was a Japanese actress who was active primarily in the 1950s.

Early life and education

Kyō, an only child, was born in Osaka in 1924. Her father left when she was five years old, and she was raised by her mother and grandmother. She adopted Machiko Kyō as her

stage name A stage name is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. Such professional aliases are adopted for a wide variety of reasons and they may be similar, or nearly identical, to an individu ...

when she entered the Osaka Shochiku Kagekidan in 1936 at age 12. She trained as a

revue A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own dur ...

dancer before entering the film industry through

Daiei Film Daiei Film Co. Ltd. (Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ''Daiei Eiga Kabushiki Kaisha'') was a Japanese film studio. Founded in 1942 as Dai Nippon Film Co., Ltd., it was one of the major studios during the postwar Golden Age of Japanese cinema, producing ...

in 1949. Two years later, she achieved international fame as the female lead in

Akira Kurosawa was a Japanese filmmaker and painter who directed thirty films in a career spanning over five decades. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers in the history of cinema. Kurosawa displayed a bold, dyna ...

's film ''

Rashomon is a 1950 Jidaigeki psychological thriller/ crime film directed and written by Akira Kurosawa, working in close collaboration with cinematographer Kazuo Miyagawa. Starring Toshiro Mifune, Machiko Kyō, Masayuki Mori, and Takashi Shimura as v ...

'', which won first prize at the

Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival h ...

and stunned audiences with its nonlinear narrative.

Career

Kyō starred in many more Japanese productions, including

Kenji Mizoguchi was a Japanese film director and screenwriter, who directed about one hundred films during his career between 1923 and 1956. His most acclaimed works include ''The Story of the Last Chrysanthemums'' (1939), '' The Life of Oharu'' (1952), ''Ugets ...

's ''

Ugetsu , is a 1953 Japanese historical drama and fantasy film directed by Kenji Mizoguchi starring Masayuki Mori and Machiko Kyō. It is based on two stories in Ueda Akinari's 1776 book of the same name, combining elements of the '' jidaigeki'' ( ...

'' (1953),

Teinosuke Kinugasa was a Japanese filmmaker. He was born in Kameyama, Mie Prefecture and died in Kyoto. Kinugasa won the 1954 Palme d'or at the Cannes Film Festival for '' Gate of Hell''. Biography Kinugasa began his career as an onnagata (actor specializing in ...

's '' Gate of Hell'' (1953),

Kon Ichikawa was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. His work displays a vast range in genre and style, from the anti-war films '' The Burmese Harp'' (1956) and '' Fires on the Plain'' (1959), to the documentary '' Tokyo Olympiad'' (1965), which won ...

's ''

Odd Obsession is a 1959 Japanese drama film directed by Kon Ichikawa. It was entered into the 1960 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Jury Prize. It was based on the novel '' The Key'', by Japanese novelist Junichirō Tanizaki. Plot A man who suspects ...

'' (1959), and Yasujirō Ozu's '' Floating Weeds'' (1959). Her sole role in a non-Japanese film was as Lotus Blossom, the young

geisha {{Culture of Japan, Traditions, Geisha {{nihongo, Geisha, 芸者 ({{IPAc-en, ˈ, ɡ, eɪ, ʃ, ə; {{IPA-ja, ɡeːɕa, lang), also known as {{nihongo, , 芸子, geiko (in Kyoto and Kanazawa) or {{nihongo, , 芸妓, geigi, are a class of female J ...

in '' The Teahouse of the August Moon'' (1956) opposite

Marlon Brando Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he received numerous accolades throughout his career, which spanned six decades, including two Academ ...

and

Glenn Ford Gwyllyn Samuel Newton "Glenn" Ford (May 1, 1916 – August 30, 2006) was a Canadian-American actor who often portrayed ordinary men in unusual circumstances. Ford was most prominent during Hollywood's Golden Age as one of the biggest box-offi ...

, for which she received a

Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of ...

nomination. Kyō continued to act through her 80s. Her final role was as Matsuura Shino in the

NHK , also known as NHK, is a Japanese public broadcaster. NHK, which has always been known by this romanized initialism in Japanese, is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee. NHK operates two terrestr ...

television drama series ''Haregi Koko Ichiban'' in 2000. In 2017, she was presented with an award of merit at the 40th Japanese Academy Awards. After retiring from film, she moved back to Osaka, where she resided until her death.

