45 replies to this topic

[Loomis]

Does anyone know why Akiko Wakabayashi never made a film after playing Aki in YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE? Is she a real life Kissy Suzuki - Fleming's Kissy Suzuki, that is? (For those who haven't read Fleming's "You Only Live Twice", Kissy is a diving girl from a remote Japanese island who went to Hollywood to become an actress but turned her back on imminent fame and fortune and returned to Japan since she was unable to stand the shallowness of Tinseltown.)

Take a look at her IMDb filmography: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0906686/. It seems she hasn't done any film/TV work whatsoever since YOLT in 1967! Yet YOLT must have seemed her international breakthrough, following what appears to have been a fairly successful career in Japan. Of course, roles for Japanese/Asian women in Hollywood have never been exactly thick on the ground, and I vaguely remember reading somewhere that Wakabayashi's English wasn't all that great - but, still, how come she didn't continue working in the Japanese film industry?

I'm really curious to know why she quit acting. I seem to recall reading some time ago that she had died of breast cancer shortly after making YOLT; yet it seems she's still very much alive - I believe she invited Raymond Benson to stay at her home while he was in Japan researching "The Man With The Red Tattoo". However, is it the case that she did get cancer or some other illness that forced her to stop acting? Or did she indeed do a Kissy and leave the film industry because she had grown to hate it? And what has she been doing all these years?

Surely no other "main" Bond girl has fallen into such obscurity? (I guess one could call Wakabayashi the leading Bond girl in YOLT, even though her character dies in the film, since she is billed above Mie Hama. I imagine most people remember her more than Hama, since she has more memorable scenes and a lot more to do.)

So, whatever happened to Akiko Wakabayashi?

[Pussfeller]

You're right, Loomis. YOLT was the last film she made. But I don't find that terribly surprising. Before appearing as Aki, she only made a few films:

The Thin Line (1966, I think)
It Started in the Alps (1966)
What's Up, Tiger Lily? (1966)
Dagora, the Space Monster (1965)
King Kong vs. Godzilla (1963)

After this, she only made YOLT. I am fairly positive that she is alive and well, so my guess is that she aged poorly and producers didn't want to use her for the trendy eye-candy roles that she was used to playing. She was a decent actress, but I imagine that she got most of her roles because of her looks.

As for Mie Hama, she was in a lot of the same films as Wakabayashi during the sixties, such as What's up, Tiger Lily? and King Kong vs. Godzilla. I think she hosted some sort of news/talk show on NHK in the seventies. My nephew says that she is still acting, but she's become more of a "personality."

[Triton]

It's possible that she gave up her career to raise a family. I don't think that was so unusual in the 1960s. Remember that Audrey Hepburn gave up her very lucrative Hollywood career to raise a family. I have been unsuccessful in finding out what happened to her after You Only Live Twice as well Loomis.

[Loomis]

Originally posted by Pussfeller

You're right, Loomis. YOLT was the last film she made. But I don't find that terribly surprising. Before appearing as Aki, she only made a few films:

The Thin Line (1966, I think)
It Started in the Alps (1966)
What's Up, Tiger Lily? (1966)
Dagora, the Space Monster (1965)
King Kong vs. Godzilla (1963)

After this, she only made YOLT. I am fairly positive that she is alive and well, so my guess is that she aged poorly and producers didn't want to use her for the trendy eye-candy roles that she was used to playing. She was a decent actress, but I imagine that she got most of her roles because of her looks.  

Thanks, Pussfeller. But according to the IMDb, from 1958 to 1966, she appeared in no fewer than 26 films. (I guess we should say she made 25 film appearances, though, since footage from KOKUSAI HIMITSU KEISATSU: KAGI NO KAGI was re-used for Woody Allen's spoof WHAT'S UP, TIGER LILY? - in which Mie Hama also appears, thanks to footage from the same film; technically, then, Hama and Wakabayashi have been in three films together - a record for a pair of Bond girls?)

So I imagine that, by the time of YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE, Wakabayashi must have been one of the hottest young actresses in Japan (in both senses of the term:D). She'd been fairly prolific, and here was her biggest-ever film (same goes for Hama, I suppose). Perhaps Wakabayashi did age poorly, but then she was only 26 in 1967 - good for a few more years at least, surely?

Did she act exclusively in TV dramas or become a pop star or presenter after YOLT? Did she make more films, but ones too obscure even for the IMDb? I've searched for information on her in both English and Japanese, but I haven't found anything that sheds any light on what she's been up to post-YOLT.

Finally, it is, as Triton points out, possible that she gave up her career to raise a family. Certainly not an unusual step for women to take in Japan.

