Chieko Baisho Shares Her Deep Connection to “Otoko wa Tsurai yo” After Winning Japan Academy Best Actress

Best Actress Award for the second time in 45 years

On March 13, at the awards ceremony for the 49th Japan Academy Prize held in Tokyo, veteran actress Chieko Baisho, 84, received the Best Actress award, demonstrating that her acting skills remain as strong as ever.

Her winning role was in “TOKYO Taxi”, directed by Yoji Yamada, 94, with whom she has long collaborated in the “Otoko wa Tsurai yo” series. Baisho portrayed Sumire Takano, 85, reflecting on her eventful life while traveling from her Tokyo home to a senior facility in Hayama, Kanagawa, in a taxi driven by Takuya Kimura, 53. Her seasoned performance brought depth and presence to the character.

This marked Baisho’s second Best Actress award, 45 years after her first at the 4th Japan Academy Prize in 1981 for “Haruka naru Yama no Koboe and Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Torajiro Hibiscus no Hana.”

In her acceptance speech, she called out to Yu Aoi, 40, who won Best Supporting Actress for playing the younger Sumire Takano, saying,

“Yu-chan!”

Aoi was moved to tears at the table. Baisho also expressed gratitude to Kimura:

“Many scenes were inside the taxi, and when his eyes appeared in the rearview mirror, I thought what wonderfully big eyes they are. It gave me so much strength. Kimura-kun, if you happen to hear this somewhere, thank you.”

Baisho’s consideration for her co-stars has been a consistent part of her philosophy. In an interview on January 19, 1976, after winning Best Supporting Actress at the 18th Blue Ribbon Awards for “Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Torajiro Aiai Gasa”, 34-year-old Baisho spoke similarly about valuing the entire cast and staff.

By that time, the “Otoko wa Tsurai yo” series, which began in 1969, had already reached its 15th installment. Baisho was recognized for her portrayal of Sakura, Tora-san’s sister, played by Kiyoshi Atsumi.

“I received the news at night and wondered if it was some kind of mistake. By morning, I realized what a huge honor it was. But it wasn’t just for me—it was for the staff, Oi-chan (Nobu Morikawa, Tatsuo Matsumura, Masami Shimojo), Omae-sama (Chishu Ryu), and even the president of the neighboring factory (Hisao Dazai, the Tako-shacho role). I feel like we all received it together,” she said, showing her consideration for the people around her.

Reflecting on the 15th (Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Torajiro Aiai Gasa, August 1975) and 16th (Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Katsushika Risshi-hen, December 1975) installments, which were challenging, Baisho added:

“As long as Director Yamada keeps writing the scripts, I want to continue.”

“I Want to Be an Actress Who Gains Popularity Gradually, Even in a Supporting Role”

When asked about the difficult times she referred to, Baisho said:

“Sometimes I feel relieved just to be on the set of the Toraya shop, but it’s difficult to keep things from becoming monotonous.”

Regarding how she deals with this, she laughed and replied:

“Surprisingly, I don’t think about it much. I just go at my own pace.”

She also recalled that in the beginning there was even debate over the title “Otoko wa Tsurai yo”:

“Originally, people argued that the title itself wasn’t good. You never really know what will become a hit.”

Even she didn’t anticipate that the series would become such a beloved national phenomenon. Speaking about Tora-san’s appeal, she said:

“I always watch the movies in theaters. First, the curtain opens, Mount Fuji appears, the theme music goes ‘Jaaaan, jajajajaaan,’ and when the audience murmurs, I feel a sense of relief. That’s the charm, I think.”

Reflecting on her role as Sakura, she added:

“I’ve been at Shochiku for 15 years, and half of that time I’ve been doing ‘Otoko wa Tsurai yo.’”

And she expressed her long-term aspiration:

“I want to be an actress who gains popularity gradually, even in supporting roles.”

Baisho appeared in all 49 films of the series, plus the 50th installment, “Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Okaeri Tora-san” (2019), produced after Kiyoshi Atsumi passed away. She also gained acclaim in films such as “The Yellow Handkerchief” (1977), “Haruka naru Yama no Koboe” (1980), and “Station” (1981), where she formed a popular duo with Ken Takakura, winning Best Actress at the 55th Kinema Junpo Best Ten for “Station.”

In recent years, she has continued to receive numerous Best Actress awards, including the 65th Blue Ribbon Award for “PLAN 75” (2022), demonstrating a remarkably long and consistent career.

In an interview with Masayasu Wakabayashi and Shiori Sato, who hosted a special program on Nippon TV, Baisho said:

“I want to stand on a new starting line once again and continue to do my best.”

Audiences eagerly await the new roles and performances this enduring actress will take on in the future.