Personal life

Kyō never married, although her romantic relationship with

's president

Masaichi Nagata was a Japanese businessman and served as president of Daiei Film. The self-proclaimed creator of Gamera, he produced the kaiju's second film ''Gamera vs. Barugon'', with the remainder of the Showa ''Gamera'' films produced instead by his son Hi ...

was well-publicized in Japan. Kyō died from

heart failure Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome, a group of signs and symptoms caused by an impairment of the heart's blood pumping function. Symptoms typically include shortness of breath, excessive fatigue, ...

on May 12, 2019. She was 95.Machiko Kyō dead at 95
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Selected filmography

Films

* ''Hana kurabe tanuki-goten'' (1949) - Aiai, witch * ''Chijin no ai'' (1949) - Naomi * ''Harukanari haha no kuni'' (1950) - Mari, daughter * ''Fukkatsu'' (1950) - Yukiko Ohara * ''

'' (1950) - Masako Kanazawa * ''Hi no tori'' (1950) * ''Itsuwareru seiso'' (1950) - Kimicho * ''Koi no Oranda-zaka'' (1951) - Chigusa * ''Jiyû gakkô'' (1951) - Yuri * ''Joen no hatoba'' (1951) * ''Mesu inu'' (1951) - Emmy * ''Genji monogatari'' (1951) - Awaji no ue * ''Bakurô ichidai'' (1951) - Yuki * ''Asakusa kurenaidan'' (1952) - Ryûko Beni * ''Daibutsu kaigen'' (1952) - Mayame * ''Nagasaki No Uta Wa Wasureji'' (1952) - Okumura, Ayako * ''Taki no Shiraito'' (1952) - Taki no Shiraito * ''Bijo to touzoku'' (1952) - Sakin * ''Kanojo no tokudane'' (1952) * ''

'' (1953) - Lady Wakasa * ''

Older Brother, Younger Sister is a 1953 Japanese drama film directed by Mikio Naruse. The film is based on the short story ''Ani imōto'' by Saisei Murō. Plot Mon, the elder daughter of a rural family, returns home from Tokyo pregnant after an affair with college student ...

'' (1953) - Mon * '' Gate of Hell'' (1953) - Kesa * ''Aru onna'' (1954) - Yoko Hayazuki * ''Shunkin monogatari'' (1954) - Shunkin * ''Asakusa no yoru'' (1954) - Setsuko Takashima * ''

The Princess Sen is a color 1954 Japanese film directed by Keigo Kimura. Cast See also * Senhime (May 26, 1597 – March 11,February 6 in the old calendar 1666), or Lady Sen, was the eldest daughter of the '' shōgun'' Tokugawa Hidetada and later the ...

'' (1954) - the princess Sen * ''Bazoku geisha'' (1954) - Nobukichi * ''

A Girl Isn't Allowed to Love is a 1955 Japanese film directed by Teinosuke Kinugasa. Cast * Kazuo Hasegawa * Ayako Wakao * Hideo Takamatsu was a Japanese actor from Nankoku, Kōchi Prefecture. Takamatsu appeared in more than 120 films between 1948 and 2007. Profile ...

'' (1955) - Sachiko Nonomiya * '' Princess Yang Kwei-Fei'' (1955) - Princess Yang Kwei-fei * '' Tōjūrō no Koi'' (1955) - Okaji * ''Shin, Heike monogatari: Yoshinaka o meguru sannin no onna'' (1956) - Tomoe * ''Niji ikutabi'' (1956) - Momoko Mizuhara * '' Street of Shame'' (1956) - Mickey * ''Tsukigata Hanpeita: Hana no maki; Arashi no maki'' (1956) - Hagino * '' The Teahouse of the August Moon'' (1956) - Lotus Blossom * ''Itohan monogatari'' (1957) - Okatsu * ''Odoriko'' (1957) - Chiyomi Hanamura * ''Jigoku bana'' (1957) - Sute * ''Yoru no chô'' (1957) - Mari * '' The Hole'' (1957) - Nagako Kita * ''

Yūrakuchō de Aimashō is 1958 Japanese romance-drama film in technicolor, directed by Koji Shima. Film cast * Machiko Kyō as Aya Koyanagi * Hiroshi Kawaguchi as Takeshi Koyanagi * Kenji Sugawara as Rentaro Shinohara * Hitomi Nozoe as Kana Shinohara * Junko ...

