Makiko Esumi
Encyclopedia
, née Makiko Hirano is a Japanese
model
, actress, writer
, essayist, and lyricist
. Esumi is most well known for her role as Chinatsu Tsuboi in the Japanese television drama
series Shomuni
.
Esumi won the 1995 Rookie of the Year Award at both the 19th Annual Japan Academy Prize ceremonies and at the 38th Blue Ribbon Awards
for her role in the 1995 film Maborosi
. She was nominated in 2002 for the Best Actress Award at the 26th Annual Japan Academy Prize ceremonies for her role in Inochi
.
In 2000, she released her single, One Way Drive, featuring guitar work and production by Tomoyasu Hotei
, who also co-wrote the song with Esumi. She wrote a children's book in 2005.
Esumi is married to Fuji TV director Shin Hirano and is distantly related to Koji Ezumi, a goalkeeper for Omiya Ardija
. She was previously married to photographer Rowland Kirishima. She gave birth in 2005 to her first daughter, with her second due to be born in December 2009.
She is represented by the talent management firm Ken-On
.
at Izumo-taisha. After graduating from high school, she signed with the Japan Tobacco
Women's Volleyball team (now the JT Marvelous
in the V.League
). She was injured in 1989 while playing and decided to pursue a career in show business
after watching actress and singer Miki Imai on television while recovering in the hospital. She then focused on a career as a fashion model.
In 1995, Esumi made her acting debut as Yumiko in Maborosi
, a film directed by Hirokazu Koreeda
. Edward Guthmann of the San Francisco Chronicle
gave her acting high praise, describing it as "extraordinary" and stating she played the role with "delicacy and physical grace". Esumi won the Rookie of the Year Award at both the 19th Annual Japan Academy Prize ceremonies and at the 38th Blue Ribbon Awards
for her role in Maborosi. Esumi married photographer Rowland Kirishima in February 1996, though they divorced only nine months later.
She is probably best known for her leading role as the rebellious office lady
Tsuboi Chinatsu in the Shomuni
series of TV dramas, the first of which aired on Fuji TV from April to July 1998. A second series aired from April to June 2000, with a third airing from July to September 2002. Several specials were also produced. Esumi made her singing debut on 26 April 2000 with the release of her One Way Drive single. The title song was used as the ending theme to the second Shomuni series, with the lyrics by Esumi and the music by guitarist
Tomoyasu Hotei
.
Esumi was described as "stunning" in her lead role of Stray Cat in the 2001 Pistol Opera
, one of Seijun Suzuki
last films.
She was nominated in 2002 for the Best Actress Award at the 26th Annual Japan Academy Prize ceremonies for her role in Inochi
.
Esumi and Fuji TV director Shin Hirano were married in 2003. That same year, she began appearing in Japanese government television and print advertisements encouraging the public to make their pension contributions, but started a small scandal in 2004 when it was reported that she was not making those same pension contributions herself. She stated that she thought she had been making the payments, and then corrected the issue by becoming current on her contributions. Esumi's image was removed from the ads at the direction of the Social Insurance Agency after the scandal broke.
Her eldest daughter was born in February 2005, and a second daughter was announced in July 2009 as due to be born in December. Esumi wrote a personal note about this announcement which her talent agency subsequently published on their site.
In a 20 May 2007 article in the Asahi Shimbun
, Esumi revealed that her younger brother had died at the age of 36 the previous May of complications due to cancer
.
Sources:
Sources:
: an autobiography titled , published in December 1997 (ISBN 4048835149, Kadokawa Shoten
) and reprinted in July 1999 (ISBN 4043488017, Kadokawa Shoten); and an essay titled , published in March 2006 (ISBN 4083330546, Shueisha
).
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
model
Model (person)
A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
, actress, writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, essayist, and lyricist
Lyricist
A lyricist is a songwriter who specializes in lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-composer, who composes the song's melody.-Collaboration:...
. Esumi is most well known for her role as Chinatsu Tsuboi in the Japanese television drama
Japanese television drama
, also called , are a staple of Japanese television and are broadcast daily. All major TV networks in Japan produce a variety of drama series including murder romance, comedy, detective stories, horror, and many others...
series Shomuni
Shomuni
is a comedic TV drama serial based on the Japanese manga of the same name by , though much of the details have departed from the comic...
.
Esumi won the 1995 Rookie of the Year Award at both the 19th Annual Japan Academy Prize ceremonies and at the 38th Blue Ribbon Awards
Blue 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...
for her role in the 1995 film Maborosi
Maborosi
Maborosi, known in Japan as Maboroshi no Hikari is a 1995 Japanese film by director Hirokazu Koreeda starring Makiko Esumi, Tadanobu Asano and Takashi Naitō...
