
Acting
Kumiko Akiyoshi
Born
1954-07-29 (72)
Place of birth
Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan
Known for
Acting
Credits
82 titles
Known for
8.5SMAP×SMAP was an ongoing weekly Japanese variety show on Kansai TV and Fuji TV starring the members of SMAP. The show began on April 15, 1996 and it aired from 22:00 to 22:54 every Monday. The show's usual ratings were higher than 20%, which is considered high since most variety shows range from 10-20%. Each episode begins a variety of skits, comedic performances, and/or games. These are followed by Bistro SMAP, in which the SMAP members compete against each other to impress celebrity judges with their gourmet cooking. Last is a musical performance by SMAP which may include celebrity guests, as well.
SMAP×SMAP
1996
NRThe hosts explore different neighborhoods and izakayas, discussing various snacks and drinks. They share interesting trivia about the food and beverages, often accompanied by lively conversations with female guests and experts.
Nikenme Dou Suru? ~Tsumami no Hanashi~
2017
7.0No synopsis available yet.
Furuya Ikkou's Great Detective Kindaichi Kousuke Series
1983
7.7When a classically trained young conductor meets a free-spirited pianist at music school, their romance and their music have a hard time harmonizing.
Nodame Cantabile
2006
8.0With the help of an online community, a nerdy and socially awkward man gathers the courage to start dating an attractive lady he met on a train.
Train Man
2005
5.0Sky High is a live-action, supernatural Japanese television drama series, starring actress and model, Yumiko Shaku. It aired in Japan, first run, from 2003 to 2004, and was popular enough to spawn the 2003 feature film of the same name. Both are based on the Japanese manga, Skyhigh. Shaku stars as Izuko, the Guardian of the Gate to the afterlife. The basic premise of the television series is somewhat similar in concept to the American series, Ghost Whisperer, in which the protagonist must use her powers to guide the dead on their journey to the afterlife by helping them determine the meaning or circumstance of their death. However, in Izuko's case, no matter how hard she tries, her guidance does not always result in a happy ending.
Sky High
2003
Film credits
2020s · 2 titles
6.8Based on the comic by Tsuchida Seiki, inspired by the artist's own life experience, this film portrays the loss and regeneration of the life of four men.
Family
2023
NRThis film is based on the book "Welcome to Le Jardin" by Akemi Mochizuki, owner of the high-end club "Le Jardin" in Ginza, Tokyo. Based on the original story, which has been released up to three installments in the series, the film depicts the club's state at the mercy of the COVID-19 pandemic and the anxieties and conflicts of the people who work there. Maiko, who works at the high-end Ginza club "Le Jardin," remembers how Mama Akemi, the owner, helped her during her job interview. She devotes her days to working hard for Mama and the club. Then, in 2020, COVID-19 spread worldwide, and the first cases were confirmed at Le Jardin. The spread of COVID-19 led to public questioning the value of restaurants and nightlife, and Le Jardin was forced to suspend operations. Maiko, anxious about her future, is helpless and spends her days holed up in her room.
Lu jarudan he youkoso
2024
2010s · 8 titles
7.0A unique black comedy set in Ginza Cinepathos, a long-established movie theater that closes at the end of March 2013 while being familiar to movie fans with its retro appearance and unique lineup. Unique guests visiting the theater draw a human pattern during breaks.
The Intermission
2013
NRThe movie is based on an autobiographical book titled “Tokyo Furyou Shounen Densetsu.” The book was written by Endo Natsuki, who was once affiliated with the biker team and band COOLS that was formed in the 1970s by Tachi Hiroshi (61) and Iwaki Koichi (60). The story for the film takes place at a technical high school in the 1970s, where it is said that half of the school’s 3,000 students are juvenile delinquents. Saito plays a student named Sendo, who is aiming to be number one out of all of them. Naturally, the movie will incorporate a lot of action scenes as he brawls his way to the top.
