Yasuko Sawaguchi
# Yasuko Sawaguchi

Yasuko Sawaguchi (沢口 靖子, Sawaguchi Yasuko, born June 11, 1965) is a Japanese actress.

## Biography

She was born in Osaka. In early 1984, the Japanese movie studio Toho Company Ltd. held their first "Toho Cinderella Audition", and Yasuko, almost 19 at the time, was chosen as the first Toho Cinderella, beating out the other 30,000 contestants.

Shortly after, she made her film debut in the film Karate Cop III: Song of the Sea, before co-starring as the heroine Naoko Okumura in The Return of Godzilla, which was the grand comeback film for the famous movie monster Godzilla. She appeared in the next Godzilla film 5 years later, 1989's Godzilla vs. Biollante, but as another character (Erika Shiragami, who later becomes Godzilla's titular adversary). At the Toho Cinderella beauty contest that same year, she took place with the 2nd Toho Cinderella, 1987 winner Megumi Odaka (who was also in Biollante, starting her Miki Saegusa character).

She has since appeared in numerous movies and television (her TV show debut was Miotsukushi in 1985), and is considered one of Japan's most beautiful and talented actresses. She has played scientific criminal investigator Mariko Sakaki, the lead role in the television show Kasōken no Onna (and its successor Shin Kasōken no Onna), which have aired on TV Asahi since 1999. In NHK Taiga dramas she has portrayed Iroha-hime in the Dokuganryū Masamune (1987), Akahashi Tōko in Taiheiki (1991), and Nene in Hideyoshi (1996). She starred as Rui in the jidaigeki Shin On'yado Kawasemi (TV Asahi, 1997). She has also played the villain in one episode of Furuhata Ninzaburo in 1996.

She also voiced Chihiro's mother in the original Japanese version of Spirited Away. This involved her sounding as though she was talking with her mouth full, so she initially tried biting her finger while acting. When this didn't create the desired effect, some KFC chicken was ordered into the recording studio.

## Filmography

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Network | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1984 | Taiyō ni Hoero! | Mitsuko | NTV | Episode 623 |
| 1985 | Miotsukushi | Kaoru | NHK | Lead role, Asadora |
| 1986 | Tsūkai! OL Dōri | Midori Yonamine | TBS | Lead role |
| 1987 | Dokuganryū Masamune | Irohahime | NHK | Taiga drama |
| 1988 | The Old Capital | Chieko / Naeko | KTV | Lead role, TV movie |
| 1990 | Minamoto no Yoshitsune | Shizuka Gozen | TBS | TV movie |
| 1991 | Taiheiki | Akahashi Tōko (Tōshi) | NHK | Taiga drama |
| 1996 | Hideyoshi | One | NHK | Taiga drama |
| 1996 | Furuhata Ninzaburō | Yorie Usami | Fuji TV | Episode 15 |
| 1997–1998 | On'yado Kawasemi | Shōji Rui | TV Asahi | Lead role |
| 1999–present | The Woman of S.R.I. | Mariko Sakaki | TV Asahi | Lead role, 23 seasons |
| 2000 | Salaryman Kintarō 2 | Yōko Shinozuka | TBS | |
| 2004 | Shinsengumi! | Okita Mitsu | NHK | Taiga drama |
| 2012 | Single Mothers | Nao Kamimura | NHK | Lead role |
| 2018 | Crime Scene Talks | Mariko Sakaki | TV Asahi | The final episode, season 5 |
| 2019 | Crayon Shin-chan | Mariko Sakaki (voice) | TV Asahi | Episode 1009 |

### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Director | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1984 | Karate Cop 3: Song of the Sea | Umiko Matsumura | Kazuo Kuroi | |
| 1984 | The Return of Godzilla | Naoko Okumura | Koji Hashimoto | |
| 1985 | Four Sisters | Anne Kitazawa | Nobuhiko Obayashi | |
| 1986 | Rokumeikan | Setsuko Shimizu | Kon Ichikawa | |
| 1987 | Film Actress | Seiko Kawashima | Kon Ichikawa | |
| 1987 | Princess from the Moon | Kaya | Kon Ichikawa | Lead role |
| 1989 | Godzilla vs. Biollante | Erika Shiragami | Kazuki Ōmori | |
| 1994 | Orochi, the Eight-Headed Dragon | Ototachibana | Takao Okawara | |
| 1995 | The Tower of Lilies | Chiyoko Miyagi | Seijirō Kōyama | Lead role |
| 2001 | Spirited Away | Yūko Ogino (voice) | Hayao Miyazaki | |
| 2007 | Autumn Relics: Homage to Ozu | Akiko Sasaki | Keiichi Nomura | Lead role |
| 2016 | Kōtei ni Kochi Fuite | Tomoyo Miki | Satoshi Kaneda | Lead role |
| 2021 | The Woman of S.R.I. the Movie | Mariko Sakaki | Ryōsuke Kanesaki | Lead role |

## Awards

| Year | Award | Category | Work(s) | Result |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1986 | 10th Elan d'or Awards | Newcomer of the Year | Herself | Won |
| 1986 | 9th Japan Academy Film Prize | Newcomer of the Year | The Return of Godzilla | Won |
