is a Japanese writer and actress. Early life Ayako Fujitani was born in Osaka, Japan. She is the daughter of Steven Seagal by his first wife, aikido master Miyako Fujitani. As a teenager, she also resided in Los Angeles. Career Acting Fujitani made her screen debut in Gamera: Guardian of the Universe, after a chance meeting at a film festival with director Shusuke Kaneko. She worked again with him on an episode of Ultraman Max he directed. Other film roles include parts in Sansa, the "Interior Design" segment of Tokyo!, and Man from Reno. Writing Fujitani wrote for the Japanese magazine Roadshow. She had published her coupled novellas Touhimu (Flee-Dream) and Yakeinu (Burnt Dog). Along with writer and director Hideaki Anno, Fujitani co-adapted her novella Touhimu (Flee-Dream) into the film Shiki-Jitsu in 2000. It was the first non-animated feature released by Studio Ghibli under the Studio Kajino label. She stars in the title role. Fujitani has written both fiction and non-fiction, contributing essays and short stories to various national publications. In 2014, Fujitani co-wrote an Ermenegildo Zegna-commissioned short film with Park Chan-wook, Chung Chung-hoon and Michael Werwie that Park also directed, and that Clint Mansell scored entitled A Rose Reborn starring Jack Huston and Daniel Wu. Other pursuits In 2006, she directed a short drama for TV Tokyo's Drama Factory program. Personal life She has been married to screenwriter Javier Gullón since 2016. The couple have two daughters. References External links Agency profile Profile at JMDb Ken's Force review of Shikijitsu KFC Cinema review of Gamera 1979 births Living people Actresses from Osaka Japanese film actresses Japanese television actresses Japanese female models Japanese people of American descent Japanese people of German descent Japanese people of English descent Japanese people of Mongolian descent Japanese people of Russian-Jewish descent Japanese writers Models from Osaka Prefecture Steven Seagal 20th-century Japanese actresses 21st-century Japanese actresses