Akiko Wakabayashi

Personal Info

Known For:
Acting

Birthday:
December 13, 1939

Place of Birth:
Ota, Tokyo Prefecture, Japan

Social Media

Akiko Wakabayashi

Biography

Akiko Wakabayashi (born December 13, 1939 in Ōta, Tokyo) is a Japanese actress, best known in English-speaking countries for her role as Bond girl, Aki in the 1967 James Bond movie You Only Live Twice. Prior to this, she made many movies in her native Japan, especially Toho Studio's monster movies such as Dagora, the Space Monster and Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (both of which were also released under various other titles). When production of You Only Live Twice began, Wakabayashi was originally slated to play the role of Kissy Suzuki whilst her co-star Mie Hama played Suki, one of Tiger Tanaka's top agents. When learning English proved to be a major hurdle to Hama, the women switched roles, with Hama now playing the smaller part of Kissy and Wakabayashi playing the larger part of Suki. Wakabayashi, as Aki in the movie You Only Live Twice. At her suggestion, the character of Suki was renamed to Aki. This is probably partly because[citation needed] in 1966, Woody Allen took the Japanese action film International Secret Police: Key of Keys (in which both Mie Hama and Wakabayashi starred), re-edited, re-dubbed, re-plotted, and renamed it What's Up, Tiger Lily?. In the film, Wakabayashi's character was "Suki Yaki" whereas her You Only Live Twice co-star Hama played "Teri Yaki". Wakabayashi made only one more film (and a guest TV appearance) before disappearing from both the big and small screen. In an interview in G-FAN magazine (No. 76), Wakabayashi said she retired from acting due to injuries sustained while making a movie.

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Known For

Filmography

Year Movie Role
2002 Best Ever Bond Aki (archive footage) (uncredited)
1968 Diamonds of the Andes
1967 You Only Live Twice Aki
1966 What's Up, Tiger Lily? Suki Yaki
1966 Adventure in Kigan Castle Spuria, Chamberlain's daughter
1966 The Thin Line Sayuri Sugimoto
1966 Young Ace in the Alps
1965 Key of Keys Bai-Lan
1964 Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster Princess Maas Doulina Salno of Selgina
1964 Dogora Gang Moll
1964 A Keg of Powder Girl Taken at Haneda
1964 Hello, Baby Shizuko Nagata
1963 Samurai Pirate Yaya's maid
1963 Interpol Code 8 Mie Tsugawa
1963 King Kong vs. Godzilla Tamiye (uncredited)
1962 King Kong vs. Godzilla Tamiye
1962 Kanpai! Sararīman shokun
1962 The Crimson Sky
1962 Our Failures
1962 The Weed of Crime
1962 Ai no uzu shio
1962 Pig and Goldfish
1962 Wakai kisetsu
1962 Sararīman Gonza to Sukejū ren'ai kōsa-ten
1962 Anything For Success
1961 Akiko Akiko
1961 Acchan no bebi gyangu Midori
1961 Girl from Hong Kong Anna Suh
1961 Bandits on the Wind
1960 When a Woman Ascends the Stairs Hostess
1960 The Orientals
1960 New Third Class Executive: Fortune Teller Haruko Momoyama
1960 Ginza Tomboy Woman in Jail A
1959 The Beast Shall Die Hostess at the Rollita B
1959 The Terrible Game Mariko's Friend B
1958 Song for a Bride
Year TV Show Role
1972 Shirley's World
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