Yamada graduated from Okinawa Actor's School. In 1999, while working as a model for the Japanese fashion magazine CanCam under an exclusive contract, she also worked as a singer in the group y'z factory (formed with two other students of the Okinawa Actor's School) and released a total of six singles and one album, but in 2002 the group disbanded.

Following the group's break up, Yamada moved to television, making her acting debut in the 2001 drama series Kabachitare! which led to many other drama roles such as in Kange! Danjiki Goikkosama, and Orange Days as well as hosting jobs for NTV’s Minna no Terebi and Fuji TV’s F1 Grand Prix. She has also starred in a few films acting alongside many prominent young stars including, Ryuhei Matsuda, Hiroki Narimiya and Shugo Oshinari.

Yamada has also appeared in advertisements for Nissin instant foods, Ezaki Glico, Vodafone cellular phones, Kanebo line of cosmetics, Canon and most recently Fujitsu Ten navigation systems.

In 2006 Yamada debuted as a solo artist with the single "REAL YOU" which was used as the theme song for the movie Akihabara@DEEP (starring Yamada herself) and peaked at #10 on the Oricon Charts.

Oguri acknowledges relationship on live radio
Thu, May 8, 2008 (2:09am EDT)
On Wednesday night, Shun Oguri openly admitted during his live radio show on "All Night Nippon" that he is currently dating Yu Yamada. News of their relationship had surfaced just one day earlier.

While most popular young celebrities generally refrain from acknowledging their romances, Oguri proudly declared Yamada to be his "very precious girlfriend." He even mentioned that he was so excited to appear on the front page of a newspaper that he picked up ten copies.

Yamada's agency has also acknowledged that the two are seeing each other, and Yamada herself reportedly confirmed it as well. Oguri's management, on the other hand, opted not to comment.

Mirai Shida, Yu Yamada team up for "Seigi no Mikata"
Wed, June 4, 2008 (1:32am EDT)
Chiaki Hijiri's comedy manga "Seigi no Mikata" is getting a live-action series next month. The comic is currently serialized in Shueisha's monthly magazine Chorus.

15-year-old Mirai Shida stars as Yoko, a young girl whose is constantly tormented by her self-centered and devilish older sister Makiko, who works for a government office after having graduated from a famous university. But despite her ill nature, Makiko's actions tend to somehow make things better for those around her, causing others to praise her as an "ally of justice."

Yu Yamada co-stars as Makiko. Shiro Sano and Yoshiko Tanaka will play the parents of the two sisters.

NTV will broadcast the series on Wednesday nights at 10:00pm, starting on July 9.