
Akiko Wakabayashi
Akiko Wakabayashi (born December 13, 1939 in Ōta, Tokyo) is a Japanese actress, best known in English-speaking countries for her role as Bond girl, Aki in the 1967 James Bond movie You Only Live Twice. Prior to this, she made many movies in her native Japan, especially Toho Studio's monster movies such as Dagora, the Space Monster and Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (both of which were also released under various other titles). When production of You Only Live Twice began, Wakabayashi was originally slated to play the role of Kissy Suzuki whilst her co-star Mie Hama played Suki, one of Tiger Tanaka's top agents. When learning English proved to be a major hurdle to Hama, the women switched roles, with Hama now playing the smaller part of Kissy and Wakabayashi playing the larger part of Suki. Wakabayashi, as Aki in the movie You Only Live Twice. At her suggestion, the character of Suki was renamed to Aki. This is probably partly because[citation needed] in 1966, Woody Allen took the Japanese action film International Secret Police: Key of Keys (in which both Mie Hama and Wakabayashi starred), re-edited, re-dubbed, re-plotted, and renamed it What's Up, Tiger Lily?. In the film, Wakabayashi's character was "Suki Yaki" whereas her You Only Live Twice co-star Hama played "Teri Yaki". Wakabayashi made only one more film (and a guest TV appearance) before disappearing from both the big and small screen. In an interview in G-FAN magazine (No. 76), Wakabayashi said she retired from acting due to injuries sustained while making a movie.
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Known For







Credits
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Best Ever Bond 2002Aki (archive footage) (uncredited)★ 5
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Shirley's World 1972★ 5
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★ NR
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You Only Live Twice 1967Aki★ 6.6
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Suki Yaki★ 5.4
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★ NR
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Spuria, Chamberlain's daughter★ 5.7
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The Thin Line 1966Sayuri Sugimoto★ 7.3
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Key of Keys 1965Bai-Lan★ 6
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Princess Maas Doulina Salno of Selgina★ 7
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A Keg of Powder 1964Girl Taken at Haneda★ NR
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Dogora 1964Gang Moll★ 6.9
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こんにちは赤ちゃん 1964Shizuko Nagata★ 10
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Samurai Pirate 1963Yaya's maid★ 5.5
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Interpol Code 8 1963★ NR
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The Weed of Crime 1962★ NR
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Gekkyū dorobō 1962★ NR
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Wakai kisetsu 1962★ NR
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Our Failures 1962★ NR
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Tamiye★ 6.9
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Pig and Goldfish 1962★ NR
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Ai no uzu shio 1962★ NR
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The Crimson Sky 1962★ NR
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★ NR
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Bandits on the Wind 1961★ NR
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Midori★ NR
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Girl from Hong Kong 1961Anna Suh★ 10
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Akiko 1961Akiko★ 6.5
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Haruko Momoyama★ NR
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The Orientals 1960★ NR
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Hostess★ 8
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The Terrible Game 1959Mariko's Friend B★ NR
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The Beast Shall Die 1959Hostess at the Rollita B★ 5.6
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Song for a Bride 1958★ NR