---
name: "Noriko Honma"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/noriko-honma"
fi1m_id: "noriko-honma"
imdb_id: "nm0393352"
tmdb_id: 7456
wikidata_id: "Q5508578"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "29 November 1911"
died: "12 April 2009"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 4
average_fi1m_score: 92
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 4
updated: "2026-09-28T20:40:06.508314+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."
---

# Noriko Honma

## Identity

Noriko Honma

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/noriko-honma
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** noriko-honma
- **IMDb ID:** nm0393352
- **TMDB ID:** 7456
- **Wikidata ID:** Q5508578
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noriko_Honma, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5508578, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0393352/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/7456

Actor. Born 29 November 1911 in Yubari, Hokkaido, Japan. Died 12 April 2009.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 29 November 1911, Yubari, Hokkaido, Japan
- **Died:** 12 April 2009
- **Active:** 1950–1961
- **Average Fi1m score:** 92, as actor, over 4 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1950s 93 (3), 1960s 88 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 92 to 87 across 4 titles
- **Score spread:** 4 at 80+, 0 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 0 of 1 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Drama 4, Action 1, Crime 1, Mystery 1, Thriller 1
- **Screen time:** 9 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $456m across 4 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noriko_Honma, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5508578, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0393352/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/7456

## Streaming the US now

- **HBO Max:** [*Rashomon*](https://film.one/film/rashomon.md) (92)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Noriko Honma was a Japanese actress. She was born on 29 November 1911 in Yubari, Hokkaido, and died on 12 April 2009 in Tokyo.

Her film career spanned from the 1930s to the 1990s. She appeared in numerous supporting roles, including in films directed by Akira Kurosawa. She played the Medium in *Rashomon* (1950), a woman farmer in *Seven Samurai* (1954), a housewife in *Ikiru* (1952), the farmer's ex-wife in *Yojimbo* (1961), a resident in *Red Beard* (1965), and a mourner in *Rhapsody in August* (1991). Her final screen role was an uncredited part in *Madadayo* (1993).

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (4)

- *Yojimbo* (1961), Fi1m 88, as Farmer's Ex-wife — [page](https://film.one/film/yojimbo.md)
- *Seven Samurai* (1954), Fi1m 95, as Woman Farmer — [page](https://film.one/film/seven-samurai.md)
- *Ikiru* (1952), Fi1m 92, as Housewife — [page](https://film.one/film/ikiru.md)
- *Rashomon* (1950), Fi1m 92, as Medium — [page](https://film.one/film/rashomon.md)

## Complete filmography (67)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Madadayo* (1993), as Old Lady Holding a Cat
- *Rhapsody in August* (1991), as Mourner
- *Dreams* (1990), Actor
- *G.I. Samurai* (1979), as Old Woman
- *Monstrous! Who Am I?!* (1969), Actor
- *Battle of the Japan Sea* (1969), Actor
- *The Homely Sister* (1967), as Tea shop old woman
- *Ebirah, Horror of the Deep* (1966), as Itako
- *You Can If You Try* (1965), Actor
- *Start Here* (1965), as Kitamura’s Mother
- *Red Beard* (1965), as Resident
- *Oh, Bomb!* (1964), as Matsuko - Shiitake's wife
- *Anything For Success* (1962), Actor
- *Varan the Unbelievable* (1962), as Ken's Mom
- *Kiriko no unmei* (1962), Actor
- *The Pacific War and Himeyuri Corps* (1962), Actor
- *石ころの唄* (1962), Actor
- *Yojimbo* (1961), as Farmer's Ex-wife — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/yojimbo.md)
- *Life of a Country Doctor* (1960), Actor
- *When a Woman Ascends the Stairs* (1960), as Mineko
- *Someday I'll Know* (1959), Actor
- *Fox and Raccoon* (1959), as Sada
- *Mariko's Autobiography: Flowing Constellation* (1959), Actor
- *The Big Boss* (1959), Actor
- *Varan* (1958), as Ken's Mom
- *Summer Clouds* (1958), Actor
- *All About Marriage* (1958), as Mariko's Mother
- *Zokuzoku Ôban: Dotô hen* (1957), as Hostess
- *A Rainbow Plays in My Heart: Part 2* (1957), as Nanny
- *A Rainbow Plays in My Heart: Part 1* (1957), Actor
- *Untamed Woman* (1957), as Otora, the foster mother
- *Elephant from "Zoo Story"* (1957), as Tetsu (Zen's wife)
- *Come Back Soon* (1957), Actor
- *Sisters at the Hot Springs* (1956), Actor
- *People of Tokyo, Goodbye* (1956), as Natsu, Chiya's Mother (uncredited)
- *A Wife's Heart* (1956), Actor
- *Blue Buds* (1956), as Fusae (Kazuko’s mother)
- *Everyone's Sweetheart* (1956), Actor
- *All Sold Out* (1956), Actor
- *Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island* (1956), as (uncredited)
- *I Live in Fear* (1955), as Worker family member
- *Marital Relations* (1955), Actor
- *The Lone Journey* (1955), Actor
- *The Surf* (1954), as Old Woman of O-Haru
- *Ditch* (1954), Actor
- *Last of the Wild Ones* (1954), Actor
- *Seven Samurai* (1954), as Woman Farmer — Fi1m 95, [page](https://film.one/film/seven-samurai.md)
- *To the Ends of the Earth* (1953), Actor
- *Girls in the Orchard* (1953), Actor
- *Brother and Sister* (1953), Actor
- *Adolescence Part II* (1953), as (uncredited)
- *Their Father's Wife* (1953), Actor
- *Wife* (1953), Actor
- *The End of the Night* (1953), Actor
- *Where Chimneys Are Seen* (1953), Actor
- *Husband and Wife* (1953), Actor
- *Ikiru* (1952), as Housewife — Fi1m 92, [page](https://film.one/film/ikiru.md)
- *Mother* (1952), as Mino Hirai
- *The Ataka Family* (1952), as Otoku
- *The Blue Pearl* (1951), as Riu's mother
- *Nightshade Flower* (1951), Actor
- *Rashomon* (1950), as Medium — Fi1m 92, [page](https://film.one/film/rashomon.md)
- *Snow-Flake* (1950), as Itakura's mother
- *Town of Violence* (1950), as Sanpei's mother
- *Stray Dog* (1949), as Wooden Tub Shop woman
- *The Whole Family Works* (1939), as Ishimura's wife
- *Composition Class* (1938), as Aunt

---
© 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/noriko-honma