Furyō shōnen 3, 000-ri no sō-ban (atama)
2012
NRDaichi (Mahiro Takasugi) is a young dental technician. He is called a prince due to his excellent skills at work and his handsome appearance. One day, he meets again his childhood friend Manatsu (Seia Yasuda). Manatsu has just began work as a dental hygienist at a clinic in th suburb. Meanwhile, Daichi receives recognition for his work by dental clinic director (Yuichi Kimura) and dentist (Yuuki Tsujimoto), but his father (Tetsuhiro Ikeda), who runs a dental technician's office, thinks Daichi’s skills are not good enough. Daichi then receives a complaint from a patient. Manatsu tries to comfort him, but they end up having an argument.
Smiles Leading To Happiness
2019
NRGenius scientist Kikuo Himura (Yosuke Kubozuka) succeeds in developing a miracle cure for the cold virus. There are now people who are after Kikuo Himura's cold vaccine. Doctor Ichinose (Akira Emoto) is jealous of Kikuo Himura and tries to get the formula which is only in Kikuo Himura's head. Dougen (Chris Peppler) is a high-ranking member of a secret organization. Him and his subordinate try to get the vaccine source by any means necessary. Meanwhile, a mysterious woman, Sakurako (Manami Konishi) approaches Kikuo Himura.
Cold
2014
NRNo synopsis available yet.
Karanukan
2017
NR2012 Japanese movie
Joyū
2012
NRNo synopsis available yet.
地球征服アパート物語
2011
NRNo synopsis available yet.
「わたし」の人生(みち) 我が命のタンゴ
2012
2000s · 6 titles
5.9Teenager Midori's family moves back to the city where she lived as a child and is relieved to discover that her old friend Ryusuke still lives there. Her terrifying nightmares begin intersecting with her everyday life. Do her nightly dreams about an anonymous fortune-teller have anything to do with the tragedies plaguing her high school?
Love Ghost
2001
NRNo synopsis available yet.
Kindachi Kosuke: The Devil Comes and Blows the Whistle
2007
3.7Translucent Tree is centered around divorced Chigiri, a suburban middle-aged mother taking care of her teenage daughter, Mayu, and her ailing father Kaho. Her life is mundane and rather hopeless until Go, a TV producer from Tokyo, pays a visit to her town and the tree they shared time under some twenty years back after a TV commercial shoot. His remembrances of her, the tree, and the long unrequited love stir both of their hearts to fumbling action as they re-discover the love between them.
Translucent Tree
2004
7.4Shuichi Kushimori is a 17 year old high school student who lives happily with his mother and stepsister. One day, without warning, his estranged stepfather returns home from a long absence. He quickly falls into a circle of drinking and starts abusing his ex-wife and daughter. When he begins making sexual advances towards Shuichi’s stepsister, Shuichi is compelled to take matters into his own hands.
The Blue Light
2003
6.1A successful businessman and his alcoholic wife attempt to piece together their unhappy lives and shattered marriage. Little do Nagai and Akira know that their precarious relationship will soon be transformed by a stranger, the enigmatic Keechie.
Desert Moon
2001
NRBased on the actual experience of Michi Inoue, an active female high school student at the time, a movie of the best-selling essay “17 years old” depicting the honest feelings of a high school girl.
Seventeen
2002
1990s · 9 titles
6.5During the age of warring clans (Sengoku Jidai), many samurai lords sought to unite the country under their banners by becoming the supreme leader. One of the first to vie for power in this way was Saito Dosan, the 'Viper'. His son-in-law, Oda Nobunaga, did in fact unite the nation after subduing all of his enemies, yet falling at last to the treachery of one of his most trusted generals. This story is a pre-cursor to those later events as the brilliant military strategist Saito Dosan rises to power and notoriety as a great lord in his own right. Directed by Kudo Eiichi and with a tremendous supporting cast that includes Nakamura Toru as Oda Nobunaga and Chiba Shinichi as Akechi Mitsutsugu, battle scenes of awesome power and a unique view of Japanese history, this is a marvelous production highlighted by the action scenes done by the Japan Action Club (JAC).
Saito Dosan: Rage of Power
1991
9.0Depicts the life of Nagaharu Yodogawa.
The Nagaharu Yodogawa Story: A Cineaste's Life in Kobe
1999
7.3A group of Japanese tourists try to forget their pasts and find themselves in India.
Deep River
1995
4.0The days of love between a free-spirited heroine who continues to seek freedom and a young man who is attracted to her charm. Starring Kumiko Akiyoshi.
