Machiko Kyō

Motoko Yano, better known as Machiko Kyō (京 マチ子, Kyō Machiko, March 25, 1924 – May 12, 2019), was a Japanese actress who was active primarily in the 1950s. Considered one of Japan's first sex symbols and one of its greatest screen actresses, Kyō is best known for her critically acclaimed work with directors Akira Kurosawa, Yasujirō Ozu, Kenji Mizoguchi, Mikio Naruse, Kon Ichikawa, Teinosuke Kinugasa, Kōzaburō Yoshimura, Shirō Toyoda and Hiroshi Teshigahara, appearing in films such as Rashomon, Ugetsu, Gate of Hell, Street of Shame, Floating Weeds, Odd Obsession and The Face of Another.

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Quick Facts Born, Died ...

Machiko Kyō
京 マチ子
Kyō in 1959
Born	Motoko Yano (矢野 元子) (1924-03-25)March 25, 1924 Osaka, Japan
Died	May 12, 2019(2019-05-12) (aged 95) Tokyo, Japan
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1936–2006

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Kyō, an only child, was born Motoko Yano (矢野 元子, Yano Motoko) in Osaka in 1924. Her father left when she was age 5, and she was raised by her mother and grandmother. She adopted Machiko Kyō as her stage name when she entered the Osaka Shochiku Kagekidan in 1936 at age 12. She trained as a revue dancer and then entered the film industry through Daiei Film in 1949. Two years later, she achieved international fame as the female lead in Akira Kurosawa's film Rashomon, which won first prize at the Venice Film Festival and stunned audiences with its nonlinear narrative.^[1]

Kyō starred in many more Japanese productions, including Kenji Mizoguchi's Ugetsu (1953), Teinosuke Kinugasa's Gate of Hell (1953), Kon Ichikawa's Odd Obsession (1959), and Yasujirō Ozu's Floating Weeds (1959).

Her sole role in a non-Japanese film was as Lotus Blossom, the young geisha in The Teahouse of the August Moon (1956), for which she received a Golden Globe nomination.

Kyō continued to act through her 80s. Her final role was as Matsuura Shino in the NHK television drama series Haregi Koko Ichiban in 2000. In 2017, she was presented with an award of merit at the 40th Japanese Academy Awards.^[2] After retiring from film, she moved back to Osaka, where she resided until her death.

Kyō never married, but her romantic relationship with Daiei Film's president Masaichi Nagata was well-publicized in Japan.

Kyō died from heart failure at her home in Tokyo on May 12, 2019 at the age of 95. She was the last main surviving cast member of Rashomon.^[3][4][5]

Fujiko Yamamoto described Kyo as a very friendly person and loved the older actress like a big sister.^[6]

• Medal with Purple Ribbon (1987)
• Order of the Precious Crown, 4th Class, Wisteria (1994)

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  Kyō as Yang Kwei-Fei in Princess Yang Kwei-Fei (1955)