Many are familiar with Ken Watanabe since his role as Katsumoto in "The Last Samurai". Following that movie, he began to appear on American advertisements and in other movies such as “Batman Begins” and "Memoirs of Geisha". Before his Hollywood breakthrough, he was mostly known for playing Samurai roles in Japan. Therefore, playing a new role of a gentle chairman in “Memoirs of Geisha” was a challenge that only bolstered skills as an actor.

Ken Watanabe was born on October 21st, 1959 in Niigata, Japan. In 1978, he came to Tokyo to pursue his career as an actor. He made his first TV appearance in 1982, but his real career breakthrough came when he was chosen to play the lead in the Japanese national TV drama series called "Dokugan ryu Masamune;" he played a samurai hero. In 1989 when he was shooting a movie in Canada, he collapsed because of Leukemia. He made a miraculous comeback in 2003 starred in "The Last Samurai".

In his upcoming movies, he will star in Clint Eastwood’s "Red Sun, Black Sand". This is the Japanese companion piece to Eastwood’s Iwo Jima film "Flags of Our Fathers", which will be in theatres in August 2006. Steven Spielberg is a producer on both the "Red Sun, Black Sand" and "Flag of Our Fathers" that tell the story of the famous WWII battle from both Japan and the U.S. standpoints.

**References: IMDb, 3/10/06 Variety

Kaori Momoi has acted extensively in Japanese films, and has come to be acknowledged as an actress of rare depth and scope. She was born in 1952 in Tokyo to a professor of international politics and a jewelry designer. She indulged in ballet during her childhood, which led her to England to participate in the British Royal Academy of Dance for 3 years since the age of 12.

She made her debut in a movie called "Love, again" in 1971 and fascinated people with her singular talent in acting. Shortly after her brilliant debut, she won almost all the prominent awards in the Japanese film industry.

Not only being one of the most outstanding actresses, she has also engaged in writing essays reflecting her passion, released 15 record albums and directed a film that won the Spotlight Award at the "Short Film Festival 2005" in Japan. Another noteworthy achievement was her being cast in a Hollywood movie "Memoirs of Geisha". She came all the way to Hollywood from Japan to have a screen test for this movie by herself. In spite of the fact that she is not young anymore, with her recognizable beauty and her distinctive voice, she has entered the second half of her notable career in Hollywood.

**References: IMDb, NY Times, 12/01/05 Bridge USA(Japanese)

Suzuka Ohgo was born on August 5th, 1993 in Kanagawa, Japan. Her hobbies include classic ballet, playing the piano, snowboarding, skiing, rollerblading, and esthetic flower arrangement. Suzuka signed up with "Sunflower (Himawari)", a theatrical company, when she turned seven. She debuted in "Story of a National Thief," at the Meijiza Theatre. In 2005, she hit the big screens in Japan with "Year One in the North," alongside famous actor Ken Watanabe ("Last Samurai", "Batman Begins"). Watanabe, who played the role of Suzuka's father in this movie, strongly recommended Suzuka for the role of Chiyo to the director of "Memoirs of a Geisha," Rob Marshall. In December, the film became her Hollywood debut. Suzuka plays Chiyo, the child role of Sayuri who is the main character in the film. She is currently filming "Baltic Paradise", her next movie scheduled to be released this year.

**References: Suzuka Ohgo