Yui Aragaki

Okay, I'll just say it: Yui Aragaki is one of those rare performers whose nickname, "Gakky," basically became its own brand. She started as a teen magazine model out of Okinawa, then quietly built one of the most beloved careers in Japan. What gets me is the range hiding behind that famous luminous smile—she can play the steady ER doctor in Code Blue, then turn around and nail the deadpan comic timing of Legal High and Nigehaji, whose "Koi Dance" genuinely hijacked the whole country in 2016. I respect that she went freelance in 2021 and bet on herself, and her marriage news that same year practically shifted Japan's tectonic plates. Sweet but spirited, soft but with real backbone—you don't meet many like her.

Yui Aragaki is a Japanese actress, model, and singer born on June 11, 1988, in Naha, Okinawa. She made her debut in 2001 as an exclusive model for the magazine Nicola, later transitioning to screen acting with her film lead in Koizora (2007), which earned her multiple newcomer awards. She rose to nationwide fame with the 2016 TBS drama Nigeru wa Haji da ga Yaku ni Tatsu, whose ending dance became a cultural phenomenon, and went on to win the Blue Ribbon Award for Best Actress for the film Mix. (2017). In 2021 she went freelance and announced her marriage to musician Gen Hoshino.

Name (English)

Yui Aragaki

Name (Japanese)

新垣結衣

Reading

あらがきゆい

Born

June 11, 1988 (age 37)

Zodiac / Chinese zodiac

Gemini / Dragon

Origin

Naha, Okinawa, Japan

Blood type

A

Height

169 cm

Agency

Freelance (partial commission contract)

Agency history

Repro Entertainment (–2021)

Active years

2001–present

Occupation

Actress / Model / Singer

Elementary school

Naha City Kainan Elementary School

Junior high

Ozato Village Ozato Junior High School

High school

Hinode High School (Entertainment Course)

University

Did not attend university

Debut

Debuted in 2001 as an exclusive model for Nicola magazine; screen debut in 2003

Awards & achievements

• 2008 31st Japan Academy Film Prize Newcomer of the Year / Topic Award (Koizora)
• 2008 50th Blue Ribbon Award Newcomer Award
• 2016 91st Television Drama Academy Award Best Actress (Nigeru wa Haji da ga Yaku ni Tatsu)
• 2018 41st Japan Academy Film Prize Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role (Mix.)
• 2018 60th Blue Ribbon Award Best Actress (Mix.)

Timeline

1. 2001Made entertainment debut as an exclusive model for Nicola magazine
2. 2006Drew widespread attention with the drama My Boss My Hero
3. 2007Led the film Koizora; won multiple newcomer awards at major film ceremonies
4. 2008Appeared in the drama Code Blue: Doctor Heli Emergency Rescue, achieving high ratings
5. 2012Established her comedy credentials with the drama Legal High
6. 2016Led the drama Nigeru wa Haji da ga Yaku ni Tatsu; the ending dance became a nationwide social phenomenon
7. 2018Won the Blue Ribbon Award for Best Actress for the film Mix.
8. 2021Went freelance and announced her marriage to Gen Hoshino
9. 2024Led the film Ikkoku Nikki (A Stranger's Diary)

Spouse

Gen Hoshino (married May 2021)

Children

Private

Parents

Private

Siblings

One older sister (publicly mentioned by Aragaki herself)

Hobbies

• Photography
• Illustration
• Manga

Specialties

• Cooking (Okinawan cuisine)
• Illustration

Motto

Private

• Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/新垣結衣

Tags

• From Okinawa
• Actress
• Model
• Gakky
• Nigeru wa Haji
• Code Blue
• Freelance

Last updated

2026-06-02

Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.