Lesson
1994
NRBiopic of Date Masamune. Young Masamune upon learning of the death of Nobunaga decides that he is the man to fill those sainted clogs. The fastest way to do this is to subjugate the neighboring warlords. This is an action that results in the death of his father and younger brother and not the least brings him to the attention of Hideyoshi and not in a good way either but intervention by the regents nephew Hidetsugu and Maeda Toshiie save his neck although he is forced to move to a smaller fief and send his wife to Kyoto as hostage. Although curbed of his lofty ambitions his friendship with Hidetsugu again lands him in hot water when Ishida Mitsunari arranges the downfall of the unfortunate Hidetsugu, Toshiie and Ieyasu save his neck and the flamboyant young warlord is sent to Korea where he wins great honors. Upon his return Hideyoshi is dead and Masamune allies himself with Tokugawa Ieyasu thus assuring the survival of the Date family. An amazing story from beginning to the end!
Date Masamune: The One-Eyed Dragon
1993
8.0Sakura and Kenzo are married. Both think they can live a happy marriage, despite the fact that she cannot have children and he does not want to give up her relationship with her lover Yoko.
Crimson Lotus
1993
10.0Some of the greatest battles during the Age of Civil Wars were fought between the Uesugi and Takeda clans. Leading up to them was the incredible life of Uesugi Kenshin, who rose from a son out of favor with his...
Heaven and Earth: Dawn Episode
1990
NRThe Fir Tree Remains | Yamamoto explores the life of Koi Harada, a man wrongfully branded a “traitor” in Japanese history. As the Date clan faces the threat of destruction from within and from the shogunate, Harada courageously steps forward, alone, to protect the family and its legacy. This powerful story of loyalty, honor, and strategy is sure to leave you on the edge of your seat. Don’t miss this emotional rollercoaster that unravels a pivotal moment in feudal Japan’s turbulent past.
The Fir Tree Remains
1990
10.0Dramatization of the true story of Chiune Sugihara, a Japanese diplomat who saved thousands of Lithuanian Jews during World War II by granting them visas, though it cost him his own career.
The Visas That Saved Lives
1992
1980s · 18 titles
3.7A woman faces betrayal, which tests her love.
Night Train
1987
7.2A troubled architect weaves his way through numerous romantic situations in a search for true love and contentment.
Flakes of Snow
1985
8.3A playboy-gambler friend of Tora-san’s dies and, abandoned by his mother, his little boy suddenly turns up in Shibamata. Searching for the boy’s mother, Tora-san meets a cosmetics saleslady and the three become a surrogate family, with Tora-san as “daddy”.
Tora-san Plays Daddy
1987
6.3A young boy learns he is part of a powerful race of psionic humans who must fight the normal humans determined to keep them from Earth.
Toward the Terra
1980
4.9Yukio is an ex-farmer working as a dump-truck driver in Kashima. Haunted by the drowning of his two young sons, whose names he has had tattooed on his back in penance, and locked in a sibling rivalry with his traditional but urbane younger brother who lives in Tokyo, Yukio has become an amphetamine-addicted loner at odds with his family, friends and colleagues.
Farewell to the Land
1982
6.3An ex-Olympic athlete and a student commit cash robbery. Aki Hoshino, a pre-med student, becomes inspired to steal money the school collected as “special fees” from parents wanting to assure their offspring’s’ acceptance into the hallowed institution. He forms an unbeatable alliance with an ex-employee and crime bosses to retrieve the ill-gotten money from the “wrong” hands.
Kamikaze, the Adventurer
1981
6.7A recently divorced writer is reunited with the ghosts of his parents who died when he was a boy. However, every time he sees them he loses more life energy. Now, he must choose between starting a new life or staying forever in the past.
The Discarnates
1988
7.0A run-in with the police once again puts three former reformatory inmates on the wrong side of the law. Their situation becomes increasingly desperate as events spin out of control, culminating in an audacious hijack at sea...
The Shootout
1982
7.7Hideyuki Mitamura, a student at a private school near Osaka, is kidnapped on his way home from school.
To Trap a Kidnapper
1982
7.0Ryoko visits brother-in-law Koji to recover from her time at a mental hospital. But she becomes increasingly convinced that Koji's eight year old niece Alice was responsible for her sister Fuyuko's death. Several horrific deaths follow.
