was a Japanese actress, best known to Western audiences for her portrayal of Mariko in the 1980 miniseries Shōgun.
Shogun miniseries Shimada was the only female member of Shōguns massive cast of Japanese actors shown speaking English, for which she relied on a dialogue coach, as she was not fluent in the language at the time. Her English improved greatly during the production, however, allowing her to work in a few English language films during the 1980s and 1990s. In 1981, she won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama, and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for her work on Shōgun. While the nine-hour long Shōgun was a critical success in the U.S., it flopped in Japan when it was released as a severely truncated theatrical version.
Personal life In 1988, Shimada had an affair with singer Yuya Uchida, who was married at the time. She reportedly had resorted to alcoholism and appeared in a nude photo book in 1992Kir Royale - Yoko Shimada Photos (1992) ASIN: B0BBNCPZLV in an attempt to clear her personal debts. Though the book was a bestseller, it damaged her reputation as an actress. In 2011, at the age of 58, she starred in an adult video.
Shimada died at a hospital in Tokyo on 25 July 2022, due to complications from colorectal cancer.
Filmography Movies Year Title Role Country 1971 Go Go Kamen Rider(ゴーゴー仮面ライダー) Hiromi Nohara(野原ひろみ) Japan 1972 First Love(初めての愛) Mitsuyo Sakamoto(坂本光代) Japan 1973 Kigeki Nihon Rettō Shindo 0(喜劇 日本列島震度0) Earthquake Research Institute staff member(地震研究所所員) Japan 1974 Nagare no Fu Part I: Disturbance, Part II: Dawn(流れの譜 第一部 動乱 第二部 夜明け) Saeko Kubo(久保冴子) Japan 1974 Castle of Sand(砂の器) Rieko Takagi(高木理恵子) Japan 1975 I Am a Cat(吾輩は猫である) Yukie(雪江) Japan 1975 Kyūkei no Kōya(球形の荒野) Kumiko Nogami(野上久美子) Japan 1975 Yogiri no Hōmon-sha(夜霧の訪問者) Etsuko Ichiki / Noriko Tazawa (dual roles)(市木江津子・田沢のり子（二役）) Japan 1976 Truck Guys 3: Bōkyō Ichibanboshi(トラック野郎・望郷一番星) Akiko Mikami (3rd generation Madonna)(三上亜希子（三代目マドンナ）) Japan 1976 The Inugami Family(犬神家の一族) Tamayo Nonomiya(野々宮珠世) Japan 1977 Village of Eight Gravestones(八つ墓村) Okisa Tajimi (cameo)(多治見おきさ (カメオ出演)) Japan 1979 Dead Angle(白昼の死角) Ayaka(綾香) Japan 1979 Dog of Fortune(黄金の犬) Reiko Kitamori(北守礼子) Japan 1980 Shōgun [theatrical edit] Mariko Toda(戸田まり子) U.S. / Japan 1981 Little Champion (aka My Champion)(リトルチャンピオン) Michiko Suwa (Miki Gorman)(諏訪美智子（ミキ・ゴーマン）) Japan 1987 The Man Who Assassinated Ryoma(竜馬を斬った男) Kozakae(小栄) Japan 1988 Hanazono no Meikyū(花園の迷宮) Tae Akimoto(秋元多恵) Japan 1988 Hashi(橋) Umiko Takagi(高樹海子) Japan 1991 Dohten(動天) Oran(おらん) Japan 1991 Kaze, Slow Down(風、スローダウン) Bike club manager's wife(バイククラブ監督の妻) Japan 1993 Ring! Ring! Ring! The Champion Belt of Tears(リング・リング・リング 涙のチャンピオンベルト) Devil Naomi(デビル奈緒美) Japan 1995 Police Department Crime Prevention Section 5104 Incident(ゴト師株式会社スペシャル 警視庁防犯課第5104号事件) Ryōko Amachi(天地猟子) Japan 1995 The Hunted Mieko Takeda(武田美恵子) U.S. / Japan 1995 Crying Freeman Kimie Hanada(花田君江) Canada / France / Japan 2000 Ane Gokudō Bosatsu no Ryūko(姐極道 菩薩の龍子) Japan 2001 Hero Zheng Chenggong (aka The Sino-Dutch War 1661)(英雄鄭成功) Matsu Tagawa(田川マツ) China 2002 Undiscovered Tomb(極地皇陵) Professor Ivy Chan Hong Kong 2005 The Deep Red(深紅) Dr. Tanaka(田中医師) Japan 2009 Dear Heart: Furuete Nemure(Dear Heart-震えて眠れ-) Japan 2010 To Live as an Actress(島田陽子に逢いたい) Herself(島田陽子) Japan 2011 Secret Affair (aka Yōko Shimada – Assignation)(密会) Japan 2011 Faithless Love(不貞愛) Japan 2011 Ashita Naku(明日泣く) Japan 2012 Kanojo wa Umi e(彼女は海へ) Nanako(菜々子) Japan 2015 Santa Claus(サンタクロースズ) Santa Kurosu(黒須三太) Japan 2016 God in Jail(塀の中の神様) Fusako(房子) Japan 2016 Kanon(カノン) Sumiko Arai(新井澄子) Japan 2022 Ever Garden(エヴァーガーデン) Haruko Segara(相楽晴子) Japan
Television Osanazuma (1970) Kamen Rider (1971) – Hiromi Nohara Karei-naru Ichizoku (1974–75) – Tsugiko Manpyo Shiroi Kyotō (1978) Ōgon no Hibi (1978) – Tama Shōgun (1980) – Lady Toda Buntaro – Mariko Chicago Story (1982) – Wing Sanga Moyu (1984) Oka no Ue no Himawari (1993)
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