# Ayako Wakao

Ayako Wakao (若尾 文子, Wakao Ayako, November 8, 1933 in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese actress who was one of the country's biggest stars of the 20th century.

## Biography

Wakao began her career contracted to Daiei Studios in 1951 as part of the fifth "New Face" group. She has gone on to appear in over 100 feature films, plus numerous television movies and series. She was a favorite actress of director Yasuzo Masumura, starring in 20 of his films. In addition to her many collaborations with Masumura, she was a favorite of Kon Ichikawa, having starred or co-starred in seven of the director's works. She appeared in Kenji Mizoguchi's A Geisha and Street of Shame. She also appeared in Yasujirō Ozu's Floating Weeds. Yuzo Kawashima made three films Women Are Born Twice, The Temple of Wild Geese and The Graceful Brute with her.
Wakao married architect Kisho Kurokawa in 1983. They did not have children. In 2007, both ran unsuccessful campaigns for seats in the upper house of the Japanese Parliament, before Kurokawa died in October of that year.

## Selected filmography
### Films

| Year | Title | Role | Director | Notes |
| 1952 | Shino machi o Nogarete | Setsuko Minami | Eiichi Koishi | |
| 1952 | Mōjū Tsukai no Shōjo | Aiko | Kozo Saeki | |
| 1952 | Ashita wa Nichiyobi (Asu wa Nichiyobi) | Momoko Yamabuki | Kozo Saeki | Lead |
| 1953 | Teen-Ager's Sex Manual Judai no seiten | Eiko Takanashi | Koji Shima | Lead |
| 1953 | A Geisha | Eiko/Miyoei | Kenji Mizoguchi | Lead |
| 1953 | Jūdai no Yūwaku | | Seiji Hisamatsu | Lead |
| 1955 | A Girl Isn't Allowed to Love | Yumiko Kiryu | Teinosuke Kinugasa | Lead |
| 1955 | The Phantom Horse | Yuki Shiraishi | Koji Shima | Lead |
| 1956 | Street of Shame | Yasumi | Kenji Mizoguchi | Lead |
| 1957 | Suzakumon | Princess Kazu | Kazuo Mori | Lead |
| 1957 | The Blue Sky Maiden | Yuko | Yasuzo Masumura | Lead |
| 1958 | The Loyal 47 Ronin | Osuzu | Kunio Watanabe | |
| 1959 | Floating Weeds | Kayo | Yasujirō Ozu | |
| 1960 | Afraid to Die | Yoshie Koizumi | Yasuzo Masumura | Lead |
| 1960 | A False Student | Mutsuko | Yasuzo Masumura | Lead |
| 1960 | A Woman's Testament | Kimi | Yasuzo Masumura | Lead |
| 1961 | A Wife Confesses | Saeko Takigawa | Yasuzo Masumura | Lead |
| 1961 | Women Are Born Twice | Koen | Yuzo Kawashima | Lead |
| 1962 | The Temple of Wild Geese | Satoko Kirihara | Yuzo Kawashima | Lead |
| 1962 | The Graceful Brute | Yukie Mitani | Yuzo Kawashima | Lead |
| 1963 | An Actor's Revenge | Namiji | Kon Ichikawa | |
| 1964 | Manji | Mitsuko Tokumitsu | Yasuzo Masumura | Lead |
| 1966 | Irezumi | Oen | Yasuzo Masumura | Lead |
| 1966 | Red Angel | Sakura Nishi | Yasuzo Masumura | Lead |
| 1970 | Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo | Umeno | Kihachi Okamoto | |
| 1971 | Tora-san's Shattered Romance | Yūko Akashi | Yoji Yamada | |
| 1975 | Kenji Mizoguchi: The Life of a Film Director | Herself | Kaneto Shindo | Documentary film |
| 1987 | Princess from the Moon | Tayoshime | Kon Ichikawa | |
| 2005 | Spring Snow | Gesshuji monzeki | Isao Yukisada | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Network | Notes |
| 1972 | Shin Heike Monogatari | Tokiwa Gozen | NHK | Taiga drama |
| 1975 | Genroku Taiheiki | Someko | NHK | Taiga drama |
| 1988 | Takeda Shingen | Lady Ōi, narrator | NHK | Taiga drama |
| 1998 | Tokugawa Yoshinobu | Yoshiko | NHK | Taiga drama |
| 2003 | Musashi | Yodo-dono | NHK | Taiga drama |
| 2011 | Sunshine | Old Yōko Maruyama, narrator | NHK | Asadora |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Work(s) | Result |
| 1961 | Blue Ribbon Award | Best Actress | A Wife Confesses, Women Are Born Twice, and The Age of Marriage | Won |
| 1962 | Kinema Junpo Award | Best Actress | A Wife Confesses and Women Are Born Twice | Won |
| 1965 | Blue Ribbon Award | Best Actress | Seisaku's Wife and Nami Kage | Won |
| 1966 | Kinema Junpo Award | Best Actress | Seisaku's Wife and Nami Kage | Won |
| 1969 | Kinema Junpo Award | Best Actress | One Day at Summer's End, The House of Wooden Blocks, and The Time of Reckoning | Won |
| 2006 | Mainichi Film Awards | Kinuyo Tanaka Award | Lifetime Achievement | Won |