Tetsuko Kuroyanagi

Tetsuko Kuroyanagi
Kuroyanagi in 1956.
Born	(1933-08-09) August 9, 1933 (age 83) Nogisaka, Tokyo
Nationality	Japanese
Occupation	actress, talk show host, book author, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador

Tetsuko Kuroyanagi (黒柳 徹子, Kuroyanagi Tetsuko^?) (born August 9, 1933 in Tokyo) is an internationally famous Japanese actress, a talk show host, an author of a best-selling children's book, a World Wide Fund for Nature advisor, and a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF. She is well known for her charitable works, and is considered as one of the first Japanese celebrities who achieved international recognition. In 2006, Donald Richie referred to Kuroyanagi in his book Japanese Portraits: Pictures of Different People as "the most popular and admired woman in Japan."

Kuroyanagi was born in Nogisaka, Tokyo in 1933. Her father was a violinist and a concertmaster. Her nickname as a child was Totto-chan, according to her 1981 autobiographical memoir. Kuroyanagi went to Tomoe Elementary School (Tomoe Gakuen) when she was young. After that, she studied at the Tokyo College of Music, majoring in opera, as she intended to become an opera singer. After graduation, however, she was drawn to acting and the television entertainment industry by her joining Tokyo Hoso Gekidan and training at the Mary Tarcai Studio in New York. Subsequently, she became the first Japanese actress who was contracted to Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK).