was a Japanese film and theatre actress who already had long stage experience, first with light comedies, later with dramatic roles, before making her film debut. Mochizuki often appeared in the films of

Keisuke Kinoshita was a Japanese film director and screenwriter.Ronald Berganbr>"A satirical eye on Japan: Keisuke Kinoshita" ''The Guardian'', 5 January 1999. While lesser-known internationally than contemporaries such as Akira Kurosawa, Kenji Mizoguchi and Yasu ...

, but also worked for prominent

directors Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

such as

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 ...

and

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, ...

. She won the Blue Ribbon Award for best supporting actress for ''

Late Chrysanthemums is a 1954 Japanese drama film directed by Mikio Naruse. It follows four retired geisha and their struggles to make ends meet in post World War II Japan. The film is based on three short stories by female author Fumiko Hayashi. Plot ''Late Chrysa ...

'' and for best actress for ''

The Rice People is a 1957 Japanese drama film directed by Tadashi Imai. It was entered into the 10th Cannes Film Festival. Plot Two young men, Tsuguo and Senkichi, return to their small home town during the rice planting festival, and try to make a living a ...

'' and ''Unagitori''. She was also awarded best actress at the 1953

Mainichi Film Awards The are a series of annual film awards, sponsored by Mainichi Shinbun (毎日新聞), one of the largest newspaper companies in Japan, since 1946. It is the first film festival in Japan. History The origins of the contest date back to 1935, ...

for her performance in ''

A Japanese Tragedy , also known as ''Tragedy of Japan'', is a 1953 Japanese drama film written and directed by Keisuke Kinoshita. The film tells the story of a mother who has to raise two children during and after World War II, but whose children reject her. Ki ...

''. In 1960, she directed the children's short film ''海を渡る友情'' (''Umiwowataru yūjō'', lit. "Friendship across the sea") for the Toei Educational Film Department. In 1971, Mochizuki ran for the

House of Councilors The is the upper house of the National Diet of Japan. The House of Representatives is the lower house. The House of Councillors is the successor to the pre-war House of Peers. If the two houses disagree on matters of the budget, treaties, or ...

election for the

Japan Socialist Party The was a socialist and progressive political party in Japan that existed from 1945 to 1996. The party was founded as the Social Democratic Party of Japan by members of several proletarian parties that existed before World War II, including ...

. She died of breast cancer in 1977.

Selected Filmography

* ''

Carmen Comes Home is a 1951 Japanese comedy film directed by Keisuke Kinoshita. It was Japan's first feature length colour film. Plot Due to the renovation of the Tokyo based venue where she works, Okin, stage name Lily Carmen, and her lovesick friend Maya pay her ...

'' (1951) – director Keisuke Kinoshita * ''Honjitsu kyūshin'' (1952) – director Minoru Shibuya * ''

Gendai-jin is a 1952 black-and-white Japanese film directed by Minoru Shibuya. It was entered into the 1953 Cannes Film Festival. Cast * Ryō Ikebe * Isuzu Yamada * So Yamamura * Toshiko Kobayashi * Yūko Mochizuki * Shinsuke Ashida * Yumi Takano * Jun T ...

'' (1952) – director Minoru Shibuya * ''

The Flavor of Green Tea over Rice is a 1952 Japanese film directed by Yasujirō Ozu. The screenplay concerns a wealthy middle-aged couple (played by Shin Saburi and Michiyo Kogure) who have marital difficulties, and their niece who uses the couple's troubles as her excuse for no ...

'' (1952) – director Yasujirō Ozu * ''

Carmen's Pure Love ''Carmen's Pure Love'' ''Carmen Falls in Love'' or ''Carmen's Innocent Love'' ( ja, カルメン純情す, Karumen junjō su) is a 1952 Japanese satirical comedy film written and directed by Keisuke Kinoshita. It is a sequel to Kinoshita's 1951 ...

'' (1952) – director Keisuke Kinoshita * ''

'' (1953) – director Keisuke Kinoshita * ''

The Garden of Women is a 1954 Japanese drama film directed by Keisuke Kinoshita. It is based on the novel by Tomoji Abe. Plot After the opening sequence, documenting the uprise of students at a women's boarding school following the death of one of their fellow ...

'' (1954) – director Keisuke Kinoshita * ''

'' (1954) – director Mikio Naruse * '' Growing Up'' (1955) – director Heinosuke Gosho * ''The Tale of Jiro'' (1955) – director Hiroshi Shimizu * ''

Farewell to Dream ''Farewell to Dream'' ''Clouds at Twilight'' ( ja, 夕やけ雲, Yūyake-gumo) is a 1956 Japanese drama film directed by Keisuke Kinoshita. It was written by Kinoshita's sister Yoshiko Kusuda. Plot After the opening titles, which announce the s ...

'' (1956) – director Keisuke Kinoshita * ''The Thick-Walled Room'' (1956) – director Masaki Kobayashi * ''

'' (1957) – director Tadashi Imai * ''Unagitori'' (1957) – director Sotoji Kimura * ''

Sorrow Is Only for Women is a 1958 Japanese drama film written and directed by Kaneto Shindo. Cast * Kinuyo Tanaka as Hideyo * Machiko Kyō as Michiko * Jūkichi Uno as Kishimoto * Eiji Funakoshi as Hiroshi * Reiko Hibiki as Toshi * Kazuko Ichikawa as Yoshiko * Na ...

'' (1958) – director Kaneto Shindō * '' The Ballad of Narayama'' (1958) – director Keisuke Kinoshita * ''

Ballad of the Cart is a 1959 Japanese drama film directed by Satsuo Yamamoto. It was written by Yoshikata Yoda, based on a novel by activist Tomoe Yamashiro. Plot In Hiroshima Prefecture during the Meiji era, simple housemaid Seki accepts the proposal of Moich ...

'' (1959) – director Satsuo Yamamoto * ''

A Town of Love and Hope , also titled ''Street of Love and Hope'', is a 1959 Japanese drama film written and directed by Nagisa Ōshima. It was Ōshima's feature film debut. Plot Masao lives with his mother, who works as a shoe polisher, and his sister in a poverty-str ...

'' (1959) – director Nagisa Ōshima * ''

The End of Summer is a 1961 Japanese film directed by Yasujirō Ozu for Toho Films. It was entered into the 12th Berlin International Film Festival. The film was his penultimate; only ''An Autumn Afternoon'' (1962) followed it, which he made for Shochiku Films. P ...

'' (1961) – director Yasujirō Ozu * ''

Kwaidan is a Japanese word consisting of two kanji: 怪 (''kai'') meaning "strange, mysterious, rare, or bewitching apparition" and 談 (''dan'') meaning "talk" or "recited narrative". Overall meaning and usage In its broadest sense, ''kaidan'' refers ...

'' (1964) – director Masaki Kobayashi

References

External links

* *

Bibliography

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mochizuki, Yuuko 1917 births 1977 deaths Japanese film actresses 20th-century Japanese actresses Actresses from Kanagawa Prefecture Japanese actor-politicians