Top 19 Year Old Runner Ami Toma Shows Peace Sign in Night Streets Highlighting Her Greatest Strength Human Skills
When she spotted the staff inside the shuttle bus, the adorable Ami Tōma made a playful peace sign.The theatrical anime “Paris ni Saku Étoile” was released on March 13. Set in the glamorous Paris of the early 20th century, the film features Ami Tōma (19), an actress currently rising at a breakneck pace, lending her voice to an important character in the story.
On March 3, just before the release, a special preview screening was held at Japan Women’s College of Physical Education in Tokyo, and it was filled with unprecedented excitement. The gathered female students of the same generation were thrilled by the surprise appearance of Ami Tōma and her co-star Rina Arashi (21).
A stylish surprise was also arranged: the popular band Ryokushoku Shakai, who performed the film’s theme song, gave a live performance. Experiencing the impressive show up close, Ami Tōma expressed her genuine 19-year-old excitement, saying, “I literally got goosebumps.”
A young actor stepping into a breakthrough year
Ami Tōma entered the entertainment world in October 2020 after being scouted in her hometown of Okinawa.
“After debuting in 2021, she was quickly chosen as the CM character for ‘Calpis Water,’ catching the public’s attention. In 2023, she made her grand NHK Taiga drama debut playing Kamehime in ‘Dousuru Ieyasu.’ Last year, she starred consecutively in the TV drama ‘Chihayafuru – Meguri -‘ (Nippon TV) and the feature film ‘Strawberry Moon: A Love with Six Months to Live,’ climbing the ladder to top actress status at a remarkable pace,” said a representative from her talent agency.
For her, 2026 marks an even greater breakthrough year.
With “Paris ni Saku Étoile,” she explores a new frontier as a voice actress, and starting in May, she will take on the major role of Ophelia in her first stage performance, “Hamlet.”
Currently, her past work “Oishikute Naku Toki” is exclusively streaming on Amazon Prime Video, shining a renewed spotlight on her. This shows that she has completely stepped beyond the pure image she had before and is becoming a treasure of the Reiwa era with versatile talent.
Humanity as Her Greatest Weapon
Our magazine spotted her on a winter evening around 8 p.m. On this day, Ami Tōma had just finished the opening-day stage greeting for her starring film “Shūten no Ano Ko” and emerged from the theater’s staff entrance looking relaxed alongside the crew.
The film, which was featured in the GALA section at last year’s Shanghai International Film Festival, marked her first walk on a red carpet and drew enthusiastic applause. After delivering a powerful performance in a challenging key role, her expression, perhaps from relief, appeared almost makeup-free and natural.
She wore a black, voluminous down jacket over a loose, purple-toned pair of pants. Walking toward the shuttle bus in this casual style, she chatted warmly with her manager and staff alongside her.
Then, suddenly, she playfully raised a peace sign toward the staff.
That unguarded peace sign, shown in the biting cold, is nothing less than proof of the strong trust she has built with her team. An entertainment industry insider familiar with drama production commented on Tōma’s current standing:
“Her greatest weapon is the overwhelming purity and transparency that comes across even on screen. There are many young actresses who are simply cute, but with Tōma, you can see the inner strength she harbors. Even in her teens, she can objectively assess herself, and it’s no wonder that renowned directors all want to work with her. Among today’s teen actresses, she stands at least one, if not two, steps ahead.”
The reason directors and producers seek her out isn’t just because of how she looks on camera. The same industry source continued:
“On set, she is completely natural and astonishingly smart. Even when faced with high-level, difficult demands from the director, she never panics. As she mentioned in an interview, ‘When I feel down, I try to forget it once,’ showing her ability to switch her mindset instantly. That strong mental resilience makes senior co-stars admire her as cool. Moreover, she never forgets to be considerate toward the staff. She treats everyone equally, lightening the mood on set, and her presence boosts morale. Her human qualities—the trust she inspires—are truly her greatest strength.”
In the ever-changing and harsh world of show business, this 19-year-old continues to carve out her own path with remarkable ease, and she remains impossible to take your eyes off.
PHOTO： Shu Nishihara