Hiroko Yakushimaru

Hiroko Yakushimaru
Genres	Pop, kayokyoku
Years active	1981–present
Labels	EMI Music Japan, Kitty Records, BMG Funhouse

Hiroko Yakushimaru
Born	Hiroko Yakushimaru (薬師丸博子, Yakushimaru Hiroko^?) June 9, 1964 (1964-06-09) (age 47) Aoyama, Minato, Tokyo, Japan
Years active	1978–present
Spouse	Koji Tamaki (m.January 1991 - June 1998)(divorced)

Hiroko Yakushimaru (薬師丸ひろ子, Yakushimaru Hiroko^?, born June 9, 1964) is a Japanese actress and vocalist.

After passing the audition for the film produced by Haruki Kadokawa, she began her acting career. Along with teen idols Tomoyo Harada and Noriko Watanabe who made debut after a similar process, she was often described as one of "Kadokawa Sannimusume" in her early career.

Yakushimaru made her acting debut in the 1978 movie Never Give Up. In 1981, she came into prominence with Sailor Suit and Machine Gun, the film where she played the leading role and recorded the theme song.

Since rising to fame, Yakushimaru has gained success as both an actress and a pop singer, mainly in the 1980s. She had also worked as a prolific recording artist until her marriage with Kōji Tamaki, the leader of the band Anzen Chitai. According to the Japanese Oricon chart, combined sales of her singles and albums have been estimated at least 5.85 million copies as of January 2011.

1 Filmography
- 1.1 Movies
2 Discography
3 References
4 External links

Filmography

Movies

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1978	Never Give Up (野性の証明, Yasei no Shomei^?)	Yoriko Nagai
1979	G.I. Samurai (戦国自衛隊, Sengoku Jieitai^?)	Young samurai
1980	Terra e... (地球へ...^?)	Jonah Matsuka (voice)
1980	Tonda Couple (翔んだカップル^?)	Kei Yamaha	Yokohama Film Festival for Best Actress Award (Character)^[1] Japan Academy Prize for Popularity Award^[2]
1981	Nerawareta Gakuen (ねらわれた学園^?)	Yuka Mitamura
1981	Sailor Suit and Machine Gun (セーラー服と機関銃, Sailor-Fuku to Kikanju^?)	Izumi Hoshi	Japan Academy Prize for Popularity Award (Character)^[3]
1982	Yosooi no Machi (装いの街^?)
1983	Detective Story (探偵物語, Tantei Monogatari^?)	Naomi Arai
1983	Legend of the Eight Samurai (里見八犬伝, Satomi Hakkenden^?)	Shizu-hime
1984	Main Theme	Shibuki Ogasawara
1984	W's Tragedy (Wの悲劇, W no Higeki^?)	Shizuka Mita	Blue Ribbon Award for Best Actress Nominated — Japan Academy Prize for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role^[4] Japan Academy Prize for Popularity Award (Character)^[5]
1985	Yabanjin no Yo ni (野蛮人のように^?)	Tamako Arisugawa
1986	Cabaret
1986	Shinshi Dōmei (紳士同盟^?)	Etsuko Kirino
1988	Downtown Heroes	Fusako Nakahara
1989	Ready! Lady	Ryoko Takahashi
1990	Byōin e Ikō (病院へ行こう^?)	Midori Yoshikawa
1990	Tasmania Monogatari (タスマニア物語^?)	Naoko Hirashima	Japan Academy Prize for Popularity Award (Character)^[6]
1992	Kira Kira Hikaru (きらきらひかる^?)	Shoko Kishida
1993	Nurse Call	Kozue Igarashi
1997	Magnitude: Asu e no Kakehashi (マグニチュード明日への架け橋^?)	Yoko Hioki
2003	Kisarazu Cat's Eye: Nihon Series (木更津キャッツアイ日本シリーズ^?)	Mirei Asada
2005	Lakeside Murder Case	Minako Namiki
	Princess Raccoon (オペレッタ狸御殿, Operetta Tanuki-Goten^?)	O'Hagi no Tsubone
	Tetsujin 28-Gō (鉄人28号^?)	Yoko Kaneda
	Always: Sunset on Third Street (ALWAYS 三丁目の夕日, Always Sanchōme no Yūhi^?)	Tomoe Suzuki	Japan Academy Prize for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role^[7] Blue Ribbon Award for Best Supporting Actress^[8] Kinema Junpo Year-End - Best Supporting Actress for Domestic Film Hochi Film Award for Best Supporting Actress^[9]
2006	Aogeba Tōtoshi (あおげば尊し^?)	Mari Minegishi
	Kisarazu Cat's Eye: World Series (木更津キャッツアイワールドシリーズ^?)	Mirei Asada
	Arigatō (ありがとう^?)	Yoshiko Iida
2007	Bubble Fiction: Boom or Bust (バブルへGO！！～タイムマシンはドラム式～, Bubble e Go! Time Machine wa Drum Shiki^?)	Mariko Tanaka
	Always: Sunset on Third Street 2 (ALWAYS 続・三丁目の夕日, Always Zoku Sanchōme no Yūhi^?)	Tomoe Suzuki	Nominated — Japan Academy Prize for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role^[10]
	Megane	Morishita ("Megane"'s Friend)
2008	Utatama	Yuko Senuma
2009	Heaven's Door	Mariko Shiraishi
2010	Kondo wa Aisaika (今度は愛妻家^?)	Sakura Kitami	Nominated — Japan Academy Prize for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role^[11]
2010	Hanamizuki (ハナミズキ^?)	Ryoko Hirasawa
2011	Wasao (わさお^?)	Setsuko Kikutani
2012	Always Sanchōme no Yūhi '64

Discography

Albums

Year	Album details	Chart positions	Label
Year	Album details	JPN^[12]	Label
1982	Seishun no Memoire (青春のメモワール^?) (featuring monologue by Hiroko Yakushimaru) Collection of excerpts from the motion pictures that Yakushimaru starred in: Never Give Up (1978) and Nerawareta Gakuen (1981) Released: April 21, 1982	1	Nippon Columbia
1984	Kokinshū (古今集^?) 1st studio album Released: February 14, 1984	1	Toshiba EMI/East World
1985	Yume Jūwa (夢十話^?) 2nd studio album Released: August 8, 1985	2
1986	Hana Zukan (花図鑑^?) 3rd studio album Released: June 9, 1986	2
1987	Hoshi Kikō (星紀行^?) 4th studio album Released: July 6, 1987	3
1987	First Live: Hoshi Kikō (ファースト・ライヴ星紀行^?) Live album Released: December 25, 1987	94
1988	Sincerely Yours 5th studio album Released: April 6, 1988	8
1989	Lover's Concerto 6th studio album Released: February 15, 1989	2
1990	Heart's Delivery 7th studio album Released: March 28, 1990	3
1991	Primavera 8th studio album Released: March 13, 1991	13
1998	Koibumi: Love Letter (恋文^?) 9h studio album Released: February 2, 1998	—	BMG Funhouse
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

Compilation albums

Year	Album	Chart positions (JP)^[12]	Label
1986	Best Collection	7	Toshiba EMI/East World
1988	Sentence (Sentence～セ・ン・テ・ン・ス～, Se N Te N Su^?)	18
1989	Best Now	56
1991	Best Now 2	—
1998	Twin Best	—
1999	Singles	—
2000	2000 Best	—
2000	Love Collection: 1981-2000	—	BMG Funhouse
2002	Golden Best (ゴールデン☆ベスト^?)	—	Toshiba EMI
2003	Pure Sweet (Box set)	—	Toshiba EMI
2007	Essential Best	—	EMI Music Japan
2011	Uta Monogatari (歌物語^?)	43 ^[13]	EMI Music Japan
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or the information is unknown.

