Erika Sawajiri

Erika Sawajiri is a Japanese actress and singer. She goes by the name ERIKA as a singer.

On September 29, 2007, Sawajiri triggered harsh media and fan criticism when she appeared to be visibly upset at the premiere of Isao Yukisada’s Closed Note and gave very short answers to questions she was asked. To counteract the fallout from this incident, she issued an apology on her website the next day and granted an indepth interview to TV Asahi’s “Super Morning” a few days later in which she explained her actions further and tearfully apologized to her fans.

In early 2008, she took a break from the entertainment industry to travel to England where she learned a good deal of English. She has since returned and has been attempting to restart her career to varying degrees of success.

She was formerly represented by Stardust Promotion, but was dropped by the company for an undisclosed breach of contract in September of 2009. She signed with Avex Management in April 2011.