Veteran award-winning actress Mitsuko Mori died of heart failure in a hospital in Tokyo on Saturday (11/10) after developing pneumonia, it was learned Wednesday. She was 92.
Born into a family that ran a traditional hotel in Kyoto, Mori made her screen debut before World War II. Became a popular singer after making her cinema debut, aged just 14. After suspending her career due to tuberculosis, she made a comeback in the 1950s, appearing mainly in radio and television dramas.
From 1961, Mori played the lead character in one of Japan's longest-running plays "Ho-ro-ki," or A Wanderer's Notebook, in which she set a record by appearing 2,017 times. "Ho-ro-ki," which the story is about the life of a female novelist, demanded Mori to perform a somersault in a kimono, even in old age.
She also starred in many television dramas, often playing cheerful mother roles, including the popular series "Jikan Desu Yo," or It's Time, through which she came to be known as "Japan's Mother". Mori was awarded the Order of Culture in 2005 and the People's Honor Award in 2009 for almost half a century of performances in "Ho-ro-ki". Mori made her final acting appearance in 2010.
Her private funeral was held on 14 November which was attended by her family members only. According to her nephew Yanagida Toshiro, Mori had been admitted to a hospital since September but passed away during the hospitalisation period.
Source: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
** I'm quite shocked of the news idk, Mori-san's such a great and respected figure in entertainment industry, and I know that she also has a close relationship with Johnny's Entertainment and its talents, May she rest in peace and forever be remembered.