Isuzu Yamada
Encyclopedia
is a Japan
ese actress on stage and screen whose career has spanned eight decades.
with the name Mitsu Yamada. Her father, Kusuo Yamada, was a shinpa
stage actor specializing in onnagata roles and her mother, Ritsu, was a geisha
. Her family was poor, but under her mother's influence, she began learning nagauta
and Japanese traditional dance
from the age of six. She debuted as a film actress in 1930 at age twelve, appearing in a Nikkatsu
film, Ken o koete, opposite Denjirō Ōkōchi
. She soon became one of Nikkatsu's top actresses, but it was her strong portrayals of two rebellious modern girls
in Kenji Mizoguchi
's Osaka Elegy
and Sisters of the Gion
in 1936 at the new Daiichi Eiga studio that earned her popularity and critical acclaim. Moving to Shinkō Kinema
and then to Toho
, she starred in a series of films with Kazuo Hasegawa
, such as Mikio Naruse
's Tsuruhachi Tsurujirō (1938) and Masahiro Makino
's Kinō kieta otoko (1941), that made her a major star.
Yamada appeared in the films of many of the great Japanese directors, including Yasujirō Ozu
, Shirō Toyoda
and Teinosuke Kinugasa
, but she is probably best known to foreign audiences for major roles in films such as The Lower Depths
(1957), Throne of Blood
(1957, in the Lady Macbeth
role) and Yojimbo (1961), all of which were directed by Akira Kurosawa
.
From the mid-1950s, she appeared more and more on stage and on television.
, and fourth to the actor Tsutomu Shimomoto. Her daughter with Tsukita, Michiko, became famous as the actress Michiko Saga.
and a Mainichi Film Award for best actress, two times: in 1952 for Gendai-jin
and Hakone fūunroku, and in 1956 for Boshizō, Neko to Shōzō to futari no onna, and Nagareru
. She also won a Blue Ribbon Award for best supporting actress in 1955 for Takekurabe
and Ishigassen. She received a Special Award from the Chairman of the Japan Academy in 1995 in honor of her lifetime achievements in cinema. For her work on stage, she has been awarded the Grand Prize (Taishō) three times from the Agency for Cultural Affairs's Arts Festival (Geijutsusai) for the plays Tanuki (1974), Aizome Takao (1977), and Daiyu-san (1983).
She was named a Person of Cultural Merit
by the Japanese government in 1993 and became the first actress to receive the illustrious Order of Culture
from the Emperor of Japan
in 2000. The Order of Culture is considered Japan's "top cultural award."
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese actress on stage and screen whose career has spanned eight decades.
Career
Yamada was born in OsakaOsaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
with the name Mitsu Yamada. Her father, Kusuo Yamada, was a shinpa
Shinpa
is a form of theater and cinema in Japan usually featuring melodramatic stories. Its roots can be traced to a form of agitation propaganda theater in the 1880s promoted by Liberal Party members Sadanori Sudo and Otojirō Kawakami...
stage actor specializing in onnagata roles and her mother, Ritsu, was a geisha
Geisha
, Geiko or Geigi are traditional, female Japanese entertainers whose skills include performing various Japanese arts such as classical music and dance.-Terms:...
. Her family was poor, but under her mother's influence, she began learning nagauta
Nagauta
, literally "long song", is a kind of traditional Japanese music which accompanies the kabuki theater. They were developed around 1740. Influences included the vocal yōkyoku style used in noh theater, and instruments including the shamisen and various kinds of drums.The shamisen, a plucked lute...
and Japanese traditional dance
Japanese traditional dance
There are two types of Japanese traditional dance: Odori, which originated in the Edo period, and Mai, which originated in the western part of Japan. Odori grew out of Kabuki drama and is more oriented toward male sentiments. Mai is traditionally performed in Japanese rooms instead of on the stage...
from the age of six. She debuted as a film actress in 1930 at age twelve, appearing in a Nikkatsu
Nikkatsu
is a Japanese entertainment company well known for its film and television productions. It is Japan's oldest major movie studio. The name Nikkatsu is an abbreviation of Nippon Katsudō Shashin, literally "Japan Cinematograph Company".-History:...
film, Ken o koete, opposite Denjirō Ōkōchi
Denjirō Ōkōchi
was a Japanese film actor most famous for starring roles in jidaigeki directed by such masters as Akira Kurosawa, Daisuke Itō, Sadao Yamanaka, Teinosuke Kinugasa, Hiroshi Inagaki and Masahiro Makino. His real name was Masuo Ōbe...
