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Kyōko Kagawa
Kyōko Kagawa
94 years (Dec 5, 1931)
Aso [now Namegata], Ibaraki, Japan
66 Movies
4 TV Shows

Kyōko Kagawa

Born in Ibaraki Prefecture in 1931, Kyoko Kagawa is one of the last living leading ladies of Japan's classical studio era. She worked with all three of the country's grand masters: Yasujirō Ozu in Tokyo Story (1953), Kenji Mizoguchi in Sansho the Bailiff (1954), and Akira Kurosawa across The Bad Sleep Well (1960), High and Low (1963) and Red Beard (1965). Her clear, disciplined presence made her a favorite for roles of quiet moral weight rather than showy glamour. Decades later she returned for Kurosawa's Madadayo (1993), closing a career that spans the entire arc of postwar Japanese cinema.
Born in Ibaraki Prefecture in 1931, Kyoko Kagawa is one of the last living leading ladies of Japan's classical studio era. She worked with all three of the country's grand masters: Yasujirō Ozu in Tokyo Story (1953), Kenji Mizoguchi in Sansho the Bailiff (1954), and Akira Kurosawa across The Bad Sleep Well (1960), High and Low (1963) and Red Beard (1965). Her clear, disciplined presence made her a favorite for roles of quiet moral weight rather than showy glamour. Decades later she returned for Kurosawa's Madadayo (1993), closing a career that spans the entire arc of postwar Japanese cinema.
Movies
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Shimamori Tower
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Shimamori Tower
Full Filmography
Mo-Ruerani
Fukiko
2021
Film
Omotenashi
Shimizu-sensei
★ 4.2
2018
Film
Tenshi no Iru Toshokan
Reiko Ashitaka
★ 7.0
2017
Film
Tokyo Day
Michiko
2015
Film
Silent Poor
Fusae Eda · 9 episodes
2014–
TV
Tokyo Rendezvous
Fujiko Natsumi
★ 5.4
2008
Film
Imo Tako Nankin
花岡和代 · 151 episodes
★ 10.0
2006–
TV
Heaven's Bookstore
Sachi Hiyama
★ 5.9
2004
Film
Kokoro no Koukyougaku
(Voice)
2002
Film
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Kyōko Kagawa and where are they from?
Kyōko Kagawa is 94 years old, born on December 5, 1931 in Aso [now Namegata], Ibaraki, Japan.
What are the most famous roles of Kyōko Kagawa?
Kyōko Kagawa is best known for roles in Tokyo Story, High and Low, Sansho the Bailiff.
How many movies has Kyōko Kagawa been in?
Over a 76-year career (since 1950), Kyōko Kagawa has appeared in 66 movies and 4 TV shows.
What was Kyōko Kagawa's first movie?
The career of Kyōko Kagawa began with Mado Kara Tobidase (1950).
What is Kyōko Kagawa's most recent movie or series?
Kyōko Kagawa's most recent release is The Ozu Diaries, which premiered on September 2, 2025.
What TV shows has Kyōko Kagawa appeared in?
On television, Kyōko Kagawa has appeared in The Story of Film: An Odyssey, Futarikko, Life of a Flower, Imo Tako Nankin.
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Kyōko Kagawa
Kyōko Kagawa
1931-12-05 · Aso [now Namegata], Ibaraki, Japan

Kyōko Kagawa (香川 京子 Kagawa Kyōko, born 5 December 1931) is a Japanese actress. She has appeared in leading and supporting roles in such films as Akira Kurosawa's The Bad Sleep Well and High and Low, Yasujiro Ozu's Tokyo Story, and Kenji Mizoguchi's Sansho the Bailiff.

She won the "New Face Nomination" sponsored by the Tokyo Shimbun newspaper out of about 6,000 applicants and joined Shintoho. She was also taking entrance exams for a regular company at the same time, and her final interview and the final exam for the New Faces camera test overlapped, but with her mother's advice, she decided to pursue acting.

After appearing in Red Beard in 1965 , she gave birth to a child and accompanied her husband to New York where he was posted overseas, leaving the film industry for about three years.

She returned to Japan in 1968. As film began to decline, she expanded her field of work to include television dramas and stage productions. She was awarded the Medal with Purple Ribbon in 1998 and the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette in 2004 .

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