(born October 8, 1941) is a Japanese actress. Born in the city of

Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...

, she graduated from

Joshibi High School of Art and Design abbreviated , is a private school for girls located in Tokyo, Japan. Joshibi especially emphasizes fine arts and design studies. Joshibi graduates are actively involved in various field in and out of Japan, as artists, designers, and creative ...

Suginami, Tokyo is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. The ward refers to itself as Suginami City in English. As of June 1, 2022, Suginami has an estimated population of 588,354 and a population density of 17,274 persons per km2. The total area is 34.06 km2 ...

. In 1960, she was hired by Toei and made her acting debut. She remained with Toei until 1967, then became free to appear in films, on television, and on the stage. Her performance in the film ''W no higeki'' (or "

W's Tragedy is a 1984 Japanese film directed by Shinichirō Sawai, based on the novel by Shizuko Natsuki (published in English under the title '' Murder at Mt. Fuji''). At the 9th Japan Academy Prize it won three awards and received three other nominations ...

", 1984) earned the Japan Academy Prize for Best Supporting Actress in 1986. From 1991 to 1994, she topped Japan's official list of taxpayers in the Actors and Celebrities category. Yoshiko appears in both contemporary and ''

jidaigeki is a genre of film, television, video game, and theatre in Japan. Literally meaning "period dramas", they are most often set during the Edo period of Japanese history, from 1603 to 1868. Some, however, are set much earlier—''Portrait of Hel ...

'' roles. She won the award for best actress at the 30th and at the 35th

Blue Ribbon Awards The are film-specific prizes awarded solely by movie critics and writers in Tokyo, Japan. The awards were established in 1950 by which is composed of film correspondents from seven Tokyo-based sports newspapers. In 1961, the six major Japanes ...

. With husband Yasuo Takahashi she has two sons, both actors.

Selected filmography

Film

*''Ōshō'' (1962) *'' Bushidō zankoku monogatari'' (1963) with

Kinnosuke Nakamura (November 20, 1932 – March 10, 1997) was a Japanese people, Japanese kabuki actor. Born , son of kabuki actor Nakamura Tokizō III, he entered kabuki and became the first in the kabuki tradition to take the name Nakamura Kinnosuke. He took on hi ...

, film won the

Golden Bear The Golden Bear (german: Goldener Bär) is the highest prize awarded for the best film at the Berlin International Film Festival. The bear is the heraldic animal of Berlin, featured on both the coat of arms and flag of Berlin. History The winn ...

at the 13th Berlin International Film Festival

*''Same'' (1964) with Kinnosuke Nakamura *''Kuruwa Sodachi'' (1964), her first lead role *'' Yojōhan monogatari: Shōfu shino'' (1966） *''Zatoichi kenka-daiko'' (1968) with

Shintaro Katsu was a Japanese actor, singer, and filmmaker. He is known for starring in the ''Akumyo'' series, the ''Hoodlum Soldier'' series, and the ''Zatoichi'' series. Life and career Born Toshio Okumura (奥村利夫 ''Okumura Toshio'') on 29 Novemb ...

*''Tsuma to onna no aida'' (1976) *''

The Fall of Ako Castle is a 1978 Japanese historical martial arts period film directed by Kinji Fukasaku. It depicts the story of the forty-seven Ronin (''Chūshingura''). The film is one of a series of period films by Fukasaku starring Yorozuya Kinnosuke, including ''S ...

'' (1978) *''

A Ilha dos Amores ''A Ilha dos Amores'' ( ja, 恋の浮島, translit=Koi no ukishima) is a 1982 Portuguese-Japanese drama film directed by Paulo Rocha. It was entered into the 1982 Cannes Film Festival. Cast * Luís Miguel Cintra - Wenceslau de Moraes * Clara ...

'' (1982) *''

The Go Masters ''The Go Masters'' (Japanese: 未完の対局, Mikan no taikyoku) is a 1982 Japanese-Chinese co-production film directed by Junya Sato was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. His son is a fellow film director . Career Born in Tokyo, Sa ...

'' (1983) *''

'' (1984) *''

Haru no Kane is a 1985 Japanese film directed by Koreyoshi Kurahara. Cast *Kin'ya Kitaōji * Yūko Kotegawa *Yoshiko Mita *Akira Nakao * Shinsuke Ashida *Eiji Okada * Mariko Kaga Awards and nominations 10h Hochi Film Award * Won: Best Actor - Kin'ya Kita� ...

'' (1985) *'' Tora-san's Salad-Day Memorial'' (1988) *'' Rikyu'' (1989) as the wife of

Sen no Rikyū , also known simply as Rikyū, is considered the historical figure with the most profound influence on ''chanoyu,'' the Japanese "Way of Tea", particularly the tradition of '' wabi-cha''. He was also the first to emphasize several key aspects ...

with

Rentarō Mikuni (also sometimes credited as 三国連太郎) (January 20, 1923 – April 14, 2013) was a Japanese film actor from Gunma Prefecture. He appeared in over 150 films since making his screen debut in 1951, and won three Japanese Academy Awards for ...

