# Hiroko Yakushimaru

Hiroko Yakushimaru (薬師丸 ひろ子, Yakushimaru Hiroko, born June 9, 1964) is a Japanese actress and singer.

## Biography

After passing the audition for the film produced by Haruki Kadokawa, she began her acting career. Along with teen idols Tomoyo Harada and Noriko Watanabe who debuted from Kadokawa Haruki Corporation, she was often dubbed as one of "Kadokawa Sannin-musume" in her early career.
Yakushimaru made her acting debut in the 1978 movie Never Give Up. In 1981, she came into prominence with Sailor Suit and Machine Gun, the film where she played the leading role. She also recorded the same-titled theme song for the film, which hit No. 1 on Oricon in late 1981 and stayed there until January 18, 1982.
Since rising to fame, Yakushimaru has gained success as both an actress and a pop singer, mainly during the 1980s. She had also worked as a prolific recording artist until her marriage with Kōji Tamaki, the leader of the band Anzen Chitai. According to the Japanese Oricon chart, combined sales of her singles and albums have been estimated approximately 5.9 million copies to date.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1978 | Never Give Up 野性の証明 (Yasei no Shomei [jp]) | Yoriko Nagai | |
| 1979 | G.I. Samurai (戦国自衛隊, Sengoku Jieitai) | Young samurai | |
| 1980 | Toward the Terra | Jonah Matsuka (voice) | |
| 1980 | Tonda Couple (翔んだカップル) | Kei Yamaba (leading role) | Yokohama Film Festival for Best Actress Award (Character) Japan Academy Prize for Popularity Award |
| 1981 | Nerawareta Gakuen [jp] (ねらわれた学園) | Yuka Mitamura (leading role) | |
| 1981 | Sailor Suit and Machine Gun (セーラー服と機関銃, Sailor-Fuku to Kikanju) | Izumi Hoshi (leading role) | Japan Academy Prize for Popularity Award (Character) |
| 1982 | Yosooi no Machi (装いの街) | Kayoko Ōdate (leading role) | |
| 1983 | Detective Story (探偵物語, Tantei Monogatari) | Naomi Arai (leading role) | |
| 1983 | Legend of the Eight Samurai (里見八犬伝, Satomi Hakkenden) | Shizu-hime (leading role) | |
| 1984 | Main Theme | Shibuki Ogasawara (leading role) | |
| 1984 | W's Tragedy (Wの悲劇, W no Higeki) | Shizuka Mita (leading role) | Blue Ribbon Award for Best Actress Nominated – Japan Academy Prize for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role Japan Academy Prize for Popularity Award (Character) |
| 1985 | Yabanjin no Yo ni (野蛮人のように) | Tamako Arisugawa (leading role) | |
| 1986 | Cabaret | waitress (cameo) | |
| 1986 | Shinshi Dōmei (紳士同盟) | Etsuko Kirino (leading role) | |
| 1988 | Downtown Heroes | Fusako Nakahara (leading role) | |
| 1989 | Ready! Lady | Ryoko Takahashi (leading role) | |
| 1990 | Byōin e Ikō (病院へ行こう) | Midori Yoshikawa (leading role) | |
| 1990 | Tasmania Monogatari (タスマニア物語) | Naoko Hirashima | Japan Academy Prize for Popularity Award (Character) |
| 1992 | Kira Kira Hikaru (きらきらひかる) | Shoko Kishida (leading role) | |
| 1993 | Nurse Call | Kozue Igarashi (leading role) | |
| 1997 | Magnitude: Asu e no Kakehashi (マグニチュード 明日への架け橋) | Yoko Hioki | |
| 2003 | Kisarazu Cat's Eye: Nihon Series (木更津キャッツアイ 日本シリーズ) | Mirei Asada | |
| 2004 | Lakeside Murder Case | Minako Namiki | |
| 2005 | Princess Raccoon (オペレッタ狸御殿, Operetta Tanuki-Goten) | O'Hagi no Tsubone | |
| 2005 | Tetsujin 28-Gō (鉄人28号) | Yoko Kaneda | |
| 2005 | Always: Sunset on Third Street | Tomoe Suzuki | Japan Academy Film Prize for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role Blue Ribbon Award for Best Supporting Actress Kinema Junpo Year-End – Best Supporting Actress for Domestic Film Hochi Film Award for Best Supporting Actress |
| 2006 | Aogeba Tōtoshi (あおげば尊し) | Mari Minegishi | |
| 2006 | Kisarazu Cat's Eye: World Series (木更津キャッツアイ ワールドシリーズ) | Mirei Asada | |
| 2006 | Arigatō (ありがとう) | Yoshiko Iida | |
