Nobuko Otowa


Nobuko Otowa was a Japanese actress who appeared in more than 100 films between 1950 and 1994.

Life and career

A graduate of Takarazuka Girl's Opera School, Otowa was first signed to Daiei studios, before becoming a freelance actress by the early 1950s. After starring in Kaneto Shindo's Story of a Beloved Wife, she became the director's mistress and appeared in nearly all of his following films. She finally married him in 1977, after his previous wife divorced him. Although closely associated with Shindo's films, with Children of Hiroshima, The Naked Island and Onibaba being among the most well-known, Otowa also worked for noted directors such as Kenji Mizoguchi, Mikio Naruse, Heinosuke Gosho, Keisuke Kinoshita and Nagisa Ōshima. Devoted to her profession, she frequently wrote and lectured on the art of film acting.
In 1995, she was posthumously awarded as best actress in a supporting role at the 19th Japan Academy Prize for A Last Note, having been diagnosed with terminal liver cancer during its production. Half of her ashes are scattered on the island of Sukune in Mihara, Hiroshima, where The Naked Island was filmed.

Filmography

Film

Shojoho Miyagi Hiroba Arabiya monogatari Tsuki no wataridori – OichiDare ga watashi o sabaku no ka Miss Oyu – ShizuMeigetsu somato Story of a Beloved Wife – Takako IshikawaThe Tale of Genji – Murasaki no ueIzayoi kaido Asakusa kurenaidan – Maki AyukawaAvalanche – Atsuko FujikawaAtakake no hitobito Children of Hiroshima – Takako IshikawaKantarou tsukiyo-uta – OkyoSenba zuru – Ayako OhtaOnna to iu shiro – Mari no maki Onna to iu shiro – Yuko no maki Hatamoto Taikutsu Otoko 808 Chome Mura hatibu Epitome – GinkoYokubo – Shizue KitamiYoake mae – Hanzo's DaughterLife of a Woman – Fujiko ShirakawaKoina no Ginpei – OichiUtsukushī hito An Inn at Osaka – UwabamiDobu – TsuruDorodarake no seishun – NanakoAi to shi no tanima Wakai hitotachi Aisureba koso – Michie Ginza no onna Wolf – Akiko YanoKabuki juhachiban: Narukami – Bijo to kairyu Shirogane Shinjū – Sakie / UmekoRyūri no Kishi – Hagiyo, Chiho's motherShin ono ga tsumi Yoake Asaake An Actress – Kakuko MoriAru yo futatabi Kottaisan yori: Nyotai wa kanashiku – TamasodeHadairo no tsuki – Kumiko UnoUkifune – Naka-no-kimiYagyū bugeichō: Sōryū hiken – the PrincessMakeraremasen katsumadewa – OdamaKanashimi wa onna dakeni – TakaA Holiday in Tokyo – NobukoYajikita Dochuuki Noren Tsuzurikata kyodai – AuntMimizuku Nora neko Yajikita dōchū sugoroku – Ofutsu / maidHana noren Lucky Dragon No. 5 – Shizu KuboyamaAisaiki Okaasan no yume Kashima ari Ai no kane The Three Treasures – Goddess of AnenouzumeHanayome-san wa sekai-ichi Waga ai – HideyaTenka no Odorobo Shiranami Gonin Man Chinpindō shujin Onna no saka Shin jōdaigaku The Twilight Story – Kyōko YamaiThe Approach of Autumn – Shigeko Fukatani – Hideo's MotherThe Naked Island – Toyo, the motherHunting Rifle – Choko's motherMozu Tōkyō yawa – YukariKojin koujitsu Netsuai sha – TamikoImmortal Love – Tomoko, Takashi's wifeGen to fudō myō-ō The Last War – Oyoshi TamuraAwamori-kun Kanpai Aijo no keifu Neko to katsuobushi Ashita aru kagiri Nagashi hina Long Way to Okinawa Ika naru hoshi no moto ni – MitojiSei Kurabe Aobeka monogatari – KiminoNingen – GorosukeKawa no hotori de – Tamako SekiguchiKigeki ekimae hanten Yushu Heiya Kanojo ni mukatte tosshinsayo Uso – Shiro to kuro – Ochiai's WifeDaidokoro taiheiki Wanpaku tenshi Hyakumannin no musumetachi Miren – Hatsu KakinumaMother – TamikoWakai nakamatachi: uchira Gion no maikohan Kigeki ekimae okami – Kyōko YamamotoKigeki yōki-na mibōjin – Kume TanabeThe Scent of Incense – IkuyoOkaasan no baka Kigeki ekimae kaidan Onibaba – Kichi's MotherDaikon to ninjin – Nobuyo YamakiNami kage – Masa, Kichitaro's wifeKigeki ekimae kin'yū Daiku taiheki Akuto – JijuAbare Gōemon – OsasaKigeki ekimae benten Lost Sex – The HousemaidAkogare Kigeki ekimae keiba Danshun Kigeki ekimae mangan Izu no odoriko Kigeki ekimae gakuen Zoku Na mo naku mazushiku utsukushiku: Chichi to ko – Taeko SakaiSei no kigen – WifeKigeki ekimae hyakku-nen Kuroneko – Yone Tsuyomushi onna to yowamushi otoko – FumikoĀh himeyuri no tō – Hatsu YonamineMachi ni izumi ga atta – Toki YanoRed Lion – OharuHeat Wave Island – OtoyoShokkaku – Tamiko / Prostitute YukiLive Today, Die Tomorrow! – Take YamadaThe Ceremony – Sakurada ShizuKanawa – Middle aged womanSanka – Teru KamozawaThe Heart – Mrs. MKōkotsu no hito – KyōkoShiawase Waga michi – Mino KawamuraKenji Mizoguchi: The Life of a Film Director – HerselfKyukei no Koya The Life of Chikuzan The Incident The Strangling – Ryoko, MotherHaitatsu sarenai santsu no tegami – Sumie, Mitsumasa's wifeKangofu no oyaji ganbaru Omoeba tōkue kitamonda Asshii-tachi no machi – Haru HayasakaOre to aitsu no monogatari Edo Porn – Omomo, Sashichi's WifeEkisutora – Kinuyo AdachiMikan no taikyoku The Go Masters The Horizon – Hideyo, after age 40Location – KatsueTengoku ni ichiban chikai shima – Tei IshikawaShiroi machi hiroshima Yasha – UmeLost in the Wilderness – Yasuko MutoBurakkubōdo – Namie YasuiTree Without Leaves – MotherNijushi no hitomi – OkamiSakura-tai Chiru – NarrationYumemi-dōri no hitobito Donmai – Toyo MurakamiPachinko monogatari Bokuto kidan – MasaTsuribaka nisshi 5 – Densuke's motherA Last Note – Toyoko YanagawaBy Player – herself

Television (selection)

Tadaima Taikōki – OetsuSaigo no jigazō Yokomizo Seishi Shirīzu Nagisa no onna Kazunomiya sama otome Oshin – OshinShinju yoi goshin The Asami Mitsuhiko Mystery Ōinaru gen'ei Haha: Inochi yomigaeru hi Asahina Shūhei misuterī 3: Tangoji satsujin jiken
  • ''Ude ni oboe ari''

Awards and honors

Japan Academy Prize
Blue Ribbon Awards
Kinema Junpo Awards
Mainichi Film Awards
36th Venice International Film Festival
  • 1979: Pasinetti Award, ''The Strangling''