Tetsuko Kuroyanagi
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 1984
"Change starts with care. If you see children suffering from hunger, for example, you should think of the cause of the issue, and how you can support."
Tetsuko Kuroyanagi is a renowned actress, bestselling author and one of Japan’s iconic television personalities. Tetsuko was appointed UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 1984, and is the longest-serving Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF.
Given her visibility in the Japanese media, Tetsuko has helped shine a spotlight on the challenges faced by the world’s most vulnerable children. On behalf of UNICEF, she has visited nearly 40 countries and territories, including many in Asia, Africa and the Middle East, and places in which conflict, poverty or natural disaster threaten child development and survival.
Tetsuko is known for filming her own television reports on her UNICEF missions and makes direct fundraising appeals, having raised about US$55.5 million for UNICEF programmes.