Yukiko Nikaido

Yukiko Nikaido
二階堂 有希子
Born
Kazuko Yagyū[1][2]

(1938-10-27)October 27, 1938
Yodobashi Ward, Tokyo, Japan
DiedJuly 3, 2026(2026-07-03) (aged 87)
Occupations
Years active1960s–1980s
AgentYatsugatake Club (first president)[3]
Notable creditLupin the 3rd Part I as Fujiko Mine
Spouse
Hiroshi Yagyū
​
​
(m. 1964; died 2022)​
Children
  • Shingo Yagyū (1968–2015)
  • Sōsuke Yagyū (born 1972)

Kazuko Yagyū (柳生 加津子, Yagyū Kazuko; née Nikaido, October 27, 1938 – July 3, 2026), known professionally as Yukiko Nikaido (二階堂 有希子, Nikaidō Yukiko), was a Japanese actress. She also served as the first president of the Yatsugatake Club, with her second son Sōsuke Yagyū succeeding her.[3][4]

Nikaido was married to Japanese actor Hiroshi Yagyū from 1964 until his death in 2022[3] and her first son was Japanese horticulturist Shingo Yagyū, who died in 2015.[3]

She is best known for voicing Fujiko Mine in the first Lupin III anime series Lupin the 3rd Part I.

Background

Born in Yodobashi Ward, Tokyo on October 27, 1938, Nikaido graduated from the Tokyo Jogakkan Junior and Senior High School.[4]

A member of the ninth class at the Haiyuza Theater Company Training School,[4] she ended up ranking first in the entrance exam, making her considered to be the successor of Kaneko Iwasaki, who was the troupe's leading actress at the time.[5] Around the same time she first met Hiroshi Yagyū, who would become her husband.[5]

Nikaido became a freelancer[2] after working with the Haiyuza Theatre Company,[6] Toei Company,[4] N.A.C.[7] and Mausu Promotion.[8]

She primarily worked as an actress in television dramas and theater. After graduating from the Haiyuza Theater Company, she started appearing in soap operas.[3] She was active as a voice actress since dubbing for the American television crime drama Route 66.[9]

In 1964, she and Hiroshi Yagyū got married, and following the birth of her first son Shingo Yagyū, Nikaido started focusing on her career as a voice actress.[3][10]

In 1972, following the birth of her second son Sōsuke Yagyū, Nikaido decided to retire from the entertainment industry.[11] Despite this, she continued her career as a voice actress, appearing in anime like 3000 Leagues in Search of Mother, and made appearances under her birth name on variety shows as the wife of her husband.

In 1989, Nikaido became the first president of the Yatsugatake Club, a horticulture facility located in Ōizumi-machi, Hokuto City, Yamanashi Prefecture. She was heavily involved in the facility's management, as she oversaw the café and gallery on the premises.[3]

As of 2013, Nikaido was living with dementia[11][12] and resided in a nursing facility.[11][12] She also developed dissociative amnesia around the same time, due to the shock from her first son Shingo's pharyngeal cancer diagnosis in 2014[12] and subsequent death the following year at age 47.[13]

Nikaido died on July 3, 2026, at the age of 87. Her second son Sōsuke announced the news on July 17 via the Facebook page of Yatsugatake Club.[14]

Personality

As an actress, Nikaido portrayed innocent character roles, due to the public image she had been known for.[15]

In her dubbing career, she served as the Japanese dubbing actress for Mireille Darc, Angie Dickinson and Grace Kelly.[16]

Nikaido's personal hobbies included ballet and playing the piano.[4]

When the Yatsugatake Club opened its café, she created their signature fruit tea, handled all aspects of menu development and handled all management.[17]

Episodes

Work ethic

As a voice actress, Nikaido said that it started off as a hobby because she found it to be "surprisingly fun and educational".[16]

In regards to her voice acting career in an interview, she said, "I have never really felt that dubbing is a struggle. I enjoy it immensely, always with a sense of tension. I actually feel a bit guilty getting paid for doing something this fun."[16]

Whenever dubbing for an actress, Nikaido made it a firm point to not use the same voice or tone every time, as she wanted to convey that actress's "unique charm" to the audience in a way that stayed respectful to the film, remarking, "I immerse myself in the character's physiological state. Even if I can't quite capture the actual flow of blood, when I get that close to their physical reality, my own voice and rhythm naturally begin to change."[16]

She became a very popular voice actress in the industry, as one time, she had received a fan letter. After reading it, she said, "Wow, you know them better than they know themselves. Voice acting is supposed to be a behind-the-scenes job. Because they can't be seen, the fans' passion seems to become even more intense."[16]

Fujiko Mine

Nikaido's most famous and signature acting role is voicing Fujiko Mine in Lupin the 3rd Part I.[11]

She was approached with the offer to voice the role of Fujiko, with the producer explaining, "This role requires a voice that can be both cute and dignified. Since Nikaido-san has such a wide vocal range, we would absolutely love to have her on board."[11]

