Miki Nakatani

Miki Nakatani (中谷 美紀, Nakatani Miki) is a Japanese actress and singer who began her professional career as a member of the girl group Sakurakko Club. Nakatani focused on acting after her departure from the band, making her debut on the popular television drama Under One Roof. She relaunched her music career under the tutelage of producer Ryuichi Sakamoto in 1996, releasing three albums: Shokumotsu Rensa (1996), Cure (1997) and Shiseikatsu (1999). Her best known songs include "Mind Circus" and "Suna no Kajitsu", which peaked at number ten on the Oricon charts. As an actress, Nakatani has received six Japan Academy Awards for her roles in When the Last Sword Is Drawn (2002), Memories of Matsuko (2006), and Zero Focus (2009), among others. She is most known internationally for her role as Mai Takano in the Japanese horror film franchise Ring. Nakatani played Jun Shibata on the television drama Keizoku, which spawned a special and a film.