(Artist) Kaji Meiko

[Masa]

Meiko Kaji / 梶芽衣子


In 1970, with little success but extensive experience in the movie business, Meiko Kaji signed up with the Nikkatsu movie studio and was subsequently cast in more or less important roles in the Stray Cat Rock series. The films concern juvenile girl gang confrontations and, although inventive, they suffer from poor scripts throughout the series. In 1971 Nikkatsu started moving into the financially lucrative pink film business. To avoid this Kaji moved to Toei where she met director Shunya Ito and made four women in prison films in the Female Prisoner Scorpion series, which made her famous throughout Japan. The films were adapted from a well-known manga by Toru Shinohara. In the fourth installment Toei replaced director Shunya Ito with Yasuharu Hasebe, a decision that Kaji was unhappy about, and she subsequently left the series, which continued until 1998 with six new installments of markedly lesser quality.

In 1973 she took on the role of Yuki in the revenge-themed film Lady Snowblood, which later gained popularity as a cult film in the West. It was based on a manga by Kazuo Koike who also created the Crying Freeman and Lone Wolf and Cub manga series. The film was one of the inspirations for Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill films. It was followed by the sequel, Lady Snowblood 2: Love Song of Vengeance. Kaji went on to appear in several of Kinji Fukasaku's films, most notably Yakuza Graveyard (1976). In 1978, she starred in a film adaptation of Sonezaki Shinju, for which she earned nominations for Best Actress at five different awards shows, winning four of them. The film had remained unseen by many of her fans, due to the fact that for many years, it had never been released on video or DVD. However, the film was released on Region 2 DVD on June 25, 2008.

Kaji's singing career was closely tied to her movie career, and she often sang on the soundtracks of films she starred in. The theme song to Lady Snowblood, Shura no Hana (修羅の花, lit. Flower of Carnage?), and the theme song of the Sasori series, Urami Bushi (怨み節, lit. Grudge Melody?), both sung by Kaji, were used in Tarantino's Kill Bill films. Owing to this, she has seen a surge of renewed interest in her work. In 1989 Kaji portrayed Omasa, an informant, in the television jidaigeki Onihei Hankachō (the Shochiku-Fuji Television version starring kabuki actor Nakamura Kichiemon II).

Profile
Birthdate: 1947/03/24
Star Sign: Aries
Blood type: AB
Height: 163 cm
Weight: 47kg
Occupation: Singer, actress
Debut: 1965

Links
Meiko Kaji Livejournal Community
IMDB
Wikipedia
Wikipedia (JP)

Filmography

1967
- Ketto (aka The Endless Duel)
- Hana o kuu mushi
1968
- Shima wa moratta
- Ah himeyuri no to
1969
- Bakuto hyakunin (aka 100 Gamblers)
1970
- Hangyaku no Melody
- Kaidan nobori ryu (aka Tattooed Swordswoman, aka The Blind Woman's Curse, aka The Haunted Life of a Dragon-Tattooed Lass)
- Nora-neko rokku: Sekkusu hanta (aka Stray Cat Rock: Sex Hunter)
- Shinjuku outlaw: Buttobase (aka Step on the Gas)
1971
- Nora-neko rokku: Bôsô shudan '71 (aka Stray Cat Rock: Wild Measures '71)
1972
- Joshuu sasori: Dai-41 zakkyo-bô (aka Female Convict Scorpion Jailhouse 41, aka Scorpion: Female Prisoner Cage #41)
- Joshuu 701-gô: Sasori (aka Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion)
- Koya no so ronin (TV) (aka Ronin of the Wilderness)
1973
- Joshuu sasori: 701-gô urami-bushi (aka Female Prisoner Scorpion: #701's Grudge Song)
- Gendai ninkyô-shi
- Joshuu sasori: Kemono-beya (aka Female Prisoner Scorpion: Beast Stable)
- Jingi naki tatakai: Hiroshima shito hen (aka Battles Without Honor and Humanity: Deathmatch in Hiroshima, aka Deadly Fight in Hiroshima, aka The Yakuza Papers, Vol. 2: Deadly Fight in Hiroshima)
- Shurayukihime (aka Lady Snowblood: Blizzard from the Netherworld)
1974
- Shura-yuki-hime: Urami Renga (aka Lady Snowblood 2: Love Song of Vengeance)
1975
- Dômyaku rettô
- Shin jingi naki tatakai: Kumicho no kubi
1976
- Daichi no komoriuta (aka Lullaby of the Earth)
- Tsuma to onna no aida (aka Between Wife and Woman, aka Between Women and Wives)
- Yakuza no hakaba: Kuchinashi no hana (aka Yakuza Burial: Jasmine Flower, aka Yakuza Graveyard)
1978
- Sonezaki shinju (aka Double Suicide of Sonezaki)
1980
- Warui yatsura (aka Bad Sorts)
1981
- Kodomo no koro senso ga atta
- Sorekara no Musashi
1984
- Kaseifu ha mita! 2
1986
- Raku-yo-ju (aka Tree Without Leaves)
1988
- Aoi sanmyaku '88
1995
- Onihei Hankacho
2003
- Kaseifu ha mita! 21 (TV)
- "Anata no tonari ni dare ka iru" (TV series)

