Masako Natsume
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was a Japanese actress from
Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
. Widely popular in Japan, she gained worldwide recognition for her portrayal of Tripitaka in the TV series ''
Monkey Monkey is a common name that may refer to most mammals of the infraorder Simiiformes, also known as the simians. Traditionally, all animals in the group now known as simians are counted as monkeys except the apes, which constitutes an incomple ...
,'' which is now considered a cult classic.


Biography

Masako was born Masako Odate in Shibuya, Tokyo, the only daughter of Sue and Kazu Odate. Raised in
Naka-ku, Yokohama is one of the 18 wards of the city of Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. In 2010, the ward had an estimated population of 146,563 and a population density of 7,080 persons per km². The total area was 20.86 km². Geography Naka Ward ...
, while in junior college in 1976 she auditioned for the lead role in Nihon TV's drama ''Ai ga miemasu ka'' ("Can you see love?"). Chosen from 4,000 applicants, she dropped out of school to pursue an acting career, playing the part under her real name Masako Odate. Masako's mother initially objected to her choice of career and requested that she not use the Odate family name if she gained further work. In 1977, she changed her name to Natsume. In 1977, she was chosen to represent Kanebo Cosmetics, achieving great popularity after appearing topless as the "Kooky Face" girl in an ad for sunscreen. This popularity led to her recording a song later that year called "Oh! Cookie Face." Many bit parts and a few leads in movies followed, but she continued in television. In 1978-79, she played the male part of Tripitaka (Sanzō-hōshi, Japanese translation of Sanzang-fashi) in the 1970s Japanese TV program ''Saiyūki'', which proved popular in many English-speaking countries in the 1980s, when dubbed by the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
and titled ''
Monkey Monkey is a common name that may refer to most mammals of the infraorder Simiiformes, also known as the simians. Traditionally, all animals in the group now known as simians are counted as monkeys except the apes, which constitutes an incomple ...
''. Masako won the part as she had matched contemporary descriptions of Sanzō-hōshi's appearance more closely than male actors who auditioned. Specialising as well-bred but shy heroines in her movies, she was regularly criticized by the public and media for her poor acting. However, this changed in 1982 after appearing as an ambitious and immoral woman in the TV drama ''Shousha'' and as the daughter of a
Yakuza , also known as , are members of transnational organized crime syndicates originating in Japan. The Japanese police and media, by request of the police, call them , while the ''yakuza'' call themselves . The English equivalent for the term ...
leader in the movie ''
Onimasa is a 1982 Japanese film directed by Hideo Gosha. Based on the novel of Tomiko Miyao. It was Japan's submission to the 55th Academy Awards for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, but was not accepted as a nominee. Cast * Tatsuya Nak ...
''. One of her lines from this movie, , became a very popular
catchphrase A catchphrase (alternatively spelled catch phrase) is a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance. Such phrases often originate in popular culture and in the arts, and typically spread through word of mouth and a variety of mass ...
in Japan. She won the award for best actress at the 8th
Hochi Film Award The are film-specific prizes awarded by the ''Hochi Shimbun , previously known as , is a Japanese-language daily sports newspaper. In 2002, it had a circulation of a million copies a day. It is an affiliate newspaper of ''Yomiuri Shimbun''. ...
for ''
The Catch The Catch may refer to: Film and television * ''The Catch'' (U.S. TV series), 2016-2017 American mystery television series * ''The Catch'' (UK TV series), 2023 British family drama television series * ''The Catch'' (1961 film), 1961 film by Nagisa ...
'' and '' Time and Tide''.


Death

In 1984, she married Japanese author Tadaki Nishiyama, known under the pen name Shizuka Ijūin. But after only a year, she died from acute
leukemia Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia and pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and result in high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or ' ...
at the age of 27 in 1985, and is buried in Hōfu, Yamaguchi under the married name Masako Nishiyama.


Legacy

In 1997,
Canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western ca ...
produced a television commercial for a copy machine, featuring her photocopied images, which offered 100 free compilations of the images in a book. Canon received 230,000 applications. Masako Natsume picture books and
calendar A calendar is a system of organizing days. This is done by giving names to periods of time, typically days, weeks, months and years. A date is the designation of a single and specific day within such a system. A calendar is also a physi ...
s are still popular in Japan today. In 2007, TBS broadcast a documentary on Masako's life entitled ''Himawari – Natsume Masako 27-nen no shōgai to haha no ai'' ("Sunflower: Masako Natsume, a 27-year life and a mother's love") based on the book ''Futari no Masako'' written by her mother, Sue Odate. Yagi Yūki played the part of the young Masako and
Nakama Yukie is a Japanese actress, singer and former idol. History Biography She was born in Urasoe, Okinawa, Japan, into a fisherman's family, the youngest of five siblings. At the start of her career she was a gravure idol and singer (her debut single " ...
portrayed her as an adult.


Filmography


Films


Television


Awards


Notes

Both of Masako's brothers, Kazuo and
Toshiaki Odate is a Japanese professional golfer. Odate played on the Japan Golf Tour, and won twice. Odate's sister, Masako Natsume, was a model and actress. Professional wins (3) Japan Golf Tour wins (2) Japan Golf Tour playoff record (1–0) Japan Ch ...
are professional golfers. Toshiaki won the 1993 Woodone Open and the 2001 JCB Classic. Masako's sister-in-law, Yoshiko Odate, an actress and former member of the popular 1970s pop group ''Candies'' died on April 21, 2011 of
breast cancer Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipple, a newly inverted nipple, or a re ...
.Ex-Candies member Tanaka dies
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April 23, 2011 Her niece is an actress in the all-female theater company
Takarazuka Revue The is a Japanese all-female musical theatre troupe based in Takarazuka, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. Women play all roles in lavish, Broadway-style productions of Western-style musicals and stories adapted from films, novels, manga, and Japane ...
under the stage name Yuno Kazama. ''
Mawaru-Penguindrum ''Penguindrum'', known in Japan as , is a Japanese anime series produced by Brain's Base. The series is written by Kunihiko Ikuhara and Takayo Ikami, was co-directed by Ikuhara along with Shouko Nakamura, and was broadcast in Japan from July ...
'', a 2011 Japanese
anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
series produced by
Brain's Base is a Japanese animation studio founded in 1996 by former Tokyo Movie Shinsha staff. Works Television series Original video animations Films See also * Shuka * Lapin Track * Platinum Vision is a anime, Japanese animation studio found ...
has a character named Masako Natsume.


References


External links


Biography of Natsume

The Sunflower Foundation
a cancer organization dedicated to Natsume {{DEFAULTSORT:Natsume, Masako 1957 births 1985 deaths Actresses from Tokyo Japanese idols Deaths from leukemia Deaths from cancer in Japan 20th-century Japanese actresses