Umeko Sakuragi

Biography

Sakuragi Umeko was born in Yokohama in 1908. In 1925 she joined Shochiku Kamata but after that moved to Nikkatsu period drama, where as one of the first actresses to replace men playing women at Nikkatsu, she was chosen to play opposite Onoe Matsunosuke in Jiraiya, and Kunisada Chuji, directed by Ikeda Tomiyasu. She was noted for her performance as Yosenin in Sanpa Godo's Chushingura, and also appeared in Jiraika Gumi (Jiraika Gumi) and Teru hi Kumoru hi. In Tsurugi to Koi and Yarikuyo (Yarikuyo), she played alongside the popular actor Okochi Denjiro. In 1928 she moved to Yamato Pictures, but after that company's collapse she moved to Makino. Costarring in Tsuzure Tobadama, Senhime Kyoran, and Fuunji among others she was ranked with other popular actresses like Makino Tomoko and Matsuura Tsukie. She was also active in modern dramas in the role of a geisha. In 1932 she joined Bantsuma Productions and played opposite Bando Tsumasaburo in Jonetsu Jigoku and Tengu no Yasu. Her most fitting role was though to be that of Okon in Chifubuki Ise Ondo. With the advent of talking pictures she returned to Nikkatsu and appeared as a geisha in Omatsuri Sashichi, and as Ofuku in Tojin Okichi - Kurofune Jowa.