Japanese Actor Keiko Kishi, Whose Career Expanded to France, Dies at 93

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:57 JST, August 19, 2026

Keiko Kishi, an actor, writer and journalist whose acting career expanded to France, died of old age on Aug. 7. She was 93.

Born in Yokohama, Kishi made her acting debut in 1951. She played the protagonist in mega-hit movie series “Kimi no Na wa” (What is your name?), a trilogy that started in 1953. The style in which Kishi wore a scarf on her head in the movie sparked a major fashion trend.

In 1956, Kishi starred in Japanese-French film “Wasure e nu Bojo” (An unforgettable love; French title: “Typhon sur Nagasaki”). She later married its director, Yves Ciampi, and continued her acting career while dividing her time between France and Japan.

Meanwhile, Kishi also expanded her interests in global issues, serving as a newscaster and reporter for news programs. As an author, she was also behind some best-selling books.