Cute Devil
1982
4.5A Tokyo psychiatrist is hoping to better his career by marrying the daughter of a prominent doctor. The match is threatened however when an attractive but very troubled tourist guide comes to him for consultation...
The Enchantment
1989
7.0First mainstream film directed by Genji Nakamura, based on Yasutaka Tsutsui's 1974 short story of the same title.
Weekend Shuffle
1982
8.0Rising from the lowliest of country samurai to the heights of power as Taiko, Toyotomi Hideyoshi is one of the pivotal figures of the Sengoku period.
Taikoki
1987
7.0Hideo is sold in marriage to a Japanese farmer in San Francisco to settle her family's debt. Over the next 20 years, the couple works hard and raises 4 children. After Pearl Harbor is attacked, they are interned with other Japanese immigrants in a camp, losing both their land and their assets.
The Horizon
1984
7.0No synopsis available yet.
Aitsu to lullaby
1983
5.0Life seems to be good for Shintoto, an up-and-coming rakugo artist who has just had his first sexual experience at a local brothel. Lucky for him, he gets to date the beautiful sex worker he meets that day, and a younger high school rakugo aficionado is also vying for his attention. But for clumsy, heart-on-his-sleeve Shintoto, life doesn’t stay rosy for long.
Something Like It
1981
Geisha Yaeko is approached by a samurai who has just returned to Edo while she is painting a picture of camellia flowers in a temple. The samurai, whom she meets again at a drinking party, is the heir to the castle's daimyo, Yuuki Shinichiro, and the two become romantically involved despite their different social standings. Although he tells her he cannot marry her immediately, Yaeko believes in Shinichiro and continues to wait for the day they can be together. However, Shinichiro's uncle, Kuwajima, tells her to end the relationship.
The Orphaned Geisha
1987
NRAn ancient evil spirit resurrects in the modern age and possesses a beautiful woman.
Afternoon of the Evil Spirits
1983
1970s · 17 titles
3.8Akio's sister, Neri has separated from her boyfriend. They lived in Kamakura. She moves in with her brother. Her ex-boyfriend's sister, Eiko comes to see Neri. She wonders if the separation occurred due to her because the three of them used to live together. Eiko's brother has disappeared in the meantime.
Younger Sister
1974
6.6Two infantry regiments of the Imperial Japanese Army—210 men overall—tackled Mt. Hakkoda in the winter of 1902 to prepare for war with Russia.
Mount Hakkoda
1977
7.0A detective wonders that his sister is a murder suspect.
The Perennial Weed
1975
7.0Teenagers are rebels without a cause. Let it be for stress relief or just a way to kill time, Mami (Kumiko Akiyoshi) and Chiaki were always up to no good – but their luck runs out when they shoplift with some other girls at a local supermarket. They flee from the scene and head back home, only to find detectives at their front door.
Virgin Blues
1974
10.0The story of Sanshiro Sugata, a young man who wants to learn the new art of judo. A wise teacher reveals to Sanshiro that judo is not merely a means of combat nor a demonstration of physical skill, but an art which reveals the artist to himself.
Sugata Sanshiro
1977
7.2A young and newly-married couple in Tokyo lives a hard life moving repeatedly because of their unfamiliar relationships with their surroundings.
Red Paper Lantern
1974
8.0A comedy farce depicting the noise that occurs when two unemployed circus participants discover a debt bond in a basket with parrots, which they received instead of pension money. At that time, Hiromi Go and Kirin Kiki, who were gaining popularity, play the main roles, demonstrating an exquisite combination.
Crocodile, Parrot and Fur Seal
1977
4.8Tadashi Iki returns to Japan from a Soviet gulag 11 years after being captured during the invasion of Manchuria. He is offered a position in the expansive Kinki Corporation, but rival corporations are competing for a government contract to produce fighter planes.
The Corporation
1976
NRThis film focuses on the dramatic life of Waka Yamada, who rose from a prostitute in Seattle, USA to a female critic during the Taisho and Showa eras.
Ameyuki-san
1979
7.5Drama about young people in the Japanese rock scene starring the lead singer of Japanese rock band The Tigers (1966-1971, 1981-1983).
