(15 January 1943 – 15 September 2018) was a Japanese actress for

Japanese cinema The has a history that spans more than 100 years. Japan has one of the oldest and largest film industries in the world; as of 2021, it was the fourth largest by number of feature films produced. In 2011 Japan produced 411 feature films that ea ...

and television.

Biography

Kiki was born on January 15, 1943, in

Kanda Kanda may refer to: People * Kanda (surname) *Kanda Bongo Man (born 1955), Congolese soukous musician Places * Kanda, Tokyo, an area in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan **Kanda Station (Tokyo), a railway station in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo * Kanda River, a ri ...

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 ...

. Her father was a master of the ''

biwa The is a Japanese short-necked wooden lute traditionally used in narrative storytelling. The is a plucked string instrument that first gained popularity in China before spreading throughout East Asia, eventually reaching Japan sometime duri ...

'' lute and a former police officer. Her mother owned a cafe in Jinbōchō, Tokyo and a restaurant in Noge,

Yokohama is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of To ...

, the latter being Kiki's maternal parents' home. Her mother was seven years senior to her father and had a child from both her two previous marriages. After graduating from high school, she started her acting career in the early 1960s as a member of the Bungakuza theater troupe using the stage name Chiho Yūki (悠木千帆). She eventually gained fame for performing uniquely comedic and eccentric roles on such television shows as ''Jikan desu yo'' and ''Terauchi Kantarō ikka'' and in

television commercials A television advertisement (also called a television commercial, TV commercial, commercial, spot, television spot, TV spot, advert, television advert, TV advert, television ad, TV ad or simply an ad) is a span of television programming produce ...

. She changed her name to "Kirin Kiki" when, after being asked on a television show to auction off something of hers, she ended up selling her first stage name, claiming she had "nothing else to sell." While battling various ailments, including a

detached retina Retinal detachment is a disorder of the eye in which the retina peels away from its underlying layer of support tissue. Initial detachment may be localized, but without rapid treatment the entire retina may detach, leading to vision loss and blin ...

in 2003 and

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 ...

in 2005, Kiki continued to act and won several awards, including the best actress Japan Academy Prize for '' Mom and Me, and Sometimes Dad'' in 2008, the best supporting actress award from the

Yokohama Film Festival The is an annual awards ceremony held in Yokohama, Japan. Ten films are chosen as the best of the year and various awards are given to personnel. The first festival, held on February 3, 1980, was a small affair by fans and film critics. In 1994, ...

for her work in ''

Kamikaze Girls ''Kamikaze Girls'', originally released in Japan as , is a 2002 Japanese light novel written by Novala Takemoto. The story centers on the friendship between two students named Momoko Ryugasaki and Ichigo "Ichiko" Shirayuri. These two are fro ...

'' and ''

Half a Confession is a 2004 Japanese film directed by Kiyoshi Sasabe. It was chosen as Best Film at the Japan Academy Prize ceremony. Summary Respected inspector Soichiro Kaji is imprisoned for killing his wife, Keiko, who, suffering from Alzheimer's disease, r ...

'' in 2004, and the best supporting actress Blue Ribbon Award for '' Still Walking'' in 2008.

Personal life

Kiki married fellow Bungakuza actor

Shin Kishida Shin Kishida (17 October 1939 – 28 December 1982) was a Japanese television, film, and stage actor. Biography Shin Kishida was born at Kawakita General Hospital in Asagaya, Suginami, Tokyo. His uncle was playwright Kunio Kishida, and actres ...

. They separated in 1968. She married musician Yuya Uchida in 1973, and remained legally married to him though they separated in 1975. Their daughter, Yayako Uchida, is an essayist and musician, and portrayed the younger self of Kiki's character in the film ''Tokyo Tower: Mom and Me, and Sometimes Dad''. Yayako Uchida is married to the actor

Masahiro Motoki Masahiro Motoki (本木雅弘 ''Motoki Masahiro'', born December 21, 1965) is a Japanese actor. He portrayed protagonist Daigo Kobayashi in '' Departures'', which won the 81st Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film. His performance earne ...

, who was adopted into the Uchida family as a

mukoyōshi A ; () is an adult man who is adopted into a Japanese family as a daughter's husband, and who takes the family's surname. Generally in Japan, a woman takes her husband's name and is adopted into his family. When a family, especially one with a w ...

. Kirin's granddaughter Kyara Uchida has appeared with her in two films, ''

I Wish I WiSH was a Japanese pop group consisting of two members, Ai Kawashima and nao. Ai is responsible for the vocals and occasionally plays the piano also with nao on the keyboard or piano. Their most notable track is and was in the Oricon ranking ...