. She was nominated in 2002 for the Best Actress Award at the 26th Annual Japan Academy Prize ceremonies for her role in Inochi
Inochi
is a 2002 Japanese movie directed by Shinohara Tetsuo starring Esumi Makiko and Etsushi Toyokawa. It is based on a memoir of the same title by the Korean-Japanese author Yu Miri.-Plot summary:...
.
In 2000, she released her single, One Way Drive, featuring guitar work and production by Tomoyasu Hotei
Tomoyasu Hotei
is a Japanese musician, guitarist and actor. In 2003, HMV Japan ranked Hotei at number 70 on their list of the 100 most important Japanese pop acts.- Life and career :...
, who also co-wrote the song with Esumi. She wrote a children's book in 2005.
Esumi is married to Fuji TV director Shin Hirano and is distantly related to Koji Ezumi, a goalkeeper for Omiya Ardija
Omiya Ardija
is a professional football club which play in the J. League Division 1, and are based in Ōmiya-ku in Saitama, Japan. Its "hometown" as designated by the league is the whole of Saitama city, which is shared with neighbours Urawa Red Diamonds...
. She was previously married to photographer Rowland Kirishima. She gave birth in 2005 to her first daughter, with her second due to be born in December 2009.
She is represented by the talent management firm Ken-On
Ken-On
is a small Japanese entertainment conglomerate founded in October 1979. It is located in Roppongi.- Subsidiaries :* Ken-On Incorporated* Ken Kikaku Incorporated* MC Cabin Music Publishing* RAD Japan* Taisuke Management* Pin-ups Artists- Female :- Male :...
.
History
While a high school student, Esumi worked as a mikoMiko
is a Japanese term that anciently meant a "female shaman, spirit medium" who conveyed oracles from kami , and currently means a "shrine maiden; virgin consecrated to a deity" who serves at Shinto shrines.-Word:...
at Izumo-taisha. After graduating from high school, she signed with the Japan Tobacco
Japan Tobacco
, abbreviated JT, is a cigarette manufacturing company. It is part of the Nikkei 225 index. In 2009 the company was listed at number 312 on the Fortune 500 list. The company is headquartered in Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo. The international headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland.-History:The company...
Women's Volleyball team (now the JT Marvelous
JT Marvelous
JT Marvelous is a women's volleyball team owned by Japan Tobacco Ltd., and based in Nishinomiya, Hyogo, Japan. It plays in V.Premier League.-Honours:Japan Volleyball League/V.League/V.Premier League*Champion :2010-11*Runners-up : 2006-2007, 2009–10...
in the V.League
V.League (Japan)
The V.Premier League is the top-level volleyball league for both men and women in Japan. The league started in 1994.The competitions are organized by the Japan Volleyball Association....
). She was injured in 1989 while playing and decided to pursue a career in show business
Show business
Show business, sometimes shortened to show biz, is a vernacular term for all aspects of entertainment. The word applies to all aspects of the entertainment industry from the business side to the creative element ....
after watching actress and singer Miki Imai on television while recovering in the hospital. She then focused on a career as a fashion model.
In 1995, Esumi made her acting debut as Yumiko in Maborosi
Maborosi
Maborosi, known in Japan as Maboroshi no Hikari is a 1995 Japanese film by director Hirokazu Koreeda starring Makiko Esumi, Tadanobu Asano and Takashi Naitō...
, a film directed by Hirokazu Koreeda
Hirokazu Koreeda
is a Japanese film director, producer, screenwriter and editor. His films explore themes of memory, death, and coming to terms with loss.Koreeda originally planned to be a novelist, but after graduating from Waseda University instead worked as an assistant director on documentaries for TV Man Union...
. Edward Guthmann of the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
gave her acting high praise, describing it as "extraordinary" and stating she played the role with "delicacy and physical grace". Esumi won the Rookie of the Year Award at both the 19th Annual Japan Academy Prize ceremonies and at the 38th Blue Ribbon Awards
Blue 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...
for her role in Maborosi. Esumi married photographer Rowland Kirishima in February 1996, though they divorced only nine months later.
She is probably best known for her leading role as the rebellious office lady
Office lady
An office lady, often abbreviated OL , is a female office worker in Japan who performs generally pink collar tasks such as serving tea and secretarial or clerical work. Like many unmarried Japanese, OLs often live with their parents well into early adulthood...
Tsuboi Chinatsu in the Shomuni
Shomuni
is a comedic TV drama serial based on the Japanese manga of the same name by , though much of the details have departed from the comic...
series of TV dramas, the first of which aired on Fuji TV from April to July 1998. A second series aired from April to June 2000, with a third airing from July to September 2002. Several specials were also produced. Esumi made her singing debut on 26 April 2000 with the release of her One Way Drive single. The title song was used as the ending theme to the second Shomuni series, with the lyrics by Esumi and the music by guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Tomoyasu Hotei
Tomoyasu Hotei
is a Japanese musician, guitarist and actor. In 2003, HMV Japan ranked Hotei at number 70 on their list of the 100 most important Japanese pop acts.- Life and career :...
