Isuzu Yamada (山田 五十鈴) was a renowned Japanese stage and screen actress whose illustrious career spanned an impressive seven decades.
Born Mitsu Yamada on 5 February 1917 in Osaka, Japan, she was the daughter of Kusudu Yamada, a skilled shinpa actor specializing in onnagata roles, and Ritsu, a geisha. Yamada's early life was marked by her introduction to the world of acting, with her film debut coming at the tender age of twelve in 1930, in the Nikkatsu film Tsurugi wo koete.
As she continued to hone her craft, Yamada soon became one of Nikkatsu's top actresses, but it was her powerful portrayals of strong-willed modern girls in Kenji Mizoguchi's Osaka Elegy and Sisters of the Gion in 1936, produced by the new Daiichi Eiga studio, that earned her widespread popularity and critical acclaim.
Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, Yamada's career continued to flourish, with notable roles in films such as Mikio Naruse's Tsuruhachi and Tsurujiro (1938),as well as works with esteemed directors like Keisuke Kinoshita, Kaneto Shindō, and Shirō Toyoda. During this period, she also began to shift her focus towards the stage, where she became a respected figure in Japanese theatre.
In addition to her numerous film and stage appearances, Yamada also ventured into television, starring in the long-running Hissatsu series and making her final television appearance in 2002.
Throughout her life, Yamada was married four times, to actor Ichirō Tsukita, producer Kazuo Takimura, actor Yoshi Katō, and actor Tsutomu Shimomoto. Her daughter with Tsukita, Michiko, went on to become the actress Michiko Saga (1935–1992).
Isuzu Yamada passed away on 9 July 2012 in Tokyo, Japan, at the age of 95, leaving behind a legacy as one of Japan's most beloved and accomplished actresses.