Statue in Fire
1974
7.0Based on the novel of the same name by Hisashi Inoue.
Aoba shigereru
1974
6.8A 20-year-old drifter and a precocious 16-year-old girl slowly form a bond in a small town haunted by its wartime past.
The War of the 16 Year Olds
1976
9.021-year-old Hideo Ishida is a reckless young man. Today again, he took part in a car race with a stolen driver's license and a car belonging to the junkyard. But unfortunately, things go wrong and after a collision with another car, the seriously injured Hideo is taken to the hospital. Here he meets the nurse Yuki Kobayashi. Yuki is the opposite of Hideo. During the day she works as a nurse and in the evening she studies hard. However, Hideo's behavior leaves an unforgettable impression on Yuki and the two soon develop an intimate friendship ...
Suddenly, Like a Storm
1977
8.5Members of a country family react differently to the return of daughter Mon from a town factory.While the men are angry she is pregnant with no husband, the women show kindness.
Brother and Sister
1976
8.0In a fishing town by the Seto Sea, a student discovers a woman motionless on the beach and takes her back to his family's inn to nurse her, but he soon discovers than she is an extremist on the run from the police.
Permanent Blue
1976
8.0Hiroshi Nanjo is an active and tactful youth devoting more of his energies to his part time job than to studying for a college entrance exam. On the other hand, Bunpei Noro is an awkward fellow who once failed in a college entrance exam and is now studying hard for a second try. ‘Light and Shade of Youth’ depicts the friendship between these two young men of opposite characters, interlacing a cute waitress along the way.
Light and Shade of Youth
1976
10.0Reiko is young, pretty, and restless. A random encounter at the park puts her in the path of love.
Elegy
1976
Series credits
8.5SMAP×SMAP was an ongoing weekly Japanese variety show on Kansai TV and Fuji TV starring the members of SMAP. The show began on April 15, 1996 and it aired from 22:00 to 22:54 every Monday. The show's usual ratings were higher than 20%, which is considered high since most variety shows range from 10-20%. Each episode begins a variety of skits, comedic performances, and/or games. These are followed by Bistro SMAP, in which the SMAP members compete against each other to impress celebrity judges with their gourmet cooking. Last is a musical performance by SMAP which may include celebrity guests, as well.
SMAP×SMAP
1996
NRThe hosts explore different neighborhoods and izakayas, discussing various snacks and drinks. They share interesting trivia about the food and beverages, often accompanied by lively conversations with female guests and experts.
Nikenme Dou Suru? ~Tsumami no Hanashi~
2017
7.0No synopsis available yet.
Furuya Ikkou's Great Detective Kindaichi Kousuke Series
1983
7.7When a classically trained young conductor meets a free-spirited pianist at music school, their romance and their music have a hard time harmonizing.
Nodame Cantabile
2006
8.0With the help of an online community, a nerdy and socially awkward man gathers the courage to start dating an attractive lady he met on a train.
Train Man
2005
5.0Sky High is a live-action, supernatural Japanese television drama series, starring actress and model, Yumiko Shaku. It aired in Japan, first run, from 2003 to 2004, and was popular enough to spawn the 2003 feature film of the same name. Both are based on the Japanese manga, Skyhigh. Shaku stars as Izuko, the Guardian of the Gate to the afterlife. The basic premise of the television series is somewhat similar in concept to the American series, Ghost Whisperer, in which the protagonist must use her powers to guide the dead on their journey to the afterlife by helping them determine the meaning or circumstance of their death. However, in Izuko's case, no matter how hard she tries, her guidance does not always result in a happy ending.
Sky High
2003
8.3Who will run Japan? The prime minister or a mastermind? A political thriller about the "fixer" pulling strings behind the scenes controlling the political, business, and legal worlds as the greed of money and power intersect.
Fixer
2023
6.2A sexy renegade male chauvinist rock singer by day, a bossed around, lousy dressed and demurring husband by night. Yuichi, the handsome, sexy, and a great rock singer, is known by his fans as 'The Wolf', a fearlessly independent musician who just couldn't care less about what others think of him. In reality, however, Yuichi is a lousy dresser, wears thick glasses and is totally devoted to his hidden girlfriend. Trouble ensues when he decides to marry in secret as he must fight to keep up his image while balancing his private life which grows ever complex as he is introduced to his overbearing family in law....
