was a Japanese actress popular in the 1950s and early 1960s.

Career

Nozoe first gained attention in

ingénue The ''ingénue'' (, , ) is a stock character in literature, film and a role type in the theater, generally a girl or a young woman, who is endearingly innocent. ''Ingénue'' may also refer to a new young actress or one typecast in such roles ...

roles for

Shochiku () is a Japanese film and kabuki production and distribution company. It also produces and distributes anime films, in particular those produced by Bandai Namco Filmworks (which has a long-time partnership—the company released most, if not all ...

in films such as Kobayashi's ''Sincerity'' (1953), eventually joining

Daiei , based in Kobe, is one of the largest supermarket chains in Japan. In 1957, Isao Nakauchi founded the chain in Osaka near Sembayashi Station on the Keihan train line. Daiei is now under a restructuring process supported by Marubeni Corporation ...

following her appearance in 1955's national "New Faces" studio recruitment drive. In 1960 she married frequent co-star Hiroshi Kawaguchi, son of writer and Daiei executive

Matsutarō Kawaguchi was a Japanese writer of short stories, novels, dramas and screenplays. He repeatedly collaborated on the films of director Kenji Mizoguchi. Biography Kawaguchi was born in the plebeian Asakusa district of Tokyo into an impoverished family. He ...

, and both semi-retired from acting within a few years as Kawaguchi became a businessman and

reality-TV Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...

adventurer. Known primarily for demure and innocent roles, Nozoe became a "sensation" following her star-turn in Masumura's ''

Giants and Toys is a 1958 Japanese satirical comedy film directed by Yasuzo Masumura and starring Hiroshi Kawaguchi. Plot Candy manufacturer World competes with companies Giant and Apollo over caramel sales. While looking for a poster girl for a new promoti ...

'' (1958) as a vivacious

tomboy A tomboy is a term for a girl or a young woman with masculine qualities. It can include wearing androgynous or unfeminine clothing and actively engage in physical sports or other activities and behaviors usually associated with boys or men. W ...

transformed into an overnight celebrity as a

confectionery Confectionery is the art of making confections, which are food items that are rich in sugar and carbohydrates. Exact definitions are difficult. In general, however, confectionery is divided into two broad and somewhat overlapping categories ...

spokesmodel A promotional model is a model hired to drive consumer demand for a product, service, brand, or concept by directly interacting with potential customers. Most promotional models are conventionally attractive in physical appearance. They serve to m ...

. She is also well known in the West for her brief role as a barber's daughter in Ozu's widely acclaimed ''

Floating Weeds is a 1959 Japanese drama directed by Yasujirō Ozu, starring Nakamura Ganjirō II and Machiko Kyō. It is a remake of Ozu's own black-and-white silent film '' A Story of Floating Weeds'' (1934) and considered one of the greatest films ever made. ...

'' (1959), which

Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...

named as one of the ten greatest films of all time. In 1988, the year after Kawaguchi's death at age 51 following a long illness with

gastric The stomach is a muscular, hollow organ in the gastrointestinal tract of humans and many other animals, including several invertebrates. The stomach has a dilated structure and functions as a vital organ in the digestive system. The stomach i ...

and

esophageal cancer Esophageal cancer is cancer arising from the esophagus—the food pipe that runs between the throat and the stomach. Symptoms often include difficulty in swallowing and weight loss. Other symptoms may include pain when swallowing, a hoarse voice ...

, Nozoe published the memoir ''Hiroshi-san, I Did My Best'' (''浩さん、がんばったね''). She continued to write and lecture on the disease, succumbing to

thyroid cancer Thyroid cancer is cancer that develops from the tissues of the thyroid gland. It is a disease in which cells grow abnormally and have the potential to spread to other parts of the body. Symptoms can include swelling or a lump in the neck. C ...

in 1995 at age 58.

Selected filmography

* ''

Typhoon Over Nagasaki ''Typhoon Over Nagasaki'' (French: ''Typhon sur Nagasaki'') is a 1957 French-Japanese romantic drama film directed by Yves Ciampi and starring Danielle Darrieux, Jean Marais, Keiko Kishi and Gert Fröbe.Parish p.361 It was shot in Japan in N ...

'' (1957)

References

External links

* 1937 births Japanese film actresses Actresses from Tokyo 20th-century Japanese actresses 1995 deaths {{Japan-film-actor-stub