Sawajiri

Sawajiri is a Japanese surname. It is written in kanji as 沢尻 and is relatively uncommon in Japan. Like many Japanese surnames, it is formed from elements that can reference geographic features; 沢 can denote a marsh or stream, and 尻 can refer to a rear or end, though the exact origin and distribution of the name are not widely documented.

The name is best known abroad through Erika Sawajiri (沢尻エリカ), a Japanese actress and model born in 1986 in Tokyo. She rose to prominence in the mid-2000s and has appeared in film and television, including the 2004 science fiction action film Casshern. She became one of Japan’s best-known young stars and has since maintained a lower public profile while continuing to work in media and entertainment.