, known professionally as , is a Japanese

actress An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

. She began acting in the 1960s under the name , becoming famous as the female lead in

yakuza films is a popular film genre in Japanese cinema which focuses on the lives and dealings of ''yakuza'', Japanese organized crime syndicates. In the silent film era, depictions of ''bakuto'' (precursors to modern yakuza) as sympathetic Robin Hood-l ...

opposite such stars as

Kōji Tsuruta , better known by his stage name , was a Japanese actor and singer. He appeared in almost 260 feature films and had a unique style of singing. His daughter, Sayaka Tsuruta, is an actress. Career Born in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Tsuruta was raised ...

and

Ken Takakura , born , was a Japanese actor and singer who appeared in over 200 films. Affectionately referred to as "Ken-san" by audiences, he was best known for his brooding style and the stoic presence he brought to his roles. He won the Japan Academy Pri ...

. She even starred in her own series as the sword-wielding gambler Red Peony in the ''

Hibotan Bakuto is a 1968 Japanese yakuza film directed by Kōsaku Yamashita. It stars Junko Fuji in her first leading role, and was a big hit. The film is the first installment in the ''Red Peony Gambler'' series, which is composed of seven sequels. Synopsis ...

'' series. Initially retiring in 1972 after getting married, she began appearing on TV in 1974 under her real name. She later returned to films in 1989 using the name Sumiko Fuji, and expanded her acting repertoire. She won the Blue Ribbon Award for best supporting actress in 1999 and 2006. She is married to the

kabuki is a classical form of Theatre of Japan, Japanese theatre, mixing dramatic performance with Japanese traditional dance, traditional dance. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily stylised performances, its glamorous, highly decorated costumes ...

actor Onoe Kikugorō VII and is the mother of the actress

Shinobu Terajima is a Japanese actress. Her feature films include '' Akame 48 Waterfalls'' (2003) and '' Vibrator'' (2003). For her role in ''Caterpillar'' (2010), Terajima won the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the 60th Berlin Film Festival while her perform ...

and the kabuki actor Onoe Kikugorō VIII.

Early life and career

Fuji was born in

Wakayama Wakayama may refer to: * Wakayama Prefecture, a prefecture of Japan * Wakayama (city), the capital city of Wakayama Prefecture, Japan * Wakayama Station, a train station in Wakayama, Wakayama * Wakayama University, a national university in Wakayama, ...

as the third child and younger daughter of future film producer Koji Shundo. Her family eventually moved to

Osaka is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...

, where, as a big fan of

Takarazuka Revue The is a Japanese all-female musical theatre troupe based in Takarazuka, Hyōgo, Takarazuka, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. Women play all roles in lavish, Broadway theatre, Broadway-style productions of musicals and stories adapted from films, nov ...

, Fuji started to attend a dancing, singing and acting school during junior high. At 17 her family moved to

Kyoto Kyoto ( or ; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it t ...

, shortly after which her and her older sister Nobuko started to appear on the local TV show ''Hai Hai, Mahinadesu''. After visiting Toei's Kyoto studio, Fuji attracted the attention of director

Masahiro Makino was a Japanese film director. He directed more than 260 films, primarily in the chanbara and yakuza film, yakuza genres. His real name was , but he took the stage name Masahiro, the kanji for which he changed multiple times (including , , and ). ...

, who invited her to appear in one of his films. Although Shundo initially opposed his daughter entering show business, wanting a "normal" life for her instead, he acquiesced figuring it would be better she work for Toei instead of their rivals. In 1963, Fuji made her film debut in Makino's ''Hashu Yukyoden: Otoko no Sakazuki'', and went on to appear in 10 movies that year while making regular appearances on

NHK , also known by its Romanization of Japanese, romanized initialism NHK, is a Japanese public broadcasting, public broadcaster. It is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television licence, television license fee. NHK ope ...

and

TV Asahi JOEX-DTV (channel 5), branded as , and better known as , is a Japanese television station serving the Kanto region as the flagship station of the All-Nippon News Network. It is owned-and-operated by the a subsidiary of , itself controlled by ...

television dramas.

Mark Schilling Mark Schilling (born 1949) is an American film critic, journalist, translator, and author based in Tokyo, Japan. He has written for ''The Japan Times'', '' Variety'', and ''Screen International''. Biography Schilling began working for ''The Japa ...

wrote that by the mid-1960s, Fuji was the leading actress for Toei, often playing the love interest for

and

in ''

Ninkyo eiga is a popular film genre in Japanese cinema which focuses on the lives and dealings of ''yakuza'', Japanese organized crime syndicates. In the silent film era, depictions of ''bakuto'' (precursors to modern yakuza) as sympathetic Robin Hood-l ...

''. But she reached her peak in popularity between 1968 and 1972, starring as a sword-wielding gambler in the ''

'' series of films. In 1972, Fuji married a

actor she met while making the NHK drama ''

Minamoto no Yoshitsune was a commander of the Minamoto clan of Japan in the late Heian period, Heian and early Kamakura period, Kamakura periods. During the Genpei War, he led a series of battles that toppled the Ise-Heishi branch of the Taira clan, helping his half-br ...

''. After making Makino's ''Kanto Hizakura Ikka'', she retired from acting that same year. Schilling wrote that the popularity of ''Ninkyo eiga'' subsequently declined, and a search for a successor failed.

