Ayase Haruka is a popular Japanese actress, model and singer. Her immediate family consists of her father, mother and one brother. As a youth, Haruka was active in sports, playing basketball in middle school and competing in the Chugoku region Ekiden tournament (long-distance relay race) during junior high school. Then, during her freshman year in high school, Haruka started her career in the entertainment world by successfully auditioning for the 25th Horipro Talent Scout Caravan. At first, her parents objected to Haruka pursuing a career in entertainment but relented once they noticed her determination. Upon her arrival in Tokyo, Haruka worked out frequently and trimmed her weight by 6 kilograms. Haruka started her career first as a gravure idol, releasing a photo book and DVD. She then branched off into acting landing small roles in television dramas, with the 2003 Fuji TV drama "The Way I Live" (Boku no Ikiru Michi) making a positive impression on the public. Her career then went into overdrive with her popular performance as Hirose Aki in the 2004 TBS television drama "Crying Out Love, in the Center of the World". Haruka beat out 723 contestants for the role of Hirose Aki in "Crying Out Love, in the Center of the World". More recently, Haruka has become just as popular on the big screen performing as the leading actress in such films as "Cyborg Girl", "Happy Flight", "Ichi" and "Oppai Volleyball". Her diversity as an actress should also be noted as Haruka performed as a cyborg in "Cyborg Girl", an airline stewardess in "Happy Flight", blind swordswoman in "Ichi" and a junior high volleyball coach in "Oppai Volleyball". Haruka has also created a successful career in music, releasing her for first single "Period" in 2006. Her debut single went straight to #8 on the weekly Oricon singles chart. She also released two other singles, "Kosaten Days" (2006) and "Hikoki Gumo" (2007), which received similar levels of success. (Source: AsianMediaWiki)

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