Actress Bae Doo-na receives lead actress award in Japan

By Tony Chang
SEOUL, Dec. 23 (Yonhap) -- South Korean actress Bae Doo-na has received Japan's
most prominent film award, becoming the first foreign actress in Japanese film
history to do so, her agency said Wednesday.

Bae, 30, became one of five recipients of the Japanese Academy Awards (JAA) in
the category of outstanding actress for her performance in "Kuki Ningyo,"
Barunson Entertainment said.
JAA is a series of awards given annually since 1978 by the Nippon Academy Awards
Association for excellence in Japanese film. Award categories are similar to the
Academy Awards in the U.S. JAA offers five awards for each major filmmaking
category.
"Kuki Ningyo," which translates into "Air Doll," is a 2009 drama directed by
Hirokazu Koreeda. The story is about an inflatable doll that develops a soul and
falls in love. The film was released in September.
Bae, who was given the award together with Haruka Ayase, Ryoko Hirosue and other
top Japanese stars, has become the first foreign actress to receive the Japanese
honor.
Among the five, one will be selected at the JAA's annual event on March 5 for the
award for most outstanding lead actress, Barunson said.
odissy@yna.co.kr
(END)