Selected filmography

Films

* '' 13 Assassins'' (1963) * * ''Bakumatsu Zankoku Monogatari'' (幕末残酷物語, 1964) * '' Onmitsu Kenshi'' (1964) * ''Meiji Kyōkaku den: Sandaime Shūme'' (明治侠客伝三代目襲名, 1965) * ''Bakuchiuchi Sōcho Tobaku'' (博奕打ち総長賭博, 1968) * ''

The Valiant Red Peony is a 1968 Japanese yakuza film directed by Kōsaku Yamashita. It stars Junko Fuji in her first leading role, and was a big hit. The film is the first installment in the ''Red Peony Gambler'' series, which is composed of seven sequels. Synopsis ...

'' (1968) * ''Jinsei Gekijō: Hishakaku to Kiratsune'' (人生劇場飛車角と吉良常, 1968) * ''Hibotan Bakuto: Hanafuda Shōbu'' (緋牡丹博徒花札勝負, 1969) * ''Shōwa Zankyō den: Shinde Moraimasu'' (昭和残侠伝死んで貰います, 1970) * * '' Chizuko's Younger Sister'' (1991) * '' Wait and See'' (1998) * ''

The Geisha House is a 1998 film directed by Kinji Fukasaku. Plot In 1958, the Anti-Prostitution Law is about to be implemented. A young maiko named Tokiko works at Fujinoya Geisha House under Madam Satoe with the geisha Terucho, Kimiryo, and Somemaru. Over the ...

'' (1999) * ''Milk White'' (2004) * ''

Hula Girls is a Japanese film, directed by Sang-il Lee and co-written by Lee and Daisuke Habara, and first released across Japanese theaters on September 23, 2006. Starring Yū Aoi, Yasuko Matsuyuki, Etsushi Toyokawa, Shizuyo Yamazaki, Ittoku Kishibe, ...

'' (2006) * '' The Inugamis'' (2006) * ''

Best Wishes for Tomorrow ''Best Wishes for Tomorrow'' ( ) is a Japanese film by director Takashi Koizumi Takashi Koizumi (小泉堯史 ''Koizumi Takashi'') (born November 6, 1944, in Mito) is a Japanese film director. After graduating from Waseda University, he serve ...

'' (2008) * ''

Air Doll is a 2009 Japanese drama film directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda. It is based on the manga series ''Kuuki Ningyo'' by Yoshiie Gōda, which was serialized in the seinen manga magazine ''Big Comic Original''. It stars Bae Doona as an inflatable sex do ...

'' (2009) * ''

Summer Wars is a 2009 Japanese animated science fiction film directed by Mamoru Hosoda, produced by Madhouse, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. The film's voice cast includes Ryunosuke Kamiki, Nanami Sakuraba, Mitsuki Tanimura, Sumiko Fuji ...

'' (2009) * ''

Lady Maiko is a 2014 Japanese musical comedy film written and directed by Masayuki Suo, starring Mone Kamishiraishi, Hiroki Hasegawa, and Sumiko Fuji. It screened in competition at the 2014 Shanghai International Film Festival on June 16, 2014. It was releas ...

'' (2014) * ''

April Fools April Fools' Day or April Fool's Day (rarely called All Fools' Day) is an annual custom on the 1st of April consisting of practical jokes, hoaxes, and pranks. Jokesters often expose their actions by shouting "April Fool " at the recipient. Mas ...

'' (2015) * ''

A Loving Husband is a 2016 Japanese drama directed by Kazuhiko Yukawa, based on the novel ''Families'' by Kiyoshi Shigematsu. By the first screenings, the film had earned ¥104 million (US$0.923 million). Plot Yohei Miyamoto and Miyoko originally met at a matc ...

'' (2017) * ''Samurai's Promise'' (2018) * '' Children of the Sea'' (2019), Dede (voice) * ''A Garden of Camellias'' (2021), Kinuko * ''DIVOC-12'' (2021)

Television

* ''

'' (1966) -

Shizuka Gozen Shizuka GozenNote: ''Gozen'' is not a name, but rather an honorific title, usually translated as "Lady", though the title was bestowed upon men on rare occasions as well. (静御前) (1165–1211), or Lady Shizuka, one of the most famous women in ...

* ''Tobu ga Gotoku'' (1990) - Tenshōin * ''Hōjō Tokimune'' (2001) - Matsushita Zen-ni * ''

Tenchijin is a 2009 Japanese super historical drama television series, and the 48th taiga drama of NHK. It aired every Sunday from January 4 to November 22, 2009, spanning 47 episodes.It is an unusual Taiga Drama as the final episode will be broadcast as e ...

'' (2009) - Kōdai-in Nene * '' Teppan'' (2010–2011) * ''A Day-Off of Ryoma Takeuchi'' (2020)

Honours

*Kinuyo Tanaka Award (1999) * Medal with Purple Ribbon (2007) * Order of the Rising Sun, 4th Class, Gold Rays with Rosette (2016)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Fuji, Sumiko Japanese film actresses 1945 births Living people Japanese television actresses 20th-century Japanese actresses 21st-century Japanese actresses Recipients of the Medal with Purple Ribbon Recipients of the Order of the Rising Sun, 4th class People from Gobō, Wakayama Terajima family