| Not to be confused with Ririka Kaga. |
Ririka Kato (
Biography[]
Early life[]
Kato was born on March 20, 1998 in the Kanagawa Prefecture of Japan.[1] She is the only daughter of her parents, both local farmers in Kanagawa.[2] She began performing in musicals at the age of four. Kato studied at Hinode High School (now Meguro High School) in the performing arts course.[3] In 2020, she graduated from Meiji University.[4]
Career[]
Beginnings[]
In 2002, Kato appeared in Chance as the childhood version of the character Mai.[3] She went on to appear in Gang and Present (both 2004),[5] Anne of Green Gables (2007), and Happano Freddie: Inochi no Tabi (2009).[6] In 2011, Kato auditioned for Sony Music Artists. She and thirteen others were selected to for the theater troupe, "Gekidan Her Best" (
Kato in a promotional photo for Hana Yori Dango: The Musical
In 2015, Kato was chosen among of 3,000 participants to play Tsukushi Makino in Hana Yori Dango: The Musical.[16][17] It opened on January 5, 2016.[18] The same year, she appeared in Kengo Shogun Yoshiteru[19][20] which was followed by a sequel the following year.[21] In 2017, Kato performed in Big Fish[22] and Maria to Midori no Princess. She had previously starred as the titular Maria in the 2015 production.[23] Kato appeared in Star Tanjo in 2018,[24] followed by Kaijin no Tantei[25] and Ai Oshiki: Boku no Jidai (both 2019).[26] In October 2019, Kato graduated from and left Gekidan Her Best.[27] In early 2020, she was a part of the ensemble in Sunset Boulevard. She performed in it until the last few performances were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.[28]
Recent work[]
Kato appeared in Ryogoku Oshare Rikishi in late 2020 and early 2021.[29] Starting in May 2021, she began a two month run of Les Misérables, in which she portrayed Cosette.[30] In early 2022, Kato played the title role in The Little Prince, rotating the part with Yuko Doi.[31] She appeared in Cinderella Story as the title character.[32]
Filmography[]
Stage
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Chance | Mai (child) | |
| 2004 | Gang | Poppy | |
| Present | Emily | ||
| 2007 | Anne of Green Gables | Ensemble | |
| 2008 | Coco Smile 4 | Peco | |
| 2009 | Happano Freddie: Inochi no Tabi | Mary | |
| 2010 | Princess Valentine | Louisa | |
| Happano Freddie: Inochi no Tabi | Claire | ||
| 2011 | The Wizard of Oz | Dorothy | |
| 2012 | Princess Valentine 2: Rock Princess | Princess Margaret | |
| Kaien Shimasu! Girl's Up! Up! | Ensemble | ||
| Ippitsu Keijo! Girl's Look Up! | Ensemble | ||
| 2013 | Ichi ni Tsuite! Girl's Start Up! | Ensemble | |
| Ladybird, Ladybird | Anne | ||
| Ghetto | Gerda | ||
| Mikiri Hassha Sisters: Happy Go Lucky | Ensemble | ||
| Rokudenashi Chorus | |||
| 2014 | Hanjuryoku Girl: Starting Over!! | Ensemble | |
| Ladybird, Ladybird | Anne | ||
| Ura to Hyo to Coffee Float | Ensemble | ||
| Crank Up wa Mada Hayai | |||
| 2015 | Ashita no Kimi to Shalalalala | Ensemble | |
| Ladybird, Ladybird | Anne | ||
| Maria to Midori no Princess | Maria | ||
| Miracle8 | Ensemble | ||
| 2016 | Hana Yori Dango: The Musical | Tsukushi Makino | |
| Kishi Kaisei: Swing by | Ensemble | ||
| Makko Girl | Ensemble | ||
| Kengo Shogun Yoshiteru Part 1 | Mahane | ||
| 2017 | Big Fish | Ensemble | |
| Morimachi Pepper Jam | Ensemble | ||
| Kengo Shogun Yoshiteru Part 2 | Mahane | ||
| Keino Jimusho Nishiki Geinosha no Natsu | Ensemble | ||
| Maria to Midori no Princess | Maria | ||
| The Panic Monkeys | Guest | ||
| 2018 | Star Tanjo | Yuriko Ogawa | |
| Ashita no Kimi to Shalalalala | Ensemble | ||
| Doll | Ensemble | ||
| 2019 | Maniac | Ensemble | |
| Himeyuri | Haru | ||
| Kaijin no Tantei | |||
| Ai Oshiki: Boku no Jidai | |||
| 2020 | Sunset Boulevard | Ensemble | |
| Ryogoku Oshare Rikishi | |||
| 2021 | Les Misérables | Cosette | |
| 2022 | The Little Prince | The Prince | |
| Cinderella Story | Cinderella | ||
| 2023 | The Beautiful Game | Bernadette | |
| Colorful | Shoko Sano | ||
| Ama Kakeru Kaze ni | Satoshi Sanjo | ||
| 2024 | Cross Road | Asha | [33] |
| SMOKE | Hon | ||
| Dublin no Kanetsuki Kabi Ningen | Manami |
Notes[]
Kato with Yoko Kamio's signed illustration
- Kato played Tsukushi at age seventeen,[34] making her the youngest actress to play her.