'' and ''

Sweet Bean is a 2015 Japanese drama film directed by Naomi Kawase. It is the second film, after I Wish, to star real-life grandmother and granddaughter Kirin Kiki and Kyara Uchida. The film was selected to open the Un Certain Regard section at the 2015 ...

''. Kiki was diagnosed with cancer in 2004 and underwent a mastectomy. She died of cancer, and related illnesses, on 15 September 2018.

Selected filmography

Film

* ''Zoku Yoidore hakase'' (1966) - Fumiko * ''

Lake of Tears Lake of Tears is a Swedish heavy metal band originally formed in 1994, generally considered to play gothic metal/gothic rock and doom metal. However, their sound has expanded to include psychedelic rock and progressive rock elements. The band ...

'' (1966) - Kayo Sugumo * ''Tonogata goyôjin'' (1966) * ''Tabiji'' (1967) - Chie * ''Aniki no koibito'' (1968) - Sanae * ''Kamisama no koibito'' (1968) - Aiko Yamagami * ''Dai bakuhatsu'' (1969) * ''

Tora-san, His Tender Love is a 1970 Japanese comedy film directed by Azuma Morisaki. It stars Kiyoshi Atsumi as Kuruma Torajirō (Tora-san), and Michiyo Aratama as his love interest or "Madonna". ''Tora-san, His Tender Love'' is the third entry in the popular, long-runni ...

'' (1970) - Maid in Shinshû * ''Aka chôchin'' (1974) * ''Akumyo: shima arashi'' (1974) - Oshige * ''

Jack and the Beanstalk "Jack and the Beanstalk" is an English fairy tale. It appeared as "The Story of Jack Spriggins and the Enchanted Bean" in 1734 4th edition On Commons and as Benjamin Tabart's moralized "The History of Jack and the Bean-Stalk" in 1807. Henry Cole ...

'' (1974) - Madam Noir (voice) * ''Honô no shôzô'' (1974) * ''Abayo dachikô'' (1974) * ''Mamushi to aodaishô'' (1975) - Kiku Matsukawa * ''Za.Dorifutazu no kamo da!! Goyo da!!'' (1975) - tomiko * ''Eden no umi'' (1976) - Orittsan * ''Sachiko no sachi'' (1976) - Momoe * ''Onna kyôshi'' (1977) - Yuriko Yokoyama * ''

Ballad of Orin is a 1977 Japanese film directed by Masahiro Shinoda. Its alternate English-language titles are ''Banished Orin'' and ''Symphony in Gray''. It details the life of a ''goze'', a blind female minstrel (played by Shima Iwashita, the director's wife) ...

'' (1977) - Tama Ichise * ''Wani to oum to ottosei'' (1977) - Mary * ''

Taro the Dragon Boy is a 1979 film adaptation of a famous Japanese folk tale, and the novel ''Taro, the Dragon Boy'' by Miyoko Matsutani. In 1966, Taro, the Son of Dragon with the original Japanese title of "Tatsu, no ko Taro", started as a puppet series on a Japan ...

'' (1979) - Yamanba (voice) * ''Sochô no kubi'' (1979) - Okonomiyaki Manager * ''Kindaichi Kosuke no boken'' (1979) - Tane * ''Kamisamaga kureta akanbô'' (1979) - Woman who brought a boy * ''

Zigeunerweisen ''Zigeunerweisen'' (''Gypsy Airs'', es, Aires gitanos, link=no), Op. 20, is a musical composition for violin and orchestra written in 1878 by the Spanish composer Pablo de Sarasate. It was premiered the same year in Leipzig, Germany. Like his c ...

'' (1980) - Kimi * ''Otake shinobu no a! Kono ai nakuba ganbasseyo Kuni-chan'' (1980) * ''Tosa No Ipponzuri'' (1980) - Fuki * ''Nogiku no haka'' (1981) - Omasu * ''

Tenkōsei , also known as ''Exchange Students'', is a 1982 Japanese fantasy film directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi. Obayashi himself directed and co-wrote a second film based on the same novel, premiered in 2007 and titled . Cast * Toshinori Omi as Kazuo Sai ...

'' (1982) - Naoko Saitoh * ''Keiji monogatari'' (1982) - Sumi Yashiro * ''Santô kôkôsei'' (1982) * ''Amagi goe'' (1983) - Ryosaku's Wife * ''

Hometown Hometown, HomeTown, or Home Town may refer to: *A hometown, the town where someone lives or the town that they come from, typically their place of birth. *In developing nations particularly: native place, village of origin in newly urbanized soci ...

