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Haruko Sugimura

Haruko Sugimura

Actor · Died April 4, 1997, aged 88 · Hiroshima, Japan

Haruko Sugimura (杉村 春子, January 6, 1909 – April 4, 1997) was a Japanese stage and film actress, best known for her appearances in the movies of Yasujiro Ozu and Mikio Naruse from the late 1940s to the early 1960s. In the West, her most famous role was that of Shige, the elderly couple's hairdresser daughter in Ozu's Tokyo Story (1953). After the war, she was highly praised by such masters as Akira Kurosawa, Keisuke Kinoshita, Yasujiro Ozu, Mikio Naruse, Shiro Toyoda, Kenji Mizoguchi, and Tadashi Imai for her natural and realistic acting. In particular, she was a regular in Yasujiro Ozu's films, appearing in nine of his films.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
January 6, 1909
Died
April 4, 1997 (aged 88)
From
Hiroshima, Japan
Works as
Actor
Titles
16 on MovieCove · 123 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 13% in 30 days

What are Haruko Sugimura's films like?

Across their 13 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Drama7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 97th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 97th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
44%
Self
22%
Society
13%
Survival
7%
Morality
5%
Power
4%
Ideas
4%
Family bonds8 titles, browse their movies with this themeMarriage2 titles, browse their movies with this themeTradition vs change3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIsolation3 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 13 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 5 · Serious 4 · Dark 4

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 7 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 1

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 7 · Charged 5 · Intense 1

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 11 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 0

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 10 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 1

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 12 · Even-paced 1 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 5 · Engaged 7 · Full focus 1

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 7 · Open-ended 6 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

7 analyzed roles

Usually the Mentor: 2 of 7 analyzed roles.

Mentor
2 of 7
Ally
1 of 7
Threshold guardian
1 of 7
Shapeshifter
1 of 7
Shadow
1 of 7
Trickster
1 of 7
Show the 7 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Melancholic
10
Contemplative
9
Bittersweet
7
Warm
4
Tense
3
Other
2

How their films linger

Bittersweet8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet9
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous1
  • Cyclical1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Haruko Sugimura's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 13 of their 16 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on The Criterion Channel (13).

Subscription and free streaming for Haruko Sugimura's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

123 credits, 16 with a MovieCove page; 2 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • A Last Note (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    as Yoko Morimoto

  • The Strange Tale of Oyuki (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    as Kafu's Mother

  • Sakura-tai Chiru (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Actor

  • An Early Autumn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Fossil (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Itsuki's stepmother

  • Akumyo: Notorious Dragon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Actor

  • 雪の華 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

  • The Petrified Forest (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Actor

  • Fossil (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Show 8 episodes · as Mother-in-Law

  • Onna no hanamichi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Actor

  • Second generation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Only Child (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Actor

  • Slave Factory (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Actor

  • The Wife of Seishu Hanaoka (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    as Narrator (voice)

  • The Daphne (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    as Aki Ueno (the four sisters' mother)

  • Rokujō yukiyama tsumugi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    as Ine's Mother

  • Red Beard(1965)

    as Kin, the madam

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • With Beauty and Sorrow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    as Otoko's Mother

  • Kwaidan(1964)

    as Madame (segment "In a Cup of Tea")

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Samurai Assassin(1965)

    as Tsuru

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Night Scandal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    as Hatsu Mimura

  • The Scent of Incense (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    as Taromaru

  • Mother (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    as Yoshie

  • Jidanya (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Actor

  • The Navy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Actor

  • Youth After School (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    as Ayako

  • An Autumn Afternoon(1962)

    as Tomoko Sakuma

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Jun'ai monogatari kusa no mi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Actor

  • The Broken Commandment (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    as School master's wife

  • Musume to watashi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Actor

  • Till Tomorrow Is (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Actor

  • The Wiser Age (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    as Aki

  • Their Legacy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Actor

  • The Rokumeikan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Actor

  • The Conspirator (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Actor

  • Buddha (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    as Vaidehi

  • The End of Summer(1961)

    as Katou Shige

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • The Gambler's Code (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    as Oroku

  • Deep River Melody (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Actor

  • Ashi ni sawatta onna(1960)

    as Pickpocket Haruko

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Daughters, Wives and a Mother (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    as Kayo Tani

  • Runway to Hell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    as Okuma

  • Banana (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Actor

  • Goodbye to Glory (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    as Fukunaga's mother Yuki

  • Floating Weeds(1959)

    as Oyoshi

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The Three Treasures(1959)

    as Narrator

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Pilgrimage at Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    as Osai

  • Beauty the Enemy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    as Fusa Yoshino

  • The Rokumeikan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Actor

  • Good Morning(1959)

    as Kikue Haraguchi

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • The Spell of the Hidden Gold (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    as Sonoe

  • Summer Clouds (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    as Mother

  • Flower's Yearning (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    as Ikegami Rie