| 2007 | Bubble Fiction: Boom or Bust | Mariko Tanaka | |
| 2007 | Always: Sunset on Third Street 2 | Tomoe Suzuki | Nominated – Japan Academy Prize for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role |
| 2007 | Megane | Morishita ("Megane"'s Friend) | |
| 2008 | Utatama | Yuko Senuma | |
| 2009 | Heaven's Door | Mariko Shiraishi | |
| 2010 | A Good Husband (今度は愛妻家) | Sakura Kitami | Nominated – Japan Academy Prize for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role |
| 2010 | Hanamizuki | Ryoko Hirasawa | |
| 2011 | Wasao (わさお) | Setsuko Kikutani (leading role) | |
| 2012 | Always: Sunset on Third Street 3 | Tomoe Suzuki | |
| 2015 | Sinbad: A Flying Princess and a Secret Island | Sinbad's Mother (voice) | |
| 2017 | Destiny: The Tale of Kamakura | Shizuka | |
| 2017 | The 8-Year Engagement | Hatsumi Nakahara | |
| 2018 | Cafe Funiculi Funicula | Kayo Kōtake | |
| 2019 | Black School Rules | Virginia Woolf | |
| 2020 | Mio's Cookbook | Ohyaku | |
| 2022 | Riverside Mukolitta | (voice) | |
| 2022 | Tombi: Father and Son | Taeko | |
| 2024 | Last Mile | Natsuyo Misumi | |
| 2024 | Blue Period | Masako Saeki | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1978 | Teki ka? Mikata ka? 3 tai 3 (敵か?味方か?3対3) | Third daughter of the wife | |
| 1979 | Yosooi no Machi (装いの街) | Kayoko Ōdate (leading role) | It was released in cinemas later. |
| 1997 | Mrs. Cinderella | Mizuho Kayama (leading role) | |
| 2000 | Ren’ai Chudoku (恋愛中毒, Love addiction) | Miu Minazuki (leading role) | |
| 2000 | Africa Pole Pole | Naoko | |
| 2002 | Mama no Idenshi (ママの遺伝子, Mom's gene) | Nanami Fujiki (leading role) | |
| 2002 | Honkon Myōjō Mei (香港明星迷, Hong Kong star fans) | Satomi Kudo (leading role) | |
| 2002 | Kisarazu Cat's Eye | Mirei Asada | |
| 2004 | Black Jack ni Yoroshiku ~Namida no Gan Byōtō-hen (ブラックジャックによろしく 〜涙のがん病棟編〜, Say hello to Black Jack: The part of the tragic cancer ward) | Yoshie Tsujimoto | |
| 2004 | Ningen da mono ~Mitsuo Aida Story~ (にんげんだもの〜相田みつを物語〜) | Chie Aida (leading role) | |
| 2005 | Tiger & Dragon | Katsuko Shiraishi | Guest of Episode 6 |
| 2005 | 1 Litre no Namida (1リットルの涙, 1 Liter of Tears) | Shioka Ikeuchi | |
| 2005 | Umeko | Momoko Kawai | |
| 2007 | Byakkotai | Shige Sakai | |
| 2007 | 1 Litre no Namida: Special Edition – Tsuioku | Shioka Ikeuchi | |
| 2007 | Papa no Namida de Ko wa Sodatsu (パパの涙で子は育つ, The child grew up with tears of dad) | Fumika Kawamura | |
| 2008 | Aiba Monogatari (愛馬物語, Favorite horse story) | Sachiko Nozoe | |
| 2008 | Homeless Chūgakusei (ホームレス中学生, Homeless junior high student) | Keiko Tamura | |
| 2008 | Sen no Kaze ni natte Drama Special "Nadeshiko-tai ~Shōjo tachi dake ga Mita Tokkōtai – Fūinsareta 23 nichikan~" (千の風になって ドラマスペシャル「なでしこ隊〜少女達だけが見た特攻隊・封印された23日間〜) | Tome Torihama | |
| 2008 | Aruga mama no Kimi de Ite (あるがままの君でいて) | Yuka Enomoto | |
| 2009 | Senjō no Melody (戦場のメロディ, Melody of battlefield) | Hamako Watanabe (leading role) | |
| 2010 | Unubore Deka (うぬぼれ刑事, Conceit detective) | Nobuko Maehara | Guest of Episode 5 |
| 2010 | Gekai Suma Hisayoshi (外科医 須磨久善, Surgeon Hisayoshi Suma) | Chiyoko Suma | |
| 2010 | Q10 | Kuriko Yanagi | |
| 2011 | Zenkai Girl (全開ガール, Girl full throttle) | Shoko Sakuragawa | |
| 2012 | Tsuma ga Otto wo Okuru Toki (妻が夫をおくるとき, When a wife sees off her husband) | Fukuko Ishii (leading role) | |
| 2012 | Kurumaisu de Boku wa Sora wo Tobu (車イスで僕は空を飛ぶ, I fly in the sky by my wheelchair) | Haruko Hasebe | |
| 2013 | Amachan | Hiromi Suzuka | Asadora |
| 2016 | Yuriko-san no Ehon (百合子さんの絵本, Yuriko's picture book) | Yuriko Onodera | |
| 2018 | Unnatural | Natsuyo Misumi | Special appearance |
| 2019 | Idaten | Marie | Taiga drama |
| 2020 | Yell | Mitsuko Sekiuchi | Asadora |
| 2022 | Lost Man Found (拾われた男) | Yamamura | |

