Miki Odagiri (小田切美喜) was known primarily for her important and timeless role as the upbeat office girl in Akira Kurosawa's classic Ikiru opposite Takashi Shimura, whose character is dying of cancer, and Miki, as Toyo Odagiri, inspires him to live... just by being herself: bubbly, spontaneous, and optimistic. Her character is also filled with blunt sarcasm that was extremely rare in movies of the early-1950's. Perhaps Miki and Takashi's most memorable scene is when she's telling him the nicknames she created for their fellow workmates... including his! Sadly, beyond Ikiru, finding the handful of other Japanese movies she appeared in, especially on DVD or Blu Ray, is extremely difficult. But she left an impression in what's considered not only one of the legendary Kurosawa's greatest achievements, but one of the best movies ever made, worldwide.
Ikiru
1952
Burden of Love
1955
The Street Without Sun
1954
The Moon Has Risen
1955
The Wild Geese
1953
Boku chin hōrō-ki
1962
Tower of Lilies
1953
Nikoyon monogatari
1956
Women's House
1954
The Valley Between Love and Death
1954
Pastoral Symphony
1938
To Your Majesty, The Emperor
1963
Jūdai no seiten
1953
Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create: 'Ikiru'
2002
Policeman's Diary
1955
Striving to Live
1955
Stakeout
1958
Policeman's Diary, Part 2
1955
Pure Emotions of the Sea
1956
Student Double Suicide
1954
A Certain Woman
1954
Shiosai
1971
Duel at Sundown
1955
When a Woman Loves
1960
Shinran: Path to Purity
1987
Zoku jūdai no seiten
1953
Zoku zoku Jûdai no seiten
1953
Monthly Salary: 13,000 Yen
1958
お月様には悪いけど
1954