Meiko Kaji
| Meiko Kaji | |
|---|---|
| Native name | 梶 芽衣子 |
| Born |
Masako Ohta March 24, 1947 Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan |
| Occupation | Actress, singer |
| Years active | 1965-present |
Meiko Kaji (梶 芽衣子 Kaji Meiko?, born March 24, 1947) is a Japanese actress and singer. She has appeared in about 100 films, with her most famous roles being outlaw characters in early 1970s films, such as the rebels of the Stray Cat Rock series, the assassin Lady Snowblood, or the murderous Sasori from the Female Convict 701: Scorpion series.
Meiko Kaji was born in the Kanda area of Tokyo and graduated from the Yakumo Academy high school in Meguro, Tokyo. She began work in the film industry under her real name, Masako Ota, at Nikkatsu studio in 1965 after graduating from high school. In 1969 she appeared in Nihon Zankyoden, one of a series of films directed by Masahiro Makino, who recognized her acting ability and gave her the stage name of Meiko Kaji. From 1970 to 1971 she appeared in the Noraneko Rokku (Stray cat/Alleycat Rock) series of films about delinquent young people.
In 1971, Nikkatsu moved into the pink film business, and to avoid this, Kaji moved to Toei Company. There she made the Female Convict 701: Scorpion series of films. In 1973 she took on the role of Yuki in the revenge-themed film Lady Snowblood, followed by a sequel, Lady Snowblood 2: Love Song of Vengeance. She went on to appear in several of Kinji Fukasaku's films, such as Yakuza Graveyard (1976). In 1978, she starred in Sonezaki Shinjū, for which she earned nominations for Best Actress at five different awards shows, winning four of them.
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