The Japanese people rank their favorite 100 female historical figures
Last night ＮＴＶ aired “ニッポン人が好きな１００人の美人” (“100 People Loved by the Japanese -Beauty Edition-”), which was basically the same concept as the previous program I wrote about, only this time Japanese people ranked their favorite women (and not necessarily beautiful women). I’ve translated most of the list here, except for the 32 to 49, which were lost to me when my PVR recording program locked up and needed to be restarted. All of the women on the list are no longer alive (which was on of the requirements), with a heavy emphasis on famous women who died recently of some sort of tragic accident/illness. Here’s the list:
1. Natsume Masako (Actress) [夏目雅子]
2. Audrey Hepburn (American Actress)
3. Princess Diana (English Princess)
4. Cleopatra (Egyptian Queen)
5. Mother Teresa (Albanian Nun)
6. Florence Nightingale (English nurse)
7. Grace Kelly (American actress/princess)
8. Marilyn Monroe (American Actress)
9. Joan of Arc (French Heroine/Saint)
10. Marie Antoinette (French Queen)
11. Honda Minako (singer) [本田美奈子。]
12. Yang Guifei (Chinese Princess) [楊貴妃]
13. Helen Keller (American Blind/Deaf person)
14. Vivien Leigh (English Actress)
15. Ingrid Bergman (Swedish Actress)
16. Teresa Teng (Taiwanese Singer)
17. Okada Yukiko (Idol/Singer) [岡田有希子]
18. Katharine Hepburn (American Actress)
19. Marie Curie (Polish Scientist)
20. Eri Chiemi (Singer) [江利チエミ]
21. Jang Geum (Korean Doctor) [チャングム]
22. Anne Sulivan (Helen Keller’s teacher)
23. Natalie Wood （American Actress）
24. Yosano Akiko （Author） [与謝野 晶子]
25. Ono no Komachi （Poet） [小野小町]
26. Anne Frank (German Holocaust Victim)
27. Hojo Masako （Wife of the first Kamakura Shogun） [北条政子]
28. Mukoda Kuniko（Screenwriter) [向田邦子]
29. Marlene Dietrich (German Actress)
30. Emon Yuko (Essayist) [絵門 ゆう子]
31. Empress Himiko [卑弥呼]
32. Tomoegozen (Legendary Warrior) [巴御前]
33. Nene (Koudai-in? Famous Nun) [ねね]
34. Maria Theresa (Austrian Empress)
35. Kasuganotsubone (Nurse of Tokugawa Iemitsu) [春日局]
36. Elizabeth I (English Queen)
37. Kaneko Misuzu (Poet/Songwriter) [金子みすず]
38. Maeda Matsu (Wife of Maeda Toshiie) [利家の妻まつ]
39. Chiyo [一豊の妻千代] (Wife of Yamauchi Kazutoyo)
40. Kaai Kazumi (Singer) [可愛かずみ]
41. Shizuka Gozen (Lover of Minamoto Yoshitsune) [静御前]
42. Princess Noh (Wife of Nobunaga) [濃姫]
43. Suzuki Sonoko (Diet Guru) [鈴木その子]
44. Maria Callas (Greek Opera Singer)
45. Sei Shonagon (Poet) [清少納言]
46. Ichikawa Fusae (Feminist) [市川房枝]
47. Aoe Mina (Enka Singer) [青江三奈]
48. Higuchi Ichiyo (Writer) [樋口一葉]
49. Hosokawa Gracia (Christian Martyr) [細川ガラシヤ]
50. Taichi Kiwako（Actress） [太地喜和子]
51. The Virgin Mary (Mother of Jesus)
52. Okada Yoshiko （Musician） [岡田嘉子]
53. Hitomi Kinue （Olympic Long-jumper） [人見絹枝 ]
54. Oichi no Kata (Sister of Oda Nobunaga) [お市の方]
55. Miyako Chocho (Actress) [ミヤコ蝶]
56. Tsuda Umeko (Educator) [津田梅子]
57. Empress Dowager Cixi (Chinese Empress) [西太后]
58. Princess Sen [千姫]
59. Horie Shinobu (Actress) [堀江しのぶ]
60. Shirashu Masako (Writer) [白洲正子]
61. Sakamoto Oryo (Wife of Sakamoto Ryoma) [坂本おりょう]
62. Ariyoshi Sawako (Writer) [有吉佐和子]
63. Jackie Kennedy (American First Lady)
64. Kazu-no-Miya Chikako (Wife of the last Shogun) [皇女和宮]
65. Okamoto Kanoko (Writer/Poet) [岡本かの子]
66. Yamaoka Hisano (Actress) [山岡久乃]
67. Koshiji Fubuki (Actress/Singer) [越路 吹雪]
68. Kobayashi Chitose (Actress/Writer) [小林千登勢]
69. Izumo no Okuni (Founder of Kabuki Theater) [出雲阿国]
70. Aratama Michiyo (Actress) [新珠三千代]
71. Takamine Mieko (Actress/Singer) [高峰三枝子]
72. Izumi Shikibu (Poet) [和泉式部]
73. Catherine I (Russian Ruler)
74. Oya Masako (Singer/Philanthropist) [大屋政子]
75. Noguchi Shika [野口シカ]
76. Empress Jito [持統天皇]
77. Komori Kazuko (Film Critic) [小森和子]
78. Awaya Noriko (Singer) [淡谷のりこ子]
79. Chusonji Yutsuko (Manga Author) [中尊寺ゆつこ]
80. Matsui Sumako (Actress) [松井須磨子]
81. Hasegawa Machiko (Manga Author) [長谷川町子]
82. Tanaka Kinuyo (Actress/Director) [田中絹代]
83. Yododono (Concubine of Hideyoshi) [淀殿]
84. Ginsan/Kinsan (Famous Twins) [きんさんぎんさん]
85. Gubijin [虞美人]
86. Matsuo Kazuko (Singer/Actress) [松尾和子]
87. Jackie Sato (Pro-Wrestler) [ジャッキー佐藤]
88. Sakamoto Otome (Sister of Sakamoto Ryoma) [坂本乙女]
89. Maehata Hideko (Olympic Swimmer) [前畑秀子]
90. Eva Peron (Argentine First Lady)
91. Murasaki Shikibu (Author of Genji Monogatari) [紫式部]
92. Sugimura Haruko (Actress) [杉村春子]
93. Iwasaki Chihiro (Artist) [いわさきちひろ]
94. Mata Hari (Dutch Dancer/Spy)
95. Agatha Christie (English Writer)
96. Florence Griffith Joiner (American Runner)
97. Tojin Okichi (Mistress of Townsend Harris) [唐人お吉]
98. Kawakami Sadayakko (Actress/Geisha) [川上貞奴 ]
99. Yamano Aiko (Beauty Industry Pioneer) [山野愛子]
100. Mary Carpenter (American Singer)
That’s all I have for now. Commentary and pictures will follow later. If you notice some sort of error in the list, have an English link to information on any of the women without linked names, or can fill in the gaps in the list, please let me know!
