# Kinema Junpo Award for Best Actress

The Kinema Junpo Awards for Best Actress is given by Kinema Junpo as part of its annual Kinema Junpo Awards for Japanese films, to recognize a female actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role.

## Winners

| Year | Film (s) | Actress |
| 1956 | Floating Clouds | Hideko Takamine |
| 1957 | Flowing A Cat, Shozo, and Two Women | Isuzu Yamada |
| 1958 | Throne of Blood The Lower Depths Downtown | Isuzu Yamada |
| 1959 | The Ballad of Narayama | Kinuyo Tanaka |
| 1960 | The Human Condition | Michiyo Aratama |
| 1961 | A Woman's Testament The Twilight Story | Fujiko Yamamoto |
| 1962 | A Wife Confesses Onna wa nido umareru | Ayako Wakao |
| 1963 | Akitsu Springs This Year's Love | Mariko Okada |
| 1964 | The Insect Woman She and He | Sachiko Hidari |
| 1965 | Sweet Sweat | Machiko Kyō |
| 1966 | Seisaku's Wife Nami kage | Ayako Wakao |
| 1967 | The River Kino Hit and Run The Daphne | Yoko Tsukasa |
| 1968 | Onna no issho Portrait of Chieko Clouds at Sunset | Shima Iwashita |
| 1969 | One Day at Summer's End The House of Wooden Blocks The Time of Reckoning | Ayako Wakao |
| 1970 | Double Suicide | Shima Iwashita |
| 1971 | Where Spring Comes Late Tora-san's Runaway | Chieko Baisho |
| 1972 | Red Peony Gambler: Here to Kill You Okoma: The Orphan Gambler | Sumiko Fuji |
| 1973 | Ichijo's Wet Lust Delicate Skillful Fingers | Hiroko Isayama |
| 1974 | Tsugaru Folk Song | Kyôko Enami |
| 1975 | Sandakan No. 8 | Kinuyo Tanaka |
| 1976 | Tora-san's Rise and Fall | Ruriko Asaoka |
| 1977 | Lullaby of the Earth The Youth Killer | Mieko Harada |
| 1978 | Ballad of Orin | Shima Iwashita |
| 1979 | The Love Suicides at Sonezaki | Meiko Kaji |
| 1980 | No More Easy Life | Kaori Momoi |
| 1981 | Zigeunerweisen | Naoko Otani |
| 1982 | Station | Chieko Baisho |
| 1983 | Fall Guy Lovers Lost | Keiko Matsuzaka |
| 1984 | Crossing Mt. Amagi | Yūko Tanaka |
| 1985 | Ohan Station to Heaven | Sayuri Yoshinaga |
| 1986 | Love Letter Ikiteru uchiga hana nanoyo shin-dara sore madeyo to sengen | Mitsuko Baisho |
| 1987 | Katayoku dake no tenshi | Yoko Akino |
| 1988 | A Taxing Woman | Nobuko Miyamoto |
| 1989 | The Yen Family Tomorrow Love Bites Back | Kaori Momoi |
| 1990 | Black Rain | Yoshiko Tanaka |
| 1991 | The Sting of Death | Keiko Matsuzaka |
| 1992 | Rainbow Kids | Tanie Kitabayashi |
| 1993 | Nurses and Doctors Original Sin | Shinobu Otake |
| 1994 | All Under the Moon | Ruby Moreno |
| 1995 | Crest of Betrayal | Saki Takaoka |
| 1996 | A Last Note | Haruko Sugimura |
| 1997 | Village of Dreams | Mieko Harada |
| 1998 | Tokyo Lullaby | Kaori Momoi |
| 1999 | Begging for Love | Mieko Harada |
| 2000 | Keiho | Kyōka Suzuki |
| 2001 | Face | Naomi Fujiyama |
| 2002 | Hush! | Reiko Kataoka |
| 2003 | The Twilight Samurai Utsutsu | Rie Miyazawa |
| 2004 | Akame 48 Waterfalls Vibrator | Shinobu Terajima |
| 2005 | The Face of Jizo | Rie Miyazawa |
| 2006 | Hibi | Yūko Tanaka |
| 2007 | Loft Memories of Matsuko Christmas on July 24th Avenue | Miki Nakatani |
| 2008 | Midnight Eagle Dog in a Sidecar Closed Note | Yūko Takeuchi |
| 2009 | Gu-Gu Datte Neko de Aru Tokyo Sonata | Kyōko Koizumi |
| 2010 | Villon's Wife | Takako Matsu |
| 2011 | Caterpillar | Shinobu Terajima |
| 2012 | Rebirth | Hiromi Nagasaku |
| 2013 | Our Homeland | Sakura Ando |
| 2014 | Like Father, Like Son The Ravine of Goodbye Sue, Mai & Sawa: Righting the Girl Ship | Yōko Maki |
| 2015 | 100 Yen Love 0.5 mm | Sakura Ando |
| 2016 | Journey to the Shore Parasyte: Part 2 | Eri Fukatsu |
| 2017 | Her Love Boils Bathwater | Rie Miyazawa |
| 2018 | Birds Without Names | Yū Aoi |
| 2019 | Shoplifters | Sakura Ando |
| 2020 | It Feels So Good | Kumi Takiuchi |
| 2021 | A Beloved Wife Runway | Asami Mizukawa |
| 2022 | A Madder Red | Machiko Ono |
| 2023 | Small, Slow But Steady and others | Yukino Kishii |
| 2024 | Shadow of Fire | Shuri |
| 2025 | Desert of Namibia A Girl Named Ann | Yuumi Kawai |