Kazuko Yoshiyuki was a renowned Japanese actress and voice actress, born on August 9, 1935, in Tokyo, and passed away on September 2, 2025. She was born into a family of writers, with her father, brother, and sister all being published authors. Her acting career began in theatre when she joined the Gekidan Mingei troupe in 1955, and she achieved an early breakthrough on stage playing Anne Frank in a 1977 production of The Diary of Anne Frank.

Yoshiyuki made her screen debut in 1955 and went on to have a prolific career in film and television, appearing in hundreds of productions. She was recognized early for her talent, winning the Best Supporting Actress award at the Mainichi Film Awards in 1959. Her performance in the 1978 film Empire of Passion, directed by Nagisa Oshima, earned her the Best Actress award at the Japan Academy Film Prize. Later in her career, she was honored with the Kinuyo Tanaka Award in 2002.

While she was primarily known for her live-action roles, her voice acting work in animated films by Studio Ghibli introduced her to a wider international audience. She voiced the character Toki in the 2008 film Ponyo. Her most prominent voice role came in 2014 when she portrayed Baaya, the elderly nanny, in the Studio Ghibli film When Marnie Was There. In addition to her acting, Yoshiyuki was also an essayist and haiku poet, publishing several books.

Throughout her extensive career, she frequently collaborated with esteemed director Yoji Yamada, appearing in his films Tokyo Family and the What a Wonderful Family! series. She also worked multiple times with actors such as Kenichi Endo, Isao Hashizume, and others. Her final film appearances were in works released in 2025, the year of her death.