Erika Sawajiri [沢尻 エリカ] was born on April 8, 1986 in Nerima, Tokyo and is a Japanese actress, model, and singer. Sawajiri’s claim to fame was her groundbreaking role in the Japanese drama 1 Litre of Tears where she portrayed a girl who suffered from the intractable disease spinocerebellar degeneration (SCD).
On September 10, 2010, it was announced that Sawajiri had signed with Avex label for talent management and music releases. She was previously managed by the Stardust Promotion talent agency until her contract was terminated in late 2009, and was affiliated with Sony Music Entertainment Japan for her early recording career, recording under the name Kaoru Amane and, later, simply Erika.
