Yōko Minamida

Known for ActingBorn 1933-03-01Died 2009-10-21Tokyo, Japan

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.Read more

Movies & web series

A Young Man's Stronghold

The Domain: Where The Blade Enters

Kyu-chan, Draw Your Sword

Gun of Nosappu

The Rambler Rides Again

The Doctor

A Girl Isn't Allowed to Love

The Wild Daisy

The Soundless Cry

Prison Gambler

Gambler

A Modern Samurai Village

Bet on a Seaside Romance

Tales of a Gunman: The Man Without Tomorrow

The Motherless

Karafuto 1945 Summer

Gokusen

This Story of Love

Take Me Away!

Portrait of Chieko

The Domain: White Blade

The Kingdom of Jirocho 4

Love Comes with Youth

Himitsu

Chikamatsu Monogatari

The Domain: Kanto Legends of Chivalry

The Tattooed Lord

The Guys Who Put Money on Me

House

Yellow Fangs

Jakoman and Tetsu

The Motive

Glorious Fights

But the Flesh is Weak

Japanese Humanity and Justice

Akai Shougeki

Pigs and Battleships

Showdown of Men

Beyond the Green Hills

Tokyo Knights

The Poem of the Blue Star

Jungle Block

A Sun-Tribe Myth from the Bakumatsu Era

Jūdai no seiten

Our Town

The Kanto Scarlet Cherry Gang

Princess Yang Kwei-fei

Stolen Desire