Singles

Year	Album	Chart positions (JP)^[14]	Label
1981	"Sailor-fuku to Kikanjū" (セーラー服と機関銃^?)	1	Kitty Records
1983	"Tantei Monogatari" (探偵物語^?)	1	Toshiba EMI/East World
1983	"Main Theme" (メイン・テーマ^?) (1983)	2
1984	"Woman (W no Higeki Yori)" (Woman "Wの悲劇"より^?)	1
1985	"Anata o Motto Shiritakute" (あなたを・もっと・知りたくて^?)	2
	"Ten ni Hoshi, Chi ni Hana" (天に星.地に花.^?) (New remix long version)	12
	"Suteki na Koi no Wasurekata" (ステキな恋の忘れ方^?)	4
1986	"Sasayaki no Step" (ささやきのステップ^?)	3
1986	"Shinshi Dōmei" (紳士同盟^?)	2
1987	"Mune no Furiko" (胸の振子^?)	8
1988	"Shūgakushō" (終楽章^?)	10
1988	"Jidai" (時代^?)	9
1989	"Kataritsugu Ai ni" (語りつぐ愛に^?)	6
1989	"Windy Boy"	12
1990	"Te o Tsunaideite" (手をつないでいて^?) (1990)	35
1991	"Kaze ni Notte" (風に乗って^?)	35
1997	"Kōsaten (Sō, Sore ga Sō)" (交叉点〜そうそれがそう〜^?)	51	BMG Funhouse
1997	"Koibumi (Aishū-hen)" (恋文〜哀愁篇〜^?)	—
1998	"Smile Smile Smile" (smile スマイル smile^?)	—
2000	"Love Holic"	—
2011	"Boku no Takaramono" (僕の宝物^?)	169	EMI Music Japan
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

References

^ 第２回ヨコハマ映画祭 "１９８０年日本映画個人賞" (in Japanese). http://homepage3.nifty.com/yokohama-eigasai/02-1980/02_1980_shou.html 第２回ヨコハマ映画祭. Retrieved May 3, 2011.
^ 日本アカデミー賞公式サイト "第4回優秀作品" (in Japanese). http://www.japan-academy-prize.jp/prizes/?t=4#title15 日本アカデミー賞公式サイト. Retrieved May 3, 2011.
^ 日本アカデミー賞公式サイト "第5回優秀作品" (in Japanese). http://www.japan-academy-prize.jp/prizes/?t=5#title15 日本アカデミー賞公式サイト. Retrieved May 3, 2011.
^ シネマ報知 "ブルーリボン賞ヒストリー (Cinema Hochi - History of the Blue Ribbon Awards)" (in Japanese). http://cinemahochi.yomiuri.co.jp/b_award/1984/ シネマ報知. Retrieved May 3, 2011.
^ 日本アカデミー賞公式サイト "第8回優秀作品" (in Japanese). http://www.japan-academy-prize.jp/prizes/?t=8#title15 日本アカデミー賞公式サイト. Retrieved May 3, 2011.
^ 日本アカデミー賞公式サイト "第14回優秀作品" (in Japanese). http://www.japan-academy-prize.jp/prizes/?t=14#title15 日本アカデミー賞公式サイト. Retrieved May 3, 2011.
^ 日本アカデミー賞公式サイト "第29回優秀作品" (in Japanese). http://www.japan-academy-prize.jp/prizes/?t=29#title06 日本アカデミー賞公式サイト. Retrieved May 3, 2011.
^ シネマ報知 "ブルーリボン賞ヒストリー (Cinema Hochi - History of the Blue Ribbon Awards)" (in Japanese). http://cinemahochi.yomiuri.co.jp/b_award/2005/ シネマ報知. Retrieved May 3, 2011.
^ シネマ報知 "報知映画賞ヒストリー (Cinema Hochi - History of the Hochi Film Awards)" (in Japanese). http://cinemahochi.yomiuri.co.jp/h_award/2005/ シネマ報知. Retrieved May 3, 2011.
^ 日本アカデミー賞公式サイト "第31回優秀作品" (in Japanese). http://www.japan-academy-prize.jp/prizes/?t=31#title05 日本アカデミー賞公式サイト. Retrieved May 3, 2011.
^ 日本アカデミー賞公式サイト "第34回優秀作品" (in Japanese). http://www.japan-academy-prize.jp/prizes/34.html#title05 日本アカデミー賞公式サイト. Retrieved May 3, 2011.
^ ^a ^b a-薬師丸ひろ子 "- Yamachan Land (Archives of the Japanese record charts) - Albums Chart Daijiten - Hiroko Yakushimaru" (in Japanese). December 30, 2007. http://www7a.biglobe.ne.jp/~yamag/album/al_yakusimaru.html a-薬師丸ひろ子. Retrieved March 3, 2011.
^ 薬師丸ひろ子-リリース-ORICON STYLE-ミュージック "Highest position and charting weeks of Uta Monogatari by Hiroko Yakushimaru" (in Japanese). oricon.co.jp. Oricon Style. http://www.oricon.co.jp/music/release/d/905376/1/ 薬師丸ひろ子-リリース-ORICON STYLE-ミュージック. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
^ s-薬師丸ひろ子 "- Yamachan Land (Archives of the Japanese record charts) - Singles Chart Daijiten - Hiroko Yakushimaru" (in Japanese). December 30, 2007. http://www7a.biglobe.ne.jp/~yamag/single/yakusimaru.html s-薬師丸ひろ子. Retrieved March 3, 2011.

