Sayuri Yoshinaga

Okay, let me put this in perspective: Sayuri Yoshinaga has been on screen since 1957, which basically means her career IS postwar Japanese cinema. The Nikkatsu golden-age idol who launched a whole fandom (the "Sayurists"), then quietly went and graduated from Waseda second in her class. What I love is how the untouchable elegance cracks open into the most charming little quirks. She's a die-hard train-trip nerd, an unapologetic Momoiro Clover Z fan, and she flat-out refuses to eat konjac. That mix of poise and human warmth is exactly why she still feels like a national treasure. I'd watch her in anything.

This take was written by generative AI, one per person, from publicly reported facts (editorial policy). It is a reading of the record, not reporting.

Sayuri Yoshinaga is a Japanese actress, singer, and narrator who made her entertainment debut in 1957 in a radio drama, going on to become a leading star at Nikkatsu in the 1960s. She became the youngest recipient of the Blue Ribbon Award for Best Actress in 1962 for A Town Without Seasons, and also won the Japan Record Award that year for her duet Itsudemo Yume wo with Yukio Hashi. She graduated second in her class from Waseda University (Western history) in 1969, and has received four Japan Academy Film Prize Best Actress awards as well as the Medal of Honor with Purple Ribbon in 2006 and designation as a Person of Cultural Merit in 2010.

Name (English)

Sayuri Yoshinaga

Name (Japanese)

吉永小百合

Reading

よしながさゆり

Born

March 13, 1945 (age 81)

Origin

Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan

Height

155 cm

Occupation

Actress / Singer / Narrator

Zodiac / Chinese zodiac

Pisces / Rooster

Blood type

O

Agency

Yoshinaga Sayuri Contact Office

Agency history

Nikkatsu (joined 1960)

Active years

1957–present

Elementary school

Nishihara Elementary School, Shibuya

Junior high

Yoyogi Junior High School, Shibuya

High school

Seika Gakuen Girls' High School (transferred from Tokyo Metropolitan Komaba High School, withdrew)

University

Waseda University, School of Literature II, Western History (graduated 1969, second in class)

Debut

Debuted in the entertainment industry in 1957 in the radio drama Akado Suzunosuke while still in elementary school. Made her film debut in 1959 in Asa wo Yobu Kuchibue, and her first lead film role in 1960 in Girl in the Glass. Made her singing debut in 1962 with Samui Asa.

Awards & achievements

• 1962 Blue Ribbon Award – Best Actress (A Town Without Seasons)
• 1962 4th Japan Record Award (Itsudemo Yume wo, duet with Yukio Hashi)
• 1985 Japan Academy Film Prize – Best Actress (Ohan / Heaven Station)
• 2001 Japan Academy Film Prize – Best Actress (Nagasaki Burabura Bushi)
• 2006 Japan Academy Film Prize – Best Actress (North Zero Year)
• 2006 Medal of Honor with Purple Ribbon
• 2010 Person of Cultural Merit
• 2024 Blue Ribbon Award – Best Actress (66th)

Timeline

1. 1957Entertainment debut in radio drama Akado Suzunosuke
2. 1960Signed exclusive contract with Nikkatsu; starred in first lead film role in Girl in the Glass
3. 1962Won Blue Ribbon Award for Best Actress for A Town Without Seasons (youngest recipient at the time); made singing debut with Samui Asa
4. 1962Won Japan Record Award for Itsudemo Yume wo (duet with Yukio Hashi)
5. 1969Graduated second in class from Waseda University, School of Literature II
6. 1973Married television producer Taro Okada
7. 1985Won first Japan Academy Film Prize Best Actress award for Ohan and Heaven Station
8. 2010Designated as a Person of Cultural Merit
9. 2024Husband Taro Okada passed away; won the 66th Blue Ribbon Award for Best Actress

Spouse

Taro Okada (married 1973, died 2024)

Hobbies

• Railway travel (particularly the Gonō Line)
• Reading
• Drinking (sake)

Specialties

• Singing
• Poetry recitation (organizes poetry reading events)

Motto

A student for life

Works summary

Appearances

380 (1957–2025)

By year (titles with a known year)

1957: 1, 1959: 3, 1960: 9, 1961: 15, 1962: 18, 1963: 22, 1964: 24, 1965: 18, 1966: 21, 1967: 26, 1968: 16, 1969: 12, 1970: 16, 1971: 8, 1972: 7, 1973: 4, 1974: 2, 1975: 4, 1976: 4, 1977: 4, 1978: 5, 1979: 3, 1980: 3, 1981: 3, 1982: 2, 1983: 4, 1984: 5, 1985: 1, 1986: 5, 1987: 3, 1988: 3, 1989: 2, 1990: 1, 1992: 4, 1993: 4, 1994: 2, 1995: 6, 1996: 2, 1997: 3, 1998: 3, 1999: 1, 2000: 4, 2001: 2, 2003: 3, 2004: 2, 2005: 10, 2007: 2, 2008: 8, 2010: 3, 2011: 5, 2012: 2, 2013: 2, 2014: 4, 2015: 1, 2016: 1, 2018: 3, 2019: 4, 2020: 1, 2021: 1, 2022: 1, 2023: 4, 2024: 1, 2025: 1, year unknown: 16

Debut work

赤胴鈴之助

Filmography / notable works

• Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%90%89%E6%B0%B8%E5%B0%8F%E7%99%BE%E5%90%88
• Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1054887

Tags

• From Shibuya, Tokyo
• Nikkatsu actress
• Showa-era actress
• National actress
• Waseda University graduate
• Japan Academy Film Prize Best Actress
• JR East Otona no Kyujitsu Club

Last updated

November 2, 2026

Only publicly available facts are listed; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. Base data was compiled from Wikidata from June 2026 onward; ages are recalculated daily and deaths are checked against Wikidata on an ongoing basis. Works and profile fields sourced from Wikipedia reflect content as of 2026-08-26. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.