- Masako Natsume
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Masako Natsume
Masako Natsume.Born December 17, 1957
Tokyo, JapanDied September 11, 1985 (aged 27) Occupation Actress Masako Natsume (夏目 雅子 Natsume Masako , December 17, 1957 - September 11, 1985) (family name: Nishiyama) was a Japanese model and actress from Tokyo. Widely popular in Japan she gained worldwide recognition for her portrayal as Tripitaka in the TV series Monkey which is now considered a cult classic.
Contents
Biography
Masako was born Masako Odate in Roppongi, Tokyo, the only daughter of Sue and Kazu Odate. Raised in Naka-ku, Yokohama, while in junior college in 1976 she auditioned for the lead in Nihon TV's Ai Ga Miemasu Ka?. Chosen from 4,000 applicants, she dropped out of school to pursue an acting career, playing the part under her real name Masako Odate. Masako's mother initially objected to her choice of career and requested that she not use the Odate family name if she gained further work. In 1977, she changed her name to Natsume.
In 1977, she was chosen to represent Kanebo Cosmetics, achieving great popularity after appearing topless as the "Kooky Face" girl in an ad for sunscreen. This popularity led to her recording a song later that year called "Oh! Cookie Face". Many bit parts and a few leads in movies followed but she continued in television.
In 1978-79, she played the male part of Tripitaka (Sanzō-hōshi, Japanese translation of Sanzang-fashi) in the 1970s Japanese TV program Saiyūki, which proved popular in many English-speaking countries in the 1980s, when dubbed by the BBC and titled Monkey. Masako won the part as she had matched contemporary descriptions of Sanzō-hōshi's appearance more closely than male actors who auditioned.
Masako made her stage debut with the Tokyo-Takarazuka Theater Company in 1980 in the play "Kikaishi Naporeon No Taishoku".
Specialising as well bred but shy heroines in her movies she was regularly criticized by the public and media for her poor acting. However, this changed in 1982 after appearing as an ambitious and immoral woman in the TV drama "Shousha" and as the daughter of a Yakuza leader in the movie "Onimasa". One of her lines from this movie "Don't you shit with me!" became a very popular catchphrase in Japan.
She won the award for best actress at the 8th Hochi Film Award for The Catch and Time and Tide.[1]
She died from acute leukemia at the age of 27 in 1985 and is buried in Hōfu, Yamaguchi under the name Masako Nishiyama.
Masako Natsume picture books and calendars are still popular in Japan today. In 1997, Canon produced a television commercial for a copy machine, featuring her photocopied images, which offered 100 free compilations of the images in a book. Canon received 230,000 applications.
In 2007, TBS broadcast a documentary on Masako's life titled "Himawari - Masako Natsume 27 - sai no Shougai to Haha no Ai" based on the book "Futari no Masako" written by her mother, Sue Odate. The documentary stars Yagi Yūki as Natsume in her childhood and Nakama Yukie as a grown Natsume.
Filmography
Television
- Shousha
- Kazenohayato
- Onnataikouki
- Tokugawaieyasu
- Nonomurabyouinmonogatari
- Dokkiritenmasensei
- Dauntaunmonogatari
Television in a starring role
- Ai Ga Meimasu Ka (Can you see love?)
- Akum no Temariuta (Devil)
- Ougon no Hibi (Platinum Age)
- Y no Higeki (Tragedy of Y)
This television drama was the first Japanese drama based on an Ellery Queen novel. - Saiyuki (Monkey)
- Nijiko no Boukan (Adventures of Nijiko)
Films
- Ore no Sora (My Sky) 1977
- Truck Yaro: Otoko Ippiki Momojiro {translation required} 1977
- Nihyakusan Kochi (Port Arthur) 1980
A Russo-Japanese War Drama about the Siege of Port Arthur. Masako plays the role of an Imperial Japanese Army officer's girlfriend who stays in Japan. - Masho no Natsu (The Summer of Evil Spirits) 1981
- Onimasa Kiryuin Hanako no Shogai (The life of Hanako Kiryuin) 1982 Renamed Onimasa for foreign distribution.
It was Japan's submission to the 55th Academy Awards for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film but was not accepted as a nominee. - Dai Nihon Teikoku ( The Great Japanese Empire) 1982
A WW2 drama where Masako plays two roles. A terminally ill Japanese student striving to become a painter and a Filipino woman. - Future War 198X. 1982
An animated film with Masako providing the voice for a pilot in the United States Airforce. - Jidai-ya no Nyobo (A wife of Jidai-ya) 1983
Jidai-ya is the name of a shop. Masako plays two roles. The wife of the shops owner who walks out on him and the customer he falls in love with because she looks like his wife. - Shosetsu Yoshida Gakkou (Yoshida School) 1983
- Nankyoku Monogatari (South Pole Story) 1983
Released in the United States under the title "Antarctica". This movie is the second most successful film in Japan after Steven Spielbergs E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. - Gyoei no Mure (A Group of Fish) 1983
- Setouchi Shonen Yakyu Dan (Setouchi Boys Baseball Team/MacArthur's Children) 1984
Released posthumously.