'' (1983) - Yoshi * ''

Capone Cries a Lot is a 1985 Japanese comedy directed by Seijun Suzuki and starring Kenichi Hagiwara. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Toshiyuki Kajiyama. Plot Umiemon (Kenichi Hagiwara) is a naniwa-bushi singer who travels with his wife to th ...

'' (1985) - Sene Tachikawa * '' Lonely Heart'' (1985) - Terue Amano * ''Yumechiyo nikki'' (1985) - Kikuyakko * ''Kyôshû'' (1988) - Mine Kamioka * ''Tsuru'' (1988) - Yura * ''Daidokoro No Seijo'' (1988) - Hisajo Sugita * ''Kaze no Matasaburô - Garasu no manto'' (1989) - Otane * ''Donmai'' (1990) - Hanako * ''

Rainbow Kids is a 1991 Japanese comedy film directed by Kihachi Okamoto and starring Tanie Kitabayashi and Ken Ogata. The film won several Japanese film awards, including Tanie Kitabayashi who won awards for Best Actress at Kinema Junpo Awards, Mainichi Fi ...

'' (1991) - Kura Nakamura * ''Sensou to seishun'' (1991) - Etsuko Onoki * ''Za Chugaku kyoshi'' (1992) * ''

The Triple Cross (a.k.a. ''The Day's Too Bright'') is a 1992 Japanese film directed by Kinji Fukasaku. Plot Kanzaki, Shiba, and Imura are a trio of robbers who commit a series of bank robberies, making off with hundreds of millions of yen. They lay low for a ye ...

'' (1992) * '' Yearning'' (1993) - Omatsu * '' Rampo'' (1994) - House wife / Head of maid * ''Toki no kagayaki'' (1995) - Nagashima * ''Rintaro'' (輝け！隣太郎, Kagayake! Rintaro) (1995, she also sang the title song (with

Toshiaki Karasawa (real name Kiyoshi Karasawa (唐澤潔 ''Karasawa Kiyoshi'')) is a Japanese theatre and film actor. He made his theatrical debut in the play ''Boy's Revue Stay Gold'' (ボーイズレビュー・ステイゴールド ''Bōizu Rebyū Sutei Gōrud ...

)) * ''Oishinbo'' (1996) * ''Koi to hanabi to kanransha'' (1997) - Sanae Mita * ''Hissatsu shimatsunin'' (1997) - Otora * ''Ashita heno kakehashi'' (1997) * ''39 keihô dai sanjûkyû jô'' (1997) - Defence Counsel Shigure Nagamura * ''Zawa-zawa Shimo-Kitazawa'' (2000) - Fan of Kyushiro * ''Drug'' (2001) - Yoshie Hirakawa * ''Tôkyô Marîgôrudo'' (2001) - Ritsuko Sakai * ''

Pistol Opera is a 2001 Japanese film directed by Seijun Suzuki and starring Makiko Esumi. Storyline The film's main character, Miyuki Minazuki, ranked number three in The Assassins Guild, is known as the "Stray Cat". A stoic and deadly woman, she is forced ...

'' (2001) - Rin * ''Danbôru hausu gâru'' (2001) * ''

Inochi is a 2002 Japanese movie directed by Shinohara Tetsuo starring Esumi Makiko and Etsushi Toyokawa. It is based on a memoir of the same title by the Korean-Japanese author Yu Miri. Plot summary Yu Miri (Esumi) is a writer who's just become p ...

'' (2002) - Mother * ''

Returner is a 2002 Japanese science fiction film directed by Takashi Yamazaki and starring Anne Suzuki and Takeshi Kaneshiro. Plot Milly is a soldier from 2084, where humanity is on the verge of extinction because of the "Daggra", an alien race. In m ...

'' (2002) - Xie * ''Yoru o kakete'' (2002) * ''Hotaru no hoshi'' (2003) - Headmistress * ''

'' (2004) - Yasuko Shimamura * ''

'' (2004) - Momoko's Grandmother * ''Izo'' (2004) * ''Chekeraccho!!'' (2006) - Chisa Haebaru * ''

Brave Story is a Japanese fantasy novel written by Miyuki Miyabe. It was serialized in various regional newspapers between November 11, 1999 and February 13, 2001, before being published in two hardcover volumes by Kadokawa Shoten in''Brave Story'' ...

'' (2006) - Onba (voice) * ''Akai kujira to shiroi hebi'' (2006) - Midori Ohara * ''Tôkyô tawâ: Okan to boku to, tokidoki, oton'' (2007) - Eiko Nakagawa * ''Saido kâ ni inu'' (2007) - Granny Tome * '' Still Walking'' (2008) - Toshiko Yokoyama * '' Tokyo Tower: Mom and Me, and Sometimes Dad'' (2008) * ''Miyagino'' (2008) - Madam * ''

The Borrower Arrietty ''Arrietty'', titled in Japan and ''The Secret World of Arrietty'' in North America, is a 2010 Japanese animated fantasy film directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi as his feature film debut as a director, animated by Studio Ghibli for the Nippon Te ...

