is a model, actress, and singer best known from her modeling work with CanCam magazine. Shintaro Yamada is her brother.
Career
Yamada graduated from
Okinawa Actors School. In 1999, while working as a model for the Japanese
fashion magazine CanCam under an exclusive contract, she also worked as a singer in the group
y'z factory (formed with two other students of the Okinawa Actors School) and released a total of six singles and one album, but in 2002 the group disbanded.
Following the group's break up, Yamada moved to television, making her acting debut in the 2001 drama series Kabachitare! which led to many other drama roles such as in Kange! Danjiki Goikkosama, and Orange Days as well as hosting jobs for NTV’s Minna no Terebi and Fuji TV’s F1 Grand Prix. She has also starred in a few films acting alongside many prominent young stars including Ryuhei Matsuda, Hiroki Narimiya and Shugo Oshinari.
Yamada has also appeared in advertisements for Nissin instant foods, Ezaki Glico, Vodafone cellular phones, Kanebo line of cosmetics, Canon and most recently Fujitsu Ten navigation systems.
In 2006 Yamada debuted as a solo artist with the single "Real You" which was used as the theme song for the movie Akihabara@DEEP (starring Yamada herself) and peaked at number 10 on the Oricon Charts.
Discography
Singles
{| class="wikitable"
!align="left"|Single
!align="left"|Single information
!align="left"|Copies sold
!align="left"|Notes
|-
|align="center"|1st
|align="left"|
"Real You"
Released: September 20, 2006
Oricon Top 100 weekly peak: #10
From album: Myusic
|align="center"|23,000
|-
|- bgcolor="#F0F8FF"
|align="center"|2nd
|align="left"|
"Eyes on Me"
Released: March 7, 2007
Oricon Top 100 weekly peak: #30
From album: Myusic
Label: Pony Canyon
|align="center"|5,079+
|align="left"|
Yu Yamada and this song featured in a 2007 television ad for Sofina Raycious cosmetics.
B-side: "Feel My Heart"
"Eyes on Me" is not to be confused with Faye Wong's song of the same name.
|-
|align="center"|3rd
|align="left"|
"Fly So High"
Released: June 13, 2007
Oricon Top 100 weekly peak: #27
From album: Myusic
Label: Pony Canyon
|align="center"|3,581+
|align="left"|
This was the ending theme for the TV Tokyo anime series Blue Dragon.
B-side: Little Raindrop
|-
|- bgcolor="#F0F8FF"
|align="center"|4th
|align="left"|
"Fiesta! Fiesta!"
Released: September 5, 2007
Oricon Top 100 weekly peak: #47
From album: Myusic
Label: Pony Canyon
|align="center"|3,054+
|align="left"|
Yu Yamada and this song featured in another 2007 television ad for Sofina Raycious.
The B-side, "Palm", served as the ending theme to the Fuji TV horseracing show Umanade.
|-
|- bgcolor="#F0F8FF""
|align="center"|5th
|align="left"|
"Leave All Behind"
Released: April 23, 2008
|
|
|-
|- bgcolor=#F0F8FF""
|align="center"|6th
|align="left"|
"My All"
Released: January 21, 2009
|
|
|-
|- bgcolor="F0F8FF""
|align="center"|7th
|align="left"|
"Free"
Released: May 20, 2009
|
|align="left"|
This was the ending theme for the anime series Basquash!
|}
Filmography
Movies
ROUTE 58 (2003) as Rin
Kiseki wa Sora Kara Futte Kuru (2005) as Reiko Aoyama
Akihabara@DEEP (2006) as Akira
Pulukogi (2007)
Surf's Up (Japanese dub) (2007) as Lani Aliikai
Kanna-san, Daiseiko Desu! (2008) as Kanna
Dramas
Kabachitare! (2001)
Kindaichi Shounen no Jikenbo (2001)
Kangei Danjiki Goikkou-sama (2001)
Shiawase no Shippo (2002)
Cosmetic (2003)
Aisuru Tame ni Aisaretai Loved to Love (2003)
Sore wa, Totsuzen, Arashi no youni... (2004)
Orange Days (2004)
Be-Bop High School (2004)
Nihon no Kowai Yoru "Daiseikubi" (2004)
X'mas Nante Daikirai (2004)
Tales of Japan (2004)
Be-Bop High School 2 (2005)
Fukigen na Gene (2005)
Yume de Aimashou (2005)
Yonimo Kimyona Monogatari "Happunkan" (2005)
''Satomi Hakenden" (2006)
Tsubasa no Oreta Tenshitachi "Actress" (2006)
Zenibana (2006)
Damens' Walker (2006)
Karei ni Naru Ichizoku (2007)
Zenibana 2 (2007)
Nodame Cantabile in Europe (2008)
Binbō Danshi (2008)
Seigi no Mikata (2008)
Akuma no Temari Uta (2009)
Mei-chan no Shitsuji (2009)
Gakeppuchi no Eri (2010)
Anime
Paradise Kiss (2005) as Yukari Hayasaka
References
External links
K Dash Group Profile
Yu Yamada at CanCam magazine's online site.
Yu Yamada at JDorama
Yu Yamada at DramaWiki
Category:1984 births
Category:Living people
Category:People from Okinawa Prefecture
Category:Japanese actors
Category:Japanese female singers
Category:Japanese female models