. She soon became one of Nikkatsu's top actresses, but it was her strong portrayals of two rebellious modern girls
Modern girl
were Japanese women who followed Westernized fashions and lifestyles in the 1920s. These moga were Japan's equivalent of America's flappers, India's kallege ladki, Germany's neue Frauen, France's garçonnes, or China's modeng xiaojie...
in Kenji Mizoguchi
Kenji Mizoguchi
Kenji Mizoguchi was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. His film Ugetsu won the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival, and appeared in the Sight & Sound Critics' Top Ten Poll in 1962 and 1972. Mizoguchi is renowned for his mastery of the long take and mise-en-scène...
's Osaka Elegy
Osaka Elegy
is a 1936 Japanese film directed by Kenji Mizoguchi. Mizoguchi considered the film his first serious effort as a director, and it was also his first commercial and critical success in Japan...
and Sisters of the Gion
Sisters of the Gion
is a 1936 black and white Japanese film drama directed by Kenji Mizoguchi.The film is based on the novel Yama by Aleksandr Kuprin....
in 1936 at the new Daiichi Eiga studio that earned her popularity and critical acclaim. Moving to Shinkō Kinema
Shinkō Kinema
-Background:Shinkō was established in September 1931 out of the remnants of the Teikoku Kinema studio with the help of Shōchiku capital. The historian Jun'ichirō Tanaka writes that the studio was part of Shōchiku's effort to monopolize the Japanese film industry, using Shinkō to control some of the...
and then to Toho
Toho
is a Japanese film, theater production, and distribution company. It is headquartered in Yūrakuchō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group...
, she starred in a series of films with Kazuo Hasegawa
Kazuo Hasegawa
was a Japanese film actor. He appeared in 290 films between 1927 and 1963.-Filmography:Filmography of Kazuo Hasegawa include :* also known as Crossroads, Crossways, Shadows of the Yoshiwara or Slums of Tokyo...
, such as Mikio Naruse
Mikio Naruse
was a Japanese filmmaker, screenwriter, and producer who directed some 89 films spanning the period 1930 to 1967.Naruse is known for imbuing his films with a bleak and pessimistic outlook...
's Tsuruhachi Tsurujirō (1938) and Masahiro Makino
Masahiro Makino
was a Japanese film director of more than 260 films, primarily in the chanbara and yakuza genres. His real name was Masatada , but he took the stage name Masahiro, the kanji for which he changed multiple times .-Career:...
's Kinō kieta otoko (1941), that made her a major star.
Yamada appeared in the films of many of the great Japanese directors, including Yasujirō Ozu
Yasujiro Ozu
was a prominent Japanese film director and script writer. He is known for his distinctive technical style, developed during the silent era. Marriage and family, especially the relationships between the generations, are among the most persistent themes in his body of work...
, Shirō Toyoda
Shiro Toyoda
was a Japanese film director.-Career:Born in Kyoto, Toyoda moved to Tokyo in his teens and began studying under the pioneering film director Eizō Tanaka. He joined Shōchiku's Kamata studio in 1924 and worked as an assistant director under Yasujirō Shimazu...
and Teinosuke Kinugasa
Teinosuke Kinugasa
-External links:* *...
, but she is probably best known to foreign audiences for major roles in films such as The Lower Depths
The Lower Depths (1957 film)
is a 1957 Japanese film directed by Akira Kurosawa, based on the play The Lower Depths by Maxim Gorky. The film's setting was changed to Edo-period Japan.-Cast:*Sutekichi -- Toshirō Mifune*Osugi -- Isuzu Yamada*Kahei -- Bokuzen Hidari*Okayo -- Kyôko Kagawa...
(1957), Throne of Blood
Throne of Blood
Throne of Blood is a 1957 Japanese film directed by Akira Kurosawa. Its original Japanese title is Kumonosu-jō , which means "Spider Web Castle". The film transposes the plot of William Shakespeare's play Macbeth to feudal Japan.-Plot:...
