Nikkatsu Actress Masako Izumi Passes Away at 77

Masako Izumi in February 2015. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Nikkatsu starlet Masako Izumi passed away on July 9 at 1:03 p.m. at her home after a battle with an undisclosed form of cancer. She was 77.

Ms. Izumi, who was born on July 31, 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), Seijun Suzuki's Tattooed Life (1965), and Kirio Urayama's Each Day I Cry (1963).

Masako Izumi holds a poster for her film The Bride Is 15 Years Old (1964) in February 2019. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I was fortunate enough to meet Ms. Izumi multiple times at various events between 2015 and 2023. You can tell by the photos accompanying this blog post that she was always fun to spend time with. Unlike many Japanese actresses who attain a certainly level of fame, she was about as easygoing and unpretentious as it gets. 

Masako Izumi under a poster for her film Thank You for the Tears (1965) in January 2016. Photo by Brett Homenick.

A very interesting story that Ms. Izumi once shared is that she was offered a part in the movie Sanjuro (1962) personally by Akira Kurosawa. However, she had just signed with Nikkatsu Studios at the time, so she couldn't join Kurosawa's production. The part she was offered ended up going to Toho actress Reiko Dan.

With Masako Izumi in June 2023.

Another fun story is that Ms. Izumi watched some of the monster scenes in Gappa the Triphibian Monster (1967) being filmed at Nikkatsu. It was her first time to see the production side of tokusatsu in person, so it left quite an impression on her.

With Masako Izumi in January 2016.

Aside from being a prolific Nikkatsu Studios actress during the 1960s, she turned her attention to becoming an adventurer in the 1980s, attempting to become the first woman to visit the North Pole on foot and sled in 1985.

Masako Izumi poses with a poster for Toshio Masuda's Monument to the Girls' Corps (1968) in June 2023. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Unfortunately, she was not able to complete her attempt, and another woman, Ann Bancroft (not the actress with a similar name), became the first in 1986. Undaunted, Ms. Izumi became only the second woman to travel to the North Pole in 1989.

Masako Izumi in January 2016. Photo by Brett Homenick.

According to NHK, Ms. Izumi fell in May of this year and was hospitalized in Tokyo. While recovering at home, her health suddenly declined, and she passed away. 

Ms. Izumi leaves behind an acting legacy few Japanese actresses of the Showa era can match. May she rest in peace.