is a former Japanese actress, television presenter, radio presenter, and author best known for playing Fumiko Sakurai in the 1962 ''Godzilla'' film, ''

King Kong vs. Godzilla is a 1962 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd, it is the third film in both the ''Godzilla'' and ''King Kong'' franchises, as well as the first T ...

'',

Kissy Suzuki Kissy Suzuki is a fictional character introduced in Ian Fleming's 1964 ''James Bond'' novel, '' You Only Live Twice''. Despite Bond's womanizing, Kissy Suzuki (at least the literary version) remains the only character known to the reader who bear ...

in the 1967 ''James Bond'' film, '' You Only Live Twice'', and Madame Piranha in the 1967 ''King Kong'' film, ''

King Kong Escapes is a 1967 Kaiju, ''kaiju'' film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. The film was a Cinema of Japan, Japanese–Cinema of the United States, American co-production between Toho and Rankin/Bass Animated Entertainment ...

''.

Career

Hama was working as a bus conductor when she was spotted by producer

Tomoyuki Tanaka was a Japanese film producer. He is best known for co-creating the ''Godzilla'' franchise and its associated spin-offs. Early life Tanaka was born on April 26, 1910, in Kashiwara, Osaka. As a child, he would often walk miles to the nearest th ...

. She went on to become one of the most in-demand actresses in Japan. Notable appearances included the 1965 spy comedy '' Kokusai himitsu keisatsu: Kagi no kagi'', which was the source for the

Woody Allen Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...

film ''

What's Up, Tiger Lily? ''What's Up, Tiger Lily?'' is a 1966 American comedy film directed by Woody Allen in his feature-length directorial debut. Allen took a Japanese spy film, '' International Secret Police: Key of Keys'' (1965), and overdubbed it with completely or ...

'' and

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 ...

Studio's monster and fantasy movies such as ''

'' (1962), ''

The Lost World of Sinbad is a 1963 Japanese drama action film directed by Senkichi Taniguchi, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. The film stars Toshiro Mifune and Mie Hama.

'' (1963) and ''

'' (1967). By the time she starred in '' You Only Live Twice'', she had made more than 60 movies. Hama was originally cast to play the character Aki (who was originally named Suki) and her co-star

Akiko Wakabayashi is a retired Japanese actress. Career Wakabayashi is best known in English-speaking countries for her role as Bond girl Aki in the 1967 James Bond film '' You Only Live Twice''. Before this, she had made many films in her native Japan, especia ...

was cast to play Kissy Suzuki. The two actresses were sent to

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

for three months, to be tutored in English, although in the end, Hama was dubbed by

Nikki van der Zyl Monica "Nikki" van der Zyl (27 April 1935 – 6 March 2021) was a German actress based in the United Kingdom, known for her dubbing work on the ''James Bond'' film franchise. Early life Nikki van der Zyl was born on 27 April 1935 in Berlin, t ...

. She is dedicated to supporting Japan's natural wonders and preserving the environment. She also owns and rents out a traditional house near Mt. Fuji called "Hakone-Yamaboushi" that is built from various abandoned houses. She said in a 2017 ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' article that she gave up acting because she wanted a normal life, a life that includes authoring 14 books, becoming a television and radio host, connoisseur of folk art and advocating the preservation of old farms and farming techniques, and not losing the authentic Japan for economic development, as well as marrying a TV executive and raising their four children.

Personal life

In 1969, she was married to (1939–2018), a television executive producer of

Fuji TV JOCX-DTV (channel 8), branded as and colloquially known as CX, is a Japanese television station based in Odaiba, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Owned and operated by the it is the key station of the Fuji News Network (FNN) and the Fuji Network S ...

, with whom she has four children.

Partial filmography

* ''

'' (1962) as Fumiko Sakarai * ''

The Lost World of Sinbad is a 1963 Japanese drama action film directed by Senkichi Taniguchi, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. The film stars Toshiro Mifune and Mie Hama.

'' (1963) as Princess Yaya * ''

Attack Squadron! is a 1963 Japanese film directed by Shue Matsubayashi, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. The film is about Lt. Colonel Senda ( Toshiro Mifune) who commands three fighter squadrons, eventually being dominated by Allied forces in June 1944. ...

'' (1963) * '' Yearning'' (1964) as Ruriko *'' The World's Most Beautiful Swindlers'' (1964) (the Tokyo segment) * '' Kokusai himitsu keisatsu: Kagi no kagi'' (1965) as Miichin *''

Ironfinger is a 1965 Japanese action comedy film directed by Jun Fukuda. A parody of James Bond-style spy movies, the film stars Akira Takarada, Mie Hama, and Ichirō Arishima. In the film, an ordinary vacationer is assigned to a dead Interpol agent's mis ...

'' (1965) as Yumi Sawada * '' You Only Live Twice'' (1967) as

* ''

'' (1967) as Madame Piranha * ''

Edo no Kaze was a Japanese jidaigeki (period drama) broadcast on prime-time television that ran from 1975 to 1981. Its lead star was Yūzō Kayama. The series was based on Kazuo Shimada's novel of the same title. It became a popular broadcast, leading to the ...

'' (1975) - Oyou

References

Sources

External links

official website
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hama, Mie 1943 births Living people Japanese film actresses Actresses from Tokyo 20th-century Japanese actresses