is a Japanese stage and film actress who has appeared in films of Yasujirō Ozu, Keisuke Kinoshita, Masaki Kobayashi and most frequently of Masahiro Shinoda, her husband. She is best known for starring in the Yakuza Wives series of yakuza films between 1986 and 1998. In 2000, Iwashita ranked tenth on Kinema Junpos readers' poll of the top female movie stars of the 20th century. In 2025, she was ranked fourth in a poll conducted by Sankei Shimbun on the top actresses of the Shōwa era.
Biography
Iwashita was born in Tokyo, Japan, as the eldest daughter of Kiyoshi Nonomura and Miyoko Yamagishi, both stage actors.
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| The River Fuefuki
| Ume
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| Late Autumn
| woman at reception desk
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| 1961
| Enraptured
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| rowspan="2"| 1962
| Harakiri
| Miho Tsugumo
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| An Autumn Afternoon
| Michiko Hirayama
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| rowspan="2"| 1963
| Twin Sisters of Kyoto
| Chieko / Naeko
| Lead role
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| A Legend or Was It?
| Koeko Sonobe
| Lead role
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| 1964
| Assassination
| Oren
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| 1965
| Sword of the Beast
| Taka
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| 1966
| The Kii River
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| 1967
| Portrait of Chieko
| Chieko Takamura
| Lead role
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|rowspan="2"| 1969
| Double Suicide
| Koharu / Osan
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| Red Lion
| Tomi
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| 1971
| Silence
| Kiku
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| 1974
| Himiko
| Himiko
| Lead role
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| 1977
| Ballad of Orin
| Orin
| Lead role
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| rowspan="2" | 1978
| The Demon
| Oume
| Lead role
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| Bandits vs. Samurai Squadron
| Chiyo
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| rowspan="2" | 1982
| Suspicion
| Ritsuko Sahara
| Lead role
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| Onimasa
| Uta Kiryuin
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| rowspan="2" | 1984
| MacArthur's Children
| Tome
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| Fireflies in the North
| Yu Nakamura
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| rowspan="2" | 1986
| Gonza the Spearman
| Osai
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| Yakuza Wives
| Tamaki Awazu
| Lead role
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| 1990
| Childhood Days
| Shizue Kazama
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| 1993
| Kozure Ōkami: Sono Chiisaki Te ni
| Oharu
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| 1995
| Sharaku
| Troupe Leader
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| 1997
| Moonlight Serenade
| Fuji
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| 1999
| Owls' Castle
| Kita no Mandokoro
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| 2003
| Spy Sorge
| Mrs. Konoe
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Television
{| class="wikitable"
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! style="background:#B0C4DE" | Year
! style="background:#B0C4DE" | Title
! style="background:#B0C4DE" | Role
! style="background:#B0C4DE" | Notes
! style="background:#B0C4DE" | Ref.
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| 1979
| Kusa Moeru
| Hōjō Masako
| Lead role; Taiga drama
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| 1987
| Dokuganryū Masamune
| Yoshihime
| Taiga drama
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| 2000
| Aoi
| Ogō
| Taiga drama
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Awards and honours (selected)
- 1961: Blue Ribbon Newcomer Award
- 1977–78: Blue Ribbon Award, Mainichi Film Award and Kinema Junpo Award for Best Actress in Ballad of Orin
- 1988: Kinuyo Tanaka Award (1988)
- 2004: Medal with Purple Ribbon
- 2012: Order of the Rising Sun, 4th Class, Gold Rays with Rosette