An Evening with a 1960s Nikkatsu Starlet!

Masako Izumi. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Well, it had been a long time, but it was well worth the wait! Tonight (Saturday, June 10), I attended a special event with former Nikkatsu Studios actress Masako Izumi. The last time I met her was just before the pandemic, so it had been several years. But it was wonderful to see her again, and it felt like no time had passed at all.

Masako Izumi poses with a poster for Monument to the Girls' Corps. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Izumi-san (born in 1947) began her acting career in 1958 and quickly became a star when she signed with Nikkatsu Studios in the early 1960s. At Nikkatsu, she starred in such films as Toshio Masuda's tragic World War II drama Monument to the Girls' Corps (1968) and Seijun Suzuki's Tattooed Life (1965).

Masako Izumi. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Even after so long, she recognized me when she saw me and asked me how I'd been, which was a pleasant surprise. I can't say I always get recognized, and, given that nearly three and a half years had passed since we last met, you can never be sure. 

I was fortunate to sit across from Izumi-san during the dinner portion of the event, which made chatting with her easy. And chat we did! Izumi-san was full of energy and didn't let up the whole evening. I asked her about working with director Toru Murakawa on Monument to the Girls' Corps (on which he was an assistant director), as well as the time she was being considered for the role in Akira Kurosawa's Sanjuro (1962) but ultimately couldn't participate because she was signed to Nikkatsu. (The role eventually went to Reiko Dan.)

Izumi-san felt lucky to join Nikkatsu, as she liked the youth pictures they were producing. It was a good fit for her, so feels she ended up at the right studio. Still, I'm sure any actor would consider a role in a Kurosawa movie a plus for his or her resume. We also joked around about various random things, including her dislike of shochu, and it was all a lot of fun. Honestly, it was the most fun I've had at an event like this in a while. Izumi-san is truly something else!

When I left, I approached Izumi-san to let her know. She extended her hand to me, and we shook hands. She also said the Japanese equivalent of, "See you again." I certainly hope so. Tonight was a lot of fun, and I definitely want to do it all over again!