is a Japanese actress best known for appearing in several

Toho is a Japanese film, theatre production and distribution company. It has its headquarters in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. Outside of Japan, it is best known as the producer an ...

kaiju is a Japanese media genre that focuses on stories involving giant monsters. The word ''kaiju'' can also refer to the giant monsters themselves, which are usually depicted attacking major cities and battling either the military or other monster ...

films of the 1960s and early 1970s.

Early life

Mizuno was born Maya Igarashi on 1 January 1937 in Sanjō

Niigata prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture in the Chūbu region of Honshu of Japan. Niigata Prefecture has a population of 2,227,496 (1 July 2019) and is the List of Japanese prefectures by area, fifth-largest prefecture of Japan by geographic area ...

, Japan. She was acquainted with

Giant Baba , best known by his ring name , was a Japanese professional wrestler, promoter, and professional baseball player. He is best known as a co-founder of All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), a promotion he founded in 1972 along with Mitsuo Momota ...

, her junior by one year, who is also from Sanjō. She enrolled and eventually graduated from an acting school and began a professional career in film in 1957 in ''Crazy Society'' (

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 1958 she appeared in ''

Nemuri Kyōshirō is a series of jidaigeki novels written by Renzaburō Shibata. The stories were originally serialized beginning in May 1956 in the ''Shūkan Shinchō''. The stories take place during the Edo period under the Tokugawa shogunate and the rules o ...

: Record of an Outlaw : Demon-blade Hell'' (

Career

Her most famous roles include Miss Namikawa in ''

Invasion of Astro-Monster is a 1965 ''kaiju'' film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. It is the sixth film in the ''Godzilla'' franchise and Shōwa period. The film was a Japanese-American co-production; it was the second collaboration b ...

'', Dr. Sueko Togami in ''

Frankenstein Conquers the World is a 1965 '' kaiju'' film directed by Ishirō Honda with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. The film stars Nick Adams, Kumi Mizuno and Tadao Takashima, with Koji Furuhata as Frankenstein and Haruo Nakajima as Baragon. An international co-product ...

'', and the island girl Dayo in ''

Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster is a 1966 Japanese '' kaiju'' film directed by Jun Fukuda and produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd. The film stars Akira Takarada, Kumi Mizuno, Akihiko Hirata and Eisei Amamoto, and features the fictional monster characters Godzilla, Mo ...

''. She is also known for her role as Azami in the 1959 epic ''

The Birth of Japan is a 1959 Japanese film directed by Hiroshi Inagaki. The film is based on the legends '' Kojiki'' and '' Nihon Shoki'' and the origins of ''Shinto''. The film was the highest-grossing film of 1959 for Toho and the second highest grossing domestic ...

''. By the time she started working on ''A Bridge for Us Alone'' (1958), her second movie, her name had changed to Kumi Mizuno. Mizuno first worked with director

Ishirō Honda was a Japanese filmmaker who directed 44 feature films in a career spanning 59 years. The most internationally successful Japanese filmmaker prior to Hayao Miyazaki, his films have had a significant influence on the film industry. Honda enter ...

in ''Seniors, Juniors, Co-Workers'' in 1959. She would later work with Honda in '' Attack of the Mushroom People'', ''

'', ''

Gorath is a 1962 Japanese epic science fiction disaster film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Based on an idea by Jojiro Okami, the film is about mankind's efforts to move Earth out of its orbit to prevent it from ...

'', ''

'' and ''

The War of the Gargantuas is a 1966 '' kaiju'' film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Referred by film historian Stuart Galbraith IV as a "quasi–sequel" to '' Frankenstein vs. Baragon'', the film was a Japanese-American co-production; ...

''. In 1991, she played Kanako Yanagawa in

Kihachi Okamoto was a Japanese film director who worked in several different genres. Career Born in Yonago, Okamoto attended Meiji University, but was drafted into the Air Force 1943 and entered World War II, an experience that had a profound effect on his late ...

's ''

Rainbow Kids is a 1991 Japanese comedy film directed by Kihachi Okamoto and starring Tanie Kitabayashi and Ken Ogata. The film won several Japanese film awards, including Tanie Kitabayashi who won awards for Best Actress at Kinema Junpo Awards, Mainichi Film ...

''. Mizuno returned to the kaiju genre for 2002's ''

Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla is a 2002 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Masaaki Tezuka, written by Wataru Mimura, and produced by Shogo Tomiyama. Produced and distributed by Toho Studios, it is the 27th film in the ''Godzilla'' franchise and the fourth film in the fr ...

'', and again for 2004's '' Godzilla: Final Wars''.

Filmography

Films

*''

Crazy Society Insanity, madness, lunacy, and craziness are behaviors performed by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity can be manifest as violations of societal norms, including a person or persons becoming a danger to themselves or t ...

'' (1957) *''

A Bridge for Us Alone A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes'' ...

'' (1958), Chie Kimura *''

A Holiday in Tokyo A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes'' ...

'' (1958) *''

The Spell of the Hidden Gold ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'' (1958) *''

Herringbone Clouds is a 1958 Japanese drama film directed by Mikio Naruse. It was Naruse's first film in colour and in widescreen format. Plot Journalist Okawa interviews farming woman Yae for his article on the present situation of farmers under the new constitu ...