Random pix





The most intensive stare ever!

Zenkyoku Shu album

Tracklist
1. Urami Bushi
2. Onna No Jyumon
3. Shura No Hana
4. Yadokari
5. Jeans Blues
6. Ingabana
7. Gincho Wataridori
8. Onna Negai Uta
9. Betsuni Dottekoto Naishi
10. Shuki No Uta
11. Akana Gum
12. Nokori Bi
13. Meinichi
14. Umihozuki
15. Hune Ni Yurarete
16. Wakarebanashi Nanka
17. Ame No Yoru No Anata Wa
18. Minami Kaze
19. Banka
20. Meiko No Yume Wa Yoru Hiraku

DOWNLOAD

Lady Snowblood trailer
Lady Snowblood Trailer


DOWNLOAD


DOWNLOAD

LLF goes old school! The Queen of Japanese cult cinema mos def deserves a thread. I totally fell in love with Meiko after seeing Lady Snowblood and she's without a doubt the most badass J-actress ever. Even her music is awesome!

[Assman]

GJ Way to hustle her album!

WERD.  Tarantino so got Oren Ishii from her. I love her long sexy legs.

Unggh the lesbo sex scenes are just a bonus, dem J-idols just be wishing they were FUCKIN HARD as her.

[Masa]

Urami Bushi live performance


Still lookin' fly!

[Masa]

'Sasori' wallpapers

[Masa]

HOLY SHIT! MEIKO'S RELEASING A NEW SINGLE!

Meiko Kaji - Onna wo Yametai / Omoide Biyori
Catalog No.: TECA-12187
Label/Distributor: wint
Format: CD
Number of discs (or other units): 1
Release Date: 2009/06/24
Price: 1143yen (1200yen Tax incl.)
http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=TECA-12187

2003年タランティーノ監督の熱望により、映画『キルビル』の挿入歌に「修羅の花」が起用されて以来、歌手としての存在感を再度幅広く認識せしめた梶芽衣子の待望の新曲!! 個性的な歌唱と女優ならではの存在感を十二分に発揮した杉本眞人の書き下ろし作品。

* Masa pre-orders

[Masa]

Meiko Kaji interview from 'Outlaw Masters of Japanese Film' book

[Masa]

'Onna wo Yametai' single cover:

[Masa]

Onna wo Yametai & Omoide Biyori previews:
http://www.teichiku.co.jp/teichiku/artist/kaji/disco/ca12187.html

[Masa]

Official blog:
http://ameblo.jp/meikokaji/

Official site:
http://www.teichiku.co.jp/teichiku/artist/kaji/

[Masa]