## Discography
### Albums
#### Studio albums

| Year | Album details | Chart positions | Label |
| Year | Album details | JPN | Label |
| 1982 | Seishun no Memoire (青春のメモワール) (featuring monologue by Hiroko Yakushimaru) Collection of excerpts from the motion pictures that Yakushimaru starred in: Never Give Up (1978) and Nerawareta Gakuen (1981) Released: April 21, 1982 | 1 | Nippon Columbia |
| 1984 | Kokinshū (古今集) 1st studio album Released: February 14, 1984 | 1 | Toshiba EMI/East World |
| 1985 | Yume Jūwa (夢十話) 2nd studio album Released: August 8, 1985 | 2 | Toshiba EMI/East World |
| 1986 | Hana Zukan (花図鑑) 3rd studio album Released: June 9, 1986 | 2 | Toshiba EMI/East World |
| 1987 | Hoshi Kikō (星紀行) Live album Released: July 7, 1987 | 3 | Toshiba EMI/East World |
| 1988 | Sincerely Yours 5th studio album Released: April 6, 1988 | 8 | Toshiba EMI/East World |
| 1989 | Lover's Concerto 6th studio album Released: February 15, 1989 | 2 | Toshiba EMI/East World |
| 1990 | Heart's Delivery 7th studio album Released: March 28, 1990 | 3 | Toshiba EMI/East World |
| 1991 | Primavera 8th studio album Released: March 13, 1991 | 13 | Toshiba EMI/East World |
| 1998 | Koibumi: Love Letter (恋文) 9th studio album Released: February 2, 1998 | — | BMG Funhouse |
| 2018 | Etoile 10th studio album Released: May 9, 2018 | 18 | Victor Entertainment Japan |
| 2024 | Tree 11th studio album Released: January 24, 2024 | 17 | Victor Entertainment Japan |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. ||||

#### Compilation albums

| Year | Album | Chart positions (JP) | Label |
| 1986 | Best Collection | 7 | Toshiba EMI/East World |
| 1988 | Sentence (Sentence～セ・ン・テ・ン・ス～, Se N Te N Su) | 18 | Toshiba EMI/East World |
| 2000 | Love Collection: 1981–2000 | — | BMG Funhouse |
| 2011 | Uta Monogatari (歌物語) | 43 | EMI Music Japan |
| 2021 | Indian Summer | 23 | Victor Entertainment Japan |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or the information is unknown. ||||

#### Cover albums

| Year | Album | Chart positions (JP) | Label |
| 2013 | Toki no Tobira (時の扉) | 24 | EMI Music Japan |
| 2016 | Cinema Songs | 28 | Victor Entertainment Japan |

#### Live albums

| Year | Album | Chart positions (JP) | Label |
| 1987 | First Live: Hoshi Kikō (ファースト・ライヴ 星紀行) | 94 | Toshiba EMI/East World |
| 2017 | Best Songs 1981–2017: Live in Kasuga-taisha | 34 | Victor Entertainment Japan |
| 2020 | Yakushimaru Hiroko 2019 Concert | 56 | Victor Entertainment Japan |
| 2023 | Yakushimaru Hiroko 2022 Concert | - | Victor Entertainment Japan |
| 2024 | Yakushimaru Hiroko 2023 Concert | 26 | Victor Entertainment Japan |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or the information is unknown. ||||

