Kumeko Urabe

Kumeko Urabe (born Kimura Kume, 5 October 1902 – 26 October 1989) was a pioneering Japanese actress whose career spanned more than six decades, making her one of the most enduring figures in the history of Japanese cinema. Born in the rural Kamo District of Shizuoka, she moved frequently with her father, a Rinzai Buddhist priest, living in temples across the prefecture before completing her schooling in Numazu and leaving school in 1919 to join a travelling theatre troupe. She performed under several stage names—Kumeko Ichijō, Toyama Midori, Chidori Shizuura and Chidori Toyama—and honed her skills as a dancer, singer, and actress on itinerant stages, establishing a reputation that eventually caught the attention of film studio Nikkatsu in 1923. After adopting the name Kumeko Urabe, she made her film debut in 1924 and quickly became a staple of the silent era, collaborating with legendary directors such as Kenji Mizoguchi, who cast her in multiple early works and even relied on her presence during a violent incident that left him scarred. Over the next three decades she transitioned smoothly into talkies, appearing in more than 320 films, including Akira Kurosawa’s Ikiru (1952), Mikio Naruse’s Older Brother, Younger Sister (1953), and Mizoguchi’s final film Street of Shame (1956).

During the post‑war period, Urabe’s screen persona evolved into the beloved “grandma idol,” a role she embodied in countless television dramas, notably the long‑running Toshiba Sunday Theatre where she featured in thirteen episodes between 1958 and 1980. Her later years saw her releasing two novelty singles in 1984, earning her the distinction of being the oldest debut singer in Japanese history. Honoured with the Medal with Purple Ribbon in 1966 and a lifetime achievement award at the inaugural Fumiko Yamaji Film Awards, she remained active until 1987. Urabe’s personal life was marked by a brief marriage to Koichi Ueno (1928‑1930) and a fondness for mahjong and gambling. A tragic kitchen fire in October 1989 led to severe injuries, and she passed away the following day in Tokyo, leaving an indelible legacy that continues to influence Japanese film and television.