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.
Known For
Shin Godzilla
(2016)
Reiko Hanamori : Minister of Defense
Parasyte: Part 1
(2014)
Izumi Nobuko
Parasyte: Part 2
(2015)
Izumi Nobuko
To Me, the One Who Loved You
(2022)
Kazune Takigawa (old woman) (voice)
To Every You I've Loved Before
(2022)
Kazune Takigawa (old woman) (voice)
Departures
(2008)
Yuriko Kamimura
Yamato
(2005)
Red
(2020)
Ogata Yoko
The Ramen Girl
(2008)
Reiko
Air Doll
(2009)
Receptionist Yoshiko
A Story of Yonosuke
(2013)
Taeko Yokomichi
Midnight Diner 2
(2016)
Chieko
The Dog won't Eat it, but Charlie Laughs
(2022)
Minoyama
Midnight Diner
(2014)
Chieko Hanawa
For Love's Sake
(2012)
Toyo Taiga
Full Filmography
Acting
The Heartbreak Yakuza
(1987)
Kaisha monogatari: Memories of You
(1988)
Managing Director's Daughter
Love Bites Back
(1988)
Sanae Ebino
Via Okinawa
(1989)
Maria's Stomach
(1990)
Baian the Assassin
(1990)
The Hitman Blood Smells Like Roses
(1991)
Orchids Under the Moon
(1991)
Hiruko the Goblin
(1991)
Reiko's Mother
Kawachi Zankeiden Shamo Chicken (Shamo)
(1991)
Kaiki Senyaichiya Monogatari: Kai no Maki
(1991)
Yumeji
(1991)
Jiro
The Legend of the Sea, Sky and Coral
(1991)
Passion
(1992)
The Brutal Insanity of Love
(1993)
Nami Muraki
The City That Never Sleeps: Shinjuku Shark
(1993)
A Night in Nude
(1993)
Nami Tsuchiya
Bastard LAST DOWN TEN 2
(1994)
Can you collect it? Complete
(1994)
Alone in the Night
(1994)
Sharaku
(1995)
Keikoku! Nozoki ari.
(1995)
Sumomo mo momo
(1995)
Haunted School
(1995)
Yukawa
The President's Christmas Tree
(1996)
Gonin 2
(1996)
Ran
An Angel with Many Scars
(1997)
姑は名探偵芹澤雅子 八丈島南国リゾート殺人事件
(1997)
Time Leap
(1997)
Immoral Affairs
(1997)
20th Century Nostalgia
(1997)
Anzu's Mother
Happy Go Lucky
(1997)
Man's Lover in TV Drama
Moonlight Serenade
(1997)
Amagi Pass
(1998)
Wait and See
(1998)
Wife of Hiroshi's Brother
A Class to Remember III: The New Voyage
(1998)
Kuramoto
The Exam
(1999)
Midori Chiaki
Ando Gumi Gaiden Genealogy of the Group Wolf 5
(2000)
Asako in Ruby Shoes
(2000)
Aya's Mother
Hysteric
(2000)
Another Battle
(2000)
Free and Easy 11
(2000)
巡査鉄兵の推理日誌
(2000)
Timeless Melody
(2000)
Chikako's mother
Hotel Hibiscus
(2002)
Mieko's Mother
Aiki
(2002)
Music of Remembrance -Gb-
(2002)
Rume
Dog Star
(2002)
The Lonely Affair of the Heart
(2002)
Oh My God
(2002)
Farewell, Kuro
(2003)
Eri Yuki
Worst by Chance
(2003)
Hatsuko Kim
Café Lumière
(2004)
Yoko's Stepmother
Onna no naka no futatsu no kao
(2004)
Higuchi Ichiyo Monogatari
(2004)
Fireflies: River of Light
(2004)
Tokyo Tower
(2005)
Yamato
(2005)
Tokyo Rhapsody
(2007)
Invisible War
(2007)
Kinu Murozono
The Yakuza Principal
(2007)
Shikyû no kioku
(2007)
Virgin Snow
(2007)
Mayumi Sasaki
