Japanese actor Meiko Kaji is an icon of genre cinema. Starring in over 100 films throughout her decades-long career, she was the face of films like Lady Snowblood and Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion. Her approach to these characters created lasting cinematic experiences, including influencing Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill. Her steely stare and deliberate movements result in complex female characters that are full of rage and able to take care of themselves in an ever-evolving and cruel world.
As part of her career retrospective at Beyond Fest at American Cinematheque, we spoke with the legendary Meiko Kaji about a career full of revenge movies, her evolving singing career, and her iconic steely stare.
Dread Central: I’m so excited to chat with you today. You’ve played such incredible characters, and you’ve changed cinema and the genre landscape with your performances. But I’m curious, how has playing these characters changed you as a person?
Meiko Kaji: We all have different characters, but it’s not always that we get a role that fits our particular character or personality. But in that sense, I think I’ve been quite fortunate and lucky in my career. You don’t always strike out with a film; it doesn’t always become a hit.
But in terms of Scorpion, when the series became a hit, the president of Toei Film Production at the time told me, “Well, if you made such a big hit with Scorpion, this is going to impact your career in all different sorts of ways, and it might be a little difficult.”
But something that he told me that always stuck with me is that, “What I consider a masterpiece is something that the audience passionately enjoys.” What a great saying. I always remember that, and I agree with that. For me, what makes a masterpiece is something that the masses enjoy. It’s entertainment, and I think I said that on stage tonight as well, and the fans applauded. So I think they agree with me. That’s something that I want to continue to strive towards.
DC: That’s amazing. You’ve played such incredible female characters, but a lot of times on male-dominated sets. What was your experience like as an actor on those sets, and did you feel empowered to push back when moments might have felt too exploitative?
MK: So for me, no matter the criticisms that may come my way, I’ve always stuck to my own pace. That’s something that I was born with. That’s always been the case for me. No matter what I’m going through, it’s always a battle with myself. Even if I meet resistance from the outside, my logical self will always tell me, “Well, that’s not the way.” So I sort of have that as a guiding principle. That struggle of making my opinion and my thoughts known, it has never been a torment for me.
DC: That’s amazing. I love that. Lady Snowblood is perhaps your most well-known role, but you had such an amazing career before that. I’d love to hear more about deciding to take on that role and continuing to follow that career trajectory of women seeking revenge against those who have wronged them and their families.
MK: I think in terms of revenge films in Japan, when something becomes a hit, it’s quite difficult because you’re expected to do the same kind of role. So there was a period in my career that was quite difficult, and it took some courage to branch out to do something different. But I did, and I was met with quite a lot of resistance when I decided not to continue on with the role of Scorpion series.
But I’m very glad that I did that. And it’s never easy to make a hit. But, reflecting on my 50-plus year career, I think that encounter with an amazing director, the work that the film was based on, and the crew, I think those fortunate encounters with those elements is what make my legacy. I’m 78 years old right now, and I still can’t believe that I’m still standing here. I’m quite strong-willed, and I made a lot of enemies along the way. It wouldn’t be too unthinkable for me to have been murdered, but I’m still standing here. [Laughs] It’s owing to those fortunate encounters and the people that I’ve met that I’m still here.
DC: That’s amazing. And I do have to know, you are known for your incredible steely stare. Is this something that comes naturally to you, or is that something you’ve practiced over the years?
MK: I was never conscious of how I acted with my eyes. It’s my sensibility, I think. When I internally wanted to do something, my eyes naturally conveyed that.
DC: So you’re also a singer, and your music is used in Lady Snowblood. I’d love to know why being a musical artist was so appealing to you, even after finding success as an actor. Why did you want to pursue a musical career?
MK: So, back in the day, when I started as an actor, I belonged to the film production company, Nikkatsu. And for those actors belonging to a specific film production company, when you played a protagonist, it was expected that you sing the theme song as well. And a lot of these film companies also owned a chain of theaters. And whenever your film would be screened, it was expected that the new actors would be employed to do the introduction before an audience. And oftentimes, there would be a directive from the company to sing.
So it was a natural course that I became a singer in that sense. But back then, I was being forced to sing. Before then, I didn’t have much feeling about being a singer. But in my seventies, I started to break new ground in terms of my singing. I’m still putting out records. I’ve tried out the rock genre and so on. And now I can say that I love doing live shows. I did some live shows this year in April and May, and I’ll do some later this year. And I can say for the first time that I am taking pleasure in singing. It’s fun for me to perform live shows. And I think it’s also good for my health. I think it’s good for my resilience, and it’s something that fortifies me, so I’m not going to quit anytime soon.
DC: Oh, that’s amazing. I love a newfound love of singing after a lifetime of being forced to sing.
MK: I hope you’ll continue to support me!
DC: Of course! So you’ve been in many revenge movies as an actor. Has being in so many revenge movies and thinking about revenge and acting around the concept of revenge changed your perception at all about the idea?
MK: I don’t like to hold grudges. I don’t like to get back at people. But as a performer, rather than doing something that’s close to your personality, I’d rather take on roles that allow me to use my imagination. But I’m not a very vengeful woman at all.
DC: Is there a role that you wish you wish has received could have received more attention or love from your filmography?
MK: So, one film that I wish got a little more attention is a Toho film. It also stars Ken Takakura and Shintarô Katsu. It’s called The Homeless in English. That’s something that I wish more people would pay attention to. I think it’s a great film.
And another quieter role that I took on was a woman who falls in love with an American GI in Japan, and then gives birth to a mixed-race child. It’s called When I Was a Child, There Was War. I’m not sure about the official English title for that one.
And then there’s another one called based on wartime Hiroshima. There are so many revenge films that I did, so the quieter roles like those get buried, and that’s a little bit of a shame.
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