Eriko Sato Reinvents Herself as Lone Camper Role Gains Praise — A Rising Successor to Eiko Koike?

“SatoEri” once dominated the gravure world.

When you think of “SatoEri,” it refers to Eriko Sato (43), a gravure queen who stood alongside Norika Fujiwara (54) and Eiko Koike (44) during the 1990s and 2000s. Now, she is once again in the spotlight as an actress.

Sato belonged to the legendary talent agency “Yellow Cab,” which produced many gravure idols, and at the age of 17, she was selected as a “Nittelegenic” girl. With her tall 173 cm frame and stunning figure, she captivated many men at the time and became popular under the nickname “SatoEri.”

While she swept through the gravure world, Sato had actually made her acting debut earlier, in 1998, when she was 16, in a late-night drama. From there, she steadily built her drama career, making her film debut in 2002 with Samurai Girl 21. The following year, she landed her first leading film role in Playgirl. Since then, she has appeared in nearly 30 films, steadily carving out a path as an actress.

“The 2007 film Funuke Show Some Love, You Losers! marked a turning point for Sato,” says film journalist Harumi Nakayama. “She played a snobby, delusional woman who moved to Tokyo to become an actress but didn’t succeed — a self-deprecating role that she performed with abandon, earning high praise. On top of that, the film was selected for the Critics’ Week at the 60th Cannes Film Festival, marking her Cannes debut and boosting her credibility as an actress.”

As a result, she won Best Actress at the Yokohama Film Festival and was able to move forward in her acting career. However, this did not necessarily become an advantage. In fact, her gravure-ready figure sometimes worked against her.

“With such an exceptional figure, the roles available to her became limited — people considered her hard to cast. Even when she plays an ordinary person, her clearly extraordinary appearance stands out too much,” Nakayama explains.

What role does Sato play that fits the drama’s concept?

At one point, she stepped away from the spotlight due to marriage and childbirth, but starting around last year, her media appearances began to increase once again.

Currently, Sato is playing the role of Chiaki Oyama, a solo camper, in the NHK “Night Drama” Aozora Beer, which began airing on June 16.

The drama follows university student Yukio Morikawa (played by Airu Kubozuka, 21) and his classmates as they go on camping trips, with each episode revolving around the events that unfold at the campsite. While this setup alone might make it just a laid-back youth drama, the show has gained popularity thanks to another key element — the camp meals featured in every episode.

Using ingredients not just bought from supermarkets but also gathered from the wild — such as edible wild plants, freshly caught fish, crayfish fished from streams, or even goose barnacles found on the rocky shore — Morikawa prepares surprisingly refined dishes. Each recipe is introduced in detail, and the youthful drama suddenly transforms into a cooking show. It’s an enjoyable watch even for those with no camping experience.

Another major charm of the show lies in its supporting cast. Guest stars like Naoko Ken (72), Hidetoshi Hoshida (a.k.a. Hosshan, 53), and Naoto Takenaka (69) — all quirky and distinctive actors — have appeared, but the one garnering the most attention is regular cast member Sato. According to NHK’s official website, Chiaki’s character is described as follows:

“A veteran camper with five years of experience. In her everyday life, she works as a doctor at a university hospital. Since she spends the majority of her salary on camping, most of her gear is top-notch. She’s strict about rules and etiquette and tends to assert dominance over male campers. She started camping with her then-boyfriend, but ended up getting more hooked than him, eventually transforming into a stoic solo camper. She doesn’t have any camping friends.”

What is Sato Eriko’s perfect role now?

As expected, the character — a bit quirky and distinct from ordinary people — suits Sato perfectly. In the drama, there’s even a scene showcasing her private passion: yoga. About this role, Sato commented in MyNavi News (published June 24, 2025):

“The story felt so bright, fun, and wonderful. There are also scenes where I cook, and I cook all year round myself. Then, from around the second week, yoga scenes started appearing. I’ve been doing yoga for about ten years now, so I thought, ‘Yay!’”

Nowadays, with more women over 170 cm tall being seen in public, it no longer feels unnatural for Sato to portray ordinary women.

“She’s getting more roles that suit her image — her true fits,” says journalist Harumi Nakayama. “To be honest, I never expected her to have such a long-lasting career as an actress. She must have worked really hard. And now she’s seeing the results. Like fellow Yellow Cab alumnae Eiko Koike and MEGUMI (43), once she fully master’s self-promotion, she’ll go even further.”

The day when this gravure icon becomes a full-fledged popular actress is drawing near.