--- name: "Kayoko Kishimoto" canonical: "https://film.one/person/kayoko-kishimoto" fi1m_id: "kayoko-kishimoto" imdb_id: "nm0457229" tmdb_id: 13255 wikidata_id: "Q1138344" roles: ["Actor"] born: "29 December 1960" reviewed_on_fi1m: 1 average_as: "actor" average_over: 1 updated: "2026-09-17T22:16:43.145685+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." --- # Kayoko Kishimoto ## Identity Kayoko Kishimoto - **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/kayoko-kishimoto - **Type:** Person - **Fi1m ID:** kayoko-kishimoto - **IMDb ID:** nm0457229 - **TMDB ID:** 13255 - **Wikidata ID:** Q1138344 - **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kayoko_Kishimoto, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1138344, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0457229/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/13255 Actor. Born 29 December 1960 in Shizuoka, Japan. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 29 December 1960, Shizuoka, Japan - **Also known as:** 岸本加世子, Каёко Кисимото - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kayoko_Kishimoto, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1138344, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0457229/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/13255 ## Fi1m on Kayoko Kishimoto > Kayoko Kishimoto makes the marriage in *Fireworks* matter with little dialogue and considerable tenderness. We value her restraint, though the film gives her too few chances to express what the wife wants for herself. In *Fireworks* (1997), Kayoko Kishimoto makes Nishi's wife feel worth knowing, despite how little the screenplay lets her tell us. Her scenes with Takeshi Kitano make the marriage worth caring about without much explanation. We were moved by their tenderness, because she makes the affection convincing with so little dialogue or overt action. It is a performance we recommend warmly, even if it leaves us wanting to know the woman better. She was established in television dramas and commercials during the 1980s, before *Fireworks* brought her greater international attention. That film is a good place to start watching her, but it was hardly where she learnt the job. Her subsequent work with Kitano includes *Kikujiro* (1999), playing Kikujiro's wife, and *Dolls* (2002), as Haruna's aunt. She took several cameo roles in *Takeshis'* (2005), including an audition producer and a costumer, while continuing to work in Japanese television into the 2020s. The repeated casting makes sense: Kitano often asks her to convey resilience or suffering through subtle movement and facial expression. Kishimoto's restraint suits those parts, though we should be careful about praising how little an actor needs to be given. In *Fireworks*, we get too little sense of what the wife wants for herself. The reticence that works for Kitano's leading performance serves her less well. Her skill cannot settle our wish for a character whose thoughts are given more attention. Her contribution matters especially in a crime drama where violence arrives abruptly. The affection gives us something to care about when the film turns frightening, and the brutality prevents the tender scenes from becoming cosy. Kishimoto does not have to compete with that violence to make an impression. See *Fireworks* for her as well as Kitano; the quieter scenes are a substantial part of its appeal. ## Biography Kayoko Kishimoto is a Japanese actress. She was born on 29 December 1960 in Shizuoka, Japan. She has appeared in several films directed by Takeshi Kitano, including *Fireworks* (1997) as Nishi's wife, *Kikujiro* (1999) as Kikujiro's wife, *Dolls* (2002) as Haruna's aunt, *Takeshis'* (2005) and *Glory to the Filmmaker!* (2007). She won the award for best supporting actress at the 23rd Japan Academy Prize for her performance in *Kikujiro*. *Sources: imdb.com, en.wikipedia.org.