Aya Ueto (上戸彩), born in Tokyo on September 14, 1985, is a Japanese actress and singer with family roots in Hokkaido and Okinawa. In 1997, she won the special jury prize at the 7th Japan Bishōjo Contest, then joined Oscar Promotion and began training in singing, dancing, and acting.
She entered the entertainment industry in 1999 as a member of the girl group Z-1. Her acting debut followed in 2000 in the television drama 涙をふいて, and she became busier after appearing in the sixth series of 3年B組金八先生 in 2001. In 2002, she began her solo singing career with the single "Pureness".
Ueto has worked across television drama, film, and J-pop. Her recordings have included releases through Flight Master, and her solo discography has produced five studio albums and ten Oricon top-ten singles. In anime music, she performed "Smile", the ending theme for "Katekyou Hitman Reborn!". She remained active in Japanese media in 2026 through commercials and interviews alongside her acting and music work.