.
Esumi was described as "stunning" in her lead role of Stray Cat in the 2001 Pistol Opera
Pistol Opera
is a 2001 Japanese film directed by Seijun Suzuki and starring Makiko Esumi. As one of Seijun's last fims, it is related to Suzuki's 1967 Branded to Kill, either as a remake or sequel...
, one of Seijun Suzuki
Seijun Suzuki
, born Seitaro Suzuki on May 24, 1923, is a Japanese filmmaker, actor, and screenwriter. His films are renowned by film enthusiasts worldwide for their jarring visual style, irreverent humour, nihilistic cool and entertainment-over-logic sensibility...
last films.
She was nominated in 2002 for the Best Actress Award at the 26th Annual Japan Academy Prize ceremonies for her role in Inochi
Inochi
is a 2002 Japanese movie directed by Shinohara Tetsuo starring Esumi Makiko and Etsushi Toyokawa. It is based on a memoir of the same title by the Korean-Japanese author Yu Miri.-Plot summary:...
.
Esumi and Fuji TV director Shin Hirano were married in 2003. That same year, she began appearing in Japanese government television and print advertisements encouraging the public to make their pension contributions, but started a small scandal in 2004 when it was reported that she was not making those same pension contributions herself. She stated that she thought she had been making the payments, and then corrected the issue by becoming current on her contributions. Esumi's image was removed from the ads at the direction of the Social Insurance Agency after the scandal broke.
Her eldest daughter was born in February 2005, and a second daughter was announced in July 2009 as due to be born in December. Esumi wrote a personal note about this announcement which her talent agency subsequently published on their site.
In a 20 May 2007 article in the Asahi Shimbun
Asahi Shimbun
The is the second most circulated out of the five national newspapers in Japan. Its circulation, which was 7.96 million for its morning edition and 3.1 million for its evening edition as of June 2010, was second behind that of Yomiuri Shimbun...
, Esumi revealed that her younger brother had died at the age of 36 the previous May of complications due to cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
.
Films
- MaborosiMaborosiMaborosi, known in Japan as Maboroshi no Hikari is a 1995 Japanese film by director Hirokazu Koreeda starring Makiko Esumi, Tadanobu Asano and Takashi Naitō...
(Yumiko, 9 December 1995) - Koi wa Maiorita. (Machiko, 17 May 1997)
- DinosaurDinosaur (film)Dinosaur is a 2000 American computer-animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures on May 19, 2000, and is the 39th animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series...
(voice of Neera, 19 May 2000) - Pistol OperaPistol Operais a 2001 Japanese film directed by Seijun Suzuki and starring Makiko Esumi. As one of Seijun's last fims, it is related to Suzuki's 1967 Branded to Kill, either as a remake or sequel...
(Miyuki Minazuki / Stray Cat / Killer #3, 27 October 2001) - InochiInochiis a 2002 Japanese movie directed by Shinohara Tetsuo starring Esumi Makiko and Etsushi Toyokawa. It is based on a memoir of the same title by the Korean-Japanese author Yu Miri.-Plot summary:...
(Yu Miri, 14 September 2002) - Tsuribaka Nisshi 15: Hama-chan ni Ashita wa nai!?Tsuribaka Nisshi' is a fishing manga by Jūzō Yamasaki and Kenichi Kitami that has been serialized in Big Comic Original since 1979. It won the 28th Shogakukan Manga Award in 1983...
(Kaori Hayakawa, 21 August 2004) - MushishiMushishiis a manga series written and illustrated by Yuki Urushibara, published in Kodansha's Afternoon magazine from 1999 to August 2008.The manga was adapted into an anime television series in 2005. The Artland production was directed by Hiroshi Nagahama...
(Nui, 24 March 2006) - Bolt (voice of Mittens, 1 August 2009)
Sources:
Television drama
- Kagayake Rintarō (Mamiko Tsunoda, TBSTokyo Broadcasting System, TBS Holdings, Inc. or TBSHD, is a stockholding company in Tokyo, Japan. It is a parent company of a television network named and radio network named ....
, 6 October to 24 December 1995) - Garasu no Kakera-tachi (Natsume Tamura, TBS, 12 July to 20 September 1996)
- Konna Watashi ni Dare ga Shita (Yōko Ōmatsu, Fuji TV, 15 October to 17 December 1996)
- Tsuki no Kagayaku Yoru Dakara (Tokiko Satonaka (first starring role in a drama), Fuji TV, 1 July to 16 September 1997)
- Koi no Katamichi Kippu (Narumi and Harumi Minamizaki, NTVNippon Televisionis a television network based in the Shiodome area of Minato, Tokyo, Japan and is controlled by the Yomiuri Shimbun publishing company. Broadcasting terrestrially across Japan, the network is commonly known as , contracted to , and abbreviated as "NTV" or "AX".-Offices:*The Headquarters : 6-1,...
