Shima Iwashita: From Purity to Intelligence, an Actress in Transition (1960s-1980s)

Shima Iwashita: From Purity to Intelligence, an Actress in Transition (1960s-1980s)

Born in 1941, Shima Iwashita spent her girlhood in the midst of postwar reconstruction, and emerged as an actress in the midst of the Showa era of rapid economic growth. In 1960, she signed a contract with Shochiku and made her film debut in "Dry Lake," directed by Masahiro Shinoda, who would later become her husband. In the same year, she appeared in a minor role in Yasujiro Ozu's "Autumn Sun" and was selected for Ozu's posthumous film "The Taste of Autumn Fishes," in recognition of her qualities. In this film, she played the role of a father and daughter with a subtle wavering affection that set her on the path to becoming a great actress.

The 1960s, when she was active, was a transitional period when the film industry was shrinking due to the influence of television, but the star system was still alive. Actresses of the same generation were also attracting audiences with their own individuality. Sayuri Yoshinaga, for example, became a symbol of purity and purity, creating a devoted fan base known as "Sayurists. Chieko Baisho embodied the warmth of the common people in her role as Sakura in "Otoko wa Tsuraiyo," and Ruriko Asaoka became the signature actress of Nikkatsu action films, radiating an urban, devilish charm. In contrast, Shima Iwashita started out with the innocent and neat atmosphere seen in Ozu's films, and eventually deepened into intellectual and bewitching roles in Shinoda's films.

In "Samurai no Tsubaki" (1964), she played a complicated heroine who betrays her father and murders her mother's lover, thereby broadening her acting range by overturning her purist image. In 1969's "Shinju Tenmijima" she embodied the tragic world of Chikamatsu Monzaemon with a combination of reason and fiery emotion. In "Hana no ran" in 1988, he played the role of Akiko Yosano, a poet who lived through the Taisho period (1912-1926), and it was highly acclaimed as one of his best-known works in later years.

Shima Iwashita's trajectory symbolizes an era in which actresses were transformed from mere stars into performers as Japanese cinema underwent repeated declines and transformations. While Sayuri Yoshinaga established an unshakable position as a national heroine, Shima Iwashita transformed from a purist to an intellectual, establishing her own position as both bewitching and graceful. As the Showa era of cinema changed, the image of these actresses was also a mirror of the times.