OKADA NANA

Nana Okada (おかだ なな, born February 12, 1959), real name Hiroko Yai, is a Japanese actress and singer born in Kagamijima, Gifu City, Gifu Prefecture. She graduated from Horikoshi High School in March 1977 and entered Toita Women's Junior College in April of the same year.In 1974, she participated in the audition program You Are a Star! and won the second championship, making her debut. The following year, she released her debut single "Monologue" on NAV Records and became active as an idol singer. In 1975, she appeared in the youth drama Our Journey playing the younger sister of Ken Tanaka, and her popularity soared. In 1976, her single "Slope of Youth" achieved excellent record sales, ranking behind contemporary singers Momoe Yamaguchi and Junko Sakurada. After 1980, she shifted her focus to acting, appearing in films and TV works such as Warring States Self-Defense Force, The Legend of the Eight Samurai, and School War. In 1987, she appeared in the film Game Ball in the Wall, adapted from a work by author Joji Abe. From 1993 onward, she successively appeared in films directed by Teruo Ishii, such as Master of Genmori and Rogue Hirano. From the late 1990s to the early 2000s, she challenged herself with mother roles in works like Love and Fashion and Strawberry on the Cake. She continued to appear in film and television works in the 2000s, and in the 2010s, she appeared in works such as Court Freshman (2012) and Always Watching You from Afar (2013). In 2021, she appeared in Love Theft, High School Teacher, and in 2026, she appeared in Our 50th Anniversary Trip. In recent years, she has also participated in stage plays and concert activities.