Biography
Teruko Nagaoka, also credited as 長岡輝子, was a Japanese actress and director. Born on 5 January 1908 in Morioka, Iwate Prefecture, she trained in theatre in Paris from 1928 to 1930, founded the Teatoru Komedi company on her return, and later joined the Bungakuza troupe. She worked primarily as an actress from 1951 onwards while continuing to direct.
Nagaoka appeared in many films, including several by Yasujirō Ozu: Tokyo Story (1953) as Yone Hattori, Good Morning (1959) as Toyoko Tomizawa, Equinox Flower (1958), Tokyo Twilight (1957) and Early Spring (1956). She also featured in television, notably as Kuni in the series Oshin (1983). Among her awards were the Order of the Rising Sun, Fourth Class, the Minister of Education Award for the Arts and the Kikuchi Kan Prize. She died on 18 October 2010 in Tokyo.
