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'', Kissy Suzuki 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'' film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. The film was a Japanese–American co-production between Toho and Rankin/Bass, and stars Rhodes Reason, Linda Miller, Akira Takarada, Mie Hama, ...

''.

Career

Hama was working as a bus conductor when she was spotted by producer Tomoyuki Tanaka. 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?'' 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 produc ...

Studio's monster and fantasy movies such as '' King Kong vs. Godzilla'' (1962), '' The Lost World of Sinbad'' (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 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. 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

* '' King Kong vs. Godzilla'' (1962) as Fumiko Sakarai * '' The Lost World of Sinbad'' (1963) as Princess Yaya * '' Attack Squadron!'' (1963) * '' Yearning'' (1964) as Ruriko *''

The World's Most Beautiful Swindlers ''The World's Most Beautiful Swindlers'' (French: ''Les plus belles escroqueries du monde'') is a 1964 film composed of five segments, each of which was created with a different set of writers, directors, and actors. Cast *Mie Hama as Bar Hostess ...

'' (1964) (the Tokyo segment) * '' Kokusai himitsu keisatsu: Kagi no kagi'' (1965) as Miichin *'' Ironfinger'' (1965) as Yumi Sawada * '' You Only Live Twice'' (1967) as Kissy Suzuki * ''

'' (1967) as Madame Piranha * '' Edo no Kaze'' (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