Departures of note

Yaeko Mizutani was a celebrated Japanese actress and singer who became the leading figure of shinpa (new school) theatre. Born in Tokyo in 1939 to kabuki actor Kanya Morita XIV and the first-generation Yaeko Mizutani, she was regarded as a thoroughbred of kabuki and shinpa from an early age. She made her stage debut in 1955 at the age of 16 under the name Yoshie Mizutani, and simultaneously launched a career as a jazz singer, appearing four times on the early NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen broadcasts.

She worked across theatre, film, and television, starring in films such as the Akumyo series and hosting the popular variety program Anata to Yoshie. After her mother's death in 1979, she became one of the pillars of shinpa theatre, inheriting signature roles including Taki no Shiroito and Fukagawa Fudo. In 1995 she formally succeeded her mother as the second-generation Yaeko Mizutani, becoming the head of the shinpa troupe.

Mizutani also worked as a director and essayist, and served as chair of the Japan Actors' Union. She received numerous honors including the Purple Ribbon Medal and the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette. She died of pneumonia on 28 August 2026 at the age of 87.