Keiko Tsushima as Shino in Seven Samurai

Keiko Tshushima, a Japanese actress starred in many films and TV during 1950’s to 2000’s, died of cancer on August 1. She was 86.

Tsushima is probably best known for her role of Shino in Akira Kurosawa’s “Seven Samurai”, which is considered one of the masterpieces among Japanese cinema. Other works include, Ozu’s “The Flavor of Green Tea over Rice”, Yoshimura’s “The Ball at the Anjo House” and Imai’s “Himeyuri Lily Tower”. She married Ichio Mori, the son of Iwao Mori, the executive at Toho cinema in 1958. Around this time, she started to appear in Japanese TV dramas more frequently.

Her radiant characterization of Shino is all the more remarkable in the male-dominant world of “Seven Samurai”.