--- name: "Isuzu Yamada" canonical: "https://film.one/person/isuzu-yamada" fi1m_id: "isuzu-yamada" imdb_id: "nm0945222" tmdb_id: 33761 wikidata_id: "Q453584" roles: ["Actor"] born: "5 February 1917" died: "9 July 2012" reviewed_on_fi1m: 2 average_fi1m_score: 88 average_as: "actor" average_over: 2 updated: "2026-09-25T07:47:35.692739+00:00" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Isuzu Yamada ## Identity Isuzu Yamada - **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/isuzu-yamada - **Type:** Person - **Fi1m ID:** isuzu-yamada - **IMDb ID:** nm0945222 - **TMDB ID:** 33761 - **Wikidata ID:** Q453584 - **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isuzu_Yamada, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q453584, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0945222/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/33761 Actor. Born 5 February 1917 in Osaka, Osaka, Japan. Died 9 July 2012. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 5 February 1917, Osaka, Osaka, Japan - **Died:** 9 July 2012 - **Active:** 1957–1961 - **Also known as:** Исудзу Ямада, ایسوزو یامادا - **Frequently works with:** [Akira Kurosawa](https://film.one/person/akira-kurosawa.md), [Ryuzo Kikushima](https://film.one/person/ryuzo-kikushima.md), [Toshirō Mifune](https://film.one/person/toshiro-mifune.md) - **Average Fi1m score:** 88, as actor, over 2 titles - **Fi1m score by decade:** 1950s 88 (1), 1960s 88 (1) - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isuzu_Yamada, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q453584, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0945222/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/33761 ## Streaming the US now - **HBO Max:** [*Yojimbo*](https://film.one/film/yojimbo.md) (88), [*Throne of Blood*](https://film.one/film/throne-of-blood.md) (88) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Biography Isuzu Yamada was a Japanese stage and screen actress whose career spanned seven decades. Born Mitsu Yamada in Osaka on 5 February 1917, she was the daughter of a shinpa actor and a geisha. She made her film debut in 1930 at the age of twelve in the Nikkatsu production *Tsurugi wo koete*. Yamada gained early acclaim for her roles in Kenji Mizoguchi’s *Osaka Elegy* (1936) and *Sisters of the Gion* (1936). She later appeared in several films by Mikio Naruse and became internationally recognised for her performances in Akira Kurosawa’s *Throne of Blood* (1957) as Lady Asaji Washizu, *The Lower Depths* (1957) and *Yojimbo* (1961) as Orin. Other notable credits include Yasujirō Ozu’s *Tokyo Twilight* (1957). From the late 1950s she focused increasingly on theatre while continuing to work in film and television, including the long-running *Hissatsu* series. Yamada died in Tokyo on 9 July 2012. *Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.* ## On Fi1m (2) - *Yojimbo* (1961), Fi1m 88, as Orin — [page](https://film.one/film/yojimbo.md) - *Throne of Blood* (1957), Fi1m 88, as Lady Asaji Washizu — [page](https://film.one/film/throne-of-blood.md) ## Complete filmography (166) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *Sure Death! Brown, You Bounder!* (1985), as Oriku - *Sure Death* (1984), Actor - *Suspicion* (1982), as Tokie Horiuchi - *Arashi Tatsunari* (1982), as Tatsu - *Shin Hissatsu Shigotonin* (1981), series, Actor - *Japanese Ghost Story Masterpiece Theater: The Ghost of Yotsuya* (1979), Actor - *Hissatsu Shigotonin* (1979), series, as Otowa - *Ameyuki-san* (1979), as Waka Yamada - *Shogun's Samurai: The Yagyu Clan Conspiracy* (1978), as Oeyo - *Woman Boss* (1970), Actor - *Minamoto no Yoshitsune* (1966), series, as Joban - *Akō Rōshi* (1964), series, as Riku - *Sakiko-san chotto* (1963), as 中川しの - *The Body* (1962), Actor - *The Great Wall* (1962), as Dowager Empress - *365 Nights* (1962), Actor - *假名手本忠臣蔵* (1962), Actor - *Glory on the Summit* (1962), as Taka Hirooka - *Four Sisters* (1962), as Tatsuko Katagiri - *Buddha* (1961), as Kalideva - *Case of a Young Lord 9: Black Camellia* (1961), Actor - *The Orphan Brother* (1961), as Yashio (voice) - *Yojimbo* (1961), as Orin — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/yojimbo.md) - *The Shrikes* (1961), Actor - *誰よりも金を愛す* (1961), Actor - *Daredevil in the Castle* (1961), as Yodogami - *風来物語 あばれ飛車* (1960), Actor - *Deep River Melody* (1960), Actor - *Onatsu Detective Case: Mad Slasher* (1960), Actor - *The Lovelorn Geisha* (1960), Actor - *Hanjiro of Kusama: Bird of Passage* (1960), as Otoku - *Bonchi* (1960), as Sei - *Secret* (1960), Actor - *Goodbye to Glory* (1960), as Otake - *Mission Accomplished* (1960), Actor - *Princess Sen in Edo* (1960), as Kisaragi - *Pineapple Butai* (1959), as Shigeyo (Mother) - *Disappearance in the Night* (1959), Actor - *風来物語任侠篇* (1959), Actor - *Love in the Mountains* (1959), Actor - *Man of Edo* (1959), Actor - *Hear My Mother's Cry* (1959), Actor - *The Canary Cage, Spellbound Love* (1959), Actor - *The Hidden Treasure* (1959), Actor - *The Days of Evil Women* (1958), Actor - *The Spell of the Hidden Gold* (1958), as Chizuin - *The Undefeated Woman* (1958), Actor - *Taikoki - The Saga of Hideyoshi* (1958), Actor - *The Shop Curtain* (1958), Actor - *The Seasons of Love* (1958), as Urako - *A Boy and Three Mothers* (1958), as Natsu, the Foster Mother - *Samurai Nippon* (1957), Actor - *Downtown* (1957), as Riyo Yazawa - *Black River* (1957), as Landlady - *The Lower Depths* (1957), as Osugi the Landlady - *A Matter of Valour* (1957), Actor - *The Shadow Daughter* (1957), as Okinu - *Tokyo Twilight* (1957), as Kisako Soma - *The Horse Boy* (1957), Actor - *Throne of Blood* (1957), as Lady Asaji Washizu — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/throne-of-blood.md) - *The Mandarin Room* (1956), as Inako - *Flowing* (1956), as Otsuta - *Shozo, a Cat and Two Women* (1956), as Shinako - *Five Patriots of Kyoto* (1956), Actor - *How Sorrowful* (1956), Actor - *Mother and Child* (1956), Actor - *Farewell to Dream* (1956), as Seiji's mother, Kiyo - *Namida no hanamichi* (1956), as 江戸紫女将そよ - *大当り男一代* (1956), as お吉 - *Ishigassen* (1955), Actor - *Such is Life* (1955), as Oharu - *Christ in Bronze* (1955), as Kimika - *荒木又右衛門* (1955), as 妻みね - *Minamoto Yoshitsune* (1955), Actor - *振袖釼法* (1955), as 母つじ - *If Indeed One Loves* (1955), as Yaeko (segment 3) - *Growing Up* (1955), Actor - *The Big Ambition* (1955), Actor - *Chutaro of Banba* (1955), Actor - *Burden of Love* (1955), as Some Kaita - *Three Loves* (1954), as Mother - *A Billionaire* (1954), as Hanakuma - *Karatachi no hana* (1954), Actor - *Hirate Miki the Swordman* (1954), Actor - *Chushingura* (1954), as Oishi Riku - *Hiroshima* (1953), as Mineh Obah - *Wild Lion* (1953), Actor - *At the End of the Clouds* (1953), Actor - *Miniature* (1953), as Tamiko - *A Lonely Woman in a Lonely Land* (1953), as Sayo Yamada - *江戸いろは祭* (1953), as 女房おなか - *Modern People* (1952), Actor - *Tsukigata Hanpeita* (1952), as Somehachi - *Devil’s Statue* (1952), Actor - *Castle of Revenge* (1952), Actor - *The Stand in Hakone* (1952), Actor - *Miss Hanaogi and Santa* (1952), Actor - *Become a Mother, Become a Woman* (1952), as Harue Yasukawa - *Satsuma-bikyaku* (1951), Actor - *Five Men of Edo* (1951), as Okane, Chobei's wife - *Fireworks Over the Sea* (1951), as Kaoru Uozumi - *Orizuru kasa* (1951), Actor - *木曽路の決闘 夏祭り三度笠* (1951), Actor - *Kurama Tengu: Acrobat in a lion mask* (1951), Actor - *Home Sweet Home* (1951), as Namiko, Kosaku's wife - *The Killing of Otsuya* (1951), as Otsuya - *The Inner Palace Conspiracy* (1951), as Misawa - *A Man from Akagi* (1950), Actor - *風雲金毘羅山* (1950), Actor - *Fencing Master* (1950), as Oharu - *A Mother's Love* (1950), Actor - *The Motherland Far Far Away* (1950), as Masako - *Zoku kagebōshi ryūkoaiutsutsu* (1950), Actor - *Kagebōshi* (1950), as お夏 - *Hebi hime dōchū* (1949), Actor - *Koga Manshion* (1949), Actor - *Hana no jitsugetsu* (1949), Actor - *Koi rōka* (1949), Actor - *Actress* (1947), as Sumako Matsui - *Lord for a Night* (1946), Actor - *Hinoki Butai* (1946), Actor - *The Famous Sword Bijomaru* (1945), as Sasae Onoda - *Until Victory Day* (1945), Actor - *Four Marriages* (1944), Actor - *The Way