In 2002 Erika started her career in film as a gravure idol. She also became one of Fuji TV’s Visual Queens. Her first film was Mondai no nai Watashitachi. She became a regular of the NTV music variety show THE YORU mo Hit Parade from April to late June, and shortly before leaving the program was on the CX News program Chou VIP Fortune no Tobira from mid-June to late August. In November she was on the CBC variety show Bijou Dokyuu and also on the TBS show B-1.
In 2004 Erika continued to act in dramas, but her most notable role was in 1 Litre of Tears in 2005, when she portrayed a young girl with a degenerating brain disease.
Erika started her first music career under the name 'Kaoru Amane'. The single went into number 1 in its second and fourth week. In 2007, Erika released her debut single entitled 'Free'. She decided to enter the music career because she wanted to meet singer Namie Amuro whom she idolizes.
On January 20, 2009, Erika married media creator Tsuyoshi Takashiro at Meiji Shrine in Yoyogi.