Kimiko Yo
Born: 1956-05-12 in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
Known For: Acting
Biography
Kimiko Yo was born in Yokohama, a city just south of Tokyo to a Japanese mother and Taiwanese father on the 12th of May 1956. Her cousin was actress Bunjaku Han. She became active in front of the camera in 1987 and has been a feature of Japanese television and cinema ever since. She had begun acting on the theatre stage in 1976. Audiences may mostly know her for her supporting role in Shin Gojira, as a sympathetic colleague in the 2008 films Departures, which won an Oscar, and kind wife and waitress in Ramen Girl, but she has almost 200 credits to her name. These include an abnormal neighbour in The Drugstore girl and serene presence in Café Lumière where she was directed by a Taiwanese director in Japan. Dear Doctor (2009) propelled her name forward in Japan and was an award winner. She has several Japan Academy prizes to her name. Like most celebrities she pushes products and has done commercials for telephone companies, shampoos and cosmetics manufacturers. Yo is married to a man who at the time was a NHK employee in 2006 and is managed by the Alpha Agency.
Filmography
2026
- Straight to Hell
- Sheep in the Box as Nobuyo Nishimura
- Sinsin and the Mouse
- The Imaginary Dog and the Lying Cat
2024
- Usotoki Rhetoric
- Shinjuku Field Hospital as Ritsuko Nishi Freeman
- Re: Revenge - At the End of Desire as Tendo Ichiko
- Shrink: Psychiatrist Yowai as 高橋文世
- The Gift of Your Heart as Yukino Aihara
- 52-Hertz Whales as Noriko Okada
- 橋ものがたり「約束」
2023
- Kazama Kimichika: Kyojo Zero
- Sanctuary
- Trillion Game as Mitsuzono Shizuku
- The Kind-Hearted Cat as Matsuko
- My Happy Divorced Life
- Omokage
- Mentai Piriri – Flower of Pansy
2022
- The Files of Young Kindaichi as Hiruko Kirigoe
- To Every You I've Loved Before as Kazune Takigawa (old woman) (voice)
- To Me, the One Who Loved You as Kazune Takigawa (old woman) (voice)
- Noise as Hanae Shoji
- Everything Will Be Owlright! as Minoyama
- Winter Rose as Michiko Wataguchi
2021
- Dream Team as Yoshie Andou
- First Gentleman
2020
- Please Don't Chant Buddhist Prayers in the Hospital Room as Shibusawa Wakako
- Sugu Shinun Dakara as Mori Kaoru
- Toubousha
- Hotel Royal as Miko Noshiro
- AI Amok as Eiko Tanaka
- Red as Ogata Yoko
- Any Crybabies Around? as Setsuko Goto
- Step as Michiyo Muramatsu
- Peaceful Death
2019
- The Naked Director as Kozue Muranishi
- Death Office as Shingu
- An Artist of the Floating World as Mrs. Saito
- Show Me the Way to the Station
- Giwaku
- Miss Jikocho-Professor Tenno's Survey File as 南雲喜里子
- BON-UTA, A Song from Home as (voice)
- Aging Police / Resurrection Special
- Welcome to National Treasures
- Sleep in the Shadows
2018
- Half Blue Sky as Kimika Okada
- dele
- Omotenashi as Mitsuko
- Innocent Days as Michiko Tanaka
- The Murder of Kuroido
- Uta Monogatari: Cinema Fighters Project as Cafe's manager (segment "Our Birthday")
- Enokida Trading Co. as Yoko Shima
2017
- The Public Enemy as Akiko Kawarada
- The Blue Hearts as (segment “Hammer”)
- Kurara: The Dazzling Life of Hokusai's Daughter as Koto
- And Then There Were None as Erika Konami
- Izakaya Fuji
- ドラマスペシャル 松本清張 鬼畜
- Perfect Revolution as Akiko
2016
- Shin Godzilla as Reiko Hanamori : Minister of Defense
- Mr. Housekeeper, Mitazono as Yoriko Musubi
- Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories as Chieko Tachibana
- Midnight Diner 2 as Chieko
- Solitary Gourmet Summer trip to Miyagi Prefecture in northeastern Japan
- Black Widow Business as Eiko Segawa
- Night Hero NAOTO as 権田薫子
- The Ice Ruts as 요네자와 사유리
- Hello, I Love You as Machi Domoto
- Zen and Bones as Kô Mittwer
2015
- The Secret Lives of Kyoto Folk
- Parasyte: Part 2 as Izumi Nobuko
- Solomon's Perjury 1: Suspicion as Motoko Ueno
- A Stitch of Life as Hiroe Minami
- Solomon's Perjury 2: Judgment as Motoko Ueno
- REPLAY&DESTROY as fortune-teller woman
- Going against the Grain in Fukushima as Speaker
2014
- Parasyte: Part 1 as Izumi Nobuko
- Back of Father as Togawa Yasuko
- Midnight Diner as Chieko Hanawa
- 300 Million Yen Robbery as Ryoko Nakaoka
- お葬式で会いましょう
- Fuyō no hito 〜 Fuji sanchō no tsuma as Nonaka Tomiko
2013
- A Story of Yonosuke as Taeko Yokomichi
- Shield of Straw
- Galileo XX as Yoriko Takasaki
- A Tale of Samurai Cooking as Mitsuru Funaki
- Houkago Groove
- Nobody's Perfect
- My Little Sweet Pea as Ayako Akaike
- 謎解きはディナーのあとで スペシャル~風祭警部の事件簿~
2012
- Ace Attorney as Maiko Ayasato (Misty Fey)
- Nōhime: Wife of a Samurai
- For Love's Sake as Toyo Taiga
- Dearest as Tamiko Hamasaki
- Bread of Happiness as Yoko
- The Housekeeper as Haruko Inamura
- Tsurukame Josanin: Minami no Shima kara
- Dirty Hearts as Naomi
- Cleopatra na Onnatachi
- 悪女について as Suzuki Tane
- Father of the Bride
2011
- Karyuu No Utage as Miyagi Yoko
- Rebirth as Angel
- Taro no Tō
- Star Watching Dog as Innkeeper
- My SO Has Got Depression as Satoko Kurita
- Crossroads
2010
- Villain as Yoriko Shimizu
- Soup Opera as Yasuko Tanaka
- Rinco's Restaurant as Ruriko
- A Lone Scalpel as Shizuka Takei
- 警視庁継続捜査班
2009
- Air Doll as Receptionist Yoshiko
- Dear Doctor as Akemi Ohtake
- ママは昔パパだった as 우에노 마키코
2008
- Atsuhime as Hisa-hime
- Departures as Yuriko Kamimura
- Daisuki!! as Setsuko Kachigawa
- The Ramen Girl as Reiko
- Where The Legend Lives
- Oka wo koete
2007
- Bambino!
