Hideko Takamine

Next to Hara Setsuko and Tanaka Kinuyo Takamine Hideko remains one of Japan's most admired and prolific actresses. Born as Hirayama Hideko in Hakodate, Hokkaido in northern Japan in 1924 she became a child actress for Shochiku Studio at age five appearing in the film Haha. She would go on to work with directors like Kinoshita, Ozu and arguably most notably Naruse Mikio. Mid-career she had switched to PCL (later Toho) and then become independent yet would work for notable directors nonetheless. By the time she married director Matsuyama Zenzo in 1955 she had acquired a reputation as depicting feminist roles where women seek their independence or are oppressed. She died in 2010 of lung cancer, but had recorded songs and written biographies before her death.