Japanese Literary Awards

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Rei Asami

あさみ れい

Asami Rei

Aliases: 信元孝子 / ターコ
Pen Names: Rei Asami（Stage name / professional name）, Takako Nobumoto（Birth name）

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1950-03-11 （Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese

Career

Occupations
Actress, Former Takarazuka Revue otokoyaku (male-role performer)
Active Years
1970-
Affiliations
Umeda Arts Theater, Takarazuka Revue (former)
Memberships
Takarazuka Revue (former member), Japan Art Academy

Education

Tokyo Kasei Gakuin High School
Period: 〜1968（卒業）
Year of Graduation: 1968
Country: Japan
Graduated high school and entered Takarazuka Music School
Takarazuka Music School
Period: 1968–1970
Year of Graduation: 1970
Country: Japan
Joined Takarazuka Revue as part of the 56th class

Awards

Japan Academy Prize — Outstanding Supporting Actress
2001
Work: Fifteen - School IV
Category: 映画
Organization: Japan Academy Prize
Result: Winner
Yomiuri Theatre Award — Best Actress
1996
Work: Hamlet; Angels in America
Category: 舞台
Organization: Yomiuri Theatre Award
Result: Winner
Yomiuri Theatre Award — Best Actress
2011
Work: Winter's Lion; Fearful Parents
Category: 舞台
Organization: Yomiuri Theatre Award
Result: Winner
Kikuta Kazuo Theatre Award
2000
Work: A Little Night Music; The Love Trio; Twentieth Century
Organization: Kikuta Kazuo Theatre Award
Result: Winner
Mainichi Art Award
2002
Work: Sarah
Category: 舞台
Organization: Mainichi Shimbun
Result: Winner
Medal with Purple Ribbon
2006
Organization: Cabinet Office, Japan
Result: Recipient
Asahi Stage Art Award — Stage Art Prize
2006
Work: The Black Lizard
Category: 舞台
Organization: Asahi Shimbun
Result: Winner
Kinokuniya Theatre Award
2001
Work: Twentieth Century; Greeks
Category: 舞台
Organization: Kinokuniya Company
Result: Winner
Kikuta Kazuo Theatre Award — Grand Prize
2017
Work: August: Osage County; En Ainsandi
Organization: Kikuta Kazuo Theatre Award
Result: Winner
Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette
2020
Organization: Cabinet Office, Japan
Result: Recipient

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Rose of Versailles — André & Oscar

1975 Takarazuka Revue / Musical

A signature role in the Takarazuka Snow Troupe in which she played André, establishing her popularity as a tall, handsome otokoyaku (male-role performer).

historical dramaromanceotokoyaku (male-role) performance

Utakata no Koi (Fleeting Love)

1983 Takarazuka Revue / Musical

She played the role of Crown Prince Rudolf, a performance she had long desired; the production became a frequently revived classic.

love and tragedyhistorical figuresromanticism

Gone with the Wind — Scarlett Edition

1978 Takarazuka Revue / Musical

She portrayed Rhett Butler, a role that helped cement her status as Snow Troupe top star.

adaptation of classic literaturegender relationsgrand musical

Hamlet

1995 Theatre / Shakespeare

She performed the title role (played as an otokoyaku) and received the Yomiuri Theatre Award for Best Actress (1996) for this production.

tragedyidentitygender performance

Fifteen - School IV

2000 Film

Her film debut (2000), in which she played Sumire Oba; she won the Japan Academy Prize for Outstanding Supporting Actress (2001).

familyyouthhuman relationships

The Black Lizard

2006 Theatre

She performed dual roles including the titular Black Lizard, a stage production that earned critical acclaim.

mysterymacabrefemale antagonist roles

Bibliography

  • The Rose of Versailles (1975)
  • Utakata no Koi (1983)
  • Gone with the Wind (1978)
  • Hamlet (1995, 1997, 1998)
  • Fifteen - School IV (2000)
  • The Black Lizard (2006)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Commanding otokoyaku (male-role) performances with refined presenceExpressive narration with controlled modulationA performance style well-suited to classical theatrical direction
Recurring Motifs
Portrayals of historical figuresStrong/complex female characters (post-Takarazuka roles)Explorations of identity and gender performance

Legacy

A distinguished actress originating from the Takarazuka Revue. After rising to top star as an otokoyaku, she continued a prominent stage career post-resignation, earning multiple theatre awards and national honors; she is also a member of the Japan Art Academy.

Museums

  • Takarazuka Revue Hall of Fame Takarazuka, Hyogo, Japan (Takarazuka Revue related facility) Opened in 2014

Academic Societies

  • Japan Art Academy

Archives

  • National Diet Library (holds photo books and related materials)
  • Umeda Arts Theater archives

In Popular Culture

  • Familiar presence through drama narration and commercial appearances

Trivia

  • Birth name: Takako Nobumoto.
  • Served as top star of Takarazuka Revue's Snow Troupe.
  • Nickname: "Tāko" (from her given name Takako).
  • Height: 172 cm.
  • Blood type: O.
  • In 1985 she avoided boarding Japan Airlines Flight 123 due to changing to an earlier flight.
  • Inducted into the Takarazuka Revue Hall of Fame (2014); awarded the Order of the Rising Sun (2020); became a member of the Japan Art Academy (2023).