- Dear Father as Fortune Teller
- Tokyo Rhapsody
- Oishii Gohan: Kamakura Kasugai Rice Shop as 엔죠지 치에코
- Memories of the Womb: You Are Here
- Evil People as Chise Fujishima
- Virgin Snow as Mayumi Sasaki
- Invisible War as Kinu Murozono
- 夜の終る時
- Chacha: The Princess of Heaven as Kita no mandokoro
- The Yakuza Principal
- 現ナマ弁護士
2006
- Into the White Night as Taniguchi Mafumi
- Tokumei! Keiji Dongame
- Just One Love as Akiko Kanzaki
2005
- Be with You as Hongo Naomi
- Yamato
- Tokyo Tower
- We Shall Overcome Someday
- Affectionate Time as Kujo Tomoko
- Akechi Kogoro vs. Kindaichi Kosuke
- Yankee Bokou ni Kaeru SP as Ando Yukiko [Teacher]
- Akechi Kogoro vs. Kindaichi Kosuke as Tezuka Yukino
- 松本清張特別企画・黒い画集~紐
2004
- Café Lumière as Yoko's Stepmother
- 女の中の二つの顔
- Drugstore Girl as Hideko Mukai
- Fireflies: River of Light
- Chicken Is Barefoot
- Onna no naka no futatsu no kao
- Higuchi Ichiyo Monogatari
2003
- Worst by Chance as Hatsuko Kim
- Farewell, Kuro as Eri Yuki
- Kao as Kyoko Higuchi(樋口 京子)
- Drop-out Teacher Returns to School as Yukiko Ando
- Suspicion
- An Autumn Afternoon as Akiko Hirayama
- 女タクシードライバーの事件日誌
2002
- California Dreamin' as Kyoko Yamazaki
- Hotel Hibiscus as Mieko's Mother
- Dog Star
- 横山秀夫サスペンス シリーズ (TBS)
- Aiki
- The Lonely Affair of the Heart
- Oh My God
- Music of Remembrance -Gb- as Rume
2001
- Churasan as Shibata Yoko
- Suicide Club
- Goodbye Mr Ozu
- Love Story
2000
- Asako in Ruby Shoes as Aya's Mother
- Hysteric
- Another Battle
- Free and Easy 11
- 巡査鉄兵の推理日誌
- A Class to Remember IV: Fifteen
- Ando Gumi Gaiden Genealogy of the Group Wolf 5
- Timeless Melody as Chikako's Mother
1999
- The Exam as Midori Chiaki
- Dangerous Relationship as Ayako Tsuzuki
- Live
1998
- Wait and See as Wife of Hiroshi's Brother
- Amagi Pass
- A Class to Remember III: The New Voyage as Kuramoto
- A Dangerous Woman
- Kurenai
1997
- Virgin Road as Michi
- Happy-Go-Lucky as Man's Lover in TV Drama
- Moonlight Serenade
- 20th Century Nostalgia as Anzu's Mother
- An Angel with Many Scars
- Immoral Affairs
- Time Leap
- Middle-aged Bachelors
- The Most Important Person
- 姑は名探偵芹澤雅子 八丈島南国リゾート殺人事件
1996
- Hakusen Nagashi as Masako Ozawa
- Concerto
- Gonin 2 as Ran
- Kekkon no Risou to Genjitsu
- The President's Christmas Tree
1995
- The Files of the Young Kindaichi as Hiruko Kirigoe
- Say You Love Me as Kaoru Kanzaki
- Haunted School as Yukawa
- Sharaku
- Sumomo mo momo
- Keikoku! Nozoki ari.
1993
- A Night in Nude as Nami Tsuchiya
- The City That Never Sleeps: Shinjuku Shark
- The Brutal Insanity of Love as Nami Muraki
1992
1991
1989
1988
- Love Bites Back as Sanae Ebino
- Kaisha monogatari: Memories of You as Managing Director's Daughter
1986
- Dangerous Detective as Yuko