Nikaido speculated that Chikao Ōtsuka and Kiyoshi Kobayashi, whom she had previously worked with in dubbing prior, had recommended her to the staff to voice Fujiko to the staff, saying, "Perhaps my senior colleagues from dubbing (like Chikao Ōtsuka and Kiyoshi Kobayashi) recommended me."[10]

In a later interview, she remarked that despite being not too skilled at performing for anime work, "I was able to naturally settle into Lupin without forcing it."[18]

She also said she overall had "a blast on set" then, saying, "Huddling together around a single microphone, the four veteran actors gave it their all. The intimate atmosphere in the room felt like a close-knit theater troupe, brimming with a powerful sense of unity." and then added, "I was surrounded by caring seniors and I only have fond memories of them looking out for me (laughs)."[10]

Looking back on her time in the role of Fujiko, she said: "My character had such a wide acting range that I constantly had to switch up my expressions, voice and delivery. It was incredibly fun to just let loose and go all out—something I could never experience as a regular television drama actress."[10]

In an interview in 2015, Nikaido revealed that she considered Lupin the 3rd Part I to be a "special project",[10] saying:

"I've spent many years working as an actress, sometimes even playing the lead in TV dramas, but I barely remember those works myself. I also rarely have fans approach me to talk about them. However, this particular project, which only broadcast for half a year (excluding reruns), remains in my own memory, and the fans still love it and keep it close to their heart,"[10] adding, "Even now (after my retirement), some people still come all the way to Mt. Yatsugatake and say to me, 'You're the Fujiko Mine from the 1st series, aren't you?' I truly consider myself so lucky to have played the original Fujiko Mine."[10]

The interview ended up being her final entertainment industry activity before her death.[19]

Following the deaths of Yasuo Yamada (Lupin III) in March 1995,[20] Gorō Naya (Inspector Zenigata) in March 2013,[21] Chikao Ōtsuka (Goemon Ishikawa XIII) in January 2015,[22] Makio Inoue (Goemon Ishikawa XIII) in November 2019,[23] Kiyoshi Kobayashi (Daisuke Jigen) in July 2022[24] and Eiko Masuyama (Fujiko Mine) in May 2024,[25] Nikaido was the last surviving original cast member of the Lupin the 3rd anime series' voice cast alongside current Lupin III voice actor Kanichi Kurita. With her death in July 2026, all of the original Lupin the 3rd anime voice actors have now passed away.

Filmography

Television dramas

List of performances in television dramas
Year Title Role Notes Source
1964Nissan Star Theater: Where To?Shinko
1966The Wandering Ronin: Tsukikage HyogoYaeepisode 13
1969The Bodyguard Series: I'm The BodyguardOenepisode 12
The Lonely Ronin: Hanayama DaikichiOtoshiepisode 33
Warm SpringSetsuko Nagashima
1970Onihei: The Crime Reports in EdoOdenepisode 64
Yae the HairdresserYaeko Tanaka
1971Zenigata HeijiOkikuepisode 257

Theatrical films

List of performances in theatrical films
Year Title Role Notes Source
1959High TeenAkiko Tsumura
1959Affair in the MistFumi
1960Challenge Beneath the WavesReiko Shima
1960Third World War: 41 Hours of FearMie Ichimura
1960PonkotsuChako
1960Faceless ViolenceMitsue Ishii
1960BillionareYoung Woman
1961Botchan Yaro ZoroiSuzuko Okura
1961We Are the Sky RebelsSpring River
1961A Fishwife's TaleYoko Ishikawa

Special effects

List of performances in special effects
Year Title Role Notes Source
1970Chibira-kunOku, Beautiful woman

Commercials

List of appearances in television commercials
Year Title Role Notes Source
1969National Panasonic Washing Machine "Ultra-High-Speed Whirlpool"

Stage

List of stage performances
Year Title Role Notes Source
1963A Kiss of Heaven and EarthMariko[26]

Television animation

List of voice performances in television animation
Year Title Role Notes Source
1969KamuiSugaru[27]
1971Lupin the 3rd Part IFujiko Mine, Ginko FujinamiMain role; Ginko Fujinami in episode 7[28][2]
19763000 Leagues in Search of MotherAnna, Renata[29][2]
1978One-Million Year Trip: Bander BookMrs. KudoTelevision film[30]
1979Song of Baseball EnthusiastsAdditional voiceFinal anime voice acting role

Dubbing

Feature films

List of dub performances in feature film productions
Title Role Notes Source
The BirdsMelanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren)TBS version and Fuji Television version[2]
MarnieMargaret "Marnie" Edgar (Tippi Hedren)[2]
SheAyesha (voiced by Nikki van der Zyl, portrayed by Ursula Andress)NET version[2]
The Blue MaxKäti Gräfin von Klugermann (Ursula Andress)Fuji Television version[2]
Fleur d'oseilleCatherine (Mireille Darc)[2]
Detective BelliVera Fontana (Florinda Bolkan)[2]

