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Machiko Kyō

Motoko Yano, better known as March 25, 1924 – May 12, 2019, was a Japanese actress who was active primarily in the 1950s. Considered one of Japan's first sex symbols and one of its greatest screen actresses, Kyō is best known for her critically acclaimed work with directors Akira Kurosawa, Yasujirō Ozu, Kenji Mizoguchi, Mikio Naruse, Kon Ichikawa, Teinosuke Kinugasa, Kōzaburō Yoshimura, Shirō Toyoda and Hiroshi Teshigahara, appearing in films such as Rashomon, Ugetsu, Gate of Hell, Street of Shame, Floating Weeds, Odd Obsession and The Face of Another. Kyō received the Lifetime Achievement Japan Academy Film Prize in 1995.

Also recorded as Machiko Kyo · Machiko Kyou

Machiko Kyō

京マチ子(1952年、東京のスタジオ)

濱谷浩 · 「昭和女人集」 · Public domain

Name
Machiko Kyō
Birth Name
Motoko Yano
Born
25 March 1924
Birthplace
Osaka, Japan
Died
12 May 2019
Place of death
Tokyo, Japan
Occupation
Actress
Full name
矢野元子.
Nationality
Japan and Empire of Japan.
Honours
Medal with Purple Ribbon, Kikuta Kazuo engeki shō, Order of the Precious Crown, 4th Class and Mainichi Film Award for Best Actress.
Languages
Japanese.

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Motoko Yano, better known as March 25, 1924 – May 12, 2019, was a Japanese actress who was active primarily in the 1950s. Considered one of Japan's first sex symbols and one of its greatest screen actresses, Kyō is best known for her critically acclaimed work with directors Akira Kurosawa, Yasujirō Ozu, Kenji Mizoguchi, Mikio Naruse, Kon Ichikawa, Teinosuke Kinugasa, Kōzaburō Yoshimura, Shirō Toyoda and Hiroshi Teshigahara, appearing in films such as Rashomon, Ugetsu, Gate of Hell, Street of Shame, Floating Weeds, Odd Obsession and The Face of Another. Kyō received the Lifetime Achievement Japan Academy Film Prize in 1995.

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Machiko Kyō (1924–2019) was an actor, actress and film actor, among other activities, of Japanese and Japanese nationality. The actor was born 矢野元子 in Osaka and died in Tokyo.

Languages used include Japanese. Honours include Kikuta Kazuo engeki shō, Mainichi Film Award for Best Actress and Medal with Purple Ribbon, among others.

Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 27 September 2026

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wikidata · Q180602 · wikipedia · Machiko Kyō

In this article

  1. 01Biography
  2. 02Visual art and other activities
  3. 03Archives and collections
  4. 04Honours and memberships
  5. 05Notes, references and evidence

The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.

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