Meiko Kaji - Onna wo Yametai *New Single* 2009

[Masa]

*credit to original scanner*

[Masa]

Meiko Kaji Best Collection (Title subject to change) [6SHM-CD + DVD]
Price: 18000yen  (18900yen Tax incl.) US$ 189.83
Release Date: 2010/03/24
Catalog No. TECS-18441
Number of discs: 7
Item weight: 600g

Features the high-fidelity SHM-CD format (compatible with standard CD players). Includes bonus DVD featuring interview, and CD-sized mini photobook. (subject to change) *Unless otherwise indicated, DVDs are region-2 encoded (Japan, Europe, and Middle East), and carry no subtitles.
http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=TECS-18441

[Ishtar]

Superb!!! =D
this lady is so classy, Lady Snowblood is one of my fave movies

[Babhuska]

This session is fading, and this is Sad.
but with so many restrictions here, is just hard to move into something

[john_hung]

she sang the songs for lady snowblood, no?

that is such an awesome movie 


look at how gorgeous she was back in the lady snowblood days (i have yet to see any of her other films i'm sorry to say)

[Masa]

Epic Meiko Kaji Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/KAJIMEIKOMOVIES

[Yoshino]

^^ I actually have that DVD, not all the episodes of the show though, she was in so many movies/shows back in the 70's it's hard to find them all. Great pics too, thanks for them. My old desktop, you're tempting me to go back to it.

[Masa]

'Stray Cat Rock: Machine Animal' is on TV right now

I actually have that DVD, not all the episodes of the show though, she was in so many movies/shows back in the 70's it's hard to find them all.

Man, the only Meiko movies I own are the Lady Snowblood movies. I have seen all Stray Cat Rock & Sasori flicks but unfortunately they haven't been released on DVD over here

I have seen most of the Meiko classics but I still need to watch both Wandering Ginza Butterfly movies. Especially the sequel seems awesome since it features Sonny Chiba as well

My old desktop, you're tempting me to go back to it.

Go for it

[Yoshino]

'Stray Cat Rock: Machine Animal' is on TV right now

I actually have that DVD, not all the episodes of the show though, she was in so many movies/shows back in the 70's it's hard to find them all.

Man, the only Meiko movies I own are the Lady Snowblood movies. I have seen all Stray Cat Rock & Sasori flicks but unfortunately they haven't been released on DVD over here

I have seen most of the Meiko classics but I still need to watch both Wandering Ginza Butterfly movies. Especially the sequel seems awesome since it features Sonny Chiba as well

My old desktop, you're tempting me to go back to it.

Go for it

Actually own the first 3 Stray Cat films, third movie is available over here but there is a site which sells bootlegs of Japanese movies, it's the only way you'll ever see them unfortunately. Also have both Wandering Ginza Butterfly movies too, first one is the real masterpiece, Jeans Blues is also a great one from her, know in her interview she said she's never seen it but it's quite entertaining. What station is Machine Animal on, would love to see that one.

[Masa]

Actually own the first 3 Stray Cat films, third movie is available over here but there is a site which sells bootlegs of Japanese movies, it's the only way you'll ever see them unfortunately. Also have both Wandering Ginza Butterfly movies too, first one is the real masterpiece

I have been trying to find a DVD-rip of WGB but unfortunately I haven't had any luck so far...

Jeans Blues is also a great one from her, know in her interview she said she's never seen it but it's quite entertaining.

Yeah, Jeans Blues is indeed a great movie and Meiko delivers yet another classic performance. I'd love to own JB on DVD but of course it has never been released in Europe


One of my favorite Meiko songs

What station is Machine Animal on, would love to see that one.

I doubt you have any Finnish channels lol. Anyways that same channel aired the whole Stray Cat Rock series last year. Hooray for TV-channels that show obscure Japanese cult flicks

BTW, do you prefer Meiko's acting or singing?