Yōko Minamida
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.
119 acting credits
Acting · 119
Gokusen
2002
Akai Shougeki
1976
Lost Paradise
1997
House
1977
Niji
1970
Tears of a Swan
1989
Yôi don
1982
Princess Yang Kwei-fei
1955
Chikamatsu Monogatari
1954
Pigs and Battleships
1961
A Sun-Tribe Myth from the Bakumatsu Era
1957
The Motive
2004
Take Me Away!
1978
砂山の唄殺人事件
1990
The Tattooed Lord
1965
Glorious Fights
1966
Jungle Block
1960
Yellow Fangs
1990
The Domain: The Naniwa Story
1965
The Gambling Monk
1963
Japanese Humanity and Justice
1977
The Kanto Scarlet Cherry Gang
1972
Voice Without a Shadow
1958
Otoko to otoko no ikiru machi
1962
Beyond the Green Hills
1963
The Domain: Kanto Legends of Chivalry
1965
The Poem of the Blue Star
1960
Wind and waves of the South
1961
But the Flesh is Weak
1957
Ame no meguri ai
1977
Zero
1984
Karafuto 1945 Summer
1974
This Story of Love
1987
I Have the Sun in My Back
1963
A Modern Samurai Village
1963
A Turning to Hell
1959
Our Town
1956
Wounded Beast
1959
Bet on a Seaside Romance
1960
Farewell to Southern Tosa
1959
The Domain: Where The Blade Enters
1967
An Outlaw
1964
Season of the Sun
1956
The Man with a Shotgun
1961
The Kingdom of Jirocho 4
1965
Sun and Stars
1962
The Motherless
1955
Glass-Hearted Johnny
1962
The Soundless Cry
1965
Gun of Nosappu
1961
The Barefoot Girl
1957
Song of Goodbye
2007
Zoku jūdai no seiten
1953
Ankoku gai jingi
1965
Dancing Sisters
1957
The Rambler Returns Home
1962
Stolen Desire
1958
To Your Majesty, The Emperor 2
1964
Yuganda tsuki
1959
Hungry Soul, Part II
1956
The Guys Who Put Money on Me
1962
The Domain: White Blade
1967
Tales of a Gunman: The Man Without Tomorrow
1960
Portrait of Chieko
1967
Last Round
1962
Time of First Love
1975
Jūdai no yūwaku
1953
Okashina yatsu
1963
Jūdai no seiten
1953
A Girl Isn't Allowed to Love
1955
Kiriko's Tango
1963
Elegy to Youth
1959
Showdown of Men
1966
Tale of the Last Japanese Yakuza
1969
Masked Woman
1959
Salaryman Senka
1995
The Domain
1964
Black Dice
1962
The Wild Daisy
1977
The Happy Dancers
1956
Gambler
1964
Zoku zoku Jûdai no seiten
1953
Kyu-chan, Draw Your Sword
1963
He Killed Dad
1961
Love Comes with Youth
1963
The Crimson Plains
1961
Joe of Aces: Gambling for a Living
1961
Get Over Her
1959
Mountain Pass
1957
Tonari no yome
1956
Chivalrous Pride
1969
Jakoman and Tetsu
1964
Prison Gambler
1964
Quick Draw Joe
1961
When a Man Risks His Life
1959
The Law's Bloody Wounds
1960
The Champion
1957
A Young Man's Stronghold
1970
At Noon
1978
We Live Today
1959
The Awakening
1957
Aishū no sono
1957
The Doctor
1955
Umi wa kurutte iru
1959
Osaka no kaze
1958
Hungry Soul
1956
Lone Wolf
1960
Return of the Vagabond
1960
Streetlights
1957
Zurari oretacha yōjinbō
1961
Tokyo Knights
1961
The Rambler Rides Again
1960
Taiyō o buchi otose
1958
Ai yo, Nemuranaide
1993
Himitsu
1952
A Daughter's Life Guide
1955
Rakka no mon
1954
Irogotoshi harudanji
1965
Unga
1958