Chacha: The Princess of Heaven
(2007)
Kita no mandokoro
Where The Legend Lives
(2008)
Oka wo koete
(2008)
The Ramen Girl
(2008)
Reiko
Departures
(2008)
Yuriko Kamimura
Air Doll
(2009)
Receptionist Yoshiko
Dear Doctor
(2009)
Akemi Ohtake
A Lone Scalpel
(2010)
Shizuka Takei
Soup Opera
(2010)
Yasuko Tanaka
Rinco's Restaurant
(2010)
Ruriko
Villain
(2010)
Yoriko Shimizu
My SO Has Got Depression
(2011)
Satoko Kurita
Star Watching Dog
(2011)
Innkeeper
Crossroads
(2011)
Rebirth
(2011)
Angel
The Housekeeper
(2012)
Haruko Inamura
Black Dawn
(2012)
Kumi Muramatsu
Father of the Bride
(2012)
悪女について
(2012)
Suzuki Tane
Nōhime: Wife of a Samurai
(2012)
Bread of Happiness
(2012)
Yoko
Dearest
(2012)
Tamiko Hamasaki
For Love's Sake
(2012)
Toyo Taiga
Dirty Hearts
(2012)
Naomi
Ace Attorney
(2012)
Maiko Ayasato (Misty Fey)
Shield of Straw
(2013)
A Story of Yonosuke
(2013)
Taeko Yokomichi
A Tale of Samurai Cooking
(2013)
Mitsuru Funaki
My Little Sweet Pea
(2013)
Ayako Akaike
Nobody's Perfect
(2013)
Parasyte: Part 1
(2014)
Izumi Nobuko
Midnight Diner
(2014)
Chieko Hanawa
300 Million Yen Robbery
(2014)
Ryoko Nakaoka
First Class 2
(2014)
Ranko Takigawa
Solomon's Perjury 2: Judgment
(2015)
Motoko Ueno
Solomon's Perjury 1: Suspicion
(2015)
Motoko Ueno
Parasyte: Part 2
(2015)
Izumi Nobuko
A Stitch of Life
(2015)
Hiroe Minami
Going against the Grain in Fukushima
(2015)
Speaker
Zen and Bones
(2016)
Kô Mittwer
The Ice Ruts
(2016)
요네자와 사유리
Midnight Diner 2
(2016)
Chieko
Shin Godzilla
(2016)
Reiko Hanamori : Minister of Defense
Black Widow Business
(2016)
Eiko Segawa
Beef tongue set meal with seafood bowl of Onagawa in Sendai
(2016)
ドラマSP 松本清張「鬼畜」
(2017)
Kurara: The Dazzling Life of Hokusai's Daughter
(2017)
Koto
The Blue Hearts
(2017)
(segment “Hammer”)
Perfect Revolution
(2017)
Akiko
Uta Monogatari: Cinema Fighters Project
(2018)
Cafe's manager (segment "Our Birthday")
Kuroido Goroshi
(2018)
Enokida Trading Co.
(2018)
Omotenashi
(2018)
Mitsuko
Sleep in the Shadows
(2019)
An Artist of the Floating World
(2019)
Mrs. Saito
Giwaku
(2019)
Show Me the Way to the Station
(2019)
BON-UTA, A Song from Home
(2019)
(voice)
Aging Police / Resurrection Special
(2019)
Peaceful Death
(2020)
Step
(2020)
Michiyo Muramatsu
Red
(2020)
Ogata Yoko
Hotel Royal
(2020)
Miko Noshiro
Any Crybabies Around?
(2020)
Setsuko Goto
AI Amok
(2020)
Eiko Tanaka
First Gentleman
(2021)
Noise
(2022)
Hanae Shoji
Winter Rose
(2022)
Michiko Wataguchi
The Dog won't Eat it, but Charlie Laughs
(2022)
Minoyama
To Every You I've Loved Before
(2022)
Kazune Takigawa (old woman) (voice)
To Me, the One Who Loved You
(2022)
Kazune Takigawa (old woman) (voice)
Mentai Piriri – Flower of Pansy
(2023)
52-Hertz Whales
(2024)