Yu Aoi (蒼井優 Aoi Yuu) is a Japanese model and actress. She was a model in elementary school and was chosen from about 10,000 children to be in a stage production of Annie in 1999. She made her film debut in the 2001 Shunji Iwai film All About Lily Chou-Chou. 2005 was a particular active year for Aoi, as she appeared in 7 different films and gained a lot of public exposure for her acting. Although Aoi has had several major roles in films her most critically acclaimed performance to date has been in the 2006 film Hula Girls, which netted her several awards for her acting. She is currently represented by Itoh Company.