Tetsuko Kuroyanagi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tetsuko Kuroyanagi
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| 黒柳 徹子 | |
Kuroyanagi in November, 2015
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| Born | August 9, 1933 |
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| Years active | 1953–present |
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Tetsuko Kuroyanagi (黒柳 徹子, Kuroyanagi Tetsuko, born August 9, 1933) is a famous Japanese actress and television star. She is also an advisor for the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF.
Tetsuko Kuroyanagi made history in 1953. She joined NHK Broadcasting Theatre Company as the very first television actress. In 1954, she became a lead actress in the radio drama Yambō Nimbō Tombō.
In 1976, her own TV show, Tetsuko's Room (Tetsuko no Heya), began airing on TV Asahi. This show is incredibly popular and has been on for a long time. In 2011, it was recognized by Guinness World Records. It holds the record for the most broadcasts by the same host. As of 2023, the show has aired over 11,000 episodes. It has been on for 48 years, airing every weekday at noon.
She also wrote an autobiographical book called Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window. This book shares stories from her childhood. It became a huge bestseller after World War II. Over 8 million copies were sold in Japan and 25 million worldwide. The book has also been made into a television series twice.
Tetsuko Kuroyanagi is well-known for her charity work. She is considered one of the first Japanese celebrities to become famous around the world. In 2006, author Donald Richie called her "the most popular and admired woman in Japan."
Contents
Early Life and Education
Tetsuko Kuroyanagi was born in Tokyo City, Japan. Her father was a talented violinist. When she was a child, her nickname was Totto-chan. She wrote about this in her 1981 book, Totto-chan.
Kuroyanagi studied at the Tokyo College of Music. She focused on opera because she wanted to become an opera singer. However, after graduating, she became interested in acting and television. She joined Tokyo Hoso Gekidan. Soon after, she became the first Japanese actress to be hired by Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK).
A Star in Television
Tetsuko Kuroyanagi became very famous in 1975. This was when she started her afternoon television program Tetsuko's Room (徹子の部屋, Tetsuko no Heya). This show was the first talk show on Japanese television. It was broadcast by the private TV channel TV Asahi.
On Tetsuko's Room, Kuroyanagi talks with many famous people. Her guests come from different areas like TV, sports, and politics. The show was very successful. People started calling Kuroyanagi a "phenomenon" in Japan. This was because she was different from the "servile" or "wifely" women often seen on Japanese television.
By the early 1990s, Kuroyanagi had interviewed over two thousand guests. People say her warm personality and great talking skills made the show last so long. She is also known for appearing regularly on the TV quiz show "World Mysteries."
A Bestselling Author
The year 1981 was a big moment in her career. Kuroyanagi published her children book Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window. In this book, she wrote about her childhood at Tomoe Gakuen elementary school. She shared the special and unusual education she received during World War II. She also wrote about her teacher, Sosaku Kobayashi.
This book is considered her childhood memoir. When it was released, it became the bestselling book in Japanese history. The book was first translated into English in 1984. It has since been published in more than 30 countries.
Helping Children Around the World
Kuroyanagi is known worldwide for her charity and fund raising work. She started the Totto Foundation. This foundation is named after the main character in her book, Totto-chan. The foundation helps train deaf actors. It aims to bring theater to people who are deaf.
In 1984, UNICEF recognized her charity work. She was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF. She was the first person from Asia to have this important role. In the late 1980s and 1990s, she visited many developing countries in Asia and Africa. She went on goodwill missions and did charity work. She helped children who had suffered from disasters and war. She also helped raise global awareness about the lives of children in poor countries.
Her visit to Angola in 1989 was the first official visit by a VIP from Japan to that country. This was an important step for the diplomatic relationship between Japan and Angola. Kuroyanagi has raised over $20 million for UNICEF programs. She did this through TV fund-raising campaigns. She also used the money she earned from her bestselling book, Totto-chan, to help UNICEF. Kuroyanagi also joined other celebrities in the international UNICEF ‘Say Yes for Children’ campaign.
In 1997, Kuroyanagi published another book called "Totto-chan's Children." This book was based on her experiences as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador from 1984 to 1996. Kuroyanagi is also a director of the Japanese branch of the World Wildlife Fund. She has also brought America's National Theater of the Deaf to Japan twice. She even acted with them using sign language.
Awards and Recognition
For her work in media and television, Kuroyanagi won the Japanese Cultural Broadcasting Award. This is the highest television honor in Japan. She has also been voted Japan’s favorite television personality 14 times for her show, Tetsuko’s Room.
In 2000, Kuroyanagi received the first Global Leadership for Children Award. UNICEF created this award for the 10th anniversary of the 1990 World Summit for Children. In May 2003, Kuroyanagi received the Order of the Sacred Treasure. This award recognized her two decades of service helping children around the world.
Filmography
This is a list of some films she has been in:
- Thunderbirds (voice actor) (1965-1966) - Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward (Japanese dub)
- Jack and the Witch (voice actor) (1967)
- Breaking of Branches Is Forbidden (voice actor) (1968, dir. Kihachirō Kawamoto)
- Summer Soldiers (1972)
- Anne no Nikki (The Diary of Anne Frank) as Mrs. Petronella Van Daan (voice actor) (1995)
- The Book of the Dead (voice actor) (2005)
See also
In Spanish: Tetsuko Kuroyanagi para niños
