was a Japanese actress, voice actress, and essayist. Having grown up with the burgeoning Japanese film and TV industry during post-war period, her career bridged traditional storytelling with modern cinematic expressions, making her a quintessential figure of her era in Japanese entertainment.
She made her debut on the screen in 1955, and has appeared in more than 60 films, and as well as hundreds of Japanese television dramas. Over her career spanning seven decades, she won a Mainichi Film Award for Best Supporting Actress Award in 1959, as well as a Japan Academy Film & TV Prize for Best Actress for a her role in 1978 film Empire of Passion.
Kazuko Yoshiyuki was born on 9 August 1935 in Tokyo, to the second child and first daughter of Eisuke Yoshiyuki (1906-1940), a Japanese writer, and (1907-2015), a Japanese hairdresser and literary family. She has three siblings: Her oldest brother, Junnosuke Yoshiyuki (1924-1994), a Japanese writer, and her youngest sister, Rie Yoshiyuki (1939-2006), a Japanese poet and writer. Her whole family were from Okayama. Unfortunately, her maternal grandfather and aunt both died from Spanish flu pandemic (1918-1920), just before she was born. Also, in July 1940 when she was 4 or 5, her father, Eisuke died suddenly due to the complications of angina pectoris at the age of 34. Like her mother, Yoshiyuki suffered from asthma since she was two years old, although she was frequently taken as a child to Okayama, where her grandparents lived here, for a change of air. During her childhood, when she was 10 years old, Yoshiyuki and her family were survived from advancing firebombs during Asia-Pacific War in World War II, although she and her family were remains live in Tokyo throughout the war.
In March 1948, at age 13, Yoshiyuki graduated from in Chiyoda Ward, and in 1954, at age 19, she graduated from Joshigakuen Girls High school in Tokyo. Before graduating, she took the entrance exam for Mizushina Institute attached to Mingei Theatre Company. She had no intention of becoming an actress as of yet, but because she was good at drawing and sewing, and she applied hoping to become a costume designer.
In 1955, at age 20, Yoshiyuki started her film and television career as an actress with theatre troupe Gekidan Mingei. In the same year, she made her screen debut in Yukiko, starring Keiko Tsushima (1926-2012). In 1957, Yoshiyuki joined Mingei and made her debut as a leading role of Anne Frank in The Diary of Anne Frank, but after that she was only cast in modest "peasant girl" roles. In 1959, while she's still affiliated with Mingei, Yoshiyuki signed with Nikkatsu. In the same year, she won a Mainichi Film Award for Best Supporting Actress, such as her performances in Nianchan and Sainou Kishitsu.
In early 1960s, Yoshiyuki appeared in three films, such as her portrayal of factory worker in Foundry Town (1962), and Chisako Kayama in ' and Yamaguchi in ' (both in 1965). In 1966, she appeared in two films, such as the role of Sophie in Junji Kinoshita's A Japanese Called Otto and Yasuko Sakai in '. In 1969, at age 33 or 34, Yoshiyuki left from the company and she became as a freelancer.
In early 1970s, Yoshiyuki appeared in 11 major films, such as her portrayal of Sachiko Igarashi in ' (1970), Mieko Tajima in ' and Professor Motohashi in ' (both in 1971), Yasuko in ' (1972), Aya Tokunaga in Lady Snowblood (1974), Head Nurse Noda in ' (1976), Fusa Hirai in Days Not Returning (1978), Yue Mori in ' and Masa Takada in ' (both in 1979), and Azuma Michi in ' and Ayako's mother in ' (both in 1980).
In 1974, Yoshiyuki won a Individual Prize for her appearance in The Taste of Honey at Shiki Theatre Company in Tokyo.
In 1978, Yoshiyuki has surprised the world with her starring role as Seki in Nagisa Oshima's film Empire of Passion, a bold sexual drama (despite opposition from those around her for being over 40 years old), where she won a Japan Academy Film & TV Prize for Best Actress.
In early 1980s and 1990s, Yoshiyuki appeared in numerous films, such as Oshizu in (1981), Suzuki Fusako in ' (1982), Toshie in ' and Bar Girl in ' (both in 1983), Kazuko Yamaguchi in ' (1984), Kimiyo Kitano in ' (1985), Tae in ' and Saki's Mother in ' (both in 1986), Harumi in ' (1987), Miho Wagu in ' (1988), Mariko Maeno's mother in Chizuko's Younger Sister (1991), Yoshiko Sasaki in ' (1992), Nishime Kana in ' and Yasuko Eguchi in ' (both in 1995), Kanako Tanaka in ' (1996), Mizukashizuko in ' and Hikage Sachiko in ' (both in 1997), and Masao's grandmother in Kikujiro and Matsu in Taboo (both in 1999).
Yoshiyuki appeared in four NHK General TV series, such as her portrayal of Masako Hirayama in ' (1997), Chiyo Tamaki in ' (2009), Tora Uno/Narrator in ' (2013), and Masako Komukai in ' (2016-2018). In addition to Japanese television dramas, she was also an actively storyteller on children's TV program Okaasan to Issho (since 1959).
In 2002, Yoshiyuki honored a Kinuyo Tanaka Award at Mainichi Film Awards for her work on Oriume and other films.
She also voiced as Toki in Ponyo (2008) and Nanny in When Marnie Was There (2014).
Yoshiyuki had a last several film and television projects, including her posthumously appearance in Fumiko Kaneko: Because I Wanted to, released in February 2026, just one year after her death.
Yoshiyuki has never married any man, and does not have children. She is expressed openness to marriage and being her mother in the past. After her father's death, her mother Aguri influenced her views, making her valuing independent and responsible. She said: "My mother, Aguri was extremely dexterous (from an early age). She would be make kimonos for dolls and knit. She was very good at making things."
She was focused on her career and experiences like travel. She had often spoken about enjoying her singlehood life until her death.
Yoshiyuki was raised Buddhism and Shintoism at once. She is best known for her political and social point of views, such as opposing the War on Terror including Iraq War (2003âÂÂ2011), and supporting efforts to reducing climate change. Yoshiyuki said in a television interview: I really think that there are a lot of idiots in the world. They know it will make everyone unhappy, but there must be someone who benefits from it. She showed his pride as a wartime and anti-war person.
In 2022, Yoshiyuki was diagnosed with dementia. However, she remained active throughout her life, continuing to work well into her later years.
Yoshiyuki died of pneumonia at the hospital Tokyo, on 2 September 2025, at the age of 90. Her death was announced by her agency on 9 September of the same year. Her private funeral was held only in the presence of close relatives.