19 Facts About Anna Sawai

Anna Sawai landed her first acting role at age 11 as the title character in the 2004 Nippon Television production of Annie.

Anna Sawai rose to fame in Japan as one of the lead vocalists of the girl group Faky from 2013 to 2018.

Anna Sawai gained further recognition for starring in the MonsterVerse series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters and in the historical drama series Shogun.

Anna Sawai was born on June 11,1992, in Wellington, New Zealand, to parents of Japanese descent.

Anna Sawai's mother worked as a piano teacher, while her father worked for an electronics company.

Anna Sawai's family moved frequently while growing up due to her father's job, living in Hong Kong and the Philippines, before settling in Yokohama, Japan, when Sawai was 10.

Anna Sawai made her acting debut at age 11 in 2004 in a Tokyo stage production of Annie as the titular character, which was simulcast on Nippon TV.

Anna Sawai successfully auditioned for the entertainment conglomerate Avex Inc in 2006, earning her a management contract and training at their in-house music and dance bootcamp.

Anna Sawai continued to receive vocal and dancing lessons throughout high school, and later enrolled at Sophia University.

The group disbanded in early 2013 after less than a year of promotions, but in July that year, Avex announced that Anna Sawai would be re-debuting as one of the lead vocalists for the girl group Faky under the Rhythm Zone record label.

Anna Sawai was a featured artist alongside fellow bandmate Akina on Yamato's debut single "Shining", which was released on April 26,2017.

Later that year, Anna Sawai had a voice role as Angelique Noir in the 2017 fashion simulation video game Style Savvy: Styling Star and performed the main theme song for the game "Girls Be Ambitious".

Since 2022, Anna Sawai has portrayed the main role of Naomi in the Apple TV+ adaptation of Pachinko, based on the novel of the same name by Min Jin Lee.

In June 2022, Anna Sawai was cast as Cate Randa, the lead role in Legendary's MonsterVerse television series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.

In September 2021, Anna Sawai was cast as the female lead, Lady Mariko, in the FX limited series Shogun, based on the novel by James Clavell.

The series premiered in February 2024, and Anna Sawai's performance received critical acclaim.

The New York Times said Anna Sawai "is thoroughly convincing and captivating as Mariko," and Rolling Stone said Anna Sawai "speaks volumes with every pained look on Mariko's face".

In September 2024, Anna Sawai was chosen as brand ambassador for jewelry designer Cartier.

Anna Sawai was named one of Time's Women of the Year for 2025.