The Smile of Youth - Yoko Naito and the Late 1960s

The Smile of Youth - Yoko Naito and the Late 1960s

Yoko Naito (born in 1950) is an actress who emerged amidst the flurry of high economic growth and became a popular symbol of youth in the late 1960s and early 1970s. After joining Shochiku, she made her debut in 1967 in "Tabi no nagai sakamichi" (The Long Slope of Travel). With her dainty and soft atmosphere, she got her big break in the 1969 TV drama "Okusama wa 18-sai" (The Okusama is 18). Her naturalistic performance in the humorous setting of a high school girl getting married became such a social phenomenon that a film version was produced. She also appeared in "Go! Jaggers" (1968) and "Denden-mushi to Kaigai" (1968), she embodied the brightness of the times combined with music and fashion. As a singer, she had a hit with "Hakuba no Lunna" (1969), attracting many young people with her clear voice and girlish atmosphere. While her contemporary Komaki Kurihara presented an image of an intellectual woman and Rumi Koyama showed glamour, Naito stood out for her daintiness and
transparency. She is still etched in the memories of the Showa era as an actress who colored the golden age of the youth group just before the arrival of Yamaguchi Momoe and Tenchi Mari.