Sumiko Kurishima | |
|---|---|
栗島すみ子 | |
 Sumiko Kurishima in 1931 | |
| Born | 15 March 1902 Tokyo, Japan |
| Died | August 16, 1987 (aged 85) |
| Other names | Kōsen Mizuki, Kakō Mizuki |
| Occupations | Actress, dancer |
| Spouse | Yoshinobu Ikeda |
Sumiko Kurishima (栗島すみ子, Kurishima Sumiko) (15 March, 1902 – 16 August, 1987) was a Japanese actress and master of traditional Japanese dance. She is often considered Japan's first female movie star.
On her father's side, Kurishima was the daughter of Sagoromo Kurishima, an actor and newspaper reporter, and the granddaughter of Ayasegawa Sanzaemon, a professional sumo wrestler who reached the rank of ōzeki. Her aunt on her mother's side, Fumiko Katsuragi, was also an actress. She learned traditional Japanese dance from an early age and used the name Kakō Mizuki when performing. Also appearing on stage, she entered the Shōchiku studio in 1921 and debuted in Henry Kotani's adaptation of Natsume Sōseki's The Poppy. Often appearing as the tragic heroine of films directed by her future husband, Yoshinobu Ikeda, she is considered Japan's first popular female movie star, especially considering that male onnagata played female roles in the movies up until the early 1920s. She retired from the screen in 1938 and concentrated on teaching dance, becoming the leader of her own school. She did return to the screen in 1956, however, to appear in Mikio Naruse's Flowing.
