Chieko Baisho

Chieko Baisho (倍賞 千恵子, Baishō Chieko, born June 29, 1941) is a Japanese actress and singer.

In Japan, she is well known for her performance as Sakura in the Otoko wa Tsurai yo series from 1969 until 1995. In addition, she has acted in many films directed by Yōji Yamada since the 1960s. She won the award for best actress at the 5th Hochi Film Award for A Distant Cry from Spring.

She sometimes performs as a voice actress, such as "Sophie" in Howl's Moving Castle in 2004. Although different voice actresses usually played young and old Sophie in the foreign dubs of the film, Baisho performed both roles alone, as well as the movie's theme song.

She has had a career as a singer since her debut with the song "Shitamachi no Taiyō" in 1962, for which she won the "newcomer award" of the Japan Record Award. Her 1965 single, "Sayonara wa dance atoni", a cha-cha ballad, later had its melody inspire the 1992 song "Moonlight Densetsu", the theme song for the first four series of Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon. A cover by Mariko Takahashi would later appear in another Ghibli film, Only Yesterday.

She is the older sister of Mitsuko Baisho, who is also an actress.

She is married to the Japanese composer Reijiro Koroku (ja).

• Otoko wa Tsurai yo (1969–1995) as Sakura Suwa
• Kazoku (1970)
• The Yellow Handkerchief (1977)
• A Distant Cry from Spring (1980) - Tamiko Kazami
• Station (1981)
• Mobile Suit Gundam - Movie I (1981) as Kamaria Ray
• Hope and Pain (1988)
• Jungle Emperor Leo (1997) as Lyre
• Howl's Moving Castle (2004) as Sophie
• The Hidden Blade (2004)
• Zatoichi: The Last (2010)
• Tokyo Newcomer (2013)
• It All Began When I Met You (2013)
• The Little House (2014)

• Medal with Purple Ribbon (2005)
• Order of the Rising Sun, 4th Class, Gold Rays with Rosette (2013)