* ## On Fi1m (1) - *Fireworks* (1997), Fi1m 88, as Nishi's Wife — [page](https://film.one/film/fireworks.md) ## Complete filmography (73) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *Fujiko* (2026), as Chiyo Suga - *Reborn* (2026), series, as Hideko Murota - *On a Starry Night* (2023), series, as Yukimiya Aiko - *The Travel Nurse* (2022), series, Actor - *If I'd kissed her* (2021), series, as Tae Yuizuki - *The Last Woman* (2020), series, Actor - *The Great White Tower* (2019), series, as Yoshie Sasaki - *Yasuragi no Toki: Michi* (2019), series, Actor - *The Mother Returns? AI's Will* (2019), as Noda Yuri - *Lying to Mom* (2018), as Kimiko Suzuki - *Muyoan Retirement Training* (2017), series, Actor - *Izakaya Moheji 6* (2017), Actor - *When Will You Return?* (2017), as Mami - *Teacher Gappa* (2016), as Noriko Muramoto - *Doctor X: Gekai Daimon Michiko Special* (2016), Actor - *Izakaya Moheji 5* (2016), Actor - *Totto Television* (2016), series, as Sadako Sawamura - *Aka Medaka* (2015), Actor - *Izakaya Moheji 4* (2015), as Kawada Mayumi [regular customer] - *Ms. Sadistic Detective* (2015), series, Actor - *おばさん弁護士 町田珠子* (2015), series, Actor - *Teacher and Stray Cat* (2015), as Yoko Inoue - *Time Spiral* (2014), series, as Yoshimi Aizawa - *Izakaya Moheji 3* (2014), as Kawada Mayumi [regular customer] - *Time Never Stops* (2014), as Masayo Hamaguchi - *Oshin* (2013), as Tsune - *Farewell for Today* (2013), as Yasuko Fujioka - *Izakaya Moheji 2* (2013), as Kawada Mayumi [regular customer] - *One in a hundred thousand* (2012), as Keiko Yamauchi - *Doctor-X: Surgeon Michiko Daimon* (2012), series, as Nanako Torii（鳥井 七々子） - *Hanayome* (2012), Actor - *Jiu: Special Investigation Team* (2011), series, as Sakagami - *Star Watching Dog* (2011), Actor - *Maison Ikkoku Kanketsuhen* (2008), as Hanae Ichinose - *Daisuki!!* (2008), series, as Miyoko Fukuhara - *Hadaka no Taishō* (2007), series, Actor - *Glory to the Filmmaker!* (2007), as Kumiko - *Maison Ikkoku* (2007), as Hanae Ichinose - *Maison Ikkoku* (2007), series, as Hanae Ichinose - *復讐するは我にあり 2007* (2007), series, Actor - *Dear Father* (2007), series, as Sakashita Ritsuko - *Freezing Point* (2006), series, as 島田辰子 - *Princess in an Iron Helmet* (2006), as Tamako's mother - *クライマーズ・ハイ* (2005), series, as 安西小百合 - *Takeshis'* (2005), as Mahjong Parlor Woman / Audition Producer / Costumer - *Karaoke Terror* (2003), as Midori Hemme - *Dolls* (2002), as Haruna's Aunt - *松本清張没後10年特別企画・家紋* (2002), series, Actor - *My Husband* (2001), series, as Toko Ishihara - *Le Secret* (1999), as 杉田直子 - *Secret* (1999), as Naoko Sugita - *Kikujiro* (1999), as Kikujiro's Wife - *Shin Salaryman Senka* (1997), Actor - *Fireworks* (1997), as Nishi's Wife — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/fireworks.md) - *MOROCCO 2: The Return of the Yokohama Follies* (1996), Actor - *MOROCCO: The Story of the Yokohama Follies* (1996), Actor - *O-higara mo yoku, go-shusho sama* (1996), Actor - *The Woman Who Kept Hiding* (1995), as Hiroko Nishimura - *Sky Cannot Be This Blue* (1993), as Sawako - *New York Love Story* (1988), series, Actor - *Inochi* (1986), series, as Tsuda Seiko - *When Winter Comes* (1985), Actor - *Daikazoku* (1984), series, Actor - *Tora-san's Promise* (1981), as Aiko - *Island of the Evil Spirits* (1981), as Maho / Kataho - *Zoku zoku jiken* (1980), series, Actor - *A-Un* (1980), series, Actor - *Vampire Dracula appears in Kobe* (1979), Actor - *The Rivals* (1979), Actor - *Ameyuki-san* (1979), Actor - *Yasei no Shōmei* (1979), series, Actor - *Ningen no Shōmei* (1978), series, Actor - *The Roads Men Travel* (1976), series, as Nobuko Ojima ## Gallery - ![Kayoko Kishimoto](https://film.one/media/person/87402/gallery-1b66adf166a2.jpg) Kayoko Kishimoto — Dick Thomas Johnson from Tokyo, Japan, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2e/Kishimoto_Kayoko_from_%22Lying_to_Mom%22_at_Opening_Ceremony_of_the_Tokyo_International_Film_Festival_2018_%2830678140347%29.jpg/1280px-Kishimoto_Kayoko_from_%22Lying_to_Mom%22_at_Opening_Ceremony_of_the_Tokyo_International_Film_Festival_2018_%2830678140347%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Kayoko Kishimoto](https://film.one/media/person/87402/gallery-a09f79565a2b.jpg) Kayoko Kishimoto — Image via TMDB ## Awards ### Other awards — 1 won - Elan d'or Award for Newcomer of the Year 1981: Elan d'or Award for Newcomer of the Year (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/kayoko-kishimoto