Chika Kanamoto, a talented Japanese actress whose acting destiny is driven by her personal values of being a risk taker and her deep sense of curiosity for the world, brought her to America from Osaka, Japan. Her risky actions proved successful as her acting talent will be showcased in a breakout and recurring role on this season of Amazon's "The Man in the High Castle," making her small screen debut.
Kanamoto was raised by her grandmother as a young child from the ages of 2 to 5 in Nara City, Japan, before going to live with her mother in Osaka, Japan; the actress never knew her father. Since her mother worked nights, Chika began staying home alone at the young age of 5. Having only herself for entertainment made Kanamoto an introvert. She amused herself by playing the piano, watching movies and playing pretend; thus, creating a passion for the arts at a young age. Throughout high school, she frequently helped her grandmother by washing dishes and waiting tables in their family-owned restaurant. After graduating high school, Kanamoto was hired as an MC Assistant at one of Osaka's biggest radio stations, FM OSAKA, which allowed her to chat away on the radio during her 30-minute time slot, but she knew she wanted more out of life. After just six months, Kanamoto decided to challenge herself—so she quit her job, packed her things and moved across the globe to New York City.
Upon arriving in America, Kanamoto rented an apartment owned by a Japanese family. The family would show her around Manhattan and take her along to their daughter's dance studio, which gave Kanamoto the idea to begin training at the studio to enable her to obtain her student visa. After finishing her dance training, Chika received a one-year work permit and applied for an O-1 Visa, sponsored by her dance agency, so that she could work as a performer in the States. She began freelancing for a hip-hop dance company, landing work on MTV and BET shows for various singers and artists. It was Chika's dance teacher who pushed her to consider taking acting classes, although at first, she didn't listen to him because her main passion was dancing. However, she soon had an opportunity to book an acting job for an NYU student film and found that she had a talent not only for dancing, but for acting as well. She quickly moved to Los Angeles to pursue her newfound dream.
While the performing arts is Kanamoto's main passion, she also has a host of other hobbies to keep her busy when she is not acting or dancing. She is heavily involved with the nonprofit Operation USA, a movement that is spearheaded by Julie Andrews and Rosario Dawson. Chika has been involved with the foundation, an organization that helps children and families recover and thrive in the wake of disasters, since she moved to the United States. She is an enthusiastic supporter and once helped the group build homes for people in third-world countries. Kanamoto is also dedicated to raising funds to rescue Vietnamese children from slavery and other inhumane practices.
