Japanese Idol of the Week: Takako Uehara

A real survivor and long-time favorite, it was inevitable that we would have to select the wonderful Takako Uehara (上原多香子) soon.

Born in Okinawa, the singer is now 27 but kicked off her career way back in 1996.

A model often seen on TV commercials, she delighted and disappointed her fans in equal measures when she released a several sexy photo book in 2003.

To be honest, her solo singing and activities with (reformed) pop group SPEED have been quiet of late. We only hope that Takako’s career is not over yet!