Eriko made her acting debut at the tender age of 14 in the highly acclaimed Asian feature film "Flowerly Afternoon", directed by the renowned Kazuki Omori, best known in the United States for his work on the iconic "Godzilla" television series.
She rose to fame when she joined the popular TV show "Go with the Wild!" as a series regular, followed by a starring role in the award-winning NHK mini-series "My Beloved Ultra Seven" and the highly regarded Japanese television series "Hideyoshi", where she portrayed the historically significant Hosokawa Garacia, the first woman to convert to Christianity in Japan. This demanding role required Eriko to play Garacia from age 14 to 37.
In addition to her work on the big and small screens, Eriko also recorded and released 10 original albums and 18 singles with record label EMI, touring Japan and giving sold-out concert performances.
With a career spanning over 20 films and television series, her life would eventually become the basis for the beloved anime series "Legendary Idol Eriko", which has been translated into six languages and syndicated worldwide, airing in countries such as France, Italy, India, and Spain.
Eriko then joined the highest-rated show of the 2006-2007 television season, NBC's drama "Heroes", as Princess Yaeko, earning a Golden Globe nomination for Best Television Series - Drama and a People's Choice Award for Favorite New Television Drama.
Her performance as Princess Yaeko led to her being cast in 20th Century Fox's feature "Dragonball Evolution" as the sexy villainess Mai, and soon after, she joined the cast of CW's "Reaper" (2009) as Kristen, a love interest to Tyler Labine's character Sock.
In 2010, her first autobiography was published in Japan by the leading publishing company, Bungeishunjyu.
The magnitude 9.1 earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster that struck Japan in 2011 had a profound impact on Eriko's life. Her parents' home in her hometown was severely damaged, leading her to shift her focus and found a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping the survivors of this tragedy.