My Husband
2001
7.7Keizoku is a Japanese mystery thriller created first as a TV drama and later as a film. It is about Detective Jun Shibata, who handles unsolved cases with her hardened partner Tōru Mayama. The television series was broadcast in eleven episodes between 8 January and 19 March 1999. A two-hour "special drama" was then broadcast on 24 December 1999. The series has been called "epoch-making" in the police procedural genre on Japanese television.
Keizoku: Unsolved Cases
1999
9.0No synopsis available yet.
稲垣吾郎の金田一耕助シリーズ
2004
7.8Keito is a reporter for a weekly magazine. The magazine covers everything from corruption by politicians to entertainers' scandals. She watches out for the next big scoop. Keito is also rich and enjoys her work, as well as her love life. One day, Keito's mother suddenly dies. Anna was a single mother who raised Keito alone. She worked as a movie critic. Right before her death, Anna mentioned something about Keito's father. The name she mentioned is that of a Hollywood star.
Off the Record
2020
NRA mysterious humanistic period drama, setting in the Edo Period. As Okappiki, unofficial collaborators who played a marginal role in police functions, Moshichi (Takahashi Hideki) solves a number of mysterious incidents that occur in downtown Edo.
Moshichi
2001
NRYumechiyo is the madam of a geisha house in a remote hot spring in the San'in region. When Yumechiyo learns that she is dying of leukemia caused by the atomic bomb, she writes about her life in the form of a diary, which is a collection of human dramas and the joys and sorrows of her life.
Yumechiyo Nikki
1981
NRThe series tells about the life of construction foreman Eiji and his sister. Both have a love interest: she has a boyfriend, and he has a young girl. The sister is thinking about marriage, and the brother has too strict principles to recklessly rush into the abyss of passion.
Older brother
1977
NRAn entertaining historical drama depicting Sanada Yukimura, a hero who has gone through the era from the incident at Honnōji Temple to the summer siege of Osaka Castle, as "a man of men".
Sanada Yukimura: The Man Shogun Ieyasu Feared Most
1998
NRAfter finding out about her surprise pregnancy, Janesuda was labeled as her lover, Atiruj's life-destroyer. Despite the taunts from the people around her lover, she tried to be patient and persevere to make her relationship work. However, love isn't always sweet. When she discovered that love was beginning to disappear for Atiruj, Janesuda decided to leave everything behind with a hurt heart. Atiruj continues to live his life mercilessly and with a cold heart.
Miracle of Love
1999
NRA historical romance about the life of Princess Nukata, a Manyo poetess who was loved by two brothers, Emperor Tenji and Emperor Tenmu, and the formation of an ancient nation.
Nukata no Ōkimi
1980
7.0Eiji Ogawa, a young leader of the Hattagumi yakuza, left the prison after two years sentence. However, it was only Tsuneyoshi Mito, the younger brother, who came to meet him.
Dragonfly
1988
NRNo synopsis available yet.
Itooshikute
2016
NRSet in a remote hot‑spring town in the San’in region, the story continues in the diary format of Yumechiyo, a geisha house madam who survived intrauterine radiation exposure during the Hiroshima bombing and consequently has leukemia. While returning home from a hospital in Kobe by train, Yumechiyo meets a runaway teenage girl who resembles her youth.
Zoku Yumechiyo Nikki
—
NRKnown as the ”Last Samurai” Saigo Takamori was a stout giant of a man with a huge head and a neck like a bear. As the leader of Satsuma’s anti-Western faction, he was instumental in establishing the Sat-Cho Alliance dreamed of by Sakamoto Ryoma. After the fall of the Tokugawa, Saigo rose to major prominence before falling in disfavor. In 1876 Saigo Takamori resigned from his government post and went back to Kagoshima. He founded a local military school and dissatisfied samurai gathered around him in large numbers. In late 1876 it came to an open conflict when samurai rebels raided and occupied ammunition and weapon depots of the central government. The samurai rebels urged and proclaimed Saigo Takamori as their leader.
Tabaruzaka
1987
No synopsis available yet.
いちど死んだ妻
2000