*''

Tōki Rakujitsu is a 1992 Japanese film directed by Seijirō Kōyama. It is about the Japanese scientist Hideyo Noguchi. It is based on two biographical novels, ''Tōki Rakujitsu'' written by Junichi Watanabe and ''Noguchi no haha: Noguchi Hideo Monogatari'' wri ...

'' (1992) *''Umineko'' (2004) *'' Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction'' (2014) as Xerneas (voice) * ''The Actor'' (2016) as Natsuko Matsumura * ''

The Promised Neverland is a Japanese manga series written by Kaiu Shirai and illustrated by Posuka Demizu. It was serialized in Shueisha's ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from August 2016 to June 2020, with its chapters collected in twenty ''tankōbon'' volumes. In N ...

'' (2020) * ''The Three Sisters of Tenmasou Inn'' (2022) as Reiko Zaizen

Ttelevision

*''

Taikōki The is a biography of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who rose to the office of '' taikō'' during the Azuchi–Momoyama period of Japanese history. The Confucian scholar (1564–1640) published the work in 1626 during the rule of the third Tokugawa shōgu ...

'' (

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 ...

Taiga drama, 1965) as

Yodo-dono or (1569 – June 4, 1615) was a prominently placed figure in the late-Sengoku period. She was the daughter of Oichi and sister of Ohatsu and Oeyo. She was a concubine and second wife of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who was then the most powerful man ...

*''

Kunitori Monogatari is a 1973 Japanese television series. It is the eleventh NHK ''taiga'' drama. Plot The series is set in the Sengoku period. Based on Ryōtarō Shiba`s novel of the same name. The story chronicles the lives of Dosan Saito and Nobunaga Oda. Pro ...

'' (NHK Taiga drama, 1973) as Miyoshino *''Kōgen e Irrashai'' (

Tokyo Broadcasting System formerly is a Japanese media and licensed broadcasting holding company. It is the parent company of the television network and radio network . It has a 28-affiliate television network called JNN (Japan News Network), as well as a 34-affili ...

series, 1976) *''Sekigahara'' (TBS New Year's Special, 1981) as Yodo-Dono *''Nyokei Kazoku'' ( Yomiuri, 1984) *''Inochi'' (NHK Taiga drama, 1986) in the leading role *''

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 Ōni ...

'' (NHK Taiga drama, 1994) as

Hino Tomiko was a prominent figure during the Muromachi period and the beginning of the Sengoku period. She was daughter to Hino Shigemasa and was the official wife of Ashikaga Yoshimasa, the eighth ''shōgun'' of the Ashikaga shogunate (at first Tomiko wa ...

, the leading role *''Gekai Arimori Saeko'' (

Nippon Television JOAX-DTV (channel 4), branded as , is the flagship station of the Nippon News Network and the Nippon Television Network System, owned-and-operated by the which is a subsidiary of the certified broadcasting holding company , itself a listed su ...

, two series, 1990 and 1992) in the leading role * ''Ryōri no Tetsujin'' (''Iron Chef'') (1999) as a judge in the show's final battle between

Hiroyuki Sakai is a Japanese chef who specializes in French cuisine. Sakai is best known as the second, final, and longest-serving Iron Chef French on the Japanese television show ''Iron Chef'', first appearing at the beginning of 1994 (after Yutaka Ishinabe r ...

and

Alain Passard Alain Passard (; born 4 August 1956 at La Guerche-de-Bretagne, France) is a French chef and owner of the three michelin star restaurant L'Arpège in Paris. The son of musicians, Passard plays the saxophone. History and mentors Alain Passard ...

*''

Hana Moyu is a 2015 Japanese historical drama television series, the 54th NHK ''taiga'' drama. The series stars Mao Inoue as Sugi Fumi, a sister of Meiji Restoration scholar Yoshida Shōin. It premiered on January 4, 2015, and ended on December 13, 201 ...

'' (NHK Taiga drama, 2015) as Sei *''The Return'' (2020)

Commercials

Ajinomoto is a Japanese multinational food and biotechnology corporation which produces seasonings, interlayer insulating materials for semiconductor packages for use in personal computers, cooking oils, frozen foods, beverages, sweeteners, amino acids, an ...

Matsushita Electric formerly between 1935 and 2008 and the first incarnation of between 2008 and 2022, is a major Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation, headquartered in Kadoma, Osaka. It was founded by Kōnosuke Matsushita in 1918 as a lightbulb s ...

*Seino Transportation *

Lion Corporation is a Japanese multinational manufacturer of detergent, soap, medications, and oral hygiene products and other toiletries. The company also has a chemical engineering Chemical engineering is an engineering field which deals with the study o ...

Taisho Pharmaceutical is a Japanese pharmaceutical company based in Tokyo. History Taisho was established in 1912 as Taisho Seiyakusho to produce over-the-counter drugs. In 1928 the company changed its name to Taisho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and in 1955 moved into ...

Honours

*Kinuyo Tanaka Award (1987) * Order of the Rising Sun, 4th Class, Gold Rays with Rosette (2014)

References

External links

* * 1941 births Japanese actresses People from Osaka Living people Taiga drama lead actors Recipients of the Order of the Rising Sun, 4th class {{Japan-film-actor-stub