Yū Hayami

Childhood and education

Hayami was born in Atami, Shizuoka on 2 September 1966. Her real name was Kazumi Fukuda (福田 一美, Fukuda Kazumi); née Kazumi Tateno before marriage. After her parents divorced, her family name changed to Inoue (井上). Hayami's father is also a jazz singer, so she went abroad and was raised in Guam and Hawaii from the age of 3 to 14 years old. Hayami studied mostly in Japan. After graduating from Horikoshi High School in 1986, she entered Sophia University, majoring in comparative culture research.

Musical career

In 1982, Hayami gained her J-pop singer's debut with the single "Isoide Hatsukoi" (ASAP, my first love!) In 1983, she released her fifth single, "Natsu Iro no Nancy" (Summer Coloured Nancy), as a campaign song for a Coca-Cola commercial. And she became a cover girl of that. The Single became into her first Big Hit.

Film career

She gained the first role in the 1982 film Santō Kōkōsei. As a Heroine, she gained the role in the Movie Kids, in 1985. And she also acted in some of films, in various roles.

Recent activities

In 1996, Hayami married and has two daughters (born in 2001 and 2003). She holds an annual recital every January with her father, Ryo Inoue.

In 2005, Hayami joined with and Chiemi Hori and Iyo Matsumoto to form the trio, "Cutie Mummy".

In 2008, she stars as the Captain General in the Tokusatsu series Tomica Hero: Rescue Force.

Hayami can be seen on NHK World, which is broadcast worldwide, as the hostess of "Itadakimasu! Dining With the Chef," where she assists and chats with a master chef who instructs the viewer on how to cook a traditional Japanese meal. She often does most of the talking because she doesn't have as much to do, and the chef's English isn't as fluent.