Yōko Ishino

Yōko Ishino (いしの ようこ, Ishino Youko, born February 20, 1968) is a Japanese actress and tarento. She debuted in 1985 as a pop singer, and first appeared on television in 1986 and also appeared as a comedian with Shimura Ken in the TV show "Shimura Ken's Daijobudaa".

Early life

Yoko was born on February 20, 1968 in Ashiya, Hyōgo Prefecture into a wealthy family, as her parents run a beaded handbag manufacturing company.Weekly Bunshun March 9, 2023 issue "New Family Resume" No. 821, Yoko Ishino, p86-89 She grew up there as second of three daughters. Her older sister is the actress and singer Mako Ishino,Bessatsu Takarajima 2611 "80's Idol Collection" p.100. and her younger sister the actress and talent Jun Takano.

In first grade, her parents, concerned about her frail health, consulted an acquaintance and enrolled her in figure skating lessons. Three months later, she won a competition, earning a spot as a training athlete under coach Sonoko Nakano. She practiced daily before school and late into the evening, often traveling to a rink in Osaka. Her only downtime was watching TV on Sunday mornings.

When her mother began accompanying her older sister, Mako, to Tokyo for her entertainment career, she took on household chores and stopped skating in her first year of junior high. During spring and summer breaks, she visited Mako in Tokyo, dreaming of becoming a hair and makeup artist.

She attended a public junior high school in Ashiya City before graduating from Koshien Gakuin High School and later Horikoshi High School. Yoko has also attended in Horikoshi High School with the idol singer Yukiko Okada.

Career and Five-year love affair

Yoko was scouted while visiting her older sister, the singer Mako Ishino's set, and debuted when she was 17 years as an idol singer in 1985 with "Teddy Boy Blues".

In her late teens, she appeared on a travel show alongside the popular comedian Ken Shimura. During a casual chat on the location bus, Shimura remarked, "You're funny." This offhand compliment led to an invitation to join his comedy program ''Dorifu Daibakusho'', where she took part in a thief skit. After the recording, Shimura asked her to become a regular on his new show ''Daijobudaa''. Initially uncertain and inclined to decline, she was persuaded when Shimura assured her, "Think of it as a study session; it's perfectly fine if you commit just for three months (one season)," and so she accepted the offer.

When ''Daijobudaa'' premiered, she participated in the skits in a relaxed, almost temporary guest-like manner. However, as three months passed without any indication that her appearances would end, it became clear that her role was not limited by time. This realization sparked a sense of urgency: she knew she couldn't remain complacent and began to seriously consider how best to approach the comedy skits and define her role on the show. Gradually, as those around her started appreciating her physical humor, she sharpened her comedic instincts.

After a roughly five-year run on ''Daijobudaa'', Ishino went on to regularly appear on ''Shimura Ken wa Ikaga Deshou'' (1993–1995). Following the conclusion of that show, she took a brief hiatus from comedy sketches. Then, upon reuniting with Shimura for the first time in over a decade, he invited her to perform in a comedy sketch for the 2012 stage production ''Shimura Tamashii''—marking her third consecutive appearance with him.

During the summer of 1991—the following year—they were spotted by Shukan Josei magazine as they left Shimura's Tokyo residence en route to work together. When the reporter inquired, "Is she (Ishino) your girlfriend?", Shimura nodded and replied, "Yes!"

"They lived together for about a year after that, but eventually broke up. when Shimura-san and Yoko-chan began dating, they even met her parents . They were probably thinking about getting married."

Shimura remarked to an interviewer about the breakup:

Filmography

See also

* '' Teddy Boy Blues''

References

External links

*
JMDb profile

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ishino, Yoko
1968 births
Horikoshi High School alumni
Japanese film actresses
Japanese women comedians
Japanese television actresses
20th-century Japanese actresses
21st-century Japanese actresses
Actresses from Hyōgo Prefecture
Living people
People from Ashiya, Hyōgo
Singers from Hyōgo Prefecture
20th-century Japanese women singers
20th-century Japanese singers
21st-century Japanese women singers
21st-century Japanese singers