Great Women in History: Setsuko Hara

Renowned actress Setsuko Hara was born Masae Aida on June 17, 1920. Coming of age during World War II, she found herself much in demand as an actress in the suddenly vital post-war Japanese film industry. Critically lauded both at home and abroad, Hara emerged as the iconic face of Japanese art cinema, working with directors such as Akira Kurosawa and Mikio Naruse; however, her most fruitful collaboration came with director Yasujiro Ozu, who utilized her beauty and talent to perfect effect in his somber meditations on the state of the post-war Japanese family (Late Spring, Tokyo Story). Like the quietly defiant young woman she played in Late Spring, Hara defied cultural expectations and chose never to marry or have children. Despite this controversial decision, Hara remained wildly popular in Japan, where she became known as the “Eternal Virgin.” She continued to act throughout the 1950s, playing nuanced variations on the modern Japanese woman and saving her best performances for Ozu’s films. Shortly after Ozu’s death in 1963, Hara blindsided the cinema world with the announcement that she was retiring. Rumors swirled that she had never enjoyed acting and did so only to support her large extended family, that Ozu’s death had left her too distraught to work, and - more quietly - scandalous allegations of lesbianism or some other secret. To this day - despite the best efforts of the Japanese press - her reasons remain unknown, as she has refused any and all interview or photo requests. She has reclaimed her given name, Masae Aida, and lives quietly in a small town, refusing to acknowledge her previous life as one of cinema's brightest stars.