'' (1958) - Aya Koyanagi * '' Sorrow Is Only for Women'' (1958) - Michiko * ''

The Loyal 47 Ronin ''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) - Orui (spy) * ''Haha'' (1958) - Takako Ômachi * ''Ôsaka no onna'' (1958) - Osen * ''Akasen no hi wa kiezu'' (1958) - Nobuko Araki * ''Yoru no sugao'' (1958) - Akemi * ''Satsujin to kenjû'' (1958) * ''Musume no boken'' (1958) * ''Anata to watashi no aikotoba: Sayônara, konnichiwa'' (1959) - Umeko Ichige * ''Sasameyuki'' (1959) - Sachiko * '' Onna to Kaizoku'' (1959) - Ayaginu / Oito * ''Yoru no togyo'' (1959) - Ryoko Kashiwabara * ''Jirôchô Fuji'' (1959) - Okatsu * ''

'' (1959) - Ikuko / Wife * '' Floating Weeds'' (1959) - Sumiko * '' Jokyo'' (1960) - Omitsu * ''Ruten no ôhi'' (1960) - Ryûko Korinkakura (Hiroko Aishinkakura) * ''Bonchi'' (1960) - Ofuku * ''San'nin no kaoyaku'' (1960) - Chizuru * ''Ashi ni sawatta onna'' (1960) - Saya Shiozawa * ''Oden jigoku'' (1960) - Oden Takahashi * ''Konki'' (1961) - Shizu, Takuo's wife * ''Nuregami botan'' (1961) - Kiyomigata no Omon * ''Onna no kunshô'' (1961) - Shikiko Ohba * ''Kodachi o tsukau onna'' (1961) - Ritsu Ikeda * ''Buda'' (1961) - Nandabala * '' Black Lizard'' (1962) - Mrs. Midorikawa * ''Shin no shikôtei'' (1962) * ''Onna no issho'' (1962) - Kei * ''Budda'' (1962) * ''Nyokei kazoku'' (1963) - Fujiyo Yajima * ''

Sweet Sweat is a 1964 Japanese drama film directed by Shirō Toyoda. Cast * Machiko Kyō * Keiji Sada * Eitarō Ozawa * Akira Nagoya * Miyuki Kuwano Release ''Sweet Sweat'' was released in Japan by Toho on 19 September 1964, shortly after the death of co ...

'' (1964) - Umeko * ''Gendai inchiki monogatari: Dotanuki'' (1964) * '' The Face of Another'' (1966) - Mrs. Okuyama * ''Jinchoge'' (1966) - Kikuko, Ueno, 1st Daughter * ''Chiisai tôbôsha'' (1966) - Yayoi Yamamura * ''Senba zuru'' (1969) - Chikako Kurimoto * ''Genkai yûkyôden: Yabure kabure'' (1970) - Sue Yoshida * ''

Karei-naru Ichizoku is a 1973 novel by Toyoko Yamasaki. It has been adapted into a film in 1974 and then three times as a television series in 1974, 2007, and 2021. Plot Set in the post-World War II climate of the 1960s in Kobe, the show explores the struggle for po ...

'' (1974) - Aiko Takasu * ''Kinkanshoku'' (1955) - Prime Minister's wife * '' Kenji Mizoguchi: The Life of a Film Director'' (1975, documentary) - Herself * ''Yoba'' (1976) - Oshima * ''

Tora's Pure Love a.k.a. ''Torasan Meets his School-Mates'' ''and'' ''Tora-san's Heart of Gold'' is a 1976 Japanese comedy film directed by Yoji Yamada. It stars Kiyoshi Atsumi as Torajirō Kuruma (Tora-san), and Machiko Kyō as his love interest or "Madonna". ''T ...

'' (1976) - Aya Yagyû * ''Kesho'' (1984) - Tsune Tsutano

Television

* '' Hissatsu Shimainin'' (1981) * ''Shin Hissatsu Shimainin'' (1982) * ''

Hissatsu Shikirinin is a Japanese television '' jidaigeki'' or period drama that was broadcast in 1984. It is the 22nd in the Hissatsu series. Cast * Machiko Kyō as Okuni * Akira Onodera as Shinkichi * Midori Nishizaki * Gannosuke Ashiya as Kanppie * Etsushi T ...

'' (1984) * ''

Hana no Ran was the 33rd Taiga drama to be broadcast on the NHK network in Japan. It premiered on 3 April 1994 and its finale aired on 25 December of the same year. Plot The story takes place during the Muromachi period of Japan, in the midst of the Ōn ...

'' (1994) - Hino Shigeko * ''Genroku Ryōran'' (1999) - Keishō'in

Honors

* Medal with Purple Ribbon (1987) * Order of the Precious Crown, 4th Class, Wisteria (1994)

Gallery

File:Machiko Kyō 1955.jpg, Kyō as Yang Kwei-Fei in '' Princess Yang Kwei-Fei'' (1955)

References

External links

* *
Photo gallery: Machiko Kyo in Japanese Film-fan Magazines of the 1950s
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kyo, Machiko 1924 births 2019 deaths Japanese film actresses Japanese stage actresses People from Osaka 20th-century Japanese actresses Recipients of the Medal with Purple Ribbon