is a Japanese former film and stage actress. She was active from 1930 until 1965 and appeared in more than 115 films.

Early life

Aizome was born as in

Inawashiro is a town located in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 13,810 in 5309 households, and a population density of 35 persons per km². The total area of the town was . It is noted as the birthplace of the famous ...

Fukushima may refer to: Japan * Fukushima Prefecture, Japanese prefecture ** Fukushima, Fukushima, capital city of Fukushima Prefecture, Japan ***Fukushima University, national university in Japan *** Fukushima Station (Fukushima) in Fukushima, Fukushim ...

. Aizome's father died when she was 6 months old, and her mother died when she was 10 years old. After losing both parents, Aizome gave her possessions to her uncle and went to Tokyo with her older brother, where she went to elementary school.

Career

In July 1930, Aizome dropped out of high school to join the

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 ...

Kagekidan

musical theatre Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movemen ...

revue. Her first role was that of a pirate in a play titled ''merry-go-round''. She appeared on stage until she made her screen debut in

Mikio Naruse was a Japanese filmmaker who directed 89 films spanning the period 1930 to 1967. Naruse is known for imbuing his films with a bleak and pessimistic outlook. He made primarily shomin-geki ("common people drama") films with female protagonists, ...

's 1932 film ''Moth-eaten Spring'', now considered

lost Lost may refer to getting lost, or to: Geography *Lost, Aberdeenshire, a hamlet in Scotland * Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, or LOST, a hiking and cycling trail in Florida, US History *Abbreviation of lost work, any work which is known to have bee ...

. In early 1933, Aizome appeared in

Yasujirō Ozu was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. He began his career during the era of silent films, and his last films were made in colour in the early 1960s. Ozu first made a number of short comedies, before turning to more serious themes in t ...

's ''

Dragnet Girl is a 1933 Japanese silent gangster film directed by Yasujirō Ozu. Written by Tadao Ikeda, the film tells the story of a gangster and his girlfriend finding redemption through the actions of an innocent girl and her not-so-innocent brother. P ...

''. She then played Masumi, a prostitute and friend of the main character in Hiroshi Shimizu's '' Japanese Girls at the Harbor''. In 1934 she appeared in her second and final Ozu film, ''

A Mother Should Be Loved is a 1934 Japanese film directed by Yasujirō Ozu, the first and last reels of which have been lost. Ozu had wanted to name the film ''Tokyo Twilight'', but studio executives preferred a title that referenced motherhood, a popular theme in Japane ...

''. That same year she starred alongside Yoshiko Okada in the leading role of

Yasujirō Shimazu was a Japanese film director and screenwriter, and a pioneer of the '' shomin-geki'' (common people drama) genre at the Shōchiku studios in pre-World War II Japan. Biography Shimazu was born in Tokyo, the second son of merchant Otojirō Shim ...

's film ''Our Neighbor, Miss Yae'', playing the main character Yaeko. She appeared in many more movies throughout the 1930s and 1940s, including movies by Mikio Naruse, Hiroshi Shimizu and

Heinosuke Gosho was a Japanese film director and screenwriter who directed Japan's first sound film, '' The Neighbor's Wife and Mine'', in 1931. His films are mostly associated with the shomin-geki (lit. "common people drama") genre. Among his most noted works ...

. In 1947, she played the sister of

Setsuko Hara Setsuko (written: or in hiragana) is a feminine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, later of Japan *, actress *, Japanese volleyball player *, Japanese actress and model *Setsuko Klossowska de Rola (born 1942), Japane ...

's character in ''

A Ball at the Anjo House is a 1947 Japanese drama film directed by Kōzaburō Yoshimura. The film won the 1947 Kinema Junpo Award for Kinema Junpo Award for Best Film of the Year, Best Film. Plot After Japan's defeat in the Pacific War, the wealthy Anjō family have to ...

''. In 1953, she had a minor role in ''

Epitome An epitome (; gr, ἐπιτομή, from ἐπιτέμνειν ''epitemnein'' meaning "to cut short") is a summary or miniature form, or an instance that represents a larger reality, also used as a synonym for embodiment. Epitomacy represents "t ...

''. She retired from acting in 1955, but in 1965 made one more film appearance in

Yoji Yamada is a Japanese film director best known for his ''Otoko wa Tsurai yo'' series of films and his Samurai Trilogy (''The Twilight Samurai'', ''The Hidden Blade'' and '' Love and Honor''). Biography He was born in Osaka, but due to his father's job ...

's ''

Kiri no Hata is a 1965 Japanese crime film directed by Yoji Yamada. It is based on Seichō Matsumoto's novel of the same title. Plot A robbery murder of an old moneylender woman occurs in the countryside of Kyushu, and Kiriko Yanagida's older brother, Mas ...

''. In 1985, Aizome was interviewed along with her ''Our Neighbor, Miss Yae'' co-star Sanae Takasugi. She was last heard from in 2002, when she provided source material for a book on Japanese modernist films.『日本映画スチール集新興キネマモダニズム篇』（立花忠男/編著、ワイズ出版、2002年1月） (in Japanese)

Personal life

In 1942, Aizome married

Masanori Yusa was a Japanese freestyle swimmer. He won gold medals in the 4 × 200 m relay in the 1932 and 1936 Olympics, setting world records on both occasions. In 1936 he finished almost simultaneously with Shigeo Arai and Masaharu Taguchi in the 100 m rac ...

, a two-time

olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...

gold medal A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture. Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have bee ...

ist freestyle swimmer. Her married name is . Together the couple had a daughter, Makoto Yusa (born February 28, 1942), who became an actress under the name . Yumeko Aizome 1930s 12

Selected filmography

* ''

'' (1933) - Misako * '' Japanese Girls at the Harbor'' (1933) – Masumi * ''

'' (1934) – Mitsuko * '' Our Neighbor, Miss Yae'' (1934) – Yaeko * ''

'' (1947) – Akiko Anjō * ''

'' (1965) – Yoshiko Ōtsuka

References

External links

* *
Yumeko Aizome at rottentomatoes.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aizome, Yumeko 1915 births Actors from Fukushima Prefecture 20th-century Japanese actresses Possibly living people Japanese film actresses Japanese silent film actresses