Isuzu Yamada
Biography
Isuzu Yamada was a Japanese stage and screen actress whose career spanned seven decades. Born Mitsu Yamada in Osaka, Japan on February 5, 1917, she was the daughter of Kusudu Yamada, a shinpa actor specialising in onnagata roles, and Ritsu, a geisha. She debuted as a film actress in 1930 at the age of twelve in the Nikkatsu film Tsurugi wo koete, subsequently becoming one of the studio's top actresses. In 1936, her portrayals of strong-willed modern girls in Kenji Mizoguchi films Osaka Elegy and Sisters of the Gion at the new Daiichi Eiga studio earned her popularity and critical acclaim. She later moved to Shinkō Kinema and then to Toho, becoming a star. Yamada passed away on July 9, 2012 at the age of ninety-five.
Career overview
Isuzu Yamada was a Japanese stage and screen actress whose career spanned seven decades. Born Mitsu Yamada in Osaka on February 5, 1917, she was the daughter of Kusudu Yamada, a shinpa actor who specialized in onnagata roles, and Ritsu, a geisha. Yamada debuted as a film actress in 1930 at the age of twelve, appearing in the Nikkatsu film Tsurugi wo koete. She quickly rose to become one of Nikkatsu's top actresses.
Her career reached new heights of popularity and critical acclaim in 1936 when she portrayed strong-willed modern girls in Kenji Mizoguchi films Osaka Elegy and Sisters of the Gion, produced at the new Daiichi Eiga studio. Following this success, she moved to Shinkō Kinema and subsequently to Toho, cementing her status as a major star. Throughout her extensive career in entertainment, she amassed 169 known credits for acting.
Yamada lived to the age of ninety-five and passed away on July 9, 2012, in Osaka, Osaka, Japan. Her legacy endures as a prominent figure in Japanese cinematic history, defined by her extensive body of work on both stage and screen.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full Filmography
165 titles- Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create: 'Throne of Blood' (2002) as Self
- Kurosawa (2000) as Self
- Sure Death! Brown, You Bounder! (1985) as Oriku
- Sure Death (1984)
- Suspicion (1982) as Tokie Horiuchi
- Arashi Tatsunari (1982) as Tatsu
- Shin Hissatsu Shigotonin (1981)
- Hissatsu Shigotonin (1979) as Otowa
- Ameyuki-san (1979) as Waka Yamada
- Japanese Ghost Story Masterpiece Theater: The Ghost of Yotsuya (1979)
- Shogun's Samurai (1978) as Oeyo
- Kenji Mizoguchi: The Life of a Film Director (1975) as Self
- Woman Boss (1970)
- Minamoto no Yoshitsune (1966) as Joban
- Akō Rōshi (1964) as Riku
- Sakiko-san chotto (1963) as 中川しの
- The Great Wall (1962) as Dowager Empress
- Glory on the Summit (1962) as Taka Hirooka
- 假名手本忠臣蔵 (1962)
- The Body (1962)
- Four Sisters (1962) as Tatsuko Katagiri
- 365 Nights (1962)
- Yojimbo (1961) as Orin
- The Shrikes (1961)
- The Orphan Brother (1961) as Yashio (voice)
- Daredevil in the Castle (1961) as Yodogami
- 誰よりも金を愛す (1961)
- Buddha (1961) as Kalideva
- Case of a Young Lord 9: Black Camellia (1961)
- Hanjiro of Kusama: Bird of Passage (1960) as Otoku
- Bonchi (1960) as Sei
- The Lovelorn Geisha (1960)
- Deep River Melody (1960)
- Secret (1960)
- Princess Sen in Edo (1960) as Kisaragi
- Goodbye to Glory (1960) as Otake
- 風来物語 あばれ飛車 (1960)
- Mission Accomplished (1960)
- Onatsu Detective Case: Mad Slasher (1960)
- Man of Edo (1959)
- Hear My Mother's Cry (1959)
- The Canary Cage, Spellbound Love (1959)
- Disappearance in the Night (1959)
- The Hidden Treasure (1959)
- Love in the Mountains (1959)
- 風来物語任侠篇 (1959)
- Pineapple Butai (1959) as Shigeyo (Mother)
- The Days of Evil Women (1958)
- The Spell of the Hidden Gold (1958)
- The Spell of the Hidden Gold (1958) as Chizuin
- The Seasons of Love (1958) as Urako
- A Boy and Three Mothers (1958) as Natsu, the Foster Mother
- The Undefeated Woman (1958)
- Taikoki - The Saga of Hideyoshi (1958)
- The Shop Curtain (1958)
- Throne of Blood (1957) as Lady Asaji Washizu
- Tokyo Twilight (1957) as Kisako Soma
- Black River (1957) as Landlady
- Samurai Nippon (1957)
- The Lower Depths (1957) as Osugi the Landlady
- The Shadow Daughter (1957)
- The Horse Boy (1957)
- Down Town (1957) as Riyo Yazawa
- A Matter of Valour (1957)
- Five Patriots of Kyoto (1956)
- How Sorrowful (1956)
- Shozo, a Cat and Two Women (1956) as Shinako
- Farewell to Dream (1956) as Seiji's mother, Kiyo
- Flowing (1956) as Otsuta
- Namida no hanamichi (1956) as 江戸紫女将そよ
- 大当り男一代 (1956) as お吉
- The Mandarin Room (1956)
- Mother and Child (1956)
