Suzu Hirose

Suzu Hirose was born on June 19, 1998, in Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka, a picturesque region in Japan. She began her career as both an actress and model at a young age, quickly garnering attention for her talent and charm. In 2015, Hirose landed the role of Suzu Asano in Hirokazu Kore-eda's live-action adaptation of the manga Umimachi Diary, which was originally written by renowned Mangaka Akimi Yoshida.

In Our Little Sister, a heartwarming story about three sisters who adopt their teenage half-sister after their estranged father passes away, Hirose shines as the football-playing teenager who brings new life to the Kamakura home. The film was selected to compete for the prestigious Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, where Hirose made her debut on the international stage. For her touching performance in Our Little Sister, she received numerous accolades, including the Japan Academy Prize for "Newcomer of the Year" and the "Best New Actress" award from Kinema Junpo.

Hirose continued her successful partnership with Kore-eda in The Third Murder, further cementing her place as a rising star in Japanese cinema. In 2016, she took on the role of Chihaya Ayase, an enthusiastic high school student passionate about competitive karuta and Ogura Hyakunin Isshu poetry, in Norihiro Koizumi's big-screen adaptation of Yuki Suetsugu's comic strip, Chihayafuru. Hirose's performance was so captivating that she earned "Best Actress" nominations for her work in the first two parts, titled Chihayafuru: Kami no ku ("upper phrase") and Shimo no ku ("lower phrase"), respectively.

In June 2017, Hirose finished filming the third part of the Chihayafuru film series, Chihayafuru: Musubi, which marks the conclusion of her journey with this beloved character. The film is set for release in Japanese theatres during Heisei 30 (2018), where fans will undoubtedly be eager to witness Hirose's breathtaking portrayal once more.