Notes
Both of Masako's brothers, Kazuo and Toshiaki Odate are professional golfers. Toshiaki won the 1993 Woodone Open and the 2001 JCB Classic. Masako's sister-in-law, Yoshiko Odate, an actress and former member of the popular 1970s pop group The Candies died on April 21, 2011 of breast cancer.[2]
Mawaru-Penguindrum, a 2011 Japanese anime series produced by Brain's Base has a character named Masako Natsume.
References
- ^ "報知映画賞ヒストリー" (in Japanese). Cinema Hochi. http://cinemahochi.yomiuri.co.jp/h_award/1983/. Retrieved 2010-01-24.
- ^ Ex-Candies member Tanaka dies The Japan Times April 23, 2011
External links
- Masako Natsume Tripitaka in legendary TV series 'Monkey'
- Biography of Natsume
- Burial monument (Japanese)
- The Sunflower Foundation, a cancer organization dedicated to Natsume (Japanese)
Awards Setsuko Hara (1951) · Isuzu Yamada (1952) · Nobuko Otowa (1953) · Hideko Takamine (1954) · Chikage Awashima (1955) · Isuzu Yamada (1956) · Yuuko Mochizuki (1957) · Fujiko Yamamoto (1958) · Tanie Kitabayashi (1959) · Keiko Kishi (1960) · Ayako Wakao (1961) · Sayuri Yoshinaga (1962) · Sachiko Hidari (1963) · Shima Iwashita (1964) · Ayako Wakao (1965) · Youko Tsukasa (1966) · Ruriko Asaoka (1975) · Kumiko Akiyoshi (1976) · Shima Iwashita (1977) · Meiko Kaji (1978) · Kaori Momoi (1979) · Yukiyo Toake (1980) · Keiko Matsuzaka (1981) · Masako Natsume (1982) · Yūko Tanaka (1983) · Hiroko Yakushimaru (1984) · Yukiyo Toake (1985) · Ayumi Ishida (1986) · Yoshiko Mita (1987) · Kaori Momoi (1988) · Yoshiko Tanaka (1989) · Keiko Matsuzaka (1990) · Youki Kudoh (1991) · Yoshiko Mita (1992) · Ruby Moreno (1993) · Saki Takaoka (1994) · Miho Nakayama (1995) · Kaori Momoi (1997) · Mieko Harada (1998) · Kyōka Suzuki (1999) · Sayuri Yoshinaga (2000) · Yūki Amami (2001) · Reiko Kataoka (2002) · Shinobu Terajima (2003) · Rie Miyazawa (2004) · Kyōko Koizumi (2005) · Yū Aoi (2006) · Kumiko Aso (2007) · Tae Kimura (2008)
Kumiko Akiyoshi (1976) · Shima Iwashita (1977) · Meiko Kaji (1978) · Junko Miyashita (1979) · Chieko Baishō (1980) · Keiko Matsuzaka (1981) · Kaori Momoi (1982) · Masako Natsume (1983) · Sayuri Yoshinaga (1984) · Mitsuko Baisho (1985) · Ayumi Ishida (1986) · Shinobu Ōtake (1987) · Narumi Yasuda (1988) · Yoshiko Tanaka (1989) · Keiko Matsuzaka (1990) · Youki Kudoh (1991) · Misa Shimizu (1992) · Ruby Moreno (1993) · Saki Takaoka (1994) · Miho Nakayama (1995) · Mieko Harada (1996) · Hitomi Kuroki (1997) · Mieko Harada (1998) · Jun Fubuki (1999) · Naomi Fujiyama (2000) · Kyōko Koizumi (2001) · Rie Miyazawa (2002) · Shinobu Terajima (2003) · Takako Matsu (2004) · Yūko Tanaka (2005) · Miki Nakatani (2006) · Kumiko Aso (2007) · Kyōko Koizumi (2008) · Takako Matsu (2009)
Yokohama Film Festival Best Supporting Actress Ako (1980) · Ran Ito (1981) · Yūko Tanaka (1982) · Masako Natsume (1983) · Misako Tanaka (1984) · Kin Sugai / Etsuko Shihomi (1985) · Kie Nakai (1986) · Noriko Watanabe (1987) · Eri Ishida (1988) · Shuko Honami (1989) · Haruko Sagara (1990) · Tomoko Nakajima (1991) · Emi Wakui / Reona Hirota (1992) · Keiko Oginome / Misa Shimizu (1993) · Kaoru Mizuki / Ruby Moreno (1994) · Shigeru Muroi (1995) · Shinobu Nakayama (1996) · Reiko Kusamura (1997) · Reiko Kataoka (1998) · Yumi Yoshiyuki (1999) · Naomi Nishida (2001) · Kou Shibasaki / Yūki Amami (2002) · Nene Otsuka (2003) · Kimiko Yo (2004) · Kirin Kiki (2005) · Hiroko Yakushimaru (2006) · Yūko Nakamura / Kazue Fukiishi (2007) · Hiromi Nagasaku (2008) · Ryōko Hirosue / Kimiko Yo (2009) · Sakura Andou (2010)
Categories:- 1957 births
- 1985 deaths
- Japanese actors
- Japanese female models
- Deaths from leukemia
- Cancer deaths in Japan
- People from Tokyo
- People from Yokohama
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