is a Japanese actress and singer.
Biography After passing the audition for the film produced by Haruki Kadokawa, she began her acting career. Along with teen idols Tomoyo Harada and Noriko Watanabe who debuted from Kadokawa Haruki Corporation, she was often dubbed as one of "Kadokawa Sannin-musume" in her early career.
Yakushimaru made her acting debut in the 1978 movie Never Give Up. In 1981, she came into prominence with Sailor Suit and Machine Gun, the film where she played the leading role. She also recorded the same-titled theme song for the film, which hit No. 1 on Oricon in late 1981 and stayed there until January 18, 1982.
Since rising to fame, Yakushimaru has gained success as both an actress and a pop singer, mainly during the 1980s. She had also worked as a prolific recording artist until her marriage with Kōji Tamaki, the leader of the band Anzen Chitai. According to the Japanese Oricon chart, combined sales of her singles and albums have been estimated approximately 5.9 million copies to date.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes1978 Never Give Up Yoriko Nagai1979 Young samurai 1980Toward the Terra Jonah Matsuka (voice) Kei Yamaba (leading role) Yokohama Film Festival for Best Actress Award (Character) Japan Academy Prize for Popularity Award 1981 Yuka Mitamura (leading role) Izumi Hoshi (leading role) Japan Academy Prize for Popularity Award (Character) 1982 Kayoko Ōdate (leading role) 1983 Naomi Arai (leading role) Shizu-hime (leading role) 1984Main Theme Shibuki Ogasawara (leading role) Shizuka Mita (leading role)Blue Ribbon Award for Best Actress Nominated – Japan Academy Prize for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role Japan Academy Prize for Popularity Award (Character) 1985 Tamako Arisugawa (leading role) 1986 Cabaret waitress (cameo) Etsuko Kirino (leading role) 1988 Downtown Heroes Fusako Nakahara (leading role) 1989 Ready! Lady Ryoko Takahashi (leading role) 1990 Midori Yoshikawa (leading role) Naoko Hirashima Japan Academy Prize for Popularity Award (Character) 1992 Shoko Kishida (leading role) 1993 Nurse Call Kozue Igarashi (leading role) 1997 Yoko Hioki 2003 Mirei Asada 2004 Lakeside Murder Case Minako Namiki 2005 O'Hagi no Tsubone Yoko KanedaAlways: Sunset on Third Street Tomoe Suzuki Japan Academy Film Prize for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role Blue Ribbon Award for Best Supporting Actress Kinema Junpo Year-End – Best Supporting Actress for Domestic Film Hochi Film Award for Best Supporting Actress 2006 Mari Minegishi Mirei Asada Yoshiko Iida 2007Bubble Fiction: Boom or Bust Mariko Tanaka Always: Sunset on Third Street 2 Tomoe Suzuki Nominated – Japan Academy Prize for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading RoleMegane Morishita ("Megane"'s Friend) 2008Utatama Yuko Senuma 2009Heaven's Door Mariko Shiraishi 2010 Sakura Kitami Nominated – Japan Academy Prize for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading RoleHanamizuki Ryoko Hirasawa 2011 Setsuko Kikutani (leading role) 2012Always: Sunset on Third Street 3 Tomoe Suzuki 2015Sinbad: A Flying Princess and a Secret Island Sinbad's Mother (voice) 2017Destiny: The Tale of Kamakura Shizuka The 8-Year Engagement Hatsumi Nakahara 2018Cafe Funiculi Funicula Kayo Kōtake 2019Black School Rules Virginia Woolf 2020Mio's Cookbook Ohyaku 2022Riverside Mukolitta (voice)Tombi: Father and Son Taeko 2024Last Mile Natsuyo MisumiBlue Period Masako Saeki 2026SukiyakiIku Oshima
Television Year Title Role Notes 1978 Third daughter of the wife 1979 Kayoko Ōdate (leading role) It was released in cinemas later. 1997 Mrs. Cinderella Mizuho Kayama (leading role) 2000 Miu Minazuki (leading role) Africa Pole Pole Naoko 2002 Nanami Fujiki (leading role) 2002 Satomi Kudo (leading role) 2002 Kisarazu Cat's Eye Mirei Asada 2004 Yoshie Tsujimoto Chie Aida (leading role) 2005 Tiger & Dragon Katsuko Shiraishi Guest of Episode 6 Shioka Ikeuchi Umeko Momoko Kawai 2007 Byakkotai Shige Sakai 1 Litre no Namida: Special Edition – Tsuioku Shioka Ikeuchi Fumika Kawamura 2008 Sachiko Nozoe Keiko Tamura Tome Torihama Yuka Enomoto 2009 Hamako Watanabe (leading role) 2010 Nobuko Maehara Guest of Episode 5 Chiyoko Suma Q10 Kuriko Yanagi 2011 Shoko Sakuragawa 2012 Fukuko Ishii (leading role) Haruko Hasebe 2013 Amachan Hiromi Suzuka Asadora 2016 Yuriko Onodera 2018 Unnatural Natsuyo Misumi Special appearance 2019 Idaten Marie Taiga drama 2020 Yell Mitsuko Sekiuchi Asadora 2022 Yamamura
Discography Albums Studio albums Year Album detailsChart positions LabelJPN1982(featuring monologue by Hiroko Yakushimaru) Collection of excerpts from the motion pictures that Yakushimaru starred in: Never Give Up (1978) and Nerawareta Gakuen (1981) Released: April 21, 19821Nippon Columbia19841st studio album Released: February 14, 19841Toshiba EMI/East World19852nd studio album Released: August 8, 1985219863rd studio album Released: June 9, 198621987Live album Released: July 7, 198731988Sincerely Yours 5th studio album Released: April 6, 198881989Lover's Concerto 6th studio album Released: February 15, 198921990Heart's Delivery 7th studio album Released: March 28, 199031991Primavera 8th studio album Released: March 13, 19911319989th studio album Released: February 2, 1998—BMG Funhouse2018Etoile 10th studio album Released: May 9, 201818Victor Entertainment Japan2024Tree 11th studio album Released: January 24, 202417 "—" denotes releases that did not chart.
Compilation albums YearAlbumChart positions(JP)Label1986Best Collection7Toshiba EMI/East World1988 182000Love Collection: 1981–2000—BMG Funhouse2011 43EMI Music Japan2021Indian Summer23Victor Entertainment Japan "—" denotes releases that did not chart or the information is unknown.
Cover albums YearAlbumChart positions(JP)Label201324EMI Music Japan2016Cinema Songs28Victor Entertainment Japan
Live albums YearAlbumChart positions(JP)Label198794Toshiba EMI/East World2017Best Songs 1981–2017: Live in Kasuga-taisha34Victor Entertainment Japan2020Yakushimaru Hiroko 2019 Concert562023Yakushimaru Hiroko 2022 Concert—2024Yakushimaru Hiroko 2023 Concert262026Yakushimaru Hiroko 2024 Concert44 "—" denotes releases that did not chart or the information is unknown.
Instrumental albums YearAlbumLabel1986Music arranged by Akira InoueToshiba EMI/East World1987Music arranged by Mitsuo Hagita1988Music arranged by Katsuhisa Hattori
Box sets YearAlbumLabel2021Yakushimaru Hiroko 40th Anniversary BoxVictor Entertainment Japan
Singles YearAlbumChart positions(JP)Label19811Kitty Records19831Toshiba EMI/East World (1983)21984 119852 (New remix long version)12419863219878198810919896"Windy Boy"121990 (1990)351991 35199751BMG Funhouse—1998—2000"Love Holic"—2011169EMI Music Japan "—" denotes releases that did not chart.
Digital single Year Single Reference2016"Senshi no Kyuushi"2021"Come Back To Me: Eien no Yokogao"2023"Suteki wo Atsumete""Toki no Michishirube"2024"Kimi to Watashi no Uta"
Video albums YearAlbumChart positions(JP)Format1987-LD, VHS, DVD, BD, CDV1988-VHS, LD1990Heart's Delivery-VHS, LD, DVD, BD2014-DVD, BD2015-DVD, BD2018-DVD, BD2020-DVD, BD2022Live at GLORIA CHAPEL 2021-DVD, BD2023-DVD, BD "—" denotes releases that did not chart.
References
External links at Victor Entertainment