Yoshiko Kuga facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Yoshiko Kuga
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| 久我 美子 | |
Kuga in 1953
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| Born |
Haruko Koga
21 January 1931 |
| Died | 9 June 2024 (aged 93) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1947–2000 |
| Spouse(s) |
Akihiko Hirata
(m. 1961; died 1984) |
Yoshiko Kuga (久我 美子, Kuga Yoshiko, 21 January 1931 – 9 June 2024) was a famous Japanese actress. She starred in many movies and TV shows during her long career.
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Life and Career of Yoshiko Kuga
Yoshiko Kuga was born in Tokyo, Japan, on January 21, 1931. Her father came from an important noble family and was part of the Japanese government.
In 1946, when she was still in junior high school, Yoshiko decided to become an actress. She joined Toho studios. Toho had a special search for new actors, and Yoshiko was chosen from 4,000 people!
In 1947, she made her first movie, an omnibus film called Four Love Stories (四つの恋の物語, Yottsu no Koi no Monogatari). An omnibus film is like a movie made up of several short stories.
Yoshiko was also active in a union strike at Toho studios in 1948. This showed she cared about fair working conditions for actors.
In the 1950s, she started working on her own. She appeared in many films for Shochiku studios. She worked with famous directors like Keisuke Kinoshita, Kenji Mizoguchi, Yasujirō Ozu, and Tadashi Imai.
In 1954, Yoshiko Kuga, along with two other actresses, Keiko Kishi and Ineko Arima, started their own film company called Ninjin Club. They wanted to create better working conditions for actors in the film industry.
Later in her career, starting in the 1970s, she mostly appeared on television and in stage plays.
Yoshiko Kuga was married to actor Akihiko Hirata. They were married from 1961 until he passed away in 1984. Yoshiko Kuga lived to be 93 years old. She passed away on June 9, 2024.
Selected Films of Yoshiko Kuga
Here are some of the movies Yoshiko Kuga appeared in:
- 1948: Drunken Angel (directed by Akira Kurosawa)
- 1950: Until We Meet Again (directed by Tadashi Imai)
- 1951: The Idiot (directed by Akira Kurosawa)
- 1953: Older Brother, Younger Sister (directed by Mikio Naruse)
- 1953: An Inlet of Muddy Water (directed by Tadashi Imai)
- 1953: Love Letter (directed by Kinuyo Tanaka)
- 1954: The Woman in the Rumor (directed by Kenji Mizoguchi)
- 1954: The Garden of Women (directed by Keisuke Kinoshita)
- 1955: Shin Heike Monogatari (directed by Kenji Mizoguchi)
- 1956: The Rose on His Arm (directed by Keisuke Kinoshita)
- 1956: Farewell to Dream (directed by Keisuke Kinoshita)
- 1957: Yellow Crow (directed by Heinosuke Gosho)
- 1957: Elegy of the North (directed by Heinosuke Gosho)
- 1958: Equinox Flower (directed by Yasujirō Ozu)
- 1959: The Snow Flurry (directed by Keisuke Kinoshita)
- 1959: Good Morning (directed by Yasujirō Ozu)
- 1960: Cruel Story of Youth (directed by Nagisa Ōshima)
- 1961: Zero Focus (directed by Yoshitarō Nomura)
- 1961: The Story of Osaka Castle (directed by Hiroshi Inagaki)
- 1964: Whirlwind (directed by Hiroshi Inagaki)
- 1989: Godzilla vs. Biollante (a small appearance, called a cameo)
- 1997: Toki o Kakeru Shōjo (directed by Haruki Kadokawa)
Selected Television Roles
- 1974–1975: Karei-naru Ichizoku (on NET)
Awards and Recognition
Yoshiko Kuga received several awards for her acting:
- 1954: Mainichi Film Award for Best Supporting Actress
- 1956: Blue Ribbon Award for Best Supporting Actress
- 1994: Kinuyo Tanaka Memorial Award at Mainichi Film Awards
- 1995: The Golden Glory Award