(1957, in the Lady Macbeth
Lady Macbeth
Lady Macbeth may refer to:*Lady Macbeth, from William Shakespeare's play Macbeth**Queen Gruoch of Scotland, the real-life Queen on whom Shakespeare based the character...
role) and Yojimbo (1961), all of which were directed by Akira Kurosawa
Akira Kurosawa
was a Japanese film director, producer, screenwriter and editor. Regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers in the history of cinema, Kurosawa directed 30 filmsIn 1946, Kurosawa co-directed, with Hideo Sekigawa and Kajiro Yamamoto, the feature Those Who Make Tomorrow ;...
.
From the mid-1950s, she appeared more and more on stage and on television.
Family
Yamada was married four times, first to the actor Ichirō Tsukita, second to the producer Kazuo Takimura, third to the actor Yoshi KatōYoshi Kato
Yoshi Kato was a Japanese film actor. He appeared in 92 films between 1950 and 1988.-Selected filmography:* The Rice People * Zero Focus * Immortal Love...
, and fourth to the actor Tsutomu Shimomoto. Her daughter with Tsukita, Michiko, became famous as the actress Michiko Saga.
Awards
Yamada has earned numerous accolades during her long career. She earned double honors, a Blue Ribbon AwardBlue Ribbon Awards
The are film-specific prizes awarded solely by movie critics and writers in Tokyo, Japan.The awards were established in 1950 by which is composed of film correspondents from seven Tokyo-based sports newspapers...
and a Mainichi Film Award for best actress, two times: in 1952 for Gendai-jin
Gendai-jin
is a 1952 black-and-white Japanese film directed by Minoru Shibuya. It was entered into the 1953 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Ryō Ikebe* Isuzu Yamada* Sō Yamamura* Toshiko Kobayashi* Yūko Mochizuki* Shinsuke Ashida* Yumi Takano* Jun Tatara...
and Hakone fūunroku, and in 1956 for Boshizō, Neko to Shōzō to futari no onna, and Nagareru
Nagareru
is a 1956 Japanese film directed by Mikio Naruse. The black-and-white drama starred Kinuyo Tanaka, Isuzu Yamada, Hideko Takamine, Mariko Okada, Haruko Sugimura, Sumiko Kurishima, Chieko Nakakita, Natsuko Kahara, Seiji Miyaguchi, Daisuke Katō, Nobuo Nakamura, Kumeko Otowa and others....
. She also won a Blue Ribbon Award for best supporting actress in 1955 for Takekurabe
Takekurabe (1955 film)
, English titles include: Adolescence, Growing Up Twice, Growing Up, and Child's Play, is a 1955 black-and-white Japanese film directed by Heinosuke Gosho.It is a film adaptation of Higuchi Ichiyō's 1895-1896 novel Takekurabe....
and Ishigassen. She received a Special Award from the Chairman of the Japan Academy in 1995 in honor of her lifetime achievements in cinema. For her work on stage, she has been awarded the Grand Prize (Taishō) three times from the Agency for Cultural Affairs's Arts Festival (Geijutsusai) for the plays Tanuki (1974), Aizome Takao (1977), and Daiyu-san (1983).
She was named a Person of Cultural Merit
Person of Cultural Merit
is an official Japanese recognition-honor which is awarded annually to select people who have made outstanding cultural contributions. This distinction is intended to play a role as a part of a system of support measures for the promotion of creative activities in Japan...
by the Japanese government in 1993 and became the first actress to receive the illustrious Order of Culture
Order of Culture
The is a Japanese order, established on February 11, 1937. The order has one class only, and may be awarded to men and women for contributions to Japan's art, literature or culture; recipients of the order also receive an annuity for life...
from the Emperor of Japan
Emperor of Japan
The Emperor of Japan is, according to the 1947 Constitution of Japan, "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people." He is a ceremonial figurehead under a form of constitutional monarchy and is head of the Japanese Imperial Family with functions as head of state. He is also the highest...
in 2000. The Order of Culture is considered Japan's "top cultural award."
Selected filmography
- Ken o koete (剣を超えて) (1930)
- The Mountain Pass of Love and HateThe Mountain Pass of Love and Hateis a 1934 black-and-white Japanese film directed by Kenji Mizoguchi.-External links:...
(愛憎峠 Aizo toge) (1934) - The Downfall of OsenThe Downfall of Osenis a 1935 black and white Japanese silent film with benshi accompaniment directed by Kenji Mizoguchi. The films centers on the theme of the strength of a woman who gives everything to the man she loves; a theme which Mizoguchi explored his whole life. The moving camera technique and bold...
