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Yoko Shimada

Yoko Shimada

Birthday: 1953-05-17 | Place of Birth: Kumamoto, Japan

Kumamoto City-born Shimada Yoko is best known in the west as Mariko from the 1980 mini-series Shogun. The lady-in-waiting role created an interest in Japan and its culture overseas and introduced Japanese history to foreign audiences. She won the Golden Globe For Best Performance by an Actress in a TV-Series - Drama category and was nominated for a Prime-time Emmy Award for her work on the serial in 1981. Shimada, who spoke some English for the serial, had been acting for years prior to Shogun however. She began learning ballet since age three and wanted to become a ballerina until her high high school days. Her family had moved to Tokyo when she was eight. She obtained an agent and began acting while in junior high school. The TV serial Zoku Hyouten made her famous beginning 1970. She released a nude photo book, called Kir Royal, in 1992. She was 39 and the photo book became a bestseller shifting half a million copies. At 57 she starred in an 'AV' pornography video called Mikkai in 2011. This was a tribute to her body even at that age. Shimada has a reservation for a space burial.

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Known For

Acting

Year
Title

Role

2016
Kanon

as    Sumiko

2003
Undiscovered Tomb

as    Ivy

2001
The Sino-Dutch War 1661

as    Matsu Tagawa

1995
Crying Freeman

as    Lady Hanada

1995
The Hunted

as    Mieko

1990
Minamoto Yoshitsune

as    Kaneuri Kichiji

1988
Labyrinth Romanesque

as    Tae Akimoto

1981
Shogun

as    Lady Toda Buntaro - Mariko

1981
My Champion

as    Miki

1980
Shogun

as    Dame Toda Buntaro - Mariko

1980
Shōgun

as    Lady Toda Buntaro - Mariko

1980
Shogun

as    Lady Toda Buntaro - Mariko

1979
Lupin the Thief: Enigma of the 813

as    Mrs. Kesselbach

1979
Dog of Fortune

as    Reiko Kitamori

1977
Fushoku no kōzō

as    Majima Kumiko

1976
The Inugami Family

as    Tamayo Nonomiya