age 30)
Osaka, Japan
Other namesJun Yoshinaga
Occupation(s)Actress, model
Years active2010–present
AgentAmuse Inc.
Height161 cm (5 ft 3+12 in)
Children1
Websitewww.amuse.co.jp/artist/A8759

Early life edit

Abe was born on May 7, 1993, in Osaka. She attended at the Osaka Prefectural Kitano High School, where she was part of the Aikido team. While in high school, she was involved in Japanese dance, scuba diving and playing piano. She was also part of the high school brass band, where she played flute. In March 2017, she graduated from the Faculty of Environment and Information Studies at Keio University in Tokyo.[1][2][3]

Career edit

While at elementary school, she was discovered and signed on by an agent. She made her debut as an advertising model for Hankyu Department Store. In middle school, she worked as a model for a fashion magazine and later worked as an image character for the Fuji TV anime series Shion no Ō.[3]

On 2010, she made her acting debut in the movie The Chasing World 2 (リアル鬼ごっこ2), as the heroine. She started using her stage name Jun Yoshinaga. In 2012, she played as one of the main casts in the Japanese comedy-drama television series Perfect Son. As a result of her role in the series, she garnered attention and the number of access to her official blog grew.[4]

In 2014, she starred in the movie Still the Water directed by Naomi Kawase. She was selected as the cast for the movie, due to her experience in scuba diving during her time in high school, at "the beauty of swimming" audition in Amami Ōshima. For her performance in the movie, she received the Best Actress Award at the Sakhalin International Film Festival and Best New Actress Award at the Takasaki Film Festival.[5][6]

In August 2014, Abe took a career break and quit her acting agency to head to the United States for a year to study English and Drama at New York University. While studying at the NYU Tisch School of the Arts, she met her acting agency staff and returned to Japan in 2015. Following her return to Japan, she started to use her birth name as stage name. Abe auditioned for NHK TV serial Toto Neechan and was cast for the role of heroine's friend, Aya Nakada.[7]

On 2019, she starred in movie The Prisoner of Sakura, a Japan-Russia co-production, which was based on the true story of a war prison in Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture, during the Russo-Japanese War. In the movie, she has a dual role.[8][9]

Filmography edit

Films edit

  • The Chasing World 2 (2010) – Sato Ai
  • Wasao (2011) - Tagawa Maki
  • A Man With Style (2011) - Miyata Momoko
  • Tonnerura de Boo (2011) - Sakiko Toyama
  • In the City of Dawn (2011) - young Nakanishi Akiba
  • Lifeline (2014) - main role
  • My Hawaiian Discovery (2014) - Mako
  • Still the Water (2014) - Kyoko
  • Home Away From Home (2014) - Akiko
  • The Limit of Sleeping Beauty (2017) - Maria
  • Dawn Wind in My Poncho (2017) - Maria
  • The Blood of Wolves (2018) - Momoko Okada
  • The Man From the Sea (2018) - Sachiko
  • Samurai Marathon (2018) - Shiori Uesugi
  • The Prisoner of Sakura (2019) - Yui Takeda / Sakurako Takamiya
  • I Don't Want to Be Like You (2019)
  • Daughters (2020) - Kiyokawa Ayano
  • The Voice of Sin (2020) - young Sone Mayumi[10]
  • 461 Days of Bento: A Promise Between Father and Son (2020) - Yajima Maka[11]
  • Baragaki: Unbroken Samurai (2021) - Itosato[12]
  • A Dog Named Palma (2021) - Akita Dog Museum staff[13]
  • Ring Wandering (2022) - Midori / Kozue[14]
  • Yes, I Can't Swim (2022) - Namie[15]
  • Miss Osaka (2022)[16]
  • Remember to Breathe (2022)[17]