External links

Yakushimaru Hiroko at the Japanese Movie Database (Japanese)
Yakushimaru Hiroko at the Internet Movie Database

Awards

Blue Ribbon Award for Best Actress

Setsuko Hara (1951) · Isuzu Yamada (1952) · Nobuko Otowa (1953) · Hideko Takamine (1954) · Chikage Awashima (1955) · Isuzu Yamada (1956) · Yuuko Mochizuki (1957) · Fujiko Yamamoto (1958) · Tanie Kitabayashi (1959) · Keiko Kishi (1960) · Ayako Wakao (1961) · Sayuri Yoshinaga (1962) · Sachiko Hidari (1963) · Shima Iwashita (1964) · Ayako Wakao (1965) · Youko Tsukasa (1966) · Ruriko Asaoka (1975) · Kumiko Akiyoshi (1976) · Shima Iwashita (1977) · Meiko Kaji (1978) · Kaori Momoi (1979) · Yukiyo Toake (1980) · Keiko Matsuzaka (1981) · Masako Natsume (1982) · Yūko Tanaka (1983) · Hiroko Yakushimaru (1984) · Yukiyo Toake (1985) · Ayumi Ishida (1986) · Yoshiko Mita (1987) · Kaori Momoi (1988) · Yoshiko Tanaka (1989) · Keiko Matsuzaka (1990) · Youki Kudoh (1991) · Yoshiko Mita (1992) · Ruby Moreno (1993) · Saki Takaoka (1994) · Miho Nakayama (1995) · Kaori Momoi (1997) · Mieko Harada (1998) · Kyōka Suzuki (1999) · Sayuri Yoshinaga (2000) · Yūki Amami (2001) · Reiko Kataoka (2002) · Shinobu Terajima (2003) · Rie Miyazawa (2004) · Kyōko Koizumi (2005) · Yū Aoi (2006) · Kumiko Aso (2007) · Tae Kimura (2008)

Yokohama Film Festival Best Actress

Yuuki Mizuhara (1980) · Hiroko Yakushimaru (1981) · Maiko Kazama (1982) · Ayumi Ishida (1983) · Eiko Nagashima (1984) · Mari Shirato (1985) · Tomoyo Harada (1986) · Narumi Yasuda (1987) · Yasuko Tomita (1988) · Kyōko Koizumi (1989) · Anna Nakagawa (1990) · Yuki Saito (1991) · Jun Fubuki (1992) · Yoko Minamino (1993) · Isako Washio (1994) · Saki Takaoka (1995) · Miho Nakayama (1996) · Eri Fukatsu (1997) · Kyōka Suzuki (1998) · Mieko Harada (1999) · Shinobu Ōtake (2000) · Naomi Fujiyama (2001) · Yūki Amami (2002) · Asaka Seto (2003) · Shinobu Terajima (2004) · Kyoko Fukada (2005) · Yūko Tanaka (2006) · Yū Aoi (2007) · Eriko Sato (2008) · Eiko Koike (2009) · Manami Konishi (2010)

