Overview

• She died on July 9 at her Tokyo home from cancer at age 77 after a period of home care.
• In May she collapsed at home, was hospitalized and then returned to home care before her condition suddenly worsened.
• She became the first Japanese woman to reach the North Pole, breaking new ground for female adventurers.
• She joined Nikkatsu in 1961, starred in the Golden Prize–winning film "Hikō Shōjo" and was celebrated as one of the studio’s "Three Daughters."
• Her 1960s duet "Futari no Ginza" with Ken Yamauchi was a major hit that extended her impact beyond cinema.