#### Instrumental albums

| Year | Album | Label |
| 1986 | Yakshimaru Hiroko Song Book Vol.1 (薬師丸ひろ子・ソング・ブック Vol.1) Music arranged by Akira Inoue | Toshiba EMI/East World |
| 1987 | Yakshimaru Hiroko Song Book Vol.2 (薬師丸ひろ子・ソング・ブック Vol.2) Music arranged by Mitsuo Hagita | Toshiba EMI/East World |
| 1988 | Yakshimaru Hiroko Song Book Vol.3 (薬師丸ひろ子・ソング・ブック Vol.3) Music arranged by Katsuhisa Hattori | Toshiba EMI/East World |

#### Box sets

| Year | Album | Label |
| 2021 | Yakushimaru Hiroko 40th Anniversary Box | Victor Entertainment Japan |

### Singles

| Year | Album | Chart positions (JP) | Label |
| 1981 | "Sailor-fuku to Kikanjū" (セーラー服と機関銃) | 1 | Kitty Records |
| 1983 | "Tantei Monogatari" (探偵物語) | 1 | Toshiba EMI/East World |
| 1983 | "Main Theme" (メイン・テーマ) (1983) | 2 | Toshiba EMI/East World |
| 1984 | "Woman (W no Higeki Yori)" (Woman "Wの悲劇"より) | 1 | Toshiba EMI/East World |
| 1985 | "Anata o Motto Shiritakute" (あなたを・もっと・知りたくて) | 2 | Toshiba EMI/East World |
| 1985 | "Ten ni Hoshi, Chi ni Hana" (天に星.地に花.) (New remix long version) | 12 | Toshiba EMI/East World |
| 1985 | "Suteki na Koi no Wasurekata" (ステキな恋の忘れ方) | 4 | Toshiba EMI/East World |
| 1986 | "Sasayaki no Step" (ささやきのステップ) | 3 | Toshiba EMI/East World |
| 1986 | "Shinshi Dōmei" (紳士同盟) | 2 | Toshiba EMI/East World |
| 1987 | "Mune no Furiko" (胸の振子) | 8 | Toshiba EMI/East World |
| 1988 | "Shūgakushō" (終楽章) | 10 | Toshiba EMI/East World |
| 1988 | "Jidai" (時代) | 9 | Toshiba EMI/East World |
| 1989 | "Kataritsugu Ai ni" (語りつぐ愛に) | 6 | Toshiba EMI/East World |
| 1989 | "Windy Boy" | 12 | Toshiba EMI/East World |
| 1990 | "Te o Tsunaideite" (手をつないでいて) (1990) | 35 | Toshiba EMI/East World |
| 1991 | "Kaze ni Notte" (風に乗って) | 35 | Toshiba EMI/East World |
| 1997 | "Kōsaten (Sō, Sore ga Sō)" (交叉点 〜そう それがそう〜) | 51 | BMG Funhouse |
| 1997 | "Koibumi (Aishū-hen)" (恋文 〜哀愁篇〜) | — | BMG Funhouse |
| 1998 | "Smile Smile Smile" (smile スマイル smile) | — | BMG Funhouse |
| 2000 | "Love Holic" | — | BMG Funhouse |
| 2011 | "Boku no Takaramono" (僕の宝物) | 169 | EMI Music Japan |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. ||||

#### Digital single

| Year | Single |
| 2016 | "Senshi no Kyuushi" |
| 2021 | "Come Back To Me: Eien no Yokogao" |
| 2023 | "Suteki wo Atsumete" |
| 2023 | "Toki no Michishirube" |
| 2024 | "Kimi to Watashi no Uta" |

### Video albums

| Year | Album | Chart positions (JP) | Format |
| 1987 | Hoshi Kikō: Futari no Kaeru Basho (星紀行 〜二人の帰る場所〜) | - | LD, VHS, DVD, BD, CDV |
| 1988 | Tea Party: Sotsugyo Kinen (Tea Party－卒業記念－) | - | VHS, LD |
| 1990 | Heart's Delivery | - | VHS, LD, DVD, BD |
| 2014 | Toki no Tobira: 35th Anniversary Concert (時の扉) | - | DVD, BD |
| 2015 | Premium Acoustic Night Toki no Tobira: Look For A Star (時の扉) | - | DVD, BD |
| 2018 | Yakushima Hiroko Concert 2018 (薬師丸ひろ子コンサート) | - | DVD, BD |
| 2020 | Yakushima Hiroko Concert 2019 (薬師丸ひろ子コンサート) | - | DVD, BD |
| 2022 | Live at GLORIA CHAPEL 2021 | - | DVD, BD |
| 2023 | Yakushima Hiroko Concert 2022 (薬師丸ひろ子コンサート) | - | DVD, BD |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. ||||