A Maiden of the Silver Screen Who Aimed for the North Pole: The 1960s and 1970s

A Maiden of the Silver Screen Who Aimed for the North Pole: The 1960s and 1970s
Masako Izumi joined Nikkatsu at the age of 16 and made her debut in 1961. At that time, Japan was experiencing a period of rapid economic growth, and movies were a symbol of youth culture. Nikkatsu was popular for its youthful, action-oriented films, and young actresses such as Asahi Kobayashi and Keiichiro Akagi were in demand to play opposite them. Izumi emerged with her purity and healthy cheerfulness, and in "A Tale of Love in Ginza" she played an urban and passionate love story that reflected the fervor of postwar reconstruction. In 1971, she became the first woman to reach the North Pole, and transformed herself from a star of the silver screen to an adventurer. While her contemporary Sayuri Yoshinaga consolidated her position as a film actress, Izumi carved out a new path. She maintained a healthy and dynamic appeal that differed even from Ruriko Asaoka's bewitching charm, and was a rare example of a woman who reflected the changes in Japanese society.