Television edit

  • Drama W Beat (2011) – Terumi Higuchi
  • Perfect Son (2012) - Hyouzuka Masako
  • Rumic Theater (2012) - Hazuki Fuwa
  • Special Spy Zone (2012) - Kitagawa Natsumi
  • Gozen 3-ji no Muhōchitai (2013) - Haruka
  • In the Room (2013) - Narukawa Rui
  • Toto Neechan (2016) - Aya Nakada
  • A Girl & Three Sweethearts (2016) - Ishikawa Wakaba
  • Tales of the Unusual Story Autumn Special Edition (2016) - Natsuki Tokita
  • Osaka Kanjousen Part 2 (2017) - Fujimoto Asahi
  • 4-go Keibi (2017) - Ueno Yu
  • I Will Threaten You From Now On (2017) - Momoka Kobashi
  • Tokyo Vampire Hotel (2017) - Yui
  • Swab (2018) - Faculty role
  • Caseworker's Diary (2018) - Kataoka Mari
  • Heisei Bashiru (2018) - Ayaka Ekuni
  • BRIDGE Begins on 1995.1.17 Kobe (2019) - Ritsu Takeda
  • Fruits Takuhaibin (2019) - Sumomo
  • Sasurai Onsen (2019) - Yabe Junko
  • No Side Game (2019) - Fujishima Rena
  • Really Scary Story (2019) - Asuka Miyazaki
  • Shiyakusho (2019) - Imoto Midori
  • Keiji to Kenji - Shokatsu to Chiken no 24ji (2019) - Ishida Kiriko
  • Papa ga Mo Ichido Koi wo Shita (2020) - Kawakami Yukari
  • Sunday Prime Funny Detective (2020) - Rena Gazuma
  • Toshishita Kareshi (2020) - Yoko
  • Tantei Yuri Rintaro (2020) - Kawase Fumino
  • Dakara Watashi wa Make Suru (2020) - Kawamatsu Yasuko
  • Ochoyan (2020–21) - Wakasaki Yoko

Online edit

  • Nestlé Theater on YouTube "Day and Night" (2014) - Shiori Haneda

Commercials edit

Radio drama edit

  • FM Radio Drama Retake Sixteen - Starring Saori Komine (NHK FM, 26 August 2013 - 13 September 2013)

Music videos edit

References edit

  1. ^ "吉永淳、大阪が生んだ超新星…映画ヒロインに!". sponichi.co.jp. December 13, 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-12-14. Retrieved November 6, 2020.
  2. ^ "吉永淳". discovery-e.co.jp. Archived from the original on 2015-04-23. Retrieved November 6, 2020.
  3. ^ a b "男の世界の"清涼剤"NY留学で強く進化…「孤狼の血」阿部純子インタビュー". hochi.co.jp. May 5, 2018. Archived from the original on 2018-05-08. Retrieved November 6, 2020.
  4. ^ "吉永淳、人気急上昇!ブログアクセス22万件に激増". hochi.co.jp. February 18, 2016. Archived from the original on 2012-04-23. Retrieved November 6, 2020.
  5. ^ Gavin J. Blair (May 7, 2015). "Cannes: 4 Japanese Acting Talents Ready to Go Global". hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved November 6, 2020.
  6. ^ "阿部純子、来春スタートNHK朝ドラで再スタート". nikkansports.com. November 12, 2015. Retrieved November 6, 2020.
  7. ^ Matthew Hernnon (March 7, 2019). "Actress Junko Abe breaks into the world of international films". japantimes.co.jp. Retrieved November 6, 2020.
  8. ^ Arielle Busetto (April 16, 2019). "'The Prisoner of Sakura': A Tale of Different Cultures in a Time of War". japan-forward.com. Retrieved November 6, 2020.
  9. ^ "The Prisoner of Sakura". jfdb.jp. Retrieved November 6, 2020.
  10. ^ "罪の声". eiga.com. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
  11. ^ "461個のおべんとう". eiga.com. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
  12. ^ "燃えよ剣". eiga.com. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  13. ^ "忠犬パルマの実話もとにした日露合作「ハチとパルマの物語」特報公開". Natalie. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  14. ^ "笠松将×阿部純子共演、幻想的で切ない『リング・ワンダリング』公開へ". Cinema Cafe. 15 June 2021. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  15. ^ "はい、泳げません". eiga.com. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  16. ^ "ミス・オオサカ(原題)". eiga.com. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  17. ^ "わたしのお母さん". eiga.com. Retrieved June 24, 2022.

External links edit