- During the run of Hana Yori Dango: The Musical, the creator Yoko Kamio gave her a signed illustration of Tsukushi. The F4 actors also received illustrations.[35]
- Kato went to the Hana Yori Dango Café on January 26, 2016.[36]
- On April 17, 2018, Kato tweeted that she was watching Hana Nochi Hare.[37] Kamio replied thanking her for her support.[38]
- In January 2019, Kato commented on one of Kamio's illustrations, wishing Tsukasa a happy birthday.[39] Further on in the thread, Kato congratulated Kamio on the Takarazuka musical and promised to go see it.[40]
- Kato reposted the photo of her with Kamio's illustration to wish Tsukushi a happy birthday on December 28, 2020.[41]
- On January 31, 2022, Kato posted on Instagram that she had returned to Theater Creation for The Little Prince. She had first performed there for Hana Yori Dango: The Musical.[42]
- She was born the same day that chapter one hundred and thirty-five of Boys Over Flowers was published.
References[]
- ↑ https://www.sma.co.jp/s/sma/artist/226#/news/0 (Japanese)
- ↑ https://www.townnews.co.jp/0202/2020/10/23/548007.html (Japanese)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 http://nehohaho.com/1701.html (Japanese)
- ↑ https://twitter.com/Ririka_Kato/status/1242078053871702016 (Japanese)
- ↑ https://trend.pedia-jp.com/actress/kato-ririka/ (Japanese)
- ↑ http://www.astage-ent.com/stage-musical/mptg2017.html (Japanese)
- ↑ https://thetv.jp/news/detail/27760/ (Japanese)
- ↑ https://her-best.net/stage/ (Japanese)
- ↑ http://alii-inc.co.jp/ladybir/ (Japanese)
- ↑ http://alii-inc.co.jp/ladybird2014/ (Japanese)
- ↑ http://alii-inc.co.jp/ladybird2015/ (Japanese)
- ↑ http://alii-inc.co.jp/ladybird/2017.php (Japanese)
- ↑ https://stage.corich.jp/stage/45245 (Japanese)
- ↑ https://stage.corich.jp/stage/49241 (Japanese)
- ↑ https://stage.corich.jp/stage/60261 (Japanese)
- ↑ https://deview.co.jp/Interview?am_interview_id=432&set_cookie=2 (Japanese)
- ↑ http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2015-08-17/boys-over-flowers-musical-cast-revealed/.91784
- ↑ https://ameblo.jp/hanadan-musical/entry-12116711465.html (Japanese)
- ↑ https://ameblo.jp/kato-ririka/entry-12200618108.html (Japanese)
- ↑ http://mottorekishi.com/yoshiteru/index.html (Japanese)
- ↑ https://ameblo.jp/kato-ririka/entry-12285262722.html (Japanese)
- ↑ https://ameblo.jp/kato-ririka/entry-12252509948.html (Japanese)
- ↑ https://natalie.mu/stage/news/237214 (Japanese)
- ↑ http://www.musical-za.co.jp/stage/スター誕生2018-2/ (Japanese)
- ↑ https://www.kaat.jp/d/kaijin (Japanese)
- ↑ https://www.bokunojidai.com/cast.html (Japanese)
- ↑ https://ameblo.jp/kato-ririka/entry-12541124521.html (Japanese)
- ↑ https://horipro-stage.jp/stage/sunsetblvd2020/ (Japanese)
- ↑ https://tokyo.whatsin.jp/613651 (Japanese)
- ↑ https://natalie.mu/stage/news/401661 (Japanese)
- ↑ https://natalie.mu/stage/news/460945 (Japanese)
- ↑ https://natalie.mu/stage/news/474392 (Japanese)
- ↑ https://natalie.mu/stage/news/551943 (Japanese)
- ↑ https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2016/01/07/stage/boys-flowers-blooms-stage/#.XZ0lHEZKjIU
- ↑ http://ameblo.jp/kato-ririka/entry-12116772903.html (Japanese)
- ↑ http://ameblo.jp/kato-ririka/entry-12121826846.html (Japanese)
- ↑ https://twitter.com/Ririka_Kato/status/986262259839057920 (Japanese)
- ↑ https://twitter.com/Ririka_Kato/status/986266491833090049 (Japanese)
- ↑ https://twitter.com/Ririka_Kato/status/1090810809511374849 (Japanese)
- ↑ https://twitter.com/Ririka_Kato/status/1090999049774219265 (Japanese)
- ↑ https://twitter.com/Ririka_Kato/status/1343455675112771584 (Japanese)
- ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/CZZNe3blR4f/ (Japanese)
- ↑ https://www.sma.co.jp/artist/profile/index/226 (Japanese)
See also[]
| Hana Yori Dango: The Musical (2016) actors | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Tsukushi Makino portrayals | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