References

  1. ↑ "Voice Actor Directory" (in Japanese), Seibido Publishing, August 10, 1999, page 213. ISBN 4-415-00878-X.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Edited by Yoshio Kakeo, "Women's Section" in "Encyclopedia of Voice Actors" (2nd ed.) (in Japanese), Kinema Junpo Sha, page 486. ISBN 4-87376-160-3.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 採用情報・スタッフ紹介 (in Japanese). Yatsugatake Club. Accessed October 13, 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Japanese Talent Directory (1980 Edition)" (in Japanese), VIP Times, 1979, p. 336.
  5. 1 2 Yatsugatake Club [@yatsugatakeclub] (July 14, 2024). 【八ヶ岳倶楽部アーカイブ7】 (in Japanese).
  6. ↑ "The World of Voice Actors: From Animation to Foreign Films" (in Japanese), Asahi Sonorama (Fantastic Collection Special Edition), October 30, 1979, p. 96.
  7. ↑ "Directory of Japanese Celebrities (1973 Edition)" (in Japanese), VIP Times, 1973, p. 216.
  8. ↑ 「攻殻機動隊」草薙素子役etc..."戦う女"を演じる声優・田中敦子が6年務めた会社を辞め声優を目指した意外なきっかけとは?【人生における3つの分岐点】 (in Japanese). Niconico News. p. 1 (November 14, 2022). Accessed April 23, 2023.
  9. ↑ Kunio Abe, "Popular TV Foreign Films: Everything About Voice Actors" (in Japanese), Kindai Eiga-sha, 1979, p. 235, ASIN: B000J8GGHO.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Lupin the Third DVD Collection" Vol. 6, Kodansha, 2015, pages 16–17. National Bibliographic Number: 22563496.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 柳生博、愛妻の認知症をテレビ初告白"初代・峰不二子"二階堂有希子さんの病状語る (in Japanese). "Sponichi Annex". September 27, 2018. Accessed March 19, 2020.
  12. 1 2 3 柳生博、妻の二階堂が認知症であることを明かした「魔術でも使ったみたい...」 (in Japanese). "Sports Hochi". September 28, 2018. Accessed March 19, 2020.
  13. ↑ Sōsuke Yagyu. ずっと僕は「柳生博の息子」から逃げていたけど、父こそ「普通」であることを大事にしていた.父はこれからも変わらぬ笑顔で、八ヶ岳の自然と僕たちを見守り続けてくれる<後編> (in Japanese). "Fujin Kōron.jp". Chūō Kōron Shinsha. July 30, 2022. p. 2. Accessed October 13, 2025.
  14. ↑ 声優・二階堂有希子さん死去 「ルパン三世」初代・峰不二子役 夫は柳生博さん (in Japanese). "Sponichi Annex". July 17, 2026. Accessed July 17, 2026.
  15. ↑ "Studio Lupin the Third and His Gang + 1: "Lupin the Third: Part 3"" (in Japanese). Studio Lupin the Third. 1981. 25 pages.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 Sakumi Matsuda, "List of Regular Roles in Western Film Dubs (Actress 1)" in "Voice Actor White Paper" (research assistance by Kako Ezaki) (in Japanese). Okura Publishing. March 1, 2000. page 21. ISBN 4-87278-564-9.
  17. ↑ 八ヶ岳倶楽部アーカイブ33 (in Japanese). Facebook. January 11, 2025.
  18. ↑ "THE LUPIN: From the Original Lupin III to Lupin VIII"—supplement to the June 1982 issue of "My Anime" (in Japanese). Akita Shoten.
  19. ↑ "初代峰不二子・二階堂有希子さん死去、15年発売「ルパン三世」のインタビューが最後の芸能活動". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). July 18, 2026. Retrieved July 18, 2026.
  20. ↑ "Lupin III Dies: Yasuo Yamada". "The Daily Sports" (in Japanese). The Chunichi Shimbun Tokyo Head Office. March 20, 1995. p. 27.
  21. ↑ Lupin III's Zenigata/Yamato Captain's Voice Actor Goro Naya Passes Away. Anime News Network. Anime News Network Official Website. March 10, 2013. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
  22. ↑ Voice Actor Chikao Ohtsuka Passes Away. Anime News Network. Anime News Network Official Website. January 16, 2015. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
  23. ↑ Lupin III's Goemon, Captain Harlock's Harlock Voice Actor Makio Inoue Passes Away. Anime News Network. Anime News Network Official Website. December 2, 2019. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
  24. ↑ Lupin III's Long-Time Daisuke Jigen Voice Actor Kiyoshi Kobayashi Passes Away at 89. Anime News Network. Anime News Network Official Website. August 8, 2022. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
  25. ↑ Lupin III's 1st Fujiko Voice Actress Eiko Masuyama Dies at 89. Anime News Network. Anime News Network Official Website. June 3, 2024. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
  26. ↑ The Society for the Study of Performing Arts (ed.), "Geino" (in Japanese), April issue, Geino Publishing, April 1963, p. 77.
  27. ↑ 忍風カムイ外伝 (in Japanese). Eiken. Eiken Official Website. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  28. ↑ ルパン三世 PART1 (in Japanese). TMS Entertainment. Accessed September 22, 2022.
  29. ↑ 母をたずねて三千里 (in Japanese). Nippon Animation. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  30. ↑ 100万年地球の旅 バンダーブック (in Japanese). Mushi Production. Accessed May 3, 2016.

See also

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