'' (1958) *''

The Three Treasures is a 1959 Japanese film directed by Hiroshi Inagaki. The film is based on the legends ''Kojiki'' and '' Nihon Shoki'' and the origins of ''Shinto''. The film was the highest-grossing film of 1959 for Toho and the second highest grossing domestic ...

'' (1959), Azami *'' One Day I...'' (1959), Hideko Kawamura *'' Seniors, Juniors, Co-Workers'' (1959) *'' Lips Forbidden to Talk'' (1959) *''

Fox and Tanuki Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelv ...

'' (1959), Sagawa Kayoko *'' Whistle in My Heart'' (1959) *''

Westward Desperado Westward may refer to: * The cardinal direction West * Westward, Cumbria, a settlement in north-west England * ''Westward'' (series), a series of games video created by Sandlot Games * Westward Islet of Ducie Island * Westward Television, a form ...

'' (1960), Hashima *''

The Gambling Samurai ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'' (1960), Kiku *'' Wanton Journey'' (1960) *'' Challenge to Live'' (1961) *'' The Merciless Trap'' (1961) *'' The Crimson Sea'' (1961) *'' Witness Killed'' (1961) *'' Counterstroke'' (1961) *'' Big Shots Die at Dawn'' (1961) *''

The Underworld Bullet Marks ''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...

'' (1961) *'' Kill the Killer!'' (1961) *''

'' (1962), Takiko Nomura *'' Chushingura'' (1962), Saho *'' The Crimson Sky'' (1962) *'' Operation X'' (1962) *''

Operation Enemy Fort Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Operation (game), ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * Operations (magazine ...

'' (1962) *'' Weed of Crime'' (1962) *''

Matango is a 1963 Japanese horror film directed by Ishirō Honda. The film stars Akira Kubo, Kumi Mizuno and Kenji Sahara. It is partially based on William Hope Hodgson's short story "The Voice in the Night" and is about a group of castaways on an isl ...

'' (1963), Mami Sekiguchi *'' Samurai Pirate'' (1963), Miwa, Rebel Leader *''

Interpol Code 8 The International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO; french: link=no, Organisation internationale de police criminelle), commonly known as Interpol ( , ), is an international organization that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and cri ...

'' (1963), Saeko Kinomiya *'' Sink or Swim'' (1963), Tomie Tazawa *''

Warring Clans is a 1963 Japanese samurai film directed by Kihachi Okamoto with a screenplay by Okamoto, Takeshi Sano and Shinichi Sekizawa. The film is about a disenchanted samurai who resorts to smuggling weapons for a rival army. Japanese cinema specialist ...

'' (1963) *'' Trap of Suicide Kilometer'' (1964) *''

Blood and Diamonds ''Blood and Diamonds'' ( it, Diamanti sporchi di sangue) is a 1978 Italian noir-poliziottesco film directed by Fernando di Leo. Cast *Claudio Cassinelli: Guido Mauri *Martin Balsam: Rizzo *Barbara Bouchet: Lisa *Pier Paolo Capponi: Tony *Olga ...

'' (1964) *''

Whirlwind A whirlwind is a weather phenomenon in which a vortex of wind (a vertically oriented rotating column of air) forms due to instabilities and turbulence created by heating and flow (current) gradients. Whirlwinds occur all over the world and ...

'' (1964), Witch *''

'' (1965), Miss Namikawa *'' Key of Keys'' (1965) *'' White Rose of Hong Kong'' (1965) *''

Frankenstein vs. Baragon is a 1965 ''kaiju'' film directed by Ishirō Honda with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. The film stars Nick Adams (actor, born 1931), Nick Adams, Kumi Mizuno and Tadao Takashima, with Koji Furuhata as Frankenstein's monster, Frankenstein and H ...

'' (1965), Dr. Sueko Togami *''

Ebirah, Horror of the Deep is a 1966 Japanese '' kaiju'' film directed by Jun Fukuda and produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd. The film stars Akira Takarada, Kumi Mizuno, Akihiko Hirata and Eisei Amamoto, and features the fictional monster characters Godzilla, M ...

'' (1966), Dayo, Ifant Islander *''

'' (1966), Akemi, Stewart's Assistant *''The Killing Bottle'' (1967) *'' Love is in the Green Wind'' (1974), Mother *'' Mysterious Robber Ruby'' (1988) *''

'' (1991), Kanako Yanagawa, 1st Daughter *''Florence My Love'' (1991) *'' Graduation Journey: I Came from Japan'' (1993) *''

'' (2002), Machiko Tsuge, Prime Minister *'' Godzilla: Final Wars'' (2004), Akiko Namikawa, E.D.F. Commander *''Amanogawa'' (2019)

Television

*''

Segodon is a 2018 Japanese historical drama television series and the 57th NHK taiga drama. It stars Ryohei Suzuki as Saigō Takamori, who has been dubbed ''the last true samurai''. Plot The drama follows the life of historical figure Saigō Takamori. ...

'' (2018), Saigō Takamori's grandmother

Honours

*Kinuyo Tanaka Award (2017)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mizuno, Kumi Japanese film actresses 1937 births Living people Japanese female models