, 15 October to 17 December 1997) - GTO (guest appearance as the friendly nurse, KTVKansai Telecasting Corporation, often called or , is a TV station affiliated with Fuji News Network and Fuji Network System in Osaka, serving the Kansai region of Japan...
, 7 July to 22 September 1998) - ShomuniShomuniis a comedic TV drama serial based on the Japanese manga of the same name by , though much of the details have departed from the comic...
(Chinatsu Tsuboi, Fuji TV, 15 April to 1 July 1998) - Shomuni Special 1Shomuniis a comedic TV drama serial based on the Japanese manga of the same name by , though much of the details have departed from the comic...
(Chinatsu Tsuboi, Fuji TV, 7 October 1998) - Over Time (Natsuki Kasahara, Fuji TV, 4 January to 22 March 1999)
- Dokushin Seikatsu (Kyōko Ōzawa, TBS, 9 July to 17 September 1999)
- Kon'ya wa Eigyōchū (Junko Sakiyama, NTV, 18 September 1999)
- Yo ni mo Kimyō na Monogatari "Mosaic" (female producer, Fuji TV, 27 September 1999)
- Shomuni New Year SpecialShomuniis a comedic TV drama serial based on the Japanese manga of the same name by , though much of the details have departed from the comic...
(Chinatsu Tsuboi, Fuji TV, 2 January 2000) - Omoide Kakurenbo (sister of Tetsuya Watari, TV AsahiTV Asahi, also known as EX and , is a Japanese television network headquartered in Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The company writes its name in lower-case letters, tv asahi, in its logo and public-image materials. The company also owns All-Nippon News Network....
, 4 March 2000) - Shomuni 2Shomuniis a comedic TV drama serial based on the Japanese manga of the same name by , though much of the details have departed from the comic...
(Chinatsu Tsuboi, Fuji TV, 12 April to 28 June 2000) - Love Revolution (Kyōko Asaoka, Fuji TV, 9 April to 25 June 2001)
- Number One (Yoshie Miyake, TBS, 27 December 2001)
- Shomuni FinalShomuniis a comedic TV drama serial based on the Japanese manga of the same name by , though much of the details have departed from the comic...
(Chinatsu Tsuboi, Fuji TV, 3 July to 18 September 2002) - Marusa!! Tokyo Kokuzei Kyokusa Satsubu (Kaneko Tsuburaya, KTV, 8 April to 24 June 2003)
- Shomuni ForeverShomuniis a comedic TV drama serial based on the Japanese manga of the same name by , though much of the details have departed from the comic...
(Chinatsu Tsuboi, Fuji TV, 1 January 2003) - Ruten no Ōhi: Saigo no Kōtei (Yoshiko Kawashima, TV Asahi, 29–30 November 2003)
- Sore wa, Totsuzen, Arashi no yō ni... (Kozue Ogawa, TBS, 14 January to 17 March 2004)
- Otōto (Takiko Mizunoe, TV Asahi, 17–25 November 2004)
- Saturday Drama Machiben (Ryōko Amachi, NHK-GNHK General TVis the main television service of NHK . It shows news, drama, quiz/variety shows, music, sports, anime and specials which directly compete with its commercial counterparts. It is well known for its nightly newscasts, regular documentary specials and popular historical dramas...
, 8 April to 13 May 2006) - Triple Kitchen (Kiriko Imaizumi, TBS, 1 August 2006)
- Jigoku no Sata mo Yome Shidai (Makoto (Morifuku) Tachibana, TBS, 5 July to 13 September 2007)
Sources:
Books
Esumi has released two artistic nude photo books: Esumi in October 1996 (ISBN 4947648406, Little More); and E-Mode in November 1999 (ISBN 4898150128, Little More). She has also published two works of literatureLiterature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
: an autobiography titled , published in December 1997 (ISBN 4048835149, Kadokawa Shoten
Kadokawa Shoten
is a well-known Japanese publishing company based in Tokyo, Japan. Kadokawa has published both manga novels and magazines, such as Newtype magazine...
) and reprinted in July 1999 (ISBN 4043488017, Kadokawa Shoten); and an essay titled , published in March 2006 (ISBN 4083330546, Shueisha
Shueisha
is a major publisher in Japan. The company was founded in 1925 as the entertainment-related publishing division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The following year, Shueisha became a separate, independent company. Magazines published by Shueisha include Weekly Shōnen Jump, Weekly Young Jump,...
).