Yukie Nakama (仲間 由紀恵, Nakama Yukie?, born October 30, 1979) is an actress, singer and former idol. She was born in Okinawa, Japan, in a fisherman's family, the youngest of five siblings.

She is one of the few young Japanese celebrities that have been able to break free from their teeny-bopper image and emerge as one of the country's most popular and well-respected actresses. At the start of her career she was a gravure idol and singer (her debut single "Moonlight to Daybreak" was released in 1996), and appeared in bit roles until her career breakthrough playing Sadako in "Ring 0: Birthday (2000)."

In 2000, Nakama demonstrated her talent for comedy with her lead role in the Japanese television drama Trick which proved so popular that it had two more seasons and two film versions, but it was the top-rating TV series Gokusen (2002), a live-action version of the popular manga, that established her as one of Japan's most popular and bankable actresses.

Nakama has also proven her bankability through commercial endorsements, such as Nissin, Glico, Lotte, Asahi, Shiseido, au by KDDI, and has even served as a spokesperson for Japan Railways and the Japanese Tax Agency. As one of Japan's most ubiquitous celebrity endorsers, she is a regular face on billboards and at subway stations. She is managed by Production Ogi.

In 2006, Nakama starred in the historical drama by NHK Taiga Drama«Komyo ga Tsuji»（功名が辻）, where she played the role of Chiyo, a wise and beautiful wife, helped her husband Yamauchi Kazutoyo up from an ordinary samurai to the governor of an entire province.

She will be playing as Ryoko Narumi, the lead role in "Untouchable", a TV series which will air on TV Asahi in Autumn 2009.



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