- Burden of Love (1955) as Some Kaita
- Ishigassen (1955)
- Growing Up (1955)
- The Big Ambition (1955)
- Such is Life (1955) as Oharu
- If Indeed One Loves (1955) as Yaeko (segment 3)
- Christ in Bronze (1955) as Kimika
- 荒木又右衛門 (1955) as 妻みね
- Chutaro of Banba (1955)
- Minamoto Yoshitsune (1955)
- 振袖釼法 (1955) as 母つじ
- A Billionaire (1954) as Hanakuma
- Three Loves (1954) as Mother
- Karatachi no hana (1954)
- Hirate Miki the Swordman (1954)
- Chushingura (1954) as Oishi Riku
- Hiroshima (1953) as Mineh Obah
- Miniature (1953) as Tamiko
- A Lonely Woman in a Lonely Land (1953) as Sayo Yamada
- At the End of the Clouds (1953)
- Wild Lion (1953)
- 江戸いろは祭 (1953) as 女房おなか
- Modern People (1952)
- Tsukigata Hanpeita (1952) as Somehachi
- Castle of Revenge (1952)
- The Stand in Hakone (1952)
- Become a Mother, Become a Woman (1952) as Harue Yasukawa
- Devil’s Statue (1952)
- Home Sweet Home (1951) as Namiko, Kosaku's wife
- Five Men of Edo (1951) as Okane, Chobei's wife
- Fireworks Over the Sea (1951) as Kaoru Uozumi
- Satsuma-bikyaku (1951)
- Kurama Tengu: Acrobat in a lion mask (1951)
- The Killing of Otsuya (1951) as Otsuya
- 木曽路の決闘 夏祭り三度笠 (1951)
- The Inner Palace Conspiracy (1951) as Misawa
- The Motherland Far Far Away (1950) as Masako
- A Man from Akagi (1950)
- A Mother's Love (1950)
- Fencing Master (1950) as Oharu
- 風雲金毘羅山 (1950)
- Kagebōshi (1950) as お夏
- Zoku kagebōshi ryūkoaiutsutsu (1950)
- Koga Manshion (1949)
- Koi rōka (1949)
- Actress (1947) as Sumako Matsui
- Lord for a Night (1946)
- Hinoki Butai (1946)
- The Famous Sword Bijomaru (1945) as Sasae Onoda
- Until Victory Day (1945)
- Four Marriages (1944)
- The Way of Drama (1944)
- The Sculpture of Master Choji (1943) as Outa
- The Song Lantern (1943) as O-Sode
- 音楽大進軍 (1943) as Isuzu Yamada
- Kantaro of Ina (1943)
- The Man Who Waited (1942)
- Musashibo Benkei (1942)
- Onna keizu (1942) as Otsuta
- Schoolgirl Records (1941)
- The Man Who Disappeared Yesterday (1941)
- Shanghai Moon (1941)
- Yukiko and Natsuyo (1941) as Natsuyo
- The Battle of Kawanakajima (1941) as Oshino
- The Snake Princess (1940) as Oshima
- Keshô yuki (1940)
- The New Tange Sazen: The Chapter of the Two-Armed Swordsman (1939)
- The Fighting Firemen (1939) as Koina
- The Day Before (1939) as Osaki
- Ichiyo Higuchi (1939) as Ichiyo Higuchi
- Shinpen Tange Sazen: Sekigan no maki (1939) as Oshiho
- Tsuruhachi and Tsurujiro (1938) as Tsuruhachi
- The Siege of Osaka (1937) as Senhime
- Sisters of the Gion (1936) as O-mocha
- Osaka Elegy (1936) as Ayako Murai
- The Comb of Oroku (1935) as Okinu
- Oyuki the Virgin (1935) as Oyuki
- The Downfall of Osen (1935) as Osen
- Miss Okichi (1935) as Okichi
- The Elegant Swordsman (1934)
- Martial Arts Encyclopedia (1934)
- Happy Daughter (1934) as Michiko Yamada
- Tange Sazen - Dai-ippen (1933)
- Bangaku no issho (1933)
- Banquet Under the Midnight Sun (1932) as Oichi
- Professional Killer (1932)
- The Greatest Man in the World (1932) as Oyae
- Yataro's Hat - Comings and Goings (1932)
- The Revenge Champion (1931)
- The 26 Martyrs of Japan (1931)
- In Search of Mother (1931) as Otose
- Suronin Chuya (1930)
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is Isuzu Yamada best known for?
Isuzu Yamada is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including Hissatsu Shigotonin (1979), Kenji Mizoguchi: The Life of a Film Director (1975), Yojimbo (1961), Throne of Blood (1957).
When and where was Isuzu Yamada born?
Isuzu Yamada was born on February 5, 1917 in Osaka, Osaka, Japan. They passed away on July 9, 2012.
How many credits does Isuzu Yamada have?
Isuzu Yamada has accumulated over 165 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1930 to 2002.
What is Isuzu Yamada's background in cinema and television?
Isuzu Yamada was a Japanese stage and screen actress whose career spanned seven decades. Born Mitsu Yamada in Osaka, Japan on February 5, 1917, she was the daughter of Kusudu Yamada, a shinpa actor specialising in onnagata roles, and Ritsu, a geisha. She debuted as a film actress in 1930 at the age of twelve in the Nik...
Isuzu Yamada by the numbers
Age in their best-rated roles
- Hissatsu Shigotonin (1979) as Otowa — aged about 62
- Yojimbo (1961) as Orin — aged about 44
- Throne of Blood (1957) as Lady Asaji Washizu — aged about 40
- Miniature (1953) as Tamiko — aged about 36
- Tokyo Twilight (1957) as Kisako Soma — aged about 40
- Hiroshima (1953) as Mineh Obah — aged about 36
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