Hochi Film Award for Best Supporting Actress

Kiwako Taichi (1976) · Ayumi Ishida (1977) · Shinobu Ōtake (1978) · Mayumi Ogawa (1979) · Yoko Agi (1980) · Yūko Tanaka (1981) · Miyako Yamaguchi (1982) · Mitsuko Baisho (1983) · Kin Sugai (1984) · Yoshiko Mita (1985) · Mieko Harada (1986) · Junko Sakurada (1987) · Eri Ishida (1988) · Hideko Yoshida (1989) · Kanako Higuchi (1990) · Jun Fubuki (1991) · Miwako Fujitani (1992) · Junko Sakurada (1993) · Shigeru Muroi (1994) · Meiko Kaji (1995) · Eriko Watanabe (1996) · Mitsuko Baisho (1997) · Kumiko Aso (1998) · Junko Fuji (1999) · Naomi Nishida (2000) · Kou Shibasaki (2001) · Miho Kanno (2002) · Eri Fukatsu (2003) · Masami Nagasawa (2004) · Hiroko Yakushimaru (2005) · Yū Aoi (2006) · Hiromi Nagasaku (2007) · Kirin Kiki (2008) · Kaoru Yachigusa (2009)

Japan Academy Prize for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

Kaori Momoi (1978) · Shinobu Ōtake (1979) · Mayumi Ogawa (1980) · Michiyo Okusu (1981) · Yūko Tanaka (1982) · Rumiko Koyanagi (1983) · Atsuko Asano (1984) · Kin Sugai (1985) · Yoshiko Mita (1986) · Mieko Harada (1987) · Rino Katase (1988) · Eri Ishida (1989) · Etsuko Ichihara (1990) · Eri Ishida (1991) · Emi Wakui (1992) · Miwako Fujitani (1993) · Kyōko Kagawa (1994) · Shigeru Muroi (1995) · Nobuko Otowa (1996) · Eriko Watanabe (1997) · Mitsuko Baisho (1998) · Kumiko Aso (1999) · Kayoko Kishimoto (2000) · Mieko Harada (2001) · Kou Shibasaki (2002) · Tanie Kitabayashi (2003) · Eri Fukatsu (2004) · Masami Nagasawa (2005) · Hiroko Yakushimaru (2006) · Yū Aoi (2007) · Masako Motai (2008) · Kimiko Yo (2009) · Kimiko Yo (2010)

Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix Best Supporting Actress

Izumi Inamori (1998) · Kyoko Fukada (1999) · Miki Mizuno (2000) · Mayo Suzukaze (2001) · Yūki Amami (2002) · Akiko Yada (2003) · Koyuki (2004) · Aya Okamoto (2005) · Hiroko Yakushimaru (2006) · Kyōka Suzuki (2007) · Yuu Kashii (2008) · Juri Ueno (2009) · Aya Ōmasa (2010)

Yokohama Film Festival Best Supporting Actress

Ako (1980) · Ran Ito (1981) · Yūko Tanaka (1982) · Masako Natsume (1983) · Misako Tanaka (1984) · Kin Sugai / Etsuko Shihomi (1985) · Kie Nakai (1986) · Noriko Watanabe (1987) · Eri Ishida (1988) · Shuko Honami (1989) · Haruko Sagara (1990) · Tomoko Nakajima (1991) · Emi Wakui / Reona Hirota (1992) · Keiko Oginome / Misa Shimizu (1993) · Kaoru Mizuki / Ruby Moreno (1994) · Shigeru Muroi (1995) · Shinobu Nakayama (1996) · Reiko Kusamura (1997) · Reiko Kataoka (1998) · Yumi Yoshiyuki (1999) · Naomi Nishida (2001) · Kou Shibasaki / Yūki Amami (2002) · Nene Otsuka (2003) · Kimiko Yo (2004) · Kirin Kiki (2005) · Hiroko Yakushimaru (2006) · Yūko Nakamura / Kazue Fukiishi (2007) · Hiromi Nagasaku (2008) · Ryōko Hirosue / Kimiko Yo (2009) · Sakura Andou (2010)

Persondata
Name	Yakushimaru, Hiroko
Alternative names
Short description	Japanese actor-singer
Date of birth	1964-06-09
Place of birth	Aoyama, Minato, Tokyo, Japan
Date of death
Place of death