Machiko Kyō
Machiko Kyo, born in Osaka in 1924, was one of the towering female stars of Japan s golden age of cinema. Groomed at the Osaka Shochiku Kagekidan, she broke through internationally as the mysterious wife in Akira Kurosawa s Rashomon (1950), which won the Golden Lion and helped open Western eyes to Japanese cinema. She followed it with Kenji Mizoguchi s Ugetsu (1953) and Street of Shame (1956) and Teinosuke Kinugasa s Gate of Hell (1953), the first Japanese colour film to win the Palme d Or. She also crossed over to Hollywood in The Teahouse of the August Moon (1956). Sensual, mysterious and technically bold, Kyo helped define the international image of postwar Japanese cinema.
Machiko Kyō
58 Movies
1 Series
Machiko Kyo, born in Osaka in 1924, was one of the towering female stars of Japan s golden age of cinema. Groomed at the Osaka Shochiku Kagekidan, she broke through internationally as the mysterious wife in Akira Kurosawa s Rashomon (1950), which won the Golden Lion and helped open Western eyes to Japanese cinema. She followed it with Kenji Mizoguchi s Ugetsu (1953) and Street of Shame (1956) and Teinosuke Kinugasa s Gate of Hell (1953), the first Japanese colour film to win the Palme d Or. She also crossed over to Hollywood in The Teahouse of the August Moon (1956). Sensual, mysterious and technically bold, Kyo helped define the international image of postwar Japanese cinema.
Movies
Plays Masako
Rashomon
1950
Plays Lady Wakasa
Ugetsu
1953
Plays Mrs. Okuyama
The Face of Another
1966
Plays Sumiko
Floating Weeds
1959
Plays Mickey
Street of Shame
1956
Plays Princess Yang Kwei-fei
Princess Yang Kwei-fei
1955
Plays Mari, daughter
The Motherland Far Far Away
1950
Plays Lotus Blossom
The Teahouse of the August Moon
1957
Plays Lady Kesa
Gate of Hell
1953
Plays Ikuko Kenmochi
Odd Obsession
1959
Plays Ofuku
Bonchi
1960
Plays Orui, Spy
The Loyal 47 Ronin
1958
Plays Okatsu
Jirocho Fuji
1959
Plays Fujiyo Yajima
The Third Will
1963
Plays Umeko
Sweet Sweat
1964
Plays Chikako Kurimoto
Thousand Cranes
1969
Plays Ryûko Korinkakura / Hiroko Aishinkakura
The Wandering Princess
1960
Plays Mrs. Midorikawa
Black Lizard
1962
Plays Aya
Tora-san's Pure Love
1976
Plays Mon
Brother and Sister
1953
Plays Director of the shelter
The Little Runaway
1966
Plays Mari
Night Butterflies
1957
Plays Tomoe
Three Women Around Yoshinaka
1956
Plays Awaji no ue
The Tale of Genji
1951
Plays Yuki
The Life of a Horse Trader
1951
Plays Kimicho
Clothes of Deception
1951
TV Shows
Latest Trailers
Watch Trailer
Solar Eclipse
Full Filmography
Hana no Ran
Hino Shigeko · 37 episodes
1994–
TV
Make-Up
Tsune Tsutano
1984
Film
Tora-san's Pure Love
Aya
1976
Film
The Family
Aiko Takasu
1974
Film
Born Fighter
Sue Yoshida
1970
Film
Thousand Cranes
Chikako Kurimoto
1969
Film
The Little Runaway
Director of the shelter
1966
Film
The Daphne
Kikuko (the eldest daughter)
1966
Film
The Face of Another
Mrs. Okuyama
1966
Film
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Machiko Kyō still alive?
Machiko Kyō passed away on May 12, 2019 at age 95.
What are the most famous roles of Machiko Kyō?
Machiko Kyō is best known for roles in Rashomon, Ugetsu, The Face of Another.
How many movies has Machiko Kyō been in?
Over a 70-year career (since 1949), Machiko Kyō has appeared in 57 movies and 1 TV shows.
What was Machiko Kyō's first movie?
The career of Machiko Kyō began with The Man Who Laughs Last (1949).
What is Machiko Kyō's most recent movie or series?
Machiko Kyō's most recent release is Kurosawa, which premiered on December 24, 2000.
What TV shows has Machiko Kyō appeared in?
On television, Machiko Kyō has appeared in Hana no Ran, Yokomizo Seishi Series, Nukata no Ōkimi.
Machiko Kyō
1924-03-25 · Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan
Machiko Kyō (Japanese: 京 マチ子 Hepburn: Kyō Machiko, March 25, 1924 – May 12, 2019) was a Japanese actress whose film work occurred primarily during the 1950s. She rose to extraordinary domestic praise in Japan for her work in two of the greatest Japanese films of the 20th century, Akira Kurosawa's Rashōmon and Kenji Mizoguchi's Ugetsu.
Machiko trained to be a dancer before entering films in 1949. The following year, she would achieve international fame as the female lead in Akira Kurosawa's classic film Rashōmon. Kyō starred in many more Japanese productions, including Kenji Mizoguchi's Ugetsu (1953) and Street of Shame (1956), Teinosuke Kinugasa's Gate of Hell (1953), Kon Ichikawa's Odd Obsession (1959), Yasujirō Ozu's Floating Weeds (1959), and Hiroshi Teshigahara's The Face of Another (1966).
Her only role in a non-Japanese film was as Lotus Blossom, a young geisha, in The Teahouse of the August Moon, starring opposite Marlon Brando and Glenn Ford.
In her eighties, Kyō continued to perform in traditional Japanese theatrical productions put on by famed producer Fukuko Ishii. Her final role was as Matsuura Shino in the NHK television drama series Haregi Koko Ichiban in 2000. Kyō was nominated for a Golden Globe for The Teahouse of the August Moon, a great feat for an Asian actress at the time, and was awarded many prizes, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Awards of the Japanese Academy.Machiko Kyō, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.