is a Japanese actress who was one of the country's biggest stars of the 20th century.
Biography Wakao began her career contracted to Daiei Studios in 1951 as part of the fifth "New Face" group. She has gone on to appear in over 100 feature films, plus numerous television movies and series. She was a favorite actress of director Yasuzo Masumura, starring in 20 of his films. In addition to her many collaborations with Masumura, she was a favorite of Kon Ichikawa, having starred or co-starred in seven of the director's works. She appeared in Kenji Mizoguchi's A Geisha and Street of Shame. She also appeared in Yasujirō Ozu's Floating Weeds. Yuzo Kawashima made three films A Geisha's Diary, The Temple of Wild Geese and The Graceful Brute with her.
Wakao married architect Kisho Kurokawa in 1983. They did not have children. In 2007, both ran unsuccessful campaigns for seats in the upper house of the Japanese Parliament, before Kurokawa died in October of that year.
Selected filmography
Films
Year Title RoleNotes1952Shi no machi o NogareteSetsuko MinamiMōjū Tsukai no ShōjoAikoTomorrow Will Be a SundayMomoko YamabukiLead1953Teen-Ager's Sex ManualEiko TakanashiLeadA GeishaEiko/MiyoeiLeadJūdai no YūwakuLead1955A Girl Isn't Allowed to LoveYumiko KiryuLeadThe Phantom HorseYuki ShiraishiLead1956Street of ShameYasumiLead1957SuzakumonPrincess KazuLeadThe Blue Sky MaidenYukoLead 1958The Loyal 47 RoninOsuzu1959Floating WeedsKayo1960Afraid to DieYoshie KoizumiLead A False StudentMutsukoLead A Woman's TestamentKimiLead 1961A Wife ConfessesSaeko TakigawaLead A Geisha's DiaryKoenLead1962The Temple of Wild GeeseSatoko KiriharaLeadThe Graceful Brute Yukie MitaniLead1963An Actor's RevengeNamiji1964ManjiMitsuko TokumitsuLead 1966IrezumiOenLead Red AngelSakura NishiLead 1968The Saga of TanegashimaWakasa1970Zatoichi Meets YojimboUmeno1971Tora-san's Shattered RomanceYūko Akashi1975Kenji Mizoguchi: The Life of a Film DirectorHerselfDocumentary1987Princess from the MoonTayoshime2005Spring SnowGesshuji monzeki
Television Year Title RoleNotes1972Shin Heike MonogatariTokiwa GozenTaiga drama1975Genroku TaiheikiSomekoTaiga drama1988Takeda ShingenLady Ōi, narratorTaiga drama1998Tokugawa YoshinobuYoshikoTaiga drama2003MusashiYodo-donoTaiga drama2011SunshineOld Yōko Maruyama, narratorAsadora
Awards and nominations
Year Award Category Work(s) Result196212th Blue Ribbon AwardsBest ActressA Wife Confesses, A Geisha's Diary, and The Age of Marriage196235th Kinema Junpo AwardsBest ActressA Wife Confesses and A Geisha's Diary196616th Blue Ribbon AwardsBest ActressSeisaku's Wife and Nami Kage196639th Kinema Junpo AwardsBest ActressSeisaku's Wife and Nami Kage196942nd Kinema Junpo AwardsBest ActressOne Day at Summer's End, The House of Wooden Blocks, and The Time of Reckoning200660th Mainichi Film AwardsKinuyo Tanaka AwardLifetime Achievement
References
External links