'' (2010) - Haru (voice) * ''

Villain A villain (also known as a "black hat" or "bad guy"; the feminine form is villainess) is a stock character, whether based on a historical narrative or one of literary fiction. ''Random House Unabridged Dictionary'' defines such a character a ...

'' (2010) - Fusae Shimizu * '' Ghost: In Your Arms Again'' (2010) * ''Ôki-ke no tanoshii ryokô: Shinkon jigoku-hen'' (2011) * ''

Hanezu ''Hanezu'' ( ja, 朱花の月, Transliteration, translit. ''Hanezu no tsuki'') is 2011 Japanese drama film directed by Naomi Kawase, based on a novel by Masako Bando. The title is an ancient Japanese word for a shade of red, taken from the ...

'' (2011) - Takumi's Mother * ''

'' (2011) - Hideko (Grandmother) * ''

Chronicle of My Mother is a 2011 Japanese drama film directed by Masato Harada based on a novel by Yasushi Inoue. Cast * Kōji Yakusho - Kosaku *Kirin Kiki - Yae * Aoi Miyazaki - Kotoko * Kaho Minami - Kuwako *Erina Mano is a Japanese idol singer and actress for ...

'' (2011) - Yae * ''Tsunagu'' (2012) - Aiko * ''Yakusoku: Nabari dokubudôshu jiken shikeishû no shôgai'' (2013) - Iatsuno okunishi * '' Like Father, Like Son'' (2013) - Riko Ishizeki * ''

'' (2015; Best Performance by an Actress,

Asia Pacific Screen Awards The Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) is an international cultural initiative overseen by the Asia Pacific Screen Academy and headquartered in Australia. In order to realise UNESCO's goals of promoting and preserving the different cultures th ...

2015) - Tokue * ''

Our Little Sister is a 2015 Japanese drama film directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda and based on Akimi Yoshida's manga series '' Umimachi Diary''. It stars Haruka Ayase, Masami Nagasawa, Kaho and Suzu Hirose. The film follows three sisters living in Kamakura, alongsid ...

'' (2015) - Fumiyo Kikuchi * ''Kakekomi onna to kakedashi otoko'' (2015) - Genbee * '' After the Storm'' (2016) – Yoshiko * ''Mori, The Artist's Habitat'' (2018) - Hideko Kumagai * ''

Shoplifters Shoplifting Shoplifting is the theft of goods from an open retail establishment, typically by concealing a store item on one's person, in pockets, under clothes or in a bag, and leaving the store without paying. With clothing, shoplifters ma ...

'' (2018) - Hatsue Shibata * ''Every Day A Good Day'' (2018) - Ms. Takeda * ''Cherry Blossoms and Demons'' (2019) - Großmutter von Yu * ''Erica 38'' (2019) - Erica's mother (final film role)

Television

* '' Shadow Warriors'' (1980-1986) - Orin * ''

Hanekonma ''Hanekonma'' (はね駒) is a 1986 Japanese television serial, the 36th NHK ''asadora'' drama. Written by Koharu Terauchi, it was inspired by the life of Haruko Isomura (1877-1918), a pioneer female newspaper reporter of the Meiji and Taishō ...

'' (1986) - Yae (Hanekonma's mother) * ''Tobu ga Gotoku'' (1990) - Ikushima * ''Kimi no Na wa'' (1991) * '' Aoi'' (2000) -

Lady Kasuga was a Japanese noble lady and politician from a prominent Japanese samurai family of the Azuchi–Momoyama and Edo periods. Born Saitō Fuku (斉藤福), she was a daughter of Saitō Toshimitsu (who was a retainer of Akechi Mitsuhide). She was t ...

Honours

Medal with Purple Ribbon are medals awarded by the Government of Japan. They are awarded to individuals who have done meritorious deeds and also to those who have achieved excellence in their field of work. The Medals of Honor were established on December 7, 1881, and we ...

(2008) * Order of the Rising Sun, 4th Class, Gold Rays with Rosette (2014)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kiki, Kirin 1943 births 2018 deaths 20th-century Japanese actresses 21st-century Japanese actresses Actresses from Tokyo Recipients of the Medal with Purple Ribbon Recipients of the Order of the Rising Sun, 4th class Deaths from cancer in Japan deaths from breast cancer Asia Pacific Screen Award winners