[Jinbocho Theater] Eternal First Love... Screening Representative Works of Actress Izumi Ashikawa All at Once! That Legendary Project is Coming Back!! -- 'Actresses We Love: Izumi Ashikawa 2026' Starts May 9 (Sat)

Jinbocho Theater, a repertory cinema in the town of books, shines a spotlight on works from various angles such as directors, cast members, and themes, screening good old Japanese films on film.

Starting from Saturday, May 9th, there will be a special screening of Izumi Ashikawa, an actress who produced many hit films during the Golden Age of Nikkatsu and shined with intense charm despite her short active period.

The highly popular project "Actresses We Love: Izumi Ashikawa", which has been held five times since 2015 at the Jinbocho Theater, is coming back...

Izumi Ashikawa (1935-) is one of the actresses who supported Nikkatsu during the golden age of Japanese cinema. She was active in a wide range of genres, from being Yujiro Ishihara's co-star to the heroine of literary films, and took the world by storm with her beauty and neat image. However, since her retirement in 1968, she has never appeared in movies, television, or any other media. Nevertheless, she has been talked about as an "unforgettable actress" to this day and continues to be loved by many movie fans.

For this 6th edition, based on the results of the "Izumi Ashikawa General Election 2026" held since February (*Total results are posted on the theater's website), we will present a definitive lineup!

-- Please enjoy her boundless charm on the screen.

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<Special Screening>

Actresses We Love: Izumi Ashikawa 2026

Saturday, May 9, 2026 - Friday, June 5, 2026

Jinbocho Theater

(1-23 Kanda Jinbocho, Chiyoda-ku / TEL.03-5281-5132)

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Admission Fee = General 1400 yen, Senior 1200 yen, Student 1000 yen

Jinbocho Theater Website

https://www.shogakukan.co.jp/jinbocho-theater/

"Actresses We Love: Izumi Ashikawa 2026" Special Screening Page is here

https://www.shogakukan.co.jp/jinbocho-theater/features/2026-05-09_ashikawa-izumi.html

[Screening Lineup]

All works feature Izumi Ashikawa

The Foghorn is Calling Me (1960) Director = Tokujiro Yamazaki Co-stars = Keiichiro Akagi, Ko Nishimura, Kyoko Hori

He and I (1961) Director = Ko Nakahira / Original Story = Yojiro Ishizaka Co-stars = Yujiro Ishihara, Sanae Nakahara, Reiko Sasamori

Capricious World (1962) Director = Katsumi Nishikawa Co-stars = Jo Shishido, Ryohei Uchida, Minako Kazuki

The White Peak of Mt. Fuji (1963) Director = Kenjiro Morinaga / Original Story = Osamu Dazai Co-stars = Sayuri Yoshinaga, Mitsuo Hamada, Seiji Miyaguchi

The Praying Person (1959) Director = Eisuke Takizawa / Original Story = Torahiko Tamiya Co-stars = Yumeji Tsukioka, Jukichi Uno, Yuji Odaka

Shirobamba (1962) Director = Eisuke Takizawa / Original Story = Yasushi Inoue Co-stars = Toru Shimamura (child actor), Tanie Kitabayashi, Misako Watanabe

The Japanese Archipelago (1965) Director = Kei Kumai / Original Story = Koichiro Yoshihara Co-stars = Jukichi Uno, Hideaki Nitani, Mizuho Suzuki

Marriage Counseling (1965) Director = Ko Nakahira / Original Story = Fumiko Enchi Co-stars = Masaya Takahashi, Sadako Sawamura, Yoko Yamamoto

Youth Ghost Story (1955) Director = Kon Ichikawa / Original Story = Bunroku Shishi Co-stars = Tatsuya Mihashi, Mie Kitahara, So Yamamura

Balloon (1956) Director = Yuzo Kawashima / Original Story = Jiro Osaragi Co-stars = Masayuki Mori, Tatsuya Mihashi, Mie Kitahara

Song of Hydrangea (1960) Director = Eisuke Takizawa / Original Story = Yojiro Ishizaka Co-stars = Yujiro Ishihara, Yukiko Todoroki, Eijiro Tono

Morning of Life (1961) Director = Yutaka Abe / Original Story = Saneatsu Mushanokoji Co-stars = Jukichi Uno, Yumi Takano, Taketoshi Naito

Temptation (1957) Director = Ko Nakahira / Original Story = Sei Ito Co-stars = Sachiko Hidari, Ryoji Hayama, Koreya Senda

Departure of Intellect and Love <Color Restored Version> (1958) Director = Buichi Saito / Original Story = Hachiro Nakamura Co-stars = Tamio Kawachi, Sanae Nakahara, Mari Shiraki

Will it be Sunny Tomorrow? (1960) Director = Ko Nakahira / Original Story = Itaru Kikumura Co-stars = Yujiro Ishihara, Misako Watanabe, Sanae Nakahara

Johnny of Glass: Looking Like a Beast (1962) Director = Koreyoshi Kurahara Co-stars = Jo Shishido, I George, Daizaburo Hirata

Total of 16 works

*Please check the theater website for the screening schedule and work details.

[Izumi Ashikawa - Brief Biography]

Born in Tokyo in 1935. While belonging to the Shochiku Music and Dance School affiliated with the Shochiku Girls Revue, she was discovered by film director Yuzo Kawashima in 1953 and made her silver screen debut with "Tokyo Madam and Osaka Wife" (1953, directed by Yuzo Kawashima, Shochiku). In 1955, at the recommendation of director Kawashima, she joined Nikkatsu. From her first transferred work, "Youth Ghost Story" (1955, directed by Kon Ichikawa), she showed a strong presence...