  • Sorrow Is Only for Women (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Actor

  • Hadaka no Machi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Actor

  • Tokyo Twilight(1957)

    as Shigeko Takeuchi

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • The Crowded Train (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Otome, the mother

  • Flowing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    as Someka

  • Yonjū-hassai no teikō (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Actor

  • Early Spring(1956)

    as Tamako Tamura

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Samurai of the Great Earth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Actor

  • She Was Like a Wild Chrysanthemum (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as Masao's mother

  • The Romance of Yushima (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Actor

  • The Tears of Geisha Konatsu (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Actor

  • Princess Yang Kwei-fei (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as Princess Yen-chun

  • Kokoro ni hana no saku hi made (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Actor

  • Policeman's Diary (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as Moyo Sugita

  • Life of Geisha (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Actor

  • The Story of Shunkin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Actor

  • Late Chrysanthemums (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Kin

  • The Glorious Days (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Actor

  • Geisha Konatsu (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Raku Kamioka

  • An Inlet of Muddy Water (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Actor

  • Tokyo Story(1953)

    as Shige Kaneko

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Muntinlupa: Song of Nostalgia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Actor

  • Koshō musuko (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Actor

  • Sunflower Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Actor

  • Reminiscence (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as Chikako

  • Toki no teizo: Sōshūban (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Actor

  • Forbidden Path (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Actor

  • Kin no tamago: Golden Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Actor

  • The Wind Blows Twice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Oritsu

  • A Meeting of Youths (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Tamiyo

  • Beauty of Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Actor

  • Repast(1951)

    as Matsu Murata

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Fireworks Over the Sea (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Kono Kujirai

  • Early Summer(1951)

    as Tami Yabe

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Freedom School (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Actor

  • 愛情の旋風 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Actor

  • The Rainbow-Colored Flower (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Koyabu

  • Listen to the Voices of the Sea (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Actor

  • Till We Meet Again (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Suga Ono

  • Four Seasons of Women (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Osone

  • Late Spring(1949)

    as Masa Taguchi

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Yotsuya Ghost Story Part 2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Oshin

  • Yotsuya Ghost Story Part 1 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Oshin

  • Black Cloud Road (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Actor

  • G-Men of Japan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Actor

  • Great X (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Taka

  • Children Hand in Hand (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Actor

  • Temptation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Tokie

  • Three-Fingered Detective (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    Actor

  • Spring Awakens (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    Actor

  • No Regrets for Our Youth(1946)

    as Madame Noge

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • A Descendant of Urashima Taro (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    Actor

  • Morning for the Osone Family (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Fusako Osone

  • Kigeki wa owarinu (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    Actor

  • Umi o yobu koe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    Actor

  • Kanchō umi no bara (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    Actor

  • Umi no tora (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    Actor

  • Army (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Setsu

  • Mother of a Baby Eagle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    Actor

  • The Day England Falls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    Actor

  • Yamasandō (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    Actor

  • The Tale of Jiro (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Actor

  • A Diary of Our Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Actor

  • White Heron (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Actor

  • Ōhinata-mura (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    Actor

  • Spring on Leper's Island (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    Actor

  • Wedding Day (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    Actor

  • Nightingale (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Midwife Yae

  • The Lights of Asakusa (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Marieda Matsushima

  • Namiko (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Actor

Career shape

Star power in the 97th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 123 titles from 1932 to 1995; peak year 1965.

Biggest box office

Tokyo Story (1953)

$110K worldwide

Highest rated

Late Spring (1949)

Midcredits 98th

Film career

19321995

Peak 1965 · at the high point of their film career. Top draw in 3 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

  • 1946Screen debut· No Regrets for Our Youth
  • 1954First top-billed film· Late Chrysanthemums
  • 1954Career best· Late Chrysanthemums

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting123 of 123: 123 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score97th

By decade

1930s3 · acting1940s27 · acting1950s49 · acting1960s33 · acting1970s7 · acting1980s2 · acting1990s2 · acting

Billing

usually 6th · top billed in 6% of 16 roles
4656

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Haruko Sugimura's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 97th percentile, the median of all 16; across their 13 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 95th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

95thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Approval · how many liked their films

95thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Reach · how many have seen their films

78thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Midcredits score across 16 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up14
  • 50th to 74th1
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

12 of their 16 titles are Universally Loved.

  • Universally Loved12
  • Crowd Pleaser3
  • Mixed1

Most divisive · actor

Ashi ni sawatta onna (1960)

67th percentile spread · 32% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Red Beard (1965)

Midcredits 99th · 89% liked

Reviewers score the acting 83/100 in their films, across 11 reviewed titles; fans 86, detractors 52. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Haruko Sugimura's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Sex & Nudity3 titlesmedian 10 · minimalMedian of all films: 32

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Haruko Sugimura work with?

People who share at least 2 of Haruko Sugimura's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Yasujirō Ozu shares the most, 8.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers