After hearing about one of her friends' experience as an extra on a TV drama, she decided she too "wanted to appear on TV."[REF] Unbeknownst to her daughter, Ueto's mother entered her into the 7th Japan Bishōjo Contest [REF].
In early 2003, Ueto starred in a remake of the 1993 drama Kōkō Kyōshi, alongside Naohito Fujiki [REF].