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)
Hiruko the Goblin
(1991)
Reiko's Mother
Orchids Under the Moon
(1991)
Yumeji
(1991)
Jiro
The Legend of the Sea, Sky and Coral
(1991)
Kawachi Zankeiden Shamo Chicken (Shamo)
(1991)
The Hitman Blood Smells Like Roses
(1991)
Kaiki Senyaichiya Monogatari: Kai no Maki
(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
Alone in the Night
(1994)
Can you collect it? Complete
(1994)
Bastard LAST DOWN TEN 2
(1994)
Haunted School
(1995)
Yukawa
Sharaku
(1995)
Keikoku! Nozoki ari.
(1995)
Sumomo mo momo
(1995)
Gonin 2
(1996)
Ran
The President's Christmas Tree
(1996)
An Angel with Many Scars
(1997)
Happy Go Lucky
(1997)
Man's Lover in TV Drama
Moonlight Serenade
(1997)
20th Century Nostalgia
(1997)
Anzu's Mother
Immoral Affairs
(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)
Wait and See
(1998)
Wife of Hiroshi's Brother
Amagi Pass
(1998)
A Class to Remember III: The New Voyage
(1998)
Kuramoto
The Exam
(1999)
Midori Chiaki
Hysteric
(2000)
Timeless Melody
(2000)
Chikako's mother
Asako in Ruby Shoes
(2000)
Aya's Mother
Free and Easy 11
(2000)
Ando Gumi Gaiden Genealogy of the Group Wolf 5
(2000)
Another Battle
(2000)
巡査鉄兵の推理日誌
(2000)
Dog Star
(2002)
Aiki
(2002)
Hotel Hibiscus
(2002)
Mieko's Mother
Oh My God
(2002)
The Lonely Affair of the Heart
(2002)
Music of Remembrance -Gb-
(2002)
Rume
Worst by Chance
(2003)
Hatsuko Kim
Farewell, Kuro
(2003)
Eri Yuki
Café Lumière
(2004)
Yoko's Stepmother
Fireflies: River of Light
(2004)
Onna no naka no futatsu no kao
(2004)
Higuchi Ichiyo Monogatari
(2004)
Tokyo Tower
(2005)
Yamato
(2005)
Virgin Snow
(2007)
Mayumi Sasaki
Shikyû no kioku
(2007)
Invisible War
(2007)
Kinu Murozono
Tokyo Rhapsody
(2007)
Chacha: The Princess of Heaven
(2007)
Kita no mandokoro
The Yakuza Principal
(2007)
Departures
(2008)
Yuriko Kamimura
The Ramen Girl
(2008)
Reiko
Where The Legend Lives
(2008)
Oka wo koete
(2008)
Dear Doctor
(2009)
Akemi Ohtake
Air Doll
(2009)
Receptionist Yoshiko
Villain
(2010)
Yoriko Shimizu
Rinco's Restaurant
(2010)
Ruriko
A Lone Scalpel
(2010)
Shizuka Takei
Soup Opera
(2010)
Yasuko Tanaka
Rebirth
(2011)
Angel
Star Watching Dog
(2011)
Innkeeper
Crossroads
(2011)
My SO Has Got Depression
(2011)
Satoko Kurita
For Love's Sake
(2012)
Toyo Taiga
Dearest
(2012)
Tamiko Hamasaki
Bread of Happiness
(2012)
Yoko
Black Dawn
(2012)
Kumi Muramatsu
The Housekeeper
(2012)
Haruko Inamura
Dirty Hearts
(2012)
Naomi
Ace Attorney
(2012)
Maiko Ayasato (Misty Fey)
Father of the Bride
(2012)
Nōhime: Wife of a Samurai
(2012)
悪女について
(2012)
Suzuki Tane
Nobody's Perfect
(2013)
My Little Sweet Pea
(2013)
Ayako Akaike
A Tale of Samurai Cooking
(2013)
Mitsuru Funaki
A Story of Yonosuke
(2013)
Taeko Yokomichi
Shield of Straw
(2013)
300 Million Yen Robbery
(2014)
Ryoko Nakaoka
Parasyte: Part 1
(2014)
Izumi Nobuko
Midnight Diner
(2014)
Chieko Hanawa
First Class 2
(2014)
Ranko Takigawa
Going against the Grain in Fukushima
(2015)
Speaker
Parasyte: Part 2
(2015)
Izumi Nobuko
Solomon's Perjury 1: Suspicion
(2015)
Motoko Ueno
Solomon's Perjury 2: Judgment
(2015)
Motoko Ueno
A Stitch of Life
(2015)
Hiroe Minami
Black Widow Business
(2016)
Eiko Segawa
Shin Godzilla
(2016)
Reiko Hanamori : Minister of Defense
Midnight Diner 2
(2016)
Chieko
Zen and Bones
(2016)
Kô Mittwer
The Ice Ruts
(2016)
요네자와 사유리
Beef tongue set meal with seafood bowl of Onagawa in Sendai
(2016)
The Blue Hearts
(2017)
(segment “Hammer”)
Perfect Revolution
(2017)
Akiko
Kurara: The Dazzling Life of Hokusai's Daughter
(2017)
Koto
ドラマSP 松本清張「鬼畜」
(2017)
Omotenashi
(2018)
Mitsuko
Enokida Trading Co.
(2018)
Kuroido Goroshi
(2018)
Uta Monogatari: Cinema Fighters Project
(2018)
Cafe's manager (segment "Our Birthday")
Giwaku
(2019)
An Artist of the Floating World
(2019)
Mrs. Saito
Sleep in the Shadows
(2019)
Show Me the Way to the Station
(2019)
Aging Police / Resurrection Special
(2019)
BON-UTA, A Song from Home
(2019)
(voice)
AI Amok
(2020)
Eiko Tanaka
Red
(2020)
Ogata Yoko
Hotel Royal
(2020)
Miko Noshiro
Any Crybabies Around?
(2020)
Setsuko Goto
Step
(2020)
Michiyo Muramatsu
Peaceful Death
(2020)
First Gentleman
(2021)
Noise
(2022)
Hanae Shoji
Winter Rose
(2022)
Michiko Wataguchi
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)
The Dog won't Eat it, but Charlie Laughs
(2022)
Minoyama
Mentai Piriri – Flower of Pansy
(2023)
52-Hertz Whales
(2024)