Chinatsu Wakatsuki is a popular Japanese gravure idol, actress, former race queen, and former singer. She is not to be confused with the AV star of the same name and spelling.

Profile

* Real Name: Kurihara Chiharu (栗原千春)
* Nicknames: Chii (ちぃ), Chicchi (ちっち), Chiichan (ちぃちゃん), Chinacchan (ちなっちゃん), Chinatty (チナッティー)
* Birthdate: May 28th, 1984
* Birthplace: Yoshimimachi, Hiki-gun, Saitama, Japan
* Blood Type: A
* Height: 160cm
* Bust: 82cm
* Waist: 58cm
* Hips: 84cm
* Shoe Size: 24.5cm

Information

Chinatsu auditioned for Morning Musume in 2000 but did not make it; she was beat out in the end by Yoshizawa Hitomi, Ishikawa Rika, Kago Ai, and Tsuji Nozomi. This was also the same audition as Fujimoto Miki and Satoda Mai.

This didn't hinder Chinatsu, as she made her official debut in 2001 after being scouted at a theater performance in Shibuya. During this time she began to appear actively in magazines, variety programs, and gravure websites, and at this time changed her name. In 2002 she became part of the race queen group wi☆th with Iori, Hoshino Kana, and Takasugi Satomi. Due to the popularity of the group, they were signed to avex for a limited time. (Avex often does this with race queen groups; others have been Vivace and Passion 2001.)

In 2003 Chinatsu began working on the television show "Kyaiin Shiki". Audiences liked her for her bright disposition, boldness, and willingness to ask questions when she didn't understand something. Chinatsu earned an immense amount of popularity from the program and audiences found it hard to dislike her.

Avex signed Chinatsu once again in 2003, this time as a solo artist. She released two singles over the span of one year with low sales. In May 2006 Chinatsu became part of the group Chinatouchable, a one-time unit on Sony Music Entertainment to sing the ending theme for the anime "Keroro Gunsou".

Chinatsu began self-producing her works in 2006. A household name, she has become a multi-talented entertainer who can manage everything from gravure, to modeling, to hosting television shows. She even has a column in Seventeen.

Trivia

* Graduated from the same Saitama high school as Kubota Tomoyuki, pitcher for the Hanshin Tigers baseball team.
* Chinatsu loves to cook. She has been cooking since her fourth year of elementary while her mother took care of the household chores.
* She has said if she wasn't a gravure idol, she would be employed by Toyo Seikan, a local canning factory.
* She is a huge Nakashima Mika fan and owns all of her CDs. Chinatsu has also said she owns CDs by no other artist. She has also been a Morning Musume fan from early on, liking Goto Maki especially. She credits Maki as her strong motivation to enter the entertainment world. Her goal is to become like Yuuka.
* Was in the table tennis club in junior high. Although she claims herself to be poor at sports, she enjoys basketball. During high school she was in the computer club.
* Chinatsu loves manga. She liked NANA before its popularity explosion and claims the manga to be her bible.
* She is also a fan of David Beckham after watching the sports program Sport!
* Chinatsu has admitted to crying at Fuyu no Sonata and also claims to be a Yong-sama fan.
* She is friends with Yasuda Misako, Anzu Sayuri and Kumada Yoko, all of whom are also popular gravure idols.