Yōko Minamida
Known for: Acting
Yōko Minamida (南田 洋子, Minamida Yōko, March 1, 1933 – October 21, 2009) was a Japanese actress. Born in Tokyo, Minamida made her screen debut in 1953 for the Daiei studio and quickly rose to stardom, working with Kenji Mizoguchi on two films: “A Story from Chikamatsu” and “Princess Yang Kwei-fei.” In 1955, she moved to the Nikkatsu studio, where she starred in Takumi Furukawa’s “Season of the Sun” (1956), a smash hit that launched the so-called “Sun Tribe” boom for films about rebellious youth looking for sex and kicks on Shonan Beach — Japan’s nearest equivalent to Malibu. Minamida acted in dozens of movies for Nikkatsu, working with Shohei Imamura, Seijun Suzuki, and other directors. In 1961 she married her co-star on “Season of the Sun,” Hiroyuki Nagato. As she acted in fewer movies after the mid-1960s, Minamida made a smooth and successful transition to TV as both an actress and MC. She also continued to appear occasionally in movies, with the last being Nobuhiko Obayashi’s “Song of Goodbye” in 2006. She was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in November 2008, and a TV documentary was made about her condition and the efforts of her husband to care for her. She died in Tokyo.
Filmography
Series
Gokusen
Matsubara
2002
Series
NET Playhouse
Nobuko Muroi
1966
Series
Niji
三谷かな子
1970
Film
House
Hausu Karei
1977
Film
Chikamatsu Monogatari
Otama
1954
Series
Akai Shougeki
1976
Series
Lost Paradise
Eto Kuniko
1997
Series
Yôi don
栄市の母・せい
1982
Film
Princess Yang Kwei-fei
Hung-tao
1955
Film
Song of Goodbye
Kyoko Tanabe
2007
Film
Jakoman and Tetsu
Masa
1964
Series
Tears of a Swan
Atsuko Kawata
1989
Film
Debt of Honor
Oiku
1966
Film
The Kanto Scarlet Cherry Gang
Maid
1972
Film
Quick Draw Joe
Jane, the dancer
1961
Film
The Rambler Rides Again
1960
Film
Musume hatsukoi yatton-bushi
1952
Film
Yellow Fangs
Kiyo
1990
Film
Pigs and Battleships
Katsuyo
1961
Film
A Sun-Tribe Myth from the Bakumatsu Era
Koharu
1957
Film
Karafuto 1945 Summer
1974
Film
Hungry Soul
Reiko Shiba
1956
Film
死の壁の脱出
Sayan
1958
Film
死の壁の脱出
Sakin
1958
Film
Zero
Ine Hamada
1984
Film
The Kingdom of Jirocho 4
1965
Film
Stolen Desire
Chidori Yamamura
1958
Film
Take Me Away!
Tomi Oguchi
1978
Film
Her Secret
1952
Film
The Gambling Monk
1963
Film
Jungle Block
Kayoko Komuro
1960
Film
Beyond the Green Hills
Umetaro
1963
Film
Love Comes with Youth
1963
Film
Return of the Vagabond
1960
Film
The Motive
Kinue Ishida
2004
The Motherless
Tomiko
1955
Film
Haha tokidori
1954
Film
Portrait of Chieko
Kazuko Tsubaki
1967
Film
The Man with a Shotgun
Harue
1961
Film
Rakka no mon
1954
砂山の唄殺人事件
1990
Film
At Noon
1978
Film
Miss Teacher
1955
Film
Voice Without a Shadow
Asako Kotani
1958
Film
Japanese Humanity and Justice
1977
Film
The Domain
1964
Film
To Your Majesty, The Emperor 2
Misato
1964
Film
Wounded Beast
1959
Film
The Champion
Natsuko Miyagawa
1957
Film
Dancing Sisters
1957
Film
The Domain: Kanto Legends of Chivalry
1965
Film
Tokyo Knights
Koji's Mother
1961
Film
Mountain Pass
1957
Film
Salaryman Senka
1995
Film
Otoko to otoko no ikiru machi
1962
Film
Glorious Fights
Akemi
1966
Film
Wind and waves of the South
Yasuko, Kazuo's foster mother
1961
Film
The Guys Who Put Money on Me
Sanae Kitazawa
1962
Film
The Tattooed Lord
1965
Film
This Story of Love
1987
Film
An Outlaw
1964
Film
When a Man Risks His Life
1959
Film
Season of the Sun
Eiko Takeda
1956
Film
Hungry Soul, Part II
Reiko Shiba
1956
Film
Prison Gambler
Kimura Uta
1964
Film
Bet on a Seaside Romance
1960
Film
Okashina yatsu
Fujiko, Shuntô
1963
Film
The Wild Daisy
Fuki - Masao's Mother
1977
Film
Underworld Code
1965
Film
The Domain: The Naniwa Story
1965
Film
A Modern Samurai Village
Yasu Tajima
1963
Film
Lone Wolf
Naomi
1960
Film
Farewell to Southern Tosa
1959
Tonari no yome
1956
Film
But the Flesh is Weak
1957
Film
Chivalrous Pride
1969
Film
Gambler
Kimura Uta
1964
Film
Gun of Nosappu
1961
Film
Tale of the Last Japanese Yakuza
1969
Film
Ame no meguri ai
1977
Film
Showdown of Men
1966
Film
Star Ranch
1987
Film
Irogotoshi harudanji
Otama
1965
Film
Glass-Hearted Johnny
Yumi
1962
Film
A Turning to Hell
Takako
1959
Film
Zoku jūdai no seiten
Akiko Yasutomi
1953
Film
Get Over Her
Yukie
1959
Film
Black Dice
1962
The Happy Dancers
Michiko Morishita
1956
Film
Last Round
1962
Film
The Domain: Where The Blade Enters
1967
Film
We Live Today
1959
Film
Jūdai no yūwaku
1953
Film
Our Town
Otsuru / Kimie
1956
Film
He Killed Dad
1961
Film
Osaka no kaze
1958
Film
Time of First Love
1975
Film
The Awakening
1957
Film
Umi wa kurutte iru
1959
Film
Kyu-chan, Draw Your Sword
1963
Film
Zurari oretacha yōjinbō
1961
Film
Yakuza Song
1960
Film
A Young Man's Stronghold
1970
Film
The Domain: White Blade
1967
Film
A Girl Isn't Allowed to Love
1955
Film
Unga
Ryôko Fujiyama
1958
Film
The Barefoot Girl
1957
Film
Sun and Stars
1962
Film
A Daughter's Life Guide
田部三津子
1955
Film
Streetlights
早川千鶴子
1957
Film
Jūdai no seiten
1953
Film
I Have the Sun in My Back
Sachiko
1963
Film
The Rambler Returns Home
1962
Film
The Crimson Plains
Sakie Yazaki
1961
Film
Elegy to Youth
1959
Ai yo, Nemuranaide
1993
Film
Yuganda tsuki
Namiko Eda
1959
Film
Taiyō o buchi otose
1958
Film
The Soundless Cry
Tokie Matsuura
1965
Film
Masked Woman
1959
Film
Tales of a Gunman: The Man Without Tomorrow
Sumi
1960
Film
The Doctor
1955
Film
Zoku zoku Jûdai no seiten
1953
Film
The Law's Bloody Wounds
榎本吟子
1960
Film
Aishū no sono
1957
Film
Kiriko's Tango
1963
Film
Joe of Aces: Gambling for a Living
Yuri Harada
1961
Film
Haha no hitomi
1953
Film
Shinkon noroke bushi
1953
Gendai shojo
1953
Film
Haha nami
1953