of Drama* (1944), Actor - *The Sculpture of Master Choji* (1943), as Outa - *音楽大進軍* (1943), as Isuzu Yamada - *The Song Lantern* (1943), as O-Sode - *Kantaro of Ina* (1943), Actor - *Onna keizu* (1942), as Otsuta - *The Man Who Waited* (1942), Actor - *Musashibo Benkei* (1942), Actor - *The Battle of Kawanakajima* (1941), as Oshino - *Schoolgirl Records* (1941), Actor - *Yukiko and Natsuyo* (1941), as Natsuyo - *Shanghai Moon* (1941), Actor - *The Man Who Disappeared Yesterday* (1941), Actor - *The Snake Princess* (1940), as Oshima - *Keshô yuki* (1940), Actor - *Shinpen Tange Sazen: Sekigan no maki* (1939), as Oshiho - *The Day Before* (1939), as Osaki - *The Fighting Firemen* (1939), as Koina - *Ichiyo Higuchi* (1939), as Ichiyo Higuchi - *The New Tange Sazen: The Chapter of the Two-Armed Swordsman* (1939), Actor - *Tsuruhachi and Tsurujiro* (1938), as Tsuruhachi - *The Siege of Osaka* (1937), as Senhime - *Sisters of the Gion* (1936), as O-mocha - *Osaka Elegy* (1936), as Ayako Murai - *Miss Okichi* (1935), as Okichi - *Oyuki the Virgin* (1935), as Oyuki - *The Comb of Oroku* (1935), as Okinu - *The Downfall of Osen* (1935), as Osen - *Happy Daughter* (1934), as Michiko Yamada - *The Elegant Swordsman* (1934), Actor - *Martial Arts Encyclopedia* (1934), Actor - *Bangaku no issho* (1933), Actor - *Tange Sazen - Dai-ippen* (1933), Actor - *Banquet Under the Midnight Sun* (1932), as Oichi - *Professional Killer* (1932), Actor - *Yataro's Hat - Comings and Goings* (1932), Actor - *The Greatest Man in the World* (1932), as Oyae - *The Revenge Champion* (1931), Actor - *The 26 Martyrs of Japan* (1931), Actor - *In Search of Mother* (1931), as Otose - *Suronin Chuya* (1930), Actor - *Zoku hebi hime dōchū*, Actor ## Gallery - ![『どん底』（1957年）](https://film.one/media/person/105290/gallery-cb6a45647222.jpg) 『どん底』（1957年） — Unknown photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/Akira-Kurosawa-4.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![Daijirō Natsukawa and Isuzu Yamada, september 1935](https://film.one/media/person/105290/gallery-10f665fbe7db.jpg) Daijirō Natsukawa and Isuzu Yamada, september 1935 — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/56/Daijir%C5%8D_Natsukawa_and_Isuzu_Yamada%2C_1935.jpg/1280px-Daijir%C5%8D_Natsukawa_and_Isuzu_Yamada%2C_1935.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Tsumasaburō Bandō and Isuzu Yamada in Ōedo gonin otoko (大江戸五人男) directed by Daisuke Itō - 1951](https://film.one/media/person/105290/gallery-f42d69279432.jpg) Tsumasaburō Bandō and Isuzu Yamada in Ōedo gonin otoko (大江戸五人男) directed by Daisuke Itō - 1951 — Shōchiku, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/Five_Men_of_Edo_%281951%29_1.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - !["Throne of Blood" (1957)](https://film.one/media/person/105290/gallery-2082208935bf.jpg) "Throne of Blood" (1957) — Unknown photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5e/Gendai-Nihon-no-Eiga-3.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![Isuzu Yamada and Chōjūrō Kawarasaki in Sono zen'ya (その前夜) directed by Ryō Hagiwara - 1939](https://film.one/media/person/105290/gallery-47a70e6da43f.jpg) Isuzu Yamada and Chōjūrō Kawarasaki in Sono zen'ya (その前夜) directed by Ryō Hagiwara - 1939 — Tōhō (東宝株式会社), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/55/Isuzu_Yamada_and_Ch%C5%8Dj%C5%ABr%C5%8D_Kawarasaki_in_Sono_zen%27ya_1939.jpg/1280px-Isuzu_Yamada_and_Ch%C5%8Dj%C5%ABr%C5%8D_Kawarasaki_in_Sono_zen%27ya_1939.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) ## Awards ### Other awards — 5 won - Order of Culture 2000: Order of Culture (won) - Person of Cultural Merit 1993: Person of Cultural Merit (won) - Blue Ribbon Awards for Best Actress 1957: Blue Ribbon Awards for Best Actress (won) - Blue Ribbon Awards for Best Supporting Actress 1956: Blue Ribbon Awards for Best Supporting Actress (won) - Blue Ribbon Awards for Best Actress 1953: Blue Ribbon Awards for Best Actress (won) *From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.* --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/isuzu-yamada