Mitsuko Mori, a veteran award-winning actress, died of heart failure Saturday at a Tokyo hospital, her family said Wednesday. She was 92.
Mori is known for playing the lead role in the long-running play "Horoki" and was awarded the Order of Culture and the People's Honor Award.
Mori, whose real name was Mitsu Murakami, entered show business before the war, singing and acting in movies before becoming a stage actress.
She continued to play the main character of "Horoki" since 1961, appearing on stage for the role 2,000 times through May 2009.
The Kyoto native was also regarded as a mother of the Japanese show business world, given her wide circle of acquaintances in the industry.
