Actress Minamida Yoko died at a Tokyo hospital yesterday following a severe brain hemorrhage. She was 76. Her husband, actor Nagato Hiroyuki (75), spoke to reporters last night. “At 10:56am, my dearest wife, without saying goodbye…” was all he could say before becoming overcome with grief. It was just before he went on stage at the Meijiza theater in Tokyo that his wife of 48 years passed away. Minamida had just a couple of movie roles under her belt when she co-starred with the already veteran Nagato in “Taiyo no Kisetsu,” a huge hit that is best remembered today for launching the career of Ishihara Yujiro. The movie established the pair as the Nikkatsu studio’s star attractions, and Nagato was making as many as a dozen movies a year. The two made a couple more films together at Nikkatsu before marrying in 1961, quitting the studio and setting up on their own. Nagato’s big screen career has stretched to over 230 movie credits, while Minamida’s credits include “Portrait of Chieko,” which was nominated for an Academy Award in 1967. Both worked extensively on TV dramas and variety shows until recent years. Minamida began to show signs of dementia in 2005 and quit showbiz in 2006. Nagato cared for her at home, but she was hospitalized twice earlier this year. Her final collapse came last weekend and though she underwent surgery, she never recovered consciousness.
Earlier story:
Minamida Yoko Back in Hospital (Oct. 20, 2009)