Actress Hideko Takamine, known for her appearances in numerous movies in the 1950s and 1960s, died of lung cancer in a Tokyo hospital at 5:28 a.m. Tuesday, her lawyer said Friday. She was 86.
Takamine's husband, movie director Zenzo Matsuyama, held a funeral and memorial service for the actress Wednesday attended by people close to her.
Born in 1924 in Hakodate, Hokkaido, Takamine made her debut in 1929 in the movie "Haha" ("Mother") and became a popular girl star after appearing in the 1938 film "Tsuzurikata Kyoshitsu" ("Writing Lessons").
After the war, she appeared in a number of movies during what is referred to as the golden age of the Japanese film industry.
Her major movies included "Niju-shi no Hitomi" ("Twenty-four Eyes") in 1954 directed by Keisuke Kinoshita, "Ukigumo" ("Floating Clouds") in 1955 directed by Mikio Naruse and "Yorokobi mo Kanashimi mo Ikutoshitsuki" ("The Lighthouse") in 1957 directed also by Kinoshita.
She retired from making movies in 1979.
