Actress Dies of Cancer After Recent Collapse: Masako Izumi Was 77

Japanese actress, singer, and adventurer Masako Izumi died earlier this month following a battle with an undisclosed form of cancer. She was 77.

The actress is not only remembered for her storied acting career, but also for becoming the first Japanese woman to reach the North Pole.

According to The Japan News, Izumi passed away on Wednesday, July 9 from cancer. She had reportedly suffered poor health in recent weeks after collapsing in May, her agency said, per NHK. Although she had been recovering at home, her health began to rapidly decline in the days leading up to her passing.

Born in Tokyo on July 31, 1947, Izumi rose to become one of the most popular film stars in Japan. Although she began her career as a child actress and made her film debut at the age of 12 in the 1959 film The Snow Flurry, according to her IMDb profile, it was when she joined the movie studio Nikkatsu Studios in the ‘60s that her star began to rise.

She is well-known for her portrayal of Wakae in Kirio Urayama’s 1963 drama film Bad Girl, which won a Golden Prize at the 3rd Moscow International Film Festival. Her other acting credits include The Seven Challengers (1961), Wakakusa Monogatari (1964), Tattooed Life (1965), and Men and War Part II (1971), among numerous others. She also appeared in TV shows such as Shin Heike Monogatari and Wataru Seken wa Oni Bakari.

Outside of her acting career, Izumi was also a singer, and is well-remembered for her hit song “Futari no Ginza” with Ken Yamauchi. She was also an adventurer, and in 1989, she made history when she became the first Japanese woman to reach the North Pole. The actress made her first attempt to reach the North Pole in 1985, but abandoned the mission with just 120 miles to go due to treacherous conditions, including heavy snow and breaks in the Arctic Ice.

Her second attempt in 1989 was a success, with an article in the Los Angeles Times reporting that Izumi reached the North Pole by snowmobile “trailed by an entourage of cameramen and reporters so large that locals began referring to Resolute Bay (NWT) as Little Toyko,” according to reports.

Paying tribute to Izumi on social media, one fan wrote that the star’s passing “shocked and saddened me… I sincerely pray for Masako Izumi’s soul to rest in peace!” Somebody else said, “R.I.P. Izumi Masako your movies and shows will last a lifetime.”