(折鶴お千, Orizuru Osen) (1935) - Osaka ElegyOsaka Elegyis a 1936 Japanese film directed by Kenji Mizoguchi. Mizoguchi considered the film his first serious effort as a director, and it was also his first commercial and critical success in Japan...
(浪華悲歌, Naniwa erejii) (1936) - Sisters of the GionSisters of the Gionis a 1936 black and white Japanese film drama directed by Kenji Mizoguchi.The film is based on the novel Yama by Aleksandr Kuprin....
(祇園の姉妹, Gion no kyōdai) (1936) - Tsuruhachi Tsurujirō (鶴八鶴次郎) (1938)
- Kinō kieta otoko (昨日消えた男) (1941)
- Gendai-jinGendai-jinis a 1952 black-and-white Japanese film directed by Minoru Shibuya. It was entered into the 1953 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Ryō Ikebe* Isuzu Yamada* Sō Yamamura* Toshiko Kobayashi* Yūko Mochizuki* Shinsuke Ashida* Yumi Takano* Jun Tatara...
(現代人) (1952) - Hakone fūunroku (箱根風雲録) (1952)
- Tōjin OkichiTōjin Okichi (1954 film)is a 1954 black-and-white Japanese film directed by Mitsuo Wakasugi.- See also :* Tōjin Okichi * Tōjin Okichi * Tōjin Okichi...
(唐人お吉) (1954) - TakekurabeTakekurabe (1955 film), English titles include: Adolescence, Growing Up Twice, Growing Up, and Child's Play, is a 1955 black-and-white Japanese film directed by Heinosuke Gosho.It is a film adaptation of Higuchi Ichiyō's 1895-1896 novel Takekurabe....
(たけくらべ Takekurabe), English titles include: Adolescence aka Growing Up Twice aka Growing Up aka Child's Play (1955) - Christ in BronzeChrist in Bronzeis a 1955 black-and-white Japanese film directed by Minoru Shibuya. It was entered into the 1956 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Eiji Okada* Kazuko Okada* Osamu Takizawa* Shinobu Araki* Akira Ishihama* Kyōko Kagawa* Kinzo Shin* Isuzu Yamada...
(青銅の基督, Seidō no Kirisuto) (1955) - NagareruNagareruis a 1956 Japanese film directed by Mikio Naruse. The black-and-white drama starred Kinuyo Tanaka, Isuzu Yamada, Hideko Takamine, Mariko Okada, Haruko Sugimura, Sumiko Kurishima, Chieko Nakakita, Natsuko Kahara, Seiji Miyaguchi, Daisuke Katō, Nobuo Nakamura, Kumeko Otowa and others....
(Flowing) (流れる) (1956) - Boshizō (母子像) (1956)
- Neko to Shōzō to futari no onna (猫と庄三と二人のをんな) (1956)
- Throne of BloodThrone of BloodThrone of Blood is a 1957 Japanese film directed by Akira Kurosawa. Its original Japanese title is Kumonosu-jō , which means "Spider Web Castle". The film transposes the plot of William Shakespeare's play Macbeth to feudal Japan.-Plot:...
(蜘蛛巣城, Kumonosu-jō) (1957) - Black RiverBlack River (1957 film)is a 1957 Japanese film directed by Masaki Kobayashi. The story follows a university student who moves into an apartment building and becomes involved with a waitress. The landlord then attempts to evict the tenants and sell the building through illicit means...
(黒い河, Kuroi kawa) (1957) - Tokyo TwilightTokyo Twilightis a 1957 film by Yasujirō Ozu. The film is considered amongst Ozu's darkest postwar films.-Synopsis:Akiko Sugiyama is a young college graduate girl learning English shorthand. Her elder sister Takako , running away from an unhappy marriage, has returned home to stay with Akiko and their father...
(東京暮色, Tōkyō boshoku) (1957) - The Lower DepthsThe Lower Depths (1957 film)is a 1957 Japanese film directed by Akira Kurosawa, based on the play The Lower Depths by Maxim Gorky. The film's setting was changed to Edo-period Japan.-Cast:*Sutekichi -- Toshirō Mifune*Osugi -- Isuzu Yamada*Kahei -- Bokuzen Hidari*Okayo -- Kyôko Kagawa...
(どん底, Donzoko) (1957) - Yojimbo (用心棒, Yōjinbō) (1961)