[ChandlerBing]

Aki with Ray Benson on his research trip to Japan for The Man With The Red Tattoo.

[stromberg]

Interesting subject, that. When I did some research at the imdb, I also noticed this and I've asked myself the same question. The internet can be a wonderful thing, but if you google for Akiko Wakabayashi, 95% you get is YOLT related and not giving much more than the usual infos.

However, I found a thread in this forum http://forum.japanre...opic/850-1.html about the same subject. One guy there says that she got injured during the filming of YOLT and that the injury was serious enough to make her quit her career. This sounds like first hand information, he has also posted a link to an article he wrote at www.hmss.com. He accompanied Raymond Benson when he did research for TMWTRT in Japan. The picture ChandlerBing posted is from that article...

I'll check out another source: German journalist Billy Kocian was, as it is called nowadays, an "embeded journalist" during the making of YOLT. Could be that there is some information in one of his books. He seems to have had a certain fondness for the two Japanese girls, maybe I can find some info there.

BTW, Kocian was also a photographer and took many behind the scenes photos. His widow recently published a 350 page book that contains parts of his personal Bond picture archive, mostly from the Connery and Moore era. If you don't mind that it is written in German, I highly recommend it for the pictures.

I'll attach a pic of the cover, ISBN is 3-87602-415-9. PM me if further information is needed.

[Loomis]

Very nice work, stromberg. Thanks for the investigations. It's awful that Wakabayashi was injured during the making of YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE and that it was serious enough to end her career. I wonder what happened. I'd never read about that in all my years of being a Bond fan.

Kocian's book looks interesting. Unfortunately I don't know any German, but if I ever come across it I'll probably pick it up for the pictures.

Thanks again, stromberg.

And Chandler, cheers for the pic.

[Blue Eyes]

How unique are the pictures in Kocian's book stromberg?

[stromberg]

Originally posted by Blue Eyes
How unique are the pictures in Kocian's book stromberg?

Some of them are truly unique and have never been published before. Kocian seems to have got along well especially with Connery, but as some people comment, he never was a real Bond "fan". He was a movie journalist, just a professional doing his job, and he didn't get into the Bond thing until TB. The majority of the pics comes fom the shootings of TB (43 pages), YOLT (63 pages) and DAF (56 pages). No pics from the first three pictures and no pics after OP (20 pages). Only two pages from OHMSS and LALD, all the other ones (including NSNA) get about 8-15 pages.

There are of course some pictures in it that are well known and of wich I believe that they are from Kocian's archive (I can't imagine, for example, that K. took the famous GF still with Bond tied on the gold plate). But most of those seem to be movie stills, anyway (spiced up the book for audience convenience, I guess).

And there's loads of articles and production reports that Kocian wrote through the years. Particularly intersting is his description of the Japanese press mayhem during the shooting of YOLT, from the view of a western journalist. But to read that, you have to speak German...

The book is a bit difficult to put on the scanner, but I just took a few photographs. This should help. A definite highlight is this picture of Jill St.John... on the left page. on th right page is Lana Wood.

[stromberg]

... a double page with the lovely Akiko Wakabayashi

[stromberg]

... and a double page with Mie Hama. There's quite a lot of pictures with Mie and Akiko in it.

[stromberg]

...and Adolfo Celi, surounded by the divers.

That shall be enough, I think this brief glimpse gives you a little impression. Well worth the 25 Euros it costs, IMHO. Hope that helped.

[stromberg]

Oh, forgot to mention (back on topic):
None of Kocian's books (there is another one, simply called "The James Bond movies" from the Heyne movie book series) gives any details why Wakabayashi quit her career after YOLT. Maybe I should take some time to read that article on HMSS.com this weekend.

[Loomis]

"Die Akte James Bond" looks absolutely wonderful. A must-buy, even though I don't read German.

[DLibrasnow]

Originally posted by Triton
It's possible that she gave up her career to raise a family. I don't think that was so unusual in the 1960s. Remember that Audrey Hepburn gave up her very lucrative Hollywood career to raise a family.  

I seem to remember reading an article about past Bond girls back in the 1980s where it was stated that she had given up her career to raise a family -- but it has been a long time since I read that so I could easily be wrong!

[Akai Tengu]

Greetings all. I had the pleasure of lunching with Akiko Wakabayashi a couple of years ago in Tokyo. I'm not claiming to be an expert on her, but I hope I can contribute some accurate information here.

To address the thread question litteraly, no, Akiko Wakabayashi is NOT a real life Kissy Suzuki, in that she is NOT an Ama diving girl who turned her back on Hollywood to go back to her simple, pure life as a diving girl on a remote Japanese island, as happened with Kissy in Fleming's novel.

