Yukiji Asaoka

Yukiji Asaoka (朝丘 雪路, Asaoka Yukiji, July 23, 1935 – April 27, 2018) was a Japanese singer and an actress from Chūō, Tokyo. She was the daughter of a famous Japanese painter of shin hanga style prints, Shinsui Itō, and her second husband was actor Masahiko Tsugawa. Asaoka was in the Takarazuka Revue from 1952 to 1955. She was a cast member (musumeyaku), belonging to the Moon Troupe (Tsuki). She was famous for her roles in Japanese television series and appeared starring opposite Shintaro Katsu in both a film from the Zatoichi series and in the first film of the Hanzo the Razor trilogy. She was, however, mostly famous for her singing. She was also a voice actor in the 1999 anime film My Neighbors the Yamadas directed by Isao Takahata. She died of Alzheimer's disease.