Yoshino Kimura (木村 佳乃, Kimura Yoshino; born 10 April 1976) is a British-born Japanese actress and singer. She appeared on an episode of the Showtime series Masters of Horror. She is known for her starring roles as Chika in the drama film film Lost Paradise (1997) and as Shizuka in the action western film film Sukiyaki Western Django (2007).
Kimura won the "Rookie of the Year" prize at the 21st Japan Academy Awards for her appearance in Shitsurakuen.
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Early life
Kimura was born on 10 April 1976, in London, England, but grew up in Setagaya, Tokyo. Kimura also lived in New York City for three years because of her father's job. She attended the Department of English Literature and Art at Seijo University but did not graduate.
Career
Kimura appeared as Shizuka in the 2007 spaghetti-western Sukiyaki Western Django. As of 25 June 2007, she was slated to star in a new Japanese soap opera to be set in Australia. Kimura also voiced Master Tigress in the Japanese dub of Kung Fu Panda and Kung Fu Panda 2. She also appears in Blindness as the First Blind Man's Wife. On 24 October 2010, she married Noriyuki Higashiyama.
In 2007, Kimura took the titular role in the TV Asahi tanpatsu (単発, TV movie) Teresa Teng Monogatari (テレサ・テン物語), portraying the late Taiwanese superstar, who was and continues to be popular throughout Asia.
She played Kazusa Monzen and Aoi Monzen in the 2008 film Orochi: Blood.
She also voiced Claire Folley in the video game Professor Layton and the Unwound Future.
Filmography
Television
Shota no Sushi (1996), Saori Otori
Hojo Tokimune (2001), Toko
Remote (2002), Yuka Sasaki
Aibō (2004), Hinako Katayama
Masters of Horror (2007), Yuri Saito (Episode: "Dream Cruise" )
Teresa Teng Monogatari (2007), Teresa Teng
Tenchijin (2009), Oryō
Nakanai to Kimeta Hi (2010), Yukiko Sano
Asa ga Kita (2015), Soe Kushida
Sanada Maru (2016), Matsu
Hiyokko (2017), Miyoko Yatabe
Home Sweet Tokyo (2017), Itsuki Jenkins
Dokonimo nai Kuni (2018), Mariko Maruyama
Reach Beyond the Blue Sky (2021), Hiraoka Yasu
No Activity (2021–24), Misato Satomi
Minami-kun ga Koibito!? (2024), Kaede
The 19th Medical Chart (2025), Shiori Arimatsu
Discography
Albums
1999.03.03 "One and Only"
2000.04.20 "Girl"
2001.09.19 "Lady -The Best of Yoshino Kimura-"
Singles
1998.06.17 "Iruka no Natsu"
1998.09.18 "Love and Life"
1999.01.20 "Hello myself"
1999.12.01 "Amenohi wa Futari de"
2000.03.17 "Koisuru Nichiyobi"
2000.09.06 "Lullaby for Grandmother-M Version-"