The reason Akiko stopped acting was also NOT due to cancer. She sustained a career-ending physical injury on the project she was working on AFTER filming YOLT. It did NOT happen while filming YOLT. Understandably I have not asked Akiko about the injury, thinking to do so would be inexcusably rude, and she has not brought up the topic. I have this information from a good friend of hers who introduced me to her. I'm very happy to say today she doesn't show any signs of any lingering problems from the injury. If there are any, they don't show.

So the fact she didn't make any more films isn't because she was no longer "eye candy", and she did not age poorly, either.

It is true that Mie Hama has continued to be popular and has worked in various media, including radio. Raymond Benson and I were guests at her country house for a fabulous dinner at which she and her (gorgeous!) daughter served the food and cleared our plates themselves. So she's no prima dona. Mie Hama looks very beautiful today. I'd go so far as to say she's lovelier now than when she filmed YOLT. Japanese women age very well in general, and Mie Hama in particular.

I will be seeing both women again when I return to Japan early next year.

[Loomis]

Originally posted by Akai Tengu

The reason Akiko stopped acting was also NOT due to cancer.  She sustained a career-ending physical injury on the project she was working on AFTER filming YOLT.  It did NOT happen while filming YOLT.  Understandably I have not asked Akiko about the injury, thinking to do so would be inexcusably rude, and she has not brought up the topic.  I have this information from a good friend of hers who introduced me to her.  I'm very happy to say today she doesn't show any signs of any lingering problems from the injury.  If there are any, they don't show.

So the fact she didn't make any more films isn't because she was no longer "eye candy", and she did not age poorly, either.  

Thanks for clearing all that up, Akai Tengu.

[DLibrasnow]

Thanks Akai and welcome to CBN!!

I remember reading the account of Raymond Bensons visit to Japan on another website.

[BondNumber7]

Akai Tengu:

Thanks for giving us that information. Mia was definitely one of the most beautiful women ever and I remember becoming interested in her after watching "What's Up Tiger Lily" on Bravo in the late eighties. I bet her daughter, from the way you described her, is stunning as well. It would be cool if you brought a camera to Japan next year and took some pics of her and posted them here or sent them to me by e-mail, but it would be ridiculous to ask of you and quite embarrassing to say to Hama, "hey, could I take your picture." It would make you seem like some sort of obsessed fan or something and as you say, kind of rude. Anyway, welcome to CommanderBond and I hope you become a regular member.

[Blofeld's Cat]

Thanks for the updates on the ladies, and welcome to CBn, Akai.

[DLibrasnow]

Check out this website for Raymond Benson's personal account of his research visit to Japan. Included are pictures of Benson and Mia:

http://www.hmss.com/japan/

It's one of the best James Bond sites on the web -next to CBN of course - and has some really great 007 related articles!

[Loomis]

Originally posted by DLibrasnow

Check out this website for Raymond Benson's personal account of his research visit to Japan. Included are pictures of Benson and Mia:

http://www.hmss.com/japan/

It's an excellent article, and reading it makes me wish that someone had followed Raymond Benson and James McMahon around Japan with a video camera, capturing interviews with the pair of them as well as with Akiko Wakabayashi, Mie Hama and other people they met, Bond-related or otherwise. Now, wouldn't that have made for an exciting documentary to be included among the bonus material on the DIE ANOTHER DAY DVD?

[DLibrasnow]

Originally posted by Loomis


It's an excellent article, and reading it makes me wish that someone had followed Raymond Benson and James McMahon around Japan with a video camera, capturing interviews with the pair of them as well as with Akiko Wakabayashi, Mie Hama and other people they met, Bond-related or otherwise. Now, wouldn't that have made for an exciting documentary to be included among the bonus material on the DIE ANOTHER DAY DVD?

I agree...Chalk that up to another of those missed opportunities. Still we do have this account of Bensons trip and pictures of his visit with native Japanese members of the YOLT cast.

[stromberg]

Originally posted by DLibrasnow
Check out this website for Raymond Benson's personal account of his research visit to Japan. Included are pictures of Benson and Mia:

http://www.hmss.com/japan/ ...  

Yes, that's the direct link to the article I mentioned above. I've only started reading it, found no time on the weekend but it is a really interesting reading so far.

Thanks for sharing the information with us, Akai Tengu. I noticed you as a new member a few days ago, became a bit suspicious (as this thread had just started) and looked into your profile. The homepage adress you gave had me hoping that you might have further information on this subject. Welcome to CBn.

[DLibrasnow]

Originally posted by stromberg


Yes, that's the direct link to the article I mentioned above. I've only started reading it, found no time on the weekend but it is a really interesting reading so far.

Thanks for sharing the information with us, Akai Tengu. I noticed you as a new member a few days ago, became a bit suspicious (as this thread had just started) and looked into your profile. The homepage adress you gave had me hoping that you might have further information on this subject. Welcome to CBn.

I read the article some time ago when it was first posted on the site (from a link on Kimberly Last's 007 page) and thought it was a thoroughly interesting read. I always liked the magazine-style format of the hmss site.

[Akai Tengu]

Hi all. I log in as Akai Tengu*, but I'm not trying to be anonymous. My name's James McMahon. Thanks for the warm welcome. I'm glad to be here.

Regarding video taping during my trip to Japan with Raymond, I did bring a camcorder along, and got some good footage, but most days I was so laden down with things that I either left the camcorder behind at the hotel (it's pretty old, so it's bulky and heavy enough to make a difference), or had it with me, but didn't want to be intrusive by hauling it out in the middle of a social setting, which immediately changes the mood of the gathering and how the guest pigeon hole's me. I wanted to seem like a friend and "safe" when I met with Akiko Wakabayashi and Mie Hama, and not the rabid fan-boy I really am. So I played it cool.

I'm going back to Japan again next May and will see both of them again, as well as Tetsuro Tamba who played Tiger Tanaka in YOLT. I've learned my lesson, and this time I'm taking a new, tiny, camcorder that I can drop into a pocket and have with me all the time. When I see them this time I'll ask if they mind if I do some taping.

OT: If anyone cares, "Akai" means "red" and "Tengu" is Japanese for a sort of"Goblin". Well, a Tengu's not really a goblin. It's a mythological creature, half man/half bird. They live in the mountains, are excellent swordsmen, mischievous but not evil. They are often shown as red faced with long noses. Early American visitors to Japan in the late 1800s were often depicted with the same type of face, red and long nosed, and since I'm American and studied Japanese swordsmanship, I feel a bit of camaraderie with the Tengu (minus the bird body of course, thank you very much). Hence the sign-in name.

James

[Icephoenix]

Wow, it's really great to have you here James! I loved reading your article about your trip to Japan, and actually saved it to my computer. I hope to see you around frequently!

Besides, how often do we get a president of a multi-million pharmaceuticals company on the forums!

[stromberg]

Originally posted by Akai Tengu
Hi all.  I log in as Akai Tengu*, but I'm not trying to be anonymous.  My name's James McMahon.  Thanks for the warm welcome.  I'm glad to be here.

I already suspected that, James .

Originally posted by Akai Tengu
Regarding video taping during my trip to Japan with Raymond, I did bring a camcorder along, and got some good footage, but most days I was so laden down with things that I either left the camcorder behind at the hotel (it's pretty old, so it's bulky and heavy enough to make a difference), or had it with me, but didn't want to be intrusive by hauling it out in the middle of a social setting, which immediately changes the mood of the gathering and how the guest pigeon hole's me.  I wanted to seem like a friend and "safe" when I met with Akiko Wakabayashi and Mie Hama, and not the rabid fan-boy I really am.  So I played it cool.

You absolutely did the right thing. And I guess that the Japanese are bit more sensitive when it comes to the subject of privacy than us western folks. One really has to restrain himself when it comes to a meeting like that.

Fan-boyish behaviour can happen to anyone. There's a story about a well known German (no, wait, he's Austrian) cartoonist who's been a lifelong Beach Boys fan. He describes it as the most embarassing moment in his whole life when he finally got to meet the Boys in person, he was such a fan-boy and behaved like he was thirteen years old...

[Loomis]

Originally posted by Icephoenix

Besides, how often do we get a president of a multi-million pharmaceuticals company on the forums!  

The penny drops. Obviously, I knew who you were, Akai Tengu, but I'd forgotten Benson's use of your surname in "The Man With the Red Tattoo" (which BTW is my favourite Benson by miles).

I hope all goes well with your next trip to Japan, and that we'll maybe even be able to see some of it as part of a documentary one day. Keep us posted.

[Akai Tengu]

Originally posted by Icephoenix
Besides, how often do we get a president of a multi-million pharmaceuticals company on the forums! [/B]

Deceased! I didn't survive the first chapter!

Raymond used my name briefly in his movie novelization of TND, for the captain of the British flagship. So when he wanted to put my name into his Japan novel, he went with my middle name, Peter, so It was Peter McMahon this time out.

Actually, he called me up one day out of the blue and asked, "James, tell me your middle name." And I replied, "Why Raymond, I thought you knew. Danger is my middle name!" There was a